I apologize incessantly for the long wait. I always had in mind what I wanted for this chapter, but I just couldn't get it out. And for that, I am very sorry. But this is one of my favorite and longer chapters, so I really hope you enjoy it. And I will update quickly after this, as that is definitely in order. Thank you to all my reviewers (you know who you are) and my awesome beta: TheScarlettSecret. Enjoy!

Chapter 16: Wrong Assumption

Lily exited the library, her heart racing and her mind trying to comprehend what she'd just heard. Remus was a werewolf? The Marauders went to the Whomping Willow nearly every month? What idiots! Tears sprang to Lily's eyes as she realized that James had lied to her. How could he? Lily came to a halt and leaned wearily against the nearest stone wall, slumping to the floor, tears blurring her vision. Sure, it wasn't anything big that James had lied about. At least he wasn't seeing another girl… or was he? How could she know? He'd lied to her once for sure; who knew how many other times?

"I need Olivia… and chocolate," Lily murmured, taking a deep breath. Maybe James hadn't lied to her. Maybe Peter was just trying to get back at the Marauders for something… she knew they never had really treated Peter as kindly as they should. He always needed help with something or other, and they never had the patience or time to assist him. Also, Lily knew that James cared for her a whole lot, and she found it hard to believe that he'd lie to her. But, then again, Remus being a werewolf was something that he wouldn't want everyone to know.

For the first time in her life, Lily wasn't sure what to do. Should she confront James about it? No… that'd just lead to another fight and possibly a breakup, and she didn't want that. But she did want to know whether or not he'd been lying to her about other things.

Sighing and swiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her robe, Lily stood up and walked slowly back to the common room, deciding to talk to Olivia first before she took any action.

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"Wow," was all Olivia could say once Lily had told her what'd happened when they were safe in their dorms. Alice was there, and Lily had no trouble deciding whether or not to tell her too.

"Jeez…" was all she could say.

"Yeah…" Lily replied, nervously twisting the corner of her blanket. "Now, what do I do?"

"I think you should talk to James," Alice answered without hesitation, always being the practical one.

"I really don't want to get into another fight though," Lily countered.

"But that's the only thing you can do. That is, if you want to know the truth."

"True…"

"No, it's not the only way," Olivia said suddenly; both girls turned to look at her.

"What's the other way?" Lily asked.

"It's a lot more dangerous, but tons more fun."

"… and?" Alice prompted.

"Follow them," Olivia said simply.

"What?" Lily asked, confused.

"The next full moon, follow them. You know how they leave to go "study". Just follow them and see what happens. You'll figure out whether or not Remus is actually a werewolf, and if and why James lied to you."

"Oh Olivia," Lily breathed, comprehending the idea, "that's absolutely brilliant!"

"No way!" Alice protested. "That's way too dangerous! If Remus really is a werewolf, you could get bitten! Or worse!"

"We won't get too close… hopefully they might come out onto the grounds so we wouldn't actually have to go in the Shrieking Shack," Olivia said.

"And what happens if they don't come out, Olivia?" Alice countered. "You couldn't bribe me with a truck full of chocolate frogs to go in the Shrieking Shack even if Remus wasn't a werewolf."

"Alice, that's just you," Olivia replied. "Lily's not scared… right? You know those rumors about it being haunted aren't true." Lily nodded, hesitating a bit, but Olivia didn't notice. "And if they don't come out, well, then we'll just revert to Alice's plan: talk to James."

"I hope they come out then," Lily responded.

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So far, Olivia's plan was working perfectly (she wasn't going because it'd look too suspicious). All the Marauders had gotten detention after dinner for setting Filch's hair on fire, so while they were downstairs polishing trophies, Lily had the perfect opportunity to fall asleep in the common room. It'd look like she was waiting for James, which she was, but for a different reason. She hoped they'd make a lot of noise when they came downstairs to leave (if they did) because Lily was sure that she wouldn't wake up if they didn't. Olivia tucked a blanket around her and kissed her forehead gently.

"Goodnight, Lily dear," she said. Lily smiled at her friend.

"Goodnight, Olivia," she replied in a singsong voice. Grinning, Olivia made her way up to the dorm and Lily quickly fell asleep to the sound of the crackling fire.

