Disclaimer: I own nothing, none of the characters/settings and mine but the plot is mine. Unfortunately the inspiration for all of this belongs to JK Rowling.
Author's Note: This can be interpreted as a sequel to my other story Fighting the Moonlight; it takes place after the "prank" that Sirius pulled on Snape. This can also be interpreted as part of a series I am slowly writing about Remus and Lily's friendship. I would also like to emphasize the word friendship, as is NOT romance. In fact, there are even hints of pre-Lily/James romance.
Bound to the Moonlight
Lily closed her book and gently laid it on the ground before quietly moving in the growing shadows of the fading light. Some things were meant to be done delicately; however, others required quick and precise interventions.
Footsteps and breaking twigs heralded the arrival of another in the secluded spat overlooking Hogwart's lake. A lean, tawny-haired boy appeared and sat down on the shore with a dejected sigh.
Lily emerged from the darkness and laid a hand on Remus' shoulder, "Déjà vu."
Remus' head whipped around and he stared into a pair of deep, concerned, emerald eyes.
"How is it, when I'm trying to avoid everyone, you're always the one who finds me?"
"How is it none of your other friends know about this spot?" Lily questioned back. "And it's because you're predictable, to answer your question."
"Really?" he asked skeptically, "just how am I predictable?"
"Well, whenever you're mad, and or depressed, you skip dinner and, disappear for hours before you come back to the common room around midnight. And when you disappear, your friends go looking for you, but they never find you because you're out here."
Remus lifted an eyebrow, "That made no sense."
Lily arched her delicate brow in return, "I swear, Remus, you have the worst case of PMS that I have ever seen."
Remus spluttered, "Excuse me?"
"PMS: Pre-Moon-Syndrome. Mood swings, depression, chocolate cravings, the works. I maintain that you still have unresolved ego issues."
'"My ego is fine. And you keep changing the subject."
Of course she was changing the subject. Remus was trying to avoid the conversation she was trying to have. If she had to confuse Remus and herself to accomplish that, so be it.
"What you need is some of Potter's ego, Merlin knows he has enough to spare." Lily could never understand why Remus was friends with people who were his complete opposite.
"He's a good friend, once you get to know him."
There it was. The opening she had been waiting for all night, waiting to set the trap that would force Remus to face himself.
"So it's just Black you're mad at," she stated.
"What makes you say I'm mad at Sirius?" Remus' denial was back in full force.
'One step forward, two shoves back,' Lily thought.
Aloud, she said, "I don't know. Maybe it's because you're avoiding him, glaring at him and leaving the room whenever he enters? Or maybe I noticed because he's blatantly trying to earn your forgiveness?"
"He doesn't deserve it."
"What did he do?" Lily asked cautiously. Remus was practically her brother, and it was killing her to see him in such pain.
"It's not what he did. It's what he almost made me do."
No emotion. This was worse than she had suspected, Remus had already begun to distance himself from everything.
"Something bad?" Yet another broad question, but hopefully enough to provoke an answer.
"I almost killed Snape."
"What?" Lily gasped. Surely Black wouldn't have…but then again, the fight started just after the full moon. No wonder Remus was devastated; his worst fear was hurting someone while in his werewolf form.
"You heard me. He told Snape how to get past the Whomping Willow. Snape listened, I nearly killed him, and now Snape knows."
"Is Snape all right?" Of course, Snape had been in class the past few days, a little paler than normal, but otherwise… what if he had been bitten?
"Yeah, James saved him."
Not the answer Lily expected. She was shocked that Potter would actually help Snape. It was nice to hear he could act like a decent human being occasionally.
"How could he do that?" Remus' question came from the awkward silence.
"Save Snape?" Lily was confused again. Remus' voice was filled with pain.
"No. How could Sirius do this to me?"
"I don't know. Maybe Snape provoked him?" She hated giving excuses for Black.
"But he would never have done this. Did he even think what this could do to me? If I had killed Snape, the Ministry could have had me "disposed of." He never gave a damn about our friendship."
"That's not true, Remus. And you know it. Black's a hothead but that's no excuse-"
"Are you going somewhere with this, Lily?"
"Remus, how many people would break the law to help you? I can name four. Potter, Pettigrew, Black and me. Although only three of them actually have. My point is, becoming an Animagus is no easy process. If they hadn't cared, they wouldn't have done it."
"How did you know about that? Lily! You can't tell anyone, they could be arrested if you told!"
Lily sighed internally. 'Remus defended his friends, including Black. Now if I can prove that everyone makes mistakes, maybe he'll come back inside…'
"Do you see that window over there?" Lily pointed towards Gryffindor Tower, specifically towards the windows facing the lake, "From my room, I can see a lot of Hogwarts' grounds. I worry about you during the full moon, and sometimes I look at the Whomping Willow, knowing that you're suffering at the other end."
