A/N: Hey guys! Firstly, my new update schedule for this story will be every/every other week due to a busy schedule. Secondly, I have uploaded a book cover for this story, that I designed myself. I quite like it, so if you want, check it out! Anyways, I'll let you get to the story now. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 4: Where's Remus?

Late September, 1971

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

It had been two weeks since the first day of school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and most students were already well-adjusted.

Lily had become close friends with Mary MacDonald, Alice Prewett, Marlene McKinnon, and Gwenog Jones. She was closest to Alice Prewett and Marlene McKinnon, despite the fact that she had gotten into a quarrel with Marlene the first day at school.

Although Lily now had multiple new friends, she was still very close to Severus, and made a point to sit next to him in every Potions class (Slughorn always loved his two new potions stars working together), and would walk with him to whatever classes she could.

On the other hand, James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus had become quite close, especially Sirius and James. The two boys had already landed themselves in a number of detentions, from practicing Wingardium Leviosa on Severus, arriving late to countless classes, and getting caught exploring the Castle at night.

Yet all of these detentions made James and Sirius almost inseparable, and although many of the teachers were fascinated by how two boys could earn themselves the amount of detentions of almost all the seventh years combined, they secretly adored the boys friendship.

It was a Monday morning, and students were groggily filing into the Great Hall after a relaxing, enjoyable, warm and sunny weekend.

It was the last week of September, and students all had a feeling that the beautiful weekend they had just enjoyed would soon turn into chilly, autumn air.

James and Sirius skipped into the Great Hall for breakfast, sitting across from Peter.

"Hey, where's Remus?" James asked, peering down both ends of the Gryffindor table in search of his friend.

"Dunno," Peter said. "Wasn't in his bed when I woke up, I just figured he must've left for breakfast early."

"Well, he's not here," Sirius said.

"We figured as much," James said. "Perhaps he ate breakfast extremely early and went off to the library or something. You know him, much more efficient and studious than the rest of us."

They all agreed with this theory, and continued to eat their breakfast.

However, when they sat down in Transfiguration class, Remus had yet to show up.

"Perhaps he's just late," Sirius said.

"Remus is never late," James persisted.

"He was late on the first day at school," Peter interjected.

"That was only because of us," James argued.

"Boys!" McGonagall snapped shrilly. "What are you discussing that is possibly more important than my lecture?"

"Professor, we believe Remus is missing," James said.

McGonagall's lips thinned. "Yes, Potter, I am aware that Mister Lupin is missing from class."

"Than why aren't you doing anything?" James yelped. "Aren't you going to look for him?"

McGonagall's eyes narrowed. "We know where Mister Lupin is, Potter, and I believe the matter does not concern you. Your friend is safe, and that is all you need to know. Now, Potter, do keep quiet for the rest of my lesson."

James shrunk back. At least Remus is safe, James thought.

The rest of the day was rather blunt, nothing very interesting. The boys kept trying to think of reasons as to where Remus could be, but could not come up with anything logical.

"Is he even going to come back?" The thought had just occurred to James.

The boys looked at each other.

"'Course he will," Sirius said, after a moment's hesitation.

"But, remember on the first day at school, when he said he shouldn't even be at Hogwarts? Perhaps...perhaps they've finally expelled him for whatever reason!" James worried.

"Hogwarts wouldn't expel any student unless they did something extremely horrible," Peter insisted.

"I dunno…" James muttered.

For the next three days, the three boys continued to speculate about where their friend could be. They had even quit teasing people, even though Remus hardly ever participated in their pranks. However, James still could not resist the urge to call out Severus in the halls.

Sirius had noticed, too, that recently, James would ruffle his hair and lopsidedly grin at Lily whenever he passed by her.

Sirius was beginning to reach the conclusion that James had developed some sort of crush, and for whatever reason Sirius could not understand. The girl was uptight, bossy, and absolutely loathed James. She was always yelling at James whenever James teased Severus, always glaring at James when James grinned at her, and always avoided the group whenever she could. If anything, Lily was the last person Sirius expected James to have a crush on.

Yet that night, at dinner, James insisted on sitting next to the Gryffindor girls, taking a seat next to Lily. "Hey, Evans! What's for dinner tonight?"

Lily wrinkled her nose and scooched a little to her left, away from James. "Look for yourself," she responded flatly.

