The Golden Deer

Chapter Two- The stag

When Lily went upstairs, she expected to see James waiting for her in the common room. She was relieved yet disappointed to find it empty. She went up to her dormitory and dropped the books on her bed. She did find a couple interesting novels, but doubted whether she would get to them after all the studying she planned to do. It was N.E.W.T. year, after all. Big dry snowflakes tumbled past the tower window, and she looked out on the perfect winter scene. The blue sky and sunshine made the snowy ground sparkle and shimmer. An antlered buck was nibbling green leaves from a small tree just below her window. She had never seen deer here before, but it made sense that they would live in the forest. Maybe with all the students gone, he felt safe to come near the castle for some tender leaves.

The deer seemed to notice her, too. He looked up at her as he chewed the leaves, and even while she watched, his body seemed to glisten like gold, an ever-changing kaleidoscope of brilliance. This was a magic deer. Lily grabbed her hat and scarf and ran down the stairs. Maybe he would let her pet him if she brought some apples, she thought. Dashing into the great hall, Lily took an apple in each hand and then jogged around the castle in the falling snow, hoping the great stag had not disappeared back into the forest.

As she approached the tree, the animal started. She stopped and held out the apples for him to see, and he slowly came near to her. When he took the apple right out of her left hand, and bent down to eat it, she took her chance and stroked his magnificent glittering neck. "Did you come from the forest?" The stag nodded. "You can understand me?" He nodded again. "You are a magic deer. Are there more of you in the forest?" He shook his head. She continued to stroke his sleek coat, and he licked her hand affectionately.

She felt a tingle of excitement and apprehension. Lily loved animals, true, but this encounter felt somehow different... she couldn't place the squirming in her stomach, and attributed her awkwardness to the fact that this was the first magic deer she had ever met, and in fact, was the first deer she ever touched at all. He was huge compared to her, and his velvety antlers were beautiful and intimidating. She looked into his deep eyes and felt her stomach flip again. Do I know you?

The stag turned toward the forest and walked slowly away. He turned his head back and motioned that she should follow. "May I follow you?" He nodded. Lily jogged to keep up with the stag's proud strides, and soon met the edge of the forest. Of course, she had never entered the forest before, as it was out of bounds (and scary), but she did so now with no apprehension. The magic stag would surely protect her, she felt, and her curiosity so filled her that she had no room left for fear.

The stag stopped beside a towering pine just a short distance from the edge of the forest, and seemed to indicate that she should go under it's spreading boughs. She did as he directed and found a rather large room there, free from snow and quite warm and dry. The lowest branches attached to the trunk about four meters up from the ground. They bent gracefully downward, creating a green dome ceiling. The buck strutted into the room with a blanket in his mouth. She took it, spread it on the soft, mossy forest floor, and sat.

"This is amazing, Magic Deer! I could stay here all day, and James would never find me." She fondled the plush antlers as she spoke. "I just know he's up to something." The stag cocked his head as if to ask a question. "Oh, James. He's a boy at the school. He's been bothering me to go out with him for the last three years. I don't really understand why; there are lots of girls who give anything to have him. It's just... I think he likes to tease me, I guess. I can't tell if he really wants me, or if he just wants me to give in; it seems like I'm just a game to him. I do think he's cute. Oh... more than cute, Magic Deer! He's also been really sweet to me this year, he's grown up alot, I think. I really have fallen for him. But then, how can I change my mind now when I've been saying no for so long? He'll think he won me, and I can't let him know. He's so proud already. Besides, everyone is gone on break, and, I mean, I'm afraid of what might happen if I'm alone with him. If he kissed me, I think I'd lose my mind. I don't know. Maybe I already have lost my mind. James Potter. Really." She gave the other apple to her deer friend, who seemed very interested in what she was saying.

After Lily had stroked the silky deer for some time, she thought of her studying and decided to go. The stag looked downhearted to see her stand up to leave. "Oh, Magic Deer? I'm sorry. I can come meet you here again this evening. I'll bring more apples." He nodded, and she left the pine tree, still thinking of James, and wondering what he was plotting.