Remus ached all over. He moved gingerly up the corridor, walking slowly and awkwardly, trying to keep his face on neutral as he passed several other students. Not that he needed to bother, for all the notice they took of him. Anyway, it wasn't like he was in pain, not really. He was just a bit stiff from all the bandages and healing creams Madam Pomfrey had slapped on him, that was all.

She hadn't wanted to let him go from her Hospital Wing at all at first, but he had insisted by the time lunch time had come around. Even then she had given him a death glare as he walked out the door, which he had ignored.

He lingered in the corridor for a moment, thinking. It was lunchtime, and they usually ate in the Great Hall at lunch, but if Sirius or James didn't like the look of whatever there was in the Hall then they went to the Kitchens. For a moment Remus dithered, then decided to take his chances with the Great Hall. After all, it was only the odd occasion when James thought the food wasn't good enough, and he was nearer to the Hall anyway. Slowly, trying not to jar any of his cuts, Remus carried on up the corridor.

Finally, he made it to the Hall, and he slipped through the huge, oak doors, looking round at the solid, chattering mass of students. The place was packed. He couldn't see them anywhere.

"REMUS! DUDE! OVER HERE!"

Ah, now he could. Remus couldn't help but smile as Sirius and James starting doing rather good impressions of windmills in their enthusiasm to wave him over as he began to walk down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw table. James was beaming at him as he shoved Peter further up the bench in order to make room for him, and Remus obliged by sitting down and smiling slightly shyly at them all. They had all welcomed him so enthusiastically, like they'd actually missed him…

"Dude," said Sirius, leaning over the table top and fixing him with a solemn gaze, "You're back."

Warily, Remus smiled. "I know I am."

Sirius widened his eyes. "I mean, dude. You're back."

From beside him, James rolled his eyes, then started tipping drumsticks onto Remus's plate. "Ignore him. He's started calling everyone 'dude', for some reason, and now he just takes any opportunity to say it. He thinks it's cool." He eyeballed Sirius across the table, who stuck up his middle finger by way of reply.

"Dude, you make it sound like a bad thing," sighed Sirius, helping himself to some chicken. Then he looked up at Remus, chewing thoughtfully. "You all better now, then?"

Remus bit down hard on his drumstick and felt his teeth crunch. After rubbing his jaw, he managed a faint: "Uh-huh."

"Strange, really, how none of us got sick when you did. So was it the flu?"

Remus couldn't speak, his heartbeats were choking him. He tried to grin vaguely, but it was more of a grimace of pain. Thankfully Sirius didn't push the subject, though he didn't miss the look he shot James as he bent his head down to his plate again. Remus nervously tried to drink some water, but was so tense he ended up choking on it. Peter had to thump him on the back and nearly knocked him face first into his dinner, making James crack up in laughter. Remus, after a few seconds of trying to force his laughter fell silent. He simply couldn't laugh after what had happened to him.

For a while he sat, playing with his knife and fork and staring at the food. His friends empty chatter washed over him, and he didn't make any attempts to listen to it. He didn't know how he, Remus Lupin, could possibly have the nerve to sit with them after last night. He didn't know how he managed to look Sirius in the eye after he had spoken to him. He wasn't like them. How was he managing to act so naturally?

James nudged him. It was more of a dig in the ribs, but Remus pretended not to notice. "Remus, for gods sake, are you sure you're not ill? You look like you still belong in the Hospital Wing. You're as white as snow."

"Snow!" scoffed Sirius, through a mouthful of food and spraying toast crumbs everywhere, "He is not the colour of snow!" As Remus turned to thank him for sticking up for him, he added, "I'd say the colour of parchment, myself. Got that yellow-y look about him."

"Or porridge!" chipped in Peter, adding his two knuts as always. Remus stared incredulously from one to the other, frowning.

"When you've all stopped deciding exactly what colour my skin is!" he burst out heatedly, surprising himself. They all stared at him, eyebrows raised, even Peter, who was rarely shocked at anything.

"Dude," said Sirius bluntly, "What's your problem?"

Even coming from Sirius, who faintly reminded Remus of a tree-hugging hippy, the comment stung. Rising to his feet and mumbling something along the lines of 'going to finish homework,' he walked out the Hall and left them to it. As he strode back out the Hall doors ten minutes after he'd come in, he felt an inescapable emotion stirring up inside him. They hadn't tried to call him back, or followed him. He hadn't really expected them to, of course, but…Remus gave a desperate sniff, then a faint hiss and clamped a hand to his bandage-swathed stomach. It hurt enough without him straining his chest to sniff, for crying out loud.

