AN: Thanks for the reviews guys, I'm so glad you like it! Please enjoy Chapter 4; I don't think I'm going to be able to update as frequently from now on, but I'll see what I can do -StrangerousThings

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Remus was allowed to leave the hospital wing when the bell rung for classes to be over. Restless from being forced to lie in bed all day with only the ancient Madam Lisette for company, he leapt out of bed and bounded out the door of the hospital wing, running head-on into Peter, James and Sirius close behind him. Peter was knocked to the ground and seemed to be winded, as he just lay there gasping helplessly. Ignoring him, James and Sirius turned to Remus. "Are you alright Moony?" Sirius cut in—"We've been worried about you all day, Evans' spell looked like it knocked you out—"

"I'm fine, don't worry." Remus said smiling, grateful for his friends' concern. "I'm more worried about being found out than anything else."

"No-one saw anything." Sirius assured him. "The only thing people were talking about after you and McGonagall left was what it had done to you, no-one actually saw."

Remus breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. McGonagall said that I'd be able to stay, but I wasn't sure. You know, Greyback being on the loose is giving everyone like me a particularly bad name."

James punched him in the arm. "Don't worry, Moony, everyone's got bigger things to worry about than your furry little problem. For example," he said, glancing towards a group of girls, "how attractive I am—hey, girls!" James waved to the group of giggling Ravenclaws, subconsciously tousling his hair.

"You're such an arrogant prick James." Sirius said grinning.

"Ah, but it's not arrogance when I actually am devastatingly handsome." Picking Peter up from the ground with a tug of his arm, James led the three boys down the corridor towards the secret passage that would take them up to Gryffindor common room. Walking slightly in front with Remus, James looked at him a little oddly. "Hey, Moony. Do you like Evans?"

Remus felt his heart skip. "Of course." he said in an offhand voice. "We've been friends for 4 years, we study together—"

"Moony, you know what I mean. Do you like like her? Because it's okay if you do, you know. You're at perfect liberty to fancy whoever you like." Despite his words, James' voice had a hint of danger in it.

"Well, um, yeah, I guess. I mean, over all the other Gryffindor girls, easily. But I'm pretty sure she doesn't like me back. That way." Remus finished hastily, aware that James was no longer smiling. Despite his reassurance that Remus was, James maintained a stony silence on the way back to the common room.

Entering through the portrait hole, James' spirits seemed to cheer up greatly as he saw the signups for Quidditch. Dashing over to the notice board to write down his name for Seeker and flirt with the 4th year Chaser Veronica Green. Sirius and Peter stayed down in the common room playing Exploding Snap, so Remus began to traipse up the spiral staircase to the dormitories for some peace and quiet. He didn't get it. Halfway up the steps he bumped into Lily Evans. "This is becoming something of a regular occurrence." he grinned. Half a second after, he was punched solidly in the shoulder.

"Ow!" he cried, his eyes watering. "What the bloody hell was that for!?"

"For not telling me about your… you know, you!" Lily cried in return, punching him again in the chest. Remus doubled over.

"Tell me. What is it that I have forgone mentioning that warrants this."

Lily pulled him up the stairs and into the empty boys dormitory, shutting the door. "That you're a werewolf" she whispered. Remus sat down hard on his bed. She knew. She knew what he was. There were no more entertaining ideas of Lily fancying him, she knew what he was now, she would be disgusted, fearful even—

"Look, Remus. I don't care." Lily said. "I know everyone tells a big story about werewolves and scum like Greyback doesn't help, but I know you're a good person."

"You would care. You would care if you knew what I truly am, what I become when I transform." Remus said bitterly. "I'm not a good person when I transform. I'm not a person. I'm worse than an animal. I would kill you, kill you and all my friends without a second thought."

"Well, let me help you! Slughorn has all his top students, including me brewing this new Wolfsbane potion that's meant to help you keep your mind when you transform—"

"Really?"

"Yes! And look, I don't know, maybe I could train as an animagus or something so I could help you with your transformation for now, I'm pretty sure werewolves don't attack animals." Lily said. Remus smiled broadly. "Well, you can join the club." he said. "James, Sirius and Peter have been teaching themselves to transform since they found out in my 2nd year. That's where we get our nicknames; I'm Moony, a werewolf obviously, James is Prongs because he's going to be a stag, Sirius is Padfoot, he's a big black dog, and Wormtail's a rat. Obviously." Remus ended, grinning.

"I guess I'd be a doe, then, if your animagus is the same as your patronus." Lily said thoughtfully.

"Wait, you can produce a corporeal patronus?" Remus said, surprised.

"Yeah, I found it in one of the advanced spellbooks in the library. I figured if all of You-Know-Who's Dementors are flying around like they say it can't hurt, can it?"

"Could you teach me?" Remus said eagerly.

"Some other time," Lily said, smiling and standing up from Remus' bed. "I've got to study; Flitwick set us tons of homework." Remus groaned and stood up too. All of a sudden Lily was standing a lot closer to him than she'd ever been before.

"Remus, I'm okay with your… furry little problem, whatever James calls it. I really am, and I'm here for you if you ever need to talk about anything, okay?"

"Sure." Remus said. "Us Gryffindor Prefects have to stick together, right?" Lily smiled and pulled him into a tight hug, her hair brushing against his face; she smelt soft and flowery and she was warm under his touch—

The door to the dorm flew open. Remus and Lily sprung apart, both shocked. But neither could compare to the shock on the face of James Potter, standing in the doorway.