Territory

by Team Alpha Wolf Squadron

After an attack werewolves are demoted to the rights of a house elf. Forced to work Remus was lucky to find a family as nice as the Potters. When Sirius comes to stay with them after he runs away Remus has a hard time adjusting to the new addition to family. ABANDONED. There's a reupload with more content if you search Territory rewrite or go on to my page.

1. Chapter 1

Remus was six. He was six and enjoying the fact that his dad was home from work early. There had been something wrong with his job lately which meant that Remus hadn't seen him for more than an hour before it was time for bed. But now his dad was back a whole three hours early and had a big announcement for both him and his mother. They were going on holiday!

His dad had hurried in and told his mum first and she didn't seem all that happy with the idea. But then Remus shouldn't have been listening in so he hurried back to his room in high spirits. Dad came up the stairs once he had finished talking to mum and packed all of Remus' clothes and special toys, telling him about all the exciting things they were going to do.

By night time Remus was bundled up in his coat whilst his mum argued about their holiday with his dad. Remus didn't see why his mum was objecting so much. Dad had been promising for ages to take them on holiday and now he finally was. She eventually calmed down enough to get in the car and soon they were on the road.

The car was making its funny sounds again as they wound across the country roads to the village. Mum had stopped talking all together when they saw the first house up ahead whilst Dad was muttering to himself and glancing at the sky every few minutes. Remus tried to see what was angering his dad so much but every time he glanced out the window he could only see the night sky with its twinkling stars and the moon that always caught his eye when he was allowed up late. He couldn't see anything that should have angered his dad, especially since they were going on holiday.

The car hit over a bump in the village and Remus giggled as a swooping sensation assaulted his tummy. He always liked going over bumps and down hills because of that tingly feeling. His giggles were cut sharply off when his dad screeched the car to a stop. Remus held his hurt chest from the sudden stop.

His dad poked his head out of the car window and Remus looked out too. His mum had started to sob in the front seat which made him confused, they had only hit a bump after all. His dad sped the car up again.

It did another sudden stop and his dad tried to reverse but stopped again. His mum was almost screaming now and Remus started to panic from the mix of emotions in the car.

His dad said a bad word as he got out the car and shouted at his mum to do the same. Remus was fumbling with his seatbelt when his dad tore it off for him and pulled Remus into his arms. Naturally he struggled since he was six and had been able to walk for years now but an abrupt reprimand shouted at him made him stop.

Mum was clinging onto Dads elbow as they briskly walked over to the shop on the corner. There was a rustling from some bins and a cat screeched out causing his mum and dad to sprint over to the shop. Remus felt delight wash over him as his mum took out her wand and opened the door but it was soon quashed when the gray kitty that had spooked his parents was killed. All he heard was a hissing yowl as the cat arched his back before something big and black bounded over and with one shake in its Jurassic teeth shook the cats neck broken and sent a limb flying.

Remus was vaguely aware he was screaming and hitting his dad to get away. The monster had heard him and lifted itself onto its trunk thick legs to let out an ear piercing howl. His parents were inside the shop and locking the door with magic when the howl was answered. Responding moans joined the first from all around the village becoming one loud tune in the night.

His dad shook him harshly and shouted at him so he quietened his screams to sobs much like his mothers. His dad turned to soothe her "We just need to outlast the moon. That's all darling."

He set Remus on the counter as something large slammed into the door. The glass shattered from the impact and rained all over the shops floor. Remus was grabbed again and shoved into a small cupboard in the back while his mum and dad turned the house upside down for something.

It was dark and he couldn't see anything. His hiccups drowned out most of what his parents said to one another. Growls and howls sounded in the shop front and Remus felt himself gagging from fright.

Bangs and shouts of foreign but familiar words were sounding just as something snuffled under the door he was behind. His voice left and his limbs seized as the nose journeyed up the door and stopped where Remus' face was. The monster crashed into the door just as his father shouted at it. The wood was splintered from where it had charged and Remus' limbs went into overdrive. He opened the door hoping to take shelter next to his dad.

Remus ran for the kitchen at the back of the shop where light bounced off roaring monsters. His dads face was set in concentration as his arm flung around wildly but paused when Remus ran in the room. This was all they needed. A pause in the attack meant that, just like the cat, his dad was tossed lifelessly around in the monsters blood coated jaws.

Remus screamed as blood pelted itself onto him from his fathers missing meat that was being shared around the group in the kitchen. He found his legs again when he realised the barrier between them and him was gone. He had meant to run to his mother but was sidetracked as a monster prevented his path. He turned to the stairs instead and just made it up under the hulk that bared down on him.

An open doorway into someone's bedroom provided the cover he needed. He dived in but came up short when teeth clamped around his leg. Pain erupted and he tried to scramble away making the teeth clench harder and his skin rip more. There was a table that he tried to use for leverage but all he managed to do was knock a jewellery box onto the floor. As a last resort he chucked the box at the monsters snout. The box exploded and spilled its contents onto its jaws.

Miraculously that worked. The monster hissed in pain and let go of his leg but instead of relief he expected to feel at the loss of teeth another pain took its place. This one felt like a thousand jaws were twisting his bones any way possible until they snapped. His hand slipped in a puddle of sick that was steadily streaming from his broken jaw. A broken shoulder was the limit of his pain threshold since he passed out after that.

He woke up in agony. His leg was heavily bandaged along with various other parts of his body. Whining and trying not to cry he sat up and came face to face with twelve other children in a similar condition to himself. They were in a heavily padded room with no adults of windows to tell them where he was. The eldest that was there was thirteen and when Remus really looked at the other children he realised he knew them. These were the children he played with in the village.

Over the next couple of months Remus learnt a lot of things. The creatures that attacked the village were called werewolves much like the ones his dad used to monitor at work. It seemed that as Remus and the others had been bitten they were now werewolves themselves which made some of the older children start crying. Remus learnt that the attack was because a ministry member, which was where they were, had angered a rogue werewolf who had taken his revenge by slaughtering and turning the village that said ministry member lived in. Most of the people in the village were dead the workers told them but they didn't tell them what happened to the adults that were turned just like them. He learnt later from the thirteen year old that only the ones under age were being kept alive for rehabilitation. The others were executed.

The rehabilitation programme came into work the night the attack happened. It seemed the ministry didn't want to take another chance of a slaughter happening again so only the under age ones were allowed to live. The rest of the werewolf population had been given the right to be shot or killed on sight. The cells they were staying in were the ones previous adult werewolves had been in the night of the full moon. The cautious ones that didn't want any trouble and now were facing a silver bullet to the head.

The programme for them was meant to make them more productive members of society and thus reduced their rights to that of house elves. They were to be given work and house from a pure-blood family who would take care of them. But in return they had to know their place. They were as of the slaughter no more than animals up for adoption.

Five months was all it took before the ministry decided they didn't want to keep the children anymore and allowed the pure-bloods to view and choose from the group they had made. The younger ones, such as the four year old girl who Remus had pushed in the mud once, were the first to go. The pure-bloods said they could work on breaking them in if they had little brains from their previous life. Quite frankly Remus was appalled at the pure-bloods.

There were no nice ones that he had seen since the McKinnons. They had came in and adopted the thirteen year old with promises of new clothes at their house. Whilst the others that had came in had assessed them like pieces of meat and took what little they had before giving them rags to change into in front of the ministry worker.

Week after week his group dispatched into new homes. The Blacks had taken a small boy of eight whilst the Goyles had taken the girl that the nine year old in the group had sworn to marry eight months ago. The Malfoys, Gamp, Nott and Yaxleys all came and took their new pets until it was his turn.

His family came in the door with bright smiles on their faces. They were a couple in their late thirties who had taken to Remus immediately. The paperwork had been drawn up and sorted in hours and soon Remus was theirs to take home.

They didn't make him put on rags straight away and instead fussed about how many scratches he had on his body. One floo ride later and Remus was introduced to the Potter house. It was a large manor situated on the outskirts of a village. They showed him the cellar first which was where Remus would be changing on the full moons. Then they led him on a little tour around the house where they showed him his room. It was much like the other bedrooms to which Remus was surprised. He was told that he was to be their servant not their guest.

"Is he here yet?" Someone yelled climbing up the stairs in speed. A small boy roughly his age was panting in front of him. He held out his hand and grinned largely "James Potter nice to meet you." Remus was confused, he was meant to serve them not make friends. "Doesn't he speak?" He asked his parents.

"I'm sure he does James but he's probably a little nervous," The mother explained ruffling her sons hair.

"Merlin knows what the ministry has droned into him," Mr Potter groaned "Just give him some time I'm sure he'll talk to you eventually. Won't you?" Remus nodded when the question was directed at him. The ministry said to answer any question his family had without delay.

"Oh, well I guess you can keep quiet for now then," James allowed and dragged Remus inside the room the Potters had given him.

10 Years later

James was due back for summer. He had just finished his fifth year at Hogwarts and Remus couldn't wait for all the sordid tales he had to tell.

Making sure that James' bed was made and the meat cooking properly he sat himself at the kitchen table and waited for the Potters to come back from the train station. At Christmas James had been full of stories about how he and his two friends had created a map that showed where people were at any time in the castle. Studying the books about the castle and magic in the Potters library Remus couldn't help feeling proud that James had managed such a large feat of magic.

The door banged open signalling James' dramatic entrance home "Remus!" He bellowed to which Remus got up and dutifully went to meet James. The boy had grown again and his hair was longer and hanging low over his eyes. No doubt a trip to the barbers was in order so Remus mentally catalogued it away. "There you are," James embraced him stepping aside so his parents could come in the door "I have so much to tell you! Oh where to start."

"It's going to have to wait or be moved to the kitchen," Remus remarked hinting at the tea that was nearly ready. James pouted but dragged Remus over to the kitchen anyway. He moved to make the gravy as James started filling him in on his adventures.

"...And then Lily hexed me!" He exclaimed "All because that stupid snake got what was coming to him."

"You have to see it from her point of view," Remus told him "All she saw was you attacking Snape for no reason. She wasn't to know that he had been harassing you and Sirius for the better half of two months."

"True," James sighed twiddling his wand in his hand "At least now she knows just how bad he is now. I hate that it happened that way but it was time she learnt the truth." Remus knew that James didn't care at all about blood status and was a strong believer in equal rights. It was part of the reason Remus had been adopted, they had wanted to show that Remus wasn't something to be degraded. Snape calling Lily a Mudblood would have went against everything that he believed and struck a strong cord in James' heart. No doubt he lamented for hours after that trying to think of ways to cheer Lily up.

"Did you two end up together then?" He asked as was the ritual. Ever since third year when he came home declaring his love Remus had asked how things had progressed in their relationship.

