AN: Thanks so much to all my reviewers! Anyway, here's the next chapter. If i don't update before wednesday, then i won't be updating for probably another week, coz im going away. anyway, enjoy!

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"I just think my name's boring," Sarah explained, examining her nails.

"Your name's fine," sighed Lily, looking up a definition in her large Ancient Runes dictionary.

"Ah, see, you said it was fine. Not amazing or exotic."

"It's better than Eleanor Harvey," their friend complained, attempting to charm Lily's pencil case to sing. She was improving as well: it was now softly humming the theme to Mission Impossible.

"I was thinking something more dramatic, like, Sarah Zabini," Sarah said, waving her hand in front of her in a theatrical flourish.

"Zabini?" Lily asked, frowning at her translation. That wasn't right…Stone Henge had not been constructed by three talented goats…

"It's my mum's last name. And ever since my dad deserted us when I was just three, I haven't been too fond of the name 'Taylor'."

"How do you say 'goat' in Runish?" Lily asked thumbing through her dictionary. Leaning over her shoulder, Sarah glanced at her translation.

"No, that says, Kapria…goat is Kapra. And I'm not so sure 'Runish' is the correct term…"

"So what's Kapria?"

"It's the name given to a sect of ancient wizards. They worshipped the sun and believed that's where the force of magic came from. They erected all sorts of monuments across the world to honour it."

Eleanor and Lily stared at their friend blankly.

"How do you know that?" Lily asked incredulously. It was amazing the amount of useless information she managed to retain.

"History of magic," Sarah said with a shrug. With a glance to her left, she pulled the elastic out of her hair and let the silky dark brown waves cascade around her shoulders, drawing the attention of a group of boys lounging in the common room: Sirius included.

"Be more obvious," Eleanor muttered. Sighing she moaned, "Do you think I'll ever get a boyfriend?"

" 'Course you will," Lily and Sarah said in unison.

"In fact, my brother's free this weekend," Sarah commented with a glare at Lily. "Since he was so rudely left hanging…"

"What? Remus asked me first. He's my friend," Lily explained. "And besides, you should still be apologizing on bended knee to me. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have to work with that git, Potter, in Potions class. He almost set fire to himself last week. And the thing is, I know he's not rubbish at Potions, 'cause he's not rubbish at anything. He's just being moronic on purpose."

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"You look like shite," Sirius said, chucking a pillow at his friend who only groaned in response.

"You reckon he's sick?" Remus asked, also grinning down at James who's grey-tinted face was beaded with sweat.

"Fuckin' wankers," James moaned, attempting to pull the curtains closed around his bed but his arms were too heavy too move. His head pounded dully and his throat was burning as though it had been torn to shreds. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and soft, and his left eye was twitching violently. Although, he wasn't sure that was one of the symptoms of his cold. People's eyes didn't usually attempt to jump out of their head. Even when they were dying, and James was positive he was dying.

"So…not coming out with us tonight then?" Sirius asked, nudging his friend in the leg. "You know you want to."

"I'm dying and you want me to run around the countryside?" rasped James, pressing a hand to his sweaty forehead. He definitely had a fever.

"Anyway I better be going. Said I'd meet Lily at one," said Remus, picking up his scarf and heading for the door.

James moaned again. "Say nice things about me!"

Grinning, Remus opened the door. "I'll try and think of something," Remus said.

He met Lily in the common room and they walked into town together, shivering in the cold air, their breath steaming in front of them. Hogsmeade looked beautiful in the winter, the cottages piled high with thick white snow, lights glinting out through the windows. Hurrying into the Three Broomsticks, the pair ate lunch then spent a few hours perusing the various shops. They stopped off for a quick coffee at Madame Puddyfoot's before rushing to the town hall, where a show was being performed by the Wandering Wandless Wizards: Casting the Spell of Entertainment. This evening they were doing a re -enactment of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, but involving many more warlocks and trolls than the original contained.

After it was finished, Lily persuaded Remus to take a quick stroll up the Hogsmeade hill, so they could look out over the small village and across the large, dark lake bordering the Hogwarts grounds. By the time they reached the top, both Lily and Remus were puffing and a thin film of sweat covered them in spite of the cold air. Sitting down on a fallen tree, Remus wiped a space next to him clear of snow so Lily could sit as well. They talked for a long time, about the play, schoolwork, and life in general, until they fell silent.

