Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters. I only own the plot and a few characters I made up to help shape our heroes.

After two weeks of being at Hogwarts, Remus had his first encounter with the Whomping Willow and the shack that Dumbledore had designated for him. No one seemed to notice his change in behavior as the day before the full moon he grew sick, though Lily brought him soup from the kitchens to try and get him to eat something. Luckily it was chicken soup, though he had no idea how she found the kitchen or even why she cared about him at all. She tended to keep to herself unless she was with Alice or her other dorm mates, though Padma Mehta seemed to be more inclined to join them then the other two. Kaylie Weeber and Dua McNee had grown up together in the wizarding world and tended to stay away from muggle-borns. They weren't blood purists, they just didn't want to take the time to explain everything so much and Lily had accidentally offended them once.

Even though James, and by proximity Sirius, had started paying attention to him due to Lily, they were both too wrapped up in their mischief to care where he disappeared to at night. The rest of the Gryffindor first years didn't really seem to care either, as Frank was too busy spending his time with his Ravenclaw friends and Peter was usually alone unless he was with Aphrodite or the others as a whole.

Knowing no one would question him still made it hard to disappear from the dorms as he made his way out to the Whomping Willow and waited for the school nurse to levitate a branch to let him pass. As he had been sick in the hospital wing the day before, the Headmaster had taken the time to again explain what to do while Madam glared and insisted Remus needed rest.

"Welcome to hell, Lupin. It seems we've got ourselves another case of isolation with the added benefit of wards to keep anyone from investigating and to keep me inside unless I'm within my right mind. As it's the full moon, we all know that's not going to happen until the morning when Madam Pomfrey will carry me back to the hospital wing to tend to the wounds my wolf self will inflict. Let's get started shall we?" He had a habit of talking to himself when this happened, something he picked up after his parents hid him away during his first transformation...and all the time afterwards. He was grateful for the clothes and warm blanket that she had placed on the highest shelf, knowing full well that there was a stool hidden in the cupboard to help him get to it. At least the wolf would leave them alone while they were out of reach. He curled into a ball on the bed, waiting for the pain and the misery to follow the darkness rising in the window.

Waking up in the hospital wing was much different than waking up at home. This time there was no frantic searching for healing potions and fussing from his mother or the guilt written across his father's face. There was only Madam Pomfrey humming to herself as she but slaves on his wounds. "You did a number on yourself, didn't you?"

" No more than usual." He winced when she glanced up at him, the only evidence of her surprise was quickly hidden behind her smile. "You seem very calm for someone tending to a monster."

She snorted like he was a child telling her a joke. "Considering how many students I've tended to that went off and joined that prat of a man going on about blood purity, I'd say you aren't the worst. If only they knew he was a half-blood, maybe they'd go back to sitting on their hands and babbling the ludicrous ideas they'll never act on." She didn't seem to catch his wonder or realize that he had heard her, going back to humming as she finished wrapping up his wounds. Luckily there were none visible on his forearms, hands and face so he was allowed visitors. Most likely Lily with more soup and his homework. "If you get tired, now, don't let them keep you up. You hear me?"

He nodded slowly which seemed to satisfy her, watching her toddle off to take care of someone else.

"Remus! Oh I'm so glad you're okay, I just heard you'd been in here for almost three days! Stupid Gryffindors don't ever tell me anything. Finally I heard it from that muggle born, Lily I think it was. She gave me your homework cause she was almost positive you'd be bored in here." He wasn't expecting the worried Slytherin to appear, but it was nice to see her anyway. Her hair was shorter than before, having been cut with what looked like safety scissors. "Oh, this.." Upon seeing where his eyes were, her hand had nervously run to the mess that ended at her shoulders instead of her waist. "Retribution for arguing with housemates over a mugg..Lilly. It wasn't that bad, cause I got back half the points we lost from their targeting her. Hair grows back."

