Author Note: There are no characters that are actually mine (as of now).
They are all Rowling puppets under my control. Scary thought, no?
Remus sighed when he saw Lily sitting against a tree by the lake half an hour after their meeting in the Great Hall. His bandages were off, and he looked and felt like his normal self. She looked up from her Divination book and smiled at him.
"Thank you for coming, Remus." She said sincerely.
"No problem. What was it you wanted to talk about?" He sat down in front of her, worried and almost hopeful about what she needed him for.
"Well, two things really. The less severe thing on my mind," she took a breath. "is James." He couldn't look at her. Why did she have to talk to him about James? He didn't know him nearly as well as Sirius. But then he remembered how mad Sirius had made her.
"Go on," He coaxed her reluctantly.
"I think," she smiled gently. "I think I'm in love with him." She said that word so surely. How could she 'love' James when he had pestered her for so many years? How could she 'love' him when it was he, Remus, she was coming to in her time of need? "I know it doesn't make sense," she continued. She must have seen the look of confusion on his face "but is there any chance he feels the same way for me?"
That was the real problem. Ever since their first year at Hogwarts James couldn't help but love Lily. He knew no other way to show affection than torment her. Remus had felt the same way about her almost as long as James had, only he had been more mature and kept his feelings private. She looked into his eyes, expecting an answer. He couldn't deny those eyes.
Nor could he lie to them. "He does. Ever since our first year." Other thoughts screamed inside his head 'But I love you too! You can't love him! Why did you have to come to me?' Several uneasy minutes passed. Lily smiled and played with the grass below her, and Remus looked down in thought. "What else was it you wanted to discuss?" he asked to break the silence.
She looked up at him, her face suddenly troubled. She took a deep breath to steady her thoughts before beginning. "If there's anything bothering you, I want you to be able to tell me," She spoke slowly. He panicked. Did she know about him, what he was? She sensed his fear and continued cautiously. "I've noticed you've been acting strange lately. And not just now, but since we met I've felt like you've been hiding something. I want you to be able to come to me..." she looked down, away from him. Her hair covered her face, but he could tell what she was thinking. There was no use trying to hide it from her anymore. She knew what he truly was.
He glanced around to be sure nobody was near. He spoke quietly. "I am what you think I am. Since I was a child. Sirius, James and Peter are the only students who know," she nodded, but did not look afraid. "How long have you known?" he asked uneasily.
"Since last year. I looked outside the dormitory window and saw you and Madame Pomfrey headed toward the Whomping Willow, shortly followed by the others." By 'others' he assumed she meant the Marauders. He looked down embarrassed. Embarrassed that he had been seen, and for being what he was. He stood and turned to leave when he felt a hand on his cheek. A warm, soft hand that could never be his.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked almost pleadingly. He shook his head and began to walk away. "If you ever need a friend, you know where to find me." He strode quickly away from the lake, hoping to outrun his overwhelming emotions.
Several minutes later he found himself doing homework in the Common Room. He had only just begun his potions homework when Sirius, James, and Peter came in. "Just like Remus to be doing his homework on his day off." Sirius chided. "What did Lily want?"
Remus sighed. They were his best and probably only friends, but he wasn't sure he wanted them to know. "Oh, nothing." he avoided the subject.
The three looked accusingly at him. Remus couldn't look them in the eyes. James gave him the worst look. He had loved Lily as long as he had himself. How could he tell him?
Then again, he couldn't lie to him either. "Lily knows. She figured it out. She just wants to help." They all looked relieved, especially James. Remus suddenly realized what they were thinking, and blushed.
Sirius and Peter jumped into conversation about their day at Hogsmeade while James and Remus went to the dormitory.
James turned to him expectantly. "Well?"
"She talked about you. A lot."
"Go on..." James pushed.
Remus sighed and continued "She "loves you", or so she thinks. She asked if you felt the same, so I told her."
James was in shock. Unable to stand, Remus threw himself on the bed. He couldn't stand the envious feeling growing in his gut. He left the room, and headed for the lake.
