Mischief Managed Year One: Mayhem of the Moon

Chapter Fifteen- Fleeing Friendships

"Sorry...maybe...we can go another time," he mumbled to his roommate's feet. He didn't really mean it, he just didn't want to appear too rude.

"Come on, Remus. You don't need the bad influence of those boys," Lily sniffed, tossing her hair disdainfully at James who looks irritated at losing. It irritated Remus more than it normally would have that both sides were acting a bit like he was some sort of prize. Lily even stuck her tongue out at James, clearly seeing this as some sort of win.

He waited until his roommates were out of view and earshot before he stopped walking. Remus forced himself to feel grateful for Lily's rescue, even though it had made him feel more pathetic.

"Thank you for that, Lily. They really aren't bullying me anymore not...not really," he assured her.

He started to walk away, preferring to spend what was now probably twenty minutes alone before dinner. But Lily stopped him, her hand where Sirius' had been, though considerably gentler.

"Are you not going to study with us?"

"Oh...I..." He couldn't meet her eyes, though he wasn't entirely sure why.

"Remus, are you mad at me?" she blurted out sounding very stressed. He looked up, surprised to find Lily on the verge of tears and Dorcas looking rather ashamed.

"M...mad? Why would I be mad?" he asked bewildered.

"Because of the letters of course! Oh, Remus, I should have believed you. Sev had only hung out with you a few times. He doesn't know you as Dorcas and I do..." Lily trailed off, glancing at her friend nervously.

"And I was being a wanker thinking you wrote them." Dorcas finished, giving Remus an apologetic grimace.

"We should have believed you," Lily concluded.

Remus wanted to point out that not even he had believed in himself, but figured that would result in too many questions.

"It's alright. There...I mean there was evidence. And it seemed unlikely... I mean, that's why my roommates were bullying me. Because they thought I wrote those," he finished lamely.

"That gave them no right to treating you so terribly! They should have gone to a professor or the headmaster?"

"Like you did?"

He meant it as a question but the realization hit him quite suddenly, he really should have known. Lily went as red as her hair.

"I only wanted to help you. I'm not a snitch but...well, it was affecting your schoolwork, Remus," she exclaimed aghast. He found himself smiling at her sincerely.

"Thank you, Lily."

He wasn't sure why this made her blush even more, but his gratitude towards her was sincere. Remus was pretty sure Dumbledore would have reached the same conclusion if she hadn't talked to him. Still, to have someone care enough about him to do so was a good feeling.

"O...of course, Remus. Now, if you aren't mad how about we study?"

"There's only half an hour left," Dorcas pointed out, sounding amused.

"That's enough time to go over applications of the mending charm," Remus said cheerfully, feeling much less irritated. Lily beamed at him and Dorcas rolled her eyes, grinning.

"You two are nuts," Dorcas decided.

"Well, you don't have to join us," Lily pointed out teasingly. Dorcas simply shrugged and they all headed to the courtyard. It was a nice enough day and they didn't have time to go to the library. There they began quizzing one another in the dwindling minutes before dinner.