Author's Note

I'm answering one of the reviews, I do this rarely if ever. Well, the reason I began to believe that the Marauders figured out Remus was a werewolf in third was because he said it took them three years to figure out the animagi spell and they finally figured it out in their 5th. that means 5 minus 3, and although in every other person's mind such simple arithmetic can be done on fingers, I figured that the answer was 3, not two. Don't ask, I don't know how I'm taking Calculus right now and passing it, oh, yes, I have a calculator. I'm better with multiplying!

Yes, I'm aware that here I'm lingering on all this happening when they are still eleven, but the thing is so adorable! And don't even THINK that I have ANY AT ALL RemusLily things in mind, its all JamesLily from the beginning to the end. They are just good friends and I needed someone to act as a buffer and a link to each other, it was a choice between Remie and Peter! Remie's nicer and more reliable. And I love him. Yeah, back to the story at hand.

It's really a wonder how I still manage to have an A in Calculus, considering I've been writing this thing the whole time. Damn the school for not allowing laptops!

This is year 1971 by the way, that's acurate, I looked it up in the Lexicon!

Chapter 2. Muggle Mug.

Birthdays in the Evans family began early in the morning at breakfast and ended late at night with fireworks on the Heacham River bank. Aside from knowing all of Petunia's friends, Lily had one friend of her own, Remus Lupin. He was a little odd at times and had sick peaks once every month. Remus hadn't always been ill, but Lily wouldn't remember that his mysterious diagnosis began at about age seven and they only met in muggle school just a few weeks before that.

The Evans met the Lupins when they moved to Eaton, they had been in close contact despite that the Lupins lived in the middle of nowhere on side of Sedgeford Road deep inside a forest.

Petunia always thought that Remus was a little odd, he was a very skinny and pale boy and even during hot summer weeks he didn't get as much of a tan as all the other kids. He was taller then most boys his age, but his otherwise physical characteristics seemed faded. His light brown hair should have been filled with gold streaks and his light brown eyes displayed hints of once ago honey tones. His lips were always pale and when he smiled, he never lost his aura of sadness. Remus always acted more mature then his age, suggesting a hard turn in his earlier childhood that touched his heart and soul.

When Lily woke up in the morning, the cooking had already began and Remus was already helping. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt and jumped into the shower, ten minutes later Lily arrived dressed and hair tied downstairs in the kitchen. And Petunia and Remus were forcing her to stay away from helping in the cooking.

"Lily, honestly, if you're gonna keep refusing to cooperate by not being lazy like you're suppose to be on your birthday, I'll tie you to that chair," her older sister told her. And she wasn't kidding. Been done before.

Remus was not helping, he produced a suitable belt for the job. For the first time in the last month, she really saw her friend, color had returned to him. Remus' skin was not sick yellow, but could pass for a healthy tan and his brown eyes and hair had gained some warm yellow and honey tones. And his lips that really smiled, showing a proper set of teeth that was a real smile, were reddish and not faded pink. Another new addition to this new Remus was a... Lily tilted her head to a side and frowned at him, "Remus, why are you wearing a bath robe?"

Everyone blinked at her question, then blinked at Remus' robe. The boy suddenly realized that he was wearing the robe and his hands on impulse went to an oddly shaped fold and then in his pocket where a white piece of paper was sticking out just a little. Remus smiled as if reassured about something, but it was all unconscious, he was really trying to make up a suitable lie to cover up his odd choice of clothing. "It's a society thing, something my family belongs to... and I do... now, too," for a moment there he seemed in another world, then he reemerged again to the real life.

"Do you know the Potters?" Lily asked curiously. But her mom and sister returned to the working and resumed their previous conversation some time ago. After all, the things that kids wear these days anyway.

"Uh, well, I know about them, pretty well-known family. But I've really only talked to Mrs. Potter just one time. They have a son, he's our age. And Mr. Potter is a ministry employer and Mrs. Potter use to be an aur- ahem - artist," Remus said and looked innocently at her. Lily didn't buy it for a second, Remus just didn't stumble over his words like that. She made a mental note to question him more thoroughly as soon as she got the chance to do so. And chance was on her side that day.

Mr. Evans came down into the kitchen, carrying a newspaper and greeted everyone before sitting down like it was just another day. He was one of those fathers that liked to pretend to forget his kids' birthdays, as if any man ever forgot that day and the nightmares that keep on their haunt. And how did he manage to ignore the birthday cake being made right in front of him was beyond Lily, but that was her dad there.

She giggled a little at his act, but kept on sipping her milk like it was any other day but her birthday.

Finally, Mr. Evans finished reading his headlines and 'suddenly' noticed the presence of the two eleven year olds at the table on either side of him. "Get out of here, you little troublemakers, let an old man have some peace and quite in here! Out with you!" He said in his mock-grumpy old man voice and they ran for the front door.

Lily got there first and she thought that Remus was hanging back a little on purpose. As if hoping that she had forgotten his mentioning of Mrs. Potter being an 'artist'. She looked around the empty street and located the Potters house. In their yard, Mrs. Potter was working in the flowerbeds and wearing another one of her odd robes. The flowers in her garden just seemed to return to life just because she looked at them.

