With O.W.L.'s and quidditch practices as a trainer to keep him busy, James to his utter astonishment found that time had passed quickly by nearly mid-October. Most of the students were excited as the following weekend would be the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. To his own surprise, he had even gained the courage to ask, Lily to go on a date during the next Hogsmeade trip. To his utter disbelief, she had quietly accepted his first request.
It had been a painful bittersweet moment for James as his Lily would have never so easily accepted. A part of him was delighted to be near Lily, but another part of him seemed adamant about rejecting her. It was so utterly confusing, but at the same time, it was not. And with a sickening feeling he was coming to realize that even though a part of him would always love HIS LILY, he may never come to grow to love the Lily standing right in front of him.
Trying to busy himself, James threw himself into his schoolwork and with some measure of pride found himself studying over past subjects. Halfway through his homework while studying in the library, James hears the familiar sound of someone silently sitting across from him. Without even glancing up, he says, "And how was your day, Prince?" He still could not bring himself to call her by her first name, but he was getting better at interacting with her.
"Fine," Rowan bitterly grumbled as she pulled out her things from her schoolbag.
"Well, I certainly don't envy any of your position as Prefect's this year," James candidly admitted with relief. His experience as Head Boy in his seventh year had been a little too eye-opening for comfort.
"Mm," Rowan grunted and pulled out her quill as she began to write an essay for Transfiguration. It was regarding the Inanimatus Conjuring Spell. It was a spell designed to conjure inanimate objects. One would think the spell would be simple considering she was not changing the existence of an object into another, but apparently, it was not. And as much as she hated to admit it, but she was just terrible to the point that Professor McGonagall had even assigned her extra homework. (And truth be told, Transfiguration was her worst and most difficult subject. Also, admittedly her most hated subject of all.)
Lost in thought after some time, Rowan glances up from her roll of parchment and says, "That reminds me, Potter, it's the full moon tonight. Sirius wanted me to remind you that the Marauder's full moon tradition was still in effect. And if you could not recall said tradition, I was to explain."
"We still go on full moon runs?" James blurted out, before wincing to himself about his stupidity. Of course, they did, they were all animagus' at this point in time. And they were friends.... of sorts that at this point that it would not be so uncomfortable as to participate in such a friendly outing.
"Yes, Potter, you all still do," Rowan rolled her eyes before she glanced back down at her essay. "And don't forget to wear your blasted cloak this time."
James visibly startles at the revelation and simply studies the Slytherin, but Prince never glances up and merely remains on task. Unsure of what to make of the sudden admission, he pretends to read until some minutes have gone by, before properly excusing himself. Prince does not even react except for waving her hand at him remaining solely focused on her essay.
The rest of the evening is a blur including dinner, before James finds the figures of Sirius, Remus, and Peter all eagerly, but cautiously gazing at him in their shared dorm room. "Er, you ready, James?" Sirius keenly asked, but nervously flipped his hair back. A telling habit of his.
"I am," James truthfully acknowledged as Remus let us out a sigh of relief, and Peter's shoulders relax. Considering their height and size now, the Invisible clock of James could barely cover three of them much less four. As a result, Peter always transformed into his rat form and was typically carried on one of their shoulders.
"Well, then let's go," Sirius excitedly said flashing a glistening smile. Shaking his head ruefully, Remus rolls his eyes, while Peter transforms into his rat form, Wormtail. The figure of Wormtail is that of a healthy sleek rat that squeaks to Remus, who gently picks him up and carries him in his arms. With all four of them grown now, it was a very tight squeeze for three of them to fit under the invisible cloak, and night impossible for all four of them. As such, Peter tended to take one for the team for the invisible cloak to cover them all.
It was something that James had never truly considered before and filled him with a bitter sense of bitterness. There was so much he had not seen back then. He had been so very blind, and now it was too late. But he still had a chance to make things right here, it was the least bit that he could do in this lifetime.
"James?" Remus quietly asked with concern startling James out of his inner thoughts.
"Sorry, I just got distracted for a bit, Remy," James sincerely said, while Remus arches his brow in disbelief, and Sirius begins to chew on his lip in worry. Perchance, this had not been such a good idea after all.
Before Remus or Sirius can change their minds about that evening, James grabs the clock and says, "Let's go." Seeing the resolute face of their friend, Remus and Sirius decide to comply while Wormtail quietly studies James from the crook of Remus's shoulder.
The cozy Gryffindor common room is quiet and empty at this late hour except for the crackling from the fireplace providing flickering lighting. The three of them slip under the invisible cloak as they push the portrait door open and slip out from the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady is busy chatting with her friend, another portrait in a fleece dress that she does not even notice the event.
