Remus sits with his back against the beech tree, staring out at the pond. There is a reflection of the moon in it, and he finds it hard to believe that this is the reason that his nights are plagued by nightmares and his days by insecurities and fears. It's only about half full but he knows that soon it will be full and his scars will bleed once again.
He has a book clutched to his chest but the only light comes from the night sky and it is not enough to read by. Which is just as well, because there would be no point. He knows the entire book by heart.
The invisibility cloak has slipped off him and Remus knows that he needs to put in back on, knows that someone will find him, but he doesn't care anymore. What does it matter? They'll all hate him in the morning. Except…
He sees her standing, illuminated by the moonlight. She really does look like the angel he knows she is now. Her red hair is flying loose around her shoulders and she walks toward him, knowing exactly where he is though there is no possible way she could see him.
Lily sits down beside him and waits quietly, knowing that he will talk when he needs to. He tenses, half-wishing that she wasn't there. He wants to ask her how she knew, but he knows the answer. She just does. "I…" and he stops, because that is all the invitation she needs.
She strokes his hair, but does not smile because that would not help him. Anyone else would smile, but she doesn't. "What did they say?" Lily asks, and her tone is so full of concern and love and care that Remus wants to cry but he can't because it's just too hard.
He says nothing, and she knows. She knows, because it is the worst possible thing that they could do. Worse than yelling, worse than running away, worse than trying to comfort him with fake sympathy that anyone could see through. "Just nothing?" She asks, and now her tone is sad. The type of sad that could break your heart. It is the type of sadness that is laced with disappointment and heartbreak and worst of all, hurt.
He nods, but he wants to scream. At her and at the world. He wants to tell her that it's not their fault because he cannot stand how sad she is and he hates that it's all his fault. She's so disappointed in what they did, and he wants to tell her that it's not their fault because that's how everyone reacts. But it's not true. Because she didn't.
Suddenly she sees the book and she takes it, placing it gently beside her, eyes filled with understanding. He knows that she knows what it means to him and that it's for his own good, but it's so far away and he wants to snatch it back but he doesn't because he can't because what little energy he had has drained away. She wraps her arms around him and he finally cries, knowing that she is the only one who will ever see his tears. Because she is Lily, and she is his angel.