Lily Evans was no stranger to the strange. At Hogwarts, she’d learned to expect the unexpected—moving staircases, talking paintings, and creatures that defied even the wildest stories she'd grown up with as a Muggle. By her seventh year, none of it fazed her anymore.
Even her best friend, a werewolf, wasn’t what she’d consider unusual. Not that she found Remus Lupin odd—he was one of the smartest and kindest people she’d ever met. But when you grew up in a world where the most fantastical animal you’d ever seen was a hedgehog, discovering unicorns in your first year set a high bar for “weird.”
Unicorns had been exciting, sure. But the first time she’d spotted a hippogriff? That had been next level. She still remembered how her hands trembled when she’d sent an owl to her parents, trying to explain it in a way that wouldn’t lead to more questions than answers.
By the time Lily was a seventh-year, she’d stopped batting an eye at magical creatures. Still, she should’ve realized that many of the stranger incidents at Hogwarts—stray animals in unexpected places, mysterious noises in the Forbidden Forest, and pranks too elaborate to be coincidental—often involved the Marauders. And now that she was dating James Potter, self-proclaimed king of chaos, the truth was steadily unraveling.
The Marauders called themselves a “democratic collective,” which James liked to emphasise any time someone referred to him as their leader.
"The Marauders are a socialist utopia," James had once said proudly, hands on his hips like he was delivering a political speech. "We have no leaders."
Sirius had promptly smiled at Lily in response.
James hadn't meant to tell Lily about his Animagus form. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her—he trusted Lily more than anyone. But explaining why he was an Animagus would lead to explaining Remus’s "furry little problem," and that wasn’t his secret to share. Still, he’d known the day would come when Lily would demand answers.
~~~
It started one chilly evening in late autumn, as they sat curled up by the fire in the Head Girl and Boy common room. Lily had a habit of absentmindedly running her fingers through James’s hair while she read, and he was perfectly content to let her—until she dropped a comment that made his heart stop.
"I think it’s funny how Hogwarts has Muggle animals as well as magical ones," she said, not looking up from her book.
James tensed. "What do you mean?"
"Like dogs," she replied casually.
James nearly choked. "Dogs?"
"Yeah. There’s this big black dog that’s always around the grounds. I see him sometimes when I go for walks."
James’s brain went into overdrive. Sirius. Of course it was Sirius. But why on earth had Padfoot been wandering the grounds where Lily might see him?
"You’re probably imagining things," James said quickly, trying to keep his voice steady.
"I am not," Lily replied, sitting up straight. "I’ve met him."
James stared at her. "What?"
"After that fight with Sev—Snape—I spent a lot of time outside to clear my head," she explained. "This dog would always show up and sit with me. Sometimes, if I was upset, he’d nuzzle me like he was trying to comfort me."
James clenched his fists. "He what?"
"It was sweet!" Lily said defensively. "Like he was protecting me. It was nice."
James muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "I’m going to kill him."
The next morning at breakfast, Sirius Black limped into the Great Hall, wincing with every step. When Lily asked what had happened, Sirius only grinned and said, "Karma."
~~~
A few weeks later, James had mostly forgotten about the dog incident—until Lily called for him from her room one evening.
"James! Help!"
He dropped his quill and bolted toward her room, wand in hand. "What’s wrong?"
"There’s a mouse!" she shrieked, pointing toward the corner.
James frowned. "Lily, that’s not a mouse. That’s a rat."
"Whatever it is, get rid of it!"
James bent down and picked up the rat, who immediately squirmed in his grip. "Wormtail, you’re in so much trouble," he muttered before carrying him out of the room.
When he returned, Lily was standing on her bed, arms crossed. "Did you talk to the rat?"
"No," James lied quickly. "You must’ve imagined it."
Still, the incident planted a seed of suspicion in Lily’s mind. And by the next full moon, she was ready to confront James.
~~~
"James," she began one evening, her voice calm but firm.
"Yes, love?" he replied, not looking up from his Transfiguration essay.
"Where do you go every full moon?"
James froze, his quill hovering over the parchment.
"I know you’re doing something with Remus," she continued. "I just want to know what."
James sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Lily, I can’t tell you. Not yet."
"Promise me it’s not illegal."
At this, James laughed—a nervous, slightly hysterical laugh. "Who do you think we are?"
Lily raised an eyebrow. "The Marauders. Need I say more?"
"Fair point," James admitted.
"Then tell me," she pleaded.
"I will. Soon," he promised.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine. But don’t expect any kisses until you do."
~~~
A few days later, James gathered Lily in the Gryffindor boys’ dormitory. Sirius, Remus, and Peter stood behind him, all looking vaguely amused.
"Lily, I need you to promise me you won’t freak out," James began.
"Don’t you dare tell me not to freak out, Potter," she snapped.
"She’s definitely going to freak out," Sirius muttered.
"Shut up, Padfoot," James hissed.
"Someone just tell me!" Lily groaned.
