Harry was somewhat burnt-out from his last exploration into his father's memories. Being addressed by his late father was an experience he had only really had twice before in his life; in fourth year during Priori Incantantem with Voldemort, and before he met Voldemort in the Dark Forest during the Battle of Hogwarts. This time, he wanted something light and feel-good. He wanted to see the day he was born, certainly, but he had promised Hermione he would do that with her, and she was in Australia, officially on Ministry business, but also in search of her estranged father.

Instead, as Harry perused the many vials of memories in James Potter's Cabinet in the Department of Mysteries, he decided to select one labelled 'Lily and Remus Get Drunk.' Harry smiled wryly to himself at the thought of his former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher tipsy. For despite Remus Lupin's uncontrollable transformations on almost every full moon of his too-short life into a werewolf, during his human periods Harry had almost always known his to be a most calm and rational man.

As he strolled back to his office lightly, Harry wondered what secrets or stories his mother might reveal to him in a less inhibited state. He reached his door and locked it behind him. Harry strode to his Pensieve and cast the memory from the vial into the murky haze of the pool and submerged himself entirely.

He was in a corridor in Hogwarts Castle. His stomach gave a pleasurable jolt as it always did when he found himself in the first place he could ever have truly called home. Just in front of him, Harry saw his father, looking about sixteen, perched on the sill of a window, gazing into a summer's evening light on the courtyard and loudly crunching on an apple. In his lap was the Marauders' Map, and at his feet lay the Invisibility Cloak. James let his wand in his hand trace the moving footsteps of two people on the map. Harry screwed his eyes to see the names of the figures on the map. One read 'Remus Lupin,' the other 'Lily Evans'. As Harry looked closer, he could tell the footsteps were heading in the very direction James was sat. Only a moment passed before James clearly realised this too. He leapt to his feet, launched the half-eaten apple out the open window and disappeared beneath his Cloak.

Harry had a moment of confusion, how would he know where to go with his father invisible? He surmised however, that James was probably going to head in the direction of the approaching Lupin and Lily. Sure enough, they rounded the corner of the corridor, deep in conversation. Lupin was talking enthusiastically about something, and Lily was laughing lightly along with him.

"I just don't understand how some people can be so stupid," exclaimed Lupin enthusiastically, as he marched briskly with the familiar redheaded teenage beauty that was Harry's mother. He noted the shining prefect badges displayed on both of their jumpers; they must have been on patrol. As they passed the windows, Lily stopped and peered through the very same one beside which James had been resting only moments before. She squinted into the grounds, and following her gaze, Harry saw she was looking at the dim lights coming from the cabin at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid's cabin. Lily turned to Lupin with a bright smile,

"Oh Remus, let's go and see Hagrid before we leave! Please, it'll just be a moment, but I want to say goodbye for the summer!" She beamed at him, and tugged at his arm, as he rolled his eyes but eventually followed her.

"All right, but we can't stay long, patrolling duties are done, and you said yourself you've done no packing, and nor have I," Lupin said exasperatedly, but in truth Harry thought Lupin looked rather pleased.

"You are old before your time, Remus Lupin," Lily said with a wink, as they left the castle and began the descent downhill to Hagrid's cabin. Harry followed them closely, all the while looking for signs of James' presence, but none was found. He was good.

They reached the front door and Lily banged hard three times. "Haaaaagrid! Are you there?" Despite her slightly hyper mood, sixteen-year-old Lily was in no way inebriated, no more than was Lupin. Harry wondered why the label on the vial would have suggested they were drunk. He wondered, until a very ruddy-faced but younger-looking Hagrid opened the cabin door to the prefects, swaying slightly and holding a flagon of a smoking substance.

"Well, hello there, Lily! Good te' see yer, and you, Remus! Come in, come in." He held the door for both of them with one enormous hand, and seemed not to question their arrival at such a late hour.

"Thanks, Hagrid," Lupin said with a small smile as they climbed up the steps and inside. Harry slid in behind them quickly, as the door swung shut.

