The following may contain adult situations of every manor.

Don't pretend like you won't like it.

"Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends,
Mmm, gonna try with a little help from my friends.
Ooh, I get high with a little help from my friends.
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends,
with a little help from my friends."

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS- THE BEATLES

Sirius,

My mother and father are leaving to see my sick (for real!) Grandmother in Italy for a while, they leave in four days. You can come over then, if you still would like to.

-RJL

The letter was rolled and tied to my owl Oscar. The bird was... Odd to say the least. He had a wonky eye, probably from a scuffle with a fellow owl, and his feathers looked perpetually ruffled when really his feathers were just patchy and tended to grow in clumps. Would Sirius even recognize him? The last time Oscar showed up at school Sirius was too busy laughing at the bird's faulty landing to actually look at him. Poor Oscar, it's not his fault he only has two talons on his one foot.

The bird was gone for a long while, almost three days. I knew the address that Sirius occupied but not exactly where it was. By the time Oscar returned my parents were almost ready to go, and he bore no response. Curious. I was expecting something from Sirius... Perhaps the owl was intercepted by his parents, and sent back? Merlin, I hope not. My address wasn't on the letter but the initials RJL could possibly give it away, especially with the strong ties into the depths of the ministry. I suppose I'll hope for the best.

"We're just about ready to go then, my boy." My father smiled warmly at me and patted my shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't want to come along? We will be back in time for your..." My mother let the sentence drop. She hated having to bring up my changes, but it was something always to be weary of, especially with timing. I shan't be turning into a werewolf in he middle of apparation. Imagine a splinched werewolf?

"I... Yes, I'll be fine. I've just got home, and I would like to relax a little here before any traveling is done. Besides my room needs to be cleaned, and I have some holiday work that has to be done for next school year." I smiled awkwardly at my parents. I hated my father's mother, she was a monster, but my parents could never know that. I made excuses, and they bought them. I loved my parents, but I never knew how to talk to them. We were so different. My mother, who is a muggle, and my father, who is pure blood, both are so parallel to what I am. A half blood werewolf. My mother can't even relate when I talk about school, let alone if my friends were to come when they were here.

"Alright son, I love you, stay safe. If you need anything, you know where we will be. There is floo powder under the sink in the back of the cabinet." My father kissed my forehead and my mother smoothed my hair over my head.

"I love you, good bye." I said and, in a flash, they were gone to Italy.

"I thought they'd never leave!" Said a voice.

"Oi! Wotcher Remus!" Said a second voice, both of which came from my tree.

I looked up, my eyes wide. In the small oak tree outside of my house sat Sirius and Peter. They had their brooms in hand and their trunks higher up in the tree. Their wicked grins both scared and excited me. I hadn't received a response, so I assumed that Sirius wouldn't be showing up, let along be bringing Peter.

"I... Is James there?" I looked up into the tree, squinting against the fading sunlight in an attempt to make out a face or anything.

"Aren't we good enough mate?" Sirius shouted before jumping from the tree, followed by Peter, who wasn't nearly as graceful as the taller boy.

"James is 'not allowed out of his room, especially not for a daft adventure' said his mum." Peter elaborated, thankfully.

"Oh... I see. Well, that just ruins the whole thing since he is just obviously my favorite, and you two are just boring wankers!" I shrilled and laughed.

"Oi! You bloody sod! Who do you think you're talking to? I am from the most noble and ancient house of Black, I am the purest of the pure, and should be treated with respect!" Sirius' banter had gained a regal, but old, sounding tone complete with his nose in the air and his pinky out.

"How quaint." I crossed my arms and cocked a brow.

"Yes, I suppose this shack of a home is." Sirius cackled madly.

"Well if it's not good enough for your godliness I suppose you could just leave?" I laughed to Peter.

"Now now, no need to be so brash. This will... Suffice." Sirius climbed back up into the tree to fetch his and Peter's trunks. "Peter! Lookout below!"