"I think it suits you." They both blushed when it processed that he had said that out loud. "I just mean, it doesn't look bad. Don't take my word for it if you don't like it, I just think it looks fine and…" His nervous chattering was cut off when she kissed his cheek, staring at her in wonder.

She giggled behind her hand at his expression. "I have to get to class, I'll let you know if anything interesting happens while you're still in here. Get better soon!" She wiggled her fingers to say goodbye, almost running out the door. That girl was going to be the death of him...or maybe she was going to be the one to make him live a little.

His thoughts were cut off when someone plopped themselves down by his feet and handed him a text book. "I don't know how you do this, mate. I mean, I understand the basics of it but I'm absolutely rubbish at potions and we've got a review test coming up. Short of someone else doing my homework, I've got nothing." Sirius Black leaning on his footboard pouting like a child with the wrong textbook was not what he was expecting. He could understand Venus being worried as she rarely got to see him and probably got little information from his housemates, but Sirius? He was almost certain he was hallucinating from the pain.

"You can't make sick people do your homework. Besides, that's not going to help with the test." The older boy's other half joined them by pulling up a chair and handed his best friend the potions textbook he'd clearly tried to get away from. "How ya doin', Lupin?"

"I'm doing great, Potter. It's a wonder she'd kept me in here so long." Considering he looked like someone had doused him in bleach and left him in a snowstorm, there was no way that his sarcasm could even go over their heads. "What exactly is it that you two want from me? I thought it was Slytherin's jobs to kick people while they're down."

The boys exchanged a look before bursting into laughter, quickly deciding something with hand movements he didn't know how to read. "We like you and we wanted to hang out. But since your stuck and we're falling behind, we'd figured you could help us study then we'd watch the Quidditch game between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff once you're out."

"That doesn't seem like you want to be friends. That sound like you want something from me and in exchange you'll let me hang out with you." As little social interaction before Hogwarts as he'd had, he knew full well how to recognize bull when it was shoved under his nose. He quite enjoyed the shocked expressions on their faces too, knowing full well that those two knew how to control them for a crowd and that it was rare that someone could bring out true emotion. How did he know that? He'd been paired with them for every class and had only seen James slip up around Lily. "Here's the deal. I'll help you study, not give you the answers. If I decide you two aren't the jerk purebloods my friends think you are and that you've been acting like, I'll let you know about that Quidditch game."

Sirius turned to his best friend and was the first to respond through his chuckling. "I've never seen Jamsie so quiet before. You sure you haven't learned a stunning spell?" There was a real smile behind those words so there was hope. But then James shoved the other boy off the bed for the nickname and he was again distracted from his thoughts.

Okay, so maybe James and Sirius weren't that bad. They could be prats if they were having a rough day or didn't understand something, like boundaries for instance, but apologized for their behavior afterwards. "Apologies don't count if you just go off and do it again!" James went blind after a loud whack sounded through the hall, and he was pulling hair out of his mouth for two days. It was gross, but Remus high fived Lily at lunch.

"Okay, I know that she doesn't like us very much at the moment because she's a girl and they do that for some reason. But that doesn't mean we let one of our own get hurt by someone." It had been decided that retaliation was necessary almost immediately after their study session. By that, he meant there was no study session. "I was thinking we could hex his hand or something to make every drink he touches mud, but I don't exactly know how to do that." All of his ideas centered around mud to make it clear it was for the mudblood comment. "How about we make a trap outside a Slytherin classroom to make him fall in it?"

"That won't work." He had been quiet for most of the time, electing to focus on what he was actually planning for, but for some reason Remus wanted to help. "You'd have to charm the floor before school started and our house is first. Besides, someone else could fall who wasn't involved."

Sirius beamed. "I know!" He wasn't singing the same tune a week later when they found themselves in Slughorn's office while he chidded them on their well planned prank. "I don't know who did it sit, honest!" If pureblood's honor was a thing, he'd swear by it. The plan was to get one of the muggleborns to "receive" a special treat in the mail, one that the Slytherins couldn't help targeting. Instead, they'd find themselves eating candies with a dragon's breath hex on them. It was hilarious to watch them running around trying to ask for water as steam escaped their ears and their tongues stuck out of their mouth and their hands waving. No one wanted to tell them that water didn't help, but eventually Venus gave them all some milk to cool down their tongues while Slughorn tried to reverse it.

