hogwartsexpressed | the woods are lovely, dark and deep

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the woods are lovely, dark and deep

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𝟏 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 – Maybe you zigged when you should have zagged, but either way, you don’t know where you are, or how to get back to where you’re supposed to be. Alternately, you’re part of the search party sent to go find the missing person, careful you don’t end up lost yourself!

𝟐 𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 – Whatever you did you’ve ended up out in the forest after dark following after The Groundskeeper (or maybe you are the Groundskeeper). Careful, don’t hang too far back from the rest of the group, it’s dangerous out there.

𝟑 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌𝒚 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 – Sure there might be spiders and centaurs, along with who knows what else, but you can’t deny how private the forest is, and how easy it is to steal away behind a tree with that certain somebody.

𝟒 𝒓𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅/𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 – Maybe you’re after some extra credit, or just trying to suck up to a professor, heck, maybe you’re a professor trying to date a professor, or maybe it’s a full moon and you’re after some Fluxweed, either way, better be quick about it!

𝟓 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔! – Death Eaters in the castle! Drama in Ravenclaw Tower! A Professor turned evil! An emotional exit and storming off turned cataclysmic! Dragons! Something serious has happened to bring you to the forest today!

𝟔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 – A Rite of Passage? Or maybe you lost a bet or ran your mouth too much for too long. Whatever happened it’s time to put up or shut up and gain bragging rights for the rest of the term.

𝟕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒆! – Whatever it was you were just doing, it’s time to get away, and what better way to make sure your retreat is covered than to cut a path through the Forbidden Forest?

𝟖 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒉𝒊𝒌𝒆 – You don’t get why everyone thinks this place is dangerous, you love coming to the forest for some fresh air and creature spotting/hiking/bird watching.

𝟗 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒍𝒇/𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒖𝒔 𝒐𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 – Exactly what it says on the tin.

𝟏𝟎 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒅! – Go wild! Live your life!

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Professor Slughorn was almost always to blame for these odd little errands, this time fueled by the news that a large spider had passed away on the western side of the forest. Horace was keen to collect the venom and Lily was keen to continue to be in the good graces of her favorite professor, visions of recommendation letters for her postschool career dancing in her ambitious head.

It didn't hurt that it was nice to have an excuse to be out of the castle and in the sunshine either, though she hadn't exactly anticipated having company for it.

Lily wasn't going to think about this too deeply. She refused to let her mind latch onto the almost criminally befuddling idea that Sirius had elected to come along with her and she had not objected. She voiced no issue while they left the castle, nor had she tried to dismiss him as they descended past Hagrid's hut and through the first line of trees.

In fact, she'd stayed so quiet that when she finally spoke, she surprised herself slightly. "If you're coming then you're doing the disgusting bits," and it should come as no surprise when it came to harvesting venom from a dead spider - it was all the disgusting bit.

Maybe they would get lucky and be unable to find the poor thing.

Truth be told, Sirius was a little shocked with Lily didn't try to persuade him to stay at the castle and tell him over (and over) that he didn't need to go with her. He knew he didn't really have to go with her but he was never going to pass up the excuse to spend time with her. Especially when he hoped to distract her at some point along the way.

His mouth curled up. "I expected nothing less," he said, though truthfully hoping that they wouldn't find the poor thing. That way, they could spend their time doing other things.

"For how often they tell us to stay out of the Forbidden Forest, it's remarkable how many times they send us into the said forest."

After consulting the little map that had come along with the professor's request, Lily nodded towards a grove of trees up ahead, leading the way towards them as she listened to Sirius, chuckling at what he'd had to say.

"I know it's a little alarming, being out here without an escort because you aren't in detention with Hagrid, but I promise–" her fierce eyes cut to the side, looking at Sirius with a wry smirk as she walked. "I'll protect you."

Inwardly she chided herself for this kind of banter almost as soon as the words had left her mouth. He had already presented her with an abundance of (rather fun) distractions, and that wasn't the sort of thing that got anyone an apprenticeship at the end of school. Unfortunately just as freely as she had spoken she let herself walk a little bit closer to him, not daring to reach out and lose this round of their long-running contest of wills.

Sirius nodded and followed her lead. Although she didn't exactly know it, he knew this forest pretty well. Enough where he wasn't too worried about the various creatures that called it home.