The large, brown trunk fell from the tree and hit the ground with a thud. It was magically held together, so practically invincible, and the leather straps definitely forced the bag to stay closed. He dropped the second trunk and it landed on top of Peter's with a thud,but not quite as harsh as that of the first. Sirius' trunk was massive, black, and had gold corners put on as well as engraved with S.B. on the top. It was absolutely regal, and absolutely Sirius.

"How long do you people plan on staying?" I peered at the trunks. There had to be weeks worth of clothing inside.

"Until the cows come home, dearest Remus." Sirius winked and Peter laughed.

"When are your parents coming back?" Peter asked.

"I... I don't know. My grandmother is fairly ill, if she croaks then I guess the trip will be short, but if she lives then I have no idea how long. The woman is an old bat." I scoffed. My distaste for the woman was truly astronomical. "When are you getting a girlfriend?" She would ask as soon as we all sat down to dinner, and my desired response would be "When our 'time of the month' isn't in synch." Most of the time I just shrugged and stared at my lap, or my plate, either of which became immensely interesting in the matter of seconds.

"Tell us how you really feel, Remus." Peter smirked in a meager attempt to look like James.

"Well in that case you lot are just crazy, coming to stay for Merlin knows how long!" I faked an angry face.
"Oh dear, I guess we'll have to camp outside since Remus doesn't want us in his humble abode too long! Alas, Peter, your clothes will be stitched together to make the tent!" Sirius ran over to Peter's trunk, rather flamboyantly I might add, and began to attempt to open it.

"Alas, dearest Sirius, now that we are completely capable of turning into beasts we require no tents, nor clothes!" Peter ran over, just as flamboyantly, and looked at me the entire time he said this.

"You can do it?" I looked between Sirius and Peter. Within moments I was no longer looking at them, but rather their animagi form. A large, black, shaggy dog, and a small, brown rat with small tufts of hair sprouting from the tips of his ears.

The dog came over to me and sat at my feet, looking up at me and finally barking. The bark was deep and harsh sounding, the rat toddled over and sat back on his hind legs. For a second, a thought popped into my head that this may actually work; not just my having friends, and keeping them, but them staying with me during my transformation as animals. The Wolf would love the dog, I'm sure, Peter won't be able to come close for fear of being eaten or trampled, and James as a stag would probably be confusing to the Wolf at first but I don't think there would be a problem.

"We should have nicknames." Sirius said as he stood and walked back towards the trunks, which still were precariously placed in the same way as when Sirius was mock pulling Peter's open.

Sirius handed Peter is trunk and Remus led them into his house to put their things down. There wasn't much to do in the Lupin household. The television only received the basic five channels, most of which were a little fuzzy, there were multitudes of books, and chess. Outside was where most things were... A stream ran behind the small farm house, and it was icy cold all year round, even in the sweltering heat of the summer. The day was hot and humid, and the sun was at it's highest point.

"Shall we swim?" Peter looked out of my kitchen window towards the stream, then looked back at Sirius and I.

"Like I said before, we should have nicknames." Sirius, Peter and I all walked down towards the stream, Sirius stripping and talking as we went. "Something to do with our animagus forms."
"Except I'm not an animagi, so what will I be? Wolfy?" I scoffed. Nicknames were nothing good for me... Loony Lupin, Loopy Lupin, Bitch. Grammar school was not good to me.

"No, no, Remus. Nothing direct, not obvious, not fruity either. I want to be... Shaggy?" We reached the stream, well they did, I was stopped dead in my tracks. Was he crazy? Well yes, but that was rhetorical.

"No. I refuse to call you that. What are somethings that are noted about dogs? Not characteristics necessarily, but physical. Wagging tails, wet noses, scruffy, padded feet, hairy." I looked between Sirius and Peter. Sirius was mostly undressed, all that remained to take off were his socks. Peter had just taken his shirt off.

"What about me?" Peter was now sitting on the ground, untying his shoelaces. "Rats have big teeth, long and wiggly tails, little eyes."

