Remus Lupin (In which Kerry attempts to make a three dimensional original character that she swears isn't a Mary-Sue. This story is set in the end of Remus' sixth year.)

"Moony?"

Remus Lupin continued staring into the distance.

"Moony!" James Potter. "Where are you?"

Remus awoke from his reverie. "What Prongs?" Remus asked with a sigh.

Sirius turned around and looked in the direction where Remus had been staring. "What were you looking at?"

"Nothing, Padfoot, nothing," Remus said quickly. Remus quickly glanced at what he had been staring at and then focused back on James.

"Can I see what you've written for you potions essay?" James asked.

"What?" Remus asked vaguely.

"Your potions essay. Can I have a look?" James said.

"Sure. Sure," Remus said, pushing the parchment across the table to James.

"Prongs," Sirius said quietly. "There she is."

"Where?" James asked quickly. James turned around and looked where Sirius and before that, Remus, had been staring.

Remus looked at James' face and recognized the look it always had when Lily Evans came into view.

Lily had just sat down at a library table by herself. Remus watched as she pushed her hair behind her ear and opened up the book in front of her.

"What's she working on?" James asked in a low voice. "Maybe I could ask her for help."

"That might work," Peter Petigrew said in an excited voice. "Good idea!"

James looked pleased with himself. "I think I'll go ask her now," he said, standing up. His hand automatically went to mess up his hair.

Lily was just far enough away that the group couldn't hear what James was saying to her. Or more importantly, her reply.

"Don't stare, Wormtail," Sirius muttered under his breath.

Peter, who had indeed been staring, looked down guiltily. "Sorry," he whispered.

"Give the man the space he needs to pursue his lady love," Sirius said smoothly.

Peter and Sirius went back to studying. Well, Peter did anyways. Sirius sat there, flipping through his book, but looking around the library, as if he was waiting for someone to admire him.

Remus glanced up to look at James and Lily. To his surprise, James was walking back towards the table glumly. He slipped into his seat and ran his hands though his hair.

"Well?" Sirius asked.

James rested his chin on his hand. "She said I didn't need any help with potions if I was working with you, Remus," he said sadly.

"Really?" Remus asked, trying to contain his excitement.

"Damnit," James muttered. "What else can I do? I've tried being nice. I even picked up Snivellus' books when Sirius tripped him the other day. Nothing's working."

"She'll come around eventually," Sirius said, looking bored. "There are other things in life besides Lily Evans, you know."

"I guess…" James said, trailing off.

"Come on," Sirius said, standing up. "Let's go have a fly. It'll take your mind off of things."

Casting one last glance at Lily, James sighed, "Let's go."

"Moony, Wormtail, do you want to watch?" Sirius asked.

Peter stood up eagerly, but Remus stay put. "Not this time," Remus said. "I want to finish my homework."

"Suit yourself," James said. "Let's go, Wormtail."

Remus watched as James and Sirius, followed by Peter, walked out of the library. He forced himself to concentrate on his work. However, his mind kept wandering to the young lady sitting only four library tables away from him.

He looked up, and saw that she was looking at him. Their eyes met. Lily smiled, pushed her hair behind her ear, and went back to work.

The sudden eye contact made Remus blush. He looked down and stared at his text book for at least three minutes before he was able to concentrate again.

For at least the thousandth time, Remus cursed himself. If only he had said something before James did. Then maybe it would James that would be holding in his feelings while Remus talked non-stop about Lily.

Then for the thousandth time, Remus told himself to stop thinking about it. Thinking about her only made it worst.

Remus Lupin had been in love with Lily Evans since he discovered what love was. However, just went he felt comfortable telling his small group of friends, James Potter announced that he was going to marry Lily some day and no one would be able to stop him. Immediately, Remus started holding his true feelings in check. But sometimes, like now, when she smiled at him…

"I see your doing a better job at keeping your friends in check this year," a voice said.

Remus looked up, startled. His mouth went dry when she saw that it was Lily sitting across from him.

"I try," he said in a strangled voice.

"And you're doing well," Lily commented. "James isn't nearly the arragant Gryffindor he once was."

Remus didn't have an answer, so he nodded and looked down at the parchment in front of him.

"So…" Lily started. "Do you think you have a chance to be Head Boy next year?"

"I'd like to think so," Remus said. "It's usually a prefect, right?"

"Exactly," Lily said happily. Then lowering her voice, "I think it would be great if you and I were Head Boy and Girl. We're the only two prefects that aren't pure-blood. Wouldn't it be great if a muggle-born and a half-born were the Heads? Make everyone think twice, right?"

"I hadn't thought of it like that," Remus said softly.

Lily crossed her arms and sighed. "All this pure-blood stuff is nonsense."

"I know," Remus said. Why couldn't he think of anything better to say?

She smiled and Remus felt his heart break once again. "Well…I just wanted to say hello. I'll see you in class later."

Remus nodded gravely. "See ya," he said softly. He watched Lily leave the library, his eyes glued to her form. Only when she was out of view did he put his head in his hands.