It had been a long time since Harry had last been in Hagrid's home. Many things had remained, the photograph of his father on the shelf, pots and pans and animals all hung from the ceiling, and a giant table and chairs, armchair and couch sat at varying points of the front room. It smelled the same, and felt the same. Harry was relaxed as he watched Hagrid take a seat at the table as the two prefects plopped onto the couch, their knees knocking.

"We just wanted to pop down and, you know, wish you well for the summer, Hagrid," Lily beamed, as she innocently eyed the mysterious substance so copiously filling Hagrid's large mug.

"Oh, well tha's lovely of yeh, Lily but yeh needn't bother, I'll be seein' yer both next year, o' course," Hagrid smiled and took a large gulp of his drink, before wincing slightly. "And I hope yer both have a great summer too, how's that sister o' yours, still bein' a miserable toad, is she?" Hagrid eyed Lily as she suddenly cast her eyes down and shook her head loosely.

"Oh, much the same, but I'm beyond caring now, she's getting married in the summer and then she'll be Mr Vernon Dursley's problem!" She forced a laugh as Hagrid grimaced and Lupin gave her an apologetic look.

"An' what about you, Mr Lupin? Always though' yer a bit like me, Hogwarts feels like more of a home than anywhere else teh yeh?" Hagrid looked with interest.

"Of course," Lupin answered, "I'm never happier than at home with friends." He smiled and got off the couch to peer into Hagrid's great flagon.

"If you don't mind me asking, Hagrid, what are you drinking?" Lupin asked with a curious smile. Hagrid's eyes widened at once and looked into the mug as if he had only just realised it was there. He stood up suddenly and made his way to the bubbling cauldron set into the fireplace.

"O' course! How rude o' me not ter ask ye' both, would yeh like something ter drink? An' I have biscuits, too!" He began busying himself around the kitchen area at once, as Lupin gave Lily a look a genuine surprise.

"Oh no, Hagrid, I wasn't insinuating that- you know- we really shouldn't have a drink, we need to get back-" But Lily cut off Lupin and leapt form the couch.

"Hagrid, I would love a drink! Is it home-brewed Firewhisky?" Lily asked with avid curiosity and a mischievous glance at Lupin.

"Aye, tha's it, Lily" Hagrid replied, turning around holding two slightly smaller mugs of steaming liquid. He glanced guiltily out of the window before pushing the mugs towards the two students and whispering quietly,

"Now this is jus' between us three, yeh understand? A lil' end o' year treat for yeh both. I don't want Dumbledore or anyone else knowin' I'm feedin' Firewhisky to prefects now, do I?" Hagrid chuckled and winked, as Lily grinned broadly and Lupin nodded with sincerity. Lily raised her mug and toasted, "To a wonderful, sunny summer!" Their mugs chinked together and they each gulped down a mouthful.

Lily's look of glee swiftly turned to horror as she swallowed the substance, and Lupin choked as he struggled to keep the fluid down. Hagrid chuckled and patted them both on the back as they laughed and sat back down once again on the couch.

Harry wandered to the window as Hagrid, Lupin and Lily chatted about the previous school year, and what they could expect for the year ahead, their seventh and last. He watched as if to catch any signs of James beneath the Cloak either in or just outside the cabin, but still there were none, though he knew he must be there if he was seeing the same memory.

A short while passed until, out of apparent politeness, both Lily and Lupin finished their Firewhiskys. Harry watched with amusement as his young mother took a severe fit of the giggles as Lupin struggled to stand properly.

"Goodbye, Hagrid! Thank you so much for a lovely evening, and we shall see you soooooon," Lily cooed, wrapping her arms around as much of the half-giant as she could manage. Hagrid patted her lightly on the head with an affectionate chuckle.

"No problem, Lily, now make sure an' get back teh the castle before anyone notices yeh out of bed," Hagrid warned, as he was released by Lily. He took Lupins outstretched hand to shake it, that resulted in the tipsy Lupin falling to his knees.

"Whoopsy daisies," Lupin cried, "thanks for the Whisky, Hagrid, take care!"

And with that, the pair left, taking a few extra moments to get down the front door steps without tripping. Harry watched as his rosy-cheeked mother linked her arm through Lupin's and they strode back up the path towards the castle. He heard their drunken conversation, as he assumed his still-disguised father would have, too.

