Resolutions, Pt. 2
James chased after Lily saying "Lily, you really, really don't want to do that."
"Why not?" she demanded "He can go right back to sleep afterward." She climbed the stairs, chased by James, Sirius and Peter. "It's a holiday, and a special one besides. The first full moon on new year's eve in twenty years!" She entered the boy's dorm, and looked around, finding it quiet and empty. "Okay, something's not right here…" she said suspiciously, looking at the three panting boys who had looks of panic on their faces. "Where's Remus, guys?"
"No… Idea…" wheezed Peter
"Couldn't…tell ya" panted Sirius
"Thought…he was here" said James, breathless.
"Liars…" said Lily coldly
"Okay, fine… You caught us." Said Sirius dramatically, flopping onto one of the beds. James and Peter looked at Sirius, shocked, and started shaking their heads frantically
"He's visiting his dying aunt, and didn't want anyone to know"
Lily wasn't buying it "Okay, I don't mean to sound rude, but that's bullshit. One, both his parents are only children, and Two, his aunt died last month. And, I believe, twice in second year as well. So I'm asking you again: Where. Is. Remus?" she finished, glaring at the boys, whose guilty faces betrayed them.
"Tell me, or I'll organize a search party of all the prefects and Heads and search the castle, even the secret passages that you think you've been so clever about keeping secret. Even the one under the Whomping Willow." She said triumphantly
The Marauders paled. "Lily, you can't do that" said Sirius shakily, his eyes fearful.
Lily, taken aback by their reaction, asked "why not? Is he in danger? I'll go search for him by myself, I swear. And the first place I'll look is the Whomping Willow…"
"Lily, no!" pleaded James, his eyes horror-filled "You don't understand"
She looked at him, seeing how uncharacteristically serious he was, and said softly "Then help me to. Where is he? He's my friend too, James."
James looked at Sirius and Peter, and they stared back at him hopelessly
"Okay, just… Give us a minute, all right?" James cried, running his hands through his hair and forming a huddle with his friends. Lily walked to the door, her mind working furiously.
In the Marauder huddle, there was silence. "What do we do?" said a white-faced Peter
"I don't know" said Sirius heavily "Knowing Lily, she'll actually go in there, and you know he's not himself- she'd be dead in minutes."
"Remus would never forgive himself, she's his best friend outside of us…" James said ruefully "Do we even have a choice? I trust her, she won't tell."
"I don't know, James. It feels wrong, and… I don't know how she'll take it." said Peter nervously, glancing at Lily
"I trust her too. Besides, James is right. What choice do we have?" said Sirius, surprising James
"And I'll be the one to tell him." said James staunchly
"We'll be beside you." said Sirius, giving his friend a small smile.
"Lily?" James called, and the redhead walked over, her eyebrows raised questioningly. "You may be an amazing girl and friend, and I may have asked you out a million times, but if you don't keep this absolutely secret, I might just have to kill you." he said seriously
Lily almost started to laugh, but quickly stopped, noting the grim expressions on the group's normally jovial faces. "I swear I will" she said just as seriously
James looked at his friends, unsure of how to proceed "Okay, have you ever noticed that Remus is gone from school a lot, usually only for one or two nights a- a month?"
Lily answered slowly "Yes, I have."
Hesitantly James continued "Well, when Remus was four years old, his father passed some… legislation, in the Ministry. And, it didn't make some people very happy. Including Fenrir Greyback- You know who he is?" Lily nodded
"Well, Greyback decided to get revenge on Remus' dad, and one night, on the full moon, he was outside their house, and Remus was outside playing, his parents were inside, and-"
Lily gave a gasp of horror, her eyes filling as she shook her head in shock "No…"
At that moment, the clock struck twelve, and muffled cheers came from the common room, along with the sounds of pots and pans being beaten (nicked from the kitchens)
"Yes. He was bitten, and there is no cure for Werewolf bites. He began transforming the very next full moon." said James, hanging his head.
