I'll Take it Shaken, Not Stirred

Chapter 26: Eleven and Everything

"You needn't bother," said the mystery patient. "She already knows."

Lily recognized the voice almost immediately, but it was not until Madam Pomfrey somewhat reluctantly stepped away a moment later to reveal Remus Lupin that she matched the voice with a name.

"Drink the rest of that potion," Madam Pomfrey directed to Remus. "If you'll wait here, Miss Evans, I will be back in a moment." She hurried across the room into her office, and Lily began to meander in the general direction of Remus's cot. He looked terrible.

"How are you?" she asked earnestly.

"Been worse. Been better, but I've been worse."

Lily nodded. "So... do... do you remember everything from last night?"

Remus smiled mirthlessly, pushing his disorderly brown hair out of his face. Lily was immediately reminded of James. "No," he admitted with a sigh. "Not everything. A lot of it's kind of lost in a blur, but James was here earlier with Sirius and Peter... he told me mostly everything."

Strangely enough, Lily found that the fact that James had told the other Marauders about what had happened did not bother her as much as she might have expected. The hint that James had told Sirius about the first forest escapade had made her furious at the beginning of the year.

She reached the bed and looked carefully down at the Marauder. "How are you?" she asked earnestly.

Remus shrugged. "As well as can be expected, I guess. How are you?"

"Fine."

"Good." There was a brief silence before he continued. "Listen, Lily, I understand... I mean, I understand if this changes something between us. If you don't want to... talk to me or whatever anymore then... it's not like I'm gonna be really offended. Or at least, I won't be surprised. But, um... the point is, I want to apologize. I'm really sorry this happened." He waved a hand about vaguely.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "You're serious?"

"Um..."

"I mean, do I really give off the impression of being someone who is going to give up one of my closest friends because he's got a little... problem?"

"Well, I know, but..."

"Don't interrupt, Lupin. I'm not even entirely sure what you're apologizing for. If it's for the almost-killing-me thing... well... alright, I forgive you. If it's for the lycanthropy situation, I really don't see how apologizing is going to make any difference whatsoever. So, before you go into anymore beautiful, pitiful, sorrowful speeches, please keep in mind that this is me you're talking to, and you supposedly know me, so there are some things that simply don't need to be said at all."

Lily finished and put her hands on her hips, shifting her weight. Remus's face, meanwhile, broke into a small, ironic sort of smile.

"In that case, I'm sorry again."

"Cheers."

"Cheers."

Madam Pomfrey now returned from her office, carrying a silver tray with several potion vials. She ordered for Lily to sit down on a cot. The Head Girl waited patiently (she did not have anything better to do, after all) while the nurse set each vial out in a deliberate order along the bedside table.