Summary: Lily comes home from a walk with Harry to find a exhausted and beaten up Remus crashed out on her sofa. James, Sirius and Peter are away on mission so it's up to her to find out what happened.

Established Wolfstar and established Jily (obviously).

The day was so bright and lovely that Lily decided to take the risk and take Harry on a stroll through Godric's Hollow. She knew she shouldn't have, and that if James found out he'd probably lose it. But he wasn't the one staying home all the time trying to keep a 7 month baby entertained. So she buckled Harry into his pram and took him for some fresh air.

It was about five o'clock when they returned, Harry giggling and gurgling happily. She turned through their gate, opening the front door and lifting Harry from the pram. "What would young Mr Potter like for dinner then?" She asked him with a smile, making her way through to the living room.

"Moon moon!" Harry suddenly cried, pointing over Lily's shoulder. Lily turned around and gasped, her hand instinctively going to her wand in her pocket even though she didn't need it. There, crashed out on the sofa, was her best friend of eight years.

Remus.

She hadn't seen him for at least a month, maybe more. It had been so long that she honestly couldn't remember the last conversation she'd had with him. It had torn her apart the last time he had left, knowing that it could be the last time she saw him for a while, or ever. She knew it definitely hurt Sirius, so much that he was throwing himself into Order work just so he could forget that Remus wasn't at home where he should be. The not knowing was the hard part.

But here he was now, seemingly completely knocked out and collapsed on the sofa. What struck Lily was that he hadn't even taken off his shoes or coat, which were ragged and torn, and so he had obviously stumbled in so exhausted that crashed immediately. Slowly calming her racing heart, Lily gently placed Harry on his play mat in the corner where all his toys were, and he happily picked up his stuffed wolf toy that Sirius had brought him. Once Harry was settled, Lily crouched down by Remus, shaking his shoulder as softly as she could so not to startle him.

"Remus," she whispered. "Hey, Rey, wake up."

Despite her efforts to be gentle, Remus still jerked awake, his eyes flashing with fear and pain. He blinked rapidly and looked around, remembering where he was. Lily winced at the dark circles under his eyes, and the bruises and gashes she could see peaking up from under his shirt. He was thin and pale, his hands shaking from anxiety or malnutrition. She hated seeing him like this. It made her heart ache.

"Lily?" He asked then looked around him once more, his eyes landing on Harry who didn't seem to be paying attention. "Is that- Harry? He's gotten so big..."

"What happened, Remus?" Lily said gently, not liking the faraway look in his eyes. "Where have you been?" His green eyes flicked back to her gaze which was strong but concerned.

"I-" he stammered. "It was- Mission...with the werewolves. Dumbledore...he-"

"No, never mind that now," Lily said firmly, having gotten everything she wanted for the moment. "We'll get to the rest later. For now, you need a bath, clothes and a hot meal. I'll run upstairs and start the bath for you. I'm sure James won't mind if you borrow a few things of his." She rose to her feet, heading towards the stairs. "Keep an eye on Harry, will you?" Remus looked startled by this, suddenly looking more petrified than ever. She knew that look, just as she knew it when she had asked Remus to hold Harry when he was first born.

"But-"

"No buts, Remus," Lily said. "Nothing will happen. I trust you, okay?" Although he still looked scared, it was better than frozen, and so Lily marched up the stairs and turned on the taps of the bath while she hunted through James's clothes for something comfortable. She drew out some jogging bottoms and a soft cotton top which she hoped wouldn't agitate Remus' wounds too much. She laid out the clothes in the bathroom before turning off the taps and heading downstairs again.

When she entered the living room, she found that Harry had settled himself on Remus' lap as Remus read aloud The Owl and the Pussycat, one of Harry's favourite stories. "Ooh owl," Harry exclaimed, pointing out the owl in the picture book.

"Yes, well done," Remus said, a small smile on his face. "You'll have an owl of your own one day."

"Moon Moon get me owl?" Harry asked, a grin lighting up his face. Lily watched as Remus pursed his lips together, and she could practically see the gears turning in his brain as he worked out how much he had to save each year if he was going to buy Harry an owl. Knowing Remus, he'd do it in a heartbeat even if he had very little money to his name because no one would hire him. "One day, I will," Remus told Harry. "But not till you're older." Once again, Lily felt her heart shatter for Remus who was too kind for the world and had suffered too much at the hands of it.

