Sorry about getting this chapter out so late. However, I did twist the plot somewhat. Let me know what you guys think! And sorry about the short length… but it's longer than the last chapter!

Thanks to all those who have reviewed the previous chapter! Hope you guys enjoy this next part!

Chapter Seven: How to Break a Friendship

The next time Lily met Remus was the following day in the library. She had entered it for completely innocent reasons – she was lagging in Transfiguration and needed to start working on the essay that had been assigned the other day if she wanted to pull her grade up. Walking to the nonfiction section of the library with a small smile in the direction of the librarian, she ran her fingers across the books until she came across the Transfiguration section.

Her eyes scanning across the titles, she muttered under her breath until she found the book that she had been looking for. With a satisfied smile, she pulled the book from the shelf and coughed from the dust that flew into the air as she did so. She walked toward the alignment of tables that she normally seated herself at and was only slightly surprised when she met Remus there. After all, he, as well as she, often visited the library.

"Hello, Remus," she said cheerfully as she placed her books down beside him. She often preferred to work alone, but she found Remus a helpful companion who didn't often disrupt her unnecessarily.

He cast a quick glance at her before returning to his work. "Hello, Lily," he replied tiredly.

Lily was quick to notice that something was wrong from his normal pleasant demeanor. She frowned slightly, her brows furrowed. "Is there something wrong?"

He grinned slightly, but the grin faltered and his eyes seemed weary. "How did you guess?" Lily didn't respond and let him continue. With a shake of his head, he said hastily, "It's nothing, really."

There is nothing more intriguing than the phrase, "It's nothing, really," and there is nothing more infuriating than that same phrase. Naturally, Lily grew both interested and frustrated at Remus. "Tell me," she demanded, slapping her wand down on the table, making it noticeable to him.

His eyes widened slightly and saw the fierce determination in her eyes. Fidgeting slightly, he hesitated and shook his head once more. "It's nothing, honestly." He paused before adding, "Just another one of James's temper tantrums. You know how they always turn out."

And she did. But she also knew that when James vented out on one of the Marauders, the remaining two Marauders would do their best to reconcile between the two, while one was with James and the other with the outcast. But there was no one with Remus now.

And that meant it had to be serious.

"Tell me," she said, repeating herself, annunciating every syllable and dropping it sharply. Her hand was locked over Remus's wrist, applying pressure to convey her seriousness.

It hurt, though Remus did nothing more than wince slightly. He looked down at his books, as though ashamed, and muttered out, "He thinks we're dating."

He spoke them in a low tone, but it was all Lily needed to hear. In fact, she did not even quite comprehend those simple words at first, and she did not exactly respond. However, those words did sink in at long last and her eyes widened. She had heard and seen some people sneak glances at her and those little mutters that slipped from one mouth to another's ear. Was this what they were talking about?

She recalled, the other day, when she had lied about her engagement to Remus that prevented her from dating that one boy to whom she had already forgotten the name of. Crotchman, was it? Yes, it was Crotchman. Had he spread rumors about it? Perhaps he had – and perhaps now, none of those other suitors would be after her.

But at what cost? The cost of Remus's friendship. Lily weighed the two – which was more important? Her freedom, or Remus's friendship? She would endure torture for a year, but he would endure torture for his whole life…

"I'm sorry, Remus," she said hastily, a worried look in her eyes. "I never should have asked for you to do this for me. Now – now you're…" She trailed off, but she needn't finish her sentence. After all, Remus could figure out the rest for himself. She rested her head in her hands as she realized the depth of the issue. Remus – werewolf, who had somehow managed to find three loyal friends – was now alone. "Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry, I – "

"It's fine," Remus said, interrupting her with a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I was the one that suggested it, didn't I?"

"But – I – I – " She faltered slightly, looking around helplessly. The Transfiguration essay was forgotten completely, replaced by school drama. "I shouldn't have – I mean, a year's worth of agony – I shouldn't have accepted – I should've been more precise – "

"Lily," Remus said, holding a hand up in the air, silencing her. It did not, however, keep her from looking and feeling flustered and frustrated. "It's fine. James will come around."