"Not yet," he paused "But we will," He affirmed strongly.

Tea went past in ease. The Potters were happy to have their family home again and enjoyed hearing about all of James' exploits almost as much as Remus. Although they did lecture James about all the detentions he got they were proud underneath it all at the level of skill he was showing.

It was late when they all ran out of things to tell each other so James went up to bed whilst Remus cleaned up after the Potters. He stretched and made sure that James was safely tucked up in bed before retiring himself. The boy was talking to his two way mirror and smiled at Remus as he closed the door. Remus was more than happy that James was back, the months without him were just lonely. Mr and Mrs Potter made sure that he was sufficiently entertained and treated him much the same as James but there would always be that thing that made him smaller than them. That made him want to help out with the housework even if Mrs Potter told him off. That thing was the fact that he would always be a werewolf and he would always be dirt at the bottom of most wizards boots.

He was helping James practice for Quidditch on their third week of the holidays when a knock sounded at the door. Remus abandoned James in favour of answering the door. He was lucky he had such good hearing otherwise the door would have remained unopened for the majority of the day.

"Does James live here?" A black haired boy asked.

"Er, yeah. Two minutes," he told him and went into the garden to shout James down. The boy was confused and intrigued at his unexpected visitor and dismounted quickly from his broom. Remus followed him back to the door where the boy was still standing and was treated to James yelping and hugging the boy. He pulled him inside and motioned for Remus to get him something to drink whilst James hauled his trunk in too.

"I can't believe it!" He heard James say "They disowned you, just like that?"

"Well, not just like that," the boy answered. He had a low voice that was smooth in the middle and gravelly in places. It was nothing compared to the squeaky mess James' still made. "They wanted me to put my lot in with Snape and Malfoy. There was a rant about family pride and how I was a muggle loving disgrace and I shouted back," He rushed "Before I gave up and told them I was moving out. Naturally mother played the inheritance card but I just couldn't care anymore, she can keep the money. Reg can have it all, I just..." He sighed.

Remus brought an array of drinks inside the living room. Sirius hadn't told him what he wanted so he got a choice of five that they had in the house.

"I can't believe it," James ruffled his hair. Remus slapped it away, he was just making it tangle up again. They really needed to go to the barbers. "Naturally you can stay here," he announced "Mum and Dad will be happy to have you."

"James-"

"I'm serious Sirius. Shut up!" He said at the laughing "You can stay here. It's only another month until school starts and you know money isn't a problem for us." James seemed to have settled on the matter "So now we're just going to have to sort the rooms out. We'll wait until Mum and Dad come home though."

James invited Sirius to help him with his Quidditch leaving Remus to sort out the drinks that Sirius hadn't even touched. Sirius had his own broom which he had shrunk down and enlarged in front of Remus' eyes. He pointed out that they would get in trouble for under-age magic which Sirius scoffed at before joining James in the sky.

Remus reclined on the grass and watched them fly in the sky. It was nice to finally meet one of James' infamous friends from school. Sirius seemed like he really valued James' friendship which made him alright in Remus' books. There was an air of haughtiness that James didn't have though and it showed in the way he was flying. James was careful since he too sensed the hesitance Sirius flew with. The events that led him to the Potters must have affected him more than he told them. And why shouldn't it. He just told them his parents had willingly let him go. Remus didn't remember his parents much but he knew the they hadn't abandoned him, the Potters hadn't either.

He vaguely remembered the Blacks and was able to put a blurry face to the name. He thinks that Sirius looked a lot like his father. He had the same hair and how he held himself as he walked or moved was also similar. He remembers that the Blacks weren't very nice people, they had taken the small boy two years older than Remus and had struck him when the boy asked what he was to do with his old clothes. Sirius didn't seem all that much like his family but Remus couldn't be sure. There had never been a formal introduction between them yet.

Mr and Mrs Potter were more than happy to have Sirius live with them. Apparently they had been writing to him just as much as James and always said hello and goodbye at the train station with him. Mrs Potter set about the tea that night as Mr Potter brought all three of them upstairs to sort out the living arrangements.

"Now then," He started looking at the doors "Three boys and two bedrooms. How do you want to work this James?"

"I'm more than happy to move out," Remus offered knowing it was his place to do so. "The cellar has more than enough room for me."

"What? No, Rem," James protested "You're not sleeping in the cellar. Dad tell him," He urged.

"You're not sleeping in the cellar Remus," Mr Potter repeated with amusement at his son. "But there may be some moving around. One of you will have to share," He warned and told them to come get him once they had sorted the situation out.

"I'm more than happy to-" Remus tried.

"No Rem!" James snapped before sighing and apologising. He turned to Sirius "It'll be like sharing a dorm," He offered.

Sirius shrugged "It's your house."

"Well alright then," James decided and went to go get his dad.

Mr Potter came up "At least take my bed," He told him and moved aside so Mr Potter could move Remus' bed out of his room. "There's the things in the cellar I can move up into my room," He thought of the camp bed that they had set up for after the moon. It wasn't particularly comfortable. But then he only slept in it when he was bleeding profoundly.

Mr Potter sighed but did as Remus bid despite James' protests again. Mr Potter knew better than James that Remus wasn't going to relent until Sirius was at least more comfortable than him.

He moved the camp bed up himself whilst the other three settled Sirius in James' room. There was a scuffle and a few bangs as Remus hauled the pillows and quilt up to join the camp bed in his slightly larger room.

He went down and made sure that everything was in order. Helping Mrs Potter with the washing up and collecting James' books that he had left that morning. Knocking before he entered this time Remus placed the books carefully in James' bookshelf before bidding them goodnight and going to bed.

It was hard to sleep with someone else in the house. He felt territorial over little things such as his missing pillow that he had willingly given up. He felt more territorial about James though. This was Remus' time with him, not Sirius', but now that he was here Remus would be pushed aside. What else would be expected.

A couple of bangs and loud sniggers sounded from the room next to his as Remus curled up on the hard mattress and tried to get to sleep.

He had taken the liberty of going into the village early that day and making an appointment for James to finally get his hair cut. He knew it would take some coercion so he went to the sweet shop and bought some of his favourite muggle sweets, hoping to bribe him into going. He wondered if he should have made one for Sirius too. His hair was getting quite long and was almost past the point where it would be deemed fashionable. Turning back he made another appointment before continuing back home.

James and Sirius were pouring over their school work. Or that was what Remus assumed they were doing. It was odd to see James with a school book to begin with so Remus didn't have high hopes.

"I made an appointment at the hairdressers," He announced casually.

"Getting some off the top Rem?" James was in denial, it was almost sad.

"Actually I made it for you and Sirius. Your hairs awful James. There's no way Lily's going to want you if you go back with hair like that," He commented sending Sirius' eyes wide before bursting into laughter.

James hit him gently "He made one for you too idiot," James snapped fingering his hair and moving to the mirror to see how bad his hair actually was not what he thought it to be.

"What? I'm not getting my hair cut!" Sirius announced.

"But it looks stupid," Remus pointed out which sent James into snickers.

Sirius just grabbed his hair defensively "What would you know about it?" He sneered.

"He's using it as a sign of rebellion against his parents," James informed Remus "They want him to have nice soft locks that are pure-blood short so Sirius' is growing his out."

Remus didn't understand teenage rebellion at all "But if you're not living with them anymore what's the point?"

"Seriously James who is he?" Sirius asked instead. It seemed that this wasn't the first time he had asked that question since he got here.

"He's Remus," Trust James not to put any labels on him.

"I'm their werewolf," Remus informed him. Sirius' eyes widened this time from shock before they roved over Remus' figure. "Don't worry I don't bite. Though I suppose you know all about that since your family has one of their own."

"We got rid of it after two years," Sirius mumbled still looking Remus over. Remus was in shock. That little boy hadn't lasted two years with his family? What did they do to him?

James broke the tense silence "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get a hair cut. Maybe you should get one too Sirius, yours is looking kind of stupid," Remus stalked off in the middle of James' sentence thinking about the last time he had seen that boy. He wondered who else was removed from their families by now.

He went back to them an hour before their appointment so they could all walk together. He didn't trust James to mysteriously forget about his hair trimming and always had to accompany him whenever he needed one. Sirius didn't try and talk to Remus for which he was happy about. He didn't forgive the boy for what happened to that boy. Even if it was probably his parents fault and not his.

When they got there Remus forced the pair to sit down whilst he checked in their appointments. He noticed Sirius staring around the shop in wonder and cast a quizzical look at James. James just rolled his eyes and mouthed 'pure-blood' at him like he wasn't one himself. The Potters lived in a mix of muggle and wizarding village which meant that James was somewhat accustomed to muggle appliances. Remus couldn't say he was any better since he too had spent most of his life living almost like a pure-blood. But Mr Potter did take him to London now and then to check in with the ministry or just for days out so he saw more than James did at his wizard school.

He handed James one of the sweets he bought earlier and watched as his face lit up. Promising James the whole bag if he sat still and let the scissors did their work Remus felt satisfied that his trip to the barbers wouldn't be wasted. James was only too easy to manipulate.

"You should try these Sirius," James commented plucking another from the bag and trying to take them from Remus "They're not like Honeydukes sweets because there's nothing magic about them but they still taste nice. Sometimes nicer than the ones we get." He tried to nick another one to which Remus held the bag up "It's for Sirius," James whined.

Remus just passed the bag around James' grabbing form to Sirius who tentatively took one before hauling them out of sight again. It soon came to their turn and form the expressions they pulled Remus would have thought they were going to the gallows instead of getting a trim.

He amused himself by watching the children play outside and listening to the gossip some of the men handed out. Someone was having an affair with a neighbour while another had just had her third child by another man. Oh yes and there was him again. The villagers loved talking about Remus. The Potters had lived there for ages before they took Remus in and they loved speculating what he was doing there. Only the wizards knew about his true purpose in the house so the muggles usually thought he was a cousin or an adopted child. What really got them talking was his scars. They thought that the Potters were abusing him ever since he went swimming with James when they were ten and the villagers had caught an eyeful of all the nasty lines on his skin. The worst one was his leg which still looked like it had teeth clamped around it.

Remus liked listening to the gossip. It was fun hearing about their conspiracy theories and much more refreshing from the disdainful looks the wizards through. He often got away with some mischief with the muggles if he played the part right.

"Done," James declared jumping next to Remus and snatching the sweets from his hands. "Now go pay the man and let's go."

