Note:

This chapter is for everyone who’s ever been dragged to the lake by overly enthusiastic friends, only to have their peaceful day ruined by a certain Marauder.

...

»Oh, I'm going to die!« Dorcas cried out, dramatically flinging herself backward in the gras. We were by the lake, and the OWLs loomed just days away - the first exam was in three days.

But Dorcas isn't going to die.

We had gathered at the lakeshore. Dorcas, at her wit's end, contrasted sharply with Lily's serene composure. Lily had begun her studying early in spring, and now she was the only one among us who could genuinely enjoy the beautiful weather.
The redhead lay sprawled on a blanket, a book on Transfiguration beside her, the subject of the first exam. It was Friday, and classes were finished for the week. The plan had been to head to the lake for a few hours before dedicating Saturday and Sunday exclusively to studying. However, Mare and Dorcas had already launched into frantic revision - flipping through notes with a sense of desperation so palpable that Dorcas seemed to have forgotten her initial idea to go for a swim.
Alice, having taken a plunge already, was wrapped in a towel on her own blanket, her short hair still wet. Lily, in her green shirt over a red bikini, looked blissfully relaxed. The rest of us, myself included, were still dressed. Like Dorcas and Mare, I had no real desire to swim. I had not even bothered to bring any swimwear.
It had been a topic of discussion earlier in the dormitory - whether to brave the heat and swim, given the day's stifling temperatures. I felt the heat acutely through my stockings, wearing the standard Hogwarts skirt and a white shirt. My stockings stretched up over my knees, but I found myself pulling them off; first freeing my right leg, then the left. A long scar on my left thigh was revealed - the mark left by a werewolf's claw.

A memory.

On the full moon night when I had encountered my former pack with Remus, we had fought, and this was the consequence. There were other small scars on my neck from teeth.
Besides these, there were more scars, though most were old and few were deep. Even though I was a werewolf, I could be thankful I didn't have too many scars.
I didn't know how my mother had chained me during the full moon, but it must have been in such a way that I couldn't move. Most of my scars were from fights with other wolves, at least until I had led the pack.

»The wolves were once your family.«
Yes, but only in my mind.

It felt strange to think about those times; they did not feel real. In my human body, I perceived time differently, I was more fully conscious. When I had lived in the forest, I had rarely left my wolf form and time had passed much quicker.
I did not know why, but my time as a werewolf seemed shrouded in fog. True, I remembered it, but the days had always been the same. I was in my pack, and we hunted, then slept, wandered far through the forest.
I had quickly noticed that the longer I was a wolf, the less I thought of human things - as if the animal in me was trying to come forward. Since time passed faster as a werewolf, at least in my perception, I remembered my childhood much more clearly, even if I continued to suppress it.
The scar from my thigh to my knee reminded me not just of my past, but of the moment when my life had completely changed. Maybe that was why I hated this scar the least.
I was also aware that I was not the only one who had carried traces from that one full moon night.

I hurt Remus as well...

I shook off the memories, pulling off my left stocking completely before tucking my legs into a cross-legged position.
»Feeling warm now?« Mare's voice broke through my thoughts, nodding toward my discarded stockings.
»Somewhat,« I admitted.
Lily laughed, while Dorcas remarked, »You could still jump into the lake, you know. We wouldn't stop you.«
»No, thanks.«
»Why not?« Alice's question revived the earlier dormitory discussion. My discomfort in a bikini was only part of the issue. The real problem was water itself - it made me uneasy.
»I,« I began hesitantly, feeling the weight of their expectant gazes, »can't swim. And the lake... it looks eerie.«
Understanding flickered across their faces. My eyes wandered to the lake's dark surface, which indeed seemed forbidding.
»We didn't know,« Alice said softly, looking like a small, huddled ball under her towel.
»It's fine,« Lily assured me, sitting up. »But the lake's safe enough, and you could always just paddle with your feet?«
Her suggestion hung in the air as the girls looked at me hopefully. My gaze flicked back to the lake, then to Alice, who had swum far into its depths, so it could not be that dangerous.
Eventually, I nodded, albeit reluctantly, prompting the girls to leap up and drag me toward the water's edge.

Soon, we stood at the shore. Dorcas and Mare had stripped down to their swimwear. Lily and Alice were already waist-deep in the water, while Mare had just submerged herself. Dorcas stood knee-deep, beckoning me. I had only managed to wade in up to my ankles.
The sensation felt unnatural. Why would anyone willingly enter the water when clearly, we belonged on land? Against my better judgment, I followed the others.
»Come on, Phil!« Lily's voice called out. The sunlight made her hair shimmer, until she dipped it into the water, turning it a dark, wet brown.
Dorcas waved me over, and I forced myself to move. The water was surprisingly mild, and the lakebed slippery beneath my feet. I made it to Dorcas' side, the water lapping over my knees. I held my skirt up in front of me, almost forgetting to breathe.
»You're all stiff,« Dorcas observed.
I looked up at her. She was taller, her brown eyes scrutinising me. I exhaled, trying to relax.

