Nina:

I just stole three galleons off Lily, after, for shame, losing a bet to James Potter.

I probably should have listened to her when she told me that a Scops owl couldn't carry a Niffler, but I didn't.

She could have saved herself three galleons, though, had she not employed that stupid 'I told you so' smirk when I lost.

But I don't tell her that.

Speaking of which.
Something is up in Lilyland.
She wasn't at dinner, unusual, because Lily likes her good old English stodge.
I went up to her room, and found her sitting in her bed, shaking like a leaf. She was staring into space, lost in her thoughts.
Don't want to know what the thoughts were.

At first I thought she had a fever or something – her eyes were bright and she was shivering, even though the room was really warm. All her blankets were piled on top of her, her hair was all untamed and she was wearing her nightgown.
"Lils! What's wrong?" I asked, expecting her to tell me she felt ill.
But no.
"I'm fine. I'm just... tired."
And then she lay down, the silliest grin on her face.

If you ask me, she's been into my mead again.

--

Lily:

I don't even know what the date is.
Or the time.
Thats a lie.
Partially.
Its a Wednesday.
I know that much.
Wonderful Wednesday.
Its got a bit of a ring to it, don't you think?
Wonderful, Wonderful Wednesday!
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE!
ON WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY!
Nina thinks I've gone mad.

She came into the dorms and I was wearing my nightdress and all my blankets were piled on top of me.
I was cold.
And now I'm too hot so I'm sitting on the floor in my underwear.
I think I have gone insane.
INSANE!
I should go to the Hospital Wing.
But I don't need Madam Pomfrey to tell me whats wrong with me.
Its obvious.
I'm incapable of controlling my body temperature. I'm trembling uncontrollably, I can't sleep, I cant eat, I'm nauseous, I'm jumpy, and I can't stop grinning and bursting into maniacal laughter periodically.
No. I know what's wrong.
I have Remusitis.
It is a rare and largely unheard of disease that is obtained by doing the following:

I had another study session with Remus, which, I thought, would probably involve me scolding him for ditching me last time, him apologising meekly and me tutting and then pretending to work when I was really just trying to sneak little glances at him without him noticing.
This has become a sport of mine. I call it Peek-a-Remus.
Anyway.

I arrived at the library at punctually four. I found Remus deeply engrossed in a book entitled 'Bites and Mastications – What to do when you've been nibbled'.
"Hi Remus. I found some stuff on Chinese Chomping Cabbages that we could use that for the conclusion." I said. He looked up and smiled weakly.
"Thats good. But I had a look at our notes yesterday – sticking aconite into it would be a waste of time. It doesn't do anything, because it's effects are countered by the mandrake."
"Oh." I said. I hadn't thought of that. "Crap."
"It doesn't matter. We'll find something better."

His words were comforting. I'd had the most horrible day. For one thing, I'd had Arithmancy and Muggle Studies, my two least favorite subjects. I received 52 percent in my last Arithmancy test, and we were currently studying Muggle Social Habits. I don't know why I took that horrible class – they talk about Muggles as though they were an entirely different species. It's very unnerving when the 'Social Habits' mentioned are frighteningly similar to your own. It's like the class is studying me.
I was up to my ears in homework, I cut my hand slicing rat tails and Potter was a total prick today. More than he is usually, I mean.
He spilled ink all over the floor in Potions, which I slipped on. I then proceeded to knock over someone's cauldron, the substance of which caused my skin to become inflamed and my robes to disintegrate. I yelled at him for a bit, while he and his little gang (not Remus) sniggered at my expense. Then I discovered my robes were dissolving, and ran sobbing from the classroom.

I had to take a revolting potion, and my robes were beyond repair.
So I was forced to walk all the way to Gryffindor tower from the Hospital Wing IN A FUZZY PINK DRESSING GOWN.
Oh yeah, and I'm becoming rapidly addicted to Nina's 'secret supply' .

All I wanted was Remus to hug me and tell me everything was okay.
And then do something a little less innocent to me.
But I won't write that down.
However, I then remembered I was angry at Remus.

"Why did you ditch me last time?"
He winced.
"There were some events that needed... my attention."
This made me angry. The 'events' being Potter needing him to re-direct any Professors heading towards the scene off some mischievous plot they were executing, which doubtless the flaming trousers were part of.
"When that Potter clicks his fingers you jump up to go and do his bidding! You're better than they are, Remus! Why do you continue to endure them? They're not even that nice to you! I saw Black stuffing those apples down your shirt at lunch! They tease you and they get you in trouble, but you continue to tolerate them! Why?"
I looked at him, and I found myself, surprisingly, very, very afraid, an emotion one does not usually associate with Remus Lupin.
At first he went red. Not embarrassed red. Not cute little bashful Remus red. Angry red. That was fearful enough in it's own right – Remus never gets angry.
Then, he went really pale. Ghostly white.

Very quietly, as though he was straining himself not to scream at me, eyes burning, he said
"You don't know."
We stood there for a few minutes in silence.
"Know what?" I asked stupidly.
And then he looked me straight in the eyes. It had never occurred to me, but he had never done that before. He always averted his gaze somehow.
His eyes were sad.
"You don't know anything." he said softly. Then his voice got harder – colder, and faster.
"You have no idea what they did for me. You have no idea what kind of people they are. You just don't... don't know."
There it was. That annoying phrase again.
"I'll never know if you don't tell me!" I burst out. "What don't I know? Because I do know what type of people they are! Pettigrews a stupid little fanboy, Black's a self righteous, up-him-self, inbred pure blood bastard and Potters a stupid fuckwit with an ego that the Great Hall can't contain! And you... you're a coward. You don't even have the courage to stand up to those nasty shits you call friends!"

And then he exploded.

"SHUT UP! Just shut up! You don't understand, you don't know, you can't... you... just don't! Stop talking! I'm not a coward! I'm... They aren't! And... just shut up! You stand there and judge people, like me and Sirius, you with your perfect life! When have you, ever, ever encountered any hardship? Ever? You haven't, have you? And yet you somehow think it's okay for you to condemn us all! Go back to your dorm and file your nails, or read a book or something! You just not... nobody's ever going to be good enough for you, are they?"
His rant ended with an exasperated tone to it.
I was speechless, and not a little hurt.

"Thats not..." I whispered. I was going to say it wasn't true, but it was. Taunts of 'mudblood' from the Slytherins and 'freak' from Petunia are hardly hardship.
And then, to my eternal shame, I sank to the floor and sobbed amongst the books. For the second time that day.

Remus was at a loss for words. Whatever he expected, that wasn't that. He looked terrified – I suppose the situation was a little intimidating, after all. I doubt he had encountered many bawling adolescent females in his time.

"Lily" he said softly. "Lily, please don't cry. Please... I'm sorry. I didn't mean...Please." he crouched down next to me.
He was pleading with me.
I looked up at him..
"Please." he murmured so faintly I could barely hear him. Or maybe I imagined it.
His face was very close to mine now.
I let out a little sob.
And then I tilted towards him.
Just slightly.