"Thank you for coming with me to Hagrid's, Mr Lupin," Lily said with a smile brighter than the sentiment necessarily called for.

"Ah, we couldn't have a fair lady such as thee wander so far from the castle without an escort, now could we?" Lupin chimed, the alcohol clearly still taking effect.

"Ha, not fair, you mean ginger, Mr Lupin."

"Most certainly not, Miss Evans, I meant auburn."

"That sounds no better to me, I'm afriad."

"That's ridiculous, auburn is lovely, like the autumn and the sunset... And like you." Lupin smiled almost apologetically. Lily gaped exaggeratedly at him.

"Well, I never! A compliment from the quiet Mr Lupin? We ought to get you drunk more often." Lily giggled and tugged him further up the path. Lupin's cheeks reddened slightly, but he seemed spurned on by the courage from his Firewhisky.

"I always thought you didn't like compliments. You get them left, right and centre from James... They don't seem to go down too well, do they?" Lupin eyed her suspiciously, but Harry could tell that the teenager had something of a motive behind this question. Again, he searched around the path for signs of his cloaked father, but none appeared. A knot in Harry's stomach began to form as the two giggling teenagers stopped halfway up the path to catch their breath. Lily gingerly lowered herself to the ground, pulling Lupin down in a heap beside her.

"James Potter's compliments don't go down well because they're in-genuine, Remus," Lily hissed, as Lupin gave an exaggerated look of exasperation, "he only says he fancies me and asks me out all the time because it gets him attention, and because-" Lily stopped to hiccup, and genuinely appeared to have trouble carrying on, "-because he knows how much it annoys, or annoyed, Snape."

Lily stared at the ground and pouted, exhaling as if angry at herself for letting so much slip.

Lupin reached and put his arm around her shoulders.

"That's not right, Lily. Deep down you know it's genuine. I mean, he talks about you in his sleep. He still has that flower from your hair that you dropped on his desk last year. He-" Lupin winced slightly, "-don't tell him I told you this, but he's never even kissed anyone in case one day, when he asks you out, you say yes." Lupin watched her expression as it turned to surprise.

"He's never kissed a girl?" Lily was incredulous. Lupin seemed mildly offended.

"It's not that big a deal, Evans," Lupin retorted, almost harshly, "lots of people haven't kissed other people, you know..." He trailed off, and Lily's eyes widened.

"What, not you either? Oh Remus, what is wrong with you both! You could have your pick of the Gryffindor girls- or Ravenclaw-" Lupin cut her off.

"Stop it," he said, staring determinedly at the ground. "You know I can't, you know that's not fair, not on me, and not on any girl. I can't expect anyone to let themselves get close to me. Not when I'm dangerous, not when I'm half-human." Lupin spat the last few words, and Harry watched a small tear fall from the teenage boy's eye into the grass. Lily did not miss it, either.

She grabbed the arm that was not around her shoulder and shook him hard. "No, you stop it. Anyone that knows you half as well as I do knows you wouldn't hurt a fly. You're the nicest person I know, Remus Lupin. You're one of the best people I know! And your, your furry little problem is just that! It's just a problem. It's a damn sight better than being a Death Eater."

Lupin looked up from the grass. Lily's big green eyes blinked away tears. "I didn't mean to upset you, Lily, I'm not looking for pity, but you have to understand, once I leave Hogwarts, and Sirius and James and Peter, that's it. I'm on my own, with these transformations and everything... And they offered their help, I could never expect that from anyone else." Lupin pulled his arm back to his side from around Lily's shoulders, and freed his other arm from her grip.

Lily wiped her face with the back of her sleeve, and sat up on her knees to face Lupin. "Remus, they will never leave you. Just because we leave school in a year does not mean any of us are going to forget about you! And even if they did- which they won't- you still have a whole year! A whole year of snogging girls, and running around with a stag and a dog and a rat and using Prefect Bathrooms and-" She stopped as Lupin began to laugh. She smiled and thumped him affectionately on the shoulder.

"See? You were being ridiculous. Don't be glum, Mr Lupin. Please." Lily looked at Lupin, exaggerating a pout. He smiled and nodded, and she reached around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. When they parted, Lupin was grinning broadly, and suppressing a laugh.

