Title: See You When You're 40
Author: Saiya-Jin Girl
Disclaimer: I do not own HP!!!!
Chapter Ninteen
Hermione looked around the room, getting used to the sudden change in her senses. She was certainly much more aware of things in the room, especially the other animals. When she had decided she wanted she wanted to learn how to transform her body into that of an animal, or an animagus, she had a little trouble choosing. Her preference seemed to be a cat of some sort, and so she spent several weeks researching cats and their relatives, till she found one that she liked. She was a somewhat large, white tiger. Despite her size, she quickly found out how swift the animal was, as she had romped through the forbidden forest one night. She felt James and Sirius looking at her and she turned her head towards them. She snarled and Sirius snarled back at her, but when she heard it, she knew it was a friendly snarl, and not one of menace. James, on the other hand, made no gesture, but slowly moved away from the door. She saw Peter as himself, and felt an overwhelming urge to rip him apart, but she controlled herself. She watched as he opened the door quickly, and then morphed back into a rat. He scuttled away.
She felt herself tensing up as she caught a new scent enter the room, she looked up and was greeted by the sight of Remus Lupin, but not the one she knew, and it was a werewolf. She saw him look at her and he howled. She felt a flicker of fear, but remembered that she was no longer in human form and she snarled back at him.
They would have fun tonight.
They went through the school grounds, and through the forbidden forest. They chased each other around, raced each other, and enjoyed the night. Hermione chased Sirius around and he sped across a clear patch of the forest ground, and suddenly he stopped. She too, stopped running, and went over to where he was, to see why he stopped, in the distance, she saw a Centaur. Sirius looked at her for a moment, and she understood that they should leave, she recalled Firenze, a centaur who taught divination once and wondered if he was alive at this time. She had no time to find out, since they were leaving, she turned and watched them as they led Remus out of the woods and away from the Centaurs. She followed them.
The rest of the night went by with them enjoying themselves, until the sky started clearing and they noticed Remus slowing down. He seemed a bit disoriented and stopped for periods of time doing nothing. She wondered if he was gaining his consciousness and she realized that the sun would be rising soon, he was becoming less wolfish. Suddenly his body convulsed and shuddered, he began morphing back into his human form. She walked over to him, still in her animagus form and peered over at him, as he lay on the ground, shivering, barely clad, his eyes opened and widened in terror as he saw her face, then his eyes closed and he did not wake up.
James and Sirius took Remus back to the passage beneath the Whomping Willow to get him clothed and oriented and left Hermione to her own devices. She morphed back into her human form and she sat down for a moment to catch her self. She looked at the sky as the color changed and she sighed. She thought back to the night and all the things they did, and then she saw his face, in her mind. She saw the confusion, and the terror when he had looked at her and she couldn't help but to feel a pang of sorrow at what he must have went through. She buried her face in her hands and wept. She heard a sound behind her and she whipped around. It was Remus, he looked tired.
"Jane…" he said softly. She got up and bit her lip.
"Remus…I…" He said nothing but walked up to her and kissed her on the lips.
"Jane, you are…amazing," he said. She looked into his eyes and collapsed into his arms.
"I'm so sorry, Remus," she said sadly.
"For what?" he asked. She shrugged and pulled away.
"For what you have to go through," she said placing her hand on his shoulder. He sighed.
"It's life, Jane," he said quietly. She looked away and they stood there for a moment more, until he took her hand and began to walk. "I need to go to the hospital wing, would you like to come?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.
"Of course," she said. They walked away.
When the nurse had finished tending his scars and wounds, Hermione and Remus set off, hand in hand, down the stairs. She looked at him as he winced with each step he took, and she felt sorrow building up in her.
"Does it still hurt?" she asked gingerly. He sighed.
"They're not like…normal scars and wounds…they heal of course, with the potions she gave me, but it takes a trifle longer than regular wounds," he explained. She nodded and they continued to walk. "So, Miss Animagus," he whispered. She grinned and looked at him. "Amazing feat, I must say," he said. She smiled.
"Thank you," she said modestly.
"Jane, I trust that you will not-"
"Why would that thought even cross your mind?" she asked stopping. He looked at her and sighed.
"It's just…this is…such….this is something that no one knows, if people found out…my life will be a living hell," he said helplessly. She nodded.
"I understand, how could I have been so silly," she said. They continued walking in silence.
Later on in the Common Room, they all sat down, around the fire, saying nothing. Sirius was lost in thought, and so was James, something they rarely saw. Peter was nervously looking around at everyone. Remus and Hermione sat next to each other, just enjoying the warmth from the fire. The portrait door swung open and everyone looked up, it was Lily. She looked out of breath as if she had been running, and indeed, she was wearing some sweat pants, and an old shirt. Her hair was tied in a bun, and she looked at them. James looked at her and a smile flitted on his face, but it was quickly replaced by a frown when she rolled her eyes and walked straight past them without a word. James stood up and swiftly walked over to her, stopping her from entering the dorm. She shot a look at him, but he lifted his chin in defiance.
"Lily Evans, I would like to speak to you outside for a moment, if you wouldn't mind," he said. She was taken aback. Lily Evans? Since when did he call her Lily? She was baffled. She looked at him and realized that it was the first time she was actually looking at him, his nose, his lips, his eyes, and his hair. She wanted to so desperately fix his hair, to reach out and adjust his collar, but she couldn't.
"James, I have things to do," she said.
"Lily, please," he whispered fiercely. Sirius and the others looked on intently. Sirius' eyebrows had risen up so high Hermione thought they would be lost soon. She rolled her eyes and stood up. Walking over to James and Lily, she took James' arm, and then Lily's arm. Remus then got up and walked over to the portrait. He opened it, and with one great effort, Hermione managed to push the both of them outside, and then quickly closed the door. She grinned at Remus. Sirius on the other hand was shaking his head. He ran his fingers through his hair for a moment, and then mumbling a goodnight, he went over to the staircase leading up to his dorm and vanished.
James and Lily stood out in the hall, it was getting chilly. James sighed and decided to walk. She followed him.
"What did you want to speak about?" she finally asked. They were at the end of the hall, it was deserted. He sighed and leaned against a wall and sank to the floor. She sat next to him and he looked at her.
"Lily, I know you think I'm….a poor excuse for a human being, and that you would never want to….date me or anything…but I wanted to let you know…that everything that I've said to you over the past few years…has been real…its not easy for me to say this because….oh I don't know…its easier to say those things when we're all joking because you never take me seriously. But I've had enough joking, and I want to tell you that I….I…I think I love you," he blurted out. She looked at him and a curious sensation swept over her. She leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips. He was stunned, but only for a second. He returned the kiss, gently and when it was over, they pulled away and studied each other for a moment. He reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ears.
"James…I don't know what came over me, I'm sorry," she said. He smiled.
"Sorry for what? Making my dreams come true?"
A/N: I am so soory for the long delay. I shouldnt have taken this long to update, but here I am. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you sooooo much for all the reviews. And I know I'm verry late but happy new year. And I hope your year is going great so far!!!! I will try to update soon again since I'm in the writing mood once more. Thanks for the reviews guys!!!!!!!!! D
And thanks for all the suggestions on the animagus for hermione, I chose the white tiger, I think someone mentioned a tiger. I cant remember, I will go back and check !!!! D
-saiyajingirl-