A/N: Sorry it took so long, but here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Oh, and remember… sounds familiar? Prolly is…. I don't own a thing except plot and Jem (and maybe other characters you never heard of before…)

Chapter 25: True Colors

"James?" Lily called once she walked into their house.  "James? Are you here?"

"I'm upstairs, Lil!" he called back.  "Just got out of the shower!  Down in a minute!"

Lily shook her head silently as she walked into the living room and dropped the baby bag onto the couch.  She then set Harry down into his baby chair with a pacifier, and collapsed onto the loveseat.  She just couldn't get what Victoria had done out of her head.  Instead, she kept replaying it over and over in her mind.

"Heya sunshine," James said brightly, leaping over the back of the loveseat and landing next to Lily.  He gave her a light kiss.  "How's Gran doing?"

"She's good… she was very, er- excited to finally meet Harry," Lily said, sounding somewhat dazed.

James picked up on this right away, of course.  "What happened, baby?"

"I don't know, exactly."

"What?"

"Look at Harry's forehead."

James got up from the couch and walked over to Harry's chair.  He very carefully lifted him up (Harry was asleep) and noticed a small cut on his forehead.  "Where did he get that?"

"Gran."

"I don't get it."

"She did that to him.  She first cut him, and then cut herself.  Then she said something about him being protected by ancestors? I don't know, I didn't quite catch it.  The really strange thing though is that Harry didn't cry at all.  It was almost like he knew what was going on and wasn't scared."

"Well, I'm sure she wouldn't do anything to hurt him… Maybe she just knows something that we don't…"

Lily sighed.  "That's what I was afraid of."  Lily paused, opened her mouth as if to say something, then quickly closed it again.

"What is it, Lil?" James asked, rocking Harry gently in his arms.

"I- I," Lily shook her head.  "Nothing.  Don't worry about it."

"Lil, please.  Don't be like that.  Tell me."

Lily took a deep breath.  "I had that vision again… the night I gave birth to Harry.  The same one… that even you saw.  What if, I mean, maybe Gran knows more than she lets on." She shook her head again.  "Of course she does, that's what she is, a seer, but what I'm trying to say, what if she was helping Harry… helping him to live up to some prophecy?"

"I'm sure she was," James whispered.

The following days went by without any major occurrences, as did the weeks. Before Lily and James knew it, it was already the middle of September and the beginning of fall.  Along with Harry, they had gone to Diagon Alley to meet Sirius and Jem, in addition to Remus, for lunch.

Harry was lying happily in his carriage, reaching for his foot and trying to fit it into his mouth.  Everyone that the Potters walked by had them stopped so that they could admire the child.  And as usual, the smiles never left their faces. 

"Oy! James! Over here!" Sirius bellowed.

"There you are!  It's a madhouse out here today!" James shouted back.  He and Lily quickly made their way across the crowded street with the carriage to meet their friends. "What the hell are all these people doing out here anyhow?  School is in session, isn't it? And don't people work anymore?"

"You're one to talk, James," Sirius said, hitting his friend on the shoulder.

"That was not by my choice.  Seriously though, what's going on?"

"There was just a meeting," Jem started.  "About the whole situation with you-know-who."

"Oh, for god's sake, Jem, call him Voldemort," Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

Jem sighed and shook her head.  "Anyhow, there was another attack last night.  People are really starting to worry."

Lily looked nervously at James, who nodded slightly and squeezed her hand.  "It's okay, Lil. I promise…"

"I know," she whispered.  She then took her hand back and lifted Harry out of his carriage.  "Could you hand me his bottle out of the bag?"

"How has our little man been doing?" Jem smiled.

"Wonderfully," Lily answered as she started to feed Harry.

"He hardly cries any more, and even sleeps through the night now.  It's hard to believe," James added

"And guess what! He's trying to teach himself to roll over.  It's just too precious."

Sirius and Remus were rolling their eyes.  "Okay, enough of this mummy and daddy talk.  Let's order some food," Remus laughed.

The next hour was actually very enjoyable for everyone.  The streets slowly began to clear, and the five friends enjoyed a good meal together.  Harry sat quite contentedly on Lily's lap, and then James's, looking at different things and watching people as they walked by.  He seemed particularly fascinated by an owl that was sitting across the street and staring back at him.

And then it happened.  The shadows on the cobblestone and buildings began to grow longer, and a darkness seemed to be stretching across the sky.  Everyone looked up, awestruck.  Everyone that is, except Harry.  His gaze was now fixed on something else.  Remus. 

Just as James said, "It looks like a solar eclipse," Harry let out a cry.

"What is it, sweetie?" Lily asked her baby, looking down from the sky and at Harry who was in her arms.  That's when she saw it.  "Remus!" she shouted.  "No!"

Everyone else at the table turned instantly.  Jem's eyes were wide with fear, as were those of other people surrounding them.  Remus was changing.  He was transforming into a werewolf.

Not even wasting the time to blink, both James and Sirius jumped out of their chairs and grabbed their friend.  They dragged him away from the café, away from the street, and into a back alley.  Remus was just about completely transformed, snarling and trying to bite his friends.  He no longer seemed to have any control over his senses.  His teeth were barely a centimeter away from Sirius's wrist when suddenly it was there no longer.  Instead, a large black dog was in his place, snarling and clawing at the now fully changed werewolf.  On his other side, James had already taken the shape of a beautiful stag.  The two animals somehow managed to circle around the werewolf and eventually were able to control him.  They led him further away from the crowd, each hoping that the screams and other noise everyone was making back on the street wouldn't draw his attention.

