Notes: Just a little fun oneshot that I've had lying around on my computer for a while. Involves, James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Sirius thought of it in their third year.

He was kneeling in a dungeon, scrubbing at the slimy floor with one of Filch's old toothbrushes, cursing himself for not expecting McGonagall to sense the plan he and James had been devising in the back of double Transfiguration. He kept on forgetting that she was not below playing the Animagus card, following them long enough to catch James pulling out his secret store of Dungbombs kept hidden behind a stunningly ugly portrait of a jousting tournament on the fourth floor.

Whilst pondering the events that landed him in (yet another) detention, it hit Sirius like a bolt of lightning. Just as fast, he pulled out a small, handheld mirror from his pocket and held it to his face.

"James? James! Wake up, you git."

James, who Sirius knew was snoozing in a broom cupboard, avoiding the work he'd been given as detention, jumped up with a start and pulled his own mirror, identical to Sirius', from his pocket.

"What is it, Sirius? I'm not helping you look for the kitchens again, so you can just forget it."

Sirius waved his hand impatiently. "Never mind that. I've got something much better."

James sat up and ran his hand through his hair, recognising the note of excitement in Sirius' voice.

"Do you remember the other day in Defence Against the Dark Arts, when we were talking about werewolves?"

James frowned. He remembered; indeed, it was a difficult lesson to forget. The second the word "monster" had been spoken, Remus had sunk low in his seat and refused to speak a word to them all lesson, writing notes with such intensity he had broken half a dozen of his quills. There was nothing he, Sirius or Peter could do to cheer Remus when he decided to retreat into himself - but that did not stop them from trying.

"Remember what it said in the text book? A werewolf is a danger only to humans." Sirius said this so eagerly that James knew he had to be missing something. He shrugged, looking confused, and Sirius sighed in exasperation.

"When Remus turns, no one can be around him because they can get hurt, right?" Sirius was the kind of person who spoke with his hands, and the one that was not holding the mirror gestured wildly.

"But what if we could be there with him, when he turns? We could talk him down, give him control. We could help him!"

James raised his eyebrows incredulously. "Sirius, you're talking about talking sense to a werewolf."

Sometimes James thought that Sirius had been born thinking that nothing was impossible, and that this was both the best and worst thing about him.

Sirius leaned forward, as if to tell a secret. "We'll talk him down… as animals."

"Wait…what?" James shook his head, trying to clear it.

"You want to charm animals to send messages to Remus?"

Sirius raised his eyebrow derisively. "Did you get in the head with a Bludger last Quidditch practice, or what? We won't charm animals, James - we'll become animals."

Silence.

James sat in the broom cupboard, his mouth open, his mind full of possibilities. Become animals…. we'll become animals…. Animagi….

"That's-"

"Brilliant?" Sirius cut in, grinning. James grinned right back.

"We could go anywhere-"

"Do anything-"

"Map the castle-"

"Go into the Forest-"

"Remus would have friends-"

"He wouldn't be alone anymore-"

They spoke over one another in a jumble, running wild with their plans, alight with daring and mischief.

"Nobody would ever have to know - we'd keep it secret-" Sirius had begun pacing back and forth, if only to stop himself from jumping up and down in excitement.

"Do you think we can do it?" James was not an insecure wizard - he knew he was intelligent, and could do things that others could not - but this… this was more wild and more reckless than anything they had done before. The idea of it sent a thrill through his veins like wildfire.

Sirius grinned again, a wild, rakish grin, and James knew that he had felt it too.

"For Remus? I think we can do anything."

When their detentions were over they raced back to the common room as if demons were on their tails.