So I've been reading way too much Harry Potter lately, fell in love with Sirius and Remus's characters again, had my heart broken by them again and decided to write this, yes it's another how James, Sirius and (sigh) Peter found out Remus was a werewolf. Onwards!
James adjusted his glasses and ran his fingers through his naturally unruly hair,
"Well we're sure going to miss you tonight mate. Sirius and I we're planning to make a midnight run to the kitchens and sneak up some sweets, we could've used your mysterious teacher/ Filch sensing powers."
The boy James had been speaking to looked down at his shoes, bouncing impatiently on his heels as if he wanted nothing more than to be anywhere but there. Smiling sadly he lifted his head to look back at his raven haired friend. "I just got an owl saying my mother's ill, I really have to go right away. Next week perhaps?"
"Sure Rem, it's not like the elves are going to stop baking." James said waving him off. "Go before Filch stops you, it's almost dark."
Sure enough the sun was sinking below the horizon and the last golden rays were glinting off James's glasses, looking relieved Remus turned away but then turned back a grin on his pale face.
"So how are YOU going to get back then, Filch would like nothing more than to wring your neck."
James's hazel eyes twinkled mischievously in answer he lifted up a silken cloak.
Talking while walking backwards Remus laughed weakly "Then why do you need me?"
The raven boy shrugged "Sirius is a mouth breather, with you around we can tell him when to hold his breath. Now go! You need to...be with your mother" The auburn haired boy, in his haste had failed to notice the skepticism in his voice.
Wrapping his invisibility cloak around himself James made his way up to the Gryffindor common room, a small frown on his face.
There were only two people left in the plush common room, both staring into the dying fire. When they heard the portrait sweep open they looked up.
"What was it this time?" A boy with black hair that hung to his shoulders and cool grey eyes asked. "Dad's funeral? Brother is St. Mungo's? Migraine?"
"This time his mother's ill Siri." James rolled his eyes with the thoughtful frown still prominent on his thin face.
Sirius dipped his quill in a pot of ink on the table next to him and scratched something on a piece of parchment. "Ok, this is the fifth time. It can't be a coincidence!"
Potter ran his hands through his hair and the other boy spoke.
"It's a full moon tonight." The mousy brunette Gryffindor said quietly.
"Peter you're a genius!" Sirius exclaimed immediately.
Peter grinned at the compliment but he looked puzzled "W-why?"
James was smiling too. "Think about it! He disappears once a month with flimsy excuses to where he's going, he can hear a teacher or smell what's for dinner from two corridors away, and the night he disappears there is always a full moon! Rem is a werewolf!" The boy's hazel eyes lit up with excitement.
Peter's pale blue eyes widened "A-are you sure? I-I mean maybe….." The boy trailed off looking around nervously.
Sirius smirked and gave James a look that said 'Awww wittle Petey's scared of the Big Bad Wolf!'
"Well there's one way to find out." Potter said confidently, walking to a vase by the fire, and pulled out a piece of parchment.
Sirius and Peter eagerly took out their wands and in hushed voices the three boys whispered
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Slowly the parchment became a very detailed map;
Messrs Potter, Pettigrew, Lupin and Black proudly present;
The Marauders Map.
James frowned. "We really need code names." He muttered.
They opened the map and scanned its surface for the name 'Remus Lupin'
"There!" Sirius pointed. "By the Whomping Willow!"
James pushed up his spectacles, "That knot we found last week! I betcha anything he's going to the Shrieking Shack."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Black hopped to his feet and grabbed the cloak, James right at his heels.
"H-hold on!" Peter stuttered nervously. "Aren't w-werewolves supposed to be d-dangerous, like r-really dangerous?"
Sirius scoffed. "Come on Pete, Rem would never hurt us." he said certainly.
The boys ran quickly through the drafty corridors, checking the maps for Peeves, Filch or any teachers that might be keeping a lookout for students out of bed. Slipping out of the castle they ducked under the limbs of the Whomping Willow, which had recently reawoken and had not been happy about being petrified. Pressing the knot, three of the Marauders found the passageway and descended (or was it ascended? James could never tell) to the Shrieking Shack.
The first thing they heard upon entering was Remus crying out in pain, which wasn't a good sign.
"Remmie?" Sirius called out brushing his hair out of his face, "Remus we're here to help." The three boys pulled off the invisibility cloak and cautiously went deeper into the shack.
The boy in question was mid-transformation, his back was arched and James could see all his vertebrae, his hands were more like claws and his skin was a grey colour.
"Go. Away." Remus lifted his head and looked at his three closest mates with large pleading eyes. "Please. I don't. Want. To. Hurt. You." his breathing was labored and he doubled over again.
"Rem!" James ran forward to aid his fellow Marauder.
"Get. Away. From me! I could. Kill. You." He sounded as if he was on the verge of crying.
"You could." Sirius said coolly leaning against one of the walls of the shack. "You're not going to though."
The auburn haired boy managed one more roll of his eyes before the transformation took over completely.
The creature now in front of Peter, James, and Sirius bore no resemblance to their best friend. It was hunched over and had a wolf like head, except instead of a thick fur coat it had patchy thin wiry hairs covering its body. Its eyes were a molten gold. Finally it rested its gaze on them and for a minute the boys thought they had been right in their assumption that Remus could never hurt them. And then the werewolf let out a piercing howl and lunged at his three best friends.
In later years James could never really tell how he escaped it was all a blur of Whomping Willow and Sirius yelling;
"I was wrong! I was so wrong! He definitely will hurt us!"
Finally Remus seemed to lose interest in pursuing the boys and they whipped on the cloak and ran into the safety of the castle.
