Chapter 1
"Love is like lightening," the boy announced, well you could hardly call him a boy; however, he was not yet a man either, hovering somewhere in the grey, fuzzy in between of adolescence.
"What do you mean Padfoot, old chap? Not like you to say something so profound, that's more Moony's department," said the boy to his left, who happened to be called James Potter.
The mention of this name made the boy suddenly pay more attention to the conversation. "Well, it can be magical, yet have incredibly destructive effects. It'd both beautiful and ugly and the same time, rather like lightening" Padfoot, or rather Sirius Black, explained.
"I think you took too much of that Mind-Sharpening Mix in Potions today," quipped James, shaking his head.
The two best friends were sat in their favourite armchairs by the fire in the Gryffindor Common room. The conversation soon turned towards their usual subject matters, quidditch, how best to annoy Professor Slughorn in their next Potions lesson, the best curse to use on Snape…the usual.
Footsteps approached. The two boys looked up from their whispered plans to see Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew stood above them, they were better known as Moony and Wormtail to their fellow Marauders.
Remus collapsed into a chair on the other side of Sirius and buried his head in his hands,
"It's useless," he moaned, "I have spent hours trying to teach Peter to do it, but it's just never going to happen."
"Slow down!" said Sirius, "What were you teaching Peter? Not some strange, perverted, sexual act I hope" he teased.
"Just because I'm gay, doesn't mean I'm trying to turn all of my friends!" I wouldn't mind turning you though, he thought. Remus had a lot of thoughts like this about his friend; he usually pushed them to the back of his mind, however every once in a while he allowed them to drift once again into his consciousness. He couldn't help but admire Sirius' devilishly handsome grin, or the way he pushed his fringe out of his soulful grey eyes, when his black hair flopped stylishly in front of his face. Stop, he said to himself, Sirius is your friend.
"Earth to Moony!" Said James whilst Sirius waved a hand in front of his face, interrupting his thoughts and bringing his mind crashing straight back down to the Gryffindor common room.
"Where were you then?"
"Trying to help Peter with his Transfiguration work, the O.W.L's start next week and he still hasn't mastered a simple Vanishing Spell, which is bound to come up in the practical…"
Remus looked like he was about to burst out crying or have a nervous breakdown, or both.
"Don't worry about it Reme," Sirius started, "you'll do fine. As will Peter. He always does better when he's under pressure, don't you Wormtail?"
Peter, who was at on the floor in front of them was far to busy shoving Chocolate Frogs in his mouth to take much of the conversation, "What?" he said, feeling their eyes burning upon him.
"I said you'll do fine next week, won't you?"
"Oh, that, yeah. If not I'll retake a year." He said simply, turning back to his stash of sweets, and promptly shoving them in his mouth again.
"See?" said Sirius, "he'll be fine! Don't fret; you're like a mother hen sometimes. Well, wolf…"
Sirius had a knack for making his worries seem miniscule; it wasn't just his way with words. His mere presence had the same effect.
James seemed to notice that his friend's mind had once again drifted far away.
"Moony? What's with you today, it isn't that time of the month again yet is it?" he joked.
"You know full well it isn't," he snapped.
"Wish it was," murmured Sirius. "Had fun last time didn't we?"
"You may have done, but I certainly did not."
And with that, Remus picked up his bag and stormed up the spiral staircase to their dormitory. Beautiful though Sirius may be, he could be quite insensitive at times.
"What's his problem?" said Sirius, staring at the spot that Remus had occupied 30 seconds earlier.
God I can be stupid, he thought. Sirius knew that his friends lycanthropy was a touchy subject and that the transformations were painful, but surely things were better for him now that his friends could join him in animagus form.
Sirius didn't like to upset any of his friends, but for some reason whenever he made Remus sad, it hurt him even more.
The hurt in Remus' already haunted blue eyes was unbearable and almost pierced deep into Sirius' soul.
James looked at his friend, "What's troubling you Padfoot?"
"Oh, nothing. Just deciding the best hex to use on Snivellus. You know, the usual." He replied, he thought it best not to tell his friend the real reasons for his silence.
"There I can help," he said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
So, things returned to normal, James and Sirius discussed hexing tactics whilst Peter looked up at them eagerly, still shovelling sweets down his throat.
However, Sirius' thoughts still lingered on his werewolf friend, as they so often did these days.