At the mention of James's name, Lily's eyes narrowed slightly in distaste. How could he do something so cruel to his friend? To ignore him completely? To retract their friendship? Friendship wasn't meant to be given then taken back again – it was meant to keep. "That bloody prat," she muttered under her breath. "I can't believe he did something like that! How could he? He ought to shove his head up his arse for doing something like that – well, I suppose, it's already there, but – "

She fell into a ramble, continuing on about how much she detested Potter. And Remus watched, a wry smile on his face. He didn't interrupt her, being rather amused by her great dislike. However, when her voice started to rise, Remus quickly said, "Lily – it's fine. I – I guess, well, I did something to make him do what he did. It's my fault, really."

Lily blinked before responding. His fault? How in Merlin's name was it Remus's fault? "Don't blame yourself, Remus, for James's immaturity – "

But she cut herself off short when she realized that he didn't seem sorry by this sudden betrayal at all. Instead… "Lily," he said slowly, trying to find the right words, "well, we've been friends for a while, and I was wondering…"

He paused and looked up into her eyes. And suddenly, Lily felt nervous. She wished nothing more than to bolt from the room. She knew what he was about to say. And Remus was a kind, intelligent bloke, but did she really think of him as anything more than a brother, a friend?

His lips were moving now. And they were forming words.

Oh, snap.

"Will… you, err…"

Lily squeezed her eyes tight shut.

This could not be happening.

But it was, anyways.

-------------------

"Prongs, mate," Sirius said, lounging on the bed (or what was once a bed) as he watched his raven haired friend shoot hexes and curses at everything in plain sight. In fact, it was so terrible that Peter had run for cover and was no longer to be seen. Quite smart, and an example that Sirius should have followed, if he had any common sense. "It's probably a misconception – "

"I know what I saw, Black!" James spat out, shooting Sirius a silencing glare. "I saw them together in the stands. How come she goes with him the first time he asks, and she never goes to the Quidditch pitch with me, despite the countless times I've asked?" He waited for a response, but none came. "There are rumors, besides. You heard them too."

Aggravated by their torn Maraudership, Sirius stood up. "Back to last names, I suppose, then, Potter." Stretching, he walked over to the corner in which James was sulking in with a dark and foreboding aura. "I admit that Remus is messed up to chase after Lily, but to strip away his title as a Marauder?" He shook his head, slamming a fist against the wall. "I refuse to let that happen. The Marauders isn't the Marauders without one of its members. It's missing something."

When James proved that he had no intention of responding, Sirius sighed heavily and continued, "You're acting immature, James. Sulking around while you're letting Remus go off with Lily. I thought you would be doing something by now. I mean, chasing her and pulling her back instead of venting out all your anger out on Remus. You know, since they're dating, Lily's going to hate you even more now than she did before – "

He was interrupted by a sudden thud: a fist colliding with a wall. James's knuckles started to bleed from the impact with the stone walls, but he did not seem to notice. "SHUT UP!" he roared, standing up. His eyes were flaming with anger. "SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!"

Sirius realized his mistake, but he did not feel sheepish or intimidated. Rather, he felt angry. "No, YOU SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!" Sirius shouted, throwing the closest object – which happened to be dirty laundry – at James, who was so stunned by the outburst that he had listened to Sirius's words. "You're so caught up in your own moping that you refuse to listen to the truth. If you want Lily, you've gotta chase after her. If you don't, then Remus gets her. Is that what you want?"

James didn't respond. His eyes flickered to the floor and his previous furious state had melted into desperation and sadness. "I tried," he whispered. "I tried."

Sirius sighed at his friend. Lily had thought him to be pompous, arrogant – an act that he had put on in attempts of winning her over. She thought that it was a persisting prank. It wasn't. Opening the door wearily, he pointed outside of it. "Well, then," Sirius said, "try one more time."

And after moment's pause, James had scrambled up and left the room, racing down the stairs.

Escaping into the hallways, he ran, his stomach cramping and his legs burning as he turned corridor after corridor, but he took no notice. Time ticked by and he did not falter in speed as he searched frantically for her. "Lily!" he shouted when he finally found himself far too weary to continue. "Li—"

At that moment, two people rounded the corner.

Two all-too familiar people.

Lily and Remus, laughing together.

He felt himself freeze, contrary to the burn that he had felt the day before. He felt his stomach churn and his heart stop. All thoughts that scrambled across his mind suddenly came to a standstill and disintegrated into empty space – that conquering empty space that occupied his whole body.

