She Had Seen It All
DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters. Just thought I'd write this up quickly.
She's not stupid. She had seen it. She had seen more than they thought she had. You didn't really notice it until you looked properly and tried to find something. They managed to keep it pretty well hidden. But Lily had been dating James for over a month. And in that month she had spent more time with the four of them.
She had noticed more in this past month than she had in her 7 years of knowing them. Lily often wondered if James or Peter knew. Or if they even saw it. She didn't ask them in case they didn't know and Sirius and Remus didn't want them to know. So, she pretended to be as ignorant as they seemed.
When Sirius and Remus sat close together – Sirius lying on the couch, legs over Remus' lap – she didn't pay attention to it and instead watched the way they all interacted. Lily reckoned this must have been normal behaviour because when James and Sirius were talking they didn't acknowledge it. They didn't act any different. They didn't seem to notice the way they were sitting. Lily desperately wanted to know if James saw it. But she couldn't just ask.
Lily noticed more and more that they sat like that quite often. When she thought back through their years at Hogwarts, she realised that they had always sat like this. It would probably be weird if they didn't sit that close together. No wonder they didn't act differently. It was normal for them.
The more time she spent with them, the more she saw. Everyone knew who Sirius was because he was boisterous and egotistical and loud. And everyone either hated or loved him. And he was the best Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He also had quite a temper that everyone got to see now and again. But everyone didn't see how fiercely loyal he was. They didn't see that he could be incredibly kind and caring.
Back in sixth year, when they weren't friends, Lily had collapsed in the library. Sirius had found her and carried her to the infirmary and waited until she woke up to see if she was okay. He claimed it was because if James found out and he had left her, then James would have beaten him up. But Lily knew he was lying. Their relationship had changed from then. That had, in Lily's opinion, probably been the beginning of their friendship.
And to everyone, Remus was quiet and introverted and kind. And everyone liked him because he would help them. And he really liked to read books. But Lily knew that Remus wasn't all books and homework. He was just as big a part in the Marauder's schemes as James or Sirius. He just happened to be smart enough not to get caught in the pranks. He also had the advantage of being a Prefect and having an innocent face.
Lily had only noticed that Sirius and Remus' relationship was different to the rest of the Marauder's because in fifth year, they had had a huge fight and Sirius seemed lost and distraught without Remus. Lily wasn't the only one to notice the fight they'd had. Everything seemed different for that month when they weren't talking. Everything seemed out of sync. Remus acted like nothing had happened but every time Sirius tried to talk to him, he'd ignore him or walk away.
Lily didn't know how they had sorted whatever problem they had out, but she was glad that they had. Because once they were talking again, the school went back to normal. Well, as normal as a Wizarding school could be with the Marauder's there. It had taken a little while for them to go back to normal, but they seemed to be closer than they had ever been.
Lily started to pay attention to them after that. She had seen Sirius break someone's nose. He didn't hex them. No, he physically beat up a Slytherin because the Slytherin had said something about Remus that upset him. He earned himself detention for a week for that but he didn't seem bothered.
Lily had thought there was something different to their relationship since sixth year. She had paid quite close attention to them since then. Lily had noticed Sirius staring at Remus in class. Or staring at him whenever Remus was ranting on about one thing or another. Lily noticed the way he stared more than anything. He always stared in wonder. Like he was in wonder of the person before him. There was admiration in his face too. Like he couldn't imagine Remus different. He always wore a small smile whenever Remus talked to him too. There was something else in his stares too but Lily couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Since spending more time with them, Lily had noticed that Remus also tended to stare back. Though he was much more subtle about it than Sirius. He'd look out of the corner of his eye in class or rant to Sirius. And Sirius would listen. He would actually listen to his rants because he would then forward those points onto James who would in turn spout them to Lily.
She noticed that Remus would listen to Sirius' stories, even if he had heard them a million times before. It looked as though Remus was always interested. Every single time. This, she found amazing because after James had told her a story over ten times, she couldn't manage to keep her mouth from telling him that she already knew what would happen next.
