Chapter 8- Have you lost your mind?
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Katherine approached Sirius later. Her eyes red rimmed, she asked him what she had done to cause Remus to become disinterested in her so quickly. Sirius hated dealing with upset girls. Remus would owe him for this. How could he explain to her that it wasn't that Remus didn't like her, for Remus had talked to Sirius about the situation quite a bit and he knew that Remus fancied the Katherine a great deal. The only thing that came to Sirius' mind was something he had heard a teacher once say, honesty is the best policy. So Sirius was as honest as he could be, while still being discrete. He told her that Remus had a chronic illness, and worried about it affecting his time with Katherine. She had looked terrified at first, until Sirius promised her that the illness wasn't contagious in the least. She resolved to search Remus out and set things right. Sirius had been quite surprised when she had come to him. Girls didn't come to Sirius like that. He just didn't give of the air of someone that was the fountain of human compassion, and most girls were intimidated by Sirius. James was the one that usually dealt with girls that were heartbroken over one of the Marauders. He had that friendly, caring, understanding face. However, James had been preoccupied as of late, which could have explained Katherine's actions.
Lily and James had been inseparable for the past few days. Had it not been for separate dorm rooms and a few classes that the two didn't share, some at Hogwarts would have sworn that they had become quite literally attached at the hip (or lips depending on who you asked). Remus had made a bet with Dorcas on how long it would be before either James or Lily would lose their temper with the other. By the end of the second day, both had lost. It wasn't that they didn't have faith in their friends' ability to have a successful relationship. Both knew that James and Lily had a talent for pushing one another's buttons.
Remus was in the library doing research for an Ancient Runes paper when Katherine found him. He looked at her quizzically for a few minutes before she found the courage to speak. When she did Remus' stomach which had been full of butterflies was positively in his throat. He felt sick.
"I talked to Sirius. He told me all about your, um condition, and I…"
She never got to finish her sentence. Remus jumped up from his seat, turning it over in the floor. He upset the stack of books that were piled on the table in front of him, and fled the library, the narrowed eyes of Madame Pince following him.
"Damn you Sirius! I can't believe you talked to Katherine!"
"Moony, I though you'd be happy. You like her don't you?"
"You told her about my condition, all about it? Have you lost your mind?"
"All I said was that you had a chronic illness and that you aren't contagious."
"But she said…"
"I don't care what she said Moony. I know what I said, and I didn't tell her you're a werewolf."
Both had been speaking with raised voices, and neither noticed a horrified James standing in the doorway in front of a wide eyed Lily, until it was too late.
James turned to Lily. "Not that he's a werewolf Lily. It's a figure of speech you know," he said his voice not hiding the nervousness he felt.
Remus knew they would now have to tell Lily the truth about him. She was too smart a witch for them to lie to.
"Remus, you're a… Are you really a… werewolf?"
"We all need to come inside and shut the door, before this goes any further," Remus said in a quiet and firm tone.
Lily stepped cautiously over the threshold, she knew there was no going back. James and Sirius held their breath, not knowing what would happen next. Remus was surprisingly calm inside. He knew that he could trust Lily with his secret, and that James and Sirius could tell her theirs as well. Not that he was going to ask them to tell her about becoming Animagi, they could tell her if they wanted to. After everyone had sat down, Remus began to speak.
"Lily, as you know I go quite often and very regularly to visit my ill mother, I have ever since I came to Hogwarts. I don't really have a sick mother. I leave because I transform into a monster once a month." At the last statement James and Sirius went to protest, but Remus raised his hand to quite them. "I was six, almost seven when I received the bite. I had been playing outside, my parents had just given me a small broomstick. I had been flying for hours, and was walking towards our house when a werewolf came out of the woods, and attacked me. I remember him lunging towards me, and I remember a searing pain. I awoke in St. Mungo's three days later. I pity the one that bit me, he couldn't control himself. Lily, please don't fear me, and don't tell anyone what I just told you."
"Fear you, Remus you are the kindest and gentlest person I know. I could never fear you. I can only admire you for living with something like that, and not being bitter about it."
James and Sirius looked guiltily at one another, the same question was in the front of both of their minds.
"You both knew, figured it out no doubt," Lily said looking at James and Sirius. James nodded.
"There's more Lily," he said. Without another word, Sirius transformed into a great shaggy black dog. Lily stared, her mouth agape. She broke her stare, and turned to James. In the spot that he had stood, was a beautiful buck. It was all black, except for the grey markings about its eyes. She sat in shock, her hands clasped over her open mouth, as James and Sirius returned to their normal states.
"Remus can't hurt us as animals, so we keep him company on the full moon. He doesn't hurt himself nearly as bad when we do."
"How," was all Lily could say.
"It was hard work, three solid years of studying and planning. Finally, in fifth year we got it. James and I were first. We didn't think Peter would ever manage to transform."
Lily didn't know what to say. What they had done was as illegal as it was incredible. It was as brave and loyal as it was dangerous and foolish.
"Teach me."
The three Marauders were dumbfounded. Remus was really not completely surprised, Lily was after all an extraordinary person. Sirius was excited. James had very mixed feelings. He was proud of the way Lily had responded to it all, and that she wanted to become an Animagi as well. On the other hand, he was afraid to teach her. If something went wrong in her attempts to transform, he would have only himself to blame, and they might not be able to undo the effects. If they were to get caught, she would be sent to Azkaban, and that would be more than he could bear.
"No Lily, it's too dangerous," James said. Her temper flared.
"If Peter Pettigrew can do it, I most certainly can too." Then she reasoned, "It'll be less dangerous for me than it was you and Sirius. I'll have you both to teach me, you've been doing it for two years." She looked at James with big green doe eyes, and he gave in. He knew that he couldn't deny her this. Lily was going to become an Animagus.
Author's Note: I'm sorry that the 3/4 was missing in the last chapter. The formatting from my computer and Portkey evidently didn't work well together. I did put it in, and I'm sorry I didn't catch that it was missing.
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