Without You, I'm Nothing Chapter 2, a harry potter fanfic

A/N: The seventies was such a great decade for music, and so I am going to suggest a song at the begining of each section that best accompanies the chapter. And the first one, without a shadow of a doubt, has to be "The Boys are Back in Town" by Thin Lizzy.

Guess who just got back today?
Them wild-eyed boys that had been away
Haven't changed, haven't much to say
But man, I still think them cats are crazy

They were asking if you were around
How you was, where you could be found
Told them you were living downtown
Driving all the old men crazy

The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
I said
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town

You know that chick that used to dance a lot
Every night she'd be on the floor shaking what she'd got
Man when I tell you she was cool, she was red hot
I mean she was steaming

And that time over at Johnny's place
Well this chick got up and she slapped Johnny's face
Man we just fell about the place
If that chick don't want to know, forget her

Spread the word around
Guess who's back in town

You spread the word around

Friday night they'll be dressed to kill
Down at Dino's bar and grill
The drink will flow and blood will spill
And if the boys want to fight, you'd better let them

That jukebox in the corner blasting out my favorite song
The nights are getting warmer, it won't be long
Won't be long till summer comes
Now that the boys are here again

The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
Spread the word around
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boy's are back, the boys are back

The boy's are back in town again
Been hangin' down at Dino's
The boy's are back in town again

Hehe well after that musical interlude, let us begin. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own of the characters or original plots. I do, however, own this story.

Remus ignored another piece of parchment which had been neatly folded and enchanted to flutter down beside him. He knew if he turned round he would see Sirius scowling at him, flicking his head in the direction of the note in attempt to make Remus look. Oh no, he thought to himself as he once again read the same sentence over in his text book; he wasn't going to fall for that trick today. Beside him Peter sat, anxiously looking down at the three squares of parchment that Sirius and James had sent, and, after waiting for McGonagall to slink off to the front of the classroom, he whispered nervously, "Aren't you going to open them?"

Remus didn't look up from his page as he replied simply, "I already know what they say."

Behind him Remus could hear Sirius and James whispering, their voices well practiced enough in speaking in low tones to avoid McGonagall's attention. Yet Remus, who was used to their way of speaking by now, barely had to strain his ears to hear James say, "He hasn't even looked at them. I can see them now…they're on the desk in front of him."

"Bah," Sirius said, his chair creaking and Remus imagined him leaning back and folding his arms across his chest, "He will look at them eventually if we annoy him enough."

Remus smiled at this and turned the page. Peter, who was becoming increasingly agitated beside him, craned his neck to read over Remus' shoulder, as if his text book said something that his own did not. Predictably another piece of parchment floated gently across the classroom before settling down next to Remus' elbow. Remus tried to ignore it, yet Peter began pulling on the arm of his robe as he pointed down at the desk. On the outside of this piece of parchment Sirius had written in his characteristically spidery handwriting; just read the bloody note Moony.

Grinning to himself, Remus lifted the note as if he was going to open it; feeling Peter watching him intently, knowing that behind him that James' and Sirius' eyes were also upon him. Then, making sure that he had raised his hand high enough for Sirius to see, he crunched the notes, balling them together before throwing them across the room and into the bin. As they ricocheted downwards McGonagall started; her eyes immediately drawn to the four boys at the back of the classroom, who were now all studying their text books serenely.

"Nice shot," Sirius mumbled under his breath, loud enough for both Remus and Peter to hear. James laughed; however, his face completely immobile as he felt himself still being scrutinized by McGonagall.

"Better watch out Padfoot…he'll be trying out for Chaser next."

"Oh come on Moony…it's not like it hasn't been done before…" Sirius said as they left the classroom, his voice close to a whine as he carefully watched Remus' face for any sign of relenting. Peter scurried next to them, finding it hard to keep up as Remus attempted to set the pace, unable to avoid James and Sirius as they walked backwards down the corridor in front of them.

"It was different then," Remus stressed, avoiding Sirius' eyes as he walked a little faster. "I wasn't a Prefect."

"Look," James continued after throwing a glance to Sirius, "We're not saying that you have to have any part in it whatsoever…we're merely suggesting that you just stand by and let it happen…you know…and if anyone happens to come along, you can perhaps warn us."