Remus inspected the cut. It was short and would take a while to grow back into his messy mane which was good since he didn't want another trip to the hairdressers until Christmas. Sirius' completely transformed his face. They had cut most of it off much to Sirius' displeasure and left it at his ears. It was smooth and shiny framing his aristocratic features wonderfully but Remus knew it would look better once Sirius had washed it. Once all the product they put in to make it straight was gone and the edges curled back into ringlets that would be shorter than those that morning.

Remus said his thanks to the barber and paid quickly since James was getting antsy. Mr and Mrs Potter loved the new haircuts and spent most of the afternoon getting the boys to pose for them. They both lapped up the attention, even if they disliked the reasons for it, and preened under the camera.

Mrs Potter finally let them go off once she had found the photo she liked and turned to Remus to help her get them framed.

"You're going to have to excuse Sirius if he says something offensive Remus," She conversed putting the back into another frame.

"How do you mean?"

"Well he comes from a different lifestyle to us. And although he is open minded about most issues, unlike his parents," She grounded "He may not be as accepting of your condition. Werewolves have never had a good reputation and our treatment of you is quite unusual. Not that it's wrong," She amended "Merlin knows you should all be treated like you are. It's disgusting what they're doing to those poor children now." He nodded his understanding and told her that he would finish putting the pictures in the frames. She left.

His lycanthropy was often discussed in the house since it happened once a month. But the treatment of his kind all together was usually something left for stormy nights when one of the Potters were in a foul mood. He disliked listening to the stories of children being forced into something he was. But unlike him they ended up with people like the Blacks who probably didn't know what they were getting into and thus terminated their agreement with the ministry.

He finished his job and decided that he would use his leisure time today to peruse one of the books in the Potters collection. Unfortunately the book he wanted wasn't there. He huffed and selected another fighting the urge to pee on everything as the scent of Sirius assaulted his nose. As if it wasn't bad enough he was stealing his time with James.

He curled up in the chair facing the window. The sun making him warm as he read about the exploits of a wizard that had tamed twenty dragons in his lifetime. It didn't seem much but the adventure and way he did it held Remus captive.

The next week was difficult for Remus. His bubble of safety had been invaded by a newcomer that so far hadn't earned any brownie points in his favour. He hogged the bathroom every morning and even if Remus got in there before him he abandoned any pretence of boundaries and came in to do his morning rituals. Then there was the fact that Remus would try and spend time with James only to find that he had took Sirius out into the village. He had no manners and constantly borrowed anything that took his fancy and left them lying around the house that Remus tried to keep clean. By the end of the week Remus had holed himself up in his room for the entire day. He refused to come out except to eat and left the Potters and Sirius to their own devices.

Someone knocked at his door. It was Mr Potter. He poked his head in and sat himself on Remus' bed. "Is everything alright Remus?"

He nodded in his curled up position "Just tired," He mumbled which was true. The full moon was a couple of days away and he had never been able to sleep before it happened.

"Are you sure that's all it is?" Remus looked over. Mr Potter knew exactly why he was sulking in his room. "You know you can talk to us Remus. Sirius moving in hasn't been easy on any of us, except James but that boy is too chipper to be normal." He chuckled but it died when Remus didn't join in "If you just asked them I'm sure they would let you join in."

"It's fine Mr Potter," He saw the man cringe as he did every time Remus addressed them as that. He had never called them otherwise which he knew upset them a little. "I'm just a little tired."

Mr Potter patted his arm "Come down later and I'll give you some warm milk," Drugged with dreamless sleep to knock him out. Remus nodded anyway.

Despite knowing that Remus was a werewolf when the prospect of the full moon loomed nearer Sirius was taken aback when the Potters started moving Remus' things back into the cellar.

"But I said you could have the room," Sirius muttered to him. Mr Potter had moved Sirius' things temporarily in Remus' room.

"Yes but it seems a waste to leave it empty and have you holed up with James," Mr Potter told him with a kind smile.

"But where's Remus sleeping?" Did he really not understand what a werewolf did?

"He'll be in the cellar for the next four days," Mr Potter managed to move the bed in as James dumped Sirius' trunk at the bottom of the bed.

"What's wrong Sirius? You look like someone just stole your broom," James smirked.

"I'm moving in here," Sirius told him like it explained his sudden mood.

It seemed to have to James since he winced and patted the seat on the bed for Sirius. An arched eyebrow and a scoff later Sirius was reluctantly seated next to him. "Remus is transforming tomorrow. We usually move him down the day before so he can set up properly and afterwards he can't really stay in his bed up here."

Remus left James to the task of informing Sirius about his monthly condition whilst he picked up a couple of books and took them into the cellar with him. It was a nice open space and Remus was lucky that he was allowed something so luxurious to transform in. Years of transforming in it had left it tainted though and Remus usually hated coming down. Since Sirius arrived he was more than happy to, it meant he was out of the way.

The camp bed was always uncomfortable, even more so when he was in the cellar. The stench of his own blood coupled with nightmares usually left him screaming or awake all night. By the next morning he had retreated into his pre-moon mood. Which usually was a mixture of excessive tiredness and slight irritation at the aches his bones made each passing hour.

"I'll get you one of those giant chocolate bars," James promised, as he did every full moon. "That'll put a smile on your face."

"Can't you just stay here for a while?" Remus mumbled as James moved to get up. Sirius was already to the door. He seemed to jump at the chance to get away from Remus these days.

"Sure I can Rem," he sat back down and pulled out one of the games they used to play when they were little. "Sirius," He called to his friend "You wanna be the red or purple one?" Sirius hadn't moved from his position in the doorway.

"Actually I think I might get started on that homework Flitwick assigned," He excused and made a move to go.

"You finished that yesterday though when I asked if you wanted to help Remus move his books down," Sirius turned red as he realised the fault in his lie.

Remus sighed ready to make the excuse Sirius needed "Just cause he finished it doesn't mean its good James. Your work needs looking over twice before it's passable," James gasped in mock offence as Sirius slipped up the stairs.

They played into the evening when Mr Potter came down to collect James. Moonrise wasn't far off and James would stay all night if he wasn't warned.

The transformation was just as bad as it always was. His bones broke and reshaped before he broke them again in his agitation. A night of blissful silence for Remus' human half was then cut short by the change back and the agony of what his animalistic side had done to them.

He woke up with his leg in a splint and his head bandaged. He only knew this because his hands always went to his face first and it was difficult to sit up with a splint on.

"Careful Remus," Mrs Potter warned helping him to sit up "You've banged your head quite badly."

He accepted the cup of water that scorched his torn throat in agony as he surveyed the rest of his injuries. There was nothing too bad except his leg which Mrs Potter told him had been twisted an awful way when they came down to check on him. He frowned wondering what led to the wolf to break his leg so badly then looked around to see what jokes James would make out of it. He always tried to cheer him up by making light of his injuries.

"He's not here," Mrs Potter told him handing him another cup of water. Wrinkling his nose he accepted the water and made a face for Mrs Potter to continue. "He was coming down to wake you up this morning when he tripped on Sirius' broom and broke his arm. Your fathers down at Mungos with him now," Sirius, he should have guessed. "Don't worry dear," she mistook his frown for one of worry "He'll be okay. It'll be fixed in a matter of minutes."

Mrs Potter changed his bandages at noon and left him to sleep the rest of the day away. At five that afternoon he was awoken by the clattering that could only mean James was back from Mungos. A lot of muffled arguing and shushing later James skulked down the stairs into Remus' lair.

Noticing he was awake he abandoned all pretence of being sneaky and bounded over to the camp bed "Mum says you twisted your leg pretty badly but I bet it had nothing on my arm," He held up his lightly bandaged arm "You should have seen it Rem. Oozing blood and bone sticking out." Remus laughed at the exaggeration James put on his minor break (He had heard that said upstairs,) and showed James his leg to compare. James was kind not to show just how disgusted he was by it and made jokes about how Mr and Mrs Potter were going to be doting on him hand and foot for the next few days.

"You get waited on all the time!" Remus accused. James just rolled his eyes.

"Do you think you'll be well enough to come upstairs?" Remus nodded. His leg was the only thing really worrying about his injuries. His head needed to be watched but hadn't proved to be more than a big cut so far. "That's good. I think mum's made your favourite for tea- and don't pull that face, you deserve it."

"Let's just hope I can keep it down," Remus said instead of all the protests he was going to voice.

It took an embarrassing piggy back ride from Mr Potter with James behind them to get Remus to the table. James made sure he was up just as Mrs Potter told James to set the table. All he had to do was pass them to Remus and he would do it for him so long as he provided a way of moving around the table.

"You're a star Remmy," James praised as he set the last knife down.

"Just put me back," Remus ordered swatting James' shoulder. "You know," He mused "You're eventually going to have to learn to do this yourself. If Lily ever actually agrees to marry you it'll be you doing this." He smirked as James blanked.

A devious smile came to James' face though "No, no I wont. I'll have you do it."

Remus smirked back at him "I doubt Lily would approve of me coming by just to set up your table."

"She'll have to," James declared haughtily "After all you'll be living with us, so really you'd just be doing a courtesy to us." James was going to take him with him, that was news to Remus. Sirius walked in the room then "There you are you lazy bastard. I just had to set the table with my bad arm," He joked holding his arm out accusingly with fake tears in his eyes. The arm didn't even hurt anymore James was just doing it for dramatic effect.

"Oh please!" Sirius moaned "If you're that stupid to trip over a broom then it's your own fault it hurts to set the table," He laughed and turned to Remus to share the joke with him. The laughter died off as he looked at Remus and he quickly averted his eyes.

"Tea!" Mr Potter announced bringing the plates in with his wife.

All through their meal Sirius avoided looking at Remus and kept his attention solely on James' earlier plight in Mungos. Remus was convinced it was the actions of a guilt conscience. For all Remus knew Sirius planted the broom there so James wouldn't have a chance to go down and see him as he usually did. Sirius probably wanted to start breaking all their traditions and take James all for himself. A small part of his brain was calling him irrational. But then he reminded it that he had just turned into a wolf for one night. He was allowed to be irrational.

"Remus sweetheart," Mrs Potter called "We were thinking of going to Diagon Alley in the next week. Do you want to come?" a chance to see the famous street in London was always tempting to him before he remembered his first and only trip there.

"I'd rather clean up the house if that's okay. James always leaves a mess and who knows what's accumulated in his trunk from the previous year," He excused. The Potters understood and never forced him to go to Diagon Alley with them.

"Alright then," She patted his hand "Now then," She addressed the other two "I was thinking of getting your school things first and then going down to Grimmauld Place," Sirius choked on what he was eating.

James patted his back harshly until his face had retained its usual pale pallor "Why?"

"Well I just want to get the rest of your things," She soothed. Also have a rant at Mrs Black if the expression she was wearing was anything to go by. "And maybe see if they can give you some gold. I don't mind buying your things Sirius but I think your parents would still like the option too," She was just planning an attack, Remus could tell.

