Professor Dumbledore announced another Halloween ball two weeks before Halloween. This year it would be a costume party. Remus asked Lily to the dance the very morning it was announced. They decided they would go as fairies. Damien asked Rini and they decided to go as vampires. Sirius asked Damien's twin sister, Jordyn Gem, again. James, being true to his word to Lily, didn't ask anyone to the dance. Damien's other twin sister, Sara, was a bit upset he didn't ask her again.

Lily was glad that the full moon was a week before the dance. Remus had said that his mother was ill and he wanted to make sure she would be okay. So, before leaving for the Whomping Willow tree that hid the passage to his shack where he transformed, he gave Lily a kiss good-bye before saying, "Remember: it's our little secret." He had always said that to Lily whenever he left for his transformations, but this year it was accompanied by the kiss. After he left, she would always go and sit with her friends. Tonight, though, was different from the other nights.

Lily sat down and listened to what they were talking about. The topic didn't amuse her.

"…I'm serious, you guys," Sirius was saying. "For astrology, I was checking my moon chart, and for the months we've been at school, Remus has been leaving whenever there's a full moon."

Lily tensed up at this. She didn't hear the rest of the conversation nor did she even notice her gaze was at James. When James glanced around the table, he did notice that Lily seemed to be staring at him. Trying to see if he would still be able to read her thoughts, James met her gaze. The screaming that entered his head was almost unbearable. That it was Lily's thoughts was not a question.

'How!' her voice screamed in his head. 'How was someone as dumb as Sirius able to figure out something that complex! I mean, sure they have a right knowing, but only if Remus wants them to know! I can't believe this!' Suddenly, her thoughts became panicked. 'Oh, no! What is Remus thinks that I told them? What if he thinks I betrayed him and told them about his being a werewolf? If he thinks I betrayed him in that, would he also think I've been seeing James on the side? Oh, why must I love and be loved by two wonderful men! Never mind your troubles, Lily! You need to think about Remus and the problem of them knowing.'

James broke his gaze with Lily. "Hey, guys, I'm going upstairs. I'll be back down later." He ran upstairs and grabbed his invisibility cloak. After putting it on, he went back downstairs. Someone must have gotten Lily out of her thoughts because she was apologizing for going off into her own world. James went over to Lily and whispered in her ear, "It's me. We need to talk in private. Tell them you're going for a walk around the lake."

Lily could tell he knew something so did as she was told. "Hey, I'm going to go for a walk down by the lake. Maybe see how Hagrid is doing. I haven't been there for a while." Everyone nodded as she left with James following her under the cloak.

It was only eight o'clock so it was okay for her to be walking around the school. She went outside and down to the lake. She got to the tree James had found her crying under the year before and called out, "James Potter, take that cloak off this instant!" James took his cloak off, appearing right in front of Lily with the most solemn face she'd ever seen him have. Startled, Lily took a step back. "What is it that was so important to drag me here?"

"Lily, I know."

Lily was a bit frightened about what he might know. "You know what?"

"Everything!" James burst out. "I know Remus is a werewolf, I know you love both Remus and me, and I know that you keep praying that I'll keep my promise to you."

Lily had backed up so far she bumped into the tree. "How?" she said with panic in her voice. "How the bloody hell did you find out?"

"Lily, when I look into your eyes I can here you thoughts."

Silent tears of fright, worry, and disbelief ran down Lily's cheeks. "You lie!"

James stepped up to Lily and wiped away her tears. "No, I'm not lying. That's how I found out about you and Remus. That's how I know you love me as well as Remus."

"But that was…" Lily's voice trailed off. Suddenly she became furious. "Three months! You've been able to here my thoughts for two or three bloody months and you didn't tell me!"

"I was afraid you wouldn't believe me or else would be angry with me, like you are now."

"You're damn right I'm angry! Who knows what thoughts of mine you've heard!" Lily became worried again. "You can't tell them! You can't tell anyone the truth about Remus. You've got to tell him you know and that the others are figuring it out."

James gathered the emotional Lily into a hug. "Calm down, Lily. I promise I won't tell the others but I will tell Remus that I know." He felt Lily prepare to say something and continued. "Don't worry about Remus thinking you told me either. I'll tell him I figured it out just like the others are."

Lily looked up into James's face to see if he was lying and found nothing but honest sincerity. "Thank you, James," she said quietly. James bent down and kissed her. She didn't reject the kiss or recoil from it. Instead, she accepted and returned it. 'Now I am truly like Guinevere,' Lily thought to herself.