Full Moon Awakenings

A/N: This story changes pace a little. I think it becomes better, faster-paced and more interesting after the first two chapters. They're not particularly long, so I'd encourage you to get through them.

I've already written this whole story, so there's no danger that I'll leave it half finished. It's about 6000 words, five chapters. I'll be posting a chapter each day, so there'll be none of those frustratingly long waits for updates. Now, onto the story!

Chapter One

It's full moon again.

Lily Evans gasped and sat up in bed. She wiped cold sweat from her forehead and wondered what it was that had woken her. It must have been a dream, she thought. I never remember my dreams. She lay down again, sighing, and smiled as her room-mate Quan snuffled in her sleep.

It's full moon again.

Startled, she remembered the sentence. Why had she woken up? She had heard that sentence so clearly in her mind... What was significant about full moon?

Lily lay in bed for a while longer. It was a cool night and her blankets were warm and comfortable. But she found she couldn't sleep. She wondered if the moon really was full tonight. Slowly, reluctantly, she got out of bed and her feet felt the shock of the cool floorboards as she walked across to the window. The moon gazed down at her, a single, round, glaring eye in a sea of sparkling darkness. So it was full moon. But so what? Lily wondered. She shook her head at herself, shivered, and got back into bed.

She was just drifting off to sleep again, when she heard something, a hissing noise. It startled her out of the half-asleep dreamy state and she grudgingly opened one eye. "What?" she mumbled.

"Lily, are you awake?" the voice whispered.

Lily closed her eye and shook her head.

"Come on, Lily." A hand took hold of her shoulder and shook it gently.

She opened both her eyes and narrowed them at the silhouette of a person. Who was it? She couldn't quite work it out in the darkness. There was a pause, and whoever it was moved away. Lily began to drift back to sleep, but was stopped by a gasp.

"Lily, did you hear that?"

Well, at least Lily knew who it was now: she recognised the voice to be that of her friend Quan. What was she doing awake at this hour? "Hear what?" Lily hissed, annoyed. "Go back to sleep!"

"No, I'm serious. Did you hear it?"

"Hear what?!"

"That noise!" Quan hissed.

Lily did her best to groan without raising her voice above a whisper, for fear of waking her other dorm-mates. "What noise?"

"I don't know what it was. It was like a howl, or a wail, or something."

"Huh?" Lily yawned twice and sat up.

"I heard a wail, or a howl! From outside."

"Go back to sleep and snuffle, Quan. I'm sure it was nothing."

"Go back to sleep and what?" Quan asked, but Lily just giggled to herself. "Anyway," Quan continued, "it was really close, and really loud!" Quan moved over to the window and Lily saw her sillhouette gaze down at the grounds. With a small groan, Lily got up and joined her.

Lily gazed out at the moon again, and then turned to see Quan staring down at the ground, frowning, pointing. "What's that?" she whispered. Lily followed the line of her finger with her eyes. Something down there was moving.

What was it? Lily squinted, intrigued. It was hard to judge how big it would be close up, because they were so far away and her eyes weren't used to operating in the moonlight.

"What's that?" Quan repeated.

"I've no idea," Lily said. "Some kind of animal?"

"Maybe a centaur?" Quan suggested.

"Naw, they don't look like that."

"Um... what else lives in the Forbidden Forest?"

"Dunno…"

"Ooh," Quan said excitedly, giving a small shiver. "Do you think - could it be - a werewolf?"

Lily stared down at the shape that was moving around on the ground. It was possible. And - "Full moon," she murmured.

"Will you guys shut UP?" The voice sounded grumpy and tired, and Lily squeaked in surprise.

"Oh, sorry, Anna! Were we being very loud?" she said quickly, and softly so as not to disturb anyone else.

"Yes," Anna grumbled, turning over. "Now shut up and let me sleep!"

"Sorry, Anna," Lily murmured, guiltily. It was one of the rare nights that Anna had been able to get to sleep, and they had disturbed it.

Lily and Quan looked back out the window, but the moving figure was gone. They stayed there for a few moments, but they got too cold and soon retreated to bed.

---

"Lily! Wake up!"

For the second time that night, Lily was shaken awake. But when she opened her eyes, it wasn't night. The sun was warming the room and a sleepy looking Anna was standing over her bed.

"C'mon, get up."

"Why?" Lily groaned, looking at the clock on her bedside table. "It's Saturday. It's seven in the morning!"

"I know," Anna said. "And you woke me up at three in the fucking morning! Now get up and come to breakfast. I'm starved!"

Grumbling, Lily got up, but it was fair enough. When they got to the Great Hall, it was nearly empty. There were a handful of students scattered around the tables, but only one group was at the Gryffindor table. Lily scowled when she saw who it was: the Marauders. She tried to steer Anna to the other end of the table, but Anna, smirking slightly, went over and joined them.

"An-na!" Lily groaned. But Anna took no notice. Lily had no choice but to sit down with them too.

"How's it going, Lily?" Potter asked cheerfully.

"It was better before I met you," she said sourly.

"Oh!" said James, completely unfazed. "Such rudeness from such a beautiful woman!"

Lily did her best to ignore him.

"Lilykins…"

"How many fucking times do I need to tell you?! Don't call me that!" she spat, waving her hands in exasperation.

"Aw, leave her alone, Prongs," Remus said wearily. Lily jumped a little in surprise. She'd been trying so hard not to notice Potter she hadn't noticed Remus. Watching him now, she saw fresh scratches and wounds covering his pale face. There were large dark patches below his eyes, one of which he was massaging gently with his fingers.

"What's happened to you?" she asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Remus replied, frowning. His voice was a little hoarse.

"You're covered in scratches!" Lily exclaimed.

Remus's pale cheeks suddenly went red. "Nothing," he mumbled, lowering his head to stare at his breakfast.

Lily and Anna exchanged glances. "If nothing's happened to you, where did all those wounds come from?"

Remus swallowed, not looking up but shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Sirius cleared his throat, quickly. "Well, I'm finished eating. I say we go, now."

"You have not finished eating!" Lily interrupted, pointing to his bowl which was still half-full of cereal.

"I'm done, too," Remus mumbled, pushing his bowl away and standing up. The four boys left the hall before Lily could say anything else.