"Do we have to?" Sirius was appealing to Mr Potter now. It would do him no good, he was as much as slave to Mrs Potter as Remus was.

"Don't worry Sirius. We'll be there and back before you know it," He reassured. James was looking uneasy also but knew better than to voice his doubts.

"Oh no," Mrs Potter gasped getting up "You're soaking through your bandages. James help Remus to the kitchen won't you," She clucked and went to get fresh bandages.

James bounced up and took Remus' arm "Come on," he helped Remus onto his back and carried him to the kitchen. He placed Remus on the counter clutching his bandaged arm like Remus' weight had just broken it all over again. He just kicked him with his good leg and let James up next to him. "It wasn't Sirius' fault," James said suddenly. Remus cocked an eyebrow, needing more information "The break. We'd went flying and Sirius left the broom in the hallway because he didn't want to track mud in the room. I forgot it was there and tripped this morning."

"Okay."

James looked over scrutinising him "It really wasn't Rem," He repeated.

"Okay."

"Alright then," James nodded "So can you let up on the death glares now? Only I think Sirius was two minutes away from wetting himself in there."

"I wasn't glaring," Remus muttered petulantly. James didn't understand.

Mr Potter carried Remus down at his request after desert and promised to move him up to his old room when his leg was better.

James and Sirius got their Hogwarts letters three days later. Mrs Potter was quick to snatch up the OWLs results the boys had gotten and promised them both their pick of the ice creams when they went to Diagon Alley the next day. James was made his favourite breakfast whilst Sirius had lunch. Never had he seen the Potters more proud of them.

"I'm impressed," Remus relinquished lounging on James' bed. Sirius was back in with James now and the room looked small with all the clutter two teenage boys made.

"Thank you," James grinned.

Remus continued "I never would have thought you'd get that many. I suppose Mr Potter really was right about there being a brain in your head somewhere." Realising that he had been insulted ten seconds later Remus held off the swatting that James was attempting. "You hit like a girl Potter," Remus teased.

"Arrogant little-" James cursed moving from hitting to tickling.

"James!" Sirius shouted and James ceased his assault. He shouted back his position in the house. Sirius came panting in "There's a girl taking her shirt off two houses away." That piqued James' interest. In the next second he had scrambled off Remus and left him alone in James' room. He knew this time he was abandoned for teenage hormones but still Remus thought that if it wasn't for Sirius James wouldn't have left the room just then.

Out of spite he stole back the book Sirius had taken from the Potter library and rubbed his neck on some of James' things. He knew James nor Sirius would know he had done it but it still felt good to know that he had made his point. He revelled in the book he had stolen and made sure that he paid it the attentive need it required from his part as James and Sirius stole back upstairs. They slammed the door of James' room with the boy not even wondering where Remus had gone.

Mr and Mrs Potter made sure they all knew their schedules for Diagon Alley the next day as she called them to a meeting in the living room. James and Sirius would be on their best behaviour as they went around the shops and then again when they went to the Black's residence. The excuse of seeing if they would pay for Sirius seemed to satisfy some of the arguments Sirius had for not going but Remus could see the flaw of already having paid for Sirius' things and then asking for gold. He wondered if she would even use that live tomorrow or just explode as soon as she saw the Blacks.

"Remus sweetheart are you sure you don't want to come?" Mrs Potter asked gently.

He shook his head pulling his good foot up "I'd just slow you down. You have much more important things to do tomorrow than wait for me to catch up."

She nodded and repeated her warnings to James and Sirius as they retired upstairs. He prolonged going to his room for as long as possible. That was until Mr and Mrs Potter started flirting in the kitchen. He knew when to leave any room near them when that Mr Potter took that tone of voice and left promptly.

Limping into his room he scowled as the scent of Sirius assaulted his nose. The boy didn't seem to wash! He had gotten his smell everywhere and not even an open window had managed to push out most of the smell when he decided it was time to go to sleep. The only safe haven in the room was his bloodstained sheets that would need washed tomorrow and Remus gladly dove onto them.

He had almost gotten to sleep when the door was abruptly pushed open and a knock sounded pathetically after it. Sirius was standing timidly in the door his courage dissipating the longer he stood there. Remus sat up to acknowledge him but didn't say anything to help him.

Finally the legendary Gryffindor courage found him and he steeled his shoulders, facing Remus head on. "James wants to know what kinds of sweets you want tomorrow," He rushed out.

Cocking his head to the side Remus regarded the boy in suspicion "James knows what kind of sweets I like."

Sirius looked like he was going to ask more but gave up, nodded and left with the door slamming behind him. Remus lay back down and listened to Sirius stomping back to James' room and the banging that sounded when he got inside. Huffing in a second wave of Sirius' lingering scent he drifted off into an annoyed slumber.

Remus had the house ready for when they came back at seven. He had managed to sort out James' trunk and dug around the room for all of the washing Sirius and James had neglected to put in the washing basket. Everything was washed and drying. The house was dusted and ordered and Remus even had time to start making the tea.

James was the first through the door. A tornado of anger he flung his coat to the floor and kicked off his shoes into the wall. Remus winced at the mess he was leaving but didn't try and pick it up until the other three were through the door. He took Mr and Mrs Potters things and hung them up whilst they were talking quietly with Sirius. They had taken him into the living room while James slammed the cupboards in the kitchen for something to eat.

"I've already put something on. It'll be done soon," He took the biscuits out of James' trembling hands and pushed him towards the rest of his family.

James sighed getting a hold of himself as he lingered in the doorway "Thanks." Remus went back to the oven and checked on their tea before getting the table cloth out. "There's some disgusting people in the world," James growled into the room. He seemed to want to vent but Remus knew that Sirius shouldn't overhear what James had to say about his family so he lead James outside. "They kicked him out and disowned him. We turned up today and they wondered what Sirius was doing there! There! His own home! Mum went ballistic and started shouting at them, trying to get them to see some sense. I mean I know he's better off here but still, they're his family. How could they do that?" James cried pacing in the back garden. He ran his hands through his messy hair "Then it got worse when Mum tried to take Regulus... they called us blood traitors which yeah, we are, but only nut-cases like them care about that shit." James ranted for a while longer.

Remus eventually told him that he needed to sort the tea out and left him to calm down on his own. Sirius was still with the Potters in the living room so Remus set out the tea and told them they could warm it up when they wanted it.

James was the only one that sat with him when he ate but he wasn't very good conversation. He spent most of it glaring at the tablecloth and asking about the things Remus had done whilst they were gone. Sirius and the Potters didn't come out the living room when Remus went up to bed and James didn't join them in consoling Sirius.

Apparently he "Needs them more than me at the moment. It's probably nice to have parents that actually care about you for a change." James had curled himself up next to Remus on his bed. "What were your parents like?" He asked quietly "Did they mind that you were a werewolf?"

"They died before I got bitten," He wondered if James had actually ever heard the story of the massacre.

"They must have been nice," James told him like he knew them better than Remus.

He smiled at the sincerity in James' tone "Oh yeah, what makes you say that then? For all you know they could have been horrid."

James' expression didn't change from his mournful seriousness "I used to hear you crying about them when we were little. No matter how bad their death was you don't cry over someone you don't care about."

"I'll take your word for it. I don't really remember anything more about them than what happened that night," James pulled Remus into a hug. It was more for his own benefit rather than Remus' judging from the snuffles he could feel in his neck. Remus patted him on the back awkwardly. "You should go see Sirius. Mr and Mrs Potter are nice an' all but I'm sure he'd rather talk to you right now," he consoled knowing that this was what James had been waiting for Remus to say.

He'd known it since James had mentioned Regulus. The reason he wasn't down there with Sirius wasn't because he thought Sirius needed his space, it was because Sirius had probably been rejected by one brother that day and James didn't want his own views on the situation to make Sirius think he'd lost another. Remus had been selfish keeping James to himself all evening and finally pushed him to go.

The atmosphere in the Potter household was strained the rest of the summer. James and Sirius became closer than ever and though Remus resented it slightly he couldn't bring himself to do anything about it. What right did he have.

Come September Sirius was made an honorary Potter and invited back for Christmas and the next summer before he left school. Remus made sure James' trunk had everything he needed and then checked Sirius' as he hauled them down to the Potters car. Mr Potter was just as proud as usual when he was allowed to use his muggle contraption and helped Remus stow the trunks in the boot as James and Sirius said their goodbyes to Mrs Potter.

He was engulfed in another James Potter hug and held tightly as James murmured how much he was going to miss him. "Don't worry about it. Just focus on getting Lily to fall in love with you," He returned the hug as his summer truly ended.

"I will," James promised facing Remus properly "Now you be good for mum and dad. No tearing your limbs off alright?" Remus nodded.

James waved to his mother and climbed into the car. Sirius was standing awkwardly in front of him now. He was fiddling with his hands with skittish eyes that skimmed over Remus' face now and then. A warning from Mr Potter that they would miss the train had Sirius thrusting his hand out.

"Bye," Remus shook it quickly and joined Mrs Potter at the front door.

She pulled him into a hug as they watched Mr Potter drive off "Don't worry, they'll be back for Christmas."

It was always the same when James left. Life seemed duller. Sure this summer hadn't been ideal but James just had a way of filling the house. Now it was a matter of routine for Remus as the Potters went about their lives without their little boy to dote on.

They got owls every month from James and some every week from teachers that were writing home about what James had done this time. Remus liked seeing them fly towards the house as they always brought home an exciting story about some mischief or other.

The month of December, two weeks before the two boys were scheduled to come back, had a tale of Peter falling into the frozen lake. The squid had carried him out and Lily had devoted herself to looking after Peter for the next two weeks, much to James' chagrin.

The week before they were coming back Mr Potter enlisted Remus' help in moving his bed back into Sirius' and James' room. He had just got out the smell of Sirius and it would be given back to the boy. Remus just told Mr Potter that it was stupid moving it back and forth like this so they should just keep it in James' room from now on. He disagreed and Remus didn't have the heart to argue with him so he let it go.

After the move it was time for the decorations to go up and for Remus and Mrs Potter to plan the holiday shopping and food. Mr Potters brother would be paying them a visit along with Mrs Potter's brother, his wife and his three children. Beds would have to be moved again when an announcement of Mrs Potter's sister coming also with her two children meant that they would have more than a full house for Christmas eve.

"They can stay in Remus' room," Mrs Potter hissed when she thought Remus was still out cold from the moon. "He's moved around too much. James is just going to have to suffer through it if he has any complaints."

"It's not James I'm worried about, you've seen what they're like with each other," They had moved onto Sirius.

