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Run of the Stag


James carried Lucy. She clung onto his torso, pressing her eyes into his neck as he wrapped his arms around her and ran. She was hiccupping from crying so much, the stress squeezing her from the inside out, it seemed. The nightgown she wore was thin and worn and the air was cold and he knew she had to be freezing - teeth chattering, lips slowly paling to a strange blue shade… Hell, James himself was freezing and he had on his oxford and Gryffindor jumper at least. He ducked through the square in the center of Grimmauld Place and raced through the trees, purposely going through gardens to be lost amongst the thick brush. He raced through the far gate and sped down an alleyway that led between houses onto another street nearly identical to Grimmauld Place.

He wished bitterly that Sirius was there.

Not only did Sirius know how to make stressful situations like this one seem somehow less frightening - with well placed humor and a bit of reckless grinning - but Sirius knew these streets, he had run from Orion through these streets, knew where to hide and where to go. James feared he was running in the wrong way, getting them into deeper trouble.

He ducked down a third alley, and hoping he'd gotten far enough to pause, at least, he stopped and knelt down, hurriedly unbuttoning his jumper and whipping it from his arms to wrap around the girl tightly. "Here we are, here we are. Is that better? A little, at least, yeah?"

"They're gonna catch us!" sobbed Lucy between hiccups, shivering and quite pitiful looking, "Gonna catch us, they're gonna kill us!"

James felt his heart very nearly break at how scared the poor tiny thing was and he wondered if the stuff he was feeling was anything at all like how his mum felt when he was upset. He madea resolution to write his mum the moment he got back to the castle. "Nooo, they won’t get us" James whispered. He rubbed her arms, warming her up, "They won't, I'll see to it. I promise they won't hurt you again. I'll protect you." Lucy was still crying and the little choking sobs issuing from her echoed about the alleyway. "C'mon, love," James said thickly, reaching forward to softly brush away the hair that had fallen in her face, "It’s going to be okay."

“How do you know?” she cried.

“Because, I’ve fought the Dark Lord before and I’ve won him over!” James nodded at her awe, “Yeah, that’s right. I’ve taught You-Know-Who a thing or two!” James mimed punching a one-two-knockout and grinned at her reassuringly as Lucy stared up at him with wide, wet eyes, tears streaking across her cheeks. “I’m the only wizard in the world who Moldy Voldy is a’scared of, you know that? Shakes his boots at the name of James Potter!”

Lucy Minchum had heard exactly what she needed to. If she was gonna be with anybody out there in that cold street, running from the most terrible Dark Lord, then at least she was with James Potter, the most feared wizard in all the world. She ran forward and wrapped her arms ‘round him again, and he hugged her tight, feeling her little trembles against his arms and chest.

“As I said, love, I won’t let ‘em get you,” James vowed.

And damn it he’d die before they would lay a finger upon her.

Suddenly there was a shout and James looked over his shoulder and there was Lucius Malfoy and two others and James leaped to his feet, scooping her up once more, and set off - his trainers slamming against the tar as he ran forward.

“Over here!” called Lucius, “He’s over here - and he has the girl!”

The sound of Lucius Malfoy’s footsteps echoed behind him and James felt his stomach flip over with nerves and he held Lucy all the tighter as they ran through the alley and he could see the next street ahead, like a bright light of promise.

Please let it be crowded street, please, please… with lots of shops,he begged whoever might be listening. Please.

There were shops on this row but they were dark and run down, old merchandise nobody would ever want in their windows, abandoned. He half hoped they were entrances to wizarding buildings, using illusions to keep muggles away, like St. Mungo's did, but there was no time to check, only to hope that if they were the Death Eaters knew and would slow or stop chasing them altogether. Or perhaps somebody would come out and rescue them.

There was a crack and two Death Eaters appeared before him on the street, blocking him from going up the next alley, so he turned and ran to the right, ducking around a third that had appeared before him there. Lucy let out a shrieking cry as James doubled his speed and tore down an alley. With a crack, there was the two Death Eaters before them and James turned around and with yet another crack Lucius Malfoy was blocking the way they’d come in and James realized they were trapped.

He stood in the center, holding Lucy Minchum.

Really, it wasn’t fair - two adults that could apparate versus one teenage boy who could not. If only he were old enough to apparate! If only somebody - anybody - knew where they were! If only somebody could save him.

Or at least her.

At least save Lucy Minchum, universe! C’mon! he begged.