Sirius would come to Remus' classes and walk with him to the Great Hall. Even if his class was on the other side of the school. More often than not, he would walk Remus to class before going off to his own. He would only not walk him when James dragged him to their class. Sirius was usually there at the door waiting but when he wasn't, Remus would wait for him. He somehow know that Sirius would turn up. James had started doing this for Lily now and this only added to her suspicion that there was a romantic element to Sirius and Remus' relationship.
Remus would watch Sirius carefully in Quidditch games. Lily knew the look of concentration because she had it quite often. She also knew that Remus wasn't all that bothered about Quidditch because she wasn't either. He just went to the games to support his friends. She went for House Pride as well as to support her boyfriend. Remus sometimes went to watch practices with Lily when Sirius asked him to. During games he always looked worried. He managed to hide it whenever Lily asked him about it but she could see it.
Whenever Remus was talking to a boy, Sirius would always glare suspiciously. In the past, Lily had thought that this was just protectiveness. Which it probably was. But now she thought that it may be because Sirius was jealous. She would be certain it was jealousy when Remus would laugh and Sirius would clench his jaw and fists. But when Remus would come over to them and smile at Sirius, his jealousy seemed to dissipate and it would be like nothing had just happened.
Remus would read to Sirius sometimes. When they were by the lake or in the common room. And he would help him with his homework even though Sirius was one of the top students. Remus knew this but still 'helped' him nonetheless. Sirius would stare at him again and smile whenever Remus did help him.
During breakfast or mealtimes in the Great Hall, Lily noticed that Sirius would comment on Remus' appearance or smell. Good things. Mostly that he smelled like chocolate or sweets, which Lily had to agree with because Remus did had a sweet smell. Not that she smelled him. It was just notable. He would also smooth Remus' bedhead when he had rushed down for breakfast.
Remus would fill up Sirius' plate for him when he was late to the Great Hall. Lily had thought this was normal friend behaviour until James was late with him one time and he didn't have any food on his plate while Sirius did. James had ranted and raved about this before he ate. Lily could hear him from where she was sitting down the table.
When Remus was ill, Sirius would take his homework to him. Lily had also noticed that he would take notes for him in class if Remus couldn't. Remus had broken his arm a couple of months back and Sirius had taken all of his notes from him in the classes they had together. He went to ask people (mainly Lily) if he could borrow their notes for him for the classes they didn't have together.
Lily distinctly remembered Remus telling her about a book he had gotten from Sirius one Christmas. It was a rare book and Lily knew it must have cost Sirius a small fortune to obtain. She knew this because she saw the book and it was a leather bound limited edition book.
From this past month and through all of the evidence she had collected, Lily had come to two conclusions. One: they were definitely in a romantic relationship. Or wanted to be. And two: Remus had more control over Sirius than Sirius did Remus.
Sirius had a vicious temper and sometime it scared her. She knew Sirius and his temper intimidated half of the school and that no one really dared insult anyone Sirius cared for. The school was lucky whenever Remus was there for one of Sirius' temper flares. Remus could always stop him. Remus had saved quite few people from some nasty hexes or beatings.
With one look or one touch or one word, Remus could stop Sirius from doing something bad. He could change his mood and the tense atmosphere that had been there.
She suspected that Remus didn't realise the hold he had over Sirius. She also suspected that Sirius knew exactly how much hold Remus had. He would always look ashamed whenever Remus gave him that look. Lily thought that maybe Sirius was okay with how little control he had in their relationship because he loved Remus more than Remus loved him. He seemed okay with this.
This was all speculation, of course. Lily would have to prove it. She would have to prove that they were in a relationship, that James and Peter did or did not know, and that Sirius knew he in love with Remus. She had seen it all but she had no guarantees that she was right. She had to know if she was right.
Note: So, yeah. I'm gonna leave it there for now. That was fun to write. Might make a sequel. I dunno whether I should. Hope you enjoyed it.