Remus knew there was blood in his mouth before he regained consciousness. Reflexively he sputtered in an attempt to rid his mouth of the coppery liquid. His mind slowly drifted back into life, and his eyes slowly opened and focused on the sky. He was laying flat on his back, his body bare, cold, and vulnerable after last night's transformation. In an instant, he realized what the taste in his mouth must have meant. He sat up instantly, his body rigid and his breathing shallow. He shivered, drawing his hand to his mouth. When he pulled his hand back to his face he could see drops of crimson, a frightening confirmation that his worst fear had come true. His eyes widened and his pulse increased before he jumped to his feet and sprinted away, despite being sore and cold.

His adrenaline drove him forward. He needed to find a place to hide.

&&&

James was still numb.

He had been sitting motionless on his bed since he had returned from the Hospital Wing. He was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing the night before, well aware that they are stained with the blood of his best friend. He could not bring himself to move. It felt as if his mind was no longer concerned with controlling his body, too preoccupied by the fact that two of his best friends were very much in danger of dying.

Slowly, he allowed himself to lie backwards on his bed, his eyes focusing blankly on the ceiling above him. It didn't seem right that the dormitory was so empty, and he could not help but believe that he had helped to cause all of this.

He had been unable to control Moony. He had let him get away. He had let Moony attempt to tear Padfoot limb from limb.

Normally, James was the one who took special care in planning their late night excursions. He was the one who made sure Moony was always surrounded, and who kept a close eye on him when he and Padfoot fought in the darkness. He always fixed things when they seemed to be going terribly wrong. Last night, he hadn't done his job, and Sirius and Remus were paying the price.

He sighed quietly before turning onto his side and burying his face in his pillow. In a few hours, he would force himself to get up and check on Sirius.

The door to the dormitory opened. Peter walked inside.

"James?" His voice was quiet. He was obviously afraid.

James turned to face him. Peter was startled by the remnants of tears that were scattered across James's face.

"James," Peter repeated, glancing sympathetically at his friend, "Your clothes…You're still wearing…"

"I know," James responded shortly, sitting up in his bed. "I couldn't…get the energy, I guess, to change out of them."

"Sirius will be fine," Peter reassured half-heartedly, "I'm sure he'll be all right."

James noticed he has said nothing about Remus. "Hmm," James intoned lamely, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses. "I…I really hope so." His voice cracked. Peter glanced down at his feet, as if embarrassed to be witnessing this.

"They haven't found him," Peter continued quietly. "They looked through the Forest and through Hogsmeade. He wasn't there. He must have traveled farther out than that…"

James nodded. He did not know how else to respond. He felt tears prickling on the corners of his eyes and wiped them away quickly, unwilling to cry in front of Peter.

"Dumbledore wants to see us. They sent me in to get you."

"Now?" James sighed desperately, wanting nothing more than to be alone.

"Yes. It's urgent. Mc Gonagall's really angry. I think…" Peter faltered.

"You think?"

"I think we might get expelled." Peter was hysterical now. "We broke the law James!"

"Of course we did," James countered impassively. "You knew that when we agreed to do it."

"But you said we'd never get caught! That's what you and Sirius said, and I believed you! You said we wouldn't get in any trouble, but look! Look! We might be expelled!"

"I can't believe you, Peter." James's voice was suddenly cold and irritable.

"Wh-what?"

"Sirius almost died last night. Remus is fucking missing, and all you can think about is how you're going to get expelled?"

"I didn't…I mean…"

"I don't care. You said it, so you must have meant it." James stood up and headed for the door.

"James…Where are you going?"

"Dumbledore wants to see us."

"You shouldn't go…like that…you're covered in…in blood, James!"

James stopped in front of the door before grudgingly realizing that Peter had a point. He headed to his trunk and began to get dressed.

"James?" Peter began tentatively.

"What?"

"Are you angry at me?"

"I don't know," James replied honestly, "All of this is hard enough without me getting angry at you."

Peter nodded, but was unsure as to what James meant.

"C'mon," James continued, storing the blood-stained clothes under his bed, "Dumbledore wants to see us."

&&&

Sirius had been sent to Dumbledore's office.

It was still hard for him to move around for too long. His ribs were still cracked, making breathing especially difficult, and his head still throbbed uncomfortably, making him prone to dizziness. He paused in front of the doorway to the Headmaster's office, panting, knowing that if it weren't for the severity of the situation, he would still be laying in his bed in the Hospital Wing. Considering this made him feel nauseous again.

He muttered the password dismally, not looking forward to this meeting at all. He stepped through the threshold, noticing that the rest of his friends were already there. Sirius was miserable, and James's relieved smile was not enough to change his mood.

&&&

Peter was afraid of more than expulsion. What they have done is illegal, and he knew they deserved worse than whatever punishment Hogwarts was able to throw at them. He wondered if he will be thrown into Azkaban.

Dumbledore sat serenely behind his desk, silent and authoritative as he waited for Sirius to arrive. Mc Gonagall stood by his right shoulder, her expression indecipherable. Peter wished he knew what they were thinking.

Beside him, James sat, his shoulders hunched with worry, his expression wary and uncertain. He glanced hopefully at the door occasionally, obviously awaiting Sirius's arrival eagerly. It bothered Peter that James was so uncharacteristically serious and uncertain. This was not the James he knew well. He could not remember ever witnessing James being this desperate and helpless. James Potter's infamous confidence had disappeared, and to Peter, this was a very frightening thing.

