Inspired by new canon information from JK: Part of the process of becoming an Animagus requires you to carry a leaf from a Mandrake in your mouth for an entire month.

Mandrake Mouth

Crisp November air fell across the grounds of Hogwarts, as a soft down of pure snow blanketed the top of the forest. Students could be found wrapped in thick scarves and jumpers, like neat woolen parcels, or recovering in the Hospital Wing after a run in with Peeves' ice related humour. The end of term was nearly upon them, and the usual glee of Christmas was felt amongst almost all of the young witches and wizards who inhabited the castle, with the exception of four fourth year boys. The other Gryffindors were uneasy at the relative quietness of the Marauders—who usually took the notion of the 'silly season' as law rather than suggestion. Ordinarily Hogwarts students would be forcing others to walk under door frames ahead of them, carefully inspecting their food at mealtimes and watching where they sat in the common room (there had been a rather nasty incident with a biting armchair the year before). But this year James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were oddly restrained in their mischief making. In fact, they had been rather silent of late.

With a full moon rapidly approaching Remus' "furry little problem" was taking a noticeably physical toll, which didn't exactly put him in the Yuletide mood. He looked thinner and paler even then his usual peaky self and would surely have to spend the last week of the month in the hospital wing with the comfort that at least his transformation would not fall on Christmas. His friends too were looking forward to the forthcoming month, but for rather unusual reasons. Normally at this time of year they were counting down the seconds until their favourite part of the holiday season—the Christmas feast (oh, and presents were alright too). In the past week though the boys had been sullen and quiet, with a general air of misery.

Others had merely waved off this atypical behaviour. Surely Sirius Black was moping after the lost potential of the cancelled Hogsmeade trip. Peter Pettigrew must be quiet on account of his below par schoolwork this term. And James Potter…well of course, he was sulking after another failed attempt to ask out Lily Evans. One person knew better. Her keen emerald eyes had been trained on the Marauders for weeks now, her suspicions growing stronger with every passing day. She knew better than anyone that Potter hadn't had the nerve to bother her with date proposals lately, in fact he had barely said a word to her in nearly a month. It made for a welcome change, considering his apparent newfound obsession with her since the start of the year, but she was still apprehensive of this quick turn around. Lily wasn't going to let her guard down; this might well be an elaborate prank…and she wasn't going to let Potter and his friends ruin her holiday.

Meanwhile, the only four who knew the truth about their behaviour was of course those the gossip concerned. Careful research and planning over the past two years had consumed the boys. Ever since learning Remus was a werewolf in their second year James and Sirius were determined to become animagi to aid their friend during his painful transformations at the full moon. They had even convinced Peter to try as well, although they had to give him considerable help with some of the trickier enchantments. Finally they were making some headway and had progressed to the later stages…which had unfortunately landed them in their current predicament.

One of the requirements, they had discovered, for the lengthy process of becoming an Animagus was to carry the leaf of a Mandrake plant in your mouth for a whole month.

"A WHOLE MONTH?!" moaned Sirius.

James slammed the enormous leather tome of Self-Transfiguration: Tricks to Transforming You, Yourself and I shut, emitting a pathetic puff of dust as it was closed.

"Sirius, we've been doing N.E.W.T level spells…spending hours in the library…we've missed feasts for Merlin's sake! I think you can handle one little leaf."

But, unusually, Sirius' whining had proven justified. Since the first of the month James, Sirius and Peter had been swirling the radish like leaves around their mouths as they attempted to talk, eat and breathe. Although they had coated their leaves in a plethora of protective spells to ensure their integrity, completing day to day tasks had proven challenging. The constant irritation of the Mandrake leaf had made the boys withdrawn and hostile. Teachers were awed of their general silence in classes—and students even more so of their waning appetites at meals. The boys took only uncommonly slow mouthfuls of the softest choices as to not disturb the leaves, while gazing longingly at chewy lamb chops dripping with thick, dark gravy.

Two weeks in, Remus watched guiltily as his friends sulked in the common room. It was late and the room was barren of its usual hustle and bustle. The sky streaming through the window was a deep pit of black, freckled with the dim twinkle of distant constellations. They were completing a crop of the next days homework; James and Sirius breezing through it with careless ease, Peter stumbling nervously at the beginning of each question before being cajoled in the right direction by his companions, and Remus absorbed in doubling checking his long before finished essay against a hefty volume. Usually their work took twice as long to complete, with a constant tide of joking and general riling of each other, and Moony found he did not enjoy the silence in practice as much as in theory. In an attempt to cheer them up, he turned to discussing the fruits of this arduous process;

"So what do you guys think you'll be?"

