The weeks following the breakup were awkward at best. Lily spent most of her days avoiding any and all Ravenclaws like the plague, but when the week of her birthday arrived in January, she couldn't help her improved mood. Her and Marlene had been born only a week apart, so it wasn't a surprise when the Marauders used this piece of information as an excuse for another party. The idea was brought to Lily by Remus of course. The two of them were working together in alchemy class on an in-class assignment when he proposed a celebration of sorts.
"So, the guys were wondering if you wanted to have a party for your seventeenth."
"I don't know Remus." Lily said, not sure if a Marauders party was exactly her style.
"Come on Lily, you only come of age once and besides Marlene's birthday's just the week after. It could be like a doubles thing."
"I guess so, but only if you tell James and Sirius to not be too obnoxious or over the top with it."
Remus clearly looked unsure of his answer for a moment but finished with a very shaky.
"Yeah, of course."
At Lily's stern look he sighed, replying: "I'll keep them under control, alright?"
Lily considered it for another moment before nodding her assent.
"Alright, deal. But let's wait until closer to Marlene's birthday. I know mine's next weekend, but I don't mind waiting until Marlene's so that you can be there."
Once again Lily proved a fierce friend in her diligent tracking of Remus' transformations, something he was ever grateful for.
The next day, in the middle of transfiguration Remus hurried out, bag slung over his shoulder, face pale. The whole class noticed, but McGonogall ignored it of course and they all got back to work. Lily considered her options for a moment before beating the Marauders to leaving the room to check on her friend. He was hunched over in the hallway, clearly struggling through a bad bout of bone stretching, mind-numbing pain.
"Are you alright Remus?" Lily asked, going to reach out and then pulling her hand back, unsure. "Let me help you to the hospital wing," she followed with.
"No, I'm really alright." Remus said, choking on his words, as he struggled to stand straight.
"Remus please I want to-"
"Lily!" She paused in shock as this quiet, soft spoken boy raised his voice for the first time since she'd known him. "I'm fine. Just leave me alone, alright? I can do this on my own."
She nodded, watching him struggle until he turned the corner of the hallway. Sirius approached her.
"He gets a little irritable during his time of the month, not unlike you Evans."
She turned to him, slight confusion marring her stern gaze.
"You knew? That I know I mean."
"Wasn't much of a secret, was it?"
Lily raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, I saw you and Georgie boy in the library last month reading up on werewolves, didn't take me long to leap to that conclusion."
"You were in the library?" Lily teased.
"I told you; Prongs studies a LOT, makes me go to the library twice a week for materials. It's outrageous."
"I just thought-I could come up with a way to help him, some way to maybe-"
Sirius began to understand what she was insinuating, and his eyes immediately were overtaken with a mixture of pity and admiration.
"Look, Evans, it's sweet of you to try and help him, but he's got this thing down to a science now. And, no offense, but if someone hasn't found a cure in the past few hundred years, I doubt a couple of sixth years at Hogwarts will do it in a few months, no matter how brilliant they might be." He said, immediately becoming reassuring at Lily's offended pout.
Marlene exited the transfiguration classroom right after that, and she immediately distracted Sirius. He put an arm around her, muttering a quick "see you Evans" before promptly sneaking a quick snog in between classes.
Meanwhile, Lily was stuck with both Sirius' words and the uncomfortable realization that she and Sirius were becoming friends. Put that one on the backburner. Lily couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself for setting aside her work in the wake of the breakup. The project had become so entangled with George that she had no desire to revisit it. But Lily thought back to why she had started the project in the first place, to help a friend. She realized that maybe Sirius was right. A sixth year couldn't sort it out for herself, but perhaps the most brilliant potions master she knew would have an idea of how to complete her research without the risky human trials that Belby and George had proposed.
"Professor?" Lily called out, catching Slughorn's attention as he walked out of his classroom, a number of second year boys glancing nervously at the pretty Gryffindor prefect and whispering amongst themselves.
