Note:

*Sirius leans casually against a wall, smirking*

"Phil has scars, Moony has guilt, and Prongs has... Lily issues. Hogwarts: where drama and bad decisions are just another Tuesday."

...

Remus' POV:

»Are we really doing this?« I queried, striding alongside James and Peter, while Sirius led the way.
»Yep!« came the brisk reply.
»But is it really such a good idea?« I pressed, met with the same unwavering response from Sirius. Sighing, I remained firm in my stance, »You do realise that Phil probably doesn't remember anything, right? After a full moon, one blacks out, so how can we explain, you know? This pursuit is foolish.«
»And why did she attack her pack then, if she's a werewolf with no memories, huh?« James countered, convinced that Ethan J. Aquila's experiments should have yielded full werewolves. Ridiculous notion, indeed.
»Good question, Prongs, and that's precisely why we're investigating!« Padfoot declared, »It's evident Phil spoke with Dumbledore, and he might have revealed others' furry little problems to her. Considering our dear Moony carries a few embellishments from his condition, Phil might deduce something. Also, her injuries from the full moon don't look like a normal wolf attack.«

A werewolf attacked her; I attacked her...
Phil must know her wounds aren't from a simple scuffle.

Sirius was right; I bore many scars. If everyone at Hogwarts could infer Phil's condition, the same signs were etched on me. The mere mention of my scars made them burn and itch simultaneously. I despised them, constant reminders of the monster within.
»Many suspect she has a furry little problem, but no one can prove it. Children of werewolves aren't necessarily werewolves themselves, and scars can be acquired in various ways,« Wormtail interjected, grounding us in reality. He usually remained calm during heated discussions, speaking seldom but with purpose. His contributions were vital to our group dynamic. My own reticence had lessened over the past two years, yet I relished in dry, pure sarcasm.
»True, but whatever. This Phil will get to know us,« Padfoot stated, slowing his pace slightly, »Plus, our charming Prongs can be closer to dear Lily, right? Do you already feel a tingling in your fingertips as we get nearer to her?«
»Oh, stop it!« James retorted, eliciting a grin from me. His consistent denial of affection for Lily was amusing. To him, she was merely pretty.
But I understood his reluctance; despite love being natural, one did not want to be the first in the friend group to admit it. We were still quite immature, and Padfoot showcased it vividly. He kept jabbing James in the side, making a kissing face and dodging the bespectacled boy's punches. They were on the brink of a scuffle when we turned the corner, and Padfoot announced loudly and clearly, »Well, ladies?«

Phil's POV:

»Hey!«, a voice called from behind, startling me. I looked up from my intertwined fingers, meeting Lily's piercing green eyes. The tension in my shoulders remained, though I forced myself to stay calm, observing her fiery red hair. Without hesitation, she sat next to me on the bench, her eyes flitting to my empty plate with a hint of confusion.
»Aren't you hungry at all?« she asked, raising an eyebrow so high it seemed ready to vanish into her hairline. I simply shook my head. That should be answer enough.

Calm down, not everyone wants to harm you.

»I wanted to show you the castle,« Lily continued.
A wave of relief washed over me at the change in topic. I pressed my lips together before looking into her sparkling eyes. The crease on her forehead melted into an encouraging smile, and I tried to return it, though it felt strained.
»Yes, I'd like that,« I replied quietly, brushing a strand of hair from my face before glancing back at her. Lily clapped her hands with enthusiasm, making me flinch. Years of ingrained reflexes could not be easily dismissed.
Lily noticed my reaction but held back from raising her voice. I bit my lower lip unconsciously as we rose, leaving my untouched plate behind. As we walked past the throng of students leaving the Great Hall, I felt several curious glances on me. Many seemed intrigued by my presence.
Dumbledore had silently asked if he should introduce me as Aquila, and I had agreed. A surname did not define me; I had lived a long time without that strange name, completely nameless, and I was fine. I would be fine this time, too.

»So,« Lily said, glancing at me, »this is the staircase to the Gryffindor common room. It's important, remember. But you probably already know that,« she added, and I nodded to show I understood. Being talkative was not in my nature. Trusting her was a challenge, yet I tried to appear less reserved.
However, how was one to manage that?
I could not even look at my own shadow without seeing a monster, which I indeed was. I was a colossus of a monster that should not walk this world. What if I hurt others?
Echoing was the guilt of my mother’s death.
Shaking off those thoughts, I caught up to Lily, who was now discussing the countless portraits lining the corridors. My footsteps echoed in my ears as I nodded along. The eyes in the paintings followed us, their scrutiny unsettling.
Lily’s admiration for Hogwarts was clear, so I feigned curiosity. She was talking about a wizard by a tree when a new voice broke my reverie. »Well, ladies?«
This boy, Remus Lupin, had just rounded the corner with his friends, and apparently, the boy with the long, dark hair had spoken because Lily glared at him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Right, she doesn't like the boys.
Unlike her, I was unsure of my feelings towards them or even my new life at Hogwarts.

