Within the week, James was released from the hospital wing and back into the regular hustle and bustle of Hogwarts. It was a relief to him when he saw Lily's friends safe and sound, because he helped them escape without being noticed.

The girls were hanging out in the common room before dinner when James got back. He first went up to the dorm to see how Remus was faring, then checked on Sirius to make sure he wasn't getting into too much trouble, and couldn't find Peter. Quietly, James snuck up behind the girls put on his flirtatious smile then went over to them put both of his hands on Casey's eyes.

"Guess who," James asked in a falsetto.

"James Potter," Casey cried excitedly.

She turned and gave him a hug and then proceeded to ask a bunch of motherly questions. When she was done he asked her about quidditch practice and to bring his special object to practice seeing as he would need it soon.

When James left, Lily looked at her friend. "What was that about?" Lily inquired.

"Nothing much," Casey replied.

"So enlighten me, how did you guys get away from Bellatrix Black? All I know was that Potter came out of nowhere and you guys disappeared," Lily asked.

"Well... That was defiantly a delayed question. What is it now, a week late? What took you so long?" Emily asked.

"Was it that you were worried about James?" Becky smirked.

"What? No! Me? Worried about that arrogant, pigheaded, egotistical prat! That is just absurd!" Lily exclaimed.

Becky, Casey, and Emily glanced at each other as if having a conversation. With a collective nod, they simultaneously uttered, "Denial."

"What?! I'm not in denial," Lily replied indigently.

"Whatever, the fact is that James Potter over there lent us something of his that got us out of the battle field without even Snape seeing us. For that, if not for you own life, you should at least thank him," Becky said bluntly.

"He saved you?" Lily stuttered.

"Well, yeah. He's not as bad as you make him out to be, you know? He made sure we were all there and stuff and gave us his inv-" Becky was cut off by both Emily and Casey putting a hand over her mouth.

"He gave us something that he told us not to tell you about," Casey covered up.

"Seriously, as long as we are here, alive, in one piece, you should just be happy with it," Emily added in a soothing voice.

Several days later, Lily was walking along the castle corridors in the dead of night on her patrol duties. Remus was called out ill since yesterday and no one was allowed to see him today, so she patrolled alone in the dark, though it really wasn't all that dark. The full moon shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the grounds below her.

Looking below her, she saw the grounds. Right across from where she stood, there was the lake, to her left was the forbidden forest, and to her right was the Whomping willow. She saw something by the willow and quickly conjured binoculars. It was James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew.

The boys walked up to the place just beyond the willow's reach and suddenly, Peter disappeared. Puzzled, Lily adjusted the binoculars so she could see closer and saw that instead of Peter, there was a rat. How odd... Lily mused. It's not like Peter had that type of skill to be an Animagi.

From far below, James and Sirius were talking to Peter telling him what to do.

"Wormtail, all you have to do is crawl down to that knot there, and then press it, jump on it, I don't care, do whatever it takes to get the willow to stop swinging," Sirius said.

Peter returned with a terrified squeak. James sighed and thought that it would take more courage that Peter had in his whole body. Then they heard some shrieking, and that was what got Peter to jump and scuttle away.

James suddenly had the overwhelming feeling that someone was watching him. He looked around and didn't see anyone on the grounds. By this time Peter was dodging the Willow's attacks and trying to find his way around the trunk. James looked up and spotted someone from the corridor window nearest the Gryffindor tower and guessed it was Lily.

He simply winked at her right as the tree froze.

"Who are you winking at?" Sirius asked and he started to walk through the stiff branches.

"I believe that Lily saw us from that corridor over there," James said.

He knew. James knew that she, Lily Evans was looking at him. How? He even winked at me when he turned around. Now they disappeared into the Whomping Willow, Lily turned and walked straight to the headmaster's office.

Once in the circular office that were property of Professor Dumbledore, Lily saw that there were all sorts of silver interments. On one wall there were also all of the portraits of the past headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts. Next to her, there was a perch where a small baby phoenix sleeping soundly.

"Why Miss Evans, to what do I owe your presence to?" Professor Dumbledore asked kindly from behind his half moon spectacles.

"I saw Potter, Black, and Pettigrew go through the Whomping Willow, sir. What do you want to do with them?" Lily asked, straight to the point.

"Nothing," Professor Dumbledore simply answered.

"Nothing Professor? How can I do nothing? They are out, way past hours, sneaking onto school grounds, and you want me to do... nothing?!" Lily practically shouted.

