From Beginning to End

Chapter 5: Assumptions

Peter and Remus were in the library a week later. Peter had confided in Remus about how lost he got and Remus had suggested creating a map of Hogwarts together. The creation would take quite some time but the effort would be worth it.

Remus had a fantastic sense of direction and that paired with Peter's artistic ability made for great mapmakers. The pair spent hours after class scouting out the castle, jotting down every nook and cranny, making sure that there was no possible way to get turned around to an uncharted area.

But, the castle was too large to be covered quickly so only bits and pieces had been sketched out of various sheets of parchment that would be charmed together later.

"Hey erm- mind if I join you?"

The two looked up a few minutes to a familiar red-headed girl who they shared most of their classes with.

Remus remembered her from the train ride and his knee-jerk reaction was to say no based on her friend Severus' words. But, Lily was not Severus and she seemed nice enough. Plus she was holding what appeared to be at least a dozen books that she would not be able to keep in her arms for much longer.

"Sure," Peter answered before he could get a word out edgewise.

She smiled softly and took the seat across from him. "Thanks."

She sighed in relief as her books were laid out in front of her and began working silently.

As the pair went back to working on the map, Lily studied Remus. He had scars. Some were still red and slightly raw while others were the sort of translucent white that seemed to blend in with the skin after many years of healing. Most were ragged and must have been rather deep injuries.

The ones she could see stretched up his hands under his shirt which she realized was a long-sleeve. Come to think of it, Remus only wore long-sleeved shirts. His scars must have been why.

She wondered what could've caused these scars. It couldn't be something as simple as a fall or bumping into something. No, these scars had a deliberateness to them. Something or someone had caused these scars on purpose. The question was what?

     Lily didn't know much about Remus' home life but she had seen him receive letters and gifts from his parents that he smiled at unlike Sirius, who always seemed to be on edge after a letter from his home.

She doubted Remus was being abused but then again, Lily had grown up in a very loving household and wasn't all that familiar with signs of domestic violence. She did know that Remus had gone home to visit his mum last month because she was ill, and noticeably had more scars after that.

He also never spoke anything about his parents except for the bit about his dad on the train ride with Severus. It wasn't completely impossible that something terrible could be happening during those trips behind closed doors. Maybe it wasn't any of her business but she couldn't help but worry.

So with that, she put her pen down— she used pens despite the professors' wishes because they were much simpler to use than feathers and inkwells— and looked at the lanky boy who was bent over his work, head close to Peter's as they whispered amongst themselves.

Perhaps she should have waited until Peter left, but she had not had the hindsight for that.

"Erm- Remus, can I ask you something?"

He looked up at her, concentration broken though Peter was wholly invested in whatever it was they were doing.

"Sure... what's up?"

"Are you alright?"

The question caught Remus off guard, mind now far from the map. What did Lily mean by that? Of course he was alright. Or at least alright enough to not rouse suspicion from others.