"I don't want your pity Lily."
"You don't have it. Anyways, as I was saying, around the beginning of last year, I noticed that, after Madame Pompfry brought you, the willow would freeze and a while later, it would freeze again. I saw you, a stag, and a large dog appear. And based off of your nicknames, I'll assume that Pettigrew is a small rodent that can freeze the tree."
"You're too smart, Lily. Have you told anyone?"
"No. In fact, I approve of what your friends did for you. It was entirely selfless of them to do it, not many would have."
"I guess I was lucky."
"Not was lucky. Are lucky. Last time I checked, they still cared about you."
"Then why did he do it?"
And they returned to the unanswerable question. Only Black could answer it, but all Lily had to do was damage control. Easy? No way. Would that stop her? As likely as Lily getting along with her future brother-in-law.
"I don't know. He tends to do stupid things."
"Like give James bad romance advice?"
According to Remus, Sirius was the source of James' worst attempts to woo her.
"Remember Valentines Day last year?"
"When you pranked Sirius and James?"
"If I recall correctly, you helped."
Lily did a happy dance in her head. Remus was thinking about good things. Very good things. The prank she pulled on them still gave her happy, fuzzy feelings.
"They had it coming."
"So you admit they aren't perfect."
"I know they aren't. They've given me so much already that I have unrealistically high expectations from them."
"The one you care about can hurt you the most."
"Did you get that out of a fortune cookie?" Of all the things for Remus to be familiar with in the muggle world, it had to be Chinese food.
"Actually, yes. I've started a collection." Where else would she get her "wise" sayings to use on her friends.
Remus' laughter began and eventually Lily caved in to a fit of giggles.
"You're insane. Did you know that?"
"Thank you, Remus."
"You take everything as complements."
Lily learned this lesson long ago. Years of listening to her sister and years around pureblooded bigots taught her this. "It's the only way to take something. If you interpret it as an insult, it gives them an advantage over you."
"And how do you forgive someone?"
Hopefully Remus was referring to Black. Otherwise, coming out in the rapidly cooling evening would be for nothing.
"You look them in the eyes, and see if they regret what they did. Then you tell them why their actions hurt you and if they ever do it again, you will not be as forgiving."
"I don't suppose you have any other advice for me? Or any fortune cookies? Or chocolate, would work as well. Are you cold Lily?"
"It's hardly my fault that the school uniform for girls includes a skirt. You boys have it easy; you get to wear pants and don't have to worry about perverts staring up your skirt."
"Please don't tell me James did that"
"No. He actually hasn't. But I did see Amos Diggory looking up some girl's skirt."
"You're such a gossip."
"I'm a young woman. I can' help it. And you're hardly better than I am"
"So, no more answers to life's problems?"
"Well, you could always prank him." There were only a few occasions when Lily condoned such actions: if Petunia was around, or if someone insulted one of her friends.
Apparently, Remus didn't see it like that. "Lily!"
Lily merely laughed and the two friends started walking back leaving the lake behind.
"Lily, thanks. This is, I think, the second time you've managed to drag me away from here."
"You're welcome, but I'm pretty sure I didn't have to drag you."
Lily could feel Remus rolling his eyes. "You know what I meant. This reminds me a lot of second year."
"After they found out you were a werewolf?"
Lily remembered that evening clearly. That night, Remus got out to the lake before her, and it almost made her cry to see his slouching form by the shore. It seemed Remus would never be comfortable relying on his friends so heavily.
"Yeah. You did this for me then as well. I really appreciate it. Someday, I will figure out how you manage to drag me from my misery."
"You know what they say, "misery loves company" and in giving you company, I make you leave your misery." It seemed perfectly logical to Lily…
"You've stopped making sense again. You know something? Sirius, James and Peter are like my brothers."
Lily couldn't help herself. Sarcasm was always hard for her to control, "Really?"
Remus just glared at her. "But you've always been a sister to me." Lily grinned, and Remus rushed on, "A very annoying, persistent, stubborn, understanding and caring sister."
"Thanks. You're more of a brother to me than my sister is a sister."
"As confusing as that was, I understand it. Thanks."
Lily smiled as the quarter moon disappeared behind a cloud. Remus might never be able to escape the moonlight, but he had friends to count on. She looked at her friend; he was more confident and at ease with himself. Black was a good friend; hopefully, he'd be able to make it up to Remus.
Although she was sometimes jealous of the close bond between Remus and the other Marauders, she knew her relationship with Remus was unique. He was her older brother and she was his little sister. And it was her duty as his sister to keep him going and to make sure he didn't lose his friends who cared deeply for him.