His mouth curled up in amusement at her words. "Really? You'll be my knight in shiny armor? I am absolutely honored, Lady Evans," he said, stopping and giving her a dramatic curtsy. Afterward, he fell into step with her and let his arm bump against hers just a bit.

Sirius enjoyed the battle of wills they had going. He enjoyed seeing how long it would take before one of them did something. And although he was a competitive bastard, he would have no true qualm about being the one that lost this round.

"We'll see. I might just leave you stuck up a tree," narrowing her eyes at him, she scoffed out a light laugh, rolling her eyes when he curtseyed. "Such a delicate rose you are."

As disparaging as she knew she was being, it didn't stop Lily from nudging his arm back before she shifted, walking a little closer to him because she rather liked the idea of being near to him despite the fact that she utterly loathed the idea of admitting a thing like that.

He snorted. "Now that is something I would expect from Lily Rude Evans," he said, shooting her a teasing smirk. "The most delicate, if you must know. My honor means a lot to me," Sirius insisted, taking on a haughty tone mostly to see if he could make her laugh again.

Sirius grinned and nudged her arm back in return. After a moment, he hooked his arm with hers and glanced over at her from the corner of his eye to watch her reaction. This thing they had or were playing with was something he was sure neither of them would name any time soon. But, at the end of the day, he supposed it didn't matter.

He couldn't help but remember that snog in the classroom during the ball and he couldn't help but want a repeat. "So," he drawled out. "What do you dream of doing once leaving Hogwarts?" It was a safe question and something he didn't truly think he knew about the girl. And it was something that wasn't thinking of the kisses that they shared in that dark classroom.

Biting the inside of her cheek lightly to suppress a grin at his delicate ways, she looked down at the ground when he nudged her in return, recalling the last time they'd fallen into aggressively bumping one another. Or the time after that.

"After Hogwarts?" The question made her smile all the wider, reaching out finally to take his arm instead of just nudging it over and over. "Well, I suppose I'll travel the world being brilliant won't I?" Lily looked over at him and tilted her head with playful inquisitiveness. "Shall I write you letters, Sirius?"

She wasn't the only one thinking about the time before (and the time before that). The fact that she returned the nudges and finally took his arm, made it worthwhile in the end. Sirius stepped in closer and listened to her as she spoke then laughed at the offer.

"Yes, you simply must," he said, sending her a teasing look. "I want to hear about all of your amazing and brilliant adventures in the world." There was not a single doubt in his mind that she would be brilliant at whatever she did after Hogwarts. He only hoped she was given that opportunity.

"We'll have to see about letting you come visit me," shifting, she nudged his hip with her own, admittedly no longer paying that much attention to where they were going. "Provided you're not off somewhere, making horrible trouble for a growing mob of adoring women and men."

As she said it she realized it wasn't a terrific thought to her, though she tried to shrug that off as nothing more than her own awkwardness, rather than a growing sense of attachment to him.

"What do you want to do after school's done, Sirius?"

"Careful, I would take every opportunity I can to come and visit you," Sirius said with a grin, sliding his arm from hers so he could wrap it around her shoulders. "I can't say that I won't be making trouble but -" Sirius paused because right then, he realized that he would drop it all to go and visit her. Which perhaps surprised him at this point in... whatever this was. He cleared his throat.

"Be featured on Witch Weekly for an entire year," he said, attempting to be completely serious before sending her a wink. "Truthfully though, I've considered obtaining a mastery and/or becoming a hit wizard... eventually, I'd like to train at the ICW."

Not expecting his willingness to come see her once school was finished and they were free to go their separate ways, Lily blushed, turning to look away from him and hide her pink cheeks behind her hair. Whatever it was that was happening between Sirius and her was fairly difficult to pin down, and she wasn't nearly bold or stupid enough to try and have A Conversation about it, so for the time being she was content for things to amorphous but nice. That she had no idea what she would say in a discussion like that, certainly helped keep her away from the idea.

"Remind me to cancel my subscription," she retorted tartly, the flush on her face receeded enough to be able to chance a glance in his direction without worried too much about being pink. "A hit wizard? Sirius really, you already pose in the shadows, do you need a reason to do that in a professional capacity?" Her smile widened as her arm wrapped around his waist, hugging him closer to her while they walked.

