"Right, guys we either go big or go home. We should do something where we have to transform in front of him."
James, Sirius and Peter were huddled on Peter's bed in the dormitory, it was the furthest from Lupin's bed. They talked in furious whispers. "No," snapped Sirius sharply. "We should transform just out of his sight and transform back. Then we tell him. Its better than straight out telling him."
Peter sighed. "No, we just tell him in the dormitory. It'll be safer."
The three of them had learnt that their other friend, Remus Lupin, was a werewolf and was forced to vanish for days to protect the other students.
James had noticed it first, as he was sharing a dormitory with him and vanished regularly. Sirius had confronted the boy about it as he had more tact than James. After a few arguments, a lot of hexes and some screaming, they had all become best friends.
Now, it was approaching the full moon and Lupin's friends were intent on him having a month where he was not cooped up in a shack.
They had worked on their skills and had chosen their animals carefully.
Peter was a rat to check the way ahead in case other students were out.
James was a stag for size and his antlers came in handy if Lupin got out of control.
And Sirius was a massive dog to be able to roughly talk to Lupin and he would be able to pin him down using his strength.
They began arguing, getting louder and until there was a creak from Lupin's bed.
They all froze and turned slowly. Lupin was sitting up, squinting at his friends. He rubbed his eyes, yawning.
"What?..." he muttered.
"Go back to sle-"
"We have something to tell you." James interuppted. Sirius glared at him.
"Well, you know how you're a werewolf?"
Lupin stopped rubbing his eyes and glared at him.
"What?" he almost growled. "I must have missed that?" Sirius rocked back, Lupin could be bloody terrifying when he wanted to.
James swallowed slightly.
"Well, we have been practising magic and we've become Animagi and next week, when you turn... We're coming with you. We can protect you. See?" and James vanished, replaced with a gangly deer who looked confused. Peter jumped and fell off the bed, transforming into a rat on the way down.
Sirius stared at the deer with a disgusted look.
"Prongs." the word sprang to lips before he stop it.
"Did you just bloody spoil it?"
The deer turned its head to look at Sirius. Suddenly, James appeared again.
"Oh... Sorry?" Sirius jumped up to batter James but stopped when there was a sudden sniff from the bed. He turned slowly. Lupin sat, his head in his hands. Sirius walked over and gently prised his hands away from his face. Tears were streaking the smaller boys face.
"What's up?" probably a stupid thing to say but he couldn't help it.
Lupin looked up at him, smiling ever so slightly.
"You did this all for me?"