"I wanted to talk to you about some research that I've been working on, the stuff George mentioned at the Christmas party?"
Slughorn smiled at her endearingly, which she was used to being both a muggleborn and a girl. Slughorn respected her ability, but he certainly had a sort of soft spot for her due to her gender and blood status.
"There's no need Miss Evans. Belby told me everything."
Lily immediately felt her stomach curdle at the statement, but she couldn't get a word in as Slughorn continued.
"He told me how he took a lot of the research into his own hands, showed me how he really took your potion-making to the next level. No offense of course, but there is a certain amount of knowledge that being raised in a wizarding household brings to such a project."
Lily couldn't even begin to express her offense at that comment before Slughorn continued on.
"A potion could be constructed by the end of next year, dreadfully expensive of course and still needs to be tested…"
Lily didn't even let him finish before she stormed off, her face turning the color of her hair in absolute rage. Her feet led her towards the great hall where everyone was gathering for lunch. In glancing around the hall her eyes immediately went to the Ravenclaw table. George had his head down, still nursing their breakup, but Belby was at the center of the crowd. As usual he was boasting about his latest amazing discovery, and when Lily walked by and heard the topic of conversation, she could barely contain herself from cursing the older boy's tongue into oblivion.
"…it's a simple idea really, just needs some testing. I figure I'll get a few boys together and go out to the caves once I've graduated. Take some of the savage ones and force the mixture down their throats."
Lily could listen no longer, shooting a stinging jinx at Belby which he managed to slightly avoid, only taking a shot in the arm which began to swell. Belby shot back, but Lily blocked it effortlessly.
"Tell me again how you came up with it Belby." Lily began, his eyes showing a healthy amount of fear before his arrogance took over.
"I really don't have time to explain it Evans. Go and chat up one of those fine boys in your own house if you're that desperate for a new boyfriend."
At this comment Lily set her wand aside in favor of punching Belby straight in the nose.
"You bitch." Belby yelled, clutching his bleeding nose.
But before the assault could continue, she was interrupted by McGonogall's cries of: "Miss Evans!"
McGonogall took in the sight, and it didn't take her long to come to a conclusion. Although she wished it could be avoided, she had no choice, and this was how Lily Evans earned her first ever detention at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
It was an odd sight, Lily Evans sweeping the great hall instead of house elves or one of the Marauders, but McGonogall didn't play favorites, and Lily had crossed a clear line by punching Belby. Besides, with all the witnesses her hands were tied. A familiar pair of footsteps entered the Great Hall as Lily continued sweeping, but she ignored them in favor of staring at the far-more-interesting floor that she was sweeping up.
"Hey."
Lily didn't look up, not in the mood for the discussion that was coming.
"Lily, it's me."
"I'm well aware George." Regretting the sharpness in her tone almost immediately she softened, finally meeting his eyes. "What do you want?"
"I just wanted to apologize. If I had known what Belby would do…"
"It's not your fault. I just want to get this detention over with and move on."
Lily kept sweeping as George approached her.
"I can at least help you-"
But at this point McGonogall, who had been standing off to the side, stepped in.
"Mr. Fisher, I understand you care about Miss Evans, but seeing as this is her punishment she shall be completing it by herself, so unless you want me stripping Ravenclaw of even more points-"
"Understood Professor." George said, glancing at Lily before leaving her behind in the Great Hall.
Lily knew George was sorry, but his apology didn't change the fact that her idea was now in the wrong hands, and there was nothing stopping innocent people from being used as guinea pigs in Belby's twisted idea of morality. All she could hope for was that her research worked to contribute to a true cure for Remus and the other innocent werewolves forced to suffer under its affliction.
While Lily was serving her time in detention, Sirius was in the common room, smoking his cigarette downstairs after being berated by James for the hundredth time about the dangers that smoking posed to his health. He was interrupted by a familiar voice, and not an unwelcome one.
"Can I get a light?"