If Sirius noticed her blush, he had the good sense to not mention it and instead smile.

"Are you telling me that you wouldn't hang the covers onto your wall? Lily Rude Evans, I am shocked," Sirius said with a mock gasp, tightening his arm around her with a chuckle. "I think they would get double the amount of subscriptions if I was a feature."

"Well, I figure that since I do it enough recreationally, I should try to get paid for it. It is something I'm good at, after all. Or... half decent at," he said, pressing a kiss to her temple then her cheek.

Turning to look up at him, a skeptical look on her face Lily rolled her eyes at Sirius again. "Why on earth would I do a thing like that?" Her bright eyes flashed in amusement and she leaned in enough to bump him with her hip once more, looking away from him and back to the map they were meant to be following.

"Awfully bold of you to assume I won't get tired of your face," she added with feigned coolness as she valiantly attempted to pretend that his face wasn't swiftly rising through the list of her favorite things to see.

"Sirius, where are we?" It appeared that they had gone a little off route while lost to their own banter, and she handed the map over to him with a studious frown. "Are you trying to take me on some sort of devious detour?"

Sirius smirked when she gave him that skeptical look and hummed thoughtfully, bumping his hip against hers. "Why on earth indeed," he agreed with a chuckle as they continued to walk alongside her. The easy report they had was one of his favorite parts of this friendship? If their friendship included snogging, of course.

"Wait, is that possible," he asked with raised eyebrows, squeezing her side teasingly. "Because, I'll have you know, work a long time on my face." And by a "long time", it wasn't very long at all - five minutes max. "Besides, you're not tired of it now so I'll count that as a win." He noticed that she didn't imply that she was tired of it now and that's what ultimately mattered!

Sirius came to a stop next to her and took the map. He knew this area of the forest rather well from the many nights they spent romping around with Moony. There was a little clearing up ahead with a stream and then it wasn't too far to where they needed to be for Lily's errand. "Mm, not intentionally but now I am, that is, if you're up for a little detour, Ms. Evans?"

"It's an alright face," she rolled her shoulders in a shrug, attempting to appear neutral on the matter even though she turned to the side to kiss his cheek a moment later. "I guess I'll keep it around for now and see where it gets me." It wasn't that hard to think of at least a few places it would get her, and quite a few of them made her shoulders grow warm as they flushed.

"What sort of a detour Mr. Black? Something tells me it won't be educational." Actually, it probably would be very educational if all the times they had been alone before had been any indication.

Reaching for him where he stood, she caught the hand that wasn't holding the little map, tugging him on as she took a step in the direction they had been heading in. "Come on then, we both know you're relentless and I may as well say yes." It was probably more true that they both knew she had every intention of going with the suggestion, glad to steal away into the forest with him for a little while.

"You know, I will take alright. It's much better than a very ugly face that you would not be caught dead kissing," Sirius said with an amused smirk, looking at her after she kisses his cheek. "Well, there are plenty of places it can get you," Sirius said with a cheeky smile, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Ms. Evans, it is plenty educational," he feigned surprise, looking at her with wide eyes. "It's just... an alternative and hands-on, education."

Sirius grinned and laced his fingers in with hers as they walked. "I have been told I'm very persuasive and a little relentless," he agreed as they headed in the same direction. A few minutes later, they entered a clearing with a little stream running through it. "Well, this is nice, a very nice and perfectly hidden clearing," he said, waving the hand with the map around.

He was so insufferably smug, and even though she was happy as anything to be alone with him, Lily had to roll her eyes - his insistence that something educational would occur making it absolutely vital.

"Would you say it would count as a follow-up to our time in the classroom?" If he was bad she was worse, or at least glad to lightly feed into whatever sparked between them.

When he led her into the clearing, feigning surprise at its discovery Lily laughed brightly, unable to help herself. Shaking her head at him incredulously she looked about them before smiling back over at him. "How completely unexpected Sirius, and such a good coincidence."

"Absolutely," he confirmed, shooting her a grin. "After all, they say practice makes perfect and we should review that very important lesson."

He'd wanted to be alone with her like this since the ball. And finally when he'd gotten the chance, of course, he would attempt to take advantage of it! Sirius watched her reaction closely and grinned when she laughed.

