The Marauders: Time of Our Life || Jily (JamesxLily) & Wolfstar (RemusxSirius)

7. Lone Wolf No More

The leaves had begun to turn into the warm colors of autumn, and it was getting chilly outside. Students had gathered outside of Hogwarts, ready to leave for the first weekly Hogsmeade trip of the year. Students dressed in jumpers and coats with scarves around their necks were buzzing from excitement as they handed in their signed permission slips to professor McGonagall one by one.

The marauders were nowhere to be seen, something that didn't go unnoticed. There were mixed reactions by the students who did notice: some disappointed ones, some curious ones, and in Severus's case nothing, but relief.

Hallie had noticed that her fellow quidditch members were missing, and she decided to point it out to Lily.

"James and Sirius are really not here?" she questioned with a doubtful look while nudging Lily with her elbow.

"I guess not," Lily responded with a shrug. 'That is quite strange...' she thought to herself. "Come to think about it... I don't think I've seen either of them since lunch." she reflected.

Lily decided not to ponder it any further. She had been looking forward to the trip, and she had even made a list of items that she wanted to purchase from the various shops. Besides, in Lily's experience, the Hogsmeade trips that James and his friends attended usually got pretty rowdy.

For once, Lily wouldn't mind the calm. That way, she could look around in peace without James trying to ask her to come to the Three Broomsticks with him, a thing that would have been flattering if it weren't for James's general attitude. Lily couldn't deny that James was quite handsome, and he did have his charms, but the way he would constantly try to show off or bully Severus seemed to weigh it all down.

"Lily Evans," McGonagall called, snapping Lily out of her thoughts. Lily quickly shook off the thought and walked up to the professor, her note of permission ready in hand.

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The Hogwarts castle was unusually empty. Most of the students from the third year and up would be gone until later in the evening. The Marauders had been in the hospital wing since morning, with lunch being the only exception. At lunchtime, Madam Pomfrey had practically shooed James, Sirius, and Peter out of the door. Despite their protests, she had insisted that Remus needed to get some rest.

Remus was still lying in the hospital's furthest bed. Madam Pomfrey had made sure to draw the curtains, careful not to reveal the student. She was one of the very few who knew about Remus's condition and it was her responsibility to treat him during his time at Hogwarts.

It was safe to say that the Marauders' presence had stressed Madam Pomfrey out. It was all supposed to be very secret, and she wanted to do everything in her power to make sure the other students weren't catching on. She would have kicked the marauders out if it hadn't been for Remus, who insisted that he wanted them there.

It took some convincing, but at last, Madam Pomfrey had reluctantly agreed to let them stay. Since madam Pomfrey had been busy with other students, the marauders had volunteered to help. Though the school's matron had been hesitant at first, she couldn't deny that they had been quite helpful. Of course, madam Pomfrey had no idea of just how much they helped their friend during the full moon. As far as she knew, none of the students knew about Remus Lupin's condition.

Peter and James sat at one side of Remus's bed, while Sirius sat across from the two. Sirius carefully dabbed Remus's forehead with a cloth in an attempt to ease his fever. Meanwhile, James shared the highlights of this week's pranks and other events.

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After Lily and Hallie had stopped by Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop for a cup of tea, they decided to visit a few of the shops – starting with Dervish and Banges.