A/N: This idea wouldn't leave me alone, so here is a new Marauder story. This story will continue after Seventh Year, and if it changes anything in the Canon story, I'll add a sequel.
Bitten in the Moonlight
Summary: What if during one of their full moon adventures a horrible mistake was made and James Potter was bitten? What if he became a werewolf too? Non-canon Seventh Year of the Marauders. James/Lily.
Chapter 1: A Normal Year
James's POV
"This is the year boys!" Sirius sighed happily, sitting down next to Remus.
We were sat on the second to last compartment of the train and had just managed to put our trunks away before the train set off. I was sat closest to the window facing Sirius with Peter next to me.
"What's so special about this year?" Remus asked, playing absently with one of the bandages on his arm that he'd gained after the last full moon.
Oh yeah, there's a few things you should know about me and my friends; Remus Lupin, the smart Marauder who helps us learn the spells needed for pranks, also known as Moony, is a werewolf, now that doesn't mean he's an evil monster, he happens to be one of my best friends. He had mousy brown hair and looked completely normal until you saw his eyes which were light brown, but turned amber in the sun; sometimes he got a look that said he'd been through hell and back that made him look older than his seventeen years.
Then there's Sirius Black, known as Padfoot to the Marauders, the crazy one in our group with the great prank ideas, he was born into a dark family who believes in blood purity, he some how managed to turn out okay – if not a little crazy – and was put in Gryffindor, much to the disgust of his family. He ran away from when he was sixteen to live with me instead. He had black hair that fell in a way I could only dream of managing, with his blue eyes that looked grey, he really did look to come from a pure-blood family, but he was the player in our group too, and the girls just loved how he looked.
Finally, there's Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail to the Marauders, the one who makes up all of our excuses and makes a great look out. He has a normal family and seems to be normal too, though he isn't the greatest with spells and tends to be a target for Slytherins. Peter was a little shorter than the rest of us, but only by an inch or so, he had dark blond hair and blue watery eyes, in the years since I'd met him, he'd lost his chubbiness – probably from all the running away from the teachers we did.
I'm James Potter, better known as Prongs, I'm the unofficial leader of the Marauders, I'm a pure-blood like Sirius, but my family is firmly in the light. I'd do anything for the Marauders; they're my life. My hair was black like Sirius's, but was impossible to tame, I often just messed it up even more, hoping for the 'just got off a broomstick' look, I had hazel coloured eyes, but wore glasses.
We found out about Moony's werewolf secret in Second Year, and decided to do everything possible to help him, even if it was dangerous. When we were in Fifth Year, we succeeded in becoming animagus so we could stay with him on full moons and stop him hurting himself.
That's why we have just strange nicknames; Wormtail for Peter since he changes into a rat, helpful for sneaking into places and setting up pranks. Padfoot for Sirius; he becomes a big black dog that often scares people because they think he's the Grim, but hilarious to freak the Divination teacher out with. Prongs for me, my animal is a stag that, while not helpful in any pranks, is helpful to keep control of Remus when he's in werewolf form. Remus is of course Moony, obviously because he changes on a full moon.
"This year," Sirius said, grinning happily. "Is our last year. Which means we have to go out with a bang!"
"Defiantly," I agreed. "If we don't lose at least a thousand house points before the end of our last year we don't deserve to be Marauders."
"As Head Boy, shouldn't you be encouraging us to gain points," Remus pointed out dryly.
Over summer, I'd gotten the shock of my life when I opened my Hogwarts letter and a Head Boy badge had fallen out. I was sure there had been a mistake, but according to the note in my letter, I was definatly Head Boy. Sirius had said that just proved Dumbledore was crazy.
"As Head Boy," Peter interrupted before I could say anything. "Shouldn't you be at the prefect meeting?"
Remus jumped up as if electrocuted, pulling me with him out of the compartment.
"I can't believe I forgot!" He exclaimed.
Remus had been made a prefect in Fifth Year, probably in hopes that he would be able to keep the rest of us Marauders in line. Instead it just made it so we could get away with more.
"Wonder who the Head Girl is," I commented as Remus nearly pulled my arm off, dragging me down the train to the prefect compartment.
Ignoring me, Remus opened the door of the first compartment and shoved me inside. Prefects from Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Year and from all the houses were already there, so it seemed we were the last ones in.
"Sorry we're late, I completely forgot," Remus apologized, sitting down next to a Ravenclaw Sixth Year prefect.
"What's he doing here?" Someone demanded from behind me.
I turned around and saw Lily Evans standing behind me with her hands on her hips. Her red hair was loose and hung down past her shoulders, with the light shining on it, it looked to be on fire. She had wide green eyes that were unlike any colour I'd seen before, but always left me breathless.
"I asked what you were doing here Potter," Lily said again. "Since no one in their right minds would want you hanging around."
Did I forget to mention that she hated me? Admittedly I'd not been the nicest person to her in First Year, mostly because she'd been friends with Snivellus, who happened to be my worst enemy.
Unfortunately for me, even though Lily hated everything about me, she was the love of my life, as corny as that sounded. I'd asked her out nearly everyday since Second Year and as the years went by the only change of answer I'd gotten was the change from insults to hexes.
For Seventh Year, I'd decided to not ask her out anymore, no matter how much it hurt, because she obviously didn't feel the same way as me and I just wanted her to be happy.
"My friends want to be around me," I pointed out, trying to get my brain to function, something it never seemed to do when around Lily.
"I thought I said no one in their right mind," Lily counted, glaring slightly. "Anyway, Quidditch Captains aren't meant to be in here, no matter how important you might think the game is."
"Actually, I'm Head Boy this year," I admitted.
"What!" She shrieked. "No! You can't be! Dumbledore would have to be crazy!"
Remus let out a cough that didn't quite hide his laughter.
"Well, we better go get St Mungo's then, because I'm defiantly Head Boy," I pointed to the badge attached to my school robes.
This time it wasn't just Remus trying not to laugh; no one wanted Lily's anger turned on them instead.
"Fine," she sighed. "I'm Head Girl. So we'll be working together this year, but I swear if you try anything I'll hex you so badly you won't walk for a week."
I nodded and sat down, not really listening as Lily explained what everyone would be doing and who had which rounds. Instead I thought about how in Sixth Year I'd have done anything to be told I'd get to spend extra time with Lily, and how I wanted nothing more than to avoid her just then. If I wasn't around her, I wouldn't break my word to not ask her out.
Once the meeting was over, Remus and I walked back to our compartment and I sat down across from Sirius again, stealing one of his Chocolate Frogs.
"Who's Head Girl then?" Peter asked.
"Lily," I groaned, picking up another Frog.
Sirius winced. "Tough luck mate."
"Are we doing a prank at the feast?" Peter asked. "Or is our Head Boy going to behave."
"Of course we're doing a prank," I snorted at the thought of behaving.
As we looked through our trunks for anything to use in the prank, Sirius pulled out the Marauders Map; a map that let us see where everyone was in the castle at all times as long as we opened it with the password.
"You still got your invisibility cloak?" Remus asked, writing down ideas on a bit of parchment.
"Of course," I grinned, getting into the Marauder mood.
Sirius tapped the map with his wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
We gathered around and figured out which prank would be used and where to set it up. I looked around my friends and couldn't stop the smile that made it to my face. It was going to be just another normal year at Hogwarts for the Marauders.
A/N: Hope you liked this first chapter. Please note that I don't have a Beta for this story because I'm guessing most people will be on holiday. Please review! :)