"I'll do it," Peter said hopefully. Sirius rolled his grey eyes before articulating slowly, "Yes only last time we left you in charge of lookout you got so frightened by the Bloody Baron that you transfigured…we couldn't find you for hours…"

James laughed, and even Remus couldn't fight the smile. Peter stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at the floor before he said sulkily, "It wasn't my fault! None of you were out there in the corridor with him were you?"

"Besides," Sirius continued, his eyes trying to meet Remus' who was very successfully avoiding them, "You're almost above suspicion now aren't you? Being a Prefect and all…I mean…I don't think anyone would suspect anything if they saw you wondering around the corridors at night." Remus shot Sirius an angry look; Sirius smiled sweetly, pleased with the victory he had won over Remus' eyes. Something inside Remus flipped as Sirius' lips curled into the self-assured smirk that seemed to send most girls hysterical. It annoyed Remus that he seemed to be able to manipulate without trying; he knew he was charming; he knew he was attractive; he knew that he could convince without even trying. He was arrogant and he knew it, and that somehow made it okay. James was the same; he knew he was arrogant and yet this seemed to excuse his behaviour which was sometimes, even by Sirius' standards, a little extreme.

Of course, James was not nearly as handsome as Sirius, not that Sirius himself seemed to realise or care. Remus had never known someone to take so little care over their appearance; most days he would just roll out of bed and into his robes, and still manage to look infuriatingly beautiful. That face…that was so capable of the darkest of looks and lightest of smiles; those lips…that could condemn and favour with the smallest of movements; those eyes…that seemed to constantly mock all that they turned to, and yet managed to appear like they were constantly close to tears. Oh yes, Sirius Black was easily considered the best looking boy at Hogwarts.

Remus, on the other hand, was certainly not what anyone would call handsome. His mother had often said his face had "character" which he had always taken of her way of making him feel better about looking completely ordinary. His lycanthropy did leave him looking wild sometimes; his amber eyes were sometimes ferocious compared to the softness of his face. Often he was exhausted from his monthly transformations; his face was often dark with fatigue. Remus hardly ever lifted his head from a book; his complexion was often pasty and washed out. He wasn't particularly dark and mysterious; he was just fair and cold, often silent, distant, consumed in the books he read. He wasn't on the Quidditch team and so did not attract the amount of female attention Sirius and James did with their athletic physique and their dazzling ability to get anyone on side if the needed too.

But, of course, there was only one girl James was interested in and she had just appeared at the end of the corridor that Sirius and James were doing there best to block.

"Oh look James, there's Evans," Sirius said, digging at him with his elbow. Immediately James' hands were in his hair, ruffling it to make it stick up before he shouted to the pretty red haired Gryffindor with the green eyes, "Alright Evans?"

Lily said nothing to James, her brow furrowing in disgust slightly before she turned to Remus and said, "I've been looking for you. I need to talk to you about something…" She paused, noticing the way that James in particular was watching her intently. She flashed Remus a quick smile before continuing, "Come and find me later when you've got rid of your present company…"

"Can I come later too?" James pressed, turning his body to block her path as well as Remus', as he stared hopefully into her eyes.

"I don't think so somehow," Lily said, failing to be amused. James face crumbled as if he was hurt, and, after pouting stupidly for a moment, he said smoothly, "Oh come on Evans…when are you going to go out with me? I know you like me…"

"For god's sake Evans," Sirius interjected impatiently, leaning against the wall, "Can you put him out of his misery already?"

Lily smiled sweetly, yet her voice was poisonous as she said to James, "Don't make me hex you Potter. Just get out of my way…" Remus smiled to himself as he watched James hesitate, obviously trying to work out whether or not Lily was serious. Yet experience had taught him not to underestimate her and, after bowing low, he moved and allowed to pass. For a moment, he watched her walk away, his eyes scanning her body before he sighed, "You know…I think I'm wearing her down."

"Oh yes," Sirius began, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he straightened up, "Make sure you let me know when you set the date…I've been looking for an excuse to buy a new hat."

Peter looked at Sirius confused. "Why would you need an excuse to buy a hat?"

Remus sighed and buried his face in his hands; Sirius laughed and James reacted by clipping Peter round the back of his head with the words, "Honestly Wormtail, sometimes I wonder if you were dropped on your head as a child."

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