Chapter 3: More Secrets
"Oy Remus!" Sirius called when he spotted him.
James, trying to pull everyone's attention away from Remus, put an engorement charm on Archie Thomas's head.
"Look at Thomas's head!" said a voice from the Slytherin table. It was Barney Goyle. Everyone turned to the Ravenclaw table where, sure enough, Archie Thomas's head was swelling larger by the second.
"Potter!" Came McGonagall's shrilling voice. "Potter two weeks of detention!"
"Yes Ma'am" James chuckled.
Remus, who looked very much relieved, sat down in his usual seat with his 3 best friends. He really missed the Great Hall. It was so lively with all the students and the scent of the lamb chops and pork and beans smelled so much better than the hospital wing smell of medicated sheets.
"Thanks James," Remus said, scooping a large amount of mashed potatoes on his plate. "Too bad you got detention for it though."
"Ah, I don't mind." James said nonchalantly while cutting up his steak.
"Did you see the size of Archie's head though?" Sirius said, drinking his pumpkin juice. "It was enormous!"
"It was as big as a hippogriff!" Peter squeaked through a mouthful of sweet potato pie.
James and Sirius gave Peter their usual look for him.
"Well.." Peter started. "Maybe not as big as a hippogriff. Perhaps a hippo's head?"
James and Sirius laughed at Peter. It was amusing he actually said something pretty funny. Remus didn't laugh. He was too busy devouring his mashed potato and gravy volcano. He was starting on his onion soup when Lily took the seat next to him.
"Way to land yourself in detention, Potter," she said.
James beamed at her. "Thanks!" he said. He knew that she wasn't complimenting him, but he still took it as one anyways. Lily just rolled her eyes and started to butter a roll.
"Glad to see you back in the Great Hall Remus. Are you attending classes today?"
"No, I had to beg Madam Jiggle to let me eat in here. I'll be back in classes on Monday." Remus slurped in soup.
James Ruffled his hair as he looked at Lily. "So Evans, what do for fun?"
Lily stopped buttering her second roll nad raised an eyebrow at James. "What's it to you, Potter?"
"Nothing," James said defensively. "I'm just interested in muggle stuff. I think it's crazy that their photographs don't move."
Lily continued to look at James like he was crazy. "Well, there's movies. It's like a picture that moves. But it's all technology, not magic."
"Teknolg-what?" Sirius said, getting curious of this question.
"Never mind," Lily shook her head and poured herself some onion soup in her bowl. "Why do I even bother, you won't understand a word I say."
"Well I don't understand why muggles don't move in their photographs!" James said, trying to get Lily all worked up, which was working quite well.
She let out a frustrated grunt and rolled her eyes.
James and Sirius laughed. "You know you're cute when you're frustrated!" James said.
Lily pretended to drop her spoon on the floor as she felt her face blush a little. When she came back up, she told James he was cute when he was he was trying to think, which she never witnessed. "Oh wait that was somebody else, never mind." she threw back at him. She rolled her eyes, and dismissed herself.
James and Sirius laughed, Peter Squeaked, and Remus ate as if he hadn't had a decent meal in a week, which might have been because he hadn't.
The sun poured through the shack in Hogsmeade village, causing Remus to stir. It took a few minutes for Remus to remember where he was. "Oh yea" he thought. "The shack. I better get up to the Hospital Wing before Breakfast is over."
It was now year 3 for Remus Lupin, just after Christmas. The rest of Year 1 and Year 2 went by so fast, and he could hardly believe year 3 was working its way to the end. Everything was still pretty much the same, of course. James, Sirius, and Peter was still his best friends. James and Sirius always landing detentions, each time in a more creative way than the last. Peter was still trying to be exactly like them, and still rat-like. Lily was still getting the better of James every time he said something to him, and always listened to Remus if he needed somebody to talk to other than the guys. He still hadn't told her about his condition, and what happened with his family. But that was still more than what James, Sirius, and Peter knew.
As he headed back up to the castle he noticed that the snow was beginning to melt. Spring was starting to peak its way into the month of February. He passed the Great Hall and marched up the marble staircases and through the corridor to the Hospital Wing, like he had every month for the last two and a half years. He found his usual bed, fluffed up the pillow a bit, and crawled in. Just as he curled up, and thought that he was going to sleep well for the rest f the day, James and Sirius appeared out of nowhere, jumping on his bed.
"Hey there ol' buddy ol'pal!" Said Sirius, smacking Remus on the back a little too hard as he said the word 'pal'.
