Furry Little Secrets

None of the Marauders ever had girlfriends before but they sure had seen a lot of drama in the common rooms to know when to leave.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing."

Where were you?"

"Around." James shrugged.

"I can't believe you, James!" She said, angrily.

She started to walk away.

"Care!"

"What?"

"Try to understand." He shouted.

"Understand what?"

"Understand….." He didn't know what to say.

How could he say something about Remus? It wasn't his secret to share. He was sleep deprived….he didn't know what to say to her that would make her feel better. What could he say that would keep his friend's secret and not offend her?

"I am going to Hogsmeade with the girls." She told him, "Till then you can think that you want lie to me or you want me around."

"But, I didn't say anything!" He shouted.

"Wrong answer." She walked away, her back to him.

"Shit." He said.

"Trouble, Potter?" Another seventh year called out.

"Yeah." James said.

He walked towards the Great Hall in deep thought. He had had a hard night, he just needed something to eat. It was probably where his friends were. Looking for some food.

"There you are!" Peter squeaked. "We were wondering where you went."

Remus and Sirius's concerned faces broke into laughter.

"Yeah, you were wondering."

"What happened?" Remus asked.

"She came into my room last night and it was empty." He sighed, "She came into my room at dawn and it was empty…..What do I say to her?"

"I am sorry, Prongs." Remus said. "It is my fault."

"It's not your fault." James shook his head, "How is it your fault?"

"Where is she?" Sirius asked, popping a piece of toast in his mouth.

"Hogsmeade." James groaned, hitting the table with his head, "I think it's over."

"No!" Remus almost shouted, "You two can't break up, I love Caroline."

"Yeah, I think I do too." James said, "But, what can you do?"

"You can tell her the truth." Remus shrugged.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" James, Peter and Sirius said at the same time.

"What?" Remus took a bite. "Does it matter? She is my friend, I think she'll understand."

"There are a lot of people who are your friends." James reasoned with him, "You like Evans and McDonald…..And, that guy from Ravenclaw."

"Yeah, they are your friends," Sirius said, "You didn't think to tell them."

"Yeah, they aren't a source of happiness for my friends." Remus shrugged, "Caroline is."

"What?" James sometimes didn't understand Remus.

"Let's go to Hogsmeade." Remus told them, "Tell Caroline and get her back."

"Okay,"

"Okay then!" James said, excitedly.

"But, we come back early to sleep." Sirius told them.

"Come on, James." Remus stood up, "Let's get your girlfriend back."

"Okay, okay…..Gosh. You are more excited than I am." James smiled.

"Yeah, cause I like her."

They walked to Hogsmeade tiredly.

"Caroline better say yes after this walk." Sirius grumbled.

James laughed.

"We'll duck in for a butter beer while you find her." Peter was tired already.

"Okay." James wasn't even listening. He knew where Caroline would be. She would be at Honeydukes buying caramel filled chocolates. He ran to the other side of town. It didn't take him long. Only six minutes he was standing in Honeydukes as shuffling through aisles to find her.

"Hey." He saw Mary McDonald and Alice.

"Hi." They both chorused.

"Where's Caroline?" He asked.

"Over there."Mary pointed to Lily and Caroline who were talking in a corner.

"Hi, Lily." He said, pleasantly. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Just…..How you sneaking out is a regular thing." Lily said, laughing. "It's what you get for dating a rule-breaker."

"Is that true?" Caroline asked, "That you sneak out somewhere….doing god knows what?"

"Care…."

Caroline shook off his hand from her shoulder and walked out.

"Nice going, Evans." James said, angrily.

He ran out of the shop with Lily Evans a little shocked and a little sad. There was a time when James Potter loved her like he loved no other. But now...He was mad for Caroline and she…..she had faded away as if he had never loved her. It wasn't his fault, was it? He must have asked her to go out with her at least a million times. But, she refused. Now that he had a girlfriend…all Lily could think about was how James was supposed to be with her and she missed her chance.

"Caroline!" James followed her.

She started to run. But, he was faster. He was a professional athlete after all.

"Listen to me!"

"What?"

"I'll tell you." He sighed. "Everything. But, you have to promise me that you will not tell anyone."

"Oh….Kay." She said.

"Not here." He took her hand and took her into Madam Puddifoot's cafe. He took a corner table, secluded from other people, and ordered a coffee because he was extremely sleepy. To think of it, she looked as if she hadn't slept much last night either. He was remorseful, it was because of him.

"It's….." He wasn't sure what to say. Or where to begin. It was odd telling someone of Remus's secret. A secret the four of them had kept for a better part of a decade. But, he did tell her. Slowly, bit by bit, he told her how they all helped Remus each fifteen days with his problem. She had tears in her eyes when he finished.

"I can't believe it." She said, "I can't…"

"He doesn't hurt anyone." James said quickly. "We make sure of it."

"It's not that." She shook her head, "All this time, I hid it so you wouldn't find out. And, when Lily told me you often spend your nights out with them….I got scared."

"What?" James was an intelligent man but too much sleep deprived to understand.

"I was scared you would find out about me." She admitted. "I was scared you would break up with me if you knew."

"You are a….." James finally understood. "No….No…It can't be."

"You hate me." She whispered.

"No, I don't hate you, Care." He took her hands, "I can't hate you. I love you."

"You don't care about the…"

"I don't." James said, firmly. "It isn't your fault. Just like it isn't Remus's fault."

"Oh, thank God." Tears ran down her face.

Walking into the cafe, James had not thought he would walk out with this information. But, it didn't bother him. In fact, he felt closer to her, so did Remus.

After that day, there were two wolves howling in the Shrieking Shack every fortnight.