"So, what kind of artist, is she?" The emphasis on that one word was meant to remind Remus about his slip up, and Lily was going to find out what he first wanted to say today. Soon.

Remus seemed to be trying to find a logical thing to say but all that came out was, "Um."

Lily grinned peevishly, "I guess we'll just have to go and ask her!" And before Remus could catch her arm and stop her, Lily was down on the road and heading straight for the Potters house, leaving her friend no choice but to join her. She stopped on the road next to one of the flowerbeds to watch Mrs. Potter work and not disturb her because she seemed to be very into what she was doing. And when the woman finally finished with her flower, Lily yelled, "Good morning, Mrs. Potter!"

The woman looked up at Lily, just a little startled that someone was awake this early in the morning and was wondering around saying hellos to neighbors. Of course, when she saw that it was Lily and Remus, she understood why. Kids. "Well, good morning, Miss Evans. And, young Master Lupin there are those your new school robes? Very nice, I bet you can't wait to be off to Hogwarts."

Remus was wearing a very startled expression when her heard Mrs. Potter's words, he was acting like he was having a nightmare and it was getting worse and worse with every word that came out of Mrs. Potter's mouth. "Uh, yes-s, m'am. Just got them - erm - last weekend."

"You didn't go with your dad, did you?"

"Erm, well, he had to buy some things for work, so he just dropped me off at the entrance," Lily felt like Remus was choosing his words very carefully while Mrs. Potter was just making a casual conversation like they were all old friends.

"Oh, yes! I bumped into him just then in the Knockturn Alley, dirty place that is, someone needs to clean it up a little. I always wanted to take a team of Aurors down there and search every filthy rag those up-to-no-goods wear. Never quite got around to doing it while I was with the ministry. I think, I might apply to train some new releases for the job now that James is starting Hogwarts and I'll have nothing better to do."

Lily grinned, "I don't think you want to let go of that one, he sounds like a trouble maker my dad always calls me."

Remus stared at her like she grew extra ears, but Mrs. Potter just laughed and said, "You better stay away from that one, Merlin knows what he'll end up as. You two come on in, Remus looks like he needs some cookies and milk."

Lily followed her without hesitation, but she stopped near one of the flowerbeds and picked up an oddly smooth wooden rod, she shrugged and figured it was the one James was pointing at her the day the Potters just moved in. She tucked it in her back pocket, the one with a hole to put it though, meaning to give it back to him inside. And heard Remus swallow rather loudly behind her.

She turned to him and explained, "I think it's James' toy, he was running around with it earlier."

Lily heard Remus mutter under his breath, "Running around?! Idiot! The first thing I'm doing at Hogwarts is showing him what a good hex feels like." Lily just frowned to herself, he probably didn't mean for her to hear that. This was becoming a rather odd day.

From the outside, the Potters house looked like an ordinary small English home, inside however the rooms could have belonged to a small castle's rather then a house's.

"In here!" Mrs. Potter called from the first door on their right, they followed the call and found themselves in a gigantic kitchen where Mrs. Potter was putting a large plate of cookies on the table. "Come on, sit, a cookie to a kid works as good as any cheering charm."

At that moment another woman's voice sounded from the hallway, Remus' sour expression became very still, he wasn't at all happy with the way all the events were going.

Mrs. Potter put a bottle of milk on the table and two glasses, "Kids, I'll be right there, pour yourself some milk and dig in. I think that's your mother, Remus, she wanted my pie recipe earlier today."

Lily shrugged at Remus and started pouring the milk when James showed up. Lily greeted him and he greeted her back, giving his own stick a strange look and then returning Remus' wave.

He got another glass out and added his to the table and then started babbling something really ridiculous, "So, why don't you wear robes, too, Lily Evans right? Mum knows everyone on the street here, it's so small compared to London. When did you get your letter? I got mine five months ago, but mom refused to take me to Diagonal Alley until the end of July. I think she was afraid I try to teach myself mag-"

And then his face became very white because Remus emptied his glass of milk in it. James stared at him for a second, then his face grew angry, but before he could speak, Remus did.

"Muggle!"

Both James and Lily stared at him like he had completely lost his bearings, "Muggle?" They asked.

"Muggle!" Remus repeated disparately.

Lily frowned at him, but understanding dawned on his face, "Muggle."

James was staring from Remus to Lily to the stick in her jeans.

"Muggle," Remus said with a sigh.

Lily looked at them and stepped back a little, wondering if this was contagious. "Muggle?"

James and Remus stared at each other helpless, until James started speaking, "Mug-?"

Remus nodded violently at him, "Yeah! Muggle Mug!"

James grinned, "Oh! Mug of Muggle!"

"Muggle the Mug!" Remus answered.

Lily stared at them and wondered if she should call a doctor or Mrs. Potter at least.