"You know, you're one of the few people I feel totally comfortable with," Remus said quietly, breaking the stillness between them.

"You too," Lily whispered. "I never have to try to be something I'm not when I'm with you. I can relax."

They smiled at each other and before Lily knew it, their lips were pressed together. Who initiated the kiss, Lily didn't know, but it lasted only a split second before they pulled away and gazed at the other.

"Yep, definitely not," Lily said, just as Remus said, "Mm, still gay."

They both laughed and Lily rested her head on his shoulder, looking up at the night sky. She was glad she hadn't come with Nate. Yes, ok, he was very good-looking in a clean-shaven Italian sort of way, but he was too sappy and emotional for her. He was forever writing poetry or sketching pretty landscapes in charcoal, and, while both were extremely romantic traits in a cheesy movie or sappy book, they weren't what she was looking for in a boy.

"Look, the stars are coming out," Lily muttered as the clouds parted and the clear sky became dotted with tiny pin-pricks of light. Suddenly, she felt Remus stiffen besides her and she sat up. "What's wrong?"

His face had turned ghostly white. "Oh my god," he muttered. "I forgot. I was supposed to be back at the school by five. Lily, run."

"What?" Lily asked, scooting away from him and resting a hand on his shoulder.

"It's the full moon tonight. I – I completely forgot. Lily you've got to run, as fast as you can. Get Dumbledore and tell him where I am."

"But -."

"Run!" Remus yelled, pushing her away and standing up, limping away from her as his limbs began to shake.

"I can't leave you," Lily muttered, panic and fear filling her body as she stood, backing away from him. An eerie light began to fill the clearing as the moon peaked out from behind the wispy clouds. She could clearly see Remus, his whole body erect and frozen, visibly shaking, hear sprouting from his skin.

She ran. Sobs filled her chest and throat as her feet pounded down the path towards Hogwarts. She reached the castle within five minutes and burst through the huge oak front doors into the Entrance Hall and straight into a boy standing behind them. They both toppled over and Lily found herself laying on top of James, dressed in pyjamas and a dressing gown, his hair messier than usual and his face a pale green.

"We have to get Dumbledore!"

"What?" James croaked, too sick to feel excited at having Lily laying on top of him.

"Remus!" she cried. "He's still in Hogsmeade."

James' face paled. It went from greenish-grey to white as a sheet and he got to his feet, pulling Lily up with him. "Is he near people?" he demanded, hurrying up the marble staircase, pulling Lily with him.

"Not when I left him," Lily replied, trying to get her breath and wipe her face clean of tears at the same time.

They collided with Dumbledore in the Transfiguration corridor and before they could speak, he asked, "Where is he?"

"I left him on the top of the Hogsmeade hill. It was just the two of us. He was alone when I left," Lily said, clutching at a stitch in her side.

"Right," Dumbledore said hurriedly, his face grave. "You two may wait in my office until I return with news, if you wish. I know how much Remus means to you both. The password is peppermint humbugs."

The pair nodded as Dumbledore dashed out of sight, then James took Lily gently by the arm and led her to a stone gargoyle, which permitted their entrance to Dumbledore's luxurious office.

"I shouldn't have left him," Lily whispered, once they were seated by the fire. "I just left him all alone in the woods."

"You did the right thing," James said hoarsely. "Remus…he becomes something else when he transforms. The human part of his mind is taken over by the monster and he can't control his body, no matter how much he wants to. He becomes dangerous – the werewolf inside him becomes dangerous. If you'd stayed…he would have ripped you to shreds."

"I deserted him though," Lily whispered, her bottom lips trembling. A tear rolled down her face and she brushed angrily at it. James sat softly on the arm of her chair and pulled her gently against him. Smoothing her hair soothingly, he kissed the top of her head. They sat together for almost and hour, when Lily looked up at him and said, "You look like shit, by the way."

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AN: Thanks for reading. And please, review! They seriously make me write faster! Thanks! xxx