"How've you been? Out on your daily morning walk? It is so funny how we always seem to catch you on a walk, I mean Madam Jiggle never let's anyone just go out on a walk." James said through gritted teeth.
"You know, it must be hard to go through this illness without your family around," Peter squeaked angrily. "You know, because it's not just that you're away at school and they can't be here, but because they're all dead."
Remus gulped. They knew something. The only one who knew that his parents hadn't really died in that fire was Lily. She wouldn't betray his trust, would she? Surely not. She gave him her word. Lily Evans was not one to break her word, especially with a secret like his. Maybe James and Sirius threatened it out of her. But what awful thing could they do to make her squeal like Peter when he was having a nightmare.
"Or, are they?" James sneered angrily.
Remus tried to gulp again, but he couldn't swallow. "W-what are you guys talking about?" he said, trying to play as innocent as he could.
"Well Peter and I were waiting for James to come out of the locker room after his quidditch practice yesterday when this big ruddy owl smacked right into Peter's back! Made the poor bloke fall down on his face!" started Sirius.
"I came out just as he fell. My first intentions were to laugh at him. Ok so, I did laugh. But it wasn't until I found this," Remus tossed an opened and ripped envelope in Remus's face, "when we realized who the real fool was all along."
"Do you need us to read it to you? It's from your mum and dad. You know, the one's who died in the fire. Did they magic themselves back to life or something? Really interesting, you see. The letter says that they hope your condition isn't causing too much of a burden on the staff at Hogwarts and Dumbledore was a brave soul to let you in." Said James with a mix of sarcasm nad anger.
"What's your condition, Lupin?" Sirius interrogated him.
Remus didn't know what to say, or even what do. He had no strength to argue his case. James, Sirius, and Peter kept on interrogating him.
"Look guys, I can't tell you anything. I've been sworn by Dumbledore not to tell anybody," Remus said irritably.
Peter squeaked. "So he admits there's something bizarre about him!"
James threw his arms in the air.
"You guys please. You just have to trust me on this.-" Remus was cut short by Sirius.
"We did trust you, Lupin. You lied to us. For three years you've told nothing but lies to us! You can forget everything. You're out of the marauders," James shook his head in disappointment towards Remus. With a few more hurt and disappointed looks, the three left Remus all too himself in the hospital wing.
Remus laid his head down on his pillow and fell asleep almost instantly. Usually after his transformations when he comes back to the hospital wing, he has a dreamless sleep. But this time he dreamt. He dreamt about the night that changed his life. The dark forest, the spine-chilling howling, the furious growling. The pain on his ankle of something biting him. Something was sinking its teeth into his flesh. The pain was excruciating. Then there was a sudden flash, and all he saw was blinding light. He was no longer in the dark forest. Instead he was now inside he old house, with his family. He was in his old bedroom, moaning from the pain. He heard his mothers sobs coming from the kitchen downstairs. Another flash happened. He couldn't see anything. It was all blurry now. He could just here his parents screaming and yelling, his mother still crying. He heard her shouting Remus. "Remus! Remus!" He felt his mother shaking him.
"Remus? Remus!" he heard more shouting as someone shook him. He was now waking up. It was no longer his mother calling his name and shaking him, it was Lily.
"Remus! Are you ok?" she asked with worry shaking in her voice.
"Yea, I'm fine," Remus tried to snap out of the last few moments of his dream that lingered.
"You were talking in your sleep!" She looked terrified, "You were screaming for your parents, screaming no, and just screaming as if something was hurting you. Madam Jiggle got scared and went to fetch Dumbledore."
"Lily," Remus took a deep breathe. He twiddled his thumbs for a moment, then looked Lily in the eyes. Her eyes were still fiery green. Her flaming red hair now reached down to her waist. She had it pulled back into a low ponytail. She locked her fiery emerald eyes into Remus's almond eyes. She let him now that she was listening.
"Lily, Remember back in first year, when I told you that I couldn't tell you everything you needed to know?"
She drew in a breathe and whispered, "Yes."
"Thanks Lily. For not thinking I betrayed you for lying to you on the train. Thanks for understanding I had a reason, and respecting that I wasn't ready to speak the truth, whether I was forbidden to or not."
"Remus, is that what's up with Potter and Black? They've been talking more to Petigrew than I've ever seen them talk to him before. And Potter's been more aggravated than usual. He's awfully sour. Did they find out about your parents?"
Remus hung his head down. He saw the letter from his parents that his friends had found on the floor, crumbled up into a ball. He pointed at it and said, "They found that."