Remus turned to Lily, "Muggle Mug! The birthday mug! Everyone drinks from it when they turn eleven in our - erm - club! You have to, too!" Then to James, "Get it!"

James frowned at Remus, but then jumped up and began racing though the cabinets until he found a gigantic clay mug and took it to the table. Without hesitation, he emptied the cookies and the poured in all the milk and swirled the mug to mix them. Then he slid it down toward Lily and said, "Drink."

Lily looked from James to the mug to Remus to James, "You're mad," to Remus, "both of you," to the mug, "really mad."

"What have you people all done with my cookies?" Mrs. Potter asked from the doorway horrified and staring at the mug, "And where in the world did you find that beer mug?"

"Beer mug?" Lily said quietly and raised her eyebrows at the boys.

James spoke first, "It's the Muggle Mug."

Mrs. Potter shook her head laughing lightly, "Oh, no it's not, and definitely not the cookie soaking mug. And you Mr. James Harry Potter will be drinking all of that if you do that again. Now, outside with you, and take a cookie along. Ones that are still floating."

The boys ran out at the chance to have an excuse to do so, but Lily stayed back a little. "Oh, Mrs. Potter, James must have dropped this in the bushes or something," and she handed the mother the stick from her back pocket before running after the boys.

"Erm, so, Lily, want to walk to the river?" James asked, "I haven't been there yet."

Lily gave him a strange look, "Nothing like your Muggle Mug, right?"

"Just the river," Remus assured her.

"Okay, I'll tell mom where I am and we can go," Lily ran up to her house and nearly ran into Petunia, who was staring at a antique looking letter with a green wax seal in form of the big letter H on the back, she quickly put it to the bottom of the pile in her hands when Lily showed up though. But Lily didn't take notice, probably just reading the mail.

"Hey, Pet, we were gonna go to the river, tell mom, okay?"

"With your suitors? Well, all right, just remember to get back by noon, dad's coming back from the store and we'll be leaving for King's Lynn, okay?"

"Done deal, bye."

"Don't break anything!" Petunia called after her younger sister, who was already running back to the boys.

They were all walking down Sedgeford Road when Lily decided to change the topic from chess to something more interesting.

"So, do you have one, too?" Lily asked Remus.

"Have what?" Remus frowned at her.

"Stick thing?"

"What stick thing?"

"The one like the one James has, you know the one I found in the bush in the yard?"

James stopped in his steps and stared at her like she's turned into a giant bird, "You found my wand in the yard?! Where?"

Lily frowned, "So it's a wand? What kind of society do you people belong to that has wands?"

"Wizarding," James mumbled before he could stop himself because he was too busy looking for his wand.

Lily and Remus just stared at him, for different reasons until James finally found his wand.

"So whose wand was that wand?" Lily inquired.

"His mom's, she was gardening with it," Remus said with a sigh, he now acquired the nothing more can possibly go wrong attitude.

Lily tugged at his sleeve, "Can I see your wand?"

Remus looked at her like she asked for all his money, "Are you crazy?"

"I'm not the one babbling on about wizarding societies and wands and such. And what the hell is an Auror?" She gave him a determined look and Remus surrendered his precious wand very reluctantly. As if directed by some higher being, Lily swung the wand in a large arch and pointed it in the middle of the road.

Both boys goggled at the end result as Remus was still saying "Lily, no!" Because a large and deep... hole appeared in where the Sedgeford road use to be. Accompanied by a loud bang as air rushed in to fill the space where earth use to be, the suddenly generated wind hit the three from behind, smashing them into the ground before which they stood. And then everything was still again.

James addressed Remus, "You said she was a muggle!"

Remus glared at James, "I guess it's a little late to take those words back?"

Lily just stood very still, mesmerized. A few minutes later a Ministry Magical Law Enforcement official literally poped in and joined the three kids in their goggling at the hole.

Then the man shook himself and started asking them questions. After getting everyones' names and addresses, he turned to Lily and spoke with a note of bewilderment in his tone. "Miss Evans, now, how are you going to explain a small round canyon in the middle of Sedgeford Road here?"

LIly blinked at him, "Magic?"

"All right," the official said nodding, "we'll have to contact your parents then, muggles - er - non-magical folk, right?" Lily nodded. "And it was your wand Mr. Lupin?"

Remus nodded with a sour expression, "I didn't really think she'd make a new landmark in England when I gave it to her, sir. Just - erm - well, she's a - was - a muggle, kind of."

"Well, at least there aren't any more muggles around," James shrugged.

The official nodded and turned back to Lily, "Welcome to Hogwarts, I guess."

"Uh-huh," Lily mumbled and gave her creation another long sideways glance.

"Well, then, I'd better inform someone about this - erm - landmark," and he poped out.

"Nice stick, Remus," Lily said to him after a few moments and turned to James, "So, what does your do?"

Boys stared at her before Remus snatched his wand back and James hid his. "It's not doing anything in your hands, Muggle Mug."

Remus patted his friend's shoulder, "Don't worry you'll have your own soon enough."

James snorted, "Don't forget to warn Mr. Olivander about your first swish."