"Miss Evans, you will do nothing, because I sent them to do what they are doing. Mr. Potter and Mr. Black came up to me within their first year and asked me what they can do for a certain situation. I told them to do this," Professor Dumbledore told Lily firmly.

Lily looked into Professor Dumbledore's eyes and just nodded. She had to compute this... The headmaster had actually asked them do something against the rules? Why was that? What was so important that they were allowed to do this in the first place? Her mind went a thousand miles a second when Dumbledore interrupted.

"Well, if that was all, please continue on your patrol," he said.

Lily grabbed the handle and, "Oh, and don't forget. When you patrol the grounds be extra careful. The oddest things happen on the full moon," Dumbledore cautioned.

Lily nodded and started out of the office absorbed in her own thoughts. There was no way James saw her there earlier. He was blinking something out of his eye, that's all. Peter didn't just disappear, he... he... went invisible for a few seconds to freak her out! That's the explanation she was looking for. Yet, that still didn't explain why the Whomping Willow stopped moving.

She was out on the grounds, still formulating logical explanations for what had happened a half hour ago. The full moon hung in the sky, making it almost as bright as day, but ten times creepier.

Lily was circling the lake when she heard an unmistakable sound that made her stop cold in her tracks. It was a wolf howl. Not just any wolf's howl either. It was a werewolf howl.

After James saw Lily, he walked calmly into the tunnel that leads to the shrieking shack. They spent the first half hour of their time in the Forbidden Forest, which was happy. Then, there was a human out in the open around the lake. Sirius and James worked hard to keep Remus down wind of the person, so he wouldn't go berserk.

The person obviously was patrolling, and when they almost done, Sirius and James let their guard down for a split second, which was enough time for Remus to smell the person. Both Sirius and James realized this at the same moment, because they both smelled it. The person was Lily, and she was Remus' new target.

Sirius immediately jumped in front of Remus to block his way to getting to Lily. James, with poor, terrified Peter on one of his antlers, ran to try and get Lily out of the way before something bad happened. James pumped as fast as he could, but he heard a yelp come from Sirius and knew that Remus was coming right behind him.

Apparently Peter had taken a peak behind to see what was happening from the squeak he emitted. James broke out of the woods and onto the far side of the lake. On the other side stood Lily, standing stock still out of terror as she hears Remus howl. James pushed even faster to try and get her out of harms way.

Lily suddenly saw this magnificent stag gallop at full speed towards her. As she stared at it, it stopped and kneeled down for her to get on. It took a second, but Lily figured out that she was supposed to get on the stag. Shakily, she got up and hugged its neck.

When she was seated, the stag got up and started to gallop at full speed towards the doors into Hogwarts. Lily saw the landscape passing by her in a blur, but one thing remained constant; the werewolf gaining ground on them. She was transfixed and didn't even notice the little rat above her head squeaking franticly.

Suddenly the ride stopped and the stag kneeled down on the ground again. Lily once more had a brain lapse and took a second to get the idea before she got off. When she was off and safely on the ground she saw the werewolf followed by a big, shaggy, black dog even closer than before.

"Look out!" Lily shouted, as if the stag could understand.

James saw that Remus was closing in fast and he motioned with his head that Lily should go in to the school. Once again, Lily was a little slow, so when she started to run in James moved between Remus and the school.

Without a thought, Remus struck at James, and although James got away from most of the swipe, his left cheek was grazed by Remus' claws.

Lily just finished shouting and saw the stag got swiped by the werewolf. She wasn't sure what to make of it. The only thing she knew for certain was to shut the doors into the entrance hall. She hurried into the hall and shut the doors with a movement charm. The last she saw of the scene was the werewolf clawing and slashing the stag pretty deep.

Lily went up to the Gryffindor tower and worried over the kind and intelligent stag that helped her out. The she thought of what the werewolf was doing right now to the stag. Finally, her mind replayed the gory scene over and over. She tossed and turned, but could not find a comfortable position. Man, I'm not getting sleep tonight, she thought.

Slowly, Remus got calm and bored, so Sirius decided it was time to go to a secret alcove they found in third year. Sirius lead the way, with Remus the wolf next, followed by James and Peter. James and Sirius didn't want to take any more chances and knew what a big responsibility they had now. There's no way I'm sleeping on the full moon anymore. Whether I like it or not, James thought somberly.

Tonight, no one was going to sleep, and it's the full moon's fault.