Love, Lies, and a Secret

Love, Lies, and a Secret.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Thanks to Anne Pendragon for the beta! You rock!

Chapter 03: Friendship

London

November, 1979

Remus Lupin looked at Lily, shifting uncomfortable on his chair. It has been so long since they had spoken for the last time. Nor that he didn't like her or anything like that...it's just that everything was so difficult. That damn new law, Jane's death, Mary's disappearance...Mary...oh, Merlin, how he missed Mary!

"So, Lil," he finally said. "You said you wanted to talk with me? Is it something wrong? I mean, Harley said something to you? I mean, he doesn't like my work...?"

Lily put a hand on his hand and smiled. "No, nothing like that. You're doing great. Sorry if the job isn't in our..."

Remus shook his head. "That's okay. I like the Muggles. But, Lil, what you wanna talk about?"

Lily bit her bottom lip nervously. It was then when Remus realized that something was wrong. Lily seemed...different. The werewolf couldn't put a finger on what but...she seemed excited but at same time, sad.

"What, Lil, something's happened?"

"It's James, Remus," she said looking down.

"What about James?" Remus asked concerned. "Please, don't tell me-"

"No!" she said quickly. "It's about James and I."
Remus breathed alleviated. "Thank Merlin." It was all he said. He really didn't want to talk about James and Lily's love's issues.

"Remus," Lily spoke again; he could notice that her eyes began to watery. "James is seeing another woman."

Remus gasped at Lily, "W-What?"

"H-He is seeing another woman, Remus!" she sobbed. "I-I don't who is she but-"

"Lily, I am sure that you are wrong. Okay, James may be a little er, James sometimes but he truly loves you. Everybody can see that!"

"So, why he is lying to me? Why, Remus? Why does he say he has a business meeting when I know that's not truth? Why he says that he will meet Sirius but then I see Sirius on the street and he knows nothing about a meeting with James?! I am not stupid, Remus!"

"Lily," he didn't really know what to say. "Why don't you-"

"What if he wants to leave me, Remus?" Lily asked a little hysteric. "Oh, God, Remus! He's gonna leave me!"

"Whoa, whoa, Lily! James loves you! He would never leave you! I am sure there's an explanation for this!"

"Oh, Remus...you don't understand...things are different now," she almost whispered.

Remus looked at her, his eyebrows arched in question.

"I am pregnant, Remus. I'm carrying James' child."

**********
Present Day

September 19, 2000

"You know what, Hermione Granger? The way the things are...you will be thirty years and still a bloody virgin!"

Without saying a word, Hermione walked towards her boyfriend, slapped him right on the face, and Disapparated.

Harry and everyone else in the room could hear the silence that followed Hermione's disapparating. However, the silence didn't last for much time...

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Mrs. Weasley yelled out aloud making everybody shiver and of course, turning Ron red. "I can't believe you said something like that!"

Ginny also looked at Ron, ashamed. "That was low, Ron."

Ron looked around, in a little despair, and his eyes met Harry's deadly gaze. He tried to say something but Harry raised his hand making him stop.

"Please, Ron, don't say a word. I am begging you...don't speak to me right now. Otherwise, best friend or not, I'm gonna hurt you," Harry said in a slow and dangerous voice, and then looked at Ginny. "Gin-"

"Go after her, Harry," she answered his unspoken question. "She needs a friend right now."

The young wizard smiled at his girlfriend and gave a little kiss on her lips. "Thanks, Gin."

Ginny put a hand on his cheek and whispered, "I love you, Harry."

Harry only nodded and Disapparated.

*~* ~* ~* ~*
Hermione's flat

Harry slowly opened Hermione's bedroom's door and what he saw nearly broke his heart. Hermione was lying on her bed, crying desperately against a pillow. When she saw him, she promptly sat on the edge of the bed.

He rapidly came towards his best friend and sat down next to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close to him.

"Shh," he whispered against her ear, his hand, stroking softly her long hair.

They stayed in silence for some minutes until Hermione finally spoke, "Is it all a lie, Harry?"

Harry looked at her in surprise. "What's a lie, Mione?"

