AN: Hey all, I'm back again! Where did my reviewers go? You all, like, disappeared! Come on people, go back to your cheerful, reviewing selves!

Chapter 3: I Think I Know Now

Taking a walk had always helped Lily to think, and thinking was what she was doing as she and Margo walked in the warm spring air.

"Margo, what if I do have a crush on him?" asked Lily, as they walked around the lake.

"Well, then you tell him how you feel. It's not like you guys are tight friends or anything, so you wouldn't have to worry about ruining a friendship," reasoned Margo.

"That's true… but I just get so nervous over those type of things. Maybe I should wait for him to come to me… that way I'll know he feels the same way," said Lily.

"He could be thinking the same thing," said Margo. "And then—"

"—We'd both be waiting for the other person to come and they never would," finished Lily.

"So, does this mean you are falling for Remus?" asked Margo with a sly smile. Lily was silent for a few moments.

"You know, I think I am," said Lily. Margo just smiled.

Remus didn't have near as much fun as he should have going down to the kitchens with his friends. Even though Sirius had predicted it would get his mind off of "whatever it was he was thinking about," he was still deep in thought about Lily. He tried to appear cheerful nonetheless, but as soon as he, James, and Sirius exited the kitchens, Remus stated that he was feeling a bit drowsy, and said he was going to take another walk outside to wake himself up.

"You sure you're okay, Moony?" asked Sirius.

"Yeah, I'm fine… I just need some time to myself for a while," said Remus. As he separated from his friends, he heard Sirius say to James, "The full moon must be getting close, he usually gets moody around then…" Remus laughed to himself, knowing full well that his transformation wasn't due for another ten days. He had a feeling Sirius had said that loud enough so Remus would hear it and attempt to cheer him up. He did smile slightly as he walked away and towards the front doors.

"How about you go and find him right now?" suggested Margo.

"But don't you think that's a bit sudden? I mean, I just discovered my feelings for him…" said Lily.

"If you don't go now, you might lose your will to," remarked Margo.

"Well, I suppose…"

"See you, Lily. I'll be in the common room," said Margo, her eyes flashing ahead of them and then back to Lily. She winked and walked away, leaving Lily standing alone along the banks of the lake. She looked up ahead of her and saw none other than Remus wandering aimlessly around the grounds. He was at least a hundred meters away and seemed to not have noticed her. Taking a deep breath, she approached him.

Remus walked around the grounds with no particular destination, thinking more and more about Lily. It wouldn't be long before she completely consumed him. He stopped abruptly and sat down in the middle of the grass, staring at the earth as if it could provide him with the answers he needed. He couldn't stop thinking about Lily, but he had never exactly held intelligent conversation with her. They were more close to acquaintances than friends. He thought that maybe, if he actually had a chance to talk with her… really talk with her… than maybe he could get her off of his mind for a while. But then again, he might just start thinking about her even more since he would have held up a conversation with her… then, suddenly, as if like a bright light blaring into his mind, he realized what he had to do.

He had to tell her how he felt.

It made perfect sense… if she felt the same way, he wouldn't feel so terrible with having her on his mind anymore, but if she didn't feel the same way, he would simply brush it off and forget about the whole thing since there wouldn't really be anything to hope for. He was about to get up when a voice sounded right next to him, startling him.

"Hello, Remus," said the female simply. He jumped and whipped around to find none other than Lily standing there, smiling at him. "I'm sorry for scaring you… may I join you?" she asked.

"Er, sure," said Remus. "I was actually just about to go looking for you."

"Really?" said Lily, sitting down next to him cross-legged. "Can I ask why?"

"I… wanted to… tell you something," said Remus. Lily noticed his broken and unconfident speech.

"Remus, is something wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"No, no, nothing… were you looking for me or did you just happen upon me?" asked Remus, changing the subject.

"Well, I was looking for you, yes. I have something I wanted to tell you, as well."

"Well, ladies first," said Remus, keen to put off his confession as long as possible. Lily shook her head.

"No, you go first, it's only polite," said Lily.

"Any more polite than I wishing you would go first?" asked Remus, smiling.

"Hm, you have a point, but still, I insist, you first," said Lily, gesturing for him to continue.

"Well, all right," said Remus after a pause. "I, well, I'm actually not quite sure how to start…"

"Oh, just spit it out," said Lily. "No need to be eloquent, it's just you and me." She smiled.

