Lily Evans (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lilium_evansiae) wrote2011-08-18 01:59 pm
lilium_evansiae) wrote2011-08-18 01:59 pm
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Hogwarts Clock Tower, 28 November 1976
Techinically speaking, the top of the Clock Tower is off limits to students.
Then again, technically Lily is a prefect, which means that those kinds of rules don't exactly apply. Sort of.
But there is probably something at least a little hypocritical about telling off a pair of Ravenclaw fifth years for doing something that is exactly the thing you're about to do yourself.
Of course, if Delilah Quaint and her boyfriend are not even going to try to be quiet or sneaky, but instead come giggling around the corner without making so much as a token check for a prefect in the hallway, they probably deserve to get caught.
But in light of the fact that Lily is on her way to meet her boyfriend at the top of the Clock Tower when she catches them on their way there, she lets them off with a warning.
James is waiting when she reaches the top of the last staircase. (And she is willing to bet he didn't even come close to getting caught on his way here.) The note he handed her at lunch (L - Clock Tower, 2pm - JP) is still in her pocket.
"Hello, James."
Then again, technically Lily is a prefect, which means that those kinds of rules don't exactly apply. Sort of.
But there is probably something at least a little hypocritical about telling off a pair of Ravenclaw fifth years for doing something that is exactly the thing you're about to do yourself.
Of course, if Delilah Quaint and her boyfriend are not even going to try to be quiet or sneaky, but instead come giggling around the corner without making so much as a token check for a prefect in the hallway, they probably deserve to get caught.
But in light of the fact that Lily is on her way to meet her boyfriend at the top of the Clock Tower when she catches them on their way there, she lets them off with a warning.
James is waiting when she reaches the top of the last staircase. (And she is willing to bet he didn't even come close to getting caught on his way here.) The note he handed her at lunch (L - Clock Tower, 2pm - JP) is still in her pocket.
"Hello, James."
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"Yeah," he finally says. "It's about Remus."
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"He's a werewolf, isn't he?"
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Because it's interesting that she managed to come to that conclusion so quickly.
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"But I've been pretty sure I was right since Fourth.
"I'm a girl, James. Who shares a room with four other girls. It's not that hard to notice a monthly cycle.
"Remus is 'ill' every month at the full moon. And two days later I know I'll find Mary lying in bed, eating chocolate and crying over song lyrics."
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"Right."
But his expression sobers almost immediately as another thought occurs to him.
"... does that mean the rest of them know too?"
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"I doubt Perdita does. I'm not sure about Cliona, either. Glynis might -- I think Glynis sees a lot more than she ever mentions, sometimes. Mary might, too.
"But we don't talk about it. It's ... it's not the most important thing about Remus, is it?"
There's a long pause before she adds, "Severus knows. I used to have arguments about it with him."
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And they'd been so careful, too.
This is getting complicated.
And completely uncomfortable.
James almost wishes he never brought it up.
(But he knew he had to tell Lily, anyway.)
"... yeah. We suspected he knew," James says, rubbing his face. "That's when the stupid git was nearly killed."
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"Because Remus is the thing at the end of the tunnel, isn't he?"
Lily sighs, and then straightens up.
"Right, so Remus is a werewolf, which ... well, thank you for trusting me enough to tell me."
Even if she already knew.
"I get that. But I still don't understand how that explains why you're an Animagus."
Never mind how.
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James raises an eyebrow.
"A werewolf, fending for himself, completely alone all night with absolutely no control over his animal instincts and the petrifying fear that when he wakes up, he'll learn he killed innocent people — and you can't figure out a reason why it might be a good idea to have three other animals who know him around?"
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"You ...
"Oh, God."
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He just needed her to know.
He doesn't want to make a big deal out of it, otherwise.
"So, that's why I'm called Prongs."
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Lily's pretty sure this is a big deal.
"Because you turn into a stag so that you can keep your best friend, who is a werewolf, company at the full moon.
"James, that's ... that's utterly mad. And really dangerous. And incredibly loyal."
It's all very James.
And not a little bit terrifying.
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It's really, as far as he's concerned, a pretty non-issue.
"If I was Remus, and he was me, I know he wouldn't hesitate to do it for me. All of us, really. We'd all go through it for each other."
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"I mean, I know I'd want to do something, but ...
"What if he hurts one of you?
"It's not like he knows who you are, is it?"
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"Actually, I think he knows who we are now," James says. "He seems to recognize our scent, anyway. We're — I suppose we're all a pack, now.
"That's the proper wolf term, isn't it?"
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Never mind the fact that Remus isn't really a proper wolf.
"I can't like this. I'm sorry, I just can't."
Lily takes a deep breath and exhales very slowly.
"Please promise me that you are as careful about this as you possibly can be."
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He offers her what he hopes is a reassuring smile.
"I promise," he says. "I know this is an incredible amount to take in, and I don't expect you to like it. I'd probably think you were a bit mad if you did like it.
"But we're careful. We've always been careful. We're always going to be careful."
For the past year and a bit, they've never taken it lightly.
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"I should take you straight to Dumbledore, you know," she says. "I won't -- it's your secret, not mine -- but I should."
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Hand-holding doesn't feel sufficient enough to express how grateful James is for Lily's concern.
He pulls her towards him, then wraps his arms around her in a hug.
"I wish I never had to tell you. But at the same time, I knew I couldn't exactly keep it from you either."
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She's not sure she's glad she knows, or that there was something to tell in the first place, but she's glad he told her.
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"So you'll just have to owe me one."
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To seal the deal, as it were.
"I think I can manage that."