Clair de Lune

Lily shrugs yet again. "Mum says boys can cry too, but people don't think they should. I think it's all right. Makes them sensitive, but yeah, you're right, I think girls are allowed to cry more."

She falls silent, listening. "Did you hear something from downstairs just now?"

"Maybe you're right," Alice laughs. "and maybe Lupin IS a bit of a girl. Boys aren't supposed to cry about ickle things like being sick."

"That's what Da says anyway."

Lily shrugs a little again. "He's probably upset because he's ill. I know when I got really sick with tonsillitis, I cried a lot too," she offers in Remus' defense. "And besides, we're all rather loopy, aren't we? I'm loopy because I like studying so much, you're loopy because you're friends with me, and Remus is loopy because he cries when he's sick," she tells Alice with a giggle.

"Girly?" Alice laughs. "I heard him belching 'God Save the Queen' with Peter during Charms. I don't think Lupin is girly."

She whispers to Lily. "He's definitely odd though. He cries a lot. I saw. Today in defense, he started crying. I saw him. I tried to ask what was wrong and he ran off on me. He doesn't talk to anyone except those gits he hangs around with. I heard some Slytherin's calling him Loopy once..."

She concludes with, "But at least he's Gryffindor. He can't be all bad."

Alice didn't like Snape, but she wouldn't say that to Lily. That would just be mean.

Lily just shrugs. "Well, I do fancy Severus, even if we are too young. I've known him since I was eight. I definitely don't fancy Remus. He's... well, he's sort of a girl. He reads a lot and seems sensitive and things like that. He doesn't seem as much of a git as Black or Potter," she says, shuddering at the mention of James' name.

"Both Black and Potter look all right, but they're just such arrogant toerags. I don't think I'll ever like either of them," she announces, a bit too loudly. She is shushed by another girl, and Lily quickly covers her mouth, smiling conspiratorially at Alice.

Alice is caught silent. Er... Snape wasn't stupid, but he was SOMETHING alright. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she didn't like him. He didn't feel right.

"We're too young to really fancy anyone," she quipps. "Mum says."

My mum is the bravest cleverest witch that ever was.

"Are you sure you don't fancy Lupin?" Alice asks. Both Snape and 'Loopy' Lupin were quiet and a little on the weird side, but at least Lupin was a Gryffindor. He couldn't be all bad.

"If you ask me, it's all about Black. He's gorgeous. Aestet...aesthetically," she struggles to say the big word. "pleasing. But I don't 'fancy' him. He's a bit of a git, really. ALL boys are gits, even the clever ones." Alice adds. "Especially the clever ones."

Lily blurts, "Severus isn't stupid!" then quickly claps both hands over her mouth. She uncovers it, looking defiant. "Yes, I fancy Severus. He's really sweet and talks with me about magic all the time."

Alice was unconvinced. Mhmm, because chocolate had all these great medicinal purposes, righhhhht.

"Well I don't fancy anyone. Boys are so stupid."

Lily stares at Alice a bit, then goes back to writing.

"I don't," she states calmly. "I'm merely concerned for his well-being. I fancy someone else entirely," she admits, blushing a little.

She finishes her letter and folds it up, putting it with her school things so she can owl it in the morning.

All three boys crowd under James' prized Invisibility Cloak.

"Peter you're stepping on my toes!" James whispers.

It was difficult, trying to move about together without making noise. They managed well enough, but they clearly needed some practice.

"All for one and one for all," James reminds his mates. "Now... If I were Remus where would I be?"

James suspects there is a logical explanation. Remus didn't like breaking rules. "Hospital wing?"

"What are you doing?" Alice asked, jumping onto Lily's bed. One of the other girls sat up and threatened to throw a hex if they didn't 'keep quiet; people are sleeping!'.

Alice, never one for subtlety, ever, peered over Lily's shoulder. Her eyes go wide as chestnuts and Alice bites her lip to hold back giggling (because 'people are sleeping!').

"Lily fancies Lupin~ Lily fancies Lupin~" Alice whispers in a teasing sing song voice.

"All right, all right, keep your shirt on."

Sirius pushes James off his bed and pulls on robes.

"Well? Let's go!"

Lily was still awake on the girls' side of the dorms, finishing her homework in bed. She knew they didn't have much, but she did like studying and learning everything she could.

It'd been an eventful first few weeks of school. James and Sirius had managed to prank all of the Slytherins in one go, and the professors were already wise to their antics. Lily spent as much time as she could balancing between studying and lounging around with Alice, who teased her about her Ravenclaw tendencies.

She'd also been partnered with Remus for Potions, and the poor boy was hopeless. He couldn't even boil water without burning it. So Lily, who showed immense talent for it, was set to help him.

She pauses in her writing, looking pensive. He'd been looking really pale and tired lately. She'd get him some chocolate to make him feel better because he was sick, so she sets her homework aside and starts on a letter to her parents, asking for some chocolate for Remus.

"Here James! Got your cloak!" Peter waves the light garment around excitedly.

"Fine. Sleep all night while Remus is missing. Peter and I'll have a look without you." James jabs Sirius on the side.

"No," says Sirius, and pulls his hangings closed.

James rolled over in bed as the pillow Peter threw collided with his rump. "What?" he said sleepily. "Remus's still missing?"

He sat up in bed and tore the blankets off.

"Sirius, wake up, tosser," James ran across the room to Sirius's bed, tore the curtains open and shook him.

"Peter, grab my cloak will you? It's under my bed."

It was well after curfew and there was still no sign of Remus.

Peter sat up on his bed and threw a pillow across the room at James. "James, wake up! Remus isn't back yet!"

Peter was worried about the swat. It wasn't like him to be out past curfew. He was such a stickler for rules.

He hadn't mentioned going anywhere, and what was more Peter was almost certain he'd caught him crying in the boy's lavatory after Charms.

"All together!" agrees Sirius gleefully.

There is a sound then, like a small explosion and a stench fills the hall. Sirius giggles and holds his nose.

James was next. The hat barely has time to touch his head before shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!"

James beams, feeling very self satisfied.

...

Besides, any minute now, those dung bombs he'd planted ought to be going off.

James jumped into the seat next to Sirius. "This is brilliant! We're all together!"

---

After James was sorted it was Alice's turn and she was sorted Gryffindor as well.