The Golden Deer

Chapter 5- James!

James was nowhere to be seen that morning. Not in the common room, and not at breakfast. Lily went around the outside of the castle to the little tree beneath Gryffindor tower. To her surprise, the magic deer was there. As she approached, he came to her and took her sleeve in his teeth. He started to pull her towards the forest. "Oh, no, Magic Deer! I can't go yet. I'm waiting for James here." The stag only pulled her faster so that she had to jog to keep up. "Please, friend! Don't pull on me! You are going to tear my robes!" Lily pulled he sleeve free, but the stag bit her cloak around her waist and went on pulling. She chastised the deer and pleaded with him, but he didn't stop until they reached the great pine. He pushed Lily with his nose and she fell into the room through the green boughs and landed hard on her back. Before she could get up, the stag had come in and was standing over her menacingly. Now Lily really became frightened. This huge beast could kill her easily and no one would hear. Unless... "JAMES! JAMES! WHERE ARE YOU! HELP ME PLEASE! JAMES!" The buck had started to lick her face, as if to calm her, but her fear only increased. "JAMES! PLEASE COME! I NEED HELP!"

Lily saw the huge stag rear onto his hind legs, and she closed her eyes, not breathing, bracing herself for the crushing hooves to hit her chest and face. She winced, waiting for the inevitable blow, but it didn't come, and soon she had to take a breath. She opened her eyes and saw not the deer, but James Potter standing over her. He reached out his hand, and as she took it she said, "Oh, James, thank God! How did you find me? There is this beautiful deer, and he just dragged me here, and I thought he'd kill, me, oh, thank you James! Thank yo-"

James cut her off with a kiss. She returned the kiss tentatively, but then let her fear go and parted her lips to James's, returning his passion with her own. When Lily opened her eyes, she started. "What is it?" asked James. His skin and tousled hair were shining like gold.

"It's just, why are you all golden, James?"

"Just a gilding charm. It will wear off." He kissed her again.

Her mind was finally starting to work. After a minute, she pulled away. "Oh my God, James! Are you a... a..."

"An animagus, yes. You're not going to tell on me, are you Lily?"

"No. I mean, oh, James, I'm so embarrassed!"

"Don't be." James kissed her again, and she had to push aside all the questions she wanted to ask him. His kissing was too good. They slowly melted to the ground as kissing led to touching and to licking and nibbling. Eventually James pulled away, saying, "Tomorrow is Christmas, Lily, why don't you come home with me?"

"Sure, I'm flattered. That is, if you don't think your parents will mind."

"They'll love you. Let's go in now. I'm really getting cold." It was only then that she noticed James didn't have a cloak on.

"Oh, James, I'm so sorry! Why didn't you wear a cloak?"

"Prongs doesn't need a cloak. Come on, I'll give you a ride back to the castle." Right before her eyes James became Prongs, her magic deer, and knelt to let her up.

I must be the luckiest girl in the world.