He walked faster, ignoring the many twinges his cuts served him. He had to get away. He sped up going past a big group of Slytherins, who barely acknowledged his presence, but Remus did, for they included the white blond hair of Lucius Malfoy and the quick, calculating gaze of James and Sirius's arch foe: Severus Snape. Not that Remus was particularly frightened of them, but he didn't exactly welcome the idea of an attack that morning. Soon he had left them far behind, and he was on his own again, walking so fast he was nearly running, his muscles screaming in protest, but he didn't slow down, he had to get away, get away…

The library loomed up in front of him, and before he knew it he had pushed straight through the huge, wooden doors, then stood panting in the middle of the book shelves.

Silence poured in a heavenly waterfall all about him. Turning round, Remus couldn't see anyone at the homework tables, the window seats, or even behind the desk. It seemed even the librarian was having her lunch at this hour, and he was the only one in there. The place was deserted.

Feeling his heart lift up slightly, Remus walked forwards, allowing himself to limp on his bandaged leg. Going down one of the aisle's between the bookshelves, he ran his hand along the spines of the books, breathing in the familiar smell of parchment, ink and old leather. It was so silent he could hear himself breathing, the soft tred of his shoes. So quiet it was almost loud, the lack of noise reverberating around his head. The silence was pressing in on his ears, and he gently rapped his knuckles against the wood of the book shelf, simply to make a bit of noise.

He froze. Though the noise was faint, he could definitely hear the scratching of a quill on parchment somewhere in here…he padded softly forwards, following the sound, wondering who would possibly be here at this time other than himself.

The sound took him right to the back of the library, when suddenly Remus saw her, the bright red sheen of Lily Evans's hair. He halted in surprise, staring at her. She sat, curled up on a window seat, open bottle of ink balanced rather dangerously beside her, doing homework, presumably. The sun was shining through the huge window directly into her eyes, making her shield her vision with one hand. Remus stood in plain sight, waiting for her to see him but she never did. Frowning, Remus watched her, wondering why she didn't move when the sun was so obviously obstructing her eyes. He certainly would never be able to stand being in such a bright light.

Deciding to announce his presence he walked forwards, not bothering to disguise his footsteps yet she still didn't hear him. It was only when he was standing right beside her did she see him, and even then she jumped violently, sending the bottle of ink flying.

"Shit! Oh, god, Remus you frightened the hell out of me!"

"Sorry," mumbled Remus, aghast at frightening her. "Er – don't worry, I'll get some tissue to clean up…"

Lily gave him an odd look, still clutching her chest in shock. Then she shook her head and took out her wand, pointed it at the mess and muttered some incantation.

The ink vanished.

"Oh!" Remus stuttered, feeling more than slightly stupid, "I – I didn't know you could do that…" His words trailed off as Lily closed the book she'd been writing in and span round in her position to face him.

"I learnt that in first year," she told him, still with the odd look on her face, "I thought everyone knew it." Her voice was oddly jerky and cold. Remus felt puzzled, he stared at her with a tiny frown on his face, then took a small step backwards.

"Well, I – I better be going," he mumbled, though that was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't want to go back to the Hall and face the accusing glares of the other boys, and he didn't know of any other places he could go. As he started to walk off, however, Lily called out to him.

"Were you spying on me?"

"What?" Remus whipped round, staring at her. Him? Spy? The idea was so ridiculous he nearly laughed. But one look at Lily's face told him that laughing would not go down well, so he merely shook his head, letting his bafflement show clearly on his face. "No. Of course not! Whatever made you think…?" Lily looked down, her face softening. She gave a tiny sigh of relief.

"I didn't really think it. I'm just being paranoid. I've just…Oh, I know it sounds stupid, but I've been having this really strange feeling recently that someone's been following me." She gave a slightly forced laugh. "Daft, isn't it?"

"Not really." Remus replied, studying her face closely. He'd been victim to spells of paranoia too, but that was only around full moon, and he highly doubted Lily had the same problems as he. Remus swallowed the sudden lump that came into his throat: no-one could ever have the problems he had. Offering her a weak smile, he turned to go, but she called out again.

"Oh no, don't go. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so accusing!" Her face was genuine, and for a moment Remus hesitated. Then he thought of James's face and changed his mind.

"No. I mean, I'd like to stay, but I should really go and find James and that." His eye brows lifted as Lily's face immediately darkened at the mention of James's name, and swung her feet back onto the window seat.

"Ok." Her voice sounded oddly wooden, and she re-opened her book. "That's fine. See you later, Remus." She picked up her quill but didn't start writing, probably because she didn't have any ink left, Remus realised. Guilt writhed in the pit of his stomach.

"Bye," he said softly, inwardly vowing to buy her a new bottle as soon as he could. She nodded to him and took to staring out the window, one hand going up to shield her eyes from the sun, just as though she was looking for something. Quietly, Remus walked out, leaving her to it.