By chance, Peter Pettigrew stumbled into the classroom, having forgotten all of his books. "I'm sorry to interrupt Professor but I…" When his eyes landed on his housemates, Remus could have sworn his eyes bugged out of his head. "What are you lot doing here?" His voice was shaking, but his words were confident.

"These three were caught using a hex on another student. They were seen in the library a week before and have motive, one of their housemates was attacked by the students affected. It obvious who the perpetrators are." Slughorn didn't look that angry but there was an air of annoyance around him like he didn't think it was worth his time to deal with three first years.

Peter almost turned to go but seemed to take a second to find where he lost his Gryffindor courage. "Professor, we had a potions test that week and the only books I saw at their table were potions. They didn't take out the proper book, ask Madam Pince." This was enough to cause doubt and he would have been none the coward if he left it at that. But he'd tasted his own bravery and found it addicting. "Oh and Professor? Thank you for the extra help on the potions lesson, I was struggling with the text but you explained it better." He disappeared out of the doorway while the three boys stared after him.

When Slughorn let them go, they made it their mission to befriend the shy boy who rarely ever spoke. All it took was them sitting with him one day at lunch, and it seemed that they would never leave again.

Getting the letter from her parents informing her that she wasn't going home for Christmas break due to Petunia's cries about her friends coming over and having a witch in the house. "As much as it pains us to admit, it might be better for you to stay home. We don't want you around her when she's like this and you haven't learned to control your magic yet. We're excited to hear all about your school year thing summer when you come home and in your letters." She broke down in the dormitory that night, curling up in her sheets to find some comfort in the warmth they provided.

"Lily dear, it seems we've got a problem. You're sad and I don't know how to fix it." There was a quiet squeak as the bed shifted beneath the now two bodies that rest upon it. "You see, I always hated knowing that my friends were in pain. But none of them have ever shut themselves off from me like you do." Alice's eyes were wide with worry and her lips pressed into a thin line.

Red eyes poked out from the sheets as same colored hair followed. "My parents don't want me to go home for Christmas, they think with all the tension between my sister and me, I'm a danger." If she had any more tears to cry, she would have started bawling her eyes out. "My parents don't want me anymore because they think my magic is dangerous. What am I going to do?" She buried herself back in the blankets, refusing to accept that she wasn't wanted by her family anymore. Maybe if she buried herself enough, she wouldn't have to face her own reality.

There was a huff much like her mother when her uncles came over. "Lily Evans, I did not take you for an idiot when we first met." The indignant squawk that came from the bundle lends itself to the laughter that erupted from one of the other beds and the one she was on. "You, are not a danger to anyone at the moment and you never will be if you hide yourself away like this! Both Padma and I will be staying here over Christmas break as well and would love to spend it with you So if you don't mind getting your flat arse out of bed, we can go get lunch."

Once Alice found her way out of the mess that her roommate threw on her as payback, she grabbed their hands and raced down the stairs. Padma opened the door for them, winking at Lily as she went. "I think your butt is wonderful Lily, especially good for falling on like at our last flying lesson?"

"Hey, leave her alone girls." Remus hugged Lily from behind once she sat down, leaning all his weight into it so she almost face planted into her potatoes. "I think I'm terrified from the glares I'm receiving, someone get a mandrake!"

"I think Sirius singing will do a better job than that. At least if you die, you won't have to hear it anymore." Peter yelped as he was zapped on the nose by a very put out Black. "You're the one who goes that in the shower, I don't see how you can blame me for making fun of you." He grinned as all the girls started giggling at the horror on Sirius' usually controlled face.

