I still own nothing, but thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! They always make me smile!
Remus Lupin was a monster.
That was what he told himself every time he started to think that maybe there could be something more between him and Callie.
He was a monster and monsters don't get to live happily ever after.
Callie and the rest of his friends constantly told him that he was a wonderful person but how could he be if there was a part of him that would tear them all to shreds the first chance it got? How could she really want to be with him when she'd seen him turn into something so horrible with her own eyes?
He'd been shocked when her sister in law hadn't hated him for putting Callie in danger. Even more surprised when one day the very pregnant woman took his hand and excitedly placed it on her stomach because "every time you talk the baby starts kicking".
They'd had to leave their previous home early last summer because one day, after Remus noticed none of the local witches and wizards would look at him when he walked by, a book showed up on their doorstep; Lupine Lawlessness: Why Lycanthropes Don't Deserve to Live.
He'd never told his friends about this of course, but Callie was so much more to him than just a friend. He quietly told her about it as she looked disgustedly at an old dusty copy of the same book they found while they were school shopping.
"How could anyone think like that?" Callie sighed sadly, looking over at one of the kindest people she knew.
"Most people think like that." He reminded her. "I'm a monster, Callie, you know that."
He couldn't bring himself to look at her as he said this but he smiled wryly, sounding resigned to this knowledge. Callie shook her head and grabbed his hand tightly.
"No. You're not." She said firmly.
Remus opened his mouth to respond, then glanced over her shoulder and frowned. Callie turned and followed his gaze to a small girl standing beside one of the shops. She had a long blond pigtails and was crying into her hands.
The two of them approached her and Remus leaned down on his knees.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
The girl shook her head and she couldn't have been much older than six.
"Are you lost?"
She nodded and Remus nodded back.
"My name is Remus. This is Callie." He said, gesturing to her.
"Sally." She sniffled, still crying.
Remus stood back up and turned to Callie.
"Here." He reached into one of the bags he was holding and handed the girl a chocolate frog. She stopped crying and hesitantly took it from him. "Do you know where your parents were going?" He asked.
"They needed a cauldron for my brother." She sniffled, taking a bite of the chocolate.
"Well, why don't we go look for them?" Callie asked, holding out her hand to the girl.
Sally took her hand and followed the two of them down the street. Callie watched, amused as Remus made her laugh until she pointed ahead of them and called out.
"Mommy!"
Callie let go of her hand and the girl ran into the arms of her worried mother, who thanked them profusely, holding her tightly.
When they left Callie was looking amusedly at Remus, her arms crossed over her chest.
"What?" He asked, glancing away uncomfortably.
"That was just…so monstrous of you Remus. Making a little girl laugh, giving her chocolate. I'm shaking." She teased.
"Oh, shove it."
"No, no, that was really terrifying. You completely proved your point, you monster, you." Callie joked, waving her fist at him.
Remus just rolled his eyes. He doubted she'd ever really understand what he was, and he was completely okay with that.
A few days later the Marauders, along with Lily and Callie, stood on platform 9 ¾ with their school trunks, hugging their families' goodbye and weaving their way through the throngs of students excited to go back to school.
The six of them found an empty compartment on the train, though James, Lily, and Remus had to leave soon after for a prefect meeting. The train ride was uneventful, though certainly not quiet or boring with the Marauders. The full moon was tomorrow night and Remus wasn't feeling too great. He sat between Callie and Sirius, watching Callie draw in the journal he'd given her for Christmas while Sirius teased James about being head boy.
When the train stopped they were all so caught up in their jokes that they didn't notice Callie slipping away from the group until she was already gone. Remus and Lily worriedly searched around the crowd for her but they didn't find her.
"She probably just got stuck in the crowd." James shrugged. "We'll find her at the feast."
Remus nodded and followed his friends to a carriage, though he was feeling more than a little uneasy. Something didn't seem right to him.
They didn't find Callie at the feast. She wasn't in the dormitory or anywhere else in the school. They searched the school along with the teachers and other prefects but they never found her.
The next day at breakfast, as students prepared for their classes Professor Dumbledore made an announcement, asking anyone who knew anything about where Callie was to speak to him or their head of house.
By dinner there was still no sign of her and all her friends were worried sick. Remus stared down at his dinner, feeling absolutely useless. He'd hardly heard a word in any of his classes and now he would have to spend the night in the Shrieking Shack when he should have been trying to find Callie.
Maybe Callie will be back when I wake up. He thought. Maybe she'll be waiting for me in the hospital wing, perfectly fine and with a reasonable explanation as to why she went missing.
He knew it was wishful thinking but he kept hoping as he left the school for the night.
Lily ran, hand in hand with James, down the hall to where he was planning on leaving the school with Sirius and Peter, who were running with them, to meet up with Remus. As they neared the exit they were planning on taking Lily jerked his hand toward her, pulling him back and planting a deep kiss on his lips.
