A/N: I will soon be revising this-it's just a quick version of the first chapter to see if the concept will work. It's the story of the first full moon the marauders spend together. Oh, and if anyone can think of a better title-e-mail or IM me and let me know, this one's kinda lame

Disclaimer: if I owned Harry Potter, I would've killed him because he's very stupid and gets on my nerves, I also would've done the fifth book completely different.-aka, I'm NOT JK Rowling, so don't sue me!

~ The First Full Moon~

"Hey there, Remus!! Going out this late at night?"

Sirius Black had burst into the fifth year boy's dormitory so suddenly that Remus Lupin, possibly Sirius's closest friend, had jumped nearly a foot off the ground. He spun around so quickly that he nearly strangled himself with the scarf he was pulling on, and his robes billowed as he twirled very un-gracefully. Upon seeing the grinning Sirius closing the door behind him, he turned and settled back into what he was doing, saying over his shoulder, "Merlin's Beard, Sirius, you nearly gave me a heart attack!! Please don't ever do that again!"

Sirius merely strolled to his friend's side and slung an arm heavily onto Remus's shoulder and leaned over, looking to see what he'd been doing. "You still didn't tell me where you were going." Sirius found himself staring at Remus's transfiguration essay that was due on Monday. Remus had been doing some last minute proof reading in the room.

"Sirius..."

"What?? What did I do??" Sirius's voice had a strange note in it that Remus couldn't quite put his finger on. It seemed both excited and like a fake, overreacted, accused surprise.

"You do know that tonight is the...well-" Remus looked around the room for other people listening in on the conversation. Seeing none, he continued in a confused whisper. "It's the umm...full moon. Tonight." The conversation wasn't making much sense to him.

Sirius continued speaking in an overly shocked and excited voice which made Remus doubt his friend's sanity even more. "No!! REALLY? I must not have been paying much attention in astronomy this week, I'll have to watch my back on the next exam. But anyways, what's THAT got to do with anything?" Sirius chuckled heartily as he finished the sentence.

Remus wasn't sure if he was more confused by his friend's huge grin, the words coming out of his mouth, or the way he was saying them. "Well, it's just that I'm," he lowered his voice again, "well, a werewolf...remember?"

"Oh yeah!! So you are!" repeated Sirius still excitedly chuckling to himself

Remus stared.

"So, I've got to go meet Madame Pomfrey now. I'll see you tomorrow." Remus's usual sorrowful full moon voice returned now.

"And WHAT makes you think that?"

"What, that I'm a werewolf?" Remus had abandoned his whispers as he shouted at Sirius. "Maybe the fur and the snout and the lack of arms!" he said while flailing said digits in a desperate manner in Sirius's direction.

Sirius's grin simply grew. He had obviously gone mad, Remus concluded. Quite mad judging by the glint in his eyes.

"Oh no, not THAT" Sirius chuckled while he spoke again. "I'm completely convinced you're a werewolf. It's the other part I'm concerned about."

He's off his bloody rocker, a voice in Remus's head told him. "Well, considering the fact that I AM a werewolf and it IS the full moon-"

"Which, indeed, are both true!"

"Yes...and given what werewolves DO on the full moon-"

"Oh yes!" Sirius was still in the overly excited, hearty voice. "All that terrible howling and biting and the fur everywhere..." As Sirius said 'fur' his hands flew quickly in all directions from his face and ears as if to illustrate tufts of hair sprouting up along them. Remus nodded awkwardly.

"Yes, given all that, I'd say it's time for me to go see Madame Pomfrey now so that I don' t...you know, um-"

"Bite me?" Sirius offered.

"Yeah, I guess. Well, I'll see you tomorrow." The dejected voice of every full moon returned.

"See, now THAT'S the part I've got the problem with."

"What's that supposed to mean? Going to come with me and get your head ripped off? Try telling Dumbledore that!" Remus barely noticed he was shouting again.

"Oh, I don't plan on going like THS...and I'm certainly not telling Dumbledore!"

All Remus wanted was for this headache to go away. Tonight was going to be bad and painful enough as it was without the migraine his friend was now supplying him with. "What are you going to do then? Change robes and come trotting after me?" The sarcasm was overwhelming.

"Well, now that you mention it..." Sirius's grin grew a few more inches until it looked as though his face would crack if he kept it up. He sat down dramatically on the nearest bed. "I WAS planning on 'trotting along,' but not in robes-more like...oh, what's the word? Ah, FUR that's it!"

Remus began rubbing his temples. "You want me to BITE you? Are you MAD?"

"Oh, heavens no, not bite! And mad, well...well, that depends on what you classify as 'mad.' And I'm not coming alone either."

Remus let out a confused and frustrated groan and sat down next to Sirius, still rubbing his throbbing temples. It was now Sirius's turn to whisper, even though he was so excited he could barely keep his voice lowered. "We've done it! We're coming this time!"

"Who? Done what?" Remus shouted anyways.

"And we thought you were the smart, studious one! James and I, we've...you know, learned how to become animagi."

Remus just stared open mouthed at the grinning Sirius for a minute. His jaw bobbed up and down as if trying to make out words, but nothing came. Sirius cut over his attempts at speech. " That is, of course, only if you WANT us to come with...I mean, we could stay here and, you know, stare out the window and feel sorry for you."

"I...I..." Remus shook suddenly and turned away from Sirius so that he wouldn't cry.

Sirius's voice finally lost all of it's other qualities, and spit out a soft, serious sentence. "I'll take that as an invite."

Then Sirius looked exaggeratedly at his watch, and leapt up. His voice took on the over-excited tone again. "Well, would you look at the time? You're a werewolf, and it's the full moon, what are you still doing here and not in Madame Pomfrey's office? You should be more on top of these things! Essays can always be turned in late." As Sirius mock-scolded Remus, he pushed him gently along the path to the door.

"Well, be seeing you soon Remus! Nice talking to you!" Sirius waved as Remus grabbed the door handle. Suddenly Remus's hand dropped and he turned around.

"You didn't have to do this you know."

Sirius's voice was warm and understanding again. "Yes we did. What kind of friends would we be if we didn't?"

Remus, looking dangerously close to tears, suddenly slung one arm around Sirius in a hug, and tried to thank him. "Don't thank me!" Sirius argued and pushed Remus at the door again "Go, you'll be late. We'll be out in an hour or two."

Remus smiled and descended the staircase, crossed the common room without sighting either James or Peter, and began down the long path to the hospital wing. His only thoughts were of the night ahead, and all the things he did not know or could not guess.

Then it occurred to him. His friends knew about his greatest and most feared secret, and were still coming to help him.

Friends.

He had real friends.

He fought back tears as he walked faster down the hall. This would truly be a night to remember.