Lily looked at what he was pointing at. She picked it up and read it. "Oh Remus, I'm so sorry."
He just shrugged. Had he just lost his 3 best friends? Would they ever talk to him again? Would Lily still talk to him if he told her the rest of the story?
"You don't have to tell me if you're not ready. But just remember, I'm always here if you need to talk." said Lily, reassuringly.
Remus sighed. "You may be the only person willing to talk to me. James, Sirius, and Peter are all mad at me."
"They're all eggheads. They can just get over themselves. Listen I need to get to Care of Magical Creatures. I'll see you later," And Lily left.
Remus didn't sleep anymore that afternoon. He was fighting with himself weather he should tell Lily or not. The next week, James, Sirius, and Peter completely ignored him. Frank Longbottom would help him with his homework, and Lily would eat meals with him.
By the end of the week on Friday evening, Remus could barely take any more of the cold shoulder from the guys. They were in the dormitory when he finally snapped. James and Sirius were talking about the veritaserum potion essay that was due next week. They were talking loudly how they should slip it in Remus's goblet at dinner when he wasn't looking, then maybe they would find out what he real name is and what alien species he is. Remus slammed his transfiguration book down on his bed, causing his cloak and charms book to fall off, making a loud thud on the floor.
"You know, you're right. Friends should trust each other. It is hard when one lies about their past to their friends. But in this case, it should go back to the trust. You guys know me-"
"No we don't," interrupted Sirius. "We thought we did, but since you lied"
"I lied because I couldn't tell anybody the truth! You should know me by now, you should trust me that I wouldn't lie to you guys if I didn't have a reason!" Remus yelled back. He took a few deep breathes and when Peter started calling Remus a few choice names, he put a hex on him to give him a pair of rat ears and a tail.
James bolted up to defend him and Remus put a leg-locker curse on him. On Sirius, he put a hex upon his face for a severe case of acne. With that out of his system, he ran downstairs to the common room. Lily was sitting at a table with Alice doing their Potions Essay. Remus was almost out of the door when Lily called after him. He turned around looked at her emerald eyes, and ran out the portrait hole. Lily ran after him, calling his name.
When he exited the castle's door's he stopped for a few seconds. Where was he going to go? What had he just done? Was he absolutely crazy? He just hexed his three best friends! True, they were giving him the cold shoulder, but he did lie to them. He still didn't think his lie was that horrible. Who cares if his parents died in a fire or were alive, they just didn't want to keep him to raise.
Lily was now catching up to him. He decided to run. He kept running till he got to the Whomping willow tree. He stopped to catch his breathe, watching still running towards him.
"Remus, what's wrong?" she panted.
When he caught his breathe he replied, "I kind of lost my temper and hexed the guys."
Lily stared at him in disbelief. "You did what?" she said flatly
"I uh, put the leg-locker on James, and gave Sirius a sever case of acne."
"And why did you do that Remus?" Lily began to scold him. "You're only sinking to their level."
Remus stopped to think a moment. He let out a big sigh, and sat down on the grass Indian style. He looked up at Lily, looking down at him. This was his only friend in the world at this moment. She knew something was up, and she trusted him that he couldn't tell her. She had trusted him with all her heart that he had good reasons not to let people know the truth. She hadn't pushed him to tell her. She had said that she would wait for him to be ready, and when he was ready to talk, she was ready to listen.
"Lily," He looked into her beautiful emerald eyes, her flaming hair whipping in the wind, "I'm ready."
Lily unfolded her arms. She sat down next to Remus her eyes locked into his, her heart full attended.
Remus took another deep breath and began. "You see, when I was six, my parents couldn't take care of me. It's not because they were poor or anything. Nah, we had a lot of money. They just didn't want me anymore. They didn't know what to do with me, so they sent me to this orphanage."
Lily let out a little gasp. "But why Remus? I mean I guess I can see now why you rather have your parents die in a house fire if they kicked you out when you were six, but why?"
Remus looked around a bit. "You see this scar on my ankle? It's a bite. And you see this whomping willow tree?"
Lily nodded as he showed her a scar on his ankle and pointed to the tree.
"You know when I'm sick and Madam Jiggle doesn't let anybody see me for the first few days?" he went on. Lily nodded again, still giving him his full attention. "It's not because I'm too contagious. It's because-"he stopped for a moment and gulped through his tightened throat. He continued. 'It's because, Lily, I'm a werewolf"
End chapters 2 and 3. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please Review for me!! I love to get feedback and it really! Thanks and enjoy!