The door opened, and Sirius entered, his walk unsteady and his movements obviously laboured. James turned and smiled half-heartedly, euphoric that his best friend was alive and conscious, but concerned that it was difficult for him to move.

Sirius did not smile back.

Peter winced. Sirius wasn't being himself either. Peter did not know how much more of this he can take.

"Thank you for joining us Mr. Black," Dumbledore began formally. "Please, take a seat."

Sirius took a seat with difficulty, and Peter noticed James glance sympathetically at Sirius before turning to face Dumbledore. The headmaster cleared his throat, as if he is unsure as to how to begin. He looked at the three of them carefully, his emotions unreadable.

"Last night," Dumbledore began, addressing Sirius, "when Mr. Pettigrew called for Madame Pomfrey to help fetch you from the Forest, there were many…questions that needed to be answered. While you were recuperating in the Hospital Wing, Mr. Potter and Mr. Pettigrew were kind enough to explain to us what we needed to know. There will be no need to explain what you have been up to routinely these past two years, and there will definitely be no need for you to provide any further explanation of what you have done, nor is there a need for you to explain for motivation for doing such a thing."

"It was very foolish and dangerous thing for you all to have done," Mc Gonagall interrupted. Peter winced. Her words were harsh, and her expression was frighteningly nervous and disapproving. "I cannot believe that such an idea could have entered into your minds, and it is even more unbelievable that you actually decided to go through with it."

"There is no need for a lecture, Minerva," the headmaster interrupted, "I do believe that we have lectured Potter and Pettigrew enough on this subject last night, and I think Mr. Black is not ignorant of the severity of his actions."

"Are we going to be expelled?" Peter cried suddenly, too overwhelmed by the situation to restrain himself.

"I feel there is no need for discipline. The urgency of this situation does not leave us any time for it, and I do not feel the three of you have done anything to deserve being expelled." Peter gasped at his good fortune, and in his excitement was going to speak again, but Dumbledore cut him off. "As I have said before, this situation is quite urgent, and it is quite grave, so this meeting has been called so that we may adequately deal with the consequences of the night before. Mr. Lupin is still missing, and it is necessary to find him immediately, before the Ministry or anyone else can. There are still two nights of the full moon left, and he cannot be allowed to wander alone." Dumbledore paused, and reflexively lowered his eyes, stealing a somber glance at Mc Gonagall before continuing. "Regulus Black has been bitten. As headmaster, it is my duty to inform his parents of what has happened, and an owl has been sent out to them this morning."

It was then that Sirius, who had been silent and impassive throughout this meeting, began to scream.

&&&

"No!"

It was more than a plea; it was an expression of shock and disbelief. It was the desperate cry of someone who knows that a situation that seemed to already be at its worst was about to become exponentially worse. It was the guilty screams of someone who knew that all that has happened was entirely his fault.

Sirius could feel everyone's eyes on him, and while he felt Peter's frightened glance and James's apprehensive stare the most prominently, he kept his gaze trained threateningly at the headmaster.

"I had no other choice, Sirius, you must understand. As headmaster, it is my duty to—"

"You don't understand! Telling that bitch is—"

"Sirius, please watch your language."

"You've just sentenced them to their deaths!" Sirius's voice was a hysterical shriek now, and the sight of his hysteria caused Peter to whimper and James's blood to run cold.

"I assure you, Sirius, that your mother will not harm anyone. I will not allow it."

"You don't know her," Sirius said defiantly, "She'll stop at nothing to get what she wants, and what she'll want is Regulus and Remus…" He could not bring himself to continue.

"Trust me, Sirius. I am not easily intimidated by women like Walburga Black."

"Maybe you should be," Sirius muttered under his breath. Dumbledore acted as if he hasn't heard Sirius.

"As far as the three of you are concerned," McGonagall's stern voice continued, "you still must deal with the consequences of your recklessness. Walburga Black's rage notwithstanding, there is still the matter of Mr. Lupin's disappearance. Naturally, we will not rest until he is found. Unfortunately we do not have the resources to search indefinitely while still insuring the safety of all those involved."

"That is where the three of you come in." Dumbledore smiled half-heartedly at them as he spoke, his blue eyes watching them cautiously over the rims of his spectacles.

"Excuse me, Professor," James began, stuttering slightly out of anxiousness, "But are you honestly giving us permission to go looking for him?"

"Logically speaking, the three of you have already made sure that you would be perfectly safe in the presence of a werewolf. You seem to be the best candidates."

"But we're only seventeen! You can't actually trust us to wander all over Britain on our own!" Peter was stuttering as he speaks, and his voice was a frantic squeak.

"You would think," Sirius growled viciously, "That has a headmaster his duty would be to protect his students." His words were flat and mutinous, an act of revenge against Dumbledore's ultimate betrayal. In reality, Sirius wanted nothing more than the freedom to search for Remus on his own, but his resentment towards the headmaster prevented him from mentioning this.

"I am not expecting the three of you to go on your own, Mr. Pettigrew," Dumbledore paused and watched the three of them knowingly, and Sirius was annoyed that Dumbledore is continuing to ignore him. "You forget, of course, that we have a registered Animagus on staff."

In a moment of realization, the three of them glanced, in unison, to Professor McGonagall.