"Moony, count us down," Peter suggested.
Remus sighed but obliged. "Three… two… one…"
In an instant, the three boys disappeared, replaced by a large stag, a shaggy black dog, and a rat.
"You're Animagi!" Lily shrieked, her voice echoing in the dormitory. Her eyes darted between the stag, the black dog, and the rat in disbelief. She could feel her heart racing as all the little pieces fell into place.
Moony. Wormtail. Padfoot. And Prongs.
Her gaze landed on the stag, who was looking at her with those familiar hazel eyes she knew so well. She pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're telling me that my boyfriend is Bambi?"
The black dog barked—no, it was more of a howl, really—before collapsing onto the floor, paws flailing in a way that was unmistakably Sirius. When he transformed back into his human form, he was still clutching his sides, his laughter filling the room.
"What the hell is a Bambi?" Sirius managed to choke out between breaths.
"It’s a Muggle thing," Remus muttered. He was smirking in that calm, unbothered way of his, leaning against the bedpost like he’d been expecting this reaction all along.
Lily turned back to James, her hands on her hips now. "Well? Care to explain why you’ve been sneaking off to turn into a woodland creature instead of telling me the truth?"
James ruffled his hair nervously, the way he always did when he was caught off guard. "It’s not just me! We all did it. For Remus." He gestured toward their friend, who suddenly looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.
"It’s true," Remus admitted, his voice quieter now. "When they found out about my… condition, they decided to do something about it."
"It took years of practice," Peter piped up, looking smaller than usual as he stood beside Sirius. "And it was Sirius’s idea."
"Oi!" Sirius protested, though he still looked pleased with himself.
Lily glanced between them all, her expression softening as she began to piece together the bigger picture. "You did this for Remus? So he wouldn’t be alone during the full moons?"
"Exactly," James said, his voice gentler now. "We couldn’t let him go through it by himself. So we learned how to become Animagi. That way, we could be with him safely."
Lily’s anger melted away completely, replaced by something much deeper—admiration, affection, and a twinge of awe. She turned to Remus, her voice soft. "They really did all of this for you?"
Remus shrugged, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks. "They’re idiots. But… they’re my idiots.”
Sirius grinned, throwing an arm around Remus’s shoulders. "That’s right. And don’t you forget it, Moony."
Lily looked back at James, who was watching her nervously, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "You should’ve told me," she said, though there was no bite to her tone.
"I know," James admitted, stepping closer to her. "I just… I didn’t want to scare you off. I mean, dating a guy who turns into a giant stag? It’s not exactly normal, even for a witch."
Lily smiled, reaching out to take his hand. "James, I’m dating you. I don’t think I’ve ever had a 'normal' day since the moment you started trying to impress me by hexing your own best friends in first year."
James grinned sheepishly, squeezing her hand. "So… you’re not mad?"
"Oh, I’m furious," she said, though the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her. "But mostly because you let me think I was losing my mind when I saw that black dog. You could’ve just told me it was Sirius!"
"Where’s the fun in that?" Sirius said, smirking.
James rolled his eyes but didn’t let go of Lily’s hand. "So… are we good?"
Lily pretended to think about it for a moment before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. "We’re good. But don’t think you’re getting away with this without making it up to me."
"Anything," James promised.
"Anything?" Sirius cut in, wiggling his eyebrows. "Careful, mate. She might make you take her to a Muggle zoo so she can compare you to the actual deer there."
Lily burst out laughing, and even James couldn’t help but chuckle.
Well, now that the big secret’s out," Sirius said, stretching dramatically, "I think it’s only fitting that we update your title, Evans."
"My title?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Mrs. Prongs," Sirius declared, his grin mischievous.
Lily groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Absolutely not."
"Absolutely yes!" Sirius insisted, looking far too pleased with himself. "You’re practically royalty now. The lady of the stag. Mrs. Prongs has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?"
"Padfoot," James warned, though the corners of his mouth twitched and his pink cheeks betrayed him.
"Don’t even try to fight it, Prongs. It’s happening." Sirius clapped James on the back and turned to Lily with mock solemnity. "Welcome to the family, Mrs. Prongs. I hope you know what you’ve signed up for."
At this, the others cheered, raising their glasses in unison.
Lily groaned, shaking her head. "You lot are incorrigible."
"And you love it," James said, throwing an arm around her shoulders, a smug grin firmly in place.
She sighed, feigning exasperation, but her smile betrayed her.
"Unfortunately for me, I think I do."
But it wasn’t unfortunate at all. Because years later, when laughter in the house was replaced with whispers of war and shadows stretched longer than the days, Lily still carried that love with her.
It was why she picked out a small plush stag, dog, rat, and wolf for her baby boy—a way to keep his father’s friends close, even when the world tried to tear them apart.
And when Harry reached for the stag and held it tight, giggling with the same untamed joy, Lily smiled. He reminded her of herself—not just in his defiance of the odds but in the way he, like her, would always choose James.