Continued...

Lily didn't even stop to look at Remus. She turned down the hall and began to stride very quickly toward McGonagall's office. She willed her mind not to think about what had just happened, she had more pressing matters to contemplate. Like how to get to McGonagall's office without breaking down in frustrated sobs. Or why Remus Lupin was now following closely behind her. Too closely. Closer then she was comfortable with, anyway. She walked faster; Remus walked faster. She quickened her pace so she was leaping from foot to foot; still she heard Remus on her heels. She broke into a flat out run, Remus' footsteps pounded down the corridor in response. That was it. Enough. She skidded to a halt and whirled around to face Remus.

"What are you doing?"

He gazed dreamily back at her, "F-Flitwick told us to go to McGonangall's off-office."

Lily couldn't help it. She rolled her eyes.

"Okay. Who are you and what have you done with the real Remus Lupin?"

He blinked, "W-What?"

"I said," Lily said between gritted teeth, "Who are you and what have you done with Remus Lupin? The real Lupin would never act this way toward me."

"I-I am the real Remus, Lily. And- and I love you."

Lily puffed a sigh and rolled her eyes again, realization dawning reluctantly in her mind. Those ruddy gits. They did this to their best friend?

"Remus, come on. We need to get to McGonagall's office." She griped his arm tightly and began to pull him down the hall.

Several floors later, Lily –with Remus in tow- knocked hard on McGonagall's office door. No one answered.

Lily sighed heavily again. "Of course. She's still in class." She chanced a glance at Remus: he was gazing vapidly at her, joy and awe shining in his eyes. Lily stared incredulously at him.

"Okay, I think we'd better wait in her office. Come." And she wrenched the door open and shoved Remus inside the office, following him in and slamming the door in her wake.

Remus was watching her expectantly, smiling the wide, winning smile of a beauty contestant.

The injustice of it all welled up inside Lily. Why, why, of all the people in the great wide world, did she have to be the on to explain to Remus Lupin that he was under the influence of a love potion?

"Remus," Lily said slowly as she moved toward him, "There's something I need to tell you-" but she was cut short by Remus grabbing her into his arms again, and laying one deeply on face.

As she was no longer being watched by a crowd of people, or under a confundus charm, she was able to fully appreciate Remus' skill. For all the heat and passion of his kiss, Remus' lips moved gently over her own, one arm wrapped securely around her waist, the other hand softly caressing her neck. The shock ebbed away, and Lily found herself winding her own arms about Remus' neck, as he pulled her closer to him. Smoothly, Remus slipped his tongue into her mouth, deepening their kiss as his hand moved to her shoulder. It was only when Remus' mouth slid from her's (presumably to move to her neck) that Lily came to. Twisting her arms around she grasped his neck in a chokehold and forced his face from hers. But, for a reason unknown to her, her arms didn't seem to want to push him too far away.

"Lily, what…" Remus seemed dazed, almost drunk as Lily spoke over him.

"Remus, I'm really sorry, but there's something I have to explain. I think- I know- that your friends have given you a love potion. You don't really want to be kissing me right now, not at all. I don't know how long it's going to last, but hopefully, in just a bit of time, you'll be back to…" She trailed off as she saw the haze of passion slide from Remus' eyes. His hold on her loosened, and he shook his head slightly, before meeting her eyes. He looked thoroughly confused.

"…normal." Lily finished, and swallowed.

"Lily," Remus began, his voice back to his normal tone, "What- what's happened, I-" Shock flooded Remus' face, and Lily supposed there was no need to elaborate on what had happened. The memories seemed to be vivid enough in his own head. He looked quite scared, almost terrified.

"Remus," she began, but-

"Lily- Lily I'm so sorry. I- I didn't mean to, I wasn't trying to, I don't think- I don't think I've been in my right mind!"

"No, no Remus you haven't," Lily said calmly. She seemed to be stuck in his arms, something in her just wouldn't leave them. "I…think someone must have given you a love potion."

"But h-how, why, why would anyone-"

"It was your friends, I think," she said swiftly, "I'm almost certain. They played along pretty well to your sudden infatuation with me."

At these words, Remus seemed to realize he was still holding her, and he promptly threw himself out of her arms, breathing hard. Lily couldn't stop the hurt from creeping into her face, was she that unappealing to him?

Remus caught the look on her face, "Lily I- I'm…we're- we're just friends, right?"

"Maybe…" Lily looked at him, remembering how it felt to be in his arms. "We…why don't we try, try to be something-"

"No, Lily." Remus said sharply, and Lily took a step back, a little hurt.

"We," Remus said slowly, meeting her gaze with every word, "wouldn't work. Okay?"

Lily had never heard him sound this determined, this stern. She was about to argue back, when Professor McGonagall entered.

Lily sat in a hard wooden chair in front of Professor McGonagall's desk for the next fifteen minutes, Remus by her side, and endured her longest ever lecture from a teacher, in which she was appointed a detention (a very rare occurrence in her school life), and thirty points were taken from Gryffindor.

When she and Remus finally emerged, (both heading on non-verbal consent back to the charms classroom to retrieve their things) it was to find James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew waiting for them on an upper landing.

"Oi," said Sirius, trying to pass Remus his bag. Remus didn't take it.

"Why," Remus began slowly in a voice shaking with pained anger, "would you do that-"

"Not the time, Moony, not the place," said James hurriedly, taking Remus' arm and steering him away.

"Just a minuet, Potter." Lily said in a loud, stiff voice. James stopped, but did not turn round.

"What," she said, addressing James and Sirius in a voice of forced calm, "Made you think you could get away with that?"

"There's nothing you can do to us, Evans," said Sirius indifferently, "you've got no proof that what happened back in that classroom was anything more then uncontrollable teen hormones."

Lily's temper reached boiling point as she glared at Sirius, but he was right. She had no proof. But still, her temper broke.

"Why!" she shouted, unable to hold her rage, "Why would you do something like that!"

Sirius and Peter looked back at her, but James still didn't look around as he spoke to her.

"You messed with us, Evans. You took our stuff, and refused to give it back. When someone- anyone- messes with us, they pay. It's that simple. And you're no exception."

Her mouth curled into a sneer, and though her voice came out low, her hate and distain hung from every syllable.

"I told you this morning I lost my reason for hating you, Potter. But I was wrong. You haven't changed. You're still an immature, selfish, arrogant git, and I loath you."

James made no response, didn't even turn around to acknowledge he'd heard her, just walked away down the steps, with his friends by his side.

…

There are few things in this world that make me happier then reviews. Seeing my best friends who live in another state, or understanding how I feel about a certain guy, or chocolate would probable all rank higher on my happiness list. But, as I doubt any of you readers could give me those things, why not just review?

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