Alright, so this chapter isn't much longer. In fact I think it's a bit shorter... Damn. Well there's always next chapter, right? To be honest, I didn't think that it was going to be much longer this chapter. But I hoped... Oh well. :)
Thanks to sylvantbreath, my amazing beta. You rock, dude.
Remus and Sirius opened the dormitory door as silent as possible, knowing James and Pete were most likely asleep by now. They both jumped nearly a foot in the air when James's voice came from his bed, "Back so late?" Sirius instantly magicked the light on and they could now see Pete and James sitting on their respective beds, wide awake and grinning. "So where were you two?" James asked.
"We were talking to Professor Ling." Sirius said evasively, moving to his bed and starting to clear off his bed. James raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, okay, sure." he said sarcastically. "You two felt the need to sneak out after hours to talk to a teacher. That makes sense. I mean, it's not like you could talk to them during the day. Now tell me," said James, leaning forward, "what you two were really up to." Remus rolled his eyes and hastily cut Sirius off, who had an evil glint in his eye as he opened his mouth and nothing good could happen when Sirius got that look in his eye.
"We were talking to Professor Ling, James. We were talking about the Muggle Studies trip." James's eyes swiveled over to meet Remus's. After a long moment, he nodded.
"Yeah, the one where they take everyone to a Muggle school in America, right? Why'd you have to talk about it with her?" Remus moved to his bed and started to clear it off to.
"Because of my furry little problem. I can't just start chattering on about it in broad daylight when anyone could walk into the room and overhear. Snape is bad enough; imagine if Malfoy knew. Or that Bellatrix." he said loudly over Sirius indignant shouts about how James wouldn't believe him but took Remus's word straight away. James and Pete ignored him away.
"So are you going to get to go?" asked Pete. Remus nodded.
"Yes, Professor Ling said she would work something out for me about my transformation there."
"Oh, right! When's the next full moon?" James said. "Are you going to have to transform there?" Remus bit his lip and nodded.
"Yes, the trip is in two weeks and the full moon is in third." he answered. James and Pete gave him long looks and exchanged worried glances with Sirius. Remus caught this and sighed. He sat down on his bed and crossed his arms.
"It'll be fine. Sirius'll be with me and Moony should be sufficiently distracted with him there. I hope." he added as an after thought. James hopped up and slung an arm around Remus.
"Don't worry, Moony. If Sirius doesn't distract him and keep you from getting hurt, I'll take care of him." James said this with a smile and Sirius paled, remembering how James had come after him after The Prank, a fight in which Sirius had definitely come out worse. Remus chuckled.
"If he doesn't sufficiently distract me, I expect he'll commit suicide before you get the chance." Sirius smirked and lay back on his bed.
"No doubt about it. I don't want to go through that hell again. Merlin, your strong when your mad, Prongs." Sirius said. He flicked his wand lazily and the lights went out. Although he couldn't see it, he could hear the smile in James's voice as he slid off Remus's bed and slipped into his own.
"That's right. So don't you dare cross me or you know what will happen." The sound of a fist slapping into a palm resounded across the room and everyone but Sirius laughed. None of them had any doubt that James would do it, too. That's just the kind of person he was: the kind that stuck up for his friends no matter what.
"Mr's. Black and Lupin, Professor Dumbledore would like to talk to you." Remus groaned and put his head in his hand. What had Sirius done this time. He glanced at Sirius out of the corner of his eye and he shrugged. Remus sighed and got up, walking out of Professor McGonagal's class and waiting for Sirius to leave just outside the door. When he appeared a few seconds later and closed the door behind him, Remus asked;
"Sirius, what did you do?" Sirius looked affronted.
"What do you mean, what did I do? Why would we be called down and not James if I had done something?" Remus had to admit he had a point. James and Sirius didn't pull pranks alone; they always did them together and never didn't at least tell Remus what they were up to. He thought for another moment and then it dawned on him. He slapped a palm to his forehead, not able to believe he was so stupid. Sirius shot him a questioning look.
"The trip, he wants to talk about my transformation, Sirius!" he said in a whisper in case any one was trying to listen in. "This is it; it all comes down to whether or not Dumbledore can find some way to make this work." Sirius nodded, mingled hope and anxiety in his eyes, although Remus was sure his reflected the same. He intertwined his fingers with Sirius's as they set of to the Headmasters office.
"Come in." called the familiar voice of the middle aged professor. Remus and Sirius were down here so often that both of them knew the Headmasters office's password. In fact, last time he had changed it two weeks ago, he had come right up to the Marauders at breakfast and told them the password, saying,"No doubt you'll be needing it, so I might just save myself the trouble.", which earned a snort from Pete and a disdainful glance from Lily Evans. Remus opened the door, followed closely by the young Black. Dumbledore gestured to two chairs in front of his desk and they both sat.
"So, Remus, Professor Ling tells me you would like to go on the Muggle studies trip to America." Remus swallowed and nodded.
"Yes sir." he replied. Sirius said nothing, but continued to stare fixedly at the desk.
"Well, I do agree with Professor Ling in that as long as precautions are taken, there should be no problem. However, you have to realize that much more - em - forceful precautions will have to be taken in a Muggle society. If I had my way, I would have you transform in a wizarding village, but..." he trailed off. They nodded. Remus knew exactly what he meant; none of the villagers would allow it. They would see it as only endangering themselves no matter how careful they were, and they were right. They would be putting themselves in unnecessary danger had they agreed to this. Remus didn't blame them, but judging by how Sirius clenched his fists in the chair next to him, he did.
"I do not like the alternative at all, but you must realize its out of my hands." he cleared his throat, and Remus thought that this was probably the first time he had ever seen the Headmaster look at all uncomfortable, anything but completely sure of his words. Remus shot Sirius a quick questioning look out of the corner of his eyes, and Sirius gave him a small half shrug.
"Remus, it has been requested that you be kept chained during the full moon." Dumbledore said with only the tiniest hint of anger in his voice. "I personally think that this is not the best course of action, but some think otherwise." Remus wasn't very surprised, but he couldn't help but wonder who it was who had requested this. His first thought was Professor Ling, but she had never shown any signs of prejudice against him. Then again, prejudice and misunderstanding were two completely different things. Sirius shook with suppressed rage, but Remus calmly nodded.
"Yes, that makes sense sir." he said quietly. "In a Muggle area especially we can't risk Moo- me getting out." Dumbledore nodded.
"Sir, if this was it, why did you call me down as well?" asked Sirius, visibly upset but keeping his voice level. A small twinkle returned to Dumbledore's eyes.
"Ah yes. Sirius, I meant to ask why you decided to take Muggle Studies. You have never appeared to be interested in Muggles at all in the past; why the sudden change of heart?" Remus got the feeling that Dumbledore was getting at something else here, but he said nothing and simply looked at Sirius, waiting for him to answer.
Sirius blushed very slightly. "Oh. That. Well, I guess I joined because I... Well, Remus would be all alone, and he has us in all his regular classes and Pete and James took all the same things so they were together but Rem wasn't and-"
"You took the class to keep him company then?" he interrupted. Without giving Sirius time to respond, he turned to Remus and winked. Then to Sirius,"You are a good friend, Sirius. Now the two of you should hurry back to class. I expect it's almost over." Remus and Sirius jumped up and said goodbye before hurrying from the room and down the steps to the hall.
Remus couldn't help but think, exactly how many people know about us dating?