Written for WizardWay's detention competition on the forum. Enjoy!
It wasn't fair. Lily chose him. Why?
Remus had more in common with her. They were friends. As far as he was aware, the only times James had spoken to her was when he was getting rejected by her. But then she didn't reject him.
He knew he should be happy for his friend; James had liked Lily for years. He wasn't happy though, he was jealous. He knew he shouldn't be. He hadn't told Lily that he liked her, because James already had. There was probably some rule against it somewhere, it was sabotage. Even if he didn't think James had a chance. He wasn't right for her anyway. He was a monster.
Due to the fact that he was annoyed with James, he had to act annoyed with everybody. Otherwise it would be obvious as to why he was annoyed at James. And he honestly hadn't meant to snap at James.
"Hey Remus, Now that James is with Lily, maybe she'll stop borrowing that book you two keep fighting over." Lily and Remus had been in a battle for at least two years. There was a beautiful book in the Library, and it was so helpful when it came to homework. It had Potions and Transfigurations and even DADA. It was perfect. Only you could only take it out for three weeks, and you had to leave it back in the library for a week after renewing it once, meaning there was a week of war, fighting for the book. "I mean, imagine, fighting over a book!" Sirius laughed as they dawdled through the corridor, heading for Slughorn's.
"Just shut up will you, Padfoot?" Remus had had enough of people. James and Lily this, Lily and James that. Didn't they have better things to occupy their time with?
"Ooh, touchy! Time of the month, is it Moony?" Remus sped up in an attempt to walk alone. Seriously, couldn't a seventh year boy walk from one class to another alone?
When he made it to potions, James stood outside, complaining to Peter about something or other. Soon after, Sirius arrived, joining in the rant club.
"Seriously, though Sirius, I'm this close to just hexing the greasy git." Snape. What was his problem? He got the girl, didn't he? She didn't speak to Snape anymore, what could James possibly be complaining about? He was sick and tired of it.
"Why don't you just go shag Lily?" He honestly hadn't meant to say it aloud. He was annoyed with James. And how was he to know that Lily would appear behind him as he did snap. And how should he know that worse, Slughorn would be with her. Slughorn looked at him, shock written across his face. James looked shocked, and a little angry, though he'd get over it. Sirius seemed to think the whole thing was hilarious, while Lily had the most unreadable thing written across her pretty freckled face.
"Remus, my boy! I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you detention. That was completely inappropriate. Five thirty in my office." Remus nodded, before sulking into the classroom. Perfect. Just what he needed, detention.
He arrived at the professor's office promptly at five thirty, as he had been told. He knocked three times before being called in. Walking to the desk, he took his hands from his pockets and straightened up.
"Okay, Remus, I want you to write all you know about the Wolfsbane potion." Had Remus been in a better mood, he probably would have laughed. Of course, Slughorn couldn't have known. Only Dumbledore, Snape and the three other Marauders knew. Not wanting to seem strange, he sat at the desk, where the older man indicated and pulled out a quill.
He had been scribbling for less than ten minutes when a soft rapping at the door gained his attention. He craned around to see Slughorn answer the door. He was surprised when Lily stood there, beaming up at the professor, of course she would, he practically worshipped the ground she walked on.
"Professor, I was wondering, if I could possibly borrow one of the textbooks we used in class the other day. I found them most interesting, and thought they might help with my essay." She asked sweetly, knowing her way around the man.
"Of course dear! Now, I left them in my classroom. I'll just go and get one! You wait here." He hurried past her, leaving her standing in the doorway.
Lily stepped in cautiously, and seeing Remus, smiled at him.
"Are you okay Remus? You seemed stressed earlier, so I figured I'd come check you're okay." So she had planned this. James and Sirius would be proud. He shrugged indifferently, turning back to his work. "What are you writing?" She asked awkwardly, leaning against his desk.
"Wolfsbane." He was surprised when she giggled at this. She couldn't possibly know. Could she?
"Oh, don't look so shocked Remus. You're in the hospital wing every month and get mysterious grazes on your arms and face, every month. The boys call you moony, and honestly, the amount of "time of the month" jokes they make, I'm surprised everybody hasn't figured it out."
"Not everybody's as brilliant as you." He hadn't meant to say that either. Maybe he should write that down, a side effect of the Wolfsbane potion is losing control of your mouth and making a fool out of yourself. Lily smiled shyly at him, playing with a stray lock of flaming red hair. "So you don't think I'm a monster?" She seemed shocked by the question, and launched herself at the boy, hugging him tightly.
"Of course I don't think you're a monster! How could anybody? You're the most positively lovely boy I know!" Now it was Lily's turn to look embarrassed. She smiled at him before making her way back to the door, straightening her skirt as she did.
Slughorn returned shortly after the conversation, looking red faced. He handed her the book and bade her goodnight, looking back to Remus.