He walked along the corridor, shivering slightly and rubbing his arms. He felt cold. Briefly he wondered where the others could be, then decided they were probably waiting outside their next lesson. Which one was that? Remus stood still for a moment, thinking. Transfiguration? No, that was on Mondays and Thursdays. Charms? No, that was Fridays and Thursdays. Remus frowned, closing his eyes to help him think. Merlin, he just couldn't remember! Herbology? No, definitely not. Or was it –

Footsteps were padding quickly towards him, soft ones, but he could hear them nonetheless. His eyes flew open.

"Lupin, is it?"

Remus focused his eyes, his stomach twisting at that voice. He stared at the boy in front of him. He knew that face. Oh, he knew that face. But what should he do about it?

Good manners prompted him to reply. "Hello?" he mumbled inquiringly in the direction of the Severus Snape, the one James and Sirius hated with a vengeance, and vice-versa. Yet here he was, about to embark on a civil conversation with him, unless he was very much mistaken.

Snape sneered, greasy black fronds of hair falling about his face. "Might I ask why you are standing with your eyes closed in the middle of a corridor?"

Remus blinked at him. "I – I was trying to think of my next lesson," he muttered, feeling a dull red colour his cheeks. If it had been Sirius, or even Peter he had been saying it to he wouldn't have given this statement a second thought, yet under Snape's leering black eyes the words seemed to hang stupidly in the air. Awkwardly, he shuffled from one foot to the other, wishing for once he could be as forward as Sirius and simply tell him to go away.

Snape's cold eyes seemed to flash. "You shouldn't stand with your guard down in such plain sight. Anyone could attack you."

Remus frowned at him, so stunned he forgot to be nervous. "Who would possibly attack me in Hogwarts?" he asked, digging his fingernails into his palm behind his back. Snape leered at him.

"I am merely giving you advice. Is that not allowed?"

"No, of course not," mumbled Remus, trying desperately to maintain eye contact with Snape's steady, malevolent gaze. His fingernails bit harder into his palm. What on earth was happening? He had thought Severus Snape wouldn't give him the time of day, and yet now he was standing here giving him advice?

Ten seconds later, he knew why.

"You weren't in lessons today," said Snape, his eyes two narrowed, calculating slits, "I noticed earlier. Why was that?"

Remus's stomach gave such a violent lurch he thought for a moment he was going to be sick. Clenching his hands together in a death grip, he tried to answer in an as natural tone as possible, "I was in the Hospital Wing. I was unwell." Now please go away, he begged silently. He wanted more than ever to just push the cunning Slytherin away from him, or to just retort: "None of your business!" but the words wouldn't even start to form in his mouth. His feet stayed rooted to the floor. His expression maintained one of forced polite.

Snape's face took on an odd expression, and in tones of remarkable casualness he suddenly asked, "I wonder…you're friends with Potter, are you not?"

It took a moment to register who he meant. "James?" Remus said suspiciously, raising his eyebrows at Snape, "What about him?"

"Nothing particularly, merely a point of interest. I was just wondering…would you know anything of the connection between him and the unfortunate trick played on Professor McGonagall several days ago?"

All at once, Remus figured it out. Snape was trying to pump him for information about James. Heart rising in relief, he started to answer, but a deafening shout of: "OI!" rang down the corridor. Remus didn't need to look to know who was coming towards them, and he couldn't have welcomed the sight more than he ever did then.

Snape flinched as though he had been stung, and after taking just one look up the corridor turned abruptly and started walking swiftly away. Five seconds later James caught Remus by the arm, skidding to a halt and glaring at Snape's back.

"What the bloody hell were you doing with him?" he growled, just as Sirius and Peter caught up with them, "You know he's a Slytherin!"

Sirius, with an identical look of disgust on his face yelled after Snape. "Why are you running away, Snivellus? Do we frighten you?"

Snape didn't even stop to reply, and the last they saw of him was his robes whipping round the corner. Looking slightly grim, James turned back to face Remus. "What was he saying to you?"

"Just stuff about the trick we pulled on McGonagall," mumbled Remus, "I think he suspects we did it."

Sirius snorted, tossing his hair out his eyes. "So he was trying to make you confess, was he? What an utter prat." For a moment they were all silent, staring at the place where Snape had disappeared. James was the first to break the quiet.

"C'mon guys," he said, starting to stride away, "Let's go to Potions."

His words brought back Remus's memory, and he silently cursed for not remembering that he had Potions next in the first place.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ta – Naaa! It's me! C'est moi! Did you miss me? Thank you to all those of you who reviewed my one shot 'Aged Seven and a Half.' If you haven't read that go read it now!

Right, I'm off now. Let's see…I have 64 reviews now! Yay! You all deserve a great big shiny gold cupcake for getting me this far. (Throws them out to the crowd)

Go on…review again. You know you want to ;)

Love and peace

Mooncheese xxx