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"Smell me, James!" Sirius crowed.

"Is there a reason I would want to smell you?" James asked as they rounded the corner and headed towards the Fat Lady. The castle was empty as it was past curfew and quiet except for the Marauder's voices bouncing off the stone walls.

"Because I smell good! Like shoe polish!" Sirius shoved his hands in front of James' nose and he swatted them away.

"Cut it out, you two," Remus snapped irritably. "You'll wake the whole castle." James and Sirius immediately fell silent.

"Password," James said to the Fat Lady and she swung open, smiling at her creativity.

"When did Madam Pomfrey say she'd come and get us?" Peter squeaked.

"You mean Remus," Remus answered.

"She said in a few minutes." Sirius shrugged. "I guess that means we just wait around."

"No, that means that the three of you go upstairs and wait until I'm in the tree. Sheesh. Think guys! You know the routine! Don't screw it up!"

"Wow, Moony… why so uptight?" James asked. Remus fidgeted with a loose thread on the cuff of his robe.

"I just… I just feel like something's gonna go wrong tonight."

"Psh, nothing will go wrong! Nothing ever has and nothing ever will. Besides, you said we could go about Hogesmade tonight!" Sirius rebutted.

"Pity you remembered," Remus muttered. Speaking louder, he said, "Now the rest of you get up to the dorm. The last thing I want is to have to transform alone or have you guys arrested for being illegal animagi."

"Yes, Mother Worrywart!" Sirius saluted, a cocky grin on his face, and he marched up the stairs, Peter and James following. But when James passed the couch in front of the fireplace, he stopped and dashed over to it. Sirius groaned.

"Come, Prince James… to bed! You can bring your princess with you if you'd like." Sirius waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Shut up, Padfoot," James said, glaring at his best friend. Then he turned back to Lily and gently shook her awake.

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Lily groaned inwardly as she felt someone shaking her. Go away! she thought. Let me sleep!

"Lily… Lily! Wake up!" Was someone calling her? "LILY!" Suddenly jerked to her senses, Lily sat straight up and was not pleased to experience immediate pain throughout her head. She collapsed back onto the pillow, clutching her forehead.

"Awww… shit!" Opening her eyes, Lily looked up and saw James cradling his nose, blood seeping through his fingers. She gasped and sat up, careful to avoid getting hit again.

"Oh my God, James! I'm so sorry!" James shook his head. Lily brought her hands to her mouth, trying hard not to laugh.

"I'm so sorry, James… here, want me to go and get some tissues?"

"I've got some!" Peter announced, running back down the stairs from the dorm holding a wad of tissues in his hand.

"Thanks Wormtail," James muttered in a nasally voice, grabbing several and holding them to his nose.

"Here, James, lie down." James collapsed onto the couch, his head in Lily's lap, and groaned.

"Thanks, Lils," he said, his voice muffled because of the tissues.

"I'm truly sorry James… you just scared me. Next time, don't shout at someone when they're just waking up."

"It's always my fault… it always comes back to me," James muttered. Lily caught Sirius's eye over James's head and the two of them smiled and started to laugh.

"Sorry James," Lily said as he frowned, brushing strands of black hair out of his face. "It's just, I've never given anyone a bloody nose before."

"And you look funny," Sirius joined in and he and Lily both laughed.

"Ugh…" James pulled the tissues away from his face and glanced at them. He then abruptly turned around and shoved them in Lily's face. "Bloooooood! Blooooooood!"

"EWWW! James, stop!" Lily cried, pushing the bloody tissues out of her face. Laughing, she tried to climb off the couch but James pulled her back down.

"You're not going anywhere until you get a taste of my pain!"

"Oh please, no!" Lily cried, laughing as James grabbed her wrists and forced them away from her face. He held them off to the side with one hand and with the other, propped himself up on one elbow so he was lying squarely on top of his girlfriend.

"Is this some weird mating ritual?" Sirius murmured. James heard him but didn't care to think what this might look like to strangers. He was having too much fun.

Red in the face, Lily tried in vain to pry her hands free, laughing all the while.

"What should I do to you… what to do to poor Miss Lily Evans…" James murmured.