"I've been, well, thinking about you a lot lately, Lily…" he started. Lily's heart skipped a beat. Could he possibly mean what she thought he meant?

"And I've come to realize that I sort of… well… have… feelings for you…" he finished quietly, and he blushed rather deeply. He stared at the ground again. Lily did not reply immediately, as she was looking at him curiously, trying to formulate a reply.

"Go ahead, walk off, call me crazy, whatever you're going to do… no need to make me suffer…" he said dejectedly. Lily smiled.

"Remus? Remus, look at me…" said Lily. When he made no move to obey, Lily gently placed her hand on his chin and lifted his head up and turned it toward her. She saw the wonder and sadness in his eyes, but when he saw her smile, his spirits seemed to lift slightly.

"I was going to tell you the same thing," said Lily slowly, her smile widening.

"Really?" said Remus hopefully.

"Really," said Lily. "Now, you still look like something's wrong," noted Lily, and she embraced Remus in a hug. When she pulled away from him, she looked him straight in the eyes. "What's wrong, Remus?"

"It's just… well… it's James," stated Remus. Lily's eyes flashed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, see, he's always wanted you to be his girl, and…" he stopped at Lily's sharp intake of breath. "What?"

"You mean, James still likes me?" asked Lily. "Even after, what, over two years?"

"Oh, I think it's been longer than that, Lily. Anyway, like I was saying, James still likes you, and if he ever found out that I, well…"

"Shh," said Lily, putting her index finger on his mouth. "It won't get out, I promise… on one condition."

"I'm listening…" said Remus.

"I have to be able to tell Margo, but I promise you, she won't tell a soul," said Lily.

"Sure, one person can't hurt. James can never find out though… not until he's over you…" said Remus.

"I understand completely," said Lily. Her stomach rumbled. "Oh, I'm hungry… it's a shame dinner isn't for another four hours…" Remus's eyes brightened considerably.

"Well, I know where we can get an afternoon snack," said Remus.

"But—"

"Come on, just follow me," said Remus, taking Lily's hand and standing. She followed suit.

"But where…?"

"Just trust me," said Remus, and he led her back to the castle.

"Where is he?" asked Sirius as he lost his second game of wizard chess to James. "He's been gone practically an hour!"

"Patience is a virtue, Padfoot," said Peter, who hadn't been around all day because he had been in the library working on a Potions essay.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Peter…" grumbled Sirius.

"He's right, you know," said James, clearing up the chessboard. "He'll be back when he's had time to think." Sirius regarded James curiously.

"You have a sensitive side you keep hidden, James," said Sirius.

"Well, we all do, don't we?" said James off-handedly.

"I think it would impress Lily if you showed her you really are a nice guy and not the hard-core prankster she thinks you are," suggested Sirius slyly.

"I agree, James… look at all the other girls. They all brag about how all their boyfriends are so nice and kind and caring…" said Peter. "That's why Sirius doesn't have a decent girlfriend…"

"HEY!" said Sirius loudly.

"Don't deny it, you know he's right," said James. "But I wouldn't dare show my goody-goody Gryffindor side in public," continued James as if it were a terrible crime.

"Honestly, Prongs, anything dealing with the right and good seems so appalling to you…" said Remus, who again appeared while his companions were deep in discussion.

"How do you do that?" demanded Sirius. "That's the second time you've done that today!"

"It's skill, Sirius," said Remus, sitting down in an empty chair.

"Oh, and by the way, we were wondering if you were ever going to come back before the school year ended…" muttered Sirius.

"Now, Padfoot, you know I'd never abandon you guys," said Remus in a mock-supportive voice.

"You seem much more cheerful than before, Remus. All that thinking must have done you some good," said James with a smile. "See, Sirius? There are benefits to thinking. Not, of course, that you would know, since your brain never seems to use one iota of thinking power…"

"What is this? A pick-on-Sirius session?" demanded Sirius hotly. "I'll have you know that most of the pranks we pull have my thinking power behind them…"

"Actually, Sirius, you and James come up with the idea most of the time, Peter typically agrees to do it, and I'm the one that typically ends up figuring out how to make it all work…" said Remus.

"Oh be quiet, all of you…" grumbled Sirius.

"Okay, okay, we know when to stop," said Remus. "At least, some of us do," he said, shooting a look at James. James, who knew perfectly well what Remus was talking about, simply answered with an innocent, "What?"

AN: And that's a wrap! Please people, review! REVIEW! I COMMAND YOU!

-xXx SpicySugar xXx-