A/N: Updated as of 1/22/2014. Remember always to read and review! Thanks all!

Y6: Too Many Maybes

Autumn had passed quickly and winter took over their days with heavy snow packing the ground. Lily sat in a prefects meeting staring at the window watching the snowflakes fall past her. She didn't notice her fingers drumming the table, or her legs bouncing with anxiety, or the Head Girl glaring at her.

"Anything else we have to go over?" Lily heard someone ask.

"Next Hogsmeade trip," she muttered still watching the snow flakes.

"What was that?" the Head Girl snapped at Lily.

Lily took her eyes from the window and stopped with her fidgeting to fold her hands nicely on top of her desk, "The next Hogsmeade trip, it's nearing a month since the last one. And Christmas is coming up so obviously everyone wants to go shopping. Therefore, we have one more thing to decide. When would you like the next Hogsmeade trip to be, mam?"

The Head Girl bit her cheek seething as Lily smiled at her with that I'm-not-in-the-mood-to-deal-with-stupid-people-like-you look.

"Next Saturday," the Head Boy said breaking the tension, "is that fine with everyone?"

"I think Ravenclaw has Quidditch practice but I'll talk to Murphy," a Ravenclaw prefect said.

No one else had any objections. And Lily strutted out when they were dismissed.

"Lily," Remus called after her.

She kept going and he had to jog after her.

"Hey, can you slow down?" Remus said by her side, "I want to talk to you."

"Well, that's nice, Lupin, unfortunately, I don't care to talk to you."

"C'mon, Lils,-"

"Evans," she glared at him, "I don't want anyone mistaking us for friends so please use my surname."

He looked at her shocked but continued, "Alright Evans, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. Again. And I'll keep saying it until you forgive me."

"Well, I suppose you'll be hanging around me for the next few centuries," Lily said sourly, "because I won't be forgiving you anytime soon."

"Lil-" he stopped himself as he caught Lily's glare, "Evans, don't you think you're—"

"If you finish that sentence with overreacting, I will curse you," Lily bit her lip and picked up her face wanting to leave him behind.

"Well, aren't you?!" Remus hollered to her.

She spun around to face him and whispered darkly, "No Remus Lupin, I am not. Please tell me, how one reacts to discovering that not only was she completely embarrassed but no one cared to tell her why she should be embarrassed?!"

"We were trying to protect you!" Remus said reasonably.

"Oh was that what you were doing? Protecting me? Do you protect people by lying to them?! Is that how you handle things Lupin?! Or were you scared?! WERE YOU SCARED TO TELL ME?!" Lily shouted in his face.

He flinched at her words but said strongly, "Of course I was. I knew it would hurt you, we all did. And no one wanted to hurt you."

She laughed, "Hurt me! Of course it would hurt me! It did hurt me! I'm embarrassed! I'm a fool! But did you honestly think that it wouldn't hurt me more that my friends lied to me?"

"We—"

"No! You can't speak for them Lupin! You don't know why they lied to me, you only know why you did. And I don't believe that you, Remus Lupin, lied to protect me. You did it because you were scared of how I'd react. And that is all."

"Maybe so," he nodded his head growing tired of arguing.

"Maybe so," Lily nodded back, "and maybe I can't forgive you. Maybe I can't because every time I look at you or any of the others, all I think of is that hurt you tried to protect me from. But the hurt I feel now, that's much heavier than what I would've felt had you told me."

"I'm sorry," Remus said desperately one last time.

Lily shook her head, "I know. But right now, that really doesn't mean anything to me."

Remus nodded and Lily turned running away. There was nothing left for her to say, and nothing left for him to apologize for. He was sorry and she knew that. And it was up to her to forgive him if she could find it in her heart to do so.

…..

After their 'talk', Remus found himself wandering towards the Hospital Wing. He pushed the door open when he got there and slowly stepped to the back of the room. He looked at the closed off bed that stood in the back for the last few weeks now. He wondered if he should go in or if Pomfrey would get to angry with him. He then realized he didn't care. He wanted to see Cara.

