Little Lily

A/N~~This is "No Title At The Moment" in its entirety WITH a title!!

Little Lily

Lily sighed. James Potter and Sirius Black were pulling pranks on Snape again. That gullible Slytherin boy always asked for it. Of course all of Gryffindor was howling with laughter when Snape jumped up as the pasta on his plate turned into little garden snakes. How appropriate, she smiled. James and Sirius were laughing louder than the rest. Lily shook her head, but smiled anyway. She knew she was the only one not laughing. Not that it wasn't funny, she just had other things on her mind. Her second year at Hogwarts and she had received a letter the day before informing her that her grandparents had been killed in a car accident in London. The fifth year pranksters had calmed down and were trying to look innocent as Professor Laureatus, head of Gryffindor house, walked over to administer the punishment. The whole school knew she had a soft spot for her pranksters, but rules were rules and they required punishment.

"Boys, yes you James and Sirius, detention tonight at 7pm with Professor Dumbledore."

Lily watched as James and Sirius tried in vain to look forlorn. Dumbledore was notorious for his unusual detentions. She sighed again and got up from the table to do her Potions homework. She hated Potions and it was her hardest class. Lily wished all of her classes were as easy as Transfiguration and Charms.

Later on, Lily was sitting in the Common Room memorizing the ingredients in a shrinking potion when James, Sirius, Remus and the tag-a-long Peter made their usual loud entrance. This time it was a Filibuster Fireworks display. The Gryffindors in the Common Room applauded and Lily gave Remus a weak smile. James and Sirius left for their detention and Peter went upstairs. Remus walked over to Lily.

"Hello, you're Lily correct?"

"Yes I am. And you are Remus, but everybody knows that!" Lily said and then immediately wished she hadn't.

Remus smiled. "I suppose. James noticed today that you weren't laughing too hard at their prank." He paused, obviously remembering the incident. "Well, you weren't laughing at all. We were worried about you. They sent me to talk to you because I'm not too outrageous and I don't have detention tonight, even though…" Remus paused again and looked around." ...it was my idea."

Lily looked at him in disbelief. "I would have never guessed…"

Remus grinned,"No one would. So would you like me to tell ridiculous jokes, write 'Kick Me' on the back of Patrick's robes, or would you like to tell me what's going on?"

Lily looked at him in shock. "Why do you care what's wrong with me?"

Remus looked at her very seriously, "Because I care when anyone's upset."

Lily gave him a weak smile and said, "Where do you want me to start?"

"Try the beginning, that way I won't get confused."

Lily couldn't believe it. Remus genuinely wanted to know what was wrong. Why did he care so much? Lily told him everything. All about her sister who thought she was a freak, her parents who only made it worse, how no one liked her because she tried so hard in class, how her grandparents had died. Everything down to the fact that she thought the Sorting Hat had put her in the wrong House. She wasn't at all brave, just smart. She should've been a Ravenclaw.

"I don't know why I just told you all that. You could easily tell James and Sirius and I'd never live it down. Oh no…what have I done?" Lily was close to tears for being so deceived.

Remus looked devastated. "I would never tell them. They only hurt old gits like Snape. They want to see everyone happy. We've been keeping an eye on you for awhile. You don't ever seem to have a good time. Even after we win the Quidditch matches. Please don't think we will tease you."

"Promise?"

"Of course."

"Thank you Remus."

James and Sirius came in, subdued for once. Lily looked at James. He was smiling at her and Remus. They walked over to them.

"How's little Lily doing, Moony?" Sirius asked.

"Ask her."

"Little Lily, how are you doing?" Sirius asked in the same tone.

Lily smiled, "Much better. It really helped to talk about it. How was detention?"

James and Sirius smiled at each other. "It was…" Sirius started.

"…interesting. We can't really tell you. Dumbledore asked us not to. Sorry." James finished.

"Well, it's getting kind of late. I should go to bed." Lily started to get up. She was stopped by a much larger James.

"Sorry little Lily. You're going to have to put up with us. Let's see. How about you and me versus Remus and Padfoot here?"

"Doing what?" Lily was a bit worried. I don't want to get into trouble and trouble seems to follow them at every step of the way.

"Relax, little Lily. Just Exploding Snap." Sirius grinned.

