A/N: I was thinking how Hermione was the first to figure out Prof. Lupins
condition and it made me wonder who might have been the first to figure it
out when he was in school. So here's how it happened.
* * *
One morning in October none of the Gryffindor first years seemed to be in a very good mood. Last night had been the tryouts for the house Quidditch team and neither James or Amy had made the team. No one had seen Remus since dinner last night. Even Lily had been a bit snippy with everyone this morning. On top of all that they were having to sit through yet another of Prof. Binns amazingly boring lectures. That is until Lily nearly doubled over in pain.
"Are you okay?" Liza whispered. She seemed to be the only one who noticed.
Lily was now rubbing her stomach. "I don't know," she cringed.
"Is it your time of the month?" Liza asked even quieter than before.
Lily looked up wide eyed, "I don't know."
"You haven't started yet? Well that's probably what it is then."
Before Lily could stop her, Liza's hand shot into the air, "Prof. Binns, Lily and I have to go to the bathroom."
The old Professor was too shocked to say no.
The girls got up to leave and Sirius mumbled something about girls always having to go to the bathroom in groups.
"Well, you were right," said Lily coming out of the stall a few minutes later. Liza was leaning on one of the sinks, "I know about this stuff. I've got three older sisters."
Lily was still clutching her stomach in pain.
"Come on," Liza grabbed her elbow, "I'll take you down to the hospital wing. Madam P can give you something for the cramps."
Lily allowed herself to be dragged down the corridors to the hospital wing. Once there Liza explained to the nurse in a whisper.
"Surely dear," Madam Pomfrey patted Lily on the cheek, "I've got just the thing." She went to go get the potion.
"Well, I'm going back to class," Liza made a face and turned to go.
"Thanks," Lily called after her.
"Glad to help."
"Here you go," the nurse handed a vile of pink potion to Lily for her to drink. It tasted something like peppermint and something like chocolate.
"It will take a few minutes." Madam Pomfrey was saying, "Why don't you go lay down over there, dear and I'll check on you in a bit."
Lily went to lie down and noticed that the bed beside her wasn't empty.
"Remus? We've all been wondering where you were."
"Right here," he said smiling a bit weakly, "Just a bit under the weather. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just girl stuff."
"Oh." He looked a bit embarrassed. Actually he looked awful. There were dark circles under his eyes and something that looked suspiciously like a dog bite on his arm.
Lily was about to ask what had happened when he said, "Madam P says I can go down for lunch."
"Oh, okay," Lily brightened. Her potion was beginning to take effect, "We can walk down together."
* *
The next month when Lily woke with the pain in her stomach she knew just what to do. Being careful not to wake the other girls, she pulled on her robes, brushed her hair and tiptoed down to and out of the common room. She didn't want to have to miss another class. She would ask Madam P for the potion now and then meet up with everyone at breakfast.
In the hospital wing all was quiet. Madam P went to fetch her the potion and Lily noticed that once again Remus was lying in the bed by the window. It looked as if he was asleep so she didn't want to disturb him. She drank the potion and declined the offer to stay and rest.
Lily didn't tell anyone about seeing Remus in the hospital wing, but he didn't show up to any of their morning classes.
At lunch he joined them again looking very weary.
"Where ya been Lupin?" Sirius asked him.
"My mother's been ill," Remus shrugged, "I just went to see her."
Lily stared at him. He could tell she knew he was lying, his eyes silently imploring her not to say anything.
"Well, you missed the Goblin revolution of 1312 and McGonagall gave us a pop quiz." Lily searched his face for answers.
"A quiz! I better go find her and see if I can make it up." He rose to leave and Lily rose as well.
"I'll go with you. I wanted to ask her a question."
Once they were out of the great hall Lily said what was on her mind, "You weren't visiting your Mum."
"No, I wasn't."
"What is it then?"
"I just wasn't feeling well and I didn't need Potter and Black hassling me about it, alright?!" He had never spoken to her this harshly before.