»Black!« Lily spat his name.
»Please, Lily, call me Sirius,« he corrected, mirroring her stance with arms crossed, his shirt partly unbuttoned and tie askew. Lily rolled her eyes and sighed loudly.
»Potter, Pettigrew, Remus,« she greeted the other boys. Well, Potter, Sirius Black, Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin seemed to want something.
»What do you want?« Lily demanded, her annoyance evident. Potter, the boy with glasses, replied, »Can't we be in this corridor?«
»Sure, but then leave us alone!«
»Well,« Black gestured to Remus, »Moony has terribly missed our lovely Phil,« his stormy grey eyes meeting mine. I remained expressionless.
Remus looked at his friend as if he had lost his mind. Perhaps he had.
»Missed? He doesn't know her, and neither do you!« Lily retorted, still fuming. »I don't even want to know what brought you here, but if it's something stupid and just because of Phil's heritage, I'll hex you all with every spell I know!«
»Protective, aren't we?« Sirius laughed. »I care least about surnames. Phil is new here, in Gryffindor, in our grade. We just want to get to know her. Is that forbidden?«
Lily’s eyes narrowed. »No, but I'd love to continue showing Phil around the castle, if the gentlemen don't mind?«, she said mockingly, but Sirius Black was not deterred
»By all means, go ahead.«

Yet, misunderstanding or not, the boys followed us. Potter even swung his arms ostentatiously as he walked.
»I meant you should not follow us!« Lily snapped at Potter, who replied dryly, »We just have to go this way.«
»Right...« Sarcasm dripped from her response, but resistance was futile.
So, the six of us walked through the long corridors of Hogwarts. I kept to myself and just observed. Observing, yes, that I could do. I tried to, but it did not work because just as Padfoot - yes, he had shared his grand nickname - cracked a joke that obviously only Prongs, James Potter, found funny, it happened, I was pulled out of my comfort zone.
»Could we talk?« a calm voice beside me asked. It was Remus.
I halted abruptly, my pulse quickening. His green eyes brought back memories of a full moon night that had changed everything, costing me my family. Dumbledore had assured me I was not an animal, but in that moment, his words seemed distant.
Remus Lupin was like me, and this realization terrified me. Yet, I also admired him because this boy managed to live with this curse.

But could I do the same?
Hadn't I fallen and risen enough times?
Could I rise again?
Would I manage not to fall this time?

His eyes held me, the world around fading into insignificance.
As the dense fog - a fog filled with emotions and deeds reflecting the past - reluctantly cleared, allowing me back into reality, I realized that the chatter of the others had long since disappeared. I drew my dry lower lip into my mouth, trying to control my rapidly beating heart. It pounded against the bones forming my ribcage. I could hear my pulse. Beat by beat. Like drums playing a song. It heralded doom.
Running was not an option. Confronting my fears was the only way.
I nodded at Remus, agreeing to talk despite every cell in my body resisting.

»You can do this, Phil.«

Remus Lupin seemed taken aback by my reaction, yet he nodded affirmatively, shaking off his doubts. With a hesitant gesture, he removed his right hand from his pocket, running it uncertainly through his sandy-blond hair, which now looked more brown under the dim light. He gave a slight, almost imperceptible shrug.
»Yeah...« he finally managed to say, »Everything's just a mess,« his voice faltering as if he struggled to find the right words.
I could not fault him; I was equally lost. My only response was a nod, as vivid memories surged through my mind: the full moon night, the loss of my family, the sterile confines of the Hospital Wing, my meeting with Dumbledore, the bustling Diagon Alley, and the endless search for my true self.
Indeed, everything was a mess.
»I actually wanted to talk to you, but it feels like naïveté. How can I help you? We’re both trapped in the same predicament, as you surely know? Somehow, you must have reached the castle after the full moon,« he continued, running his long fingers through his hair again before looking at me. I nodded in silent agreement.
I knew he was a werewolf, but revealing this seemed impossible. He likely assumed Dumbledore had informed me, which was true. Yet, even without confirmation, I could have guessed. After all, who else would have found me in the forest during a full moon if not another werewolf, as Lupin had confessed himself? My wounds from that night spoke of a fierce battle with a werewolf.
»A curse...« I murmured for the first time. His eyes met mine, surprise evident in his gaze. I was just as astonished to hear my own voice.
»What?« he responded, my whispered words echoing through the corridor. Remus Lupin looked down at me, while my gaze dropped to my feet.
»A curse...« I repeated, »a curse that weighs upon our shoulders, dictating our actions as if we were mere puppets.«
The hatred in my voice did not surprise me. I managed to look up at the tall boy, seeing the realisation dawn on Remus Lupin. He pressed his lips together, his gaze drifting into the distance, and his lips tightened into a mere hint of a line. The Gryffindor nodded affirmatively, and I could feel the same accumulated hate, almost touch it in the air and add it to my own.

Life's inherent unfairness was undeniable and would remain so, I mused as we both fell into silence. Our eyes met, and I pressed my lips together, words failing me, but he seemed to understand.

»Ah, there you are!« a voice called out, breaking the silence. Remus and I turned towards the source, recognising Lily as she rounded the corner. Confusion flickered across her face as she saw us talking.
»I had to endure those three idiots the whole time,« she grumbled, stopping next to us, »I like you, Remus, so I don’t mind you talking to Phil, but the others... No offense to your taste in friends, though actually, yes.«
»Thanks, Lily?« Remus responded, unsure how to take the mixed insult and compliment.
»Moony!«
»And I don’t have to understand these odd nicknames, nor do I want to,« Lily continued, turning around. Potter, Black, and Pettigrew appeared, completing our group. Lily's expression darkened.
»I told you, Prongs, Lily ran away because of you,« Sirius teased his friend, who pulled a face and muttered, »Not true...« However, when Lily confirmed Sirius' remark moments later, he burst into loud laughter, while Potter's face fell, his eyes widening.
Sirius' hysterical laughter, complete with thigh-slapping, ended with him wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. Even the others could not suppress their amusement, and James grimaced.
And what more could I say?
This school was the strangest place I had ever found myself in.