"Whatever." He replied, not bothering to take the thing out of his mouth as Marlene approached him with her own, his burning ember encompassing the paper between her teeth until it too was ablaze. She took a long drag in, blowing it out the corner of her mouth as she tended to do before asking her next question.
"So, what are we doing tonight?"
"Oh, Mar, I…"
"Because I was thinking you could snatch Potter's invisibility cloak and we could do a little sneaking of our own? I bet I can get Lily to give me the Prefect's password."
The glint of mischief in her beautiful green eyes, and the way she carelessly held her cigarette on the edge of her lips almost made him cast his evening plans into oblivion. But he wasn't about to let Moony down now, so he floundered around for an excuse that didn't sound completely lame.
"You know I'd love nothing more than that Mar, but I've already got plans."
"Plans? Come on Sirius since when have plans stopped you before?"
"They're important plans this time I swear; if it was any other night, I'd blow them off, but this is the only time we can do this."
"Boys' night, I get it." Marlene said in an annoyed tone bordering on furious.
"Come on Marlene, don't be stupid."
"Whatever Sirius, I understand. I'm not a priority for you, so I'm done making you one for me."
"Marlene, we both said we weren't going to go doing something stupid like getting attached."
Sirius said, trying to butter her up with a touch to her arm, but she pushed him off.
"Oh, come off it Sirius; we've been exclusive for at least a month and a half now. When's the last time you've even flirted with another girl? When are you going to start taking this relationship, taking me seriously?"
"I take everything siriusly." Sirius said without thinking, the ingrained habit of the pun overtaking his reasonable train of thought.
Well, this was a mistake as Marlene stormed out of the room, slamming her way up to her dorm where her roommates were confused but not shocked to see the fury in her eyes, but a lot less so when she declared loudly that she didn't want to talk about it.
"Mar," Mary tried, but Susan shook her head, signaling for her to drop it.
Marlene would come around to them in the morning, she always did. But right after a fight the best thing to do was let her cool off so that she didn't take her anger out on whoever was in closest proximity.
Meanwhile, the fight had already flown out of Sirius' mind after a quick word with James who assured him things would be back to normal in the morning.
"Don't worry about a stupid girl mate. We've got the whole night ahead of us."
"Yeah, you're right. We've also got to figure out how to get our mirror back. Detention's going to be rubbish without it." Sirius said.
"Not to mention pranking. Don't worry I've already got a plan all sorted out, though I might need you to help me illicit some…sensitive information." James said.
"Whatever you need mate. Oh, we're here. Wormy, do your thing."
Peter nodded, having been listening with great attention to their latest plan. He shook himself out of his stupor and transformed, rather clumsily, into his rat form. He nearly got himself smacked by the willow on this particular journey before making it to the knot at the end.
Padfoot and Prongs followed suit, chasing after him and making their own way through the tunnel under the tree where Moony awaited. The group convinced him to come out of his cage through the tunnel and play, running across the Hogwarts grounds as usual. They made it to Hogsmeade again that night, Sirius nipping some candy from a nearby waste bin before spitting it out, and wondering for a split second if an animagus dog can eat chocolate. James, sensing his distress, brought him out of it quickly with a tackle and a nudge of his antlers, which led to a general wrestling match between the two of them, quickly joined by Moony.
After a few hours of uneventful comradery, the group was surprised to see a little boy exit his house, clad in footie pajamas and rubbing one eye as if still half asleep. The boys' surprise quickly turned to concern as Moony's growls startled the little boy out of his sleepy state and his high-pitched screams filled the air. The screams only attracted Moony more, a furious growl escaping deep from his throat as he approached him. Padfoot stepped in with Prongs right behind, grabbing Moony and dragging him away by the neck while the little boy ran back inside, slamming the door behind him.
Wormtail managed to distract Moony the most in fact by running around his feet in a style reminiscent of a laser pointer, effectively getting Moony to calm down enough to chase him in his curiosity. And the group of animagi breathed a collective sigh of relief at the closest shave they'd had yet on their nightly outings.
