Author's Note:

Hi all! So this is my first attempt at a short story fanfic. It's a different twist on a Lily/James/Remus triangle. I know many don't like the whole Lily/Remus romance to begin with, but I promise you it's not what you think. I will warn any readers though, that in later chapters (and not even THAT much later chapters) there will be some extreme mature themes. Is this a romance? Yes, ultimately it is. Do I include other aspects of life in my writing? Yes, I do. I was a history/social science major in college so I tend to add things in here and there that I learned about in school or things that I find important. Sue me! Even though I adore classic love stories and romances, life happens and I feel that including tragedy along with humor is a good mix in a story. I want it to be real. I want people to read this story and feel something; be it happiness, sadness, anger, whatever. Please let me know what you think through reviews. I appreciate them more than you know.

After my long (and somewhat boring) first author's note, please enjoy A Walk in the Moonlight!

ClassicLove1029

Chapter 1

Lily Evans was lounging on a big poufy chair in the Gryffindor Common Room, her nose stuck in a book. Pride and Prejudice, she thought, is one of the greatest romances of all time. I wonder what our romance will be remembered as… Her long, scarlet ringlets were pulled up into a high pony tail, leaving a few flyaway tendrils surrounding her face. Her brilliant emerald eyes were narrowed, concentrated on the passage she was reading. Her slim, but toned figure was neatly folded: her legs one over another, and her arms resting on her stomach. Her milky skin shone with brilliance, and her cheeks were always slightly flushed. She was a spunky, spirited girl, who was brave as much as she was kind. Lily Evans could always be counted on to speak her mind. Not only was she courageous and outgoing, but she had a streak of shyness in her. Whenever she was embarrassed by something, her eyes became downcast, and her head cocked to the side. It gave her an aura of cuteness that complimented her sexiness, for Lily Evans was also sexy. She was the type of sexy that was unintentional. She didn't wear her skirt super short, or her blouse buttoned one too low. She didn't need to, and she knew it. She was altogether perfect, although she would never admit it. She sighed, feeling tiredness coming on when she heard the portrait hole open and someone rush inside.

"Hey, sweetie," a voice called into the common room. Lily grinned at the sound of the voice and opened her arms to welcome a boy falling into them. She kissed his forehead before responding with a, "Hello to you too, Rem."

She looked into Remus Lupin's eyes, falling even more in love with him than she already was. He had the most beautiful eyes. A tornado of emotions and colors, she could never pick exactly what color his eyes were. At the moment, they were a bright light blue, but tomorrow could bring something new. His short, sandy brown hair was currently in disarray due to his running, and the dimples around his cheeks were protruding in such a way that made him quite handsome. His tall frame was more lanky than muscular, and he had a small moon shaped scar on the palm of his left hand. He was a kind boy; a little bashful, a little introverted. Given the circumstances of his furry little problem, he was always slightly unsure if he belonged there. But when he looked into his girlfriend's (as well as his best guy friends) eyes, he knew that he had found people who cared for him.

"Darling, I have the most amazing night planned for us," Remus said as he climbed out of her arms and leaned against the chair, his arms behind his head.

"Won't you give me at least a little hint as to what we're doing?" Lily asked, knowing perfectly well that he wouldn't tell her.

He shook his head no. "No can do. The boys and I have to go finish setting it up. So… I'll pick you up at the bottom of the stairs at say, 7:00?"

"Sounds good. See you then, Rem," Lily said as Remus leaned down to give her a kiss goodbye.

"Bye, darling." With that, he hopped out of the chair and sped off toward the boys dormitories. Lily shook her head behind him, laughing in spite of herself. She and Remus, in her opinion, made an amazing couple. They had started dating in the beginning of 6th year. It was now the night before they all went home for summer vacation and Lily couldn't be happier with the way their relationship was going. The two of them were the perfect couple, everyone at Hogwarts said so. He was suave, charming, and treated her like a princess. She was beautiful, friendly, and madly in love with him. Lily leaned back against the chair and pondered different options for her and Remus' date tonight.

"Hello? Lily?" Lily snapped her head up and heaved a sigh of relief. It was only one of her three best friends, Rylee. Lily shrugged her shoulders innocently and giggled, knowing that she was caught day dreaming. Rylee rolled her aqua blue eyes and shook her short chocolate ringlets out of her eyes. Her tiny, pixy like frame rolled over the top of the couch and onto Lily's legs. She gave a large laugh for such a little girl, and stared Lily in the face. She was known to have a sarcastic smile with a sarcastic attitude to match, and today was no different.

"What're you thinking about, Lil? Wait. Let me guess. 'Oh, Remus! I love you so much! Muah, muah, muah! Blah, blah, blah." She stuck out her tongue.

Lily blushed to the roots of her red hair, looking to her entwined hands. She then snapped out of it, and threw her book at Rylee, who squealed in protest. "Remus is taking me somewhere tonight. I don't know where. I'm so excited!"

