January, '94
Remus and Juliet returned to Hogwarts on the same day after New Year's. Anne and James had stayed with the pair until New Year's Eve, but had gone back to Anne's family's farm to celebrate their engagement. They had begged Remus and Juliet to come, but he didn't exactly fancy seeing where he used to spend so much time alone, and the witch maintained that she had too much to sort out with the house. The witch and wizard existed quietly alongside for a few days, not speaking much, but being content. Juliet hadn't mentioned Christmas Day, how he had been with Tonks all night, and he hadn't thought about what could have happened if it weren't for the proposal. He felt guilty, though, Tonks apparently had taken quite a shine to him, and James had teased him about it endlessly the next day, the one wizard too happy about his engagement to be observant, but the other not missing the silent glances exchanged between Anne and Juliet.
Once back at Hogwarts and through the front doors, Juliet instantly fell into step beside Severus Snape, and began enquiring after his Christmas, while Remus nodded at Minerva Mcgonagall and smiled, sitting between her and Madam Hooch on the opposite side of the staff table to Juliet.
A few weeks into term, Remus began to teach Harry the patronus charm, not telling anyone about their lessons, but growing more and more attached to the boy the more he taught him, feeling overwhelmingly like he was with James and Lily the more he got to know him. Harry complained about Severus a lot, but he also complained about Juliet, carefully watching Remus' reactions, remembering the photograph where Professor Lupin had his arm around Professor Blair, and both were leaning into each other. Harry would stop at nothing to understand more about his parent's friends.
February
Juliet and Remus received invitations to Anne and James' wedding for April a month after term had begun, the pair hardly spoke in school, with Juliet doing midnight astronomy, their timetables were completely different, and she had began to spend more time with Severus. The man found her sat by the lake, she looked up at him and smiled as he approached her, holding the same gold envelope as she did.
"April," she said as he sat beside her.
"Yeah," he grinned. "It'll be nice."
Juliet laughed, "guess what?"
"What?"
"She's asked me to be a bridesmaid."
Remus smiled widely, "Merlin, she loves you."
"I love her," Juliet laughed, closing her eyes and thinking about Arabella Greengrass. "It's nice to have a girl friend again. I've not had that for a while."
"An odd friendship?"
"How so? If at some point in your life you've been in love with both me and Annie, it makes sense that we'd get on."
Remus smiled, "I wasn't in love with Annie. But I see your point. She just used to feel very...threatened by your existence."
Juliet laughed, "little did she know I was locked away!"
He grinned at her, "yeah, might have made things easier for her."
"I'm glad I know her. I'm happy for them."
"Me too," he said, glancing up at the darkening sky.
"Moon tonight?"
"Yeah," he said.
"Severus and I started brewing more," she said, pulling grass out of the ground and throwing it in front of her.
He nodded, "cheers."
The witch stood up and brushed off her robes, holding out her hand to the man as she noticed him wincing. "Do you need anything?"
Remus smiled and let his hand linger, "no, thanks."
March
Remus Lupin could hardly believe what he was holding in his hands as he strode away from Severus Snape. His hands shook as he headed straight to his office, swinging the door open and pointing his wand at the parchment, muttering so Harry Potter couldn't hear him from the other side of his office.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Remus felt tears threatening his eyes as the ink formed, he tapped it again and turned around to the boy standing behind him.
"I am astounded that you didn't hand this in, Harry," he said sharply. "Did it never occur to you that this, in the hands of Sirius Black, is a map directly to you?"
Harry shifted where he stood awkwardly, "no, sir."
"Your parents gave their lives to save yours, you are gambling their sacrifice by wandering the castle, alone, unprotected - there is a killer on the loose!" He exclaimed, "I won't cover for you again, Harry," he said, turning his back to the boy. "Bed, now."
He heard footsteps retreating, but then, a pause.
"Professor, just so you know, I don't think the map always works. Earlier it showed me someone in the castle, someone I know to be dead."
"Who might that be?" Remus asked tiredly.
"Peter Pettigrew."
The man masked his shock well, gripping the map with one hand and the edge of a table with another.
"That's not possible."
"It's just what I saw," Harry muttered, turning around and heading back to his dormitory.
Once he was alone, Remus slammed the door shut and pulled the map out again, only looking for one name.
Juliet Romilly, in the astronomy tower.
The man jogged through the castle halls, praying her class was over.
"Juliet," he called, once at the top of the stairs.
He heard giggling and smiled awkwardly, stepping aside as two Ravenclaw girls hurried past him.
"Oh, great, Lupin, that's all I need."
"What?" He asked, confused.
"Rumours about you meeting me in the tower at night," she said, rolling her eyes. The man was frozen to the spot, clutching parchment. "What is it?" She asked. When he said nothing she instantly knew, she snatched it from his hand and spoke the ten words.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
When the ink began to form, and she read: 'Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs,' she gasped and threw the parchment to the floor, tears coming into her eyes. Remus' expression mimicked her own and she pulled the man towards her, wrapping her arms around his neck, tightly.
"There was nothing left of them," Remus said into her shoulder, staring down at the map. "Nothing left of us."
Juliet sniffed as she pulled away, "where was it?"
"Harry had it," Remus said, almost laughing.
Juliet beamed, "the marauder's legacy continues. Prongs would fucking love that."
"I know," Remus sighed, "it was hard to act professor."
Juliet sighed and leant down and picked it up, stroking over the names, remembering the patrol when they were young and Remus had shown her the map.
"There's something else," he said apprehensively, "before you look at it."
"What?" She asked.
"Harry said he saw Peter Pettigrew on it..."
"What?"
"It must be wrong."
"I thought the map was never wrong."
He shrugged, "we were seventeen, it probably was wrong."
"Peter can't be on it," she said.
"Exactly."
"Unless," she began, before stopping.
Remus panicked at the very hint of such a suggestion, a suggestion which could change everything.
"It's impossible."
"I know," she replied softly.
"I'm going to give it to Dumbledore, if Siri- Black is here, it's too dangerous. I'd get obsessed with it..."
"I'll keep it," she said quickly. "I'm fine."
He nodded, "yeah, thank you. I'll leave you, sorry."
"Thanks for coming to me, Remus," she said, smiling as he retreated down the stairs.
The witch sat at her desk and tapped the map again, stroking where it said Moony. She assessed it, and watched Remus walking towards his own office, saw herself in the astronomy tower, and then a name she scarcely thought about. She watched it, making tiny movements in Gryffindor common room. She leant back into her chair, not taking her eyes off the name. The map must be wrong. But what if?
It had to be.
But the map never lies.