Disclaimer: All characters belong to JK Rowling. Story Idea from me, though someone has probably used it already, but I don't know.I didn't copy it from anywhere.

A/N: A quick One-Shot. This idea came to me and I just had to write it. It's inspired from the scene in the 3rd movie where Professor Lupin is talking to Harry on the bridge. R/R!


He watched her as she sat across the common room, laughing at something one of her friends said. She really looked beautiful when she laughed. It rang through the common room loud and clear. It was a breathy sort of laugh, but when it was really funny, she would laugh all out. Her eyes would always light up as she laughed, like two green spheres shining through the crowded common room. Anyone lucky enough to experience the feeling of her eyes looking into their whilst she laughed was astounded by their beauty, well at least he had been.

He knew someone else who had fallen in love with her eyes as well, his best friend, James Potter. James was even changing for her. He wasn't as arrogant and actually did nice things for her. He could tell that Lily was affected by this, after watching her for seven years, he knew her thoughts and feelings better than herself sometimes. He knew that she was in love with James, no matter what she said to her friends, or his friends. She and James were meant for each other, and he wasn't meant for her.

He had never been in the kind of serious relationship she had with all of her boyfriends, and yes, there had been quite a few, as she gave all a fair chance who asked it. She didn't have messy break-ups, just ones where it was understood by both, and if someone dumped her, she was kind about it and understood why.

They would talk sometimes, her and him, escape from the world, those conversations made him realize he loved her. But he shouldn't be in love with her. He shouldn't be in love with anyone as perfect as her, as beautiful, but he found himself loving her more and more every day, as he grew to understand her and her world.

Lily Evans. That name would be forever imprinted in his mind. Now, not only by his thoughts, but James' thoughts and words as well. James didn't have to carry around the burden that he did, didn't have to worry about the same things he worried about. Lily understood, Lily had always understood, even from the first time he spoke with her.

He would've liked to say that he had met her on the train, shared a compartment, and been best of friends ever since, but that would be a lie, as he only first saw he at the sorting, but never really noticed her until later that year.

They had been paired up one day in 3rd year and he couldn't help but think how nice and sweet and kind she was, and it was then that he realized why she was popular, for although she had smarts, which is opposite the characteristic of most popular people, she had a heart to match her brain. It was then that he started to like her, and start to want to hang out with her.

Her parents had then passed away in her 4th year, and he was there for her, as almost the whole house was, and even most of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff as well, as she was loved and admired by all. She still had a smile for everyone, even in those months that he watched her mourn her parents, but he noticed that her beautiful smile never seemed to reach her eyes. Her eyes hadn't glistened or shined all year.

Still she carried on, became a prefect, like him, and they talked more the following years through their duties, as then they had more time together than most people would've liked, but their companionship only blossomed. It was the conversations, oh yes, the conversations, which really made him fall head over heels. With her, he could talk about anything and everything, from yesterday's homework assignment to the many uses of string.

Seventh year was supposed to be his year to be Head Boy to her Head girl, as it was obvious that she would get it, but it went instead to his friend James. James, not him, always James. But he was not bitter, he was happy for James, as any best friend would be. And James actually was surprised and flattered, and didn't act arrogant, which made it all the easier for him to forget that it was supposed to be him spending all that time with her, not James.

And now, as he watched her, he thought of how few talks they had this year, and he realized that he missed them more than he would ever let anyone know. He watched as her friends one by one went up to bed, putting off their schoolwork to another day, until it was only him, her, and a couple younger students left in the common room. She sighed and began to pack up her things into her backpack as she called Goodnight to the last of her group making their way up the stairs.

He observed the war her shoulder length red hair fluttered about behind a clip as she turned to pick up a book. As she looked up, her hair rested on her chest, and her eyes met his. If any of his friends had been there, he could've easily gotten away with pretending like he hadn't been watching her that whole time, but they were gone pulling some prank or another that he had declined from. He had been content to just watching her and thinking, but now he was caught, and instead of pulling away his eyes in some mock attempt to pretend like he was just scanning the room, he just stared straight into her eyes; her gorgeous green eyes, that he thought about through lessons, and that kept him awake at night, and when sleep finally overcame him, captured his dreams.

She laughed and the world seemed right again. "Hey Remus," she spoke angelically. He had always hated his name, it was so unusual, but coming out of her mouth is was music. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Just thinking," he replied.

"About what?" asked she, coming over to his chair.

"Can I ask you something?" He felt the words coming out of his mouth before he could stop and think about them. Oh well, just run with the program, never say never, right?

She plopped down into the chair next to him. "You know you can, Remus," she said.

"Have you ever been in love?"

She gasped an overly dramatic gasp. "Remus Lupin, the world famous bachelor, is in love?" She said playfully.