"Well I'm not having Remus go into James' room. Anyway you know my sister will complain if she's put in Remus' bed."

They were silent for a while. "We're going to have to transfigure some things in the living room," Mr Potter moaned getting back on track with the arrangements. The matter of James and Sirius was sorted for now.

They arrived home on the twentieth to warm hugs from Mrs Potter as Mr Potter lugged their trunks behind him. James got a stern telling off for all the owls they had been sent whilst Mrs Potter made a motion behind her to Remus to put an appointment for their hair on again. Sirius had let his grown long so it artfully reached his shoulders. The style was still vaguely in place but it looked more roguish than charming which it had been in the summer. James' on the other hand was a lost cause.

He told him so when he came to embrace him. "There's nothing wrong with it," James whined plucking at strands.

"I doubt your aunt would agree," James grew pale at the mention of his mothers sister. She had never approved of the Potters and James was usually the brunt of her complaints.

"Oh Merlin not that old bat," Sirius cocked an eyebrow behind James. "She's a harpy Sirius. Always complains about everything. 'This bed is too lumpy,' 'How could father let you marry a man like that,' 'Honestly you'd think you were homeless!'" He sprouted in a falsetto. Mrs Potter shouted a reprimand out to him from the kitchen. "Sorry Mum. Anyway Rem's right, a trip to the hairdressers is definitely in order if we're going to survive Christmas."

"You make it sound dangerous Prongs," Sirius teased. Remus cocked his head 'Prongs?'

"Oh but it is," James shuddered and led Sirius upstairs only to be stopped on the landing by Mr Potter. Remus went into the kitchen to help Mrs Potter with the tea.

James had decided that although his cousins and aunt was getting his room he wasn't letting them have his quilt and staged a robbery with Sirius. They were giggling to themselves when they came back laden with pillows and one of their quilts. Mr Potter had blown up two air mattresses he had bought at a muggle shop for them to sleep on as he was going to transfigure other things to make beds for their guests.

"So where are your uncles sleeping?" Sirius whispered. They obviously thought they were quiet enough to not wake Remus up.

"Living room. They don't mind it, it's just Mums sister and her kids that are stuck up," James murmured back tossing a pillow onto Sirius with an oomph.

"Anyone we know at Hogwarts?"

"Nah. One of my cousins goes to Beauxbatons in France because 'the teaching is so much more enlightening.' One of them's left and the others are all too young to go to school yet," Remus didn't like any of them. Unlike Sirius they made their displeasure at him being there known. He supposed that was one thing he could give the boy.

"Sounds dreadful," Sirius commented.

"They are. See you're lucky that I'm the one who you met," James sang as Sirius shushed him chuckling himself.

"Shut up and go to sleep," He heard a pillow hit someone and more chuckling.

The rest of the Potter clan arrived on the twenty third. Mr Potters brother came first. Younger than his brother he still had the delight of being a bachelor and regaled all of his saucy details to his attentive nephew who was delighted to hear of it all. He gave Sirius tips on wooing girls and made a joke that he would probably have more hope with his advice than James which sent them all into gales of laughter.

By the time Mrs Potters side of the family came they were all in good spirits. They arrived together and it was lucky that James and Sirius had got their haircut since the first thing she did was survey the pair of them whilst handing her coat to Remus.

"I see you're hair's been attended too," She commented before bestowing greetings to her sister. Her children ranging from twenty one to nine were already cataloguing what they would inherit when Mr and Mrs Potter died. Remus made sure to touch everything their eyes landed on until they stopped and glared at him instead. Mrs Potters brother was slightly better company than her sister. He stood proudly and introduced his children to James and Sirius before spotting Mr Potters brother and making his way over for a chat.

The two children he left behind seemed to find their haughty cousins more interesting than James and soon went off with them into the living room.

"Nightmares," James muttered.

"Better than my house," Sirius shot back with a grin.

James took some coats off him "Come on let's dump these in the cellar and hide in the kitchen for a while."

Cookies were piled high like mountains and guarded like gold. Mrs Potter hadn't left her treats unattended when they entered the kitchen and soon James was forced to mingle with his cousins. Remus was glad that he wasn't a Potter since he could stay out of sight while the family was here. Sirius on the other hand was the centre of attention. He kept coming into the kitchen with begging looks for Mrs Potter to help him. All too soon Mrs Potters sister or her children would come and drag him back into the fold.

"Poor boy," Mrs Potter said with a smile. She was finding it slightly amusing also.

The entertainment of seeing each other again after so long worn off as tiredness set in. Mrs Potters sister was slightly put out at the arrangements she and her children would be taking. They had James' room and two of them would have to share a bed. True to what James said the men of the house had no objection to sleeping in the living room and it turned out to be the children that were the most difficult to persuade.

"How come he gets a bed? One of them pointed.

Mrs Potters sister wholeheartedly agreed "Yes. It's not like his kind needs comfort. One of my boys could be sleeping there instead of getting a stiff neck from sharing."

"It's not like it's a five star luxury bed," James argued "It's the one we used to keep in the cellar." She turned pale then red and asked for a word with her sister in the kitchen. It seemed the idea of bringing anything that could be infected from the cellar was unnerving her. The shouting got louder as Remus felt guiltier.

James hauled him upstairs when they started arguing about putting him in the cellar for the remainder of their stay. Sirius wasn't far behind them and breathed a sigh of relief when there was a solid barrier between him and James' relatives.

"One of you can take the bed," Remus told them gathering his pyjamas up.

"Rem," James moaned "No. Don't listen to what she says. Merlin, she does this every year!"

"She's right though."

"No she isn't," James insisted "And I swear if you don't sleep in your bed tonight I'll..." He seemed to be fishing around for a good enough threat. Years of swearing to hex him had worn off since he knew James couldn't perform magic until he was seventeen outside of school. So far that was three months away. "I'll scent your things!" He settled on.

"What?" Sirius murmured from his swaddle of pillows.

"Yeah, you heard me Rem. I'll scent all over your things. See if you can stand them once you know they're mine," He warned.

"No," Remus scoffed "You wouldn't."

"Fine," James snatched Remus' pyjama's out of his hands and ran them over his neck just like Remus had done to his things not so long ago. It bothered him a little until he remembered his place in the house.

"They're yours anyway," Remus told him with a defeated sigh as James went to grab more of his things.

James threw what he was holding down and stomped back over to him "No they're not, they're yours. Come on Rem, grow a backbone and tell me to stop!" He didn't say anything which just made James angrier. "Fine," He shouted "If you're not going to stand up for yourself then you may as well sleep in the cellar like an animal. Go on, I don't even want to see you." He pushed Remus to the door which he went through without a fuss.

Judging from the bangs coming from his room it was the wrong thing to do. He avoided looking at the Potters who were wondering what was wrong and especially Mrs Potters sister when he unlocked the cellar and went down for the night.

Christmas eve sounded cheery from his seat in the cellar. He hadn't managed to get to sleep for more than a couple of hours on the floor as James' accusations kept coming back to him. James didn't understand and he never would. Remus wasn't like him, he couldn't stand up for his rights since he had none. That had been made clear by the ministry and everyone else since the massacre.

A shrill laugh and a pop signalled more alcohol being added to the merriment and Remus curled in on himself even tighter. He should have grabbed his jumper before leaving his room.

Footsteps sounded and Remus looked up hoping it was James coming to keep him company. It wasn't. Sirius was carrying a plate of everything the Potters had on for the Christmas eve buffet in one hand and a bag in the other.

He stopped a good distance away from Remus before putting the plate and bag down. "Mr Potter thought you might like some," He nudged it closer with his foot. Remus glanced at it but didn't take the plate just yet. Sirius was starting to squirm again and Remus wondered what was keeping him down here. He cleared his throat a couple of times and opened it like a fish some more before spitting out "You can come back up you know."

Another high laugh sounded from above and they both cringed at Mrs Potters sister being the culprit. "An animal doesn't belong up there," Remus told him finally. Sirius winced and retreated quickly after that.

The plate was warm and had all of his favourites on including a couple of pilfered cookies. Remus munched on them happily whilst dipping into the bag. His pyjama's and a quilt had been stuffed in. Not his own but the one Sirius and James had nicked from James' cousins. He wondered vaguely what happened to his own as he pulled it out and rolled himself up in it.

The family didn't leave until the day after boxing day. James had forgiven him for Christmas and brought down the food himself along with a pillow when he informed Remus that one of his cousins had took Remus' bed.

"I am so tempted to fling one of your bloodstained quilts onto it just so he'll get out of it. Mum caught on though and hid them in the cupboard," Sirius chuckled from his perch on the stairs. He wouldn't tread further into the room. "Anyway they'll be gone after boxing day so you can open your presents when you come up." James had made it a rule that he wasn't allowed to open his presents whether it was his birthday or Christmas if he was in the cellar. "She'd be down here herself, and dad, but every time she tries she gets lectured about the proper use of a werewolf," he scowled.

"Don't suppose you know what I've got?" James had told him about the new robes and owl his parents had bought him.

"Well I think there was definitely a chocolate bar shape under that tree," He teased making Remus' mouth water at the prospect of chocolate.

Later that night Remus heard footsteps coming into the cellar. He looked up to the frozen form of Sirius walking into the room. He hadn't thought Remus was awake judging from the look of shock on his face and it took Remus sitting up for him to drop what he was holding and run back up the stairs.

It was a present, wrapped poorly but still held together enough to conceal what was hidden inside it. It had Remus' name hanging from a tag in an elegant scrawl and he was half tempted to open it. James had made it clear though that presents were to be opened outside of the cellar so he set it aside and burrowed back into his blankets.

The Potters finally left and Mr Potter came down to tell him to come up for some lunch. Remus grabbed his makeshift bed and present, practically running to the bathroom for a good wash. He got out feeling much better than he had all Christmas and joined the Potters at the table.

Mrs Potter loaded his arms with baked treats and ushered him into the living room where he had a couple of presents waiting for him. James was right, there was a chocolate bar along with a new book and some jumpers. He was about to settle in to his new book when James insisted on showing him Godric his new owl.

"I doubt the teachers will be happy you named your owl after one of the founders," he grinned.

James smiled a reply "Well tough." He said that he was keeping him at home when he went to Hogwarts and that Remus was to use him to write letters. "This way I have an excuse for why the monthly update's late," He had received many a lecture about his late replies.

"Late or not we all know your version of the truth is a lie," James gasped in outrage and took Remus' new book off him. "Say you're sorry and you get it back."

After Mr Potter had returned all three boys to their respective rooms Remus remembered the present Sirius had dropped. He retrieved it from James' quilt whilst stripping and putting it in the wash. The present turned out to be a bunch of sweets he liked as well as a letter writing set.