"It is a great coincidence," he agreed and lead her toward the bank of the little stream and sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him. "Come and sit, I think we deserve a bit of a rest, don't you?" He only knew a few people who were aware of this spot and all of them were back in the castle. So the chances of them being found here were slim to none... by other wizards and witches, that is.

"You're so confident that I'd have you," she scoffed, trying to force her smile down and failing miserably. For all the feigned contention Lily sat on the ground beside him, stretching her legs out as he had done, before tilting some to lean against him her head on his shoulder.

She wanted to add on the heels of the last smart remark that they'd only been walking for about half an hour, and if he needed rest already then he'd be of little use to her, but as much as Lily adored egging Sirius on (possibly about as much as he enjoyed being on the receiving end of it) she wasn't that stupid, nor ready to broach that kind of a topic.

"I am glad you came," she added finally after being quiet for a long moment.

"Well," Sirius drawled out with a slow grin before shrugging a shoulder. "A bit, yeah." He watched as she settled down on the ground next to him and leaned over to press a kiss on her cheek. "It's okay to admit it, I can't say I blame you. I am quite the catch, I've heard."

The moment she placed her head on his shoulder, Sirius smiled and kissed her head, his arm wrapping around her. As much as she enjoyed egging him on, he enjoyed doing much the same to her in return. The look that she would give him and the snarky comments in return made it worth it in the end.

"I'm really glad I came along too." Sirius fell quiet for a moment before lifting his other hand and moving it to Lily's cheek. He tilted her head just a bit so he could lean in and kiss her. It was something he'd wanted to do since they were so rudely interrupted in the classroom.

Her smile grew wider when he kissed her, first on her cheek and then on the top of her head, and Lily tilted her head some to better hide behind her hair.

"Catch you? You're the one who's trying to catch me I think. Not that I could blame you."

Lily meant to go on, but when he touched her cheek and kissed her he derailed her train of thought completely, dimly aware that she'd been on the verge of carrying on about being uncatchable, before getting herself - however temporarily - caught.

Holding that kiss for a long moment Lily sat up enough to wrap her arms around him, leaning into him as she gave very serious consideration to pulling him down into the grass with her.

He would have gone on to agree that he was absolutely attempting to catch her but once his mouth was on hers, nothing else really mattered. Sirius smiled against her mouth and brought her in a bit closer, deepening the kiss slowly. His hand slid from her cheek to the back of her neck.

It might've started as something fun and finding Lily beautiful. The more they talked, the more they spent time together and especially during the Ball, the more Sirius realized he enjoyed those times as much as he enjoyed talking to her. Sirius found himself thinking of her more often and wanting to do things with her, show her things... share experiences with her. It was a new feeling honestly but one he didn't want to let go of.

"I was disappointed when that couple came barging into that classroom," he murmured against her mouth, his voice huskier and lower in volume. "I knew I should have locked that door."

Laughing quietly against his lips when he mentioned locking the classroom door Lily pulled away just enough to look around them before turning her focus back onto Sirius. "Lock the door?" Her mind lingered on all the things that might have happened in the classroom had they been locked in and left undisturbed. "What are you trying to do to my reputation?"

It was a rhetorical question, and any opportunity he might have had to answer it was cut off quickly as she kissed him again, shifting her weight enough to pull him down into the grass along with her, loosely hooking one of her legs around his middle in an effort to draw him nearer.

Sirius grinned and would most certainly have responded to that cheeky rhetorical question with an equally cheeky response but then her lips were on his. Besides, he enjoyed this new position much more than exchanging playful barbs. He deepened the kiss slowly, holding himself above her.

"Now I should wonder what you're doing to my reputation," he murmured against her mouth before slowly kissing along her jaw, nipping playfully.

Her hands ran along his arms, the question making her laugh as she shook her head at him. "Nothing that wasn't done when I got here I suspect, but," Lily turned her head enough to press a kiss to the side of his neck. "Hopefully as enjoyably, if not more so, if I might be so bold," gently nipping at his skin she nudged his hip with her thigh.

"We're never going to find that poor spider, are we?"

the woods are lovely, dark and deep

4 but we live under the threat of 3 at all times

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this icon is gold. thank you.

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