James took a deep breath as the Death Eaters closed in ‘round him - two now from each side, and he clutched her, shielding her with his own body, and he thought. What do I do? What do I do? There had to be some way out. Some way to escape.

He needed an element of surprise.

And then he had it. He looked at Lucy. “I’m gonna put you down a second. I promise I’m not leaving you. Don’t be scared, okay?” he whispered, and she looked at him and he quietly whispered in her ear. “Climb on the deer’s back, okay?

Lucy looked very confused.

“Can you do that?”

She nodded.

“And hold on tight, love.”

She nodded.

“Mr. Potter… James, I believe it is, isn’t it?” Lucius Malfoy called, “As you can see, we have you cornered. So, now, why don’t you let the little one down, and we’ll finish this like men?”

“Yeah, we ain’ goin’ ter hurt her none too bad,” giggled one of the large Death Eaters on James’s other side. “

James pretended to deliberate over the option and he bent forward and gently rested Lucy Minchum to the ground.

“C’mere, ickle wittle one,” called the Death Eater, “C’mere and we’ll get yer all sorted out! C’mere. I ain’t goin ter hurt’cha.” He waggled his fingers at her, beckoning her.

But Lucy stared up at James as he took a deep breath, preparing himself for the speed of what he had to do what he was about to do… And then --

James’s hands moved like lightening. He drew the wand from his trouser belt loop in the back and whipped first right, “STUPEFY! STUPEFY!” he yelled, knocking down the two Death Eaters there, including the beckoning one, and then he ducked a jet of red sparks, tugged Lucy out of the way of a second line of them and waved his wand, “Expelliarmus! Anaticula!” The Death Eater who had come up behind Malfoy lost his wand - it went clattering across the ground, and Malfoy’s next spell came out as a duck and James shouted, “Oh no, Lucius, seems your magic’s gone quite fowl hasn’t it? Waddle you do now that your spells just don’t seem to fit the bill?” He grinned and with a great popping sound, he transformed into his stag and he cantered forward, horns down, aiming for the unarmed Death Eater and for Lucius Malfoy, making that horrid screaming sound he could do, and he barrelled directly for the Death Eaters at full tilt.

Malfoy was furious, shooting duck after duck after duck at James, even more frustrated and angry than Rudolphus Lestrange had been and James couldn’t help how bloody brilliant that spell was and was quite excited to tell Sirius, Remus, and Peter how swimmingly it had gone using it. He vowed then and there that if it was the last bloody thing he ever did, he would one day make Voldemort himself cast ducks.

He looked forward to the day.

The stag’s horns were quite large and not something to contend with, and Lucius Malfoy and the other Death Eater could tell that and they sprang into action, running back down the alleyway, abandoning their two friends at the other end, shouting.

James turned back ‘round once he’d chased them out of the alley and the other two were just beginning to stir there on the ground. He cantered over and quickly knelt down for the stunned-looking Lucy Minchum, and she shook with nerves as she climbed upon his back and wrapped her arms ‘round his thick neck, her fingers tightening ‘round the fur and he honked a bit lowly in his throat in the most comforting tones he could muster - ones that had once comforted Lily Evans when she’d cried to him deep in the forest - and he bound forward, leaping over the two prone, slowly waking Death Eaters, and out the other end of the alleyway.

Of course the next street over was a crowded, busy London street. Cars honked at the sudden appearance of a full grown stag. They veered and came to a stop, traffic backing up - a fender bender causing two taxi cab drivers to begin screaming at one another. Tourists aboard a red double decker pointed and snapped photographs and marvelled, wondering where that magnificent stag had come from and -- by golly, was that a child he carried upon his back?!

Suddenly with a crack there was a Death Eater before him - one of the two he’d stupefied in the alley and he panicked.

Lucy clutched on and James ran along down the street, as quickly as he could. Muggles gaped and pointed and he turned into a department store and he raced past women carrying paper bags with jewelry and china and clothes carefully packed within and he knocked over a large table covered with purses and sent them flying everywhere - a couple even got caught up on his antlers. He shook his great head and ran up an escalator - the Death Eater running after him, and at the top he hurried and turned back down the other side, running down the moving steps, pushing his way through people, who screamed and panicked and freaked out and he ran across the tiled floor of the store, his hooves clicking loudly, and he was nearly back to the door when there was another great CRACK and there in the doorway, looking quite calm about being exactly where she was, was Minerva McGonagall.

James’s heart sank.

She grabbed onto him as he ran toward her and with another CRACK! - they were gone - Stag, Lucy, and McGonagall.