Chapter three: truth be told

By dinner that evening James and Sirius were no longer talking. Sirius claimed that their friendship has been terminated and that the name 'James' is the most vile word ever. And to speak it in his presence was the utmost act of treason.

After the visit to the hospital wing James remembered Sirius's comment about Lily. He had asked the dark-haired boy what he had meant and Sirius exploded.

"Oh…oh I'll tell you what I meant." Sirius snarled plopping down on the couch next to Remus who was already engrossed in a book. "She broke up our fight this morning," he said throwing his hands into the air.

James looked at him disbelieving.

"And that's why you're so upset? Because she broke up your fight?" he asked staring at his friend.

"Yes…No!" Sirius cried, he took a deep breath, "that's not it James. It's what she did when she broke it up. Remus told her he had lost control and she went all into lecture mode.

She told him he couldn't lose control and that he was dangerous-"

"No she said it was dangerous." Remus interjected without looking up from his book Sirius rolled his eyes and continued.

"Whatever. Then she started saying that he could kill someone and 'what would happen if she hadn't come along'" Sirius grumbled trying to keep his anger in check.

James's mouth hung open.

"She couldn't have known about Remus's…furry little problem." Peter said confused.

"Yeah, there's no way she knew what she was saying," James added crossing his arms and glaring.

"Actually she knows," Remus said looking up. All three of his friends were looking at him opened mouthed. "What? Oh come on you guys. Despite your best efforts to forget that I am indeed a prefect I still am and so is Lily. You don't honestly think she would not notice I was skipping out on prefect duty every full moon. She cornered me and asked and I told her."

Remus said returning his gaze back to his book but he was no longer reading it.

"So see! She did know what she meant! And she…she UGH!" Sirius was so upset he couldn't even find the words.

"Oh come on Sirius. Lily must've made a mistake." James said rolling his eyes at his overdramatic friend.

"Why do you do that? Why do you always defend Lily? She just insulted one of your best mates and your still on her side!" Sirius cried in outrage. James opened his mouth to speak but Remus cut him off. He didn't like his friends fighting because of him.

"Sirius, James, stop it. She's right you know. I am dangerous and I think about it everyday. I worry about losing control. I know you can handle me Sirius but I still worry…" He told the other boys. "You know I…I think I need to go." He got up and left before any of them could call him back.

Remus spent the rest of the day in the deepest darkest corner of the library. He only came this far into the library when he wanted to be alone. The only one who was ever able to find him here was Sirius. Remus guessed that he could follow his sent as Remus could follow Sirius's. Also he knew that Sirius could sense his need to be alone hence why he had not come to find him even though the last time he had seen him was that morning and it was now close to dinner.

Remus left his sanctuary after his stomach practically screamed to be fed. He entered the already full Great Hall and took a seat next to Sirius who was stabbing at his food viciously. Across form them on the other side of the table was James, Lily and Peter.

Lily's eyes widen when Remus entered the room. She gave him a look of unease. The tension was nearly suffocating them. James was also stabbing at his mash potatoes imaging that Sirius's face was in the middle of them.

"Hello Sirius," he said to the boy next to him.

"Hiya Remmy," Sirius said easily slipping out of one mood to a much lighter one. James looked at Remus warily.

"Peter, James…Lily" he said giving each a curt nod. Lily let out a breath at the recognition.

"Hi Remus," she nearly gushed as Remus piled food onto his plate.

After a few moments of awkward silence broken only by the scrapping of the silverware over the plates Lily gathered up her courage.

"Uh…Remus do you think I can talk to you…privately?' she asked nervously.

"No Lily." He replied not looking up from his food. Lily's shoulders slumped at that. "I am calling a Marauder's meeting after dinner, your invited and we all will talk there." He announced and quickly shoveled his food into his mouth. Once his plate was clear he left the hall without another word followed closely by Sirius.

James, Peter and Lily entered the common room to find it empty save for Remus and Sirius who were conversing quietly on the couch. It seemed that Remus was trying to calm a very angry Sirius.

The three took their unassigned seats. On the couch was Remus against the arm, Sirius next to him. Peter sat on the floor with his back against the couch and James was in an armchair with Lily across his lap.

The quite of the common room was a little eerie and foreboding to Lily. She knew that the other kids were sure to clear out when the marauder's had a meeting. (Ever since one such meeting lead into a fist fight between James and Sirius and a couple of their housemates got caught in the crossfire.)

Remus and Sirius quieted down and Sirius crossed his arms and sat back into the couch. Obviously they had elected Remus to be the speaker.

"Ok I think we are all aware of why we are here." Remus said and was answered by a chorus of nods. "Sirius and I have decided that there are some truths that need to be told." He continued ignoring Sirius's scowl.

"But first I would like to say something. Lily, I understand that what you said – and don't say you didn't mean it because we have already been over that- because your concerned. But the thing is that you've only known about my secret for a year, and James, Peter and Sirius have been dealing with it for five years now and I have been living with it for a lot longer.

I think it is necessary to say that I have never lost control, when it was dangerous. There is still a lot about my 'situation' that you don't understand. And one of those things is that Sirius is more than capable of a …opponent in such…activities." He said. Lily looked confused. Remus sighed and turned to Sirius who nodded.

"What he is trying to say is that I am an Animagus." Sirius said and in true Sirius fashion not only told his secret but his friends' as well." James and Peter are too. I am a dog, James's a stag and Peter's a rat."

Lily looked at him blankly at first than seemed to be deep in thought. "Now your stupid nicknames make sense," she said and then her face began to redden. "Wait, are you saying that you guys have been Animagus and haven't told me? James! I'm your girlfriend!" she said turning on her boyfriend.

"I-I didn't know how to tell you with out telling you about y'know." He stammered.

"How did you learn to do this?" she demanded.

"We taught ourselves," Peter said with a note of pride. Lily seemed to swell with anger.

"WHAT!" She screamed. "So you're not registered, and I doubt McGonagall knows. Do you even know how dangerous that is! And illegal!" she said.

"We did it to help our friend Evans!" Sirius said angrily. Lily flinched at his harsh tone and use of her surname. Her cheeks turn a bright red in embarrassment at his words.

"Yes well…" she murmured.

"Anyway, I think that we should now put this whole thing behind us. I mean, now that all is out in the open." Remus said. His friends nodded. "Good, well I think I need some sleep,"

He got up and headed up to his dormitory. He could hear Lily reprimand James about how dangerous becoming and Animagus on his own was. He chuckled and entered the room and was soon off to sleep.