Many many thanks again to all my loffly reviewers! You're great!
Quick notes to the people I didn't e-mail:
Mysid: You do indeed sense misunderstandings ahead - and quite possibly a certain incident involving a certain tree and a certain jealous marauder ^_- (I'm not completely sure yet though)
Ninjachicks: I'm not quite sure where you came up with that. Was anyone else under the impression that Snape was in the common room at any point?
Untamed: Thanks. Glad you liked my singing Sirius. I thought he was inspired (Well, not really. Me and my friends were just making fun of our archaeology book, and invented the song he was singing) (
Blueberry: Enthusiastic much? *wink* Well here's the more you asked for...
Chapter Four
"A 'T'! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"I'm... I'm sorry..."
"Not good enough, werewolf! Your secret's out!"
Face began to appear in the gloom behind Snape. His fellow students' features twisted into horrible, mocking smiles as a chant rose up, beginning slowly, but growing faster and louder with each beat;
Werewolf,
Werewolf,
Werewolf,
WEREWOLF!
Remus fell to his knees hopelessly. He tried to hide, but the scornful shapes surrounded him on all sides. Suddenly the crowd parted and three figures stepped forward. Lupin's heart leapt - here were people he could count on.
"Peter, James, Siri..."
His words trailed off as he saw their expressions. There was no hint of compassion, not an ounce of friendliness, barely even a sign of recognition. As Remus watched this, his heart breaking, Peter and James joined in the chanting - their voices rising above all the rest. Sirius, however, stepped forward. The tawny-haired boy was still on his knees as Sirius loomed over him, silver spoon in hand.
"Let's see how you enjoy this, werewolf," He growled maliciously, bringing the metal down to strike Remus across the face.
"No! Please, stop!" Remus cried out as the blow caught him in the face. He fell to the ground whimpering. The crowd began to close in...
"Remus! Moony! Wake up! Please..."
Jerking awake, Lupin found himself still on the couch next to Sirius, who looked as though he'd just had the fright of his life. 'Just a dream...only a dream.' Remus almost cried with relief. It had all been so real...
"Thank god you woke up. You looked as though you were having a fit or something. I got really scared. I woke up a couple of minutes ago and you were asleep on my shoulder. I'd almost drifted off again when you started shaking like mad and yelling out."
"Did I wake anyone?"
"Other than me, I don't think so. They're all knackered out. But, more importantly, are you ok mate? What happened?"
"Just a nightmare, happens all the time..."
Sirius frowned. Remus realised his mistake. Damn.
"All the time? But you never make a peep when you're sleeping, Rem."
"It mostly happens around full moon. I just put a charm on my bed so I don't annoy you guys." He tried to sound casual, but it was proving to be difficult. He was still shaking, and so was his voice.
"Moony, you idiot - why didn't you just wake us? God, if that happens to you regularly I wouldn't mind losing a few nights sleep to help stop it."
"I don't want to be a bother."
"I've told you before - repeatedly- you're not a bother. Promise me you won't silence yourself anymore?"
Remus couldn't really think of any reply to that. At home he'd always been sent back to bed if he complained to his parents about nightmares. They just