The Reveal

Summary: James and Sirius are up to something. Remus just doesn't know what. Slight LilyxJames. One-shot.

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

I watched as James and Sirius sliced up some of their potions ingredients, and immediately knew something was wrong.

"Remus…" Lily Evans whispered from next to me. "Are you okay?"

I turned to face her. "I—I'm just worried that something's up with James and Sirius."

Lily looked over at my two best friends and her lips twisted into a sort of half-smile. "Something's always up with those two."

"I meant –"

"I know what you meant. But it's probably nothing. I mean, you were in the hospital wing all night and Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let them visit. You three are best friends; of course they were worried for you. Don't let it bother you."

Lily Evans really was a smart girl. She had completed her final exams last year to become top of our second year class, and with her marks she would probably be named top of third year this June as well.

Leave it to Lily to remember that I had been 'ill.' Leave it to Lily to remember that Madam Pomfrey hadn't been admitting visitors.

But the one thing Lily never realized was that I missed a day of school every twenty-eight days. Lily never realized that I missed a day of school whenever there was a full moon.

Lily was a smart girl, but she never realized the things that were, perhaps, most important.

"I don't know," I said. "They're just being… careful. And they usually aren't."

I had never seen James and Sirius cut their roots with such precision. They were usually messing around in class, lighthearted and carefree.

Lily smiled her knowing smile. "I'm sure they've rigged Professor Slughorn's cauldron to start spewing lava or something. Just on good behavior so he doesn't suspect anything's up until it's too late."

"Yeah," I said. "You're right."

"I usually am."

There was silence for a few moments, as we finished stirring our potion. Then came the unavoidable whimper from Peter at the table behind us. He was working with that Hufflepuff, Eric-something-or-other, who had probably been guilted into helping Peter by his typical Hufflepuff kindness.

It's not that Peter had some kind of horrifying freakishness that kept others away (that'd be me, except no one knew to be afraid yet), but in classes, potions especially, he tended to be a little accident prone.

At least once a class he would spill ingredients everywhere, or heat his cauldron too much that he would light his notebook and quill on fire, or, as appeared to be the case today, make his potion explode.

A quick game of rock-paper-scissors made the decision for us and Lily stood up with a sigh to face the scenario we both knew too well.

Right on schedule, James left his diligent work with Sirius to intercept Lily on her way to Peter's table.

"Hey, Lily." I didn't even need to be watching to know that he had his trademarked smile on.

"Not now, Potter," she snapped, drawing her wand and aiming at Peter's cauldron.

"But…" and James rambled off some excuse about Merlin-knows-what for why Lily should just give him a chance already.

Predictable, as always, but somehow I can't imagine James rigging Peter's potion (I'm not dense enough to actually believe that an explosion of that caliber could happen only out of clumsiness) for the sole purpose of asking Lily out, yet again, and listening to her firm rejection, yet again.

I was right, as usual. While Professor Slughorn, Lily, and the rest of the class were distracted with Peter's potion, Sirius ambled over towards my desk with a look on his face that stated clearly that he wanted to discuss something important.

"Something serious, Sirius?"

He ignored my not-so-clever pun. Merlin, if this was about another girl I was going to injure him so badly he would be seriously black and blue.

(How's that for a pun?)

"We know."

"Know what?" I asked, honestly confused.

"About where you were last night. Last month. The month before that."

Oh.

Shoot.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about. I've been sick."

"Right. If you've been sick James and Lily are going to get married," he dropped his voice to a whisper. "We know you're a werewolf."

"Oh." I knew I should say more, but I couldn't form words.

"James and I talked about it," he said.

Here it comes, the inevitable fake apology. This is where he tells me that we can't be friends anymore, because I'm dangerous.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" he didn't wait for me to answer before continuing, "We don't care, you know. I mean, we do, but it doesn't change anything. Just stop sneaking around us, okay? We'll take you to the Shrieking Shack. You can stop pretending you need to go to the hospital wing."

Oh. Wow. I felt a smile spread across my face in immense gratitude, but there were other orders of business that needed to be attended to first.

"How did you know about the Shack?" I asked.

"We followed you. Last night."

"You what?"

"With James's cloak. Oh Merlin, you should see your face right now. Relax. We left as soon as you started… you know. We wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"That was incredibly stupid of you."

"Well," Sirius said. "You should have known that we aren't the kind of people who would let their friend be sick every month without us there."

"If only so we could eat all the candy you got from your other friends," James interrupted, back from his (not surprisingly failed) attempt with Lily.

"What other friends?" Sirius asked.

I rolled my eyes at them, my two best friends in the world who didn't care about my… condition.

"Thank you," I said, meaning it.

Sirius started to say something but was interrupted by Lily's indignant, "Out of my way, Potter. Sirius." She was back from fixing Peter's cauldron. "What are you doing here, anyway? Your potion isn't even finished."

"We were just discussing Remus's furry little problem," James said.

I punched him in the arm.

Lily wrinkled her eyebrows.

"Do you have an evil pet rabbit or something?"

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