Discovery
James glanced over the top of the Daily Prophet at the two yawning Marauders. "I suppose you're wondering what the hell we're doing at three in the morning on a Sunday," he sighed, and then his grey eyes flashed dangerously. "I suppose you're wondering what we're going to do tonight."
"You could say that," Peter grumbled, picking at the crimson arm of his chair and blinking sleepily. Sirius just glared.
"We're going to talk," James said abruptly after a short silence.
Sirius moaned. "James, can't we talk in the morning, when Remus is back, maybe?"
"No!" James said sharply, and Peter jumped. Sirius pretended to pout, but curiousity and confusion showed through his eyes. They were an icy blue, very piercing and easy to be frightened of. He was not a boy to be crossed with, especially if he was annoyed, or if someone had been picking on Peter. No one had picked on Remus since the incident in the great hall, involving Severus Snape getting hurled across the room and several detentions. And James was not someone you could pick on - he was confident and brilliant. He was envied and hated for his skills in academics and in Quidditch, but he was not teased. "We have to talk now," he said in a voice that made Peter stare and Sirius shrink back a bit. "It's about Remus."
"Is something wrong with him?"
"Well," James frowned, looking considering and slightly less frightening, "yes and no, I suppose."
"Well, Peter, we know something is wrong," Sirius pointed out. "We have since we got here last year. Every month - every month! - he vanishes with some lame excuse."
"Do we have to stop him?" Peter squeaked.
"Certainly not," James said, an edge in his voice. "I would have thought you'd have seen it by not, Sirius." He sighed, closed his eyes and put his head in his hands, and was silent a moment. Then he looked up again, eyes very solemn. "Remus," he said quietly, "is a werewolf."
James glanced over the top of the Daily Prophet at the two yawning Marauders. "I suppose you're wondering what the hell we're doing at three in the morning on a Sunday," he sighed, and then his grey eyes flashed dangerously. "I suppose you're wondering what we're going to do tonight."
"You could say that," Peter grumbled, picking at the crimson arm of his chair and blinking sleepily. Sirius just glared.
"We're going to talk," James said abruptly after a short silence.
Sirius moaned. "James, can't we talk in the morning, when Remus is back, maybe?"
"No!" James said sharply, and Peter jumped. Sirius pretended to pout, but curiousity and confusion showed through his eyes. They were an icy blue, very piercing and easy to be frightened of. He was not a boy to be crossed with, especially if he was annoyed, or if someone had been picking on Peter. No one had picked on Remus since the incident in the great hall, involving Severus Snape getting hurled across the room and several detentions. And James was not someone you could pick on - he was confident and brilliant. He was envied and hated for his skills in academics and in Quidditch, but he was not teased. "We have to talk now," he said in a voice that made Peter stare and Sirius shrink back a bit. "It's about Remus."
"Is something wrong with him?"
"Well," James frowned, looking considering and slightly less frightening, "yes and no, I suppose."
"Well, Peter, we know something is wrong," Sirius pointed out. "We have since we got here last year. Every month - every month! - he vanishes with some lame excuse."
"Do we have to stop him?" Peter squeaked.
"Certainly not," James said, an edge in his voice. "I would have thought you'd have seen it by not, Sirius." He sighed, closed his eyes and put his head in his hands, and was silent a moment. Then he looked up again, eyes very solemn. "Remus," he said quietly, "is a werewolf."