"You did WHAT?"

A sudden hush fell over the Great Hall as Remus Lupin's voice echoed all around. The outburst was so unlike the usually calm and collected Remus' behavior that most of the students stopped eating their breakfasts for a moment and began to crane their necks to catch a glimpse of the calamity that caused the shout. After a few silent moments, most of the Hogwarts students, aside from the few clusters of girls that were giggling, continued on their morning as if nothing happened. The professors at the front of the hall exchanged nervous glances, as images of what the boys whom called themselves the Marauders could possibly be up to floated through their minds. But even they eventually eased up after nothing else followed the shout.

Remus, however, was far from easing up and instead sat at the Gryffindor table across from his best friends in complete horror. James and Sirius exchanged looks with Peter, who was sitting next to Remus, wide-eyed and with a bit out unchewed toast still hanging in his mouth.

"I told him not to," James whispered to Remus, trying to keep his voice low enough so that the curious Gryffindor girls next to them wouldn't be able to hear. "This was all Sirius' idea."

"Oh gee, thanks Prongs," Sirius rolled his eyes. "Whatever, if you don't want to share credit, I'll take all of it. It was the best idea I've ever had!"

"What on Earth made you think that this was a great idea?" Remus shook his head in disbelief, his nervous hands gripping his shaggy, light brown hair. His face was dark, despite the bright spring sunlight that filled the Great Hall through the vast transparent ceiling.

Before another word could be muttered, Lily Evans bounded towards the boys, her long, red hair bouncing on her shoulders.

"What is going on over here?" Her voice was stern, as if to lecture them. "I could hear you all the way at the other end of the table." Her eyes gave an accusatory flash towards Sirius.

James gave her a sheepish smile. "Hey Lily, we were just-"

"They set me up on a date!" Remus blurted.

"A date?" Lily sat next to James, who instinctively slid his arm around her waist. "Remus that's great!" She beamed.

"That is what I said," James added quickly. "It was my idea."

"No it wasn't! It was mine!" Sirius practically threw himself on top of James so that he could see Lily. "I was just telling your boyfriend the other night that we needed to get Moony out more."

"Okay, but I helped you come up with the idea," James grunted, throwing Sirius off of him.

"Who's the lucky girl?" Lily asked, bouncing slightly in girlish excitement.

"Penelope Clem." Sirius gave a devilish grin as he took a huge bite from his sausage.

"Didn't you used to take her out?" Peter asked, confused, still nibbling away at his toast.

"Yea, but that was a long time ago. Besides, Moony needs someone to break him out of that library and away from his homework for some fun, and that's exactly Penelope's specialty."

Lily began to clap eagerly. "When is it?"

"It's all set for tomorrow night. Penelope is going to meet him at eight at the Hog's Head for some butter beers."

"No, no, no, no, no!" Remus started to shake his head again, this time more vigorously.

"What's wrong Remus?" Lily asked, tilting her head onto James' shoulder. "I think it sounds like a great time."

"Yea Moony," Sirius winked. "Don't worry, Penelope won't bite… hard."

"Don't you like her?" Peter was starring at Remus with earnestness.

"This has nothing to do with Penelope." Remus' voice rose with exasperation. "You guys don't listen. Don't you care at all about what I want?"

"We know what you want," Sirius laughed. "You want to spend each night with your books, but as your best friend, I won't let that happen."

"No!" Remus stood abruptly, causing the others to jump. His hands were shaking slightly. "You guys always take things too far! I'm tired of following you guys around to just have you not listen to me. I'm not going on your stupid set-up!"

Remus shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and walked away, slumping as he went. The others sat stunned for a few moments.

"My set-up was not stupid! You're stupid!" Sirius shouted, but Remus had already left the Great Hall.

"Sirius, stop." Lily scolded, her eyebrows drawn with worry. "I've never seen Remus like that, have you, James?"

"Sort of, but never about something so silly," James said.

"Well, if he doesn't want Penelope, then I'm just going to keep her for myself," Sirius grumbled, helping himself to the food the Remus had left untouched on his plate.

"Something tells me this isn't about Penelope," Lily sighed. "James, you should try to find out what's really bothering him."

James gave a nod and went off to find his friend. Remus was able to stay hidden for a good hour and a half before James found him sitting at the end of the second floor west corridor, with his nose plowed deep into a book. James sat silently next to him on the cold, stone floor for a while before Remus reluctantly pulled his attention away from whatever he was reading.

"James," he sighed, "I don't want to go on this date."

"I think we are all well aware of that by now. What we don't understand is why."

Remus closed his book and set it beside him. The corridor seemed hauntingly quiet, not even the ghosts were floating around to distract them from the conversation.

"It has nothing to do with Penelope," Remus sighed, hesitantly. "It's… all dates in general. I can't imagine bringing a girl that I cared about into my… lifestyle."

James laughed. "Merlin's beard Moony, we set-up a date. We didn't plan your wedding!"

Remus didn't join in, but instead turned his head away, his eyes dark with sadness. "You just don't understand what it's like."

This made James silent for a bit. He pictured every full moon he had shared in the past couple of years with his friend, the pain and torment of a transformation, the regret and shame of each new cut and scar the next morning. It was a never ending battle; Remus was fighting something that he could never beat.

"You're right," James finally answered. "I don't understand what it's like to be you, but I do understand that you can't keep punishing yourself for what you are. You are a good person, Moony, and you deserve to be happy."

"There you two are!" Lily had appeared from down the hallway and anxiously made her way towards them. She knelt down in front of them and gave Remus a worried smile. "I've been looking for you guys. I came to tell you that the guys went to go watch the Hufflepuff practice. I think Sirius wants to throw pebbles at Angele Norm as she flies around, again. Remus, are you alright?"

"Yes Lily, I'm fine," Remus blushed. "I guess I just got a little freaked out or something."

Lily placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to worry about it. You are a good guy and any girl would be lucky to get set-up with you." Her green eyes shone brightly; there was always something comforting about Lily's eyes, and even Remus felt more at ease.

James paused before saying, "I'll tell Sirius to call off the date with Penelope if you want, but one of these days, you are going to meet a girl that is going to be so crazy about you that the whole wolf-thing won't even matter. She'll love ALL of you, just like we do." James and Lily exchanged a smile. "Alright," James continued, as he and Lily stood, holding hands, "We are going to go watch Padfoot make a fool of himself. You can join us if you like."

"Thanks," murmured Remus, weakly. "I think I'm going to keep reading for a while."

Lily eyes were filled with worry again, but James gave Remus a nod as he turned to leave.

"James," Remus called. "You are a good friend. Thank you."

James gave his friend one final smile before he and Lily, hand in hand, started walking back down the corridor towards the Quidditch Pitch. Lily gave James a playful push as James wrapped a loving arm around her.

Remus watched them fondly. Lily Evans and James Potter; they were two of his closest friends and part of the small selection of people that knew about his true secret. He had shown them his true self and still they continued to care for him.

He sat in the corridor for a long time, thinking about what James had said to him, about there being someone out there for him that would care about him, just as his friends did. He wasn't sure how long he turned it over in his mind, but eventually the thought ran its course in his mind and he once again turned to his book, leaving the corridor silent, except for the occasional turn of a page.