He went up to James' room and knocked on the door before pushing it open. The two of them were lounging on James' bed with a piece of parchment between them. Something seemed to be moving on it but he couldn't really make it out from his position at the door.

Holding up the new parchment Sirius had given him as well as some sweets he said "Thank you," and left.

James and Sirius spent the rest of the holiday playing with James' new owl and riding on their broomsticks out back. Sometimes they would get the owl to send letters to each other when they were on their brooms which Mrs Potter quickly told them off for.

"He's not a toy James!" She shouted urging the bird down with the promise of bacon.

Three days before they were to go back to school an official owl flew through the Potters window. He dropped a letter in front of Sirius and flew back out without waiting for a reply.

"Looks pretty official," James noted taking in the expensive parchment and printed handwriting.

Sirius opened it tentatively "My Uncle Alphard's dead," He told them. Mrs Potter drew Sirius into a hug. "It's alright," He consoled "I never really knew him. Mum didn't let him around all that much."

"Still he's family," Mr Potter patted Sirius on the arm.

"It says there's a meeting at ministry I'm to attend. Apparently he's left me something," Alphard had left Sirius a considerable sum of money in his will. Enough for Sirius to tell the Potters he could move out when summer came and get his own flat.

Mrs Potter wouldn't have it and argued with Sirius the day he came back and the day he was going to Hogwarts about how he was staying with them until he left school. The argument was unresolved by the time James and Sirius were loading their trunks back into Mr Potters car and driving off. Mrs Potter was muttering under he breath as she stalked in about children wanting to grow up too fast.

The argument continued by post after that. The only letters Remus ever heard about that weren't about Sirius' living arrangements were the ones the school sent them about James' latest detention. Mr Potter tried not to involve himself too much in the spat between his wife and Sirius. Instead he helped Remus compose his letters to James about what was happening back home. Godric was the happiest bird alive when Remus presented him with his first letter that wouldn't require him flying from one side of the room to the other.

James also used their new level of communication to tell him all the things he left out of the letters to his parents. He told Remus about how the map had allowed them to sneak into Hogsmeade undetected and swipe some Firewisky. Then there was the exploits with Lily, those were his favourites, he loved hearing about James' failed plans of seduction. No matter how much Remus advised him James always turned it into something his own and inevitably into something that sent the wrong kind of message.

When exams started James started moaning in his letters about all the pressure the teachers were putting on them. How Peter was sent to the hospital wing after he fainted in Care of Magical Creatures because the stress of remembering all the creatures became too much.

He was still chuckling to himself about Peter throwing up in divination because of the fumes when Mrs Potter stormed in with a letter in hand. For a moment he thought it was one of the letters James had sent him until she started reading it to Mr Potter.

"'I've already bought an apartment,' 'It's all settled.' Can you believe this! I told him that we were happy to have him living with us but then he goes behind our backs like this. Oh just wait until summer comes Sirius Black!" She ranted. Mr Potter shared an exasperated look over his morning tea with Remus.

"Maybe it's a good thing," Mr Potter consoled "He's going to want to live on his own after school and this way he's building the foundation of his life already. If he stayed with us until he left he'd think he was a burden. This way he's regaining some of his independence back."

It seemed to calm her down a little but come the last two weeks of school Mrs Potter was still muttering about having Sirius stay with them on weekends.

"Sirius is going to be sorry he ever suggested moving out when he gets back," Mr Potter grinned leading Remus down to the cellar. He couldn't wait until morning, it meant that he had a whole two weeks to recover. There would be no breaks preventing him from hugging James when he came home from school.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Remus said handing his clothes over and sitting on his stripped bed. There wouldn't be covers until the morning.

"I'm sure all of you will be," Mr Potter smiled "I'll be there in the morning." He gave Remus a hug and went back upstairs with his wife. His bones broke half an hour later as he howled into the darkness.

Remus woke up with light in his eyes. He squinted and closed them again hearing muffled voices above him. His body ached more so than usual and he knew there was more than one thing broken. He had a hard time breathing and would have screamed if his voice hadn't gone as someone picked him up. He passed out as his foot banged off something and sent agonizing pain flaring up his body.

The second time he woke up it was to smells he didn't recognise. Dittany was there along with potions that had some ingredients he had smelt in James' trunk. The bed felt wrong underneath his skin and the ceiling he looked up to wasn't somewhere he knew.

Someone was trying to soothe him as he hyperventilated. Hands ended up pinning him back to the bed and Sirius' face loomed over him. That just made him worse. Sirius was at school, surely Remus hadn't slept through two weeks.

"Remus! Calm down please," Sirius begged. He curled away from the hands and into himself despite the pain that came over him. "Remus, you need to calm down or they'll give you something again. Please."

He felt his breathing slow down in time as he noticed other people in beds similar to his own. It was some kind of hospital. That made sense. He must have injured himself more than the Potters could heal.

"Where are we?"

"Mungos. The Aurors brought you here when they realised you weren't involved in what happened," Sirius told him.

Remus turned towards him "What happened? Sirius what's happened?"

Sirius' face paled even more than it had been. For the first time Remus realised his eyes were red rimmed. It looked like he had been crying. "It wasn't your fault," Sirius started "That's why you're so banged up. The Aurors think you were trying to get out and protect the Potters." Remus felt himself go numb. "There was an attack three days ago. Death Eaters used their werewolves to launch an attack on the Potters. I'm so sorry Remus," Tears were welling up in Sirius eyes again. Remus didn't care though. The Potters were alive! They had to be.

"Where's James?"

"With the Aurors. They want to get everything sorted now, legally, before any complications arise. Thank Merlin James is of age," Sirius wept.

Remus felt himself shaking at the prospect of his family being torn apart. He would never see Mr Potter again or Mrs Potter. He felt sick at the idea that two people who had taken him into their lives were gone. All because of his own kind.

He didn't cry. Not until James joined them a couple of hours later. The look on his face was all Remus needed to accept that this was happening. Faces blurred as he cried his own pain away. James came and lay down on the bed next to him. Pulling him into a hug they both needed.

"It's not your fault Remus," James told him.

The Auror who had found him was Alastor Moody. He was an old friend of Dumbledores who was headmaster at the school James and Sirius went to. He had realised the delicate position James was in when he found the Potters dead and after extensive talks with Dumbledore they had sorted out all the legal stuff.

"If they hadn't Dads brother would have gotten everything. I like him an' all but he wouldn't have taken me in," James explained "So now that I've sorted everything we have money. We're going to be okay Remus," James was trying to hold in his own sobs. "The house is being put up for sale though. That was the only thing they couldn't sort out. Sirius said we can stay with him though."

"Of course you can," Sirius reassured from his seat next to the bed.

James ran his hands through Remus' hair "So everything's going to be alright."

"I'm coming with you?" Remus hiccuped out.

"I'm not leaving you," James promised "I'll never leave you." He pulled him in for another hug.

Sirius' flat was small and dirty. He had gotten it cheap for the summer and was planning on looking for another one in his seventh year. The last week of school was pointless for the other two to go back to. Exams were finished and really all they would be doing was grieving for the loss of their parents.

The problem of the flat soon presented itself. "I guess I'll have to sleep on the settee," James muttered as Sirius showed them his only bedroom.

"Or you could take the bed and I'll sleep on the settee," James shook his head.

"Your flat."

"You're the guest," Sirius insisted.

James pinched his bottom lip "How about we look up transfiguration spells and see if we can add another bed," he suggested. Sirius agreed and they got their school books out.

Remus had been allowed out of Mungos earlier that day and had taken to the settee immediately. He didn't care that it stank of Sirius and cheap drinks. Sirius was familiar now and Remus needed that.

He woke up to Sirius swearing in the bedroom and James yelping in distress. The bed they had tried to transfigure had turned on them and was backing them into a corner.

Once the bed arrangements had been sorted with them all braving the shops to buy a camp bed for Remus to sleep on it was time for them to sort out the budget for living off. Sirius and James proved to be mistrusted with money. They had made a food list containing mostly sweets so Remus had declared that the shopping was going to be his responsibility.

As the days went by Remus' list of things to do grew when James proved to be inept at any household chores with Sirius being only slightly worse. He couldn't cook or work the simplest household cleaning charm and soon the precarious predicament he was in started to hit. Remus could see James falling deeper and deeper into a mood that would do no help in his current state.

He eventually blew up one day "I can't do anything!"

Remus hurried over to find him crying over a pink sock. He took it off him adding washing to the list of things to do before consoling James "You can. You have lots of talents."

"None that matter," He snatched the sock and held it accusingly up at Remus.

"Look," He took it back "You just need time to learn these things. It's just like magic, the more you practice the better you get."

James wiped his eyes "So you're going to let me do the washing again?" He asked sceptically.

Remus looked at the sock again "Maybe not with the colours that run," Which put a small smile on James' face.

Sirius had taken to avoiding him again. He'd sit the farthest corner away from Remus or have James as a buffer in between. Barely would he make contact, verbal or otherwise which was just fine with him. It bothered him some that James usually went into Sirius' room on an evening though. He knew he wasn't allowed in, it hadn't been expressed but he knew. So he usually curled up with a book on an evening and left them to it.

This night he couldn't. Knocking at the door he waited until one of them shouted him in and found them lounging with books open in front of them. Remus felt proud that James wasn't letting his school work suffer because of what happened.

"Everything alright Rem?" James asked cheerily.

"Yes. I was just wondering what time we were going to the ministry tomorrow," James frowned and turned to Sirius to see if he knew what Remus was talking about.

"The ministry? Why would we be going there?"

"It's the full moon tomorrow I thought-"

"Shit!" James cursed bolting upright. Sirius just saved the ink bottle spilling all over his sheets. "Oh no. Merlin no. Sirius what are we gonna do?" Remus didn't know what to think when he realised for the first time since they were eight James had forgotten when the full moon was.

"He's not transforming here!" Sirius shot down when it looked like James was about to make that suggestion.

"I thought we were going to the ministry," Remus told them which just made James pale and panic worse.

"No of course not!" He scrambled off the bed and ran towards his cloak at the front door. "Come on we need to find somewhere!"

"But-"

"No Remus! You can't go to the ministry. If you do then they'll think I can't look after you and take you away. Dumbledore told me so." James was struggling with his shoes so Remus went over and untied them for him.

"I thought they had holding cells there," Sirius called from his doorway.

"They got rid of them years ago. Figured since all the werewolves were with pure-bloods there was no reason for them to have them. Now they're either shot on sight or moved to pure-blood houses. Now put your coat on," He ordered Remus holding it out to him.

