A/N: This is part of the collection of shorts called "I Solemnly Swear," but as it's turned into a small multichapter, I thought I'd post it separately. Enjoy, and remember, I'm a review addict.


The week leading up to the full moon was always difficult, but the one following it was nearly as bad. That lone night in the month left Remus feeling drained of energy, barely cognizant, and irritable. That was a normal week following, but this one was particularly excruciating. As the school year was winding down, teachers seemed to pile more work on the students, and with a month left it seemed they'd become strangely sadistic in the manner in which they piled.

Including a final project in the Herbology class that required paper detailing fifty useful plants found on the school grounds, what they were used for, and where they were found. From those fifty, the students were to select five and write a paper no less than five pieces of parchment long on why they felt they were the most important of their findings and what they might be used for, including scenarios. The catcher, though, was that this was an inter-house project. The students were assigned together in pairs without the ability to protest. Remus was sure he'd prefer a two full moon month rather than partner with Severus Snape, but he had little choice in the matter.

Severus looked no happier when their names were read off together, shooting an irritated look in the other teen's direction. He gathered his things and was almost out the door at the end of class when Remus decided that he would have to be mature one about this situation and took off after him. "It seems reasonable to split these up into twenty-five each, do you have any complaints about that?"

"I have complaints about the entire project."

Remus grit his teeth, cutting off the sharp retort that rose in his throat. He had to play nice. "I understand," he said slowly, "but we'll still be required to work together. We might as well make the best of it."

Snape snorted, dark eyes barely glancing in his direction. "Go find your twenty-five plants and I'll find mine."

"I can get us a working list to choose from so that we don't-"

"Do what you will," Severus cut him off, whirling around so that he was nearly nose-to-nose with the Marauder. He sneered, disgust evident and it took everything Remus had not to step back to give himself room to breathe. The Slytherin student's voice was low when he spoke again, so that only Remus might hear. "As long as you keep you filthy, half-breed paws out of my end of it, do you understand what I'm saying, Lupin?"

At this Remus did take a physical step back, feeling as if he'd been dealt a physical blow. He supposed he should be a little less easy to offend about the subject, but as so few people actually knew, he was rarely harassed over it. The words bit deeply, even if they were coming from Snape, and Remus pursed his lips together. "Very well then. I will put together the list and choose whatever I wish from it. You can have whatever's left." He gave no time for complaint as he turned and disappeared into the crowd of students.


"I'll hang him up by his feet again for that," James growled as they sat around the fireplace later that evening. "He had no right saying that to you."

"Can't believe you're stuck with ol' Snivelus," Sirius said, looking up from the book that he'd been mostly pretending to read.

"Rotten luck," Remus agreed, shifting so that he didn't have to look any one of them in the eye. He hadn't meant to tell them, not really, but it had slipped out when prodded. It would do nothing to ease the tension between them all, and if Sirius and James took it into their own hands, it could make the entire situation worse.

"You could sabotage his end of the project," Peter offered, popping a piece of candy into his mouth.

"No, I wouldn't do that," the taller student murmured. "I'm a prefect and... Well it just wouldn't be right."

Sirius grinned and gave his friend a playful shove. "Mooney's too kind hearted to go after Snape with anything more vicious than a few sharp words."

The boys joined in with a round of laughter that faltered into stifled chuckles as Lily Evans took a seat at the far end of the couch that James and Remus were perched on. She purposefully looked past James who gave her the most dashing smile he could muster. "Hello, Remus. Have you been to see Cadmus yet?"

"No, is he looking for me?"

"Well, he's been looking for all the Gryffindor prefects. I'm starting to think I'm the only one he's found."

Remus gave a small smile. "He doesn't always voice his need to see people very loudly. I'll go-"

"No need," Lily cut off his retreat, emerald eyes flicker very briefly to James who was still grinning goofily at her. "All he'll tell you is that we need to have everyone in the common room just after dinner tomorrow. No exceptions."

"You say that like we'd have other places to go," Sirius grinned from his place on the floor.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I could only imagine."

"I know a couple places we could go," James said, receiving a short spark from Lily's wand that sent him flying from the couch.

"And one of the many reasons I'm still not interested, Potter."

"Did he know why we're to have everyone in? You know there'll be questions."

"Apparently there's a visitor at Hogwarts." Lily stopped, eyeing the Marauders carefully before leaning in, her voice a low whisper. "You mustn't tell anyone this, do you hear? I could get in some trouble if rumours started spreading."

The boys all leaned in close, listening with earnest looks plastered across their faces.

Lily wasn't fooled, but she spoke anyway, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Apparently this visitor isn't exactly welcomed. The Ministry sent him and Dumbledore's been asked to play host. He's not happy, from what I hear."

"What's the Ministry doing in the middle of Hogwarts business?" James asked, his voice serious and steady.

"It's absolutely absurd," the redhead continued, tossing a lock of her hair over her shoulder. "I caught a glimpse of him when Cadmus and I were discussing it in the hallway-"

"Why was he chatting you up in the hallway?"

"He is Head Boy and as a prefect I do answer to him. Not that who I talk to in the hallway is any of your business."

Sirius, Peter, and Remus all kept the chuckling to a minimum as James shot them each a glare.

"Anyway," Lily continued, "I caught a glimpse of him. He's a Hunter."

"Wait, one of those loons that goes around after Vampires and such?" Sirius all but laughed. They'd all heard of them. They were thrill-seakers with often little actual magical talent of their own.

"I thought they had passed a law to make it illegal," Remus piped up, his voice having lost all traces of the previous laughter.

"From killing, yes, but not from being a Hunter, or even going after certain... types," Lily answered, almost sadly. She reached into her bag and pulled a book from it, passing it to Remus after showing him the marked page. "Vampires, Hags, Werewolves... Any creature that has been passed back and forth between Beings and Beasts. And while the law says that they can't be killed arbitrarily, it would seem that it's rather vague on exactly what that means."

"So what the hell is the Ministry doing bringing one of these Hunters to Hogwarts? What business does he have here?" James asked.

"That's the real catch. Cadmus had heard him speaking Professor McGonagall just before he met with her to receive the information about tomorrow's meeting. You must swear this won't get out."

"We swear," James said, speaking for them all.

Lily took a breath. "Someone's filed a complaint with the Ministry about a Werewolf being near Hogwarts."

"What? In the Forbidden Forest?" Sirius asked.

"No... That would seem more likely, right, but this Hunter... Well he thinks it's one of the students."


TBC