The next morning, when they went to visit Remus in the hospital wing, he was ready to throw in the towel altogether.
"That was too close." Remus said, looking at James while Sirius and Peter stood in the background looking equally guilty, albeit showing it in different ways. Peter bit his lip, tapping his feet and stuttering, while Sirius brooded and incessantly messed with his long hair.
"Moony,"
"We can't do this anymore James, it's too dangerous." Remus brought his voice down at James' warning look, glancing at Madame Pomfrey's office. Remus got the point, whispering the last part. "I almost…"
"Remus, look at me." James replied.
Remus looked up.
"We have your back, we stopped you, it's fine. Everything worked out."
Remus looked into James' hopeful eyes, all hazel and slightly blood shot from staying up all night. He knew that James would probably be deeply wrinkled by the time he was forty, and he could point out all of the places where the lines would appear. James worried the most of any of them, and maybe if James wasn't worried about this…
A fifteen-year-old James looked at Remus, eyes exhausted from another full moon spent gnawing at himself alone in that tiny shack.
"James I'd really just like to get some rest." He said, having been dragged out of the castle in the middle of the night for another one of their hair-brained schemes.
"This can't wait!" Sirius shouted in protest.
"Sirius, relax. Check out the map Remus. Lumos."
Remus looked down as James then recited their code: "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good"
The map's ink bled across the page illuminated in the wandlight, revealing a new set of names, unlike any Remus had seen before.
"Messrs Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs." Remus read aloud, glancing at James with the question in his eyes. "So, I'm Moony, real original guys, but what about?"
Remus was caught off guard by a giant black dog jumping on him, licking his face into oblivion. Before he could have a moment to wrap his head around this, he was thrust onto the back of a giant animal, with large antlers, while a tiny rat scurried up his arm and onto his shoulder. This part severely grossed him out until he tried to brush the rat off and saw two familiar watery eyes-too familiar. The dog, for his part, had an intelligent gleam and an eerily familiar smirk, while the deer he rode upon didn't try to buck him off, but kept him perfectly balanced as if he knew the ins and outs of riding something so delicate. When he looked around and saw no friends in sight Remus was positive. He jumped off the deer of his own accord and landed rather roughly on the ground. Wiping grass stains off his trousers he stood and looked at the three mammals before him, confused by what this could mean. He watched as all three transformed back and James stepped forward to explain.
"We became animagi, isn't it wicked?"
Remus was shell-shocked, horrified, confused, impressed, which is probably why he didn't say anything, but gaped at his friends instead.
"I think you broke him mate."
"I told you we should've explained first" Peter spoke up, approaching Remus nervously.
"Shut up Wormy" Sirius said, causing Peter to blush fiery red while James laughed boisterously.
"We decided on Wormtail for me" Peter said with that familiar anger crossing his face at Sirius' incessant teasing.
"Yeah, but two syllables are a little much don't you think?" Sirius replied.
"Wormy is also-
"Look Moony," Sirius said brushing Peter off, "we came up with a plan, see? Werewolves can infect humans, but they can't infect animals."
"We're gonna visit you during the full moon so it's less lonely" Peter finished, much to Sirius' chagrin.
"And sneak you out of that bloody prison of a shack to get into mischief out in the forest" James added, grabbing Remus around the neck and rubbing his hair with his fist.
"The forest?" Remus said, pushing out of the headlock, his worry quickly returning.
"We'll have a werewolf with us, won't we? What'll dare take us on?" Sirius spoke up.
"James you never said anything about the forest." Peter tried to argue, but he was once again interrupted.
"Don't be such a worry wart Wormy. And it's Prongs now. I think it suits me more." He said, smiling at the cleverness of his group, filled with a desire to show it off in even the most subtle of ways. "So…Moony what do you think?" He turned back to Remus, the whole reason behind this activity in the first place, and he was met with that same worry and disbelief that Remus had held even after all these years of being surrounded by such loyal friends.