They walked for hours trying to find the right place for him to transform. Either it was too surrounded by muggles or it would be discovered in the morning with blood everywhere. They went into abandoned houses and buildings that had storage rooms but they too were useless. There wasn't anywhere secure enough or free from tetanus.

It was three in the morning when James tried to persuade Sirius to let Remus change in the flat. Again he was shot down "No, James. He'll wreck the place. Not to mention I doubt we can cast good silencing charms every hour if there's a werewolf trying to kill us."

At five they found the ideal place. It was a sports centre that was being demolished in three days. It was recently cleaned out which meant no rubbish and had an ideal space for Remus to romp around. They spent the rest of the day there securing the sports hall and setting up silencing spells on the outside. By nightfall Remus was confident that he wouldn't be found.

He woke up to snoring in his ear. Sirius was drooling too close for comfort and it took him a while to sit up. James had been reading in the chair next to Sirius' bed where he was sleeping and jumped out of the room as soon as he saw Remus was awake.

Coming back in with a jug of water he helped Remus hold it with a promise of "We'll be prepared next month." The healing spells James knew were few and far between so it was no wonder that he had cuts still bleeding on his arms. He handed the jug back and nodded down to Sirius. "He carried you in here this morning. It was so funny," James laughed "I don't think I've ever seen Sirius squeamish before."

Remus was too tired to correct James. It wasn't squeamishness Sirius was experiencing it was disgust. He felt his eyes close on the matter and only hoped he was awake to see Sirius' face when he realised he had been cuddling a werewolf.

Their Hogwarts letters came with a surprise for James. "What is that?" Sirius choked out.

"I am so proud of you," Remus countered "Mr and Mrs Potter would have been too," James stopped glaring at it when Remus told him that.

"You think?"

"Head Boy? Definitely," He praised. James seemed to straighten up a little. They didn't talk about the Potters that much. It brought back too many bad memories none of them wanted to face right now.

"It must be a joke," Sirius scoffed stealing James' letter from him.

"No joke Padfoot," There was those nicknames again. Remus didn't really want to know why they were called that, prongs had tonnes of scenarios running through his mind and all of them had James doing less than saintly things.

James snatched it back and handed his letter to Remus instead. He noted down all the things James would need for his seventh year and cross referenced it with Sirius'. They would need to make a trip to Diagon Alley.

Sirius was trying to snatch the Head Boy badge from James when the third owl came in through the window. It was addressed to James again and bearing the Hogwarts crest. James frowned as he read it.

"Dumbledore wants to see me."

"When?" Sirius asked.

"Tomorrow. He'll be here at noon," They all glanced at each other and moved as a force.

Despite Remus' attempts the apartment was never clean. The last moon of the summer had rendered him unable to move for three days which meant takeaway boxes were strewn everywhere. Thirteen trips to the bin were what got rid of all their waste so they divided off into the three main parts of the apartment. James took the bathroom that was full of mismatched styling products and James' awful attempts at shaving meant that the sink looked like something had died in it. Sirius took the living room and was shouting at them about turning up their beds early tomorrow so it would be clean for their guests. Remus took on the kitchen. Dishes were everywhere with boxes lying around from midnight treats and everyday snacking.

Remus had them all up early the next morning, he made sure they were washed and ready by half nine before tackling their hair. Sirius' wasn't that bad and he was more than capable of doing it himself. James on the other hand...

"Ow!" He whined as the brush pulled another tangle loose.

"That's it, haircut!" Remus declared with a snarl at James' hair.

He didn't know how they did it but by noon they were presentable enough to entertain the elderly wizard and stern looking witch standing at their door.

The witch made a beeline for James and Sirius "How are you James," She tutted looking him over.

"I finished my transfiguration essay," James said stupidly.

The elderly wizard was standing near the door, not making his greetings to James and Sirius just yet. Instead he turned to Remus.

"It's very nice to finally meet you Mister Lupin," He nodded "I knew your parents, they were fine wizards. Such a shame what happened." Remus didn't know what to say. He had never been addressed so formally before. He had actually forgotten he had a last name.

Dumbledore moved further into the room so Remus retreated into the kitchen to bring the drinks out. He left them in the living room and strangely Sirius joined him in the kitchen on his way back. He took up a seat near the door to try and listen in, completely ignoring Remus.

They were in there from noon until half four when Remus asked if they were staying for tea. Declining politely the left not long after with warm goodbyes for all three of them.

James didn't tell them the reason for the visit until they had finished eating. All three of them were seated on the settee with James in the middle. He seemed to be finding the right words to tell them what had happened.

"The reason Dumbledore came was because of you," He was looking at Remus. What did that mean though 'because of' him. "He asked what I did on the full moon and I just knew he knew about it so I told him," James rushed out. "He didn't say anything though and just asked what I was going to do with you when I went to school and I told him I didn't know. He seemed to know I would say that as well so he gave me this proposition." James took a big breath "Do you want to come to Hogwarts with me Rem? I won't force you but It'll be the best thing for us."

"James!" Sirius argued.

"I know," He hissed keeping his eyes on Remus.

"You want me to come with you?" James nodded. "I guess it would be alright," He muttered to himself.

"Dumbledore has it all planned. There's a place for you to transform. We can look for a suitable place after school. It's going to be fine," James soothed.

Sirius looked less than pleased with the arrangement and Remus knew before he invited James to his room that they were going to argue. The lack of noise meant they had put a silencing spell up so Remus started adding up the gold they were going to spend in Diagon Alley.

They planned their trip on the last week of the summer. Remus had just recovered from the moon and voiced little protest about being dragged to Diagon since he was promised they would look in the muggle shops afterwards for a few new jumpers for him.

The first stop was Gringotts. Then the Apocathery and the other shops there. Remus hated Diagon Alley and being back wasn't helping change his stance on the place. The people stared and pointed making him reminisce about the bloody lip and stinging hex he had gotten the first time he walked these streets.

Never had he been more happy when they walked out of the Leaky Cauldron and into Muggle London. He was carrying the majority of the bags after arguing with them for carrying their own. There were lots of them so it wasn't really his fault when he dropped a few as Sirius yanked him to a stop.

"What are those?" He asked pointing across the street.

Remus squinted trying to see what was captivating his attention. All he saw were hairy leather clad men astride "Motorbikes." He pulled his arm out of Sirius' grasp and picked up the fallen items.

James called Sirius to hurry up, pulling out of his daze with a "I want one," He caught up with them.

James owned some muggle clothing and had taken to lending Sirius some for their days out. Never had they actually been inside a muggle clothing shop though and Remus was beginning to think that had been a wise choice.

Leather, flares and clothes Remus would never touch with a pole were flung in his direction with James begging him to let them come back and buy some for themselves. He promised so long as they downgraded from flares to jeans.

Sirius pouted but changed his mind when Remus showed tried on a pair. He abandoned his no touching rule quickly to turn Remus this way and that so he could see the jeans properly. Remus was mildly uncomfortable throughout the whole experience. When they had picked out suitable clothes for him along with a new duffel bag to put them in they headed to the tills. Remus narrowed his eyes but kept quiet at the black pair of jeans that had made their way into their purchases.

Finally September 1st arrived. Godric was squawking in his cage as Sirius apparated in and out to Kings Cross. Remus had remained behind to make sure he didn't miss anything as Sirius took the last cauldron to James and the trolleys.

"Shut up!" He shouted at the bird "You're next."

He took the bird and came back to nothing but Remus and his duffel bag left. Taking one last look around the apartment he hoisted his bad up and held onto Sirius' outstretched arm. It felt like he had went through a really narrow tunnel and finally found fresh air when they landed next to James at Kings Cross.

"All done then?" he asked hopping onto his trunk.

"Yep," Sirius confirmed as Remus started pushing James and the trolley through the station.

Sirius was walking ahead of him to talk to James so Remus admired the station he used to visit when they waved James off. The barrier was easy to find and soon they were swamped by students and parents saying goodbyes or meeting up with friends.

"Rem!" James called over the noise "We're gonna go find Pete. Go get a compartment." He pointed towards the train like Remus hadn't noticed it there.

He nodded anyway and took Sirius's trolley off him. There was an empty compartment in the middle of the train where Remus stowed their trunks and bags. He put one of James' cloaks over Godric to get him to shut up since he hadn't stopped even when Sirius had finished getting them all to Kings Cross.

Figuring that he ought to go tell them where they were sitting he made his way out of the compartment. Only to bump into a red haired girl.

"Oomph," She sighed moving away from him.

"Sorry," He apologised and moved out of the way.

She looked up and stopped "No it's my fault," She said absently. "Sorry, do I know you?"

Remus shook his head "I'm not a student."

"Oh right," she smiled. "Shame that," She noticed that he had been coming out of a compartment "So who are you with then?"

"James Potter and Sirius Black. Actually I was just going to find them," He indicated down the corridor. As James' name was mentioned the smile wavered for a bit into a scowl before returning. "You haven't seen them have you?" Figuring she was on the end of one of James' recent pranks. He was going to have words about that, James should at least wait until school.

"No, sorry but I'll tell them you were looking for them," the whistle sounded "Or not," she cringed "Guess you'd better be going. But it was nice meeting you..." She fished.

"Remus," he answered.

"Remus," she smiled "That's a nice name."

The girl moved down the corridor into a compartment near the end. She poked her head out again and looking at him before shutting the door.

Remus moved down the train looking for anything that might indicate where James was. The answer lay with an argument raging between Sirius and a boy who could pass for Sirius' twin. James was trying to play mediator while a smaller boy was cowering off to the side.

"James," He called. They all looked up "I got a compartment," He pointed back the way they came.

Seeing the excuse James dragged Sirius and the small boy away ignoring the spitting curses flying from Sirius' mouth. He led them to the small door and waited for them all to choose their seats before sitting down himself.

"You could have at least waited until we got there," An argument Remus was going to use on James later.

"You didn't hear him Prongs. He was spouting a whole bunch of lies,"Sirius scowled burrowing into his seat.

"Then you ignore them. If they aren't true then don't do anything. You'll just make things worse," James half yelled.

Sirius didn't reply for the next ten minutes. The compartment was set in uneasy silence until James got up "I have to go to a meeting," He told them "Head Boy stuff an' all," He pointed towards the badge and slowly made his way out. Making eyes at Remus to not let Sirius out of the compartment while he was gone.

Sirius kicked the small boy "So how was your summer?" The blonde barely noticed Sirius talking and continued assessing Remus.

"Who's he?" he asked instead.

Sirius scowled more and kicked again "No one, now how was your summer?" He growled.