They, too, froze in place as they stared at him. Together. They stared at him. He stared at Lily. It was too late, he realized. Lily loved Remus, the same way as he loved Lily.

It was too late.

It was too late for him.

------------------

"Damn it, Remus, why did you have to go off and ruin everything?"

They were standing outside where James could not overhear them. Remus was kicking at the pebbles that littered the floor, not looking the flaming Sirius in the eye.

He didn't respond.

Aggravated, Sirius kicked the stone wall of the castle. "I finally manage to get hope and you squash it! You knew he liked her all along – why did you have to go and steal her from him?"

Sirius was panting from the frustration and anger that he kept bottled within himself. Remus, on the contrary, seemed perfectly calm and resolute. After a long moment's of silence, he finally responded, "Lily was never his."

This only angered Sirius even further. "So it was perfectly all right to ask Lily on a date?" Once again, Remus was silent. "You are his friend. You are supposed to be supportive. You don't date the girl he's loved for the past several years!"

"I was supportive," Remus said quietly. "I am supportive."

"You are bloody not supportive!" Sirius roared, trying to do his best to keep himself from lashing out at Remus. "Not only did you take the girl that he's liked, you have asked him for his broom to take Lily flying! He's been trying to get her to fly for ages, and now she's doing it with you! On his broom!"

Remus shrugged, sticking his hands in his pockets. It was only September, but the air was already getting frosty.

"If I tell you, Sirius, would you promise to keep quiet?"

And suddenly Sirius stopped in his anger and a slow smile crossed his face. What did he mean? He knew Remus. He was sneaky in a way – all his pranks were, never like James's and Sirius's – those pranks that pop in front of someone's face. They were always sly and struck silently and came when no one was suspicous, but it was lasting.

"I'm a Marauder, Remus," Sirius reminded him, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Tell me what you've got."

------------------

Dear Mrs. Evans,

It is to my pleasure that I may announce that, despite the fact that your daughter, Lily Evans, had successfully managed to slip from her first engagement that you have arranged with her, her relationship status is working its way up in a discrete manner. Such a discrete manner, in fact, that she does not even realize it.

You may think me confusing or confused, I understand. I assure you, I am not. Instead of attending a date with young Mr. Crotchman, your daughter had forged a fake engagement with her friend, Remus Lupin. And the rest is all predictable.

Therefore, I make it a point that all following set up dates may be cancelled. However, might I request a meeting with you involving this subject (in secret, of course – revealed to no one but the Hogwarts staff, you, and perhaps your husband) as soon as possible? We will arrange transportation issues. There are a few issues that I mean to discuss…

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry

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That night, Lily lay in bed, a smile on her face. The two of her roommates to whom she wasn't exactly friends with caught sight of this dreamy expression and immediately started to glare at her for taking away one of the Marauders and spread more rumors. But Lily didn't care, for she was to distracted in her own thoughts.

"Is it true, Lily?" Alice whispered, nudging Lily with her elbow. "Are you honestly going out with Lupin?"

Lily turned to look at her friend and rolled over onto her side. A small smile crossed her face as she recalled what had happened. "You'll see," she whispered in reply, not wanting the two gossips to overhear. After all, if the truth leaked out, what would happen?

And Lily turned back over to face the ceiling of her four poster bed and grinned once more, remembering what had happened only earlier that day. She recalled how Remus fidgeted slightly and how he cleared his throat to find a way to put out his words. After all, he was a prefect. Something like that wouldn't exactly be the easiest.

He was squirming slightly in his seat, face contorted as he tried to think of the most appropriate words...

She didn't blame him. But she never thought that Remus, of all people, would ask her that. In fact, she didn't think that anyone would ever ask that.

He stuttered out the next words. "Will... you, err..." He frowned slightly, frustrated at his inability to voice his thoughts.

It was an exciting concept, to say the least. And she couldn't wait for it to begin.

Inhaling deeply, he calmed himself and his lips started to form words, his throat voicing them...

She grinned once more, her thoughts racing across her head. She had told him yes.

"Will you pull a prank on James with me?"

And how could you refuse such an offer?

Ha! Did I get you thinking in the opposite direction? Probably not. Oh well. Hope you enjoyed! Crtique the story--I know it's not the best quality and my works are all missing something. o.O (sigh, sigh) Well, yeah. Review!