Remus sighed when he saw Lily sitting against a tree by the lake half an hour after their meeting in the Great Hall. His bandages were off, and he looked and felt like his normal self. She looked up from her Divination book and smiled at him.
"Thank you for coming, Remus." She said sincerely.
"No problem. What was it you wanted to talk about?" He sat down in front of her, worried and almost hopeful about what she needed him for.
"Well, two things really. The less severe thing on my mind," she took a breath. "is James." He couldn't look at her. Why did she have to talk to him about James? He didn't know him nearly as well as Sirius. But then he remembered how mad Sirius had made her.
"Go on," He coaxed her reluctantly.
"I think," she smiled gently. "I think I'm in love with him." She said that word so surely. How could she 'love' James when he had pestered her for so many years? How could she 'love' him when it was he, Remus, she was coming to in her time of need? "I know it doesn't make sense," she continued. She must have seen the look of confusion on his face "but is there any chance he feels the same way for me?"
That was the real problem. Ever since their first year at Hogwarts James couldn't help but love Lily. He knew no other way to show affection than torment her. Remus had felt the same way about her almost as long as James had, only he had been more mature and kept his feelings private. She looked into his eyes, expecting an answer. He couldn't deny those eyes.
Nor could he lie to them. "He does. Ever since our first year." Other thoughts screamed inside his head 'But I love you too! You can't love him! Why did you have to come to me?' Several uneasy minutes passed. Lily smiled and played with the grass below her, and Remus looked down in thought. "What else was it you wanted to discuss?" he asked to break the silence.
She looked up at him, her face suddenly troubled. She took a deep breath to steady her thoughts before beginning. "If there's anything bothering you, I want you to be able to tell me," She spoke slowly. He panicked. Did she know about him, what he was? She sensed his fear and continued cautiously. "I've noticed you've been acting strange lately. And not just now, but since we met I've felt like you've been hiding something. I want you to be able to come to me..." she looked down, away from him. Her hair covered her face, but he could tell what she was thinking. There was no use trying to hide it from her anymore. She knew what he truly was.
He glanced around to be sure nobody was near. He spoke quietly. "I am what you think I am. Since I was a child. Sirius, James and Peter are the only students who know," she nodded, but did not look afraid. "How long have you known?" he asked uneasily.
"Since last year. I looked outside the dormitory window and saw you and Madame Pomfrey headed toward the Whomping Willow, shortly followed by the others." By 'others' he assumed she meant the Marauders. He looked down embarrassed. Embarrassed that he had been seen, and for being what he was. He stood and turned to leave when he felt a hand on his cheek. A warm, soft hand that could never be his.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked almost pleadingly. He shook his head and began to walk away. "If you ever need a friend, you know where to find me." He strode quickly away from the lake, hoping to outrun his overwhelming emotions.
Several minutes later he found himself doing homework in the Common Room. He had only just begun his potions homework when Sirius, James, and Peter came in. "Just like Remus to be doing his homework on his day off." Sirius chided. "What did Lily want?"
Remus sighed. They were his best and probably only friends, but he wasn't sure he wanted them to know. "Oh, nothing." he avoided the subject.
The three looked accusingly at him. Remus couldn't look them in the eyes. James gave him the worst look. He had loved Lily as long as he had himself. How could he tell him?
Then again, he couldn't lie to him either. "Lily knows. She figured it out. She just wants to help." They all looked relieved, especially James. Remus suddenly realized what they were thinking, and blushed.
Sirius and Peter jumped into conversation about their day at Hogsmeade while James and Remus went to the dormitory.
James turned to him expectantly. "Well?"
"She talked about you. A lot."
"Go on..." James pushed.
Remus sighed and continued "She "loves you", or so she thinks. She asked if you felt the same, so I told her."
James was in shock. Unable to stand, Remus threw himself on the bed. He couldn't stand the envious feeling growing in his gut. He left the room, and headed for the lake.