Disclaimer: Characters are JK's. The plot belongs to me though, so at least that's something.

Author's Note: OK, so I wrote this for the Forbidden Love challenge - and boy, did I find it challenging! I've only ever really done canon pairings before, so this was new for me, and I'm not sure it's even any good. But hey, we're all here to try new things, and hopefully (with the help of reviews etc =]) get better, right? So I decided to post it, and see what you guys think. Enjoy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"ARGH!"

Seventeen-year-old Lily Evans slammed the portrait hole behind her, crying out in frustration as she paced the empty Gryffindor common room. All she wanted was to escape him, but she knew he would be close behind her. It was the way he was.

Sure enough, only seconds later the portrait hole opened again, and a sandy-haired teenage boy scrambled in. He looked around quickly, before his eyes focussed in on the beautiful redhead that was glaring violently at him from the corner of the room. He approached her slowly, sensing he was about to receive a full burst of her extremely volatile temper.

"Lily, please just listen to me for a minute-"

"No!" she yelled, her green eyes flashing violently. "Remus, I don't want to talk to you right now, OK? So why don't you just leave. Me. Alone!!" And she turned her back, glaring moodily into the hearth and blocking him from view.

Remus sighed. "Lily, I know you're upset-"

"Of COURSE I'm upset, Remus!!" She cut him off again, whirling around to face him. "OF COURSE I'M BLOODY UPSET!!! God, I can't figure you out! You say we're friends, and that-"

"We are friends," he interjected quickly. "It's just there are some things about me that it's better if…"

"If what? If WHAT, Remus? If I don't know? You're trying to protect me, is that it? Merlin, Remus, I know, OK? I KNOW!! I know all about your 'furry little problem', and I don't care!! All that bothers me is that you clearly didn't TRUST me enough to tell me YOURSELF!!! So just stop pretending that you count me as a friend, OK? Don't waste my time when clearly, I'm not your true friend – you told them all about your little secret. Didn't you?! I mean, what's the point of even feeling…" Lily trailed off, only just realising the deathly white the boy before her now was. "Remus?" she asked, slowly.

He stood, frozen for several seconds before he finally found the words.

"Yo-u…you know?" He swallowed audibly.

Lily sighed exasperatedly at that, sinking into an armchair, her temper subsiding as quickly as it had flared.

"Of course I know. It's not that difficult to notice that you get sick every time the full moon's approaching, not that hard to spot that you disappear once a month… I figured there was only one explanation." She looked him straight in the eyes then, not as though she was searching for confirmation (she was sure about this) but simply as though she was gauging his reaction.

"You're a werewolf."

Remus inhaled sharply as she said the word, but at least it seemed to revive him somewhat. A little colour returned to his face, though not much, and he sat down opposite Lily, before leaning towards her intently. His movements were slow and deliberate, almost as if he was trying to warn her of them beforehand.

"Do you hate me?" The question burned with intent, reflecting Remus' desperation for her judgement. Would she condemn him, like so many others?

Disbelief flitted across Lily's features for a brief moment, but then she reached forward and gently clasped his hand. "Of course I don't hate you," she murmured, gazing deep into his eyes to convey that her words were true. "Is that why you didn't tell me?" Remus nodded his head slowly, meeting her gaze with awe-filled eyes. She knew, and she didn't hate him. This girl truly was amazing.

Lily smiled then, and grabbed his other hand as well. "I could never hate you, Remus," she said sincerely. "In fact, the reason I got so upset is because…" Lily trailed off, dropping her gaze from his. Remus moved his hand, gently squeezing her knee in a caring manner, then froze when he heard her breath catch in her throat at the contact.

Lily pulled her eyes up again, and shifted forward slightly in her chair. Only inches separated their heads now, and the air was thick with tension.

"Remus," she breathed.

"I know I shouldn't be saying this, but…James is your friend, and I know this puts you in an awkward position, but the reason I keep rejecting him is…Remus, for me, it's always been you. You're the one I dream about, werewolf or no werewolf." Now that she'd started Lily couldn't stop, and all her secret thoughts continued to spill out of her in a rush. "I know you probably don't feel the same, and I'm probably ruining everything by saying this, but… I think I love you, Remus, and I really hope that you don't hate me for doing this."

And Lily leaned forward, closing the gap between them and pressing her mouth sweetly against his. She lingered there for several seconds, revelling in the feeling, before pulling away and staring at him silently, waiting for the consequences that would face her.

Remus sat mutely for what seemed like an eternity, shocked at her boldness. She liked him. Lily Evans - gorgeous, intelligent, funny, charming, amazing Lily Evans… actually liked him. And suddenly, though he knew it was wrong, and that James would be crushed, and that it could cost him their friendship, Remus couldn't fight it anymore.

"I feel the same way."

Lily didn't need any further explanation, but simply crashed her mouth on to his again. He responded with wild enthusiasm, his hands tangling in her hair as she slid her arms around his neck. Their kiss was filled with all the suppressed passion and desire they had carried with them for far too long, and it seemed to last forever, a thought that both of them relished.

And when they finally pulled away, breathless and flushed, neither felt guilty about their actions or their feelings. They both just sat, foreheads resting against each other, reliving the moment over and over again: knowing that it was wrong, but feeling that it was oh so right.