The Truth About Remus
November 1974
It had been the conversation in the common room last month that had really firmed up her suspicions. The eight Gryffindor fourth years had been discussing their middle names and Peter had told Remus that he would lose his mind if his middle name was Romulus. He’d said that ‘your name already sounds like your parents expected you to have four paws and a tail.’
She might have brushed it off had it not been for the look of panic exchanged between James and Sirius, or how quiet Remus had become after that.
She might have brushed it off if Remus didn’t always look so ill around the full moon.
James was sitting alone in the common room, it was lunch and she’d only popped up to get the books she’d need for that afternoon’s lessons.
“Not like you to work through your lunch, did you leave your homework too late again?” She asked him, dropping down into the opposite armchair.
“Just correcting Remus’s Charms essay for him. It’s due after lunch and he wants me to hand it into Flitwick for him.” James said.
“Where is Remus?” She asked, though she was sure that she knew the answer. “I’ve not seen him all day.”
“Hospital Wing, he’s not well.” James muttered absently, his brow creasing in concentration.
“Interesting.” Lily said. James knew, he had to know. “Don’t you think it’s odd that he’s always ill when it's a full moon?”
James head shot up, but he didn’t manage to slip the mask of ignorance in place fast enough. Lily was right, Remus was a werewolf and James knew. “Is it the full moon tonight? I hadn’t realised. Remus is just a sickly bloke. Catches every bug that goes round. Why, do you think there’s more to this?”
He was playing along with her little investigation, humouring her. And if she flat out asked him, James Potter would lie to her face. That knowledge filled her with a level of respect for James that she could never have imagined feeling… But it was hard not to respect someone who was so loyal to his friend.
“Do you have his Potions homework there?” Lily asked, hoping to see it among the parchment on the table in front of him.
“What, why?” James asked, riffling through before moving to fetch it from Remus’s school bag after coming up empty.
“I’ll make some suggestions in the margins for him, you’re not going to be much help at Potions.” Lily shrugged, reaching to take the essay from him.
“You won’t tell anyone, will you?” James asked, she rarely saw him looking so serious. It made him look older.
“Tell them what?” Lily smiled, taking an ink pot and quill from her own bag.