Remus's Secret
"Say, Sirius," James said slowly as they lay under the beech tree by the lake. Sirius was attempting to finish his mountain of Transfiguration homework, and Remus was studying in the library with Peter.
Sirius made a low growling noise in the back of his throat, and the corner of James's mouth quirked up.
"Yes, yes, I know you're doing homework," James said with a flip of his hand. "But surely you can't be that far from done?"
Grunt.
"So we've resorted to speaking in animal noises as opposed to real human speech?" James asked, nudging Sirius in the side.
Snarl.
"Alright, alright, don't go biting my head off," James said, grinning as he slapped Sirius good-naturedly on the back.
Sirius glared at James, then looked back at his Transfiguration homework and deflated slightly. "I'll do it later," he decided, sighing as he stuffed the enormous roll of parchment back into his schoolbag.
"That's the spirit!" said James exuberantly. "Always the procrastinator, that's what I like about you, Sirius."
"Is there a point to this conversation?"
"I'm getting there," James assured him.
Sirius groaned, laying his head in the soft grass. "I wish Remus were here," he moaned. "He at least has intelligent conversations, even if I can't understand half of what he's saying."
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Remus," James said, and Sirius sat up slowly, brushing grass out of his hair. "Do you think...?" He shook his head and began again, hesitantly. "Sirius, I think he's hiding something."
"So?" said Sirius indifferently. "We're only his dormmates. He doesn't have to tell us everything."
"But something's off," said James, leaning in closer to speak more quietly. "I mean, the stories he tells us – his mother's sick –"
"She might really be sick," Sirius protested.
"Every month around the full moon?"
Sirius stared at James. "You're not seriously implying..."
"Think about it, Sirius," said James quietly. "He's always gone around the full moon, and he always looks pale and tired when he gets back. He spends all that time in the hospital wing. He sneaks out at night. Something's not adding up."
"And him being a –" Sirius dropped his voice to a whisper, looking around furtively for eavesdroppers – "a werewolf solves everything?"
"It makes sense," James said.
Sirius let out a disbelieving laugh. "Our dormmate's a werewolf. Here's something to tell Mum. She'll have fits."
"No!" James hissed. "You can't tell anyone. There's a reason Remus has kept it secret from all of us."
"As if we'd judge him," Sirius scoffed. "I mean, I come from a family who marries their cousins to stay 'pure', Peter is frankly just an idiot – oh, you know it's true," he added upon seeing James's disapproving face. "Really, I'm quite offended he didn't trust us enough to tell us."
"Look, if he wanted to tell us he would," said James softly. "I think we ought to respect his privacy, but at the same time..."
"He ought to know we're looking out for him," Sirius guessed, and James nodded slowly. "Well, it's settled, then," said Sirius, standing up and brushing himself off. "We've got to tell him we know."
"Alright," said James reluctantly. "I hope we're doing the right thing."
"Of course we are," said Sirius breezily. "What boy wouldn't want his friends to know he turns into a bloodthirsty monster once a month?"
"Remus?"
He was kneeling in front of his trunk, rummaging for pajamas, but when he heard James's voice he looked up. James, Sirius, and Peter were standing in a line in front of him, grave expressions on their faces.
"What's going on?" he asked suspiciously.
James took a deep breath. "Remus, we know."
"Know what?" said Remus, staring at them oddly. He wondered if someone had slipped something in their pumpkin juice that morning.
The other three exchanged a look, and Sirius, steeling himself, said in a rush, "We know you're a werewolf."
Remus felt the blood drain from his face. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears.
How did they find out?
"What are you talking about?" he laughed, hoping they wouldn't hear the tremor in his voice.
"You don't have to hide it from us anymore," said James softly. "We can add things up, you know. Well, not Peter," he amended, "but he caught on well enough." Peter shot him a hurt look, and James smiled apologetically.
Remus exhaled, his hands shaking. "You know."
"You're really a werewolf," said Sirius, astonished, and Remus nodded slowly.
"Well," he said briskly, standing up, "it was nice knowing you all. I'm glad I had you as my friends, even just for a short time."
"Why does it sound like you're saying goodbye?" said James, confused.
"You'll be telling your parents about me, won't you?" said Remus matter-of-factly, swallowing back his sorrow. "A werewolf as your dormmate. Then they'll have me expelled, of course, and then I'll probably never see any of you again."
"We're not going to get you expelled!" said Peter indignantly.
Remus stared at them in surprise, then shook his head. "Thank you," he said softly. "I don't deserve that." He was quiet for a moment, then said, "I suppose I'll be seeing you in the hallways, then –"
"What are you talking about?" James snapped.
"You don't want to be friends with me anymore, and I understand," said Remus gently, though his heart was aching. "I mean, why would you? I'm –" He turned away as tears sprang to his eyes, angry and despondent. "I'm a monster."
"Please," said James, scoffing, and Remus looked up incredulously. "You may be a little different when the moon is full, but all the other days, you're exactly like us. A gawky, oddball first-year who still gets lost in the corridors on the way to breakfast even though it's been months." At this, he shot Sirius an annoyed look, and Sirius grinned back, not in the least apologetic.
"You – you really aren't going to turn me in?" Remus whispered.
"Friends don't betray their friends," said Peter fiercely.
"We're with you, Remus," James added.
They all looked at Sirius.
"Oh, is it my turn to say something?" he said, surprised. "Well – er – you're pretty awesome, mate. With or without your, er, wolfy parts."
Remus felt tears spring to his eyes. "Thank you so much," he said in a low voice. "I can't tell you how much this means to me. I thought –" He blinked rapidly, forcing the tears back. "I thought when people found out, they'd shun me and never want to see me again, but I'm – I'm so lucky to have friends like you."
"We'd never shun you, Remus," said Sirius seriously. "Who'd do our homework for us then?"
Remus gave a watery chuckle, and James pulled him in for a hug. Then Sirius wrapped his arms around both of them, and lastly Peter squeezed himself between James and Sirius and threw his arms around the whole group.
When they broke apart, they were all fighting back tears, though James let out a series of odd coughing noises to distract from his watery eyes.
"So, Remus," said Sirius conversationally, "now that we've agreed to protect you and all that, would you consider finishing my Transfiguration homework for me?"
Remus threw a pillow at him, laughing.