"I can't let you guys take that-" He began to argue, but James cut him off.
"There's nothing risky about it, Remus. It's perfectly safe we triple checked, didn't we? Do your own research if you'd like we've only just sorted out how to do it otherwise we would've joined you this full moon."
"I have to think about this." Remus replied, glancing between the three of them.
"Take your time." James said.
"I'll meet you guys back in the castle." Remus said, heading towards the bright lights before him. James nodded, letting him go, before stopping him with a snatch of his hand.
"Here, we'll find another way in."
He draped his cloak around Remus, also handing him the map before transforming back into his animagus form still getting used to running on four legs as he and Sirius chased and fought while Remus walked away. And he would never say this to his friends but in that hour they gave him to process he cried for the first time in four years at Hogwarts. And this time he cried from the pure joy of having friends who would take such a risk just for him. For having friends he didn't deserve. And the minute they arrived back the tears were swallowed, the fake snores replacing them while the others bragged and boasted about their latest late-night adventure.
Thinking back on this Remus decided that his friends are too good to lose. He looked into James' eyes and nodded, agreeing once again to just keep going. To keep going with this set of lies and mischief and frustration.
A few days later the Quibbler ran a section on a werewolf sighting in Hogsmeade. The group sat in the great hall while Remus sat white with fear, reading it over and over again. James noticed right away.
"Remus, relax will you? That magazine's rubbish 90% of the time, so what if they got it right once? No one's going to pay it any mind."
He nodded, clenching his fists so tight he crushed the magazine in his hands. He had read the account from the little boy, seen the fear in his eyes. He had caused that. However, his anxieties were set aside once again by Sirius' problems, entirely of his own making Remus might add.
"Marlene, come on babe." He pleaded with her, bringing himself down to the pathetic boyfriend he always swore he'd never be.
In the middle of breakfast in the great hall, Sirius Black was practically on his knees, crouched down to reach Marlene's seated height. begging her to forgive him. Marlene was having none of it.
"Awe, he's so pathetic Mar give him a chance." Susan said with a giggle as Marlene continually ignored Sirius' pleas.
Sirius winked at Susan in appreciation for the help, but Marlene just said: "Not until he tells me what was so important that he couldn't spend time with me for a few hours."
Sirius groaned, frustrated and furious that one evening was causing him so much trouble.
"Padfoot, this is getting pathetic. You might as well put a collar on while you're at it." James called from his position down the table. Sirius aimed to send a hex James' way, but when Marlene and Lily laughed at James' comment he returned to his own seat, tail between his legs.
Lily looked at the boys down the length of the table, James teasing Sirius while Peter actually joined in for once. It didn't last long, but it was something. She glanced at Remus, who was not joining inl, still pale and tired from another full moon. She thought about it, what could Sirius have been doing three nights before? Three nights ago…the full moon, but what could Sirius have possibly done to help Remus then? She had no clue what could have possessed him to leave Marlene behind the night of, Remus would have been alone transforming in his safe place which Remus still refused to disclose to her.
The bell rang, time for classes. Remus left before his friend, bag slung quickly over his shoulder, so quickly that he left his magazine behind.
"Remus!"
Lily called out, but he was already gone.
Lily went to grab the thing, figuring she'd just return it to him in class, when the article that he had been reading all through breakfast caught her eye. A werewolf sighting in Hogsmeade? That's impossible though. Remus would never be so irresponsible, never be so foolish. Lily thought of Sirius' mysterious midnight plans. Sirius would certainly be-but he would get himself bit. There was no possible way Sirius could have been with Remus on the full moon without putting himself in imminent danger. Lily entertained the possibility of himself and James flying alongside Remus on broomsticks, or wearing the armor of the knights throughout the castle. But none of these possibilities were plausible in Lily's mind, and even James and Sirius wouldn't be so stupid as to bring a fully grown werewolf out on the town, right? She read through the Quibbler article again, looked at the front page: "Twelve benefits to having a Crumple-Horned Snorkack in your home". Nonsense. The Quibbler was nonsense, and this article was just a strange coincidence. Remus was just pale from the weekend, and Lily was sure a mention of his condition wasn't helpful. She left the magazine behind, and made her way to class without another mention of it.