"Wormtail." I uttered. Sirius' face lit up. It wasn't the best, but it was a start for what we were making ourselves into, which was more or less a cult.

"Brilliant..." Peter sighed, he was the first with a name and he had already drawn the short stick. Nothing could be worse than Wormtail. Wormy for short, probably.

"What about James? He's a stag. Long antlers, majestic, hooves." Sirius was already in the water and sitting with the water running over his legs, he took the attention from Peter just as usual.

"We should focus on his antlers. He will probably only have stubs, not a full rack." Peter said, he was trying to make James' name terrible like his own, and it was obvious.

"No, I've seen him as a stag, he has massive salad forks as antlers. It's incredible... Well, once he actually is a stag, it takes him bloody forever." Sirius leaned back and propped himself up on his elbows, they dug into the soft bank, and the water was now rushing over his abdomen. Peter was now standing in the water, his boxers were blue with gold snitches all over them.

"Forks?" I suggested. I looked at the other two in the water, sighed in my head, and began to take my clothes off. My shirt peeled off of my sweaty back and I tossed it aside. I was unbuttoning my jeans when Sirius started to talk again.

"Maybe..." He was now laying on the bank, most of his body out, with just his legs dangling in the rushing water. "What about um Prongs?"
"I like it. James probably will too, what do you think Pet- Wormtail?" I looked over at Peter who was sitting in the water, near the edge.
"It's good, now it's jus' you and Sirius." He smiled and nodded to Sirius.

I stripped down to my skivvies and passed Sirius to get into the stream. He sat up and looked at my back, my arms, and my legs. They were marred with old scars and fresher ones, the bruises of the last moon were still visible as well. Peter was looking as well. When I turned so they could see the front of my body their faces changed greatly. The front of my body is far worse than the back, much more bruising and scratches. My right shoulder is my least favorite part of my body, as if I have a favorite, for it bears the scar of the original attack. The scar is a knot of twisted tissue. The silvery skin expands towards my neck and down my upper arm.
"What are characteristics of werewolves?" Sirius nearly whispered. "Hairy, large, yellow eyes, they howl, and they change at the full moon."
"I'd prefer something to do with the moon, possibly something with howling as well. Nothing with hairy, please." I glanced at Peter, who was still staring at my scars. I sat in the stream. Nothing would get done if they just continued to stare.

"The moon or howling." Sirius tapped his chin with his index finger and closed his eyes.
"What about Moony?" Peter chimed in unexpectedly. Even when he was unhappy with his name he made mine a pretty good one.

"Peter! That's brilliant!" Sirius was ecstatic. "We're the Marauders! Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs! No... Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs!" Sirius was standing now, his eyes were large as was his smile.

"When will James be told?" I asked as I began to move rocks. Sometimes there are crayfish in the stream, even with the bone chilling water. I came up empty handed this time.

"You're going with him to the beach, yeah? Tell him then." Peter looked at me, not in my face, but at my arms. I nodded back, but he didn't even notice for his focus was entirely on my scarred flesh.

The trip to the stream was not long lasting after the nicknames were assigned. The three of us went back into the house and began to search for food as well as something to do. We sat at the kitchen table and ate lunch of champions, that being sandwiches, chips, pretzels, and freeze pops. We weren't really talking, we had time for that later, right now we were hungry. Well they were hungry, I only ate my sandwich and pecked at the other food, I was busy thinking.

"How did you guys even get here?" I looked at Peter, who would likelier give a real answer, unlike Sirius who would have began an intricate tale of the slaying of a dragon and the capture of it's dragon babies that they trained and flew here on.

"Brooms." Peter said between bites of pretzel.

"My parents wouldn't let me take a broom so I used to floo to get to Peter's. They have no idea that I'm here." Sirius laughed. His parents didn't let him do much of anything since his sorting into Gryffindor, but they knew the Pettigrew's rather well so the trip to Peter's was allowed, but barely I'm sure.

