Secrets Uncovered

Remus gingerly stepped out of bed, not wanting to awake his dorm mates. After tossing and turning for hours, he decided to go for a nice walk. He really wished James still shared the dorm with him, so he could borrow the invisibility cloak, but he was in the Head Dorms, with Lily. Instead, he took the Marauder's Map from the table next to Sirius' bed. At least this way he could avoid Filch and Mrs. Norris. He glanced down at it and took his wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He muttered to it. Both were patrolling the seventh floor, as usual. He eyed their dots wearily. Did they not sleep?

Remus walked downstairs and climbed out of the portrait hole, praying that the Fat Lady wouldn't say anything. Fortunately, she just glared as he walked through. Remus contemplated going to the kitchens, but the crescent moon shining from outside was calling him. He carefully descended the cold, marble stairs, trying not to make much noise. He walked to the courtyard that led to the open grounds. He thought for a moment the Whoomping Willow was a good place to be, but tonight was too peaceful. If he went there, he'd spend all his time thinking about his 'furry little problem'. Instead, he went to the lake. He hadn't been there in a while, because James refused to step anywhere near there after the incident with Snape and Lily back in the end of their fifth year.

He quietly walked out into the night, taking in the beauty of it all. The moon shining brightly, the owls' hoots, the slight wind rustling the trees of the Forbidden Forest. Remus knew that he would miss Hogwarts once he left in two months. The seven years he spent here were the best of his life. It was the first time he had friends, especially those so accepting of his…problem. Remus sat down, cross-legged in front of the lake, just looking at its beauty. He was undisturbed for at least ten minutes, until he heard it. A strangled sob.

Remus whipped his head in the direction of the noise and found the source. There was another person, a few meters away from him. The person's back was facing Remus and it was arched, bent over something. Remus couldn't believe that he sat here for all that time without noticing the person. He got up and dusted himself off. He walked quietly towards the person. Why, though, he didn't know. They probably wouldn't want to be disturbed if they were out here at this hour, crying. He stepped in front of the person and sat down across from the figure. There were papers spread around the person. Remus looked up to see if he could recognize the person. Remus' eyes widened when he saw the tear-stroked face and confused expression of Severus Snape staring back at him.

"Lupin?" Snape whispered, just as surprised as he was. He hastily wiped his tears.

"Snape." Remus nodded, trying not to show his surprise. "So, what are you doing here, at this hour?" He asked casually, as though they were only meeting at a local pub. Snape raised an eyebrow, but didn't answer. Remus looked down at what was sprawled down in front of him. They were letters. The handwriting on them was one that he would be able recognize anywhere. No one else he knew had that neat handwriting, except for possibly Dumbledore, but these letters weren't from Dumbledore, no, they were from none other than Lily Evans.

Snape became aware that Remus was looking at the letters and sheepishly tried to hide them. Remus put a hand down on them.

"I know who they're from. No need to hide that. My question is why." He told Snape bluntly. Remus was honestly curious. Not every day do you see one of your worst enemies crying their eyes out over your best mate's girlfriend, who also happened to be their ex-best friend. Remus did know about Snape's and Lily's friendship that cruelly ended that one day in fifth year, right by this lake, almost at this very spot.

"Why do you want to know, Lupin?" He asked, his voice showing no emotion. Remus shrugged his shoulders. He honestly didn't know why he wanted to know.

"Just curious, really."

"What makes you think I'm going to tell you?" Snape inquired. Remus smiled to himself. He was one step closer to divulging this Slytherin's secret.

"You know I'm a werewolf, and you've kept that secret for the last year. Who's to say you won't tell anyone now? Dumbledore said you'd be expelled if you told anyone. What if you get mad one day and because of your anger, decide to tell everyone? I could keep you in check-you know, make sure you have something in the back of your mind if you ever think about letting out my secret." He reasoned. Snape raised an eyebrow. "I won't tell anyone, not Lily, or anyone. This will be between us." He added after a moment's thought. Snape tilted his head to the side, as though considering Remus' offer. "And like I pointed out before, you know I'm a werewolf. I won't tell yours if you don't tell mine. And not to sound like 15 year old conceited James or anything, but I will figure it out eventually, even if you don't tell me." Snape looked at him, sizing him up almost. He took a breath.

