Mischief Managed Year One: Mayhem of the Moon

Chapter Seventeen- Balance and Black's Wish

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It took lots of promising to be careful and to take things slow for Madam Pomfrey to begrudgingly admit Remus could go to his Friday classes, considering it was a shorter day than the other school days. He was about to leave, still a little sore but otherwise fine, when Madam Pomfrey stopped him abruptly.

"Oh, Remus darling, I almost forgot! Your little friends came and asked about you. Peter, James, and Sirius... and I wasn't sure what your excuse was so I didn't tell them anything."

He was extremely grateful for her foresight, but his dread at having to face his roommates doubled. Remus knew he would have to eventually though.

"Thank you for telling me, Madam Pomfrey," he replied politely. Remus had to bite back the childish impulse to tell the matron that he had 'told her so about his classmates noticing' but somehow managed to do so.

"Of course, I just didn't want you to be caught off guard. Have a good day Remus, and for Helga's sake, be careful!" the matron shouted after him in an exasperated warning.

Remus nodded to show he heard then headed straight for the Great Hall feeling famished. The last time he had eaten it was only a little soup that Madam Pomfrey had practically forced down his throat days ago. This was before she had realized the severity of his nausea after the full moon. But no longer feeling terribly ill, Remus entered the Great Hall. He was barely able to stop himself from drooling, and wasted no time in heaping food onto his plate. Remus was glad he was the first Gryffindor at the table and ate his food as quickly as he could without wolfishly devouring it.

By the time his fellow Gryffindors were entering the Great Hall Remus had successfully finished half of his massive plate of food and was now able to eat at a more dignified pace. He had expected his roommates to question him first, but instead found Dorcas and Lily making a b-line for him. Remus took a deep breath rehearsing in his mind his lie as he waited for the interrogation.

"Remus, you look dreadful!" Lily said aghast, sitting at the usual spot across from him, Dorcas close behind.

"Good morning to you too, Lily," he responded, trying to copy some of Dumbledore's general good humor about everything. The red haired girl looked surprised but returned his smile, going a little pink.

"Well, I only mean...I mean you just look very sick. I knew you must be, to miss two whole days!" Lily whispered horrified as if he might as well have killed someone while missing that much class. Remus winced, wondering how this would pan out after months of the same thing.

"I was sick. I had the flu, but I'm in the clear now." He offered her a small smile but she didn't return it this time.

"But normally potions can clear up the flu, in no more than a day!" Lily pointed out with a frown.

"I have a particularly weak immune system and it was a particularly bad case. But I'm alright now Lily, you don't need to look like that. I'm fine, really I am."

Unhelpfully, his roommates chose this time to spot him and rush up to him full of concern and worry.

"He lives!" Sirius shouted with his normal level of forgetting about what an inside voice is. Remus bit back a groan, certain a headache was sure to follow if his boisterous roommates didn't leave him alone soon. Sirius had rushed ahead with his typical disregard about running, but James and Peter quickly caught up.

"Goodness Remus, where were you? You look like death." James pointed out worriedly. The volume of his voice was only marginally better than Sirius'.