It was close to four in the afternoon and still on the first day of their arrival and there was nothing to do. My mother was a muggle so many of the things we had were not common in a wizarding house. My father's possessions were minimal. He sold what he could to make sure things were payed for, like my Wolfsbane potion. Both Sirius and Peter were vastly intrigued by the typewriter on the small desk in the living room. Those with magical ability can just dictate to their quill and it writes everything out, with perfect accuracy I may add.

We explored practically every part of my house over the next three days. The attic was first on the list. There we found an old seamstresses mannequin, which Sirius danced and took pictures with an old muggle camera. There were boxes and boxes of old files from my father's time in all sorts of departments at the ministry. Most of the boxes were filled with paperwork, and none of us touched that. The attic was full of muggle and wizard things that none of us had ever really seen, except for a few things Sirius recognized as 'ancient wizard pieces' that he has in his house.

The second day we dug around my basement to see what was there. The first place they wanted to go was unto the wine cellar, which was actually the room I went into during my transformations. The room was no longer a wine cellar at all, the walls were reinforced with magic and could only be opened with a slew of spells, all of which I knew but they needn't that information. In the rest of the basement was a washer, a dryer, my old tricycle, a bookcase full of paint cans, a storage shelf full of tools, and more boxes of Merlin knows what. I wasn't as comfortable going through things down here, seeing as it's main purpose was for my transformations.

The third day was to go through the family room. That was the worst day. Sirius and Peter found my baby pictures. Nothing else was as important, so immediately after this discovery all efforts for finding other things were stopped. There were five books of baby pictures. One for each year, apparently.

"Oh, look at the ickle Remus!" Sirius cooed over the moving and nonmoving pictures of me as a baby. The ones they loved the most were when I was being bathed in the kitchen sink and had the biggest, and most toothless, grin of any of the pictures.

"Why did they stop after you turned five?" Sirius asked.

"It was when I was attacked." I said solemnly. If there is one thing I hate more than my affliction it's what it affects other than my daily life, and how long it's been affecting it. People wouldn't expect it to bubble over into childhood photos, but it certainly does. Who would want pictures of a scarred and bruised child? Others would think they're snapshots of abuse cases, when in reality it's just what I look like the day or two after my transformation.

"Oh..." Sirius said after a long pause. "I... I'm sorry, I didn't." He stammered slightly. Even at our young age of near adolescence things like this required maturity that most adults didn't even have. My friends, who were twelve and thirteen, didn't even hate me, when those who've never even met a werewolf (not even a bad one.) hate me.

"Did you pack a tent?" I asked, breaking the tension and awkwardness that hung in the air. "We should camp out tonight. I can tell you about the stars, and the moon."

"Oi! I have it!" Peter stood and left to get it from his trunk.

"I am sorry, Re-Moony." Sirius closed the baby books and placed them on the table. We sat on the couch together in silence until Peter returned.

We head outside to set the tent up, it was almost five in the afternoon and the sun was setting slowly, and the temperature was dropping just as slowly. Peter was the one who ran in and out to get the things we needed. The tent was up in a matter of fifteen minutes, the sleeping bags and lantern were within the tent and ready in less than half that time. The evening was cool, and the sky was clear. Stars were peeking through dimming sky and the moon was barely visible.

I went inside to get food, as I went between the counter and the fridge I glanced outside towards Sirius and Peter as they finished up with the tent. They were chatting, Sirius stretched as he looked out at the setting sun, Peter had his hands on his hips. My friends were here, granted James wasn't present, but still. I had friends. Real, actual, accepting friends who wanted to be here and not just for their benefit. We were only weeks into the summer and I was already excited for my third year at Hogwarts, and it was only two short months away.

A/N

…...I hate Peter Pettigrew but he was an original Marauder, and their friend, so his presence in this story is going to be strong. People write fanfictions and they exclude him or they make him completely idiotic and bumbling while the other characters are quick witted and amazing, which isn't right. His character is so awesomely horrendous because of how close of friends they were during the Marauder years, it's supposed to make the things he did so much worse.

…...A.