That weekend the group finally celebrated both Lily and Marlene's birthdays, with Remus fully recovered and an active participant. Though she would never admit it, it was the best birthday she'd had in a long time. She was in such good spirits that she even allowed James and Sirius to carry her on their shoulders while singing "For She's a jolly good fellow". They had plenty of butterbeer, firewhiskey, and a massive three-tiered cake for the both of them which was charmed to launch fireworks at midnight. That nearly got the whole thing shut down, with McGonogall running in, clothed in nothing but a nightgown and robe.
"Now I want this party wrapped up in fifteen minutes or I will be taking fifty points each from the lot of you!"
After she'd left and they'd made a convincing show of moving up towards their dormitories the party continued, with a few cleverly place muffliato charms (courtesy of Lily and, surprisingly, Sirius).
"I told you, James drags me to the library all the time. As long as we keep the fireworks to a minimum this should keep old Minnie off our tail."
"For a while anyway." James replied.
And they weren't wrong. The party lasted long enough for more drinks to be had, and gifts to be exchanged. Lily nearly cried when Marlene gave her a watch in the wizard tradition, and the tears were returned in full when she presented Marlene with matching rings that would glow white whenever the both of them were free to meet up following graduation next year.
The group had truly started to dwindle after McGonogall threatened to make good on her previous threat, after she very quickly discovered the muffliato charm when she found herself unable to sleep soundly with that incessant buzzing in her ears. But there were still a few brave souls raising their glasses together.
"To Marlene and Lily!" James said, followed with the handful of remaining Gryffindors and the occasional Hufflepuff.
"To Marlene and Lily!"
Following this toast, the group finally began making their way up the stairs, some Hufflepuffs stumbling to a couch, choosing to spend the night in the Gryffindor common room rather than trying to make their way across the castle. Marlene and Lily were giggling and talking pleasantly, more than a few butterbeers in at this point, when they were interrupted by a voice that sounded far more in control than their own.
"Oi! Marlene,"
The girls turned to Sirius, Marlene slopping some firewhiskey on the floor, feeling rather forgiving with the liquid joy coursing through her veins.
"Yes, Sirius?" She asked, a smirk crossing her features at the idea of the badboy marauder falling to his knees for her once again.
Lily whispered a quick goodbye before leaving Marlene to her business, stumbling up the stairs to crash down on her bed for the night.
Rather than falling to his knees this time, Sirius pulled a brown paper parcel from behind his back. It was tied with string and on the top in ink were written two simple words: "Happy birthday."
"What's this?" Marlene asked, taking it from his hands.
"Open it." Sirius said, smiling easily to try and hide the pounding in his chest.
Marlene tore the wrapping off, eager to see what Sirius had come up with. She was met with what at first looked like a simple bottle of firewhiskey, but when she looked closer she saw that the label had been replaced with a picture of herself and Sirius at The Stomping Trolls concert. They'd gone after Lily gave them the tickets at Christmas and had had the best time in a while. They snuck back into Hogwarts near 6 AM having spent the rest of the night after the concert having their own quiet celebration on the shores of the Black Lake.
She began to tear up at this thoughtful gesture, and Sirius had the decency to look sheepish before returning to his usual tough façade.
"Don't go soft on me now McKinnon."
"Shut up." She said, pulling him in for a hard and long kiss, only cut off by the scolding tones of McGonogall who, knowing the Marauders well, had come in to triple check that the silence was truly indicative of an end to the festivities. The two teens just laughed, moving to their respective rooms, thoughts of each other keeping them both from getting any sleep that night.