"I'll tell you." Snape said, keeping his voice monotonous. "But you won't tell anyone, especially not Lily or Potter." Snape spat Remus couldn't believe his luck. He pinched himself to make sure it wasn't a dream. When he didn't wake up, he looked back at Snape.

"Of course." He said quickly, not wanting Snape to change his mind. Then again, he probably wouldn't. He was obviously keeping this from everyone he knew, since it had to do with Lily. His house wouldn't approve of that. Snape was probably dying to tell someone, get it off his chest. Secrets can only be kept for so long, Remus would know. He looked back up at Snape, and begging him with his eyes to say something. Snape looked away.

"Obviously, I was friends with Lily even before Hogwarts. And up until two years ago, we still were. Then I called her that word and she stopped talking to me, no matter how much I begged and pleaded. I should have been more persistent like Potter was, and maybe I could've won her back, but I wasn't. I realized I couldn't go a day without seeing her smile, laugh, or just looking at her. Of course this was usual, I couldn't do that ever since the day I met her. But this was different, I realized that feeling I'd been feeling all this time." Snape said blankly, still looking away from Remus. He looked towards the grass and only uttered three words. "I love her."

Remus couldn't say he was surprised. If he had time to think of it, he would have pieced it all together eventually, like he said. But coming from Snape, it was different. He could tell that he loved Lily as much as James does, but in the end, James won. James became a better person over the years. His parents' death, Sirius moving in, and Lily being Lily really changed him. He 'deflated his head' as Lily pointed out and stopped playing pranks. He matured.

Snape, on the other hand, just became nastier over the years, especially this year. It was probably because Lily started dating James, and he was of course jealous and really started to hate James. But, Remus knew that had James been in Snape's position, as long as Lily was happy, James would be happy. He wouldn't seek revenge on Snape or try to kill him. He'd just be glad that Lily was happy and with someone that she loved.

Remus was pretty surprised that Snape could have those type of feelings. Love and all of that. Maybe he wasn't as bad as the people in his house. As Dumbledore said once, Remus thought. Sometimes we sort too soon. Snape was braver than the Slytherins. He was brave enough to love.

"Well, I'm getting tired. I'm going back to bed." Remus announced, getting up. This new found information certainly gave him something to think about. He needed to remind himself not to slip. He understood, too, why Snape wouldn't want Lily or James or any of his friends to know. He told himself that he had to keep it to himself, no matter what.

Snape got up, too. Only then did Remus realized he was still in his school robes, wearing his cloak and everything. He probably didn't even visit his dorms today after class. Remus kind of felt bad for him.

"I will hope no one will find out about my secret, Lupin, otherwise I'm afraid you might spend the rest of your life unemployed." Snape warned. Remus nodded.

"You have my word." Snape gave a curt nod, and left with a swish of his cloak.

17 Years Later, 12 Grimauld Place, 1995

"Remus, what do you think? Don't you think he's trying to get into my head, you know, open it more for Voldemort?" Harry asked impatiently. He was going on about the Occlumency Lessons Snape was giving him and was absolutely convinced Snape was taking advantage of the situation. Remus didn't know what to say. He knew that Snape was loyal to Dumbledore, because of his love for Lily. It only explained why Dumbledore would let him into the Order and let him teach. But, he argued to himself, he told your secret and made you resign from teaching. You have every right to tell his. He shut the annoying voice out of his head. Sure Snape had broken the promise, but he tended to do things that he didn't mean to when he was mad. Calling Lily a mudblood in fifth year was a perfect example. He looked back at Harry, who was tapping his foot, impatient for a response. He was too much like James.

"Harry, it really comes down to whether or not you trust Dumbledore. Dumbledore trusts Snape, so I will, too." Remus told him. It wasn't false, he really did believe that, but he wasn't telling him the full truth either. Remus had a feeling Harry would come to know, anyway.

A/N: I have a bit of a soft spot for Snape. He's my favorite character.

Tell me what you think of this, please?

Constructive criticism/compliments would be appreciated :)

Love,

SAM :)