This is just a short thing I wrote a while back because I feel like there's not enough James and Remus friendship fanfiction in this world. It takes place sometime in their Seventh Year when James and Lily have already started dating. Let me know what you think!
Remus was furiously scribbling out an essay for Transfiguration without really paying attention to what he was writing. He was definitely off his game, as the night before had been the full moon. He felt several aches and pains in his shoulders and back, but he refused to acknowledge them. Besides, he was used to it by now. He wrote down a couple more sentences, still not paying attention to his work (and yet still composing a fantastic essay that would receive full marks.)
It was due tomorrow. Normally Remus would've finished it much earlier, but this full moon had been particularly brutal. For about a week beforehand he had been an absolute nightmare, even managing to frighten a third year into tears. He had felt terribly guilty about it of course and had given the third year some chocolate to make up for it, and they ended up talking for hours. They were now somehow friends and the girl had come to him multiple times over the past few days to whine about boy troubles (how was this his life?). Remus was too polite to tell her he had bigger things to worry about, so he was stuck listening to it for probably the rest of the year.
The rest of the year. His last year at Hogwarts. A thrill of panic shot down Remus' spine. He had spent the past couple years determinately not thinking about life post-Hogwarts. There was so much uncertainty for all the Seventh years as they struggled to decide what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives, especially in these dark times. But for Remus it was even worse; He knew jobs for his kind were practically impossible to come by. And then there was all the death and darkness surrounding Voldemort's rise to power….
Remus knew most of his kind were siding with Voldemort because of their treatment at the hands of the ministry. But Remus didn't believe for a second that Voldemort would treat them any better. No, they would only ever be pawns to the rest of the Wizarding World, a weapon used to get the upper hand in this struggle for power.
Remus let out an irritated sigh as a bunch of fourth years in the corner closest to him in the common room let out shrill giggles. "Bloody fourth years," he muttered angrily to himself. "Don't they know they're not the only ones in the common room?"
"You know," and amused voice remarked from behind him. "Talking to yourself is a sign of madness."
Remus jumped in surprise, whirling around to face the intruder. He immediately relaxed, however, when he saw it was only James. "Merlin, Prongs. Make a little more noise next time."
"Funny," James smirked. "You usually tell me the opposite."
Remus rolled his eyes and turned back to his essay. James plopped on the couch next to him and for a few moments they sat in companionable silence until it was (predictably) broken by James.
"You know you're my best friend, right?" James said unexpectedly.
Remus didn't know how to answer this non-awkwardly, so he deflected. "I would've thought that was Sirius." He shot James a teasing smile he didn't really feel, unsure where this was going.
"Him too," James remarked easily. He was still giving Remus that expecting look that make Moony feel off-balance. He wasn't sure what to think about his friend's odd behavior.
"You're my best friend too," he responded finally. James gave a satisfied nod and finally looked away.
They sat in a bewildered silence for another few minutes.
"I bring this up," James said as if the conversation had never stopped. "Because you seem to be laboring under the delusion that you're going to be all alone after Hogwarts." Remus opened his mouth to respond, but James cut him off. "We've all noticed you're moping about, making third years cry-"
"That was an accident!" Remus interrupted furiously. "And I apologized."
James held his hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying Moony, it's obvious to all of us what's troubling you."
"Great, so you've been talking about me behind my back," Moony remarked sarcastically. "Thanks for sharing."
James rolled his eyes. "That's not where I'm going with this and you know it."
"Then where exactly are you going with this? I've got an essay to finish."
"Minnie's essay?" James raised his eyebrows. "I would've thought you'd already finished it."
"You've got no room to talk," Remus snapped, feeling on edge. "I know for a fact neither you nor Sirius has even started."
"Well that's typical for us," James remarked annoyingly calmly. "You're better about that sort of thing."
"If you must know," Remus sniffed. "It was a particularly hard transformation this month. I've had a lot on my mind."
"I know," James' expression softened. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. You're just making it difficult."
"I am not-" he swelled in anger, but James shot him a look and Remus deflated. He couldn't stand for James to be the reasonable one out of the two of them. "So, talk," he said finally.