With practiced ease, the group of them slip through the stone halls, and down the staircase, before emerging at the Hogwarts front entrance. Quietly and with practiced motions, the group slipped through the front doors, before emerging out onto the cool night. There was a chilly breeze announcing Autumn as the waves on the lake splash about. The rapidly turning red, orange, yellow, and yet green leaves of the trees rustle together in an unknown musical symphony. While the yellow harvest moon hangs wide and high overhead, today would be the first night, and then there would only be two more nights left before the moon began to wane again.
The three boys faintly shiver at the chill having worn only their robes, and not a light cloak to cover them, while Wormtail smugly curls up in the warm shoulder crook of Remus. The three of them quickly move forward and scurry past the Greenhouses, and towards the lake. Under the moonlight squid tentacles can be seen at the surface of the lake as the Giant Squid seemly enjoys the moonlight, and sways to the music of the night.
Already waiting for them at the edge of the shoreline nearest to the Forbidden Forest is the figure of Severus Prince, who steps out from the shadows upon hearing seeing Wormtail leaping out from under the invisible cloak and squeaking towards him.
Grinning Severus bends down and lifts Wormtail to perch onto his shoulder. "Hmph, took you long enough," he scolded them in jest.
As James removes the cloak, Sirius bursts out from underneath and proudly says, "I bet you got here early, Severus, because of Rowan. There's no way in Merlin's name that she wouldn't know about it. She must have murderously glared at Severus, because you both have patrol tonight, and she has to do it all alone now. I'm right aren't I?!"
"Cocky idiot," Severus grumbled as Sirius's triumphant expression only grew wider.
"Enough, Sirius, don't tease, Severus," Remus chided with a fearful shudder. "It's exhausting work to be a Perfect, and we are asking a lot of Rowan to patrol all by herself."
Sirius sniffs in disdain as Severus smirks back while James had finished folding the invisible cloak puts it away in his mokeskin pouch. "About time, James," Severus loudly said causing James to narrow his eyes at the Slytherin, before noticing the teasing glint in the onyx pair of eyes.
Relaxing James replies, "Well, I didn't want to interrupt, Siri, being nagged by Remy. Otherwise, we'll all hear the lecture later." They all burst into laughter with a pointed smirk from Severus and except for Remus, who scowls back at James.
Finished laughing, Severus glances up at the sky, and says, "Well, we better get going," and gently places Wormtail onto the ground. Wormtail scrambles back as Severus closes his eyes, and transforms. Shortly after, there is a large black winged stallion fluttering his powerful wings causing a small gale to form around Bramble.
Wormtail loudly sneezes causing Bramble to cease to flutter his wings, and neatly fold them back. Stomping his foot impatiently, Bramble snorts at James, Sirius, and Remus to hurry up. "Alright, alright, Bramble. We're coming mate," Sirius chortled, before transforming into a large black dog, Padfoot. Padfoot and Wormtail instantly begin to play chasing each other around Bramble's hooves, who snorts at them in annoyance.
Remus turns to stare at James and says, "It will be alright, James," before turning around and transforming into a large brownish-gray wolf, Moony. Moony flashes a glistening white fanged smile at James, and nudges his hand with his wet nose, before running towards Padfoot in a playful tussle.
James stares at the scene with a painful ache in his chest as he watches the sight of Padfoot and Moony wrestling in the grass, while Bramble prances a short way's away from the madness, but not before bending down and allowing Wormtail to scramble onto his mane to find a perch. It hurt to breathe, but at the same time, there were the utmost feelings of joy and gratitude at a second chance.
Feeling himself shake with emotions, James tries to breathe before feeling that familiar feeling of transformation. When he was Prongs, he was himself, and yet he was not. He understood and thought, but everything was so much simpler and infinitely less complex. And he felt, oh, so very much that it hurt almost to be alive, but oh what a joy it was to be alive. And alive they indeed were.
Feeling the pain, and sadness fading away, Prongs skips forward and let us out a cheerful cry, before beginning to play with Bramble. The two of them chase and race each other down the shoreline as Padfoot and Moony let out a howl and chase after them. Wormtail loudly squeaks in excitement and fear as he clings to Bramble's mane lest he is thrown off.
And thus, in this manner, a group of creatures play and frolic all night long having laid their fears and worries to rest for at least one evening. Tragically, elsewhere, Rowan was rushing about cursing Severus, and the rest of the marauders. This was what she got for being nice, before teleporting away again to catch another miscreant.