"Okay I think we all know what we need to do now." James whispered once they had gotten inside.
"Sleep." Peter answered trembling. "Sleep and hope this was a horrible dream."
James shook his head sadly. "Oh my dear Peter. What we need to do is find a way we can be around Rem when he changes, I mean look how scared he was, we need to be there for him." Sirius nodded in agreement.
"Well then." The long haired Marauder said softly. "To the library?"
"To the library." James confirmed.
They pulled down a few books on werewolves and started researching.
"Hey! Hey! I found something!" Peter squeaked with excitement at the prospect of impressing his friends. "Werewolves only attack humans, they leave animals alone, well you know besides hunting."
"How's that going to help us?" Sirius crossed his arms.
"Wait! What were we talking about in Defense Against the Dark Arts the other day? Those wizards who could turn into animals?" James asked snapping his fingers.
"Ooo! Animagus!" Sirius answered looking excited.
Peter jumped up and started scanning the shelves for books on Animagi "Here!" He started flipping through the pages. "Oh, wow the spell looks difficult."
James looked over his shoulder "We better get started."
Soon the sky lightened and a horrible thought struck Sirius.
"What if Remmie leaves?" He asked his face going pale.
The two other boys looked as horrified as he did.
"You all know he would. He'd think we were terrified of him and he'll be furious with himself so he'll go up to Professor Dumbledore and ask to leave, and I'm pretty sure Dumbledore knows what Remus is, I mean it's impossible to hide anything from him. So Remus will leave without saying a word and we'll never see him again!" Sirius said all this without breathing in between.
James stood up quickly. "We have to stop him before he reaches Dumbledore."
Not bothering to put the books back they raced out of the room, flung the invisibility cloak on and scrambled towards the Whomping Willow where Remus was just emerging looking pale, tired, and depressed.
They whipped off the cloak and the boy jumped back, eyes widening in shock.
"Y-you don't have to turn me in, Professor Dumbledore already knows, I'll go talk to him and you guys will never have to see me again." Remus put his hands out in front of him looking between what he believed to be his former best friends.
"NO!" All three of them yelled, even Peter who even though he was now a bit frightened of him didn't want Remus to leave anymore than the others did.
Lupin jumped again and now looked puzzled.
"You really think we want you to leave!?" Sirius stepped forward his grey eyes locking on Remus's blue ones. "Are you insane?"
"I uh I.." The werewolf tried to form a complete sentence.
"Rem!" James said stepping forward to embrace his friend but Remus flinched back. "We don't care that you're a werewolf, it's actually rather cool." He gave a goofy grin.
"B-but I almost KILLED you last night!" The boy felt tears pricking his eyes.
"Okay that part was pretty scary." James allowed
"But we figured out a way to stop that from ever happening again." Peter interrupted, nodding enthusiastically.
"Yeah, you stay away from me." Remus growled trying to push his way past his fellow Marauders.
"Oh Moony never!" Sirius slung an arm across his mate's shoulders. "We've done some research and apparently werewolves don't harm animals. So all we have to do is become Animagi, I mean sure it'll technically be illegal until we're registered but come on we've gotten into worse trouble! But then we can keep you company during the full moon."
Remus's eyes got wide and then his face fell into a puzzled expression. "Moony?" He cocked an eyebrow.
James nodded. "We need nicknames for the Marauders Map! You'll be Moony for obvious reasons."
"I came up with that." Sirius put in proudly.
"And we'll come up with names for ourselves when we find out what animals we turn into." James finished. Peter nodded his approval.
Lupin grinned. "You guys really don't care I'm a werewolf do you?"
"Nope." Sirius said.
"Not at all." James shook his head.
"I'll get used to it." Peter muttered and then seeing the glares he got he quickly said "I mean not a bit you're still Remus after all!"
Remus smile got wider. "I thought you guys would hate me. Or you know come chasing after me with torches and pitchforks, but, you know potato, patato."
James Potter looked his friend directly in the eye and said "Even if you bit me I wouldn't hate you. Ever. And I know the same goes for Siri and Pete."
Sirius nodded and added "We're the Marauders, we stick together no matter what."
Remus practically tackle hugged his mates, "I love you guys."
~One month later~
"We did it, we did it! Just in time to!" James yelled bursting into the boys dormitory where Remus was sitting at the window looking loathingly at the setting sun. One more sunset and he'd turn into that thing again.
"Remmie did you hear him?" Sirius bounded behind him trying to keep his hair out of his eyes.
"Hmm?" Remus turned to his friends.
"He said we did it." Peter appeared breathless behind Sirius and James. "We successfully turned a few times. We're Animagi!"
"Just in time too!" Sirius added.
"Yeah, now we can keep you company tomorrow night!" James grinned.
Remus smiled back, somehow the thought of the full moon didn't seem so bleak all of the sudden. "Show me!" He demanded excitedly.
"Come on!" The three boys pulled him out of the common room and into an abandoned classroom.
They concentrated and one by one they turned into animals
James's form was a beautiful, tawny stag with large brown eyes and sleek antlers. Sirius was a large, shaggy, black dog almost as big as a wolf. Peter turned into a grey rat with a bare pink tail. And then all the animals in front of Remus closed their eyes and changed back into human form.
"We've decided our code names too!" James said breathlessly. "I'm Prongs, because of my antlers."
"Padfoot." Sirius said scratching behind one ear as if he were still a canine.
"Wormtail." Peter added although he didn't look to happy about his name.
Moony grinned, "I love them. We'll have to change the Map."
And for the rest of his time at Hogwarts and many years afterwards Remus never spent those full moons alone.
I had a fun time writing this. Hope you guys enjoyed!