IUVENALE || REMUS LUPIN

Scars

Lily's POV

Hogwarts, 1977

"Why are you always coming back with bruises all around your body? it seemed like you had been into a fight," I said as I cleaned her wounds. "You're not doing it again, aren't you?"

"Nope," she shook her head. "It's just the stairs are moving when I lost my balance," She tried to make excuses. I knew she was lying. She wasn't that good at hiding things.

"Hol, what are you trying to hide from me?" I asked again.

"Nothing, Lil. I fell down from the stairs after getting into physical quarrelling with those Slytherin nutters," She shrugged.

"Your wounds didn't really seem like any of those you said. There were claw marks, deep cuts like you had been fighting with a bear or a tiger," I tried to stitch her up.

I'm not stupid enough to be fooled by her lies. I had been with her since we were born. Twins did have the perks of knowing whether or not your twin was lying. I knew she was hiding something away from me.

"I've been hearing that a stag, a black dog and a white wolf-dog was seen running around the school ground during the days of full moons," I pointed out. "Do you or any of the marauders know anything about it?" I asked.

"Why did you think we knew about those things?" she asked as she smirked playfully.

"I am someone who knew you had a keen mind on being an animagi. let alone those three toerags, they had been talking about some secret missions aside from doing pranks on the Slytherins," I shrugged.

"Having a keen mind on being animagi doesn't make me that shapeshifter myself, Lil," She grinned playfully.

"Besides, you have been missing on dinners and free periods and so did Potter, Pettigrew and Black," I said. "Where have you been?"

"I've been in the kitchen, with the house elves, stealing sweets and candies and treacle tarts," She was obviously lying. Holly didn't like sweets, at least not as much as James and Sirius.

"What are you really hiding from me?" I asked. I knew she had been lying. She was avoiding all eye contacts I had attempted to make. "Your scars, the way you said Madam Pomfrey shouldn't know about any of this. That time when I saw you, Potter and Black with scars and bruises. At the night of full moon," I said. I couldn't help it.

"Nothing happened, Lil. We fought with Slytherins all the time," Holly shrugged.

"Hol, I know you are lying. Tell me the truth," I demanded.

"I can't, Lil. If I spill to anyone, it would hurt Remus. I couldn't do that, I love him," She cried. "Snape tried it once, during your stay at the Potter's," She sobbed.

She loved Remus that much. It pained her to expose Remus' secret. Her wounds, her scars, everything was because of her undying love to Remus and I knew that. I could see it in her eyes. I could feel it in her tears. I listened about it through her sobs.

"I'm sorry, Hol," I hugged her.

"Lil, I'll tell you about one thing," She said, pulling my arm to follow her.

"Where are we going?"I asked.

"You'll see," She guided me out of the tower right to where the Whomping Willow stood, smashing everything that tried to make their ways into the tunnel below that tree. She ran to the tree and immobilized it. "Lily, come with me," She said as she led me into the tunnel. 

I thought she was standing before me, I thought she was in front of me. when I looked carefully she was nowhere to be found. "Holly?" I called her. All I could find was a furry Alaskan malamute half wolf in front of me. She whimpered and guided me to a room, we always knew as the shrieking shack. Remus was soundly sleeping on the couch meanwhile Peter, James and Sirius were lying on the floor, sleeping soundly. The white dog nuzzled her head onto Sirius' head to wake him up.

"Hey, Husk. What's up?" He lovingly hugged the furry white dog.

She whimpered and looked at me. 

"Lily-Pad," Sirius gasped. he didn't expect me coming.

"Evans?" James said as he shot awake, trying hard enough not to wake Remus up.

"Lily!" Remus shot awake as he tried to wipe all the dried blood on his face. 

"Where is my sister?" I asked, I almost cried. 

"I'm here, Lil," She magically appeared out of the bathroom. "John, she has the rights to know it from you," Holly said as she sat beside Remus, holding his hand. 

James nodded and turned himself into a Stag. Then Sirius followed suit, transforming himself into a black dog. Holly stood and transformed herself into the white dog I saw before.

"They did it for me, They were the reason they came back home with scars and bruises every night of full moon," Remus said. Holly nuzzled her head onto his lap.

"What are you? Who are you?" I asked.

"I am Remus, Remus Lupin. And I am a werewolf," Remus said. "They turned into animagus because of me. They wanted to help me through the changing," Remus looked down.

"Oh, Remus," I ran to hug him. "It's okay. I won't stop being your friend only because of this," I said.

"And you four, wait until Professor McGonagall sees this," I warned them. "Especially you, Hol."

"I'm going to be okay. Besides, now that you found this out, we can trick Severus with our skills," Holly smirked playfully after she turned back into human form. 

"Holly, just let it go. You don't want to waste your time for him," Remus said as he hugged her lovingly. I could feel the love from both of them. The genuine love, a sincerity flowing out of both of them. 

Both of them were all covered in scars and bruised. But that was what made them human. Even more than everyone in that room. "Now, let's get Potter, Pettigrew, Remus and Black to Madam Pomfrey to get treated," I said.

"What about Holly?" Peter chirped.

"I have treated her already," I shrugged pointing at all the gauze i put around her wounds.

"I'm sorry, Lily," Remus said.

"It's okay, Remus. I am not mad at you. I don't hate you. If only I knew about this sooner," I looked at the five of them. Now, I learnt about true friendship. The unconditional friendship and brotherhood that had been drawn in all their lives. They were brave enough to put their lives at stake for the sake of their friend. I would fall for someone with that quality.

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