A Thin Line

Putting the Pieces of the Puzzle Together

The month of September was slowly slipping away. It was Thursday; the moon was just beginning to wane, as the full moon had been the night before.

Lily slung her bag over her shoulder as she departed the Great Hall, having eaten breakfast. James hadn't asked her out this morning - actually, she thought, Potter, Black, Pettigrew and Remus had all been absent.

***

As the first lesson of the day (which was with the Slytherins - oh-so-fun), Lily hurried to the Transfiguration classroom, making it right on time. She slipped in without McGonagall noticing.

McGonagall turned around from the board which she had been writing on. "Good morning, fifth years. Transfiguration - to change the shape of a living creature or stationary object to a different living creature or stationary object. Occasionally a dangerous art, I will warn you; this is not something to mess around with."

Her eyes stopped on a certain two individuals.

"Potter, Black, you're late. What took you so long? Why are Lupin and Pettigrew absent from the classroom?"

"Moony's in the hospital wing, same with Wormtail," Sirius replied.

"Whatever for?" McGonagall asked.

"Ach, no reason," James lied easily.

"Sit down, and don't distract anyone this lesson, please," McGonagall said it with a tone in her voice revealing that she knew the boys would ignore her and distract others anyway.

"Oh, the scar down my back hurts," James muttered.

"Well, what about the scratches I have?" Sirius asked. "We're meant to go down to the hospital wing at lunchtime anyway. Wish we could do it now, skip Transfig, that'd be great. Honestly, McGonagall makes everything boring."

"Black!" McGonagall snapped. "Do you want a lunch detention?"

"Well, actually, can't do," James threw the piece of paper at her explaining how they had to return to the hospital wing at lunchtime.

She read it. "Hm, very well. Detention tomorrow, then, unless you sort out your behaviour."

***

"Excuse me, Miss. Evans!"

Lily was called into the hospital wing. Being a prefect, it was only her duty to serve other Gryffindors, so she obliged when she was asked to help care for the Marauders.

"You boys, what do you get up to? Every month, you end up in here!"

Every month? Lily raised an eyebrow, but asked no questions.

"Miss. Evans, please apply this to all of Mr. Potter and Mr. Black's cuts and scratches, whilst I can deal with the severe injuries on Mr. Lupin and Mr. Pettigrew."

Lily nodded, taking the cloth dabbed in liquid. "Right, who's first?"

"Mine are worse, you wanna get it over and done with," James blurted out quickly.

"Alright then, I'll do Black's," Lily ignored the indignant look on James' face as she went to attend to the cuts on Sirius' arms.

"Many girls would want to be in your place right now, Evans," Sirius smirked, flicking his long dark hair out of his face in a way which highlighted his looks. Of course, this didn't appeal to Lily.

"Shut it, Black," Lily frowned. "Your outer shell isn't bad, but your inside's all rotten."

Sirius whined. He was quiet for the rest of the time.

"Turn around, Potter," Lily sighed.

James turned around. A single deep scar ran from his waist to his shoulder.

"How on earth do you manage this?" Lily said as she put on the ointment.

"That's all part of the secret," James replied smugly.

Lily thought about what Remus had been like during Prefect duties earlier that month. There was something going on. Every month, they came to the hospital wing in this condition. Every month, every single month ... And then it dawned upon her.

How could she have been so thick? Remus was obviously a werewolf! It all made sense now, everything lined up.

A werewolf. Lily beamed, satisfied that she had at last figured it all out.