Sirius swirled the leaf to the left side of his mouth, puffing out his cheeks in the course.

"I'm finking dragn'…definitely dragn'…"

James gave a sarcastic snort, sticking his own leaf to the roof of his mouth before he retorted,

"Dragin'? Effin' gowldfish more like"

The boys gave each other a playful shove, while Remus showed the merest hint of a smile at his markedly happier friends.

Peter, rather than messing with the Mandrake leaf in his mouth, wrote out on a scrap piece of parchment,

"Merlin…what if I do become a goldfish?"

And James, Sirius and Remus set to consoling him that even if he were they would still remain friends, and promised to get him a nice fishbowl.

The next week spirits among the group were lower, having missed the pleasure of several remarkable desserts at dinner recently. While James was drooling over his empty golden plate at a nearby treacle tart, Remus attempted to formulate a plan. As the feast ended Lily approached him apprehensively, greeting with a friendly nudge.

"Uh Remus, not that I would normally care, but are they ok?"

She pointed toward his friends, who were gathered around Sirius, lustfully smelling a piece of fudge he had sneaked away from the table.

"It's getting pathetic", he muttered, but Lily caught his words with ease.

"Pardon?"

"Oh, uh, nothing. It's this diet they're on…something about...healthy body, healthy mind."

"Er, right" Lily replied, suspicious of Remus' excuse but thankfully not willing to press him further. She was just about to bid him farewell and catch up with Marlene when a thought crossed Remus Lupin's mind.

"Actually Lily, I was wondering whether you would help me with something, a little extracurricular magic…"

Lily burst into a heart-melting smile, flashing petal white teeth and freckled cheeks in enthusiastic agreement.

Remus meanwhile was glancing slyly over her shoulder towards the others, eyes narrowed in thought and the almost imperceptible glance of a clever smirk.

It had taken more than a week of research, practice and mistakes. Remus and Lily finally had a working prototype, fit to Remus' intentions. Granted, Lily didn't know the purpose of their experiment, and probably wouldn't have agreed if she did, but she had been an invaluable wealth of potions and charms knowledge. A little white lie isn't going to hurt, thought Remus, who had told her their invention was to be a gift to Remus' ill mother. He had in turn felt so guilty about how kind Lily was about this he sent a parcel of their invention home anyway.

Night had fallen, and the quarter moon beamed through the boys' dormitory window. The Marauders readied themselves for sleepless rest, trying all the time not to swallow their precious leaves in their sleep so close to their goal. It was only a week until they would finally be rid of these leaves—which was the only thing that kept them from spitting them out in fury and setting them alight. They each pulled back the crimson hangings of their beds to discover a small paper wrapped parcel sitting squatly in the middle. James flashed Remus a questioning eyebrow and was about to ask him what he was up to, but Sirius had already torn through his packaging. He could smell it like a hound…chocolate.

"Go on try some, it's specially made" said Remus.

They all unwrapped a piece and popped it carefully into their mouths, their leaves unceremoniously shoved into their cheeks. It was the most delicious thing they had ever tasted, turning into a gooey, molten liquid the moment it hit their tongues. It coated their throats, sliding effortlessly into their pining stomachs. Even when it touched the leaves it left no damage, like cool air slipping through fingers. Peter looked on the verge of tears of delight and James looked as peaceful as a lone animal in the forest.

Sirius, well, he pulled a frail Remus into a crushing bear hug—soon joined by this contented friends.

After the month was up and Remus had returned from his usual stay in the hospital wing James, Sirius and Peter could finally remove the leaves (which they did with great pleasure). Everything seemed back to normal to the other students, the hallways and common room again filled with laughter and a dash of anxiety should they fall victim to one of their jokes. Little did they know that the fourth-years were one step closer to become illegal Animagi, fuelled on in their process by Remus and Lily's delightful chocolate innovations. In fact, they loved the treat so much they decided all the students should share in it before the holidays—And even Professor Flitwick was hard pressed not to enjoy the fifth floor chocolate waterfall courtesy of Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot and Prongs.

A/N: Please review, I would love any and all feedback, and a big thank you to anyone who takes the time to do so!