For a few moments, he simply stayed there, not wanting to move. Finally he forced his mind back to his homework.

The library was silent, except for the constant page turning. After another half hour of studying, Remus gave up and started to gather his books.

Before he could step away from the table, a voice stopped him.

"It won't get any easier, you know."

Remus looked around, and saw that Ellison Branstone, a sixth year Hufflepuff, was speaking to him. Ellison was one of the more popular girls at Hogwarts. However, she was adamant about making sure she had good grades. No one was quite sure why she had been placed in Hufflepuff.

"Hello, Ellie," Remus said quietly. "What won't get easier?"

Ellie smiled slowly at him. "Would you like to take a walk?" she asked easily.

Remus quickly looked outside, and saw that the sun was still shining. He shrugged. "Why not?" he asked, throwing his book bag over his shoulder.

They walked in silence. He followed her lead. She took him up to the tallest tower. Shutting the door behind her, she walked over to the window and looked out.

Remus stood next her and leaned against the walk. "So what won't get easier?" he asked.

"Being in love with Lily Evans," she said bluntly.

His jaw dropped before he could stop it. "How do you know about that?"

Ellie flipped her long, brown hair over her shoulder and smiled. "If you spend as much time as I do staring at you and your friends, you learn things," she said truthfully.

Remus narrowed his eyes. "Why do you stare at us?"

"Same reason you always stare at Lily."

"You're in love with me?" Remus asked, completely taken by surprise.

Ellie threw back her head and started laughing. "Sorry, it's not you."

"James?"

Ellie shook her head, and Remus could see a twinkle in her hazel colored eyes.

"Surely not Peter," Remus joked, knowing that it could only be one other man. A man that had broken more hearts than any other wizard in the history of Hogwarts.

"Sirius," Remus said, not as a question.

Ellie looked out the window. "Sirius Black. Love springs eternal," she whispered.

Remus sat down on the ground and leaned against the cool, stone wall. "Why don't you do something about it?" he asked curiously. "I know he thinks you're a looker. He'd date you in a minute."

"A looker," Ellie snorted. "Thanks, Remus."

He looked at her horrified. "I didn't mean it like that…"

Ellie patted him on the arm. "It's okay. This is the way I think about it. Imagine you could date Lily for two months. The two months are wonderful, full of caring and most likely, great sex. But after the two months, Lily gets bored with you and decides she wants to see other people. How would you feel?"

Just the mention of the word 'sex' made Remus blush furiously. He and Ellie had been friends since first year. They would talk during class, and say hello in the hallway, but they never had a confidence between them. And now she knew that he was in love with Lily! He realized the real question was why he was able to tell her these things.

"That would be horrible," he admitted.

"Exactly," Ellie said. "As much as I would love to be with Sirius, I know he's not willing to be in a relationship. He'd wine and dine me. And I'd be left with a broken heart."

"So instead you pine away for him? Have you tried dating other guys?" Remus asked interestedly. He was surprised that he was so intrigued by her story.

"Have you tried dating other girls?" she retorted.

"I've never dated anyone," Remus said honestly. "But I know you have. You were with that Ravenclaw last year."

"Jackson Walker. Yes, that lasted a whole three weeks if my memory serves me," Ellie said, rolling her eyes.

"I bet a lot of guys would love to date you," Remus said.

Ellie turned and smiled at him. She raised her hands over her head and stretched a bit. "Only problem is, I don't want other guys," she said seriously. She folded her hands in her lap. "But I do want to get on with my life."

"How will you do that?" Remus asked.

"That's where you come in," she said, smiling shyly at him.

"Me?" Remus squeaked.

Ellie nodded and ran her hands through her brown hair. "You," she said, ruffling his hair.

"I don't want to be mean, but how in the world can I help you get on with your life?" Remus asked, thoroughly confused.

Remus looked up into Ellie's face. Before he knew what happened, she grabbed the front of his school robes and brought him in for a kiss. Instictentively, Remus wrapped his arms around Ellie's waist and kissed her back.

So this is what it's like to be this close to someone, Remus thought to himself. He had dreamed of this very moment so many times, but it was always Lily in his dreams. Remus let all thought leave his head.

Suddenly it was Lily he was kissing. He stroked her dark red hair with one hand and took her hand with his other.

They broke away. And Remus saw who he was holding in his arms and reality crashed all around him.

Ellie leaned her head on Remus' shoulder. "Were you thinking about Lily?" she whispered.

"Yes," Remus said hoarsely.

"I was thinking about Sirius," Ellie admitted.

"What do we do now?" Remus asked.

"I'm not sure," Ellie told him. She placed her hand on his knee. "Maybe…maybe eventually we would stop thinking about them, and start thinking about each other."

Remus thought about her idea. It was so tempting in a way. Lily might just become a crush, instead of a constant heart ache.

"Why not?" Remus said finally, leaning in to kiss her again.

Close to an hour later, they emerged from the tallest tower, holding hands, for the entire school to see.

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A/N – Next up…Severus Snape