Remus sat fiddling with his hands nervously. He was sat on the lumpy, uneven ex-hospital bed. Having been a werewolf for the last 11 years, Remus was used to the uncomfortable prickling he felt around an hour before moon rise. His eyes gazed out of the window at the darkening Hogsmead grounds.
Suddenly, there was a creaking of the floorboards outside the room. Remus jumped to his feet wishing he hadn't left his wand in the hospital wing.
"Hello? Who's there?" he called out.
Slowly the door began to open and Remus held his breath. Was he about to be discovered?
And then he saw it 3 grinning faces smiling up at him.
"James, Sirius, Peter! What the bloody hell are you doing? You have to leave now!" Remus stammered.
"Sorry, Moony dearest, but that's not happening." Sirius smirked.
"Sirius please, I don't want to hurt you." Remus begged.
"And you wont." James assured him. "Werewolves only hunt humans. We are animals."
"This really isn't the time to confess your terrible table manners, James." Remus growled, frustrated.
"Remus, we've done something." Peter explained. "We can help you."
"Moony, meet Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail!" Padfoot declared.
With that the three boys transformed into a scruffy black dog, a proud looking stag, and a fluffy little rat.
Remus staggered back in shock.
"You became animagi! For me?" he gasped. "You know that's illegal! If someone finds out… I cant let you get in trouble for me."
The dog yapped happily as if he hadn't heard any of what his friend had just said. James returned to his original state and chuckled. "Honestly Remus, like you can change our minds, besides, what's done is done."
"I cant let you stay. I'm a dangerous monster!" Remus protested.
The scruffy dog leapt forward, transforming into Sirius as he leapt on top of Remus, pining him down.
"Take it back! Take it back, Remus! You are not a monster! You are my friend!" Sirius shouted.
"I am a monster!" Remus argued, equally as loudly.
"No you are not!" Sirius continued to shout.
"Fine, whatever you want, Sirius! But you cant stay." Remus hissed.
"I'm not moving." James said determinedly.
"Me neither." Peter squeaked.
"Nor I." Sirius told him finally.
"You have to, don't make me… I'll force you." Remus muttered.
"Try us!" the others chorused with grins on their faces.
"Face it Moony, you've lost." Sirius snickered, getting off of his friend and helping him up.
Remus looked like he was about to cry before embracing his friends, shaking. "Thank you! Thank you for caring, thank you for being here, thank you for not rejecting me."
"Hey, like we could ditch you! You're the brains behind our pranks!" James joked.
"Of course we care Moons, and being an Animagi is really cool too!" Sirius laughed.
"We wanted to come as soon as we first discovered you." Peter promised.
"It wont take long for the moon to rise." Remus choked.
"Then let a new era begin. The era of the marauders." Sirius exclaimed, patting his friend encouragingly on the back.
Remus really smiled then. He was so grateful that he had such amazing friends. For the first time in his life, Remus was excited for the moon to rise!