"Oh, you wouldn't hurt me, James," Lily countered. "You wouldn't dare."

"Well, you did," he pointed out.

"But that was on accident. Not on purpose." James was silent for a few moments as he gazed down at Lily; she could literally see the wheels turning in his head.

"No," he finally said. "You're right, I couldn't hurt you." Lily grinned.

"I knew it." Sighing, James sat up and with a final swipe at his nose with the tissues, tossed them in the fire and offered his hand to Lily.

"I'll walk you up to bed," he said and Lily took his offered hand, feeling very much like a spoiled princess. Together they climbed to the very top of the stairs where Lily, after a passionate kiss, walked into her dorm; unbeknownst to James, she had no intention of staying.

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As soon as Lily heard James' footsteps die away, she waited another 30 seconds to be safe, and then quietly opened the door and crept back down the stairs. She positioned herself just inside the curve of the stairwell leading down into the common room: concealed so as not to be noticed, but close enough to hear anything. She didn't have to wait long. Within three minutes she heard footsteps and the stern voice of Madam Pomfrey.

"Ready, Lupin?" she asked.

"Yes, Professor," Lily heard Remus reply. There were more footsteps and then all was silent, except for the soft crackling of the fire. Lily drew a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. A good ten minutes passed before Lily heard more footsteps, followed by the soft murmur of voices. She knew it was the rest of the Marauders. The footsteps headed towards the opposite side of the common room, and when they were gone, Lily knew it was alright to appear.

Quickly and quietly she darted to the portrait hole and pushed gently, praying hard that the Fat Lady was sleeping. Her prayers were answered when the soft sound of snores reached her ears. Ever so gently, she crept out of the common room and gently shut the door, careful not to wake her. Looking down the corridor she saw nothing except eerie blackness. Where had they gone? Why couldn't she see them? She hadn't been that far behind. Lily thought for a moment and decided that her best bet was outside on the grounds. If Remus really was a werewolf, she highly doubted Dumbledore would let him change in the castle. Glancing quickly about her, she dashed down the hallway trying to find James so she could follow him. But as hard as she looked and as fast as she walked, she couldn't see them… at all.

Lily swore under her breath and came to a stop, turning abruptly to hide behind a statue in case Filch came by. If she couldn't see them, maybe she could hear them. She held her breath for a few seconds: nothing. Lily cursed herself for having done this. It was completely insane! Not too mention stupid. What if she was caught? She didn't want to add another detention to her list. But she needed to find out what was going on with the Marauders.

Curiosity won over eventually, and Lily quickly hurried down several more corridors and made her way to the front doors of the castle. To her surprise, they were opening right in front of her… but she couldn't see anyone there. Frowning, Lily crept closer to the doors and was proven not insane when the door opened even more and a foot appeared out of nowhere on the threshold of the castle. Straining her ears, she heard several voices mutter incoherently before the foot disappeared again and the door started to close. Not wanting to be left behind, Lily darted through the doors just as they were about to close and found herself utterly alone on the dark grounds of the school. Not a soul was in sight and, despite herself, Lily began to feel scared.

"Ok, Lily, calm down… calm down… it's gonna be ok…" She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and steadied herself. Opening her eyes, she strained to see something in the darkness… anything. After a few seconds, movement caught her eye over by the Whomping Willow. The full moon illuminated the tree briefly, allowing Lily to see several shapes run towards it and its branches stop moving. Then the light was gone, but Lily knew where she had to go.

Moving quickly, she scurried across the grounds towards the tree and was glad to find it was still unmoving. She made her way carefully through the thick limbs until she came to a hole in the trunk, barely large enough for her to fit through. Dropping to her knees, she peered into the hole and saw nothing but eerie blackness stretching up to greet her. Resting her hand on a knot on the trunk, she proceeded to crawl through the hole. But not before sharp pain shot up her back and she heard the thwack! of a tree limb come crashing down right above her head. With a scream, Lily flung herself through the hole and out of the reach of the tree that was now going crazy aboveground. Breathing hard, Lily stood up, careful to not bump her head, and dusted off her robes. What had she gotten herself into? Literally. This was no regular tree.