"Ron. Ron and I. I mean, I don't want to marry him right now...but I love him, Harry. I truly do. A-And I thought that he loved me back."

"Mione, Ron is a prat. What he said today was...terrible... to say the last but he loves you. I know he does," Harry said seriously.

"B-But w-what he said...that meant that he only wants to marry to marry so he can s-shag..."

Harry cupped her face with his hands and looked deeply into her eyes. "Ron may be a lot of things but he isn't...that kind of person. Like I said, what he said was terrible. He knew your feelings about getting married right now and still...he tried either way. But that only made him a fool...a little stupid, perhaps...but still in love with you."

Hermione didn't say a word in reply; she only hugged him tightly. Harry smiled to himself until he broke the embrace and said, "But Mione never let down your beliefs or anything because he's in a hurry or he has...urges."

"I know, Mister Potter," she said with a smile. The first smile since he had arrived. "But about urges...what about you?"

"W-what about me?" He shifted uncomfortable on the bed.
"Have you and Gin-"

"No!" he replied quickly. "She wants to wait...you know..."

"Uh, uh...and when this gonna happen, Harry?"
"What?"

"You marry her, Harry!" Hermione said in an impatient huff.

"I don't know, Mione," he said truthfully. "It's the same as you...I want to finish my Auror training and...I don't know, I just don't want to get married now. I am still pretty young, you know!"

Hermione was about to ask him something but decided to not to do that, instead she just replied, "I understand. But sorry to ask, Harry but does she knows...er...you know...about-"

"Katie? No, she doesn't. And it's better this way. Katie after all was only-"

"Your first."

"Well, yeah." Harry ran his fingers against his messy hair. "But that was a crazy night. I was completely drunk! I even tried to..." His face was at that moment red as a tomato.

"You even try to snog me!" she completed his sentence with a smirk.

"Oh, god! I don't want even think about that!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "Why? The idea of kissing me is so terrible that you can't even think about?"

"No, nothing like that!" he said quickly. "It's just that if I had kissed you that night...er...my first time would have been with you and-"He looked down.

"And Ron would have probably killed you," Hermione said without looking at him.

"Yeah."

"You know, Harry," Hermione suddenly spoke breaking the tense silence between them. "I used to have a crush on you!"

"Right..."

"No, it's the truth! It was on our third year...er, you know that time between third and fourth year."

"Are you serious?" She nodded. "But why didn't you ever- you ever tell me?"

"Are you mental, Potter? It was only a childish crush. I was only a little impressed...you know, after the time turner, our flight with Buckbeak..." She blushed.

"But when you-"

'When did I give up? Viktor, I think. I really don't know. I think it was when I realized that you liked Cho and...well...and I was only being silly. Then, I began to notice Ron and I thought that that was the same thing, you know, only a crush...until he began to date Lavender. That's when I realized I loved him."

Harry was really surprised by Hermione's words. Never, in all his life he would imagine that his best friend used to have a crush on him. But strangely enough, he wasn't feeling bad about that. The truth is, he was feeling really praised.

* ~* ~* ~*
Some time later

Harry silently left the bedroom leaving a sleeping Hermione behind. He had just stepped outside in the corridor, closing the door behind him, when Susan Bones approached with a concerned look on her face.

"How is she, Harry?"

"Sleeping, Susan," he answered.

"I can't believe that prat!" Hermione's flatmate hissed.

Harry nodded, and they walked together to the living room. "She's better now...cried a lot but she is better. Everything's gonna be okay now."

"If you say so..."

"They love each other."

Susan looked at him with a strange look in her eyes. "Yeah, they love each other."

Harry clasped his hands a little uncomfortable. He had a feeling that Susan knew...or rather...think about something that he really didn't want to know.

"Well, Susan, I have to get going."

"Thank you, Harry," she kissed his cheek. "Hermione's lucky to have you."

"I am the lucky one," he said, his hand on the doorknob. "She is the best friend in the whole world." He opened the door. "Bye, Susan.'

"Bye, Harry," Susan Bones replied watching him Disapparated in the hall.
*~*~*~*

"Harry," he heard Ron's voice when he had just arrived into his apartment. "I need to talk."