She was asleep in her bed. And he sat in a chair off to the side. He visited her less now because there was too much of a chance of getting caught. And he still hadn't told any of the others that she was here; he figured they would be told when they were meant to know. But at the same time, he knew he was hogging her.

"Hey Cara," he whispered to her.

She made no response and he let out a shaky breath.

"If you were here," he started, "I mean really here, you'd be so pissed with all of us. We made a mess, didn't we? Lily hates us all now," he almost chuckled, "that's an understatement. We really, really hurt her. And now there's nothing to do. It's been weeks and she still won't talk to any of us. I'm more than just sorry, Car, I'm really very worried. She isolated herself. And now she's more of—more—well, she's more bitchy, I guess," he smiled, "but I miss her. And we all care for her and we just… messed up. If you were here, this wouldn't have happened, would it? I think you would've known what to do. You alw—"

"Erm—mershmer," Cara mumbled as she opened her eyes surprised to see him in front of her, "Remus Lupin?"

He smiled. It took him two weeks to get her to remember to call him by this name, "Remus Lupin."

"Why are here?" she yawned with her broken English.

"I need to talk to someone," he smiled sadly.

Cara frowned, "Talk?"

He nodded simply.

"Then talk," she smiled lifting his sadness.

"I was just saying how I really messed up with Lily," he told her what happened knowing that she probably didn't know who these people were anymore. She nodded throughout his rant frowning at all of the names as if she should know them. Remus kept going wringing his hands only stopping when Cara reached out to stop him.

"And it's been weeks now," he sighed rubbing the back of his neck, "and still, Lily won't talk to any of us."

"Hurt her?" Cara asked.

Remus nodded, "Yeah, I guess we really did."

"Say sorry?"

"She's too upset to forgive me still."

"What?"

"We really hurt her, Cara," Remus sighed, "I guess, I can't be mad at her really. It's all our fault. We just didn't know what to do."

Cara laughed and Remus frowned. When she noticed Remus frowning, she frowned too. But her frown was less of a serious frown and more of a mock of his. And he smiled.

"Any advice for me?"

Cara frowned naturally now to think, "Tell Evans that I say, you good too."

Remus almost laughed, "I'm good? Do I just walk up and say Cara said so, so it must be true. I mean, Cara—wait," he paused going over what she just said, "did you call her Evans?"

Cara shrugged unable to really remember what she had said.

Remus sat shocked. He knew she was learning fast. It had only been a few weeks and she was able to start speaking in almost sentences. But never had she remembered something. Not really. He had to teach her his name again and again. But never had he told her that Lily's last name was Evans; not since she came back to Hogwarts. That was all her. She had remembered it all on her own. Lily. Evans.

He kept looking at Cara and she quickly grew annoyed at the attention he gave her. She didn't like being stared at; too many weeks had they been staring at her. Remus had never stared at her so intently before, and she did not like it.

She frowned angrily, "Stop staring."

He snapped out of it and nodded, "Of course, I'm sorry."

She nodded and he rose from his chair.

"I have to go Cara," he smiled to her, "but I'll come back soon. Maybe tomorrow? I still need some girl advice on Emmeline. We kissed and—well we'll just talk about it tomorrow."

She sighed and waved him out, a gesture she had done to dismiss him with a long time ago.

He shut the curtain behind her and skipped down the corridors feeling lighter than normal. He wasn't sure what to do. To tell the boys? Or not to tell the boys? He wished he had a flower in his hand; he had seen girls pick the petals to make decisions and he needed it now more than ever.

He finally came to his conclusion. He would not tell the boys, not yet. But he should speak with Dumbledore. He needs to know that Cara remembered a name; well, a last name but a name none the less. Maybe she would be able to remember other things. Like the names of the people who hurt her or maybe their faces. Maybe she knew where they held her captive. Maybe if Dumbledore knew, he could get it out of her.

Maybe he should keep it to himself. Maybe if Dumbledore finds out, he will push Cara too hard. Maybe if Remus keeps talking with Cara like he does, she will remember it on her own.

No, Dumbledore needs to know. Remus will tell Dumbledore. Soon. Not now but soon. Maybe.