Just standing in a lake, feet on the ground, everything’s fine.
The water won’t hurt me.

A few steady breaths later, I loosened up and even allowed my gaze to wander from my toes to the lake's surface. The sun glinted off the water, making it sparkle. In the distance, the trees began, standing still without a breeze to stir them. It was a hot day, with summer just around the corner.
»Not so bad, right?« Dorcas said beside me. I nodded, letting my left hand dip into the water while still holding my skirt with the other. It was a peaceful moment. One that would not last.
A sudden splash beside me sent a jolt through my body. I turned instinctively toward the source but slipped, tumbling backward with a brief scream as water engulfed me. Almost immediately, strong arms pulled me back to the surface - Dorcas' arms.
I emerged, coughing, completely drenched. My heart pounded furiously as I scanned the shore for the culprit. There he was, Sirius Black, standing with his friends, smirking. James Potter laughed loudly, Peter Pettigrew less so, and even Remus - no, Lupin - had a small smile. The stone-thrower was obviously Black.
»Why did you have to do that!?« Dorcas' voice cut through the air, sharp with anger.
»Because I can!« Sirius shot back from the shore, doubled over with laughter.
»You’re such an arse!« Dorcas spat, while I wiped water from my face. Holding my skirt up earlier now seemed utterly pointless.
»A little water and a scare - stop overreacting, Meadowes! You were planning to swim anyway!«
»A little water?« Sarcasm dripped from Dorcas' voice. »Does Phil look like she wanted to get wet?«
»She’ll survive!« Sirius taunted.
Before Dorcas could retort, I placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking my head. There was no use arguing with Sirius Black. She bit back her words, glaring at him one last time before the Marauders moved further down the lake.
The other girls swam over, concern etched on their faces. They asked if I was all right, and I assured them I was, although a small grudge simmered against Black. But at least, for the moment, I was not overheated anymore.

After that day at the lake came the weekend, and then the exams. During this time, one could witness many fifth and seventh graders on the verge of breakdowns. Often I thought I had see someone faint or witness the biggest crying fits. Sleep seemed to no longer exist, and most fueled themselves with black tea or coffee.
Even the Marauders, specifically Black and Potter, were seen studying, though they remained fairly calm. Remus, on the other hand, had been unapproachable all week. The girls had not been any different. Dorcas had started talking to herself, Mare and Alice had been up all night studying for the upcoming exams. Lily was like Remus, only approachable when food was involved.
Fortunately, apart from the exams for these two grades, there was no more class, and I often stayed in the greenhouse since the library was absolute chaos.
Once, I had taken a trip to the Forbidden Forest with Professor Kettleburn, who showed me a spot where Bowtruckles guarded trees used for wand-making. Professor Sprout must have told him about my new tree. Kettleburn also gave me tips for my OWLs with him, which, of course, I was not supposed to tell anyone.
It was not until calm returned to the students that I could have normal conversations with the girls again. The summer holidays were approaching, and like last year, I would stay at the castle. Dumbledore had arranged for me to take my OWLs in the first week of August, and the girls had shared their summer plans.
In one conversation, Lily had offered, if Dumbledore allowed, for me to spend the last two weeks with her. She still needed to discuss it with her parents, but they were unlikely to object. This way, we could travel together to Hogwarts, shopping beforehand in Diagon Alley for our sixth year.
I was quite taken with the idea, and my worries quickly evaporated. The full moon in August would be at the end of the second week, and Lily mentioned that her parents would have no issues with me. They were Muggles, unaware of my family name, so they could not harbor any prejudices. Lily was sure she could convince her parents to let me visit. She had also mentioned looking forward to having company, as she did not get along too well with her sister.
At the start of the summer holidays, she would fly with her parents to Ireland, and at this point, Lily had to explain to me what an airplane was. Generally, I found the entire Muggle world baffling, let alone the wizarding world.
Lily had assured me that the Muggle world was quite ordinary and that she wanted to show me many things. She had talked about shopping streets and cinemas, restaurants, and televisions. What I would make of all these things, I would only find out in the summer, if Dumbledore allowed me to apparate to the Evans', or rather, if he would take me there.
For now, I was still at Hogwarts, even though the holidays were already on the doorstep.