Chapter 6
(A/N) Thanks for the reviews, all! Sorry it took me so long!
*~*~*~*~*
"Tell me, are all werewolves dangerous?" Lily asked, her green eyes boring into his.
"O-o-of course they are," Peter stammered. "W-why do you ask?"
Lily sighed exasperatingly. She had chosen to interrogate this particular Marauder because she knew he was horrible at keeping secrets. If he wanted to do it the hard way…
"I ask because I want to know, Peter. Now, tell me, What. Do. You. Know. About. Werewolves?"
"N-n-nothing!"
"You lie worse than Potter. And if you know nothing about werewolves, how would you know they're all dangerous? Why, Peter! Are you lying to me? Tsk, tsk, tsk, so rude!"
"I-I have no idea what you're talking about."
"No? I'll figure out what you and the rest of your little gang does every month sooner or later. And believe me, it'll be sooner."
"Oh, there's James and Sirius! Bye!"
Lily's eyes narrowed as the two boys waved to Peter. Remus was out sick, as usual. How very fitting to her theory.
*~*~*~*~*
"Where's Potter?" Lily asked Evelyn the next morning.
"How should I know? Why do you want to know? Since when do you seek out your worst enemies?" Evelyn replied.
"Because I have important issues to discuss with him."
"What issues?"
"Mind your own business. Oh, there he is."
*~*~*~*~*
James glanced up. Lily was coming over… Since when did she seek him out?
"So… what brings you here, Evans?"
Lily seemed distracted. "Tell me, Potter, I was just curious…"
"Curiosity killed the cat," James said.
"Yeah, but satisfaction brought him back. Anyway, was I… right?"
"About? Though I highly doubt you were wrong, as all the professors seem to think you're always right."
"About your nicknames. Remus is 'Moony', right?"
James spooned his cereal. "Why do you ask?"
"Simple yes or no question, Potter. I would have thought you were at least capable of that. Is. Remus. Moony?"
"Didn't realize you were into monosyllables, Evans. And yes."
"Yes, what?"
"You said it was yes or no. That's it. Monosyllables for monosyllables."
"So Remus is Moony?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I don't think you should be the one asking that. I, if anyone does, have that right. Like why Remus is a werewolf, or something like that. And why you and your little friends are unregistered animagi."
James coughed, or, rather, choked on his milk. "Wh- H- You- What did you just say?"
"So I'm right? Remus- He's a-a- a werewolf?"
" Shut your trap, will you?"
"I assume that's a yes. So you're an unregistered animagi?"
"How would you know?"
"Because. I figured out Remus is a werewolf, so-"
"Will you shut it with the 'werewolf' business?"
"-So, as you and your partners in crime were actually visiting him, I was a little thrown off… Since humans can't interact with werewolves without getting grievously injured. Then, I recalled what our Defense Against Dark Arts professor told us about werewolves last year-"
"If you're going to say it, say 'wolfy', will you?" James interrupted irritably.
"- Anyway, he said that werewolves are a danger only to humans, and that there have been cases in which fully trained wizards in animagi form were able to temporarily restrain them- up until the point they couldn't, when the werewolf ate them. To my recollection, that lesson, was one of the only ones you and your friends showed interest in. So, as I was going over the facts last night, it all clicked in place," Lily finished composedly, and a bit smugly.
James had to hand it to her; she had figured a great deal out, and he was pretty sure that if it were the reverse situation, he wouldn't have been able to. However, there was still one thing bothering him-
"Who, exactly, did you inform all this to?"
"What, the animagi stuff, or the werewolf business?"
"Animagi stuff."
"No one. Yet."
"What do you mean, 'yet'?" James asked suspiciously.
"Well, I don't think that it's a very good idea to go running around as an underage wizard who became animagi illegally, and I think it would do great amounts of damage to your record. Wanted to get into the Ministry, didn't you? My, my, my, that will be hard, now won't it?"
James scowled. He had always wanted to boast about the Marauders' achievements to somebody, but not to the one person that would relish in the idea of him in trouble with the law. Well, two, if you counted Snape, three hundred, or so, if you counted the whole of Slytherin-
"Well, I have places to go, people to meet," Lily said, getting up from the table.
"Wait. Please don't tell the professors about this," James pleaded, for the first and last time to Lily Evans.
"What would I get in return?"
"What d'you mean?"
"I mean, well, it's awfully hard to keep such a big secret, so I would most definitely want to get something out of it for my own benefits, don't you think?" Lily smiled sweetly, pushing in her chair.
"I know blackmail when I hear it," James said, gritting his teeth.
"Not blackmail. I like to think of it as… effective persuasion. Well, have a lovely day, Mr. Potter. Or should I say… Mr. Prongs."