"I'm sorry. I was just, well, worried about you."
"Well don't be." He rushed off in the direction of the Transfig. Room.
"You can borrow my notes." She called after him.
He stopped for a minute and turned back, "Thanks."
* * *
After several lessons, Lily was now in control of the broomstick. James, sitting behind her holding lightly onto her shoulders, was just along for the ride.
"So have you finished you essay for DADA yet?" James asked her as they flew.
"The werewolf one? I think I've just got a few inches left to go."
"Cause you know," He continued in a muggle monster movie kind of voice, "It's going to be a full moon tonight."
"Is it really?" she laughed and then she noticed two figures coming out the door and down the front steps of the castle. On closer inspection she realized that one of them was Madam Pomfrey and the other was Remus Lupin. Suddenly it all made sense. She pulled the broom up and sharply to the right hoping James hadn't also noticed his friend.
"Whoa," James had to grab onto her a little tighter, "What'd you do that for?"
"Just keeping you on your toes." Lily smiled.
* * *
The next morning Lily's cramps were right on schedule and she wasn't at all surprised to find Remus in his regular bed by the window in the Hospital Wing. As it was a Saturday and she had nowhere else to be she decided after she took her potion to stay until Remus woke up so they could talk.
"Good morning," Lily smiled at him as he opened his eyes. "Fancy meeting you here again."
"Oh hey, Lil," he yawned and stretched. "We do seem to find each other here often don't we?"
"We must be on the same cycle." She said knowingly.
He looked a little awkward. "So you know then."
"Monthly trips to the Hospital Wing? Unless your really a girl it's only other option."
"Do you think anyone else suspects anything?"
"Nah, I've never told anyone I've seen you here." Lily assured him.
"Thanks, Lil, I'm just not sure how they'd take the news that their roommate is a werewolf."
She smiled thinking of the some of the wild things she'd heard James and Sirius had done, "I have a feeling they'd think it was pretty cool, but if you don't want me to say anything I'll keep my mouth shut."
* * *
One morning in October none of the Gryffindor first years seemed to be in a very good mood. Last night had been the tryouts for the house Quidditch team and neither James or Amy had made the team. No one had seen Remus since dinner last night. Even Lily had been a bit snippy with everyone this morning. On top of all that they were having to sit through yet another of Prof. Binns amazingly boring lectures. That is until Lily nearly doubled over in pain.
"Are you okay?" Liza whispered. She seemed to be the only one who noticed.
Lily was now rubbing her stomach. "I don't know," she cringed.
"Is it your time of the month?" Liza asked even quieter than before.
Lily looked up wide eyed, "I don't know."
"You haven't started yet? Well that's probably what it is then."
Before Lily could stop her, Liza's hand shot into the air, "Prof. Binns, Lily and I have to go to the bathroom."
The old Professor was too shocked to say no.
The girls got up to leave and Sirius mumbled something about girls always having to go to the bathroom in groups.
"Well, you were right," said Lily coming out of the stall a few minutes later. Liza was leaning on one of the sinks, "I know about this stuff. I've got three older sisters."
Lily was still clutching her stomach in pain.
"Come on," Liza grabbed her elbow, "I'll take you down to the hospital wing. Madam P can give you something for the cramps."
Lily allowed herself to be dragged down the corridors to the hospital wing. Once there Liza explained to the nurse in a whisper.
"Surely dear," Madam Pomfrey patted Lily on the cheek, "I've got just the thing." She went to go get the potion.
"Well, I'm going back to class," Liza made a face and turned to go.
"Thanks," Lily called after her.
"Glad to help."
"Here you go," the nurse handed a vile of pink potion to Lily for her to drink. It tasted something like peppermint and something like chocolate.
"It will take a few minutes." Madam Pomfrey was saying, "Why don't you go lay down over there, dear and I'll check on you in a bit."