The eclipse didn't last very long, and once it was over, Padfoot, Prongs and Moony were all back in human form.  Remus looked rather sick, so Sirius decided it would probably be best if they apparated back to James's house and waited for him to return with Lily, Harry and Jem. James of course agreed, and once his friends were safely out of Diagon Alley, he made his way back to the café where he had left his wife, child and friend.

"Did you see that?" Jem was still shouting.  Tears were streaming down her face, and she was near convulsing between sobs.  "All those years… why?  How?  How dare he!"  She kept running her hands through her hair, as if brushing it out of her face even though there was nothing to be moved.  Harry had been placed back in his carriage, and he was fine.  Lily however was trying to calm her friend down.  Unfortunately she was not very successful.  "And he left! Can you believe that!  They both did… with that- that thing."

"He's not a thing, Jem," Lily interjected.  "It's Remus, he's our friend-"

"He is no longer any friend of mine!  Imagine the gall! Hiding something like that!  And for all those years… If Dumbledore had any idea…"

"Jem, that's enough," James said, walking up in front of him.  "I'm going to take you to our house, and we'll discuss this there.  Alright?"  Jem reluctantly nodded.  "Lily, you take Harry home.  You'll be alright on your own, right?"

Lily nodded.  "We'll be fine.  Don't even worry."

James sighed.  "Good.  We'll be there waiting."  He kissed both Lily and Harry goodbye and then took Jem's hand.  The two of them then disapparated to the Potter home.

When they arrived, Jem was appalled to find Sirius leaning against a kitchen counter talking to Remus, who was sitting at the kitchen table with mug of coffee in his hands and a blanket over his shoulders.  This wasn't just any blanket though.  This was a blanket that Jem had given Lily at her baby shower.  "Get my blanket off of that werewolf!" she shouted.

"Jem!" Sirius yelled back.  He had fire burning in his eyes. 

"I can't believe you!" she yelled again.  "Look at what he is!  What he could have done to all of us!"

"He is our friend, Jem."

"And one that you shouldn't talk about as if he's not here," James added, sitting down next to Remus.

"It's ok," Remus said.  "Let her get it out."

Jem shot him a look of pure hatred and disgust.  "I don't need any support from you, werewolf."

Just then the door opened and Lily walked in with Harry.  "What's going on?" she asked once she saw everyone in the kitchen.

"They're actually defending him!  Can you believe that, Lily?  Defending a werewolf!"

"I can believe that, actually."

Jem looked at Lily as if she were crazy.  Everyone was now staring at her, waiting for her next move.  "You're all mad…"

"No, we're not," Sirius said, moving toward her.  "If you'll just listen…"

"To what?"  She looked around the room again.  "You knew," she whispered.  "You all knew and didn't say or do anything?  He could have killed all of us!"

Remus finally spoke again.  "Jem, please.  You don't understand…"

"What is there to understand?"

"A lot," he said softly.  "Jem, Dumbledore knew… I was bitten when I was very young-"

"And he still admitted you to Hogwarts?"

"With certain precautions, yes."

Jem shook her head.  "I don't care what you say.  A werewolf has no place in the civilized world.  Leave us.  Get out!"

"Jem, calm down," James said.  "Remus is not going anywhere."

"Then we are!"  She grabbed Sirius's hand and started walking out.  Sirius however, refused to move.  "What are you doing?"

"I'm staying with my friends."

"You would rather stay here?  With them?"

"You're damn right I would."

Jem shook her head in disbelief.  "You will choose.  Them, with the werewolf, or me.  What's it going to be?"

"Them."

"What?"

"You heard me.  Unlike you, I value my friendships.  I think it's time for you to leave us.  Goodbye, Jem."

Nobody could believe what Sirius had just said.  Jem let out a small noise that sounded like a cross between a scream and a squeak.  She then turned and walked out of the kitchen, stomped her way to the front door, and slammed it behind her.

Remus turned to look at Sirius with sullen eyes.  "You didn't have to do that," he whispered.

"Yes, Moony, I did."  Sirius's voice cracked as he spoke.  "Today she showed her true colors, that's all."  He sighed.  "I'm just glad that I found out now, before it was too late."

Lily walked over to Sirius and gave him a big hug.  "If you need anything…"

Sirius held Lily for a moment before replying.  "I'll be fine."

Remus suddenly stood up.  "This can't happen again."

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"It never even occurred to me before that a solar eclipse would have this affect on me… and out in public no less."

"Remus…"

"I've got to go.  Really, this time.  It's just too dangerous…"

"Where would you go?" Lily asked nervously.

Remus shook his head.  "I don't know.  Somewhere that I won't be a danger to anyone but myself…"

"Well," James began, "before you go anywhere, we all need to talk."  Sirius and Remus looked at him quizzically.  "With Peter," he finished.

"Why? What happened?" Sirius asked.

James looked at Lily who met his eye.  She then lowered her eyes and nodded solemnly, swallowing hard before leaving the room to tend to Harry.

"What is it?" he asked again.

James sighed.  "We need to wait for Peter.  All will be explained then."

Sirius and Remus exchanged uneasy glances before nodding. 

"When will he meet us?" Remus asked.

"Tomorrow evening.  We'll see you both then."  James then led his friends out, locking and bolting the door behind them.

"Professor Dumbledore will be here tomorrow night as well," Lily quietly told James.

"But how-"

"The fire," Lily explained, "I got a hold of him while you were talking to the boys."

"Are you sure we need him here?"

"I really do think it is a good idea.  You've been working with him, he knows what's going on.  Also, it will give him the opportunity he needs to take care of Harry…"

"Do you really think-"

"It must be done." 

Judging by Lily's tone, James thought it best not to press the matter further.

A/N: okay, I don't know if in werewolf-land that is possible, but hey, for my intents and purposes, I needed the eclipse to have that effect on Remus… you all understand, I'm sure!