"Be careful." She said, out of breath.
James nodded, pulling her closer and kissing her again. Sirius and Peter sniggered when an angry voice caught them all by surprise.
"Potter!"
The two of them jerked apart and looked down the hall to where Severus Snape was stalking toward them, all too happy to distract the kissing couple.
"I know where you're going!" He said as he got closer. "To see your little werewolf friend-"
All at once James, Sirius, Peter and even Lily had their wands on him. Sirius grabbed him and pinned him against a wall by the front of his robes.
"What do you want, Snape?" James spat.
"I'm trying to warn you, idiots." He growled. "They've got Callie in the Shrieking Shack."
"Who?" Lily asked, lowering her wand and reaching out to pull back Sirius's hand.
"Jonathan Dryer and Hunter Kelley. They know he's a werewolf. They're going to trap them both in the shack. They're going to make him kill her." Snape said gravely, glowering at the three boys.
James and Lily went pale, her eyes wide and terrified for both of her friends. Peter nearly dropped his wand, staring open-mouthed at the Slytherin and Sirius tensed, staring at Snape for a second before shaking his head.
"Why would they tell you?" Sirius snarled, clearly not trusting him.
"Because, I'm supposed to be stopping anyone from interrupting it. Another boy, Lucas Smith is supposed to be here soon to help me, you have to hurry!"
"So why are you telling us?" Peter asked.
"Because she was my friend, you moron! And I know you go to the shack with him. I don't know how, but you do it and I can't think of anyone else who can help her now." He admitted the last part begrudgingly.
Lily stepped between him and the Marauders, pushing them back. The three boys lowered their wands but still looked defensive.
"How do we know you're not lying?" Sirius asked, eyeing him warily.
Severus rolled his eyes, looking frustrated with all of them, he shot Sirius a glare.
"He's not lying." Lily assured them, looking him in the eye.
Snape faltered, glancing away from her eyes unsteadily, and nodded.
"You need to hurry." He urged.
"Go." James said. Nodding to Peter and Sirius. "I'll be right behind you."
Without a word Sirius and Peter ran off down the hall, trusting James and Lily to know what they were doing.
"You were supposed to stop them." Lily said.
Snape nodded.
Lily reached out and took his hand in hers, gently pulling it toward him and sliding his sleeve up. Severus watched as a look relief crossed over her face. She brushed her fingers gently over the bare skin on his arm where she feared the dark mark would be and Snape closed his eyes, his heart racing at her touch.
"What will they do when they realize you've failed?" She asked quietly.
Snape shook his head.
"They won't be happy that I told you." He said.
He knew it wouldn't be good but he couldn't let Callie die. She had been his friend. She was the only one who treated him civilly all of last year and as much as he disliked Lupin and his friends Callie didn't deserve to die like this.
"Then we'll have to pretend you didn't." Lily sighed, dropping his hand and taking a step back.
"What?" Snape asked.
Lily and James exchanged a glance, both seeming to silently come to the same agreement.
"We'll make it look like you tried. Like you fought us and lost. They can't expect you to win against four of us, can they?" James said.
Lily held up her wand but hesitated.
"Do it." Snape pushed. "Just - knock me out."
Lily swallowed hard before taking a deep shaky breath.
"I just – I don't want to hurt you, Sev."
Snape smiled weakly at her and James put his hand on hers.
"Then don't. I'll do it."
Lily glanced between the two of them, Snape nodded and Lily lowered her wand as James raised his.
"Just…be careful." Lily said.
"Don't go easy on me, Potter." He snarled.
"Like I ever would." James smirked.
He waved his wand at Snape and uttered two spells, knocking him unconscious and leaving a cut across his cheek for good measure, though he didn't mind much after the last thing he saw before he hit the floor was Lily reaching out to him.
She grabbed Snape before he hit the floor, carefully putting him down, then grabbed James, kissing him deeply before shoving him down the hall.
"Now go! Hurry, and please - be careful." Lily pleaded.
James turned and ran in the same direction Sirius and Peter had gone and Lily kneeled down beside Snape, debating if it would be better to leave him like this and run for help or wait for someone to come along.
In the end she didn't have to make the decision. The Slytherin boy who'd tried hexing her last year came running down the hall, hesitating when she saw Lily standing over the unconscious boy. Lily raised her wand, standing between him and Snape.
"Get help." She said, gesturing to Snape on the off chance that he wasn't the boy he'd been waiting for.
"I am the help, stupid mudblood!" He raised his wand and sent a curse flying at Lily, who blocked it easily.
The two of them fought but like last year, the boy was a terrible dueler and had no idea what he was doing. Lily quickly petrified him and left him lying on the floor before running for help, silently praying that James, Sirius, and Peter would reach the Shrieking Shack before it was too late.
It was dark outside and the full moon was nearly out, they wouldn't have much time now.