You open your eyes and your whole body protests instantly in the most familiar way. Memories flicker somewhere in the back of your mind, but they are disconnected as though they belong to someone or something else, and then they dissolve into the recesses of your brain.
You wait for the pain to wash over you. You anticipate the agony as part of the process; The coppery taste of your own blood in your mouth, the wounds you've inflicted upon yourself in the night when you were less than aware of what you were doing as you thrashed around the empty shack.
You take a deep breath, and you realize a very new sensation, that it doesn't hurt to breath. You take the time to access every inch of your body. You raise an arm above your head and stare at it as though you've never seen it before. Your skin is as pale as ever, but there is no blood, no missing skin or teeth marks where you used yourself as a chew toy. You roll onto your side and find that you are perfectly able both to sit up, and then to stand, and the room only spins momentarily as you steady yourself against a gnawed bedpost.
Voices on the floor below both surprise you and bring you back to reality. Your friend's easy laughter and chatter reach you, and a moment later they are on the stairs before they burst through the door.
"It's about time!" Sirius announces enthusiastically, looking you over briefly before flopping down on the bed you have just vacated. A cloud of dust rises into the air around him but his eyes are closed and he doesn't seem to notice it as it settles back into place on top of him. You stare at him lying there for a long moment, but beyond the usual he hardly has a hair out of place. James meanwhile has three long thin red scratches that travel down his throat and disappear beneath the neckline of his jumper, though they aren't deep and he doesn't seem to notice them. Looking at them makes you flinch, but he is grinning.
"What did I tell you Moony?" he says with his usual air of confidence. "Everything went perfectly, and not only are you all in one piece, but we are as well."
He yawns then returns to grinning. He is looking at you the same way he always has, with no hint of the night before in his dark eyes, the first night that they have ever witnessed you in your transformed state. This morning was what really worried you, but there is no trepidation or fear in your friend's gaze, not that you have ever seen him afraid before but you didn't know what to expect as you disappeared into the monster, an experiment that you hadn't been completely prepared for, and yet…
"Alright, mate?" James urges you. "What do you think?"
You glance at Peter, who is wide eyed but appears unharmed. You take a deep breath and it hits you again that you feel no pain but the usual ache.
You look around at your friends, recalling the stag, the dog and the rat that shared this same room with you the night before. You need time to process everything that has happened, to balance the risk that you all face if this is to continue. You want to thank them, to tell them how much everything they have done has meant to you, and how much they have changed your life, but they are all giving you skeptical looks, waiting as patiently as they are able, so familiar... and you are so tired that you can't quite bring yourself to break the peaceful companionship that comes so easily after so long. And there are other sensations that take priority. This talk will have to wait, hopefully until after your head has found pillow. But before that even...
"Breakfast" you say eagerly. "I'm starved."
Hi, everybody,
Since you can never have too much of the marauders I bring you another series of one shots on the subject of my favourite foursome (fivesome if you include Lily, which I do when it suits me). I kind of have writers block on my other stories at the moment so I thought writing some one shots would be fun and maybe give me some ideas and get me back on track. I'm thinking this series will be significant moments in the marauders lives such as the first time they were able to transform with Lupin in their fifth year. Anyway, I heard the weirdest song today that reminded me instantly of the marauders (Friends to the End- By Relient K) which basically got me motivated to get this started. Thanks to everyone who's reading, new and old. Hope to see you again soon. :)