A quick one shot of the relationship shared between Remus Lupin and Lily Evans. Set during their fifth/sixth year of Hogwarts.
"Your mother was there for me at a time when no one else was." - Remus Lupin, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban.
It was the first truly hot day of July that Hogwarts had seen, and as the students lounged about on the soft green grass and frolicked in the cool waters of the lake, Remus Lupin could only watch. He was sat in the shadows of a particularly bushy oak tree, gazing in to the distance as his his friends played in the water. Peter was flanked either side by James and Sirius, who were grabbing on to his arms, forcing him down in to the water. Lupin sighed. He longed to run out and join them, but his tired, sore body restrained him from doing so.
The previous evening had seen him endure the last night of July's transformations, and the last night was always the worse. Lupin felt as though his bones had stretched considerably, and he had a few fresh scars; one ripping across his chest, one lying diagonal across his left shin, and one on his right cheek, which was thankfully quite faint. Not only did he feel physically in pain, the transformation had tampered with his mind, too.
He was growing stronger and larger as a wolf these days, and he no longer felt comfortable with his friends joining him in the shack. He was too afraid that he would accidentally cause them serious harm, but the other Marauder's were having none of it.
"You're our friend, Remus," James had said, "Albeit a sometimes furry one, but a friend all the same."
"We wouldn't do it if we didn't want to," Sirius had added. Peter had nodded in agreement.
But Lupin now felt more of a burden to his friends than ever. He felt even more of an outsider. What gave him the right to walk the corridors as a member of the most popular group of boys in the school? Why was little Peter the outcast in the group, when really it should have been him? What was it about him that made James and Sirius over look this? He wasn't one of them. Sometimes he even doubted himself as a true wizard.
Lupin was interrupted in his thoughts by the soft rustle of grass beside him. He turned to see Lily Evans by his side. She smiled, the gesture lighting up her emerald eyes. "Not going to join the others?" She asked. Lupin shook his head. "I don't blame you, that waters freezing," Lily said.
There was a pause as the two of them stared out at the lake.
"James said you had it pretty rough last night," Lily said, carefully lowering her voice.
Lupin had decided to allow James to reveal his little secret to Lily. He knew that now she was James' new girlfriend she'd be spending more time with the group, and they couldn't risk Lily discovering the secret in the wrong way. They had all been relieved when she had taken the shock announcement well.
"Nothing I'm not used to," Lupin said now.
"I think it's really brave of you, you know," Lily said, "I don't think most would be able to cope. And the way you get on with it so modestly... I think it's very admirable."
"Thank you," Lupin said, feeling slightly embarrassed, "It's nothing though, really. Just another condition, another disease."
"James hates it when you call it that," Lily sighed, "He thinks disease is such a horrible word. And I have to say I agree."
"But that's what lycanthropy is," Lupin said with a shrug, "I'm not going to try and gloss over it."
Lily smiled. "He really loves you, you know. So does Sirius. As a girlfriend I get to hear all of the mushy stuff," Lily rolled her eyes but she laughed, "James worries about you, though. He says he gets the feeling that you doubt your friendship sometimes."
Lupin thought about this for a moment, absentmindedly tearing gleaming blades of grass from the ground. "It isn't that I doubt it," He said finally, "I question it. I seriously thought, that first day on the train on the way here, that I would be sat in that compartment alone forever. I never thought anybody would want to be my friend. And when James and Sirius - and Peter too, of course - came along I was greatly confused. I can't say much has changed."
"Friendship isn't something you have to understand, Remus," Lily said, "It's something to accept, to welcome. And I think it's pretty obvious why people would want you as a friend."
"Is it?" Lupin said doubtfully. Lily looked right at him.
"Like I said before, you're an extremely brave person. You're loyal and clever, you protect people, keep them out of trouble, but you know how to have fun, too. Do you think James and Sirius would ever have got by all of these years without you? They'd have been expelled ages ago without you watching over them! And Peter, he looks up to you. He looks up to all of you - but I think mostly you. I think he's a little jealous. I think he questions why you're favoured above him when in his eyes you shouldn't be liked at all."
"Peter doesn't think that!" Lupin cried defensively.
Lily laughed. "See? There you are, protecting him," She said with a little nod, as if she had proved her point.
"I suppose you're right," Lupin sighed.
"And another thing- Oh God, here he comes!" Lily said. They both looked up to see James running across the grass to them, a wicked grin playing on his lips.
"Why you sat over here, Lil? You should be having fun," He said.
"I'm just keeping Remus company," Lily replied coolly.
"I think you've chatted his socks off enough for the moment," James said. And with that he lunged, scooping Lily in to his arms in a fireman's hold. He began to stride across the grass with her punching his chest.
"James Potter you had better put me down this instant!" She shrieked, "I'm warning you! No- No!"
Lupin got to the edge of the lake just in time to hear a loud splash. Lily now lay in the water, her long red hair dripping in front of her face. She let out a growl before diving on James, dunking his head under the water before kissing him. Lupin watched on in laughter. Suddenly, his bones didn't seem to be aching that much anymore.