Silvia Lupin was perplexed. She watched her son's face light up as he rushed to greet the boys tumbling from the fireplace in a tangle of limbs and matching grins. He looked happier than she could remember seeing him for a long time, since before The Night. Shuddering at the thought of the horror lurking inside her son, she turned her eyes away from the scene that was so deceptively normal, that of a boy greeting his friends.

When he had come home for the summer and explained that he would now be joined by three Animagi on full moons, she had been skeptical. It seemed surreal to her that a werewolf could have such good friends, that as 5th Years they would rather spend their Saturday night playing with a monster than doing something else. Here they were, though, laughing and joking as they rushed out the door to the forest, where he had assured her they would keep him under control.

She flinched at the idea of...of it running wild in the night and flicked her wand at the door, locking it tightly. Wandering slowly through the house, she tidied up while trying to ignore the howls of pain and rage that were coming from the darkness. As time passed, they morphed into yips and barks, eerily playful since she knew what made them.

A noise from behind had her spinning around with her wand drawn in time to see a young girl spin from the flames, her long red hair fanning out behind her. She appeared to be the same age as the others and was clutching several pans and tins in her arms. Spotting Silvia's defensive stance, she grinned sheepishly.

"I know I'm early, but I just couldn't sleep. It's silly, but I do worry about them out there. Not that they aren't capable of taking care of themselves..." she rambled, plopping down on the sofa in front of baffled Silvia.

"Pardon me...but, who are you?"

The big green eyes blinked once before she let out a laugh. "I'm Lily, Lily Evans. I brought breakfast. You know how hungry Remus gets after the full? Well the boys are just as bad after running all night. I couldn't let them eat you out of house and home! Besides, it gives me something to do."

Silvia made a noncommittal noise, wondering why she had never taken note of the increase in appetite. She listened to the girl ramble on, a nervous note in her voice that she was clearly trying to mask.

"You won't tell them I said I was worried right? Especially not James. He would never let me live it down if he knew and I've almost got his head pared down to size. This would set us back months!"

"So...you're...friends...with my son?"

"Of course. Rem is the greatest. He is such a sweet sweet boy, so much more mature than any of the other 5th years. It's all his fault that I'm half mad for James...he's really made them grow up a bit, which is something I never thought I would say!"

"You don't mind his...condition? It doesn't bother you?"

Something in the woman's tone finally registered in her mind and she fell silent. Staring into the familiar brown eyes of her friend, she noted with blooming shock that they were filled with fear and disgust when she thought of her son, not the love and acceptance that she would expect any mother to exhibit.

"It was you."Lily whispered.

Silvia's head snapped up at the accusation and horror in the young girl's voice. "What are you talking about?"

"I always wondered who had hurt him so badly. When we first found out that Remus was a werewolf, he was so scared. So sure that we would hate him. It took us so long to convince him that we still saw him as a friend and not a monster. Sometimes I still don't think he believes it..."

Her voice trailed off as she realized how much it must have hurt Remus to accept the revulsion in his mother's eyes. Feeling her hot temper well up inside her, she grabbed the dishes off the table and darted for the door to hide the tears in her eyes. Letting the screen slam behind her, she slumped down on the porch swing to wait out the long night until morning, when her boys would return.

AN: This story has been bouncing around in my head for a while, so I finally put it on paper. I love Remus to pieces, but he has had such a sad life. Here is my take on another piece of the puzzle.