IF THEY LIVED (Harry Potter)

8|PADFOOT AND PRONGS

James closed the bedroom door and went downstairs, where Sirius was waiting for him impatiently. 

"Took you long enough," he told him and James smiled sadly.

"She wasn't in the mood for talking."

"Should've stayed single," Sirius shook his head with a 'disappointed' expression, "should've listened to me."

"Shut up," James rolled his eyes.

"So," Sirius said, with a grin forming on his face, "are you ready?"

James could also feel the corners of his mouth make their way into his cheeks. He nodded and transformed into a magnificent stag. He looked up to see that Sirius had also transformed himself into is animagus form, and was trotting towards the front door, his tail wagging wildly. Prongs followed him, watching his best friends' paws trying to turn the handle in order to open the door. James approached him, pushed him away and also stood up on his hind legs, while placing his hooves on the door handle. He tried turning the doorknob, but couldn't get a proper grip. He crashed his antlers at the door in frustration.

"I think this is officially the most embarrassing thing we have ever done," Prongs heard Sirius's voice laugh behind him say, "two wizards became unregistered animagi at the age of 15, but still can't figure out how to open a door by the age of 21."

Prongs turned around and  moved away from the door, allowing Sirius to successfully open the door by using his human hand. He held it open for Prongs and whispered: "See you in the forest."

Prongs nodded his head, knowing that a stag and a dog trotting together might cause a certain amount of suspicion. His gaze then travelled from Sirius to the blue sky, waiting for him on the other side of the door. He started cantering towards the gate and jumped over it, feeling the fresh spring breeze sliding through his fur. He took a deep breath as he landed on the other side of the fence, looked back at Sirius, who was closing the door behind him, and started trotting towards the forest. 

His trot soon turned into a canter, as he passed the various houses, that stood along the path leading to the forest. He looked around at the flowers blooming on the trees and the long green grass beneath his feet, still a bit wet from the rain they had the previous day. He finally reached the forest and he slowly decreased his speed, until he reached a walking pace. 

He entered the forest and looked around, inhaling the sweet fresh air, that the trees provided him with. He felt his ears move as he listened to the birds chirping and branches moving around him. He felt the weight of his antlers, decorating his head and he felt his hooves pressing against the soft soil. 

"Look Mum, it's a doggy," he could hear a child's voice say from the distance, followed by a cheerful bark. He smiled to himself, knowing that the girl had probably seen Padfoot. He turned around and waited for his friend. Very soon he could see a large, black and scruffy dog trot towards him, with his tale wagging in the air.

Prongs greeted his friend with a cheerful noise and they proceeded to trot deeper into the forest. Their trot soon turned into a gallop, and they raced each other to the nearby stream. Prongs hasn't felt so alive in a long time. He let everything go, as he felt his legs push against the ground, as he felt the wind hitting his body and singing in his ears. He reached the stream first and moved his head forwards to look at his reflection in the pond. 

He could hear Padfoot's paws approach him and just as he was about to turn around, he could feel him crashing into his behind and pushing him face-forward into the stream. Prongs could feel his antlers sink into the mud on the bottom of the stream and the cold water covering his head and legs. He pulled his head upwards, relieving his antlers from the mud and huffed, as he looked back at Padfoot, who was wagging his tail and barking. Prongs knew that this kind of bark meant that he was laughing. He huffed again and climbed back up on to the grass. He shook his body, relieving it from any access water and proceeded to charge at Padfoot, who let out a playful bark and began to run. 

Prongs chased him, but soon stopped as he heard a click in the distance. He looked around and saw a girl, probably somewhere around his age, pointing a camera at him. She looked up from the camera, as she realized that he was looking at her and smiled. For a moment, James thought that she might be a muggle hunter, but her smile told him not to worry. He decided to approach her and she raised out her hand towards him, her camera now completely disappearing out of sight. Prongs lowered his head and the girl stroked his head. 

"Amazing," she whispered quietly, her eyes completely in awe. Prongs then lifted his head back up and trotted away, looking for Padfoot, who was waiting for him behind a nearby tree. Prongs could see the jealousy in his friends eyes and raised his head proudly. They proceeded to walk through the forest for a little while and Prongs didn't want it to end, he wished he could show Lily and Harry this kind of freedom, this kind of connection with nature, when you feel as though you have drowned in it, when you can feel it taking over every cell of your body.

***

They reached their cottage in Godric's Hollow. The sun was already starting to set. Prongs banged at the door with his antlers and Padfoot decided to bark as loudly as possible, while jumping up and down in front of the window. Prongs could hear footsteps approaching, followed by Lily opening the front door. Padfoot dashed inside and jumped onto Lily, smelling her ear.

"That is quite enough Padfoot," she laughed and Padfoot jumped back onto his four feet and transformed back into his human form. 

"Today was amazing!" he exclaimed and walked into the kitchen. James had also transformed into himself and hugged Lily.

"It really was amazing," he said quietly and she smiled.

"He even made a new friend!" Sirius said in a mockingly playful voice, upon returning from the kitchen with two bottles of beer in his hand. James glared at him.

"I did not make a new friend," he hissed.

"He let a girl stroke his head!" Sirius told Lily urgently. Lily looked at James and shook her head with a smile formed on her lips.

"If that's the only way you can get girls to look at you, then be my guest," she said and gently messed up his hair.

Hi!

I hope you liked this chapter! I really enjoyed writing it!

Question: if you could turn into any animal, what would it be?

Vote and comment and I shall see you very soon!

Love,

Lizzie :)