"Remus is… a werewolf?" said Lily, her eyes wide
"Well, the condition's name is Lycanthropy, but yeah, once a month, he is. And every full moon, he goes down the secret passage under the Whomping Willow, and locks himself in the shrieking shack until morning."
Her head reeling, she searched her mind for what she knew about lycanthropy "Werewolves, or lycanthropes, I guess, need flesh to bite and attack, human flesh; if Remus is alone… He doesn't…"
"Yeah. You can't tell, Madam Pomfrey's so good at what she does, but there are scars. Concealment Charms hide them, because people would definitely get suspicious. Lily… don't let this make you see him any differently. He's still Remus, and he's a good person." James said, his eyes pleading
"Now I know why he always seems so shy, like he doesn't deserve to be here." she said quietly
"He's been through a lot. The Wizarding World has always hated werewolves, even if they're just little boys who get locked in cellars once a month and come out looking like hell warmed over. You could say he hasn't had an easy childhood." said Sirius bitterly
"It's gotten better at Hogwarts" continued James "But it still took forever for him to trust us, and he was packing his things to go when he broke and told us. He thinks he's a monster. Around full moons, he still gets so self-deprecating, it's kind of annoying"
Lily cracked a smile at this and said "Moony…" half to herself. Then she laughed aloud "That's why you guys called him that! Once you used it when you forgot I was there, and Sirius elbowed you in the ribs, and Remus was glaring at you like you were some kind of flesh-eating slug! Then you all just got up and left. I was so confused!"
Now they were all laughing. "I remember that!" chuckled James
"Moony was so pissed at you, mate!" Sirius said, grinning
"Yeah. I deserved it, though. Bet he'll be even more pissed tomorrow…" said James ruefully
Lily shot him a questioning look, and Sirius explained "Remus doesn't want anyone to know; Dumbledore told him not to tell anyone. We aren't even supposed to know, and now we've told you…" He shrugged
"I'm sorry I forced you into telling me, but you won't be sorry you did. He needs to know that people don't care what he is, and I'll be the first to tell him you only told me so I wouldn't be killed." said Lily firmly
"Thanks, Lily." said James, looking tired
"Oh, and in company, we like to refer to it as his Furry Little Problem…" Peter piped up, grinning
Lily looked at him incredulously, then her eyes widened, and she started to laugh hysterically "That's-what-that means?" she wheezed between gales of laughter "We all thought he had some kind of badly behaved rodent, a rabbit or something!"
"That was all James' idea" said Sirius, grinning
James took a deep, sweeping bow "Thank you, thank you!"
Suddenly, everyone felt a wave of tiredness overcome them.
James glanced at the clock "Well, it's been 1972 for approximately five minutes, and it's been a long year. What about hitting the sack?"
Lily yawned. "Sounds good to me."
Sirius said "Oh, wait, about tomorrow. Come with us to the hospital wing; meet us outside there at 9:00, we have a free period."
"Okay, I guess I'll see you then" said Lily. She turned to go, then looked back at the three boys, shaking her head and saying "You know, I used to think you guys were arrogant pranksters, nothing more. But you're really great, loyal friends, and Remus is lucky to have you." A grin started to spread across James' face, and Lily hastily added "Of course, I still think you're arrogant pranksters, but… There's more to you than that. Thanks for being there for him."
Sirius, who couldn't resist, cooed "Oh, Lilykins, you do have a heart!"
Lily harrumphed, and walked down the stairs, not without giving them a small smile,
As soon as she was out of sight, James said immediately "She loves me."
Echoing up the stairs was an indignant "I heard that! I most certainly do not!"
But as he and his friends laughed, and climbed into bed, James' resolutions were on his mind.
Become an Animagus.
Get Lily Evans to like me…
He'd tell them the first one tomorrow, he thought as he pulled the covers over his head. For now, the second one was going to be the subject of his dreams...
A/N So here's part two! Please tell me what you think. Sorry it didn't come sooner, I left the house at 7 yesterday and got home at 9.
Happy Independence day! If you're not American, Happy Summer! If you live in the Southern Hemisphere... Happy Thursday?
Love, Leviosa