Peter told them a tale about his uncles house in Spain and how he got to lounge around watching topless girls most of the summer. All the while Remus couldn't help his gaze slipping back towards Remus.

James was gone for most of the train journey and arrived just as Sirius and Peter finished the last of the sweets. He was scowling and slumped down in his chair much like Sirius had been before.

"What's wrong? Head Boy duties too tough already?" Peter teased.

James curled his lip "No Pete," He spat "It's Lily." Groans sounded from Peter and Sirius.

"You can't have done anything yet. What on earth has she told you off for this time?" Peter queried.

James sat up as the prospect of telling the woes of his love life reanimated him "Well for starters she wasn't too pleased that I was named Head Boy. Said I better not mess up her chance to make a difference in the school," He scoffed "Like I was going to. Then what's worse is that we had to allocate the prefects and she kept day dreaming about some bloke she met over the summer."

"Did you ask who it was?" Remus tried.

"Of course I did but she just snapped that it was none of my buisness and scowled even more at me." He sat back defeated again. A couple of minutes later he sighed and said "I think it's time I gave up on her."

The compartment had grown still. It was like all the breath had been taken out of the room "You're not serious?" Peter gasped.

James ran his hands through his hair "Yes, no. Maybe. With everything that's happened I think it's time I started looking towards my career rather than her. Let's face it after this year I probably wont see her again and even if I did she's never going to treat me differently. Five years of school has proved that much."

The rest of the journey was sat in silence. The three boys changed into their robes before the train stopped and as soon as they were out James ushered Remus to a huge man named Hagrid. "Dumbledore said you should get the full experience," He smirked and pushed him forward with the first years.

Hagrid was nice despite his size. He let Remus sit in the boat with him and told him that he would be eating at the staff table with Hagrid instead of with the other students.

"You're going to be my little helper this year," He told Remus "Dumbledore says that you need things to do during the day an' I've go' a whole bunch o' stuff to be doin'."

"That sounds nice," Remus smiled. It fell rather quickly as the castle came into view. There were no words in the English dictionary to describe the majesty and beauty that was Hogwarts. He settled on "Wow," for Hagrid though.

They dropped the first years off and made their way through a side entrance into a massive hall. Hagrid had a strong hand on Remus' back to guide him towards the staff table so he could take his fill of the floating candles and twinkling night sky without tripping.

He was seated at the end and felt rather out of place compared to the older people at the table. He spotted Dumbledore in the middle but Hagrid had to inform him about the other professors after the sorting.

There was Flitwick who Remus knew James had finished his homework for since he had spent the majority of his post transformation looking over his essay. Then there was Slughorn who was the potions master. Built like a walrus Remus had to agree that there was something uneasy about him. Not to mention Remus could smell the vile concoctions he brewed from his seat. Grubby Plank, Hooch and others were given an introduction and Remus knew he was going to be asking for their names again. It was too much information at once.

The food was too much also. He couldn't decide what to take since it all smelled delicious and was sure he had filled at least five plates away by the time desert came. Chocolate cake, trifle, brownies and more were strewn around him.

"I don't suppose I can take one of those for later?" He asked Hagrid pointing to the brownies.

The giant laughed and filled two napkins full of them for him. When the meal was finished Dumbledore gave a speech about the rules put in place for the year. All of them were said in such a friendly manner though that Remus could tell why James had a tendency to break them.

The students broke off afterwards to go up to their dormitories. The stern witch that had came to their apartment called him over and handed him off to James who had stayed behind.

His spirits had been lifted during the feast and a grin was settled once more on his face. "Had fun?"

"I don't think I can eat anything for a while," Remus complained holding out his brownies for James to take.

The boy started scoffing them while he led Remus through the halls of Hogwarts "You'll be staying with me, naturally but I don't know what you'll be doing through the day."

"I do," He told him about his new position as Hagrids assistant.

"He's a nice guy. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise," James confided.

Hogwarts was a maze of stairways and corridors. "Don't suppose you have a map?"

James burst out laughing and was barely able to wheeze out the Gryffindor password. Not seeing what was so funny he just ignored James and followed behind him. The common room was clad in red and gold and full of chatting students that stopped and stared as soon as he walked in.

James didn't seem to notice and made his way up the stairs motioning for Remus to follow him. His bag was seated at the end of his bed. Someone must have notified Peter about why he was there as well since he paled as Remus entered.

James was still giggling to himself as he flung open Sirius' trunk and handed Remus a scrap of parchment. Protests came quickly from Sirius and Peter's mouths but James just continued coughing his amusement.

Taking out his wand he pointed to the parchment and said "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." Markings appeared and interlinked. Soon they were joining places and writing that labelled them as somewhere in the castle. Dots were moving around with tags attached and there in the Gryffindor boys dormitory was Remus' name.

"You said you wanted a map," James grinned.

"Did you make this?" Remus marvelled. To say James preened would be an understatement. The pride and satisfaction oozing from him made him glow.

"All three of us did. It's how we got away with most of our pranks. Pretty good huh?" Now he was just fishing for compliments.

Remus had played this game for a long time though "I dunno James. I suppose it would've been more impressive if you managed to get Hogsmeade and the forbidden forest on as well," James' grin became a pout so Remus reassured his manhood and praised him up again "Still this is an impressive piece of magic."

"Too right!"

James ended up passing around the brownies which Peter declined since Remus took one first. He knew he was going to end up being a kill joy to their fun but they still needed to be well rested so Remus suggested that they go to sleep. Well he suggested the other two to go to sleep and wrestled James into his own.

"This is ridiculous Rem. We're meant to be having late night chats and hanging out not sleeping," He argued even though he was in his pyjamas and climbing into bed.

"You can do it at the weekend. After all you're the one who said they were focusing on their career. I'm just making sure you live up to it," He called setting James' alarm.

He vaguely heard James curse and vowed to set up some kind of swear jar. "Bloody mutt. If I wanted to go to sleep early I would have stayed over in McGonagalls room."

"Mutt!" Remus gasped dramatically turning to his own bed "How dare you, I'm a wolf. We're majestic creatures of the night. Not slobbering mongrels who obey a man's every whim," He turned his nose up as James snorted and descended into another gale of laughter. He heard muffled choking noises sound from Sirius' bed

Despite his complaining James was more than happy to wake up early and well rested when Remus shook him. He took pleasure in the fact that Sirius and Peter had stayed up late into the night and bounced on their beds tortuously and rushing them towards their classes with a cheery grin.

Hagrid turned out to have a lot of duties. "Now I thought that you'd like to walk Max for me this morning. Jus' take him round the castle so he does his buisness and bring him back. After tha' the fun begins," He winked and handed Remus a lead.

Max turned out to be an elderly Mastiff who walked slow and seemed to enjoy the simple things in life. Like chasing butterflies on the fields. Remus had fun walking him around the castle since it gave him a chance to look at it properly. It was completely different in daylight than it had been the night before. But night usually has a way of distorting and covering up what the light doesn't.

After the walk Hagrid had him feeding Grubby Planks unicorns who were strangely happy to have him around. Then he spent the rest of the day on the outskirts of the forest looking for broken tree branches. Ones big enough to sustain Hagrids mammoth fire in the Autumn and Winter months.

It was hard work lugging branches longer than himself over to Hagrids cabin which was why he didn't realise he had a visitor until she was standing in his way.

Abruptly dropping the branch as he saw her he sighed in relief and waited to see what she wanted. "I thought you said you didn't go here," her teasing tone underlying the hurt in her voice.

"I said I wasn't a student," Remus corrected. "I'm supposed to be helping Hagrid," He pointed to the branch and the cabin trying to make his escape now he had his breath back.

She tugged her robe off instead and tossed her red hair onto her back as she pulled up the end of the branch. "Well come on then," She cocked an eyebrow in challenge.

Remus huffed but was glad to have the help over to Hagrids "You don't have to," he tried.

She grunted hoisting the branch up higher "No, but I want to. Besides it gives me a chance to talk to you."

"I doubt we have much to talk about," He called back.

"I disagree," She panted setting it down on top of the other thirteen logs Remus had collected. "For example, how do you know James Potter?"

Remus frowned at her question. He would have thought everyone would know by now. James had said gossip travelled fast in Hogwarts. "I'm James' werewolf," He told her.

She didn't gasp or run away. Just pulled a questioning face "Really? Or are you just making that up to make me go away?"

Remus frowned not knowing why anyone would say they were a werewolf just to get someone to leave them alone. It wasn't some joke and he told her just that. "So you can leave if you like," He walked back along the outskirts searching for another branch.

Funnily enough she trailed behind him "I'm not just going to leave because you're a werewolf."

"Really? Other people do. Besides I'm not just a werewolf I'm James' werewolf. Judging from the tone of voice you use when talking about him you either love him or have a grudge. Maybe both," He pondered.

She stalked in front of him "I am not in love with James Potter," she spat. Calming down she flipped her hair back again and joined him in step "I'm not leaving even if you are affiliated with him. You've given me no reason to yet and I like your company."

This time he pulled the questioning face "Really?"

She nodded helping him pull another branch from the clutches of the forest "It's nice to meet a boy I haven't seen go through puberty." She laughed "You should have seen some of them. Sirius had spots all over his nose at one point."

"No?" Remus gasped scandalised. The image would serve him well in his war against Sirius.

"Oh yeah. Then there's Peter. He wasn't always that chubby you know. I've seen him grow breasts bigger than mine in the last seven years," She grinned like complaining about James and his friends was the highlight of her day. "I say it again, it's so nice to see someone who hasn't changed in front of me or, God forbid, seen me at my worst," she trilled taking the front this time. He held it more in the middle this time to take more of the weight of the girls shoulders.

"I'm sure you weren't that bad," Remus told her recalling his own adolescence. Growing bones meant more painful transformations. He had to watch as James was able to grow a moustache in days where as he was stuck with no hair at all. He'd begun to question Mr and Mrs Potter a couple years back about whether he was actually growing like James. They had reassured him that he was, still the lack of changes apart from a growth spurt wasn't promising to him.

"I was," She promised setting the log down. She walked over to him "It's so nice to see a man for once. Instead of those lot who will always be boys to me," She scowled over at the school and turned to him with a kind smile on her face.

"I doubt I'd call me a man," He rubbed the back of his neck walking down to the forest. Most people didn't call him human. To be honest he was wondering when she was going to do the same thing. Maybe the intrigue of a werewolf would go away after the first full moon. When she realised just how disgusting his kind really were.

"I would," She told him. "And I need to go," She declared as the bell rang loudly from the school. "We should get together some time. I really enjoyed spending time with you," She suggested.

"Sure," He agreed not knowing what else to say.

She grinned at him and went to pick up her school robes as she dashed into the castle.