There was a whizzing noise then a paper airplane poked Peter in the forehead. "You should be nicer to your friends, Peter. I can't imagine Sirius will ever be able to recover if his face gets stuck like that, though it would give us all a laugh." The voice was definitely female but no one else at the table seemed to recognize it, besides of course the red cheeked boy who had received it. "Courtyard after lunch, you owe me."

There were whoops and hollers from the table as he rushed out when they were done eating, everyone giggling over his "girlfriend". Lily soon found that all of her friends were staying over Christmas break, Padma because her family didn't celebrate, Peter and Remus because their parents were away and Alice because she had owled home to tell them she was staying to be with Lily. As much as she was dreading the disappearance of all her classmates and the silence of the castle, it would seem that she was going to have a lot more fun than she originally thought.

"Watch out!" Lily squealed like one of the pigs next door, throwing herself behind a tree to shield herself from the projectiles flying at her. "Remus, you okay?" When all she got was a groan in response, she knew she was done for. "Come on Evans, this just just like back home. With magic and hexes and friends." She took a deep breath and just barely dodged the pound of snow flying over her head. She whirled around when she heard the scream, hands flying to her face when she saw the two girls lying on the ground. "I am so sorry! Did one of us hit you?"

Alice ran over with blood flooding her cheeks and not just from the cold. "Oh, it was all my fault. I go a bit mental when it comes to games like these." She helped them both up and dusted off their robes, her eyes crinkling.

"That was an amazing throw, how did you do that?!" The girls were twins, no doubt. They had the same dark frizzy curls that framed their faces and their eyes were the same, bark from an oak tree to protect themselves. The only difference was one of them was taller and she was the one speaking. "I mean, I've seen Venus throw snowballs at the boys in our neighborhood before but never anything like that!" Realizing that there were four people staring at her in confusion, she flushed darkly. "My names Aphrodite, this is my sister Venus and Frank Longbottom, he's in Ravenclaw with me."

"You know we could use a few extra players?" When all of them were thoroughly soaked head to toe from their time outside, they all hurried back into the castle to change. It only seemed fitting to wear the flannel pajamas they all got with the colors of their house, curling up by the shorter tables that had been brought in so students from all houses could sit together. Venus was leaning on her sister, sipping the hot chocolate they'd snatched from the kitchen along with some freshly made donuts.

There was only the sound of quiet munching and the sighs of comfortable preteens as they relaxed. "You know, I didn't realize that a boarding school could be so much fun. I know that the magic and the ghosts and the moving stairs and the…" She trailed off when she got poked by one of the twins and slapped their hand away. "Anyway, it's nice to know that snowball fights and hot chocolate are universal."

"Of course they are! Did you think we were all barbaric?" Frank looked at her with such offense that she was actually worried for a second. Then he broke out into a smile and their laughter rang throughout the Great Hall. When everyone else came back for school, they were surprised to see the tight group that had stayed. Of course Remus and Peter were a bit on the outside but they laughed whenever one of the girls called someone a barbarian, sat with Frank in the common room to study and hugged the twins when the saw them in the halls.

One day in February when Frank gave each of the girls a yellow rose, two of them watched him give the final one to Alice with sly smiles. "It's sweet of him to think of us on Valentines day, but I truly believe it was all a ploy to give a rose to her." Lily brought her attention back to the friend across from her, reflecting her relaxed posture as they leaned in one of the open arched windows. "I bet they end up dating by third year, they'll be the power couple of the school."

Aphrodite's eyes seemed distant as she watched them, like she was looking through their bodies to see what was beyond them. "Oh, I don't think so. She's got too much Gryffindor pride to make the first move and he'll be too distracted to notice she recuperates his feelings. During the summer though, that's the time to fall in love. I think that's why they choose June for their wedding. It'll be lovely." It wasn't like flipping a switch, her voice suddenly dropping back into it's normal tone instead of being in the skies. She didn't turn around and comment on Lily's shock. She just sat there with her lazy smile, humming a tune no one else knew. If she was right, her friends would be hearing it years later as the Longbottoms first dance after becoming husband and wife.