Despite being officially one of the Marauders, Lupin was viewed as 'bright' and 'helpful' by the teachers at Hogwarts. Most thought that surely he didn't get into as much trouble as the other three. But on some days, like today, for instance, Remus Lupin found himself in the middle of the it.
Literally.
James careened into the courtyard, feet skidding in the icy ground, arms flailing for balance. He tore right up to Lupin. "Moony! Padfoot! Quick! I need a place to hide."
Lupin looked up from the book he was reading as noncommittally as he manage. "Why?"
"You know damn well why," James panted. "It's Evans- she's completely out of control- she just blew up at me-"
"Did you try to kiss her?" Sirius inquired.
"Well, yeah…"
"Then that's the source of your problems, Prongs," Sirius replied. "One must approach a girl one wishes to kiss with a certain amount of charismatic charm, which we have proven you do not posses."
"Don't kiss Lily when she doesn't want you to," Lupin supplied as James spluttered in outrage.
"She did want me to," James said defensively. "She just didn't know it."
"POTTER!" a voice resonated off the cold stones.
"Broomstick cupboard," Lupin suggested, and James darted into it, closing the door behind him seconds before Lily arrived.
Her red hair flew out behind her, she was panting, and if she was a bull she would have been pawing the ground and snorting. "WHERE'S POTTER?"
"No need to shout," Sirius said, leaning back. "He's in the broomstick cupboard."
"PADFOOT!" James roared, diving back out of the cupboard. "I'll kill you later!"
"I'll kill YOU first!" Lily yelled, diving around the fountain to get to her fellow Gryffindor.
"Human sacrifice!" James grabbed Lupin and held the skinnier boy in front of him.
Lily and James ended up running circles around Lupin, Lily trying to catch James, James trying to live for another few minutes until Lily inevitably caught him. She always did.
Sirius watched, amused, from the sidelines, but Lupin didn't appreciate being held in the line of fire.
"Get out of the way, Remus!" Lily demanded.
"Believe me, if I could, I would," Lupin argued.
"But you won't," James decreed, until Sirius stuck out his foot and tripped him. James and Lupin toppled over, but before Lily could make a move, James was up and gone again, sprinting through the castle.
"POTTER!" Lily yelled again, and pursued the raven-haired boy.
"That's why I don't bother with girlfriends," Sirius decided as he helped Lupin up. "They're murderous. A whole different species."