Rylee laughed. "I know you're excited! Let's go get you ready for this date."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James Potter was a God. A sweet tempered, kind hearted, courteous, gentlemanly God. He looked like a God, although he would never admit to it. His tall, muscular figure towered over most of the boys at Hogwarts. His body was chiseled in the most perfect way due to his quidditch training. His somewhat messy black hair gave him a careless appearance, which made him all the more appealing because he didn't need to try to look gorgeous; he simply was. His eyes were a stunning hazel, with a dark, navy blue nearest the iris, and a greenish hazel on the outer edges. His glasses had disappeared after they fell off his face in a quidditch match. So, instead of finding them, he simply learned a spell to fix his eyesight. He never allowed himself to be so weak and defenseless again. He was ever so much more God like without his glasses. He was loved throughout the school, but he truly cared about being loved by only a select few: his best mates the marauders, his supposed girlfriend, and his choice girl friends from Gryffindor that he could tolerate with pleasure.

At the moment, the devious prankster extraordinaire was laughing at one of his best friend's romantic antics. His other best friend, Sirius Black, was teasing said romantic roommate about his plans for that evening.

"Oh, Lily! How do I love thee! Let me count the ways! One, two, three…"

"Sirius! Shut up, will ya? I have to finish getting everything ready so tonight is perfect," Remus exclaimed, running his hands through his hair. "Man, I need a cigarette."

"Remus, you know that's bad for you. And why does tonight need to be so perfect?" James asked, tossing a golden snitch into the air and catching it.

Remus smirked and rolled his eyes. "Because tonight is going to be THE night."

"THE night?" Sirius asked.

"Yep. The night Lily and I finally… you know…"

Sirius snickered. "Um, does she know that?"

Remus faltered. "Well, no. Not exactly… not yet. I wanted tonight to be perfect so she'd feel comfortable enough to… to…"

"Get jiggy with it?" Sirius asked, to the snorting of James in the background.

"No! Not that… just… make love… Doesn't it sound better that way?" Remus asked with a dazed look in his eyes.

"Well, how shall I put this, Moony? No," James added. "I can tell you right now, Rem; she is not going to want to go all the way with you tonight. I can almost guarantee it. And, I don't think it's a good idea for you to put this kind of pressure on her anyways. You know that that never works out in the end. I know you're getting impatient. But, the girl is the one to make all the shots when it comes to that, not you."

Remus looked from James to Sirius nervously. "Do you think so? Do you think I should just leave her alone about it and not do anything tonight?"

James and Sirius simultaneously replied "Yes" and "No." The two looked at each other, shaking their heads.

"What does James know about the situation? How many girls has he deflowered? If you don't speak up, it'll never happen. She'll be content with doing absolutely nothing until the wedding night," Sirius pressed to Remus.

James rolled his eyes at Sirius. "What do I know? What do you know, Sirius? How many girlfriends have you kept after you've slept with them? Oh, that's right. None. I'm not telling you what to do, Remus, but I still don't think it's a good idea."

Remus narrowed his eyes in thought for a few minutes. He finally raised his head in determination. "I'm going to go for it. She's ready. I know she is."

James sighed. "It's your funeral. Don't worry, I'll give the eulogy. It'll be a good one. As the tearful mourners walk past your closed coffin I'll say, 'Remember the departed, Remus Lupin; not as a total ass who didn't listen to his dear friend James, and tried to get on his girlfriend without her consent, thereby receiving a kick in the balls and a gun shot wound to the head, but as a kind, light hearted fellow…"

"Ha ha ha… Funny James. Really funny."

James grinned to himself, reflecting on his witty comment. But back in the deepest corners of his mind, he began to worry. In all the time he had known him, Remus had never been this happy. Lily Evans made him so unlike his normal self that James was hesitant to truly speak his mind. He was worried that once Lily was put through this attempt to steal her "flower" she would no longer trust Remus again, thereby destroying the happy, carefree person Remus had become. All James could do was to hope for the best, even though deep down he knew that the worst was yet to come.

"Are you ready yet?" Remus called up the stairs. "It's 7:05! You're five minutes late!"

"Oh my goodness, Rem, can you give a girl a few extra minutes to make herself look good for you? Besides, you know that no girl is ever on time for a date. It's like a law of nature or something," was the reply.

Remus smiled in spite of himself. He was he had to admit, somewhat nervous about the date. He did not know how everything would end up, but he was hoping that he and Lily would be able to take their relationship to the next level tonight, and that she would have no qualms about doing "the deed" before marriage. He didn't know if he could wait that long, as shallow as it sounded. He loved Lily with all of his heart, and now he wanted to physically show her.

"Alright, I'm coming," Lily called as she descended the stairs. Remus' breath caught in his throat as he looked upon her. She was wearing a white halter dress that flowed around her as she walked. Her red ringlets were piled on top of her head with a few tendrils to frame her face. Her green eyes showed bright within her face, and a smile the size of England graced her lips.

"Were the extra five minutes worth it?" she asked as she came to meet him on the bottom step. All Remus could do was nod his head with his mouth open. Lily giggled and took Remus' hand that was held out to help her. The pair walked out of Gryffindor tower among stares and sighs. There was also James who looked on the pair with narrowed eyes. He had a bad feeling about this date, and he didn't know why it mattered so much.

