(HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGE! I LOVE YOU!)
His eyes burned; the more he attempted to focus on the textbook in front of him, the more his eyes longed to inch shut. The common room was warm, almost too warm. The fire had died down to simmering coals and all Remus wanted to do was rest… for just a few moments… His head slowly nodded down, coming to a gentle rest on top of the old History of Magic book.
Thwack! A hand slamming down on the table jolted him awake. He peered around him in a panic before realizing that the sound had come from Lily Evans, one of his closest friends who was, apparently, a little irritated.
"It doesn't make sense, Moony! I've redone my calculations only a thousand times. Something must be wrong with my number chart! The world can't possibly have ended a fortnight ago." She slumped down in her armchair, rubbing her eyes with her fists. Her thick, dark red hair, usually worn neatly and out of her face, was a tangled mess, no doubt from her brushing her hands through it as she tried to finish her homework.
Remus sighed. "This is ridiculous. We've been studying for a millennium. Everyone else left the common room ages ago. I'm so tired I can barely see straight!" His tone became grumpier the more he thought about it.
"I know. And I keep thinking I should go to bed, because my mind is absolutely fried, but if I go to bed without finishing my Runes homework, then I'll have to do it as soon as I wake up. And that won't work because I've already planned to do my Charms homework before breakfast, and I can't possibly do both before Transfiguration. Well, maybe if I skip breakfast?"
"That won't work either. We have the Herbology study group during lunch, we won't have time to eat. So if we don't eat breakfast we won't get anything to eat until dinner."
She shook her head in irritation. "That won't work either! Don't you remember? Tomorrow night is the quidditch game against Ravenclaw, and if we skip it to do homework, James will never shut up about it. It'll be written in on his tomb stone: 'Here lies James Potter. His friends chose schoolwork over his awe inspiring quidditch talent."
It all seemed to become to much. Remus's eyes blurred with tears and his skin pricked with sweat. How in the world were they supposed to do all of things they were assigned? There surely weren't enough hours in the day. He swallowed thickly, trying to keep his breathing steady before Lily could detect his rising frustration, but had no such luck.
"Moony? Remus, what's wrong? Is it something I said? I was just joking, I'm sure James would get over it… Eventually."
He shook his head and looked up at the ceiling, attempting to blink away his tears.
"I just… There's so much to do. And I know the seventh years have always complained about the massive workloads, but this is just impossible! How are we possibly supposed to get everything done? How, Lily?" He turned to face her, and for the first time she could see the panic and frustration he was feeling written across his face. She met his gaze, eyes wide. "I just… It's becoming a bit much. And I'm afraid I'm going to do rubbish on all of my exams. And it's really important that I do well, I mean I'll have a hard enough time getting a job after Hogwarts, what with my…. 'Furry little problem,' as it were. I just want so badly to do well, I don't know what I'll do if I fail."
Lily slammed her book shut. "Well that solves it. Come along, we're going out."
He regarded her with absolute confusion. "What? Out? Whatever are you talking about?"
"Yes, out. You and I, right now."
"Have you not been listening to me?" he asked in a huff, "It is imperative that I study and complete my homework, otherwise I'm going to flunk our NEWTS."
"I have indeed been listening. And if you don't take a break right now, I'm afraid that you are going to throw yourself from the Astronomy tower, and that won't do well for your exams either, will it?" She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet, leading him to the common room entrance.
"But Lily, it's three in the morning. Can you imagine what McGonagall will do to us if we're caught out of bed? Especially you! You're head girl!"
She turned back to face him. "Exactly. I'm head girl. Which means I have a perfectly reasonable excuse for being out at such a late hour. Besides, we're not going to get caught." She raised her eyebrow at the expression on his face. "What? You think the Marauders are the only ones who do a bit of a late night roaming?" And with that she led him out into the corridor.
The corridor was much cooler than the Common Room, and the chilly air was a welcome made Remus feel considerable more alive than he had in past couple of hours. Checking to make sure the coast was clear, they quickly made their way down to a portrait of an old wizard playing a piano. She reached up and played a short melody on the painted piano and the portrait swung inward. They stealthily climbed inside and soon the passage became a tight, spiral staircase. Down and down they went, and right as Remus was about to insist they stop to catch their breath, she held up her hand. She reached up and began to feel around on the low ceiling. She finally found the lever that he'd been searching for and pulled on it, causing a small opening to appear above them. She popped her head out and looked quickly around. Finding the passage empty, she climbed up, then turned and helped Remus out as well, letting the passage close after them.