He felt a blush rising to his cheeks. "I-I never said I was in love, I just asked if you had ever been."

"Oh," she said, calming down. "I don't suppose I have. I- um- I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I used to have the biggest crush on you." She blushed. "But that seems like so long ago . . ." she trailed off, looking up at him.

He falsely laughed. "Er, Yeah. I used to have the biggest crush on you too!"

She her amazing laugh. "That's so strange! I never would've guessed!"

"Yeah," he spoke softly, almost painfully. "I never guessed you liked me too."

"Do you remember our conversations?" she asked, smiling wistfully. "You're still the only person who I can talk about everything with. You're smart, Remus, brilliant even, and although you may not get the best marks, you will always be the smartest person in my mind."

He smiled a genuine smile. "Thank you, Lily, that means a lot." More than you'll ever know, he added in his mind.

"Can I ask you something now?" She asked into the silence that had fallen as he thought.

"Anything, Lily," said he.

"Does– er– does James– really like me?" she asked, blushing.

Oh, James. She wanted to talk about James. "Like you?" he replied truthfully, as truth was always the best way to go unless it caused someone else pain, well, in his opinion. "He's mad about you! It's always Lily this, and Lily that, and 'Do you think Lily will ever like me?" or 'Do you think I'm not changed enough for her?"

She giggled. "So it's true?"

"What's true?"

"That he changed for me?"

He nodded. "I visited him quite a few times over the summer to de-arrogantize him, along with Sirius, that is."

She laughed. "I can't imagine Sirius helping that process!"

"No! Sirius helped quite a lot. He was always there to say mean things to take him off his pedestal."

"James did all this, for me?" She asked meekly.

"He loves you, Lily, he would be a fool not to."

She blushed. This is the time to do it, Remus thought. This would be the time to let her know!

"Lily, I—"

"Lily!" James said, rushing into the common room. "There you are! Patrols started five minutes ago! Hey Remus."

"Hey," he replied casually. Although inside he was in anguish. He would never be able to tell her, James and Lily were perfect, and she was happy with him, and he wanted her to be happy.

"Oh! I completely lost track of time!" Lily exclaimed and reached to grab her bag from the floor where she had left it.

As she was kneeling, Remus made the "t" sign with two of his fingers, letting James know he wanted to talk. James nodded.

"Can we continue this later, Remus?" Lily asked. Remus nodded. "Okay. Are you ready to go, James?"

"One sec, Lily, 'kay? You go on, I'll catch up."

As she left the common room, James looked inquisitively at Remus. "What's up?" he asked.

"Lily really likes you mate," Remus forced himself to say. Lily didn't like him anymore, he was doing the best for all three of them. Plus, he could never ask her to love him, he would never be able to provide for her, and those awful transformations . . .

"Really?" James asked excitedly.

"Yep, she asked me if you really her."

"And what did you say?"

"I told her about how you always talked about her, and how you changed for her."

"You told her that?" James asked, embarrassed.

"You'll thank me for it later, I assure you. Plus, I think there's a Hogsmeade trip soon that she would be willing to go to with a certain messy-haired Gryffindor.

"Padfoot?" James joked, and Remus lightly punched him.

"No you, you stupid stag, now go out there and ask her."

"Aye Aye, Sir Moony!"

James marched out of the common room and with a last wink, he went out to meet Lily, leaving Remus all alone to his thoughts. He really did the right thing, didn't he?"

He sighed and slowly made his way up the boys' staircase. And as he fell asleep, he dreamed of Lily and her gorgeous green eyes.


It had been one year exactly from that day, and Remus still found his thoughts resting on Lily, though she was soon to be Lily Potter. Today was the wedding, and as Lily had no relatives to walk her down the aisle, she had asked Remus to, saying that she had talked with him more than she had talked to her father, and he had meant more to her than anyone else, so she would have no one else walk her down that aisle except him.

It was kind of ironic, how he was the one giving Lily, the girl he love, away. This small ceremony they had, showed him just how his life had become, and how he had always given Lily away, even years before this day. And just before the music began to play, she looked at him nervously from where she was standing by his side, and he grinned a sort of half grin, making her smile. She really looked beautiful.

And now, as they walked down the aisle (right– together– left– together) he thought of their wonderful conversations, and how he had fallen in love with her, but could never admit it.

And as she stood with James, he began to think that it wasn't that depressing after all. He had seen her very happy with James, and although it hurt his heart, it made him happy that she found such joy with James and he felt glad, for the first time, that it wasn't him, for they would have never worked.

Remus could hear the minister speaking now. It was almost his turn.

"Who presents this woman to be married to this man?"

Remus spoke the two words he most dreadfully wanted to say at a different part of the ceremony. "I do."