James took a deep breath. "Just a fair warning, this might get a little girly." James ruffled his hair and avoided looking Remus in the eyes. "I just...I know that I will never understand what it's like to be you." Remus glanced over at James in surprise and mild confusion. That was not what he was expecting at all. "We joke about it and tell you it's not a big deal because that's truly how we feel, Remus. But I'm not stupid or naive enough to think that the rest of the Wizarding World agrees with me, though I wish they could see you for what you really are. I know you're worried about what life is going to look like for you after we graduate.
"And...and I know that jobs are going to be hard to come by for you because the world is stupid and unfair. It's so ridiculous," James raised his voice in sudden agitation. Remus startled at the genuine anger on his face. "You're so smart and talented, Remus, and the fact that they can't see that makes me so pissed-"
"James," Remus said, startled, laying a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright."
"No, it's not alright!" he yelled, catching the attention of half the common room.
"You're drawing too much attention," Remus hissed.
"Sorry," James glanced around and finally lowered his voice with a sigh. "I just don't understand how people can be so ignorant and prejudiced." He paused for a moment. "Anyway, none of that is what I meant to say. What I meant to say before I worked myself up," he sent Remus a wry look much more reminiscent of the James that Remus was accustomed to. "Is that I may not be able to change the world's opinion about you, but I can do my best to make sure you know there will always be a place for you. With the marauders, with me. As long as I'm alive I promise you'll be okay. I will always be there for you, and…" James took a moment to prepare himself for the inevitable protesting. "I want to buy a house for you."
Remus immediately opened his mouth to protest but James once again cut him off. "No, no objections! What's the point of being loaded if you can't share it with your friends?" He grinned at Remus' speechlessness. "And I'll be coming over every day to annoy you to no end. Soon you'll be wishing you could be all alone, but me, and Sirius, and Peter will never let you be."
Remus felt tears pricking in his eyes, and he fought valiantly against letting them fall. "James, I…"
"You don't have to say anything," James shrugged. "You're my best friend, Moony, and I was tired of your moping. You didn't even tell me and Sirius off for having firewhiskey in the dorms."
"You're head boy, you should know better," Remus said automatically, grinning as James cheered.
"He's back!" James cried dramatically. "And now I can stop being all sappy and get back to not doing my homework."
Remus rolled his eyes fondly as James flopped his head onto Remus' lap. "One would think you're the dog," he remarked amusedly as James butted his head against Remus' stomach, demanding to be petted.
"Never," he gasped. "A stag is much more dignified. Who'd want to be a drooly, mangy mutt?"
"What did you say?" An angry voice demanded behind them. Remus craned his head to see Sirius standing behind them, a look of righteous indignation on his face. "You'll pay for that, Potter." He launched himself onto the couch, landing directly on top of James. Ignoring Remus' loud protestations, they proceeded to wrestle furiously, knocking over his ink pot all over his half-finished essay.
Sirius pinned James to the floor victoriously. "Admit that dogs are better than stags!"
"Never!"
"Admit it!
"Never! Save me, Moony!"
It had been James' elbow that had knocked the ink pot over. "I don't think I will," Remus said vindictively. "Next time, fight further away from my essay."
Sirius cackled and began tickling James relentlessly to much girlish squealing.
Lily Evans came up behind them to watch the sight for a moment in exasperation. She turned to Remus. "Your friends are so weird."
Remus grinned back at her. "Hey, you're voluntarily dating one of them."
She sighed in despair, plopping down on the couch next to him, resting her head against his shoulder. "What has my life come to?"
Peter came down from the dormitory. "Has Prongs finished with The Talk yet?" Then he caught sight of the two struggling boys on the floor and sighed. "A galleon says James will never be able to pin Sirius."
"That's a loser's bet," Lily said with a grin.
The fight paused long enough for James to call out in betrayal, "My own girlfriend!" before he was immediately re-engaged as Sirius pinned him in a headlock.
Remus couldn't believe how quickly his mood came around. He knew now that without a doubt his friends would always be there for him. It was just like James had said; as long as they were all alive, Remus knew he'd never have to be alone.