"I miss Moon Moon," Harry said suddenly. "Moon Moon read to me. I miss Moon Moon when he go." Although Harry couldn't see it, Lily could as a tear slid down Remus' cheek.

"I miss you too, Harry," he whispered. "More than you know."

"Rey," Lily said softly. Remus rapidly wiped away his tears, turning to Lily with a small smile. "Your bath is ready." He nodded, gently placing Harry on the floor and slowly getting up. Lily had to hold herself back from running over to help him as he winced. He limped past her and slowly made his way up the stairs. Lily waited until she heard the bathroom door click shut, then picked up Harry to make him his dinner.

"Moon Moon sad, mama," he said, looking more severe than he should ever have to be. "Why Moon Moon sad?"

"Your Uncle Moony is very hurt," Lily said patiently. "He has had a very important but very hard job to do, and that hurts sometimes. But he's home now so we can help him."

"I help Moon Moon," Harry said, determined. Lily only smiled at him, placing him in his highchair as she went to the cupboard.

"We can only try, sweetheart," she said. "We can only try."

***
Remus was in the bathroom for a good hour before he emerged, still looking exhausted but a lot calmer than he was earlier. Lily had put very sleepy Harry to bed by then and was curled up on the sofa, reading quietly when Remus softly walked down the stairs. Lily looked up when he entered, giving him a smile.

"There you are," she said. "Now sit down and let me look at those cuts and bruises."

"I'm okay, Lily," Remus tried to protest but Lily was already sitting him down on the armchair and had the first aid kit out. She ordered Remus to take off his top and she set to work with smearing some yellow bruise paste and purple cleaning potion over his various cuts and bruises. She was grateful that Remus didn't seem to be as bad as he usually was and so it wasn't hard to patch him up.

"There," she said, handing him the shirt back. "You should feel a lot better by morning."

"I feel a lot better now," he replied. Lily sat on the arm of the chair and wrapped Remus in a tight hug.

"It's so good to see you, Rey," she whispered. "Merlin knows we were all so worried."

"It was a long mission," Remus mumbled into her shoulder. "Too long, too hard, but necessary."

"Like this war," Lily sighed, finally releasing Remus. She pressed her lips together as she looked at him, grimacing at the bruises on his face and the dark shadows under his eyes. "You don't have to keep going on missions, Rey. You can say no." Remus shook his head, rubbing his darkened eyes.

"I can't," he said. "I have to do this. There's nothing else I can do. It's not like a werewolf belongs anywhere else."

"Hush now, that's just not true," Lily said. "You belong here, with us. We are your family. And I won't hear any more of it." Remus looked a little surprised and opened his mouth to answer but the sound of the front door opening cut him off.

"-not saying it's pointless," James' voice was saying. "I'm saying that it might be a way to find Re-" James then entered the living room and stopped short, staring at Remus and Lily.

"Hey honey," Lily said. "Look who appeared today." James stood staring for a moment before rushing forwards and tackling Remus with a crushing hug. Remus yelped as he was thrown back into the chair by the very force of James as he jumped at him.

"You bastard, Remus Lupin!" James laughed. "You absolute bloody bastard!" By that point, Sirius and Peter has come rushing in and stared at Remus, equally shocked as James was. Peter grinned widely at the sight of Remus. Then Sirius sprang forwards, knocking James off the chair and crushing Remus once again. Unlike James, Sirius did not yell profanities in Remus's ear. He only gripped Remus as tightly as he could, burying his face into the crook of Remus's neck.

"Don't you ever disappear like that again," Sirius said softly, his voice muffled as he kept his lips attached to Remus's pulse point.

"I'm sorry," Remus whispered in return, bringing his arms up around Sirius's shoulders.

"Well, I think that's enough excitement for today then," Lily said, clearing her throat. "Remus probably needs a good rest. We can talk tomorrow." Sirius nodded and helped Remus to his feet, keeping an arm wrapped round his waist.

"We'll use the spare bedroom if that's alright?" Sirius asked, walking Remus to the stairs. 

"Yeah, of course," Lily said. "You know where it is." Shortly after Remus and Sirius had disappeared, Peter also excused himself and left to go home. Lily turned to James and hugged him tightly. 

"I was so worried about you," she said. "You were gone a long time."

"I'm sorry, love, but I'm back now," James said, kissing her cheek gently. "We all are. All back together, like we should be." Lily couldn't help but smile at that. Giggling as James swept her up into his arms, he carried her up the stairs to Harry's little nursery where they watched the boy sleep soundly, knowing that he was loved. 

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