"Lumos," she whispered, pulling out her wand. By the small beam of light she made her way down through the tunnel until she came to a large room. Squinting, she could make out a ripped sofa along one wall, a torn painting on another, and several large chunks of wood strewn over the floor. On the opposite wall was a door, and Lily walked towards it, apprehensive about what would be on the outside. Grasping the rust handle, she turned it with a loud squeak, and a sharp breeze hit her face as she stepped outside… into Hogesmade. Stepping out onto the threshold of the door, Lily turned around and found herself staring up at the Shrieking Shack. Lily's heart skipped a beat as she realized where she was. Ghosts were supposed to inhabit this place! Ghouls and spirits that killed and ate whoever came near it! Of course, Lily highly doubted these rumors were true, but nevertheless, she ran away from the house as quickly as she could and onto the grounds where she felt safer, but only by a tiny bit.

Pulling her cloak closer about her, Lily began to make her way through the town, sticking close to the shops so she didn't feel as vulnerable. As she drew closer to the Three Broomsticks she began to hear odd noises: loud scuffles and sniffs, followed by a bark. Must be some stray dogs… Lily thought, rounding the corner. She looked up and stopped dead in her tracks, fear flooding every pore in her body at the scene before her eyes.

In an open clearing in front of the Three Broomsticks were four animals: a rat, a shaggy black dog, a stag, and a werewolf. They looked as if they'd been playing happily before Lily arrived. The rat squeaked and hurried towards Lily who screamed and shuffled backwards quickly. She absolutely hated rats. The dog barked warningly and moved towards the werewolf who was eyeing Lily with a sort of hunger in his eyes that made Lily's blood freeze. It's eyes met hers and they glazed over into a sort of trance as he moved slowly towards her. With a howl, the dog lunged at the werewolf and knocked him backwards as the stag rushed towards Lily. He hit her leg with his hoof in a motion to run, and Lily did just that. She'd never been a fast runner, or athletic for that matter, but adrenaline forced Lily to run like she'd never run before, the stag close on her heels. Why did he keep following her? He acted like he wanted to see her to safety… why would a stag care? For that matter, why were the animals playing together in the first place? It wasn't often that a stag and a rat were found playing hopscotch.

But Lily had no time to wonder as she ran through the streets of Hogesmade, tears springing to her eyes as a howl reached her ears. Why had she done this? Why had she been so stupid? She'd never even considered what would happen if Remus was a werewolf. She'd just assumed Peter had been lying. Another howl pierced the night, louder and longer this time. Tears streamed down Lily's face and she hastily swiped at her eyes as she gasped for breath. The stag pushed her again, urging her on as the werewolf howled and the dog barked incessantly. Lily let out a loud sob and, blinded by her tears, stumbled and fell to her knees, her hands stinging as they slid across the pavement. The stag rushed back to her, forced on by his momentum as Lily brought her sleeve to her face to wipe her eyes. One minute she felt the stag's hoof in her lap and the next she felt a pair of strong hands gripping her shoulders and pulling her roughly to her feet. She looked up and found herself looking into a pair of bright hazel eyes framed by black rimmed glasses.

"James!" she screamed, her mind reeling. "What-"

"Not now!" James yelled over another blood curling wail. "Lily, you've got to run! Run back to the castle as fast as you can. Sirius and I will hold Remus off."

"Sirius is-"

"RUN!" James yelled, pushing Lily away from him towards the castle. Another shriek split the darkness, closely followed by a whimper. James gave Lily another push.

"RUN, LILY, RUN!" he screamed, his eyes frantic. "I'LL EXPLAIN LATER! RUN!" Bewildered and nearing hysteria, tears building up behind her eyes once again, Lily turned and ran. She dashed through the streets, werewolf howls stalking her but dying slowly away as she moved closer and closer to the castle. When Hogwarts finally came into view, Lily hurried towards it, her heart racing, adrenaline shooting through her veins. She looked back towards Hogesmade. Street lamps flickered and danced off of storefronts, casting eerie shadows that danced and wove underneath the full moon. One lone howl pierced the night and then all was jarringly silent, except for Lily's frantic sobs as she collapsed on the threshold of the castle.