"Lily's druuuuunk," he teased, as she giggled and struggled to lean back from him and onto her knees again.

"Shut up!" She pouted again, as Lupin sat up and looked into her eyes.

"Hey," he said calmly, "in your uninhibited state, will you answer a personal question honestly?"

"How personal?" She cocked her head to the side, and he inhaled deeply.

"Would you ever go out with me, even though you know what I am?" Lupin asked her straight. Harry felt the tension in his stomach stronger than ever. Over by the trees, he could swear he saw the pine needles on the ground rustle.

Lily stared at Lupin with an indecipherable expression. She opened her mouth to speak, and then shut it again. Lupin stirred, and shook his head. "Never mind! Stupid, drunk question, forget I asked-"

Before he could stand up, Lily took his face in both her hands, leaned in and kissed him fully on the lips. It was a split-second, but enough to turn Lupin a harsh shade of crimson when she pulled away.

"Deep down, it's always been him," Lily whispered, almost inaudibly, as she looked him in the eye, "but I know there is someone out there that will love you every bit as much as you deserve. Please just promise you'll give her the chance."

She drew her head back and stood up, and she helped him to his feet. They smiled at one another and shared a hug, before Lupin offered her his hand to help her up the rest of the path. Harry, still slightly aghast, was aware of the sounds of snapping twigs and stomps of a pair of feet on the grass that were not Lupin's nor Lily's.

Nor were they Professor Albus Dumbledore's, who was suddenly standing directly in front of the tipsy prefects on the uphill footpath to the castle. Harry watched as the younger-looking, magnificent wizard regarded the pair before him with mild interest. Lily appeared to have been stunned into silence. Lupin was, thankfully, more composed.

"Professor Dumbledore! How wonderful to see you, sir. Er, Lily and I have been visiting Hagrid, just a quick goodbye before we leave tomorrow, nothing sinister or-or..." Lupin trailed off as Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. He wore the faintest smile.

"How kind, Mr Lupin, I am sure Hagrid was most pleased to see you both. I was just on my way to do the very same thing, in fact. I take it you will now be heading straight back to Gryffindor Tower?"

"Absolutely, Professor," Lily perked up solemnly, "we promise."

"Excellent," the Headmaster smiled, "off to bed with you all, then." And with that, he turned and carried on towards the cabin at the edge of the forest.

Harry gasped as he realised Dumbledore's exact words. Of course, master of magic, Dumbledore didn't need to mutter incantations- probably didn't even need to point his wand- to perform spells. He would have known James was within earshot, beneath the Cloak. Evidently, Lupin was not far behind Harry in this summation, as he instantly tensed, and whipped his head back and forth, looking for any signs of the cloaked James. Lily was confused, though, and as Lupin began to tug her away, she asked him, "Why would he say all? There's just two of us!" But Lupin had no time to answer. He looked a mixture of furious and terrified.

"Lily, please, we have to get back to the tower, now." They ran at full pace, tipsy though they still were, and Harry was almost out of breath keeping up with them all the way to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Chocolate Frog!" Lupin howled as he reached the top of the staircase, and dragged Lily straight though the portrait hole. Once they were up the staircase to the dormitories they would finally part ways. Lupin opened the door to the boys' dorm and turned back to her, still gripping her hand. "Thanks for tonight, Lily- I really, just really, thanks." With that, he left her bemused and exhausted to return to her own dormitory.

In the boys' dorm, Lupin swung the door shut with an almighty crash and threw all his weight against it to hold it shut. It was less than three seconds before someone was pounding and thrashing at the door. James.

Sirius and Peter, who were sitting on the window ledge wearing guilty expressions with a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans between them, watched in amusement as one Marauder barricaded the door, and another eventually blasted it open with a rather unforgiving spell.

Even by Harry's standards, the scene was dramatic. Lupin was knocked to the floor by the force of James' spell against the door, and with a 'swoosh,' the Cloak was cast to the floor to reveal a bright red, sweating, and clearly furious James Potter.

Harry braced himself for some rather hideous magic to be used between Lupin and his father, until the scene suddenly began to blur, and Harry was once again back in his Ministry office.