She shoved one last bite of mashed potatoes into her mouth, and then climbed off the bench. "I'll be getting ready for bed," she said promptly, and then scurried out of the Great Hall.

"Getting ready for bed? At 6:00?" James asked incredulously. "What's with that girl?"

"Why do you care?" Sirius asked, then grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "Do you have a crush on her or something?"

James grinned, "Nah. She's just fun to tease. The ones who are most uptight are funnier to loosen up!"

"Doesn't look to me like she's loosening up any," Peter muttered.

"'Course she isn't, hanging around that sour Snivellus," James said.

Sirius grinned, and mimicked Severus' expression: "Hullo, I'm Snivelly. I always look like I sniffed a pile of dragon dung."

The boys howled with laughter.

"I know right? I don't understand why Lily hangs around with him. He's rather creepy, if you ask me," Marlene commented.

The boys immediately turned to the girl in surprise.

"McKinnon, isn't it?" Sirius asked.

"Sure is," Marlene said. "Anyways, I ask Lily all the time why she hangs around that Severus boy. She's much too good for him."

"I think Severus has a crush on her," Mary MacDonald joined in.

"But Lily said they're just friends," Alice insisted.

"Not if you ask Snivelly," Sirius sneered. "The only times he doesn't look sour is when Evans is with him."

"He brightens up every time he sees her," Peter said. "As if he's got a chance."

"How do they even know each other anyways?" Sirius asked. "From what I've seen, when Slytherins and Gryffindor's mix, it's bloody hell."

"They live close to each other back home, I think" Marlene said. "Apparently Severus was the first to discover Lily was a witch."

"Oh, yeah!" Sirius said. "During the sorting Evans said Snivellus told her she was a witch. He must have done some extensive stalking to notice, right James?" Sirius grinned.

James looked up from his dinner, "Huh?"

"'S'the'matter with you?" Sirius asked. "You've suddenly gone all quiet."

"Nothing," James said. He picked up his fork, "just hungry," and he shoved a bite of green beans into his mouth. He immediately gagged a bit, scrunching his face up in disgust.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "Ah…"

"Well, I'm off to Gryffindor tower. Better start on that Potions homework Slughorn gave us," Marlene said.

"I'll bet Lily is breezing through it," Gwenog complained.

"I'll walk with you girls," Sirius smiled charmingly, his eyes glinting.

The girls blushed.

"Coming, James?" Sirius asked.

"Oh, right," James muttered. He quickly stood up and scampered away without Sirius.

Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"What's gotten into him?" Peter asked.

"Dunno," Sirius answered.

The next morning, James opened his bed hangings to see someone digging through a trunk across the dormitory.

"Remus!" James exclaimed. "Where've you been these last few days? We've been hounding all the professors!"

Remus paled. "Oh...wh-what did they say?"

"Wouldn't tell us anything, except that you're safe," James rolled his eyes.

Remus relaxed.

"Well, it's a good thing you're all right! Now, are you gonna tell us where've you been?"

Remus's face went frosty white again. "Oh, um…"

"Come on! You've got to tell us! We're your best mates!" Sirius climbed out of his bed eagerly.

"I d-don't really want to t-talk about it," Remus stammered.

"Come on!" James whined.

"I was visiting my mum," Remus blurted out.

"What for?"

"Do you get homesick?" Peter asked hopefully. "Because don't worry, I get homesick too."

"No, my mum is sick, I was just visiting her." Remus rambled. "You know, got to make sure she's all right and stuff."

"Oh," Peter said, slouching a bit. "I don't actually get homesick either. I was just er, you know, trying to make you feel better."

"Er...right," Remus said. "Well, I better get to breakfast now. I have a lot to catch up on, haven't I?"

Remus swiftly left the dormitory, his robes billowing behind him.

"Poor bloke," James said. "His mum must really not feel great if they even pulled him out of school."

"Poor bloke" Sirius agreed. "D'you notice all those scratches on his face? Wonder where those are from," Sirius said.

"You're right. They certainly weren't there before he left," James wondered.

"Oh, well, I'm sure he'll tell us soon. Probably some swashbuckling adventure story behind it," Sirius said.

They all nodded in agreement, and following their mysterious friend, left the dormitory and headed down for breakfast.