"Where in the world are we?" Remus asked. She lightly grasped his shoulders and turned him to look at the opposite wall. He instantly recognized the still life of fruits. "The kitchens?"
"Of course! Nothing fixes an existential crisis like a late night snack."
They made their way inside and were greeted by the house elves who, despite the late hour, were hard at work.
"Miss Lily! It's been so long! We had missed your late night visits!" one of the ancient creatures squeaked.
She smiled warmly down at the elf. "I'm sorry Aldwina, it has been too long. I've been busy with classes."
Aldwina waved a tiny crooked finger at the pair. "Miss Lily works too hard. And you've brought a friend! This must be… Master Remus! Oh we have heard wonderful things."
Remus couldn't help but faintly blush under the house elf's praises. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Her large eyes filled with tears, and for a startling moment it seemed as though she would topple over, too overcome with emotion. "Miss Lily's friends are too good! Too gracious!" She pushed them toward the large fire with surprising strength, insisting they sit upon the stools there.
"So… you come here often, I take it?" said Remus, turning to Lily.
"I used to, yeah. Especially when I first began at Hogwarts. Severus was really my only friend, and he was in a different house. And then of course I was homesick for my parents… and Tuney, of course." They shared a terse smile; Remus was no stranger to Lily's heartbreak over her sister's hatred. "A lot of the time, I would skip meals because I didn't really have anyone to sit with. And that lead to me being ravenous at inopportune times. So I casually put in some questions with the professors about how our food is made, who makes it, where it happens. McGonagall saw straight through my nonchalance, of course, and reminded me that the kitchens were strictly out of bounds for students, but I could tell by her eyes that she understood that it was something I really needed."
"And once I had found my way here, I quite enjoyed it. The house elves are so incredibly kind, and were always delighted to hear about my day and my classes. Even once I had begun to make friends, I still came back to visit and chat. I suppose that's how Aldwina recognized you."
"Wait… So all of the times after the full moon, when you would just happen to receive 'care packages' of food and sweets from home that you would share-"
"All begged from the house elves, yes. Even before I had figured out exactly what you 'furry little problem' entailed, I could see that you were hurting in a way. So I tried to help the best way I could, without being too nosy."
Remus, deeply touched by the care and consideration Lily had always treated him with, was saved from answering by Aldwina's return.
"Alright! We have all of your favorites, Miss Lily! There's tarts and custards and several kinds of biscuits. Master Remus, I know you have a sweet tooth…" She snapped her fingers and with a loud crack, a parcel of Honeyduke's chocolate appeared in her outstretched hand. The two teenagers graciously accepted all of the food and began to tear in voraciously.
"You really don't need to worry, y'know." Lily told him between bites.
He couldn't help but roll his eyes as he sank his teeth into a piece of toffee. "And why is that?"
"Because you're Remus Lupin. And while you might have a small condition-" he gave her a pointed look, "-you are so much more than that. You are an intelligent, driven, incredibly talented wizard. You have an urge to do good in the world. I can see it. James and Sirius and Peter can see it. The professors can see it. And any field in the entire world, Muggle, Magic, or otherwise, would be damn lucky to have you in their ranks. And if they can't put aside their… gross, narrow minded, bloody idiotic ignorance, well then… I will personally punch them in the face." She bumped her shoulder into his, earning a smile.
"But jokes aside, you're amazing Remus. And you can't let other peoples' stupidity get you all stirred up. Everything is going to be fine. I promise."
And as he ate, Remus began to feel the panic he was feeling begin to recede a bit. He and Lily would head back and finish their homework. They would wake up tomorrow and be far too tired. They would work hard throughout the day to stay on top of their workload. And their NEWTS would come. And Remus would do fine.
But even if he didn't, everything would still turn out okay. After all, it was hard to look to the future with fear or apprehension with a friend like Lily Evans by your side.