Lily went to lie down and noticed that the bed beside her wasn't empty.
"Remus? We've all been wondering where you were."
"Right here," he said smiling a bit weakly, "Just a bit under the weather. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just girl stuff."
"Oh." He looked a bit embarrassed. Actually he looked awful. There were dark circles under his eyes and something that looked suspiciously like a dog bite on his arm.
Lily was about to ask what had happened when he said, "Madam P says I can go down for lunch."
"Oh, okay," Lily brightened. Her potion was beginning to take effect, "We can walk down together."
* *
The next month when Lily woke with the pain in her stomach she knew just what to do. Being careful not to wake the other girls, she pulled on her robes, brushed her hair and tiptoed down to and out of the common room. She didn't want to have to miss another class. She would ask Madam P for the potion now and then meet up with everyone at breakfast.
In the hospital wing all was quiet. Madam P went to fetch her the potion and Lily noticed that once again Remus was lying in the bed by the window. It looked as if he was asleep so she didn't want to disturb him. She drank the potion and declined the offer to stay and rest.
Lily didn't tell anyone about seeing Remus in the hospital wing, but he didn't show up to any of their morning classes.
At lunch he joined them again looking very weary.
"Where ya been Lupin?" Sirius asked him.
"My mother's been ill," Remus shrugged, "I just went to see her."
Lily stared at him. He could tell she knew he was lying, his eyes silently imploring her not to say anything.
"Well, you missed the Goblin revolution of 1312 and McGonagall gave us a pop quiz." Lily searched his face for answers.
"A quiz! I better go find her and see if I can make it up." He rose to leave and Lily rose as well.
"I'll go with you. I wanted to ask her a question."
Once they were out of the great hall Lily said what was on her mind, "You weren't visiting your Mum."
"No, I wasn't."
"What is it then?"
"I just wasn't feeling well and I didn't need Potter and Black hassling me about it, alright?!" He had never spoken to her this harshly before.
"I'm sorry. I was just, well, worried about you."
"Well don't be." He rushed off in the direction of the Transfig. Room.
"You can borrow my notes." She called after him.
He stopped for a minute and turned back, "Thanks."
* * *
After several lessons, Lily was now in control of the broomstick. James, sitting behind her holding lightly onto her shoulders, was just along for the ride.
"So have you finished you essay for DADA yet?" James asked her as they flew.
"The werewolf one? I think I've just got a few inches left to go."
"Cause you know," He continued in a muggle monster movie kind of voice, "It's going to be a full moon tonight."
"Is it really?" she laughed and then she noticed two figures coming out the door and down the front steps of the castle. On closer inspection she realized that one of them was Madam Pomfrey and the other was Remus Lupin. Suddenly it all made sense. She pulled the broom up and sharply to the right hoping James hadn't also noticed his friend.
"Whoa," James had to grab onto her a little tighter, "What'd you do that for?"
"Just keeping you on your toes." Lily smiled.
* * *
The next morning Lily's cramps were right on schedule and she wasn't at all surprised to find Remus in his regular bed by the window in the Hospital Wing. As it was a Saturday and she had nowhere else to be she decided after she took her potion to stay until Remus woke up so they could talk.
"Good morning," Lily smiled at him as he opened his eyes. "Fancy meeting you here again."
"Oh hey, Lil," he yawned and stretched. "We do seem to find each other here often don't we?"
"We must be on the same cycle." She said knowingly.
He looked a little awkward. "So you know then."
"Monthly trips to the Hospital Wing? Unless your really a girl it's only other option."
"Do you think anyone else suspects anything?"
"Nah, I've never told anyone I've seen you here." Lily assured him.
"Thanks, Lil, I'm just not sure how they'd take the news that their roommate is a werewolf."
She smiled thinking of the some of the wild things she'd heard James and Sirius had done, "I have a feeling they'd think it was pretty cool, but if you don't want me to say anything I'll keep my mouth shut."