Lily couldn't believe it. It had only been a couple of weeks that she had been hanging out with the fifth year pranksters and people were starting to notice her. Especially James. People in her own year acknowledged her and talked to her about things other than school. She made tons of new friends, real friends. In fact, she had signed up to stay at Hogwarts during the Christmas holidays because the boys as requested it. She was looking forward to it especially because she didn't have to face Petunia.

"So little Lily," Sirius started. Uh-oh. This is always the beginning line for some sort of mischief. "You, me, James and Remus are staying for the holidays. Dear me…what shall we on the first day of this lovely holiday?"

Lily shrugged.

Sirius gasped. "Oh no! Look out the window!"

Lily looked. "I don't see anything."

"Open the window."

Lily did so. And got smacked in the face with a snowball by a smiling James on a broom." She grinned and rushed out of the Common Room to get him back.

Lily had never been so happy. Her new friends were wonderful, but sometimes they were a bit withdrawn. She assumed that this was because Remus was often ill. She worried about him too. Lily had often asked him what was wrong, but he declined to answer her. James asked her later if she could please refrain from asking Remus because he was touchy about it. No one could refuse James.

Then, a few weeks later, something clicked. She had been sitting at breakfast when she noticed that Remus wasn't there again. And he hadn't been there for the Winter Solstice and tonight was the Spring Solstice. Is Remus a… No, Lily it's not possible. The governors would never let a werewolf come to Hogwarts. Much too dangerous. But the idea stuck in the back of her mind. Over the next couple of days, she started reading up a bit on werewolves and comparing the symptoms with Remus'. They all matched. But she couldn't believe it. I should ask James. He won't laugh.

"Umm…James? Can I talk to you? Alone."

"Always little Lily."

"Umm…this is rather embarrassing and I'm sure I'm wrong since I'm just a little second year and…"

"Out with it little Lily. You've never been this shy before."

"Well, I've been thinking about Remus and his sicknesses." James noticeably paled. "And his symptoms fit those of a…werewolf." The last word was a mere whisper.

"Well…umm…little Lily…uh…Remus won't like me telling you, but you'll keep his secret right?"

"So I'm right?"

"Yes. Does it bother you?"

"As long as he doesn't bite me…no."

"Good. Well, I've got to go pull a prank on Snape before class. Bye!"

Lily watched James walk away, prefect badge shining. She sighed and walked up to the tower. As she walked into the Common Room, she saw Remus sitting in his favorite chair. She walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. He looked rather shocked.

"I know your secret. I won't tell. Please don't worry, I'll always be your friend. You were my first friend," she whispered in his ear, smiled and walked away.

James stepped out of his hiding place in the corner. Remus looked up and smiled at him. "Been up to mischief again Prongs?"

"Always Moony. I assume Lily told you she knows about your secret."

"She did."

"I couldn't keep it from her."

"You can't keep anything from her."

"Not true. She does not know we're Animagi."

"Now I do." James jumped and whirled around. Lily was directly behind James.

Remus laughed out loud. "Why Prongs, I believe that is one of the few times I have ever seen you so frightened."

James turned red. "Well…I…"

Lily smiled, "You're not the only one who can hide well, Prongs...is that it?"

"Yes…Now little Lily, there's no need to share this with anyone. It's between me, Moony, Padfoot and Wormtail."

"Let me guess, Padfoot is Sirius and Wormtail is Peter. Kind of odd how he's a rat since he rats people out all the time isn't it?"

Remus and James laughed, "So true."

"Can I do it too?"

The laughter stopped.

"NO! I mean…no little Lily, you can't. I mean it's dangerous and we shouldn't have done it and if something goes wrong…"

"..he'll never forgive himself for not telling you he loves you." Remus finished.

James looked at him flabbergasted. Neither James nor Lily could say anything.

Remus looked at them contentedly and strolled up the stairs to the dorms.

James and Lily were alone in the Common Room. "Can I?" Lily asked again.

"No."

"Fine. I'll do it alone."

"No. Lily, don't do that."

He didn't call me "little". "Why not? It's my life."

"Yes, but sometimes we don't know what's best for ourselves."

"Prove to me it's not what's best."

"Prove to me it is Lily."

"Why should I? It's my life."

"You've already said that." James pointed out.

"Yes I know. It's kind of the point. So will you help me or not?"

"No."

"Fine. Now, why haven't you called me little Lily since Remus left?"

James, for once, was at a loss for words. Then, "Because he was right."

Lily smiled.

The End.