The Marauders: Year Three | #Wattys2016

The Stag in the Forest

The stag nuzzled her shoulder a little and she smiled, "You'd never gloat, I'm sure, would you?"

He made the funny noise in his throat again and Lily laughed but even as she did, all the emotions of what happened back at the castle filled her up again, and she started to cry and the laughter turned into sobs and tears fell over her face again. "Oh I'm so stupid," she choked. "Why didn't I see it before? I'm supposed to be so smart but I don't feel it, I just feel dumb and so very alone, really. I'm not sure I fit in. I knew I fit in with Severus, I knew it because he was always there for me before, when we were at home, but the last three years... with his friends... I haven't really fit in because of my stupid blood... I'm not a true witch, you know, I'm a muggle-born and --" she was started to slur her words together so she was becoming harder to understand and soon she didn't know even what she was saying anymore as she dissolved into a quivering mass of tears.

Carefully, the deer took a step toward her and he put his great head so that it was over her back and rested his chin on her shoulder, keeping his antlers tilted away. It was like... like he was hugging her. She was dumbfounded for a moment and then she gave in to it and wrapped her arms around his great big neck, burying her face into his neck. Her fingers sliced through the fur and she clutched on.

Meanwhile, back at the castle, Marlene came back inside, "She's run off, I can't keep up... I hope she's alright." She looked concerned.

"James went after them," said Sirius from behind his hands, "She'll be okay, he'll bloody die before he lets anybody hurt her, Snape's the one you should be worried about. Except he's Snape, so bugger him."

Marlene came over and reached for Sirius's hands, "Let me see what he's done."

"No," Sirius stepped back quickly, "No, you can't see."

"Sirius, I'll fix it," Marlene said.

"No," Sirius shook his head. "It's okay, I'll... I'll go see Pomfrey or - or somebody." He started toward the stairs, "Really. I'll be fine. You stay here, wait for Lily to come back... I just - I gotta go."

Marlene looked concerned as he backed up them.

"It's been lovely, good time, I'll see you - what - tomorrow? Maybe the Ravenclaw courtyard before breakfast? I'll meet you there, walk you to the Great Hall, alright?" Sirius nodded, "Yeah. I'll see you then." And he turned and rushed up the stairs, leaving Marlene in the entrance hall, staring after him.

Standing between Severus Snape and the doorway that Lily Evans had just run through had turned to be a lot more risky a duel than Sirius had counted on. Snape had not been playing around when he raised his wand and the resulting spell had hit Sirius right in the face and now --

Sirius pushed open the Gryffindor dormitory room and there was Remus, still sitting on the bed, still reading. He looked up when Sirius came running in and slammed the door, hands covering his mouth. "You're back early," Remus commented, "Not enough girls to snog in the Great Hall for you?"

Sirius lowered his hands, "Help me," he begged.

Remus's eyes widened.

Sirius's mouth and nose had been replaced by a squat orange duck bill.

"How in the ruddy hell did you get that?" Remus asked, flinging aside his book and standing up to go over and inspect Sirius's face.

"Snivellus," said Sirius, the duck bill flapping.

Remus grabbed his wand from his desk, "Lumos," he said, then, "Open wide. I'm going to stick my wand up in your mouth a moment."

"Are you talking dirty to me, Rey?"