"Hey Jamesie," a voice chimed behind him. James shifted his narrowed eyes to the girl walking up to him. It was Laura Brown, his supposed girlfriend. She had honey blonde hair, and chocolate brown eyes. Although pretty, she was consistently found with an ugly smirk on her face. She had cheated on him twice, and he had taken her back because he thought he loved her. Now, she simply annoyed him, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with her asking to fool around at the moment.

"Hey Laur… I thought you were going out with the girls tonight?"

"I am, silly. I was just wondering if we could sneak up into your room first for a little fun?" she finished with a smirk and a giggle. Laura was a year younger than James and James had been immediately attracted to her bubbly and bright nature. But James had been dating her for far too long to not know her tricks. She wanted him to take her upstairs so that they would become occupied with each other, and then she would simply crash there the rest of the night, thereby not giving him his night of freedom. James simply wouldn't stand for that.

"Sorry, but tonight's not a good night for me. I'm exhausted and I really just want to hang out for a while. Besides, why don't you want to go out with the girls?"

"Well, I –" Laura was cut off by Lily's three friends coming into the room. Rylee in her pixie like glory was leading the way, followed by Emma and Evelyn, twin sisters who looked like night and day. Emma had raven ringlets that cascaded down her back. She also had the most breathtaking crystal blue eyes. She was tall and lean, her muscles toned from her position as a chaser on the quidditch team. Her twin sister shared the crystal blue eyes and the height, but had platinum blonde, poker straight hair to go along with them. She held a beater position, and had a tendency of taking her anger out on opposing teams, even off of the field. Together, the twins were unstoppable on the house team, and were rightfully worshiped for it. All three were beautiful girls, and nearly every guy in the common room stopped and stared as they walked in. Evelyn, more commonly called Eve, spotted James on the couch, gave a little wave, and motioned for them to come over. James gave a nod and the girls came grinning to his side.

"Hey, Laur, how goes it tonight?" Eve asked as she glided up next to James on the couch.

"Yea, what's going on?" Emma and Riley chimed in as they occupied the armchairs next to the couch. Laura gave the girls a wave and smiled a fake smile.

"James and I were just about to go upstairs…" she tried to tell them, but Eve shook her head and sighed.

"Sorry, but James is promised to us tonight. Remus is off with Lily, and without our ringleader around, we need a babysitter. James gallantly offered to help, so… he's already taken. I hope that's not a problem…"

James could have kissed Eve at that moment. True, he knew it was bad that he didn't want to hang out with his own girlfriend, but he just needed a break, and hanging out with three of his other friends (even if they were girls) sounded great.

"Oh," Laura said sounding put-out. "James never told me about that."

James sighed. "I was about to when the girls came in. I'm sorry babe, but I've been hanging around you so much that when the girls found out that you were having a girls' night, they automatically stole me for the night. I barely had a choice in the matter…"

"Hey!" Riley shouted indignantly, her aqua eyes narrowing, "You wanted to hang out with us anyways. So there," she ended with her tongue sticking out.

James rolled his eyes at her and then looked to Laura. "Well, I'm sorry Laur. But now you can definitely go have your girls' night. What are you doing, going to Hogsmeade?"

She nodded yes and then turned towards him. "Yea, so I'll just see you later, ok Jamesie?" He nodded, and she bent down to give him a kiss goodbye. She then looked to the girls surrounding him, gave them the "ha-ha-he's-still-mine" look, and walked away.

There was silence around the group for all of three seconds before Emma stated, "Wow. That was awkward."

James nodded. "Yea, thanks you guys. I just needed a break from her."

Riley nodded. "We could tell. Was she using you as the excuse to stay in again tonight?"

He nodded again. "Yup. And I was so not in the mood tonight."

The three girls laughed. "Oh my god, that is such a girl thing to say…" Eve added as an afterthought.

Riley slid her gaze to James. "Now. I'm saying this in the best possible way, as your friend." She waited. After seeing James narrow his eyes, she continued. "I can see the way that you don't want to be around her anymore… and how you get annoyed with her… and how you use us as excuses to stay away from her… so, why don't you just break up with her and try to be happy with someone else? Everyone knows you're unhappy. Look at Sirius, he's been bouncing off the walls for weeks because you've been swamped with "Laura time" and come home complaining about her!"

James remained silent for a while. "I took her back, both the first time after she cheated on me as well as the second because I thought I loved her. And, I guess I've been trying to keep it that way. I just didn't realize that I've been falling out of love with her. I've been with her a long time. Over a year…"

The girls nodded. "We know! But you're so much more fun without her. C'mon! Let's get our minds off of boys (and girls) for the night and get drunk!" Eve cried out. The three others looked at her, and then to each other.

"I will, but in a little bit I need to send off a letter to my older sister Jenny. She's going to pick us up tomorrow from the station."

The girls looked at him again. "Alright!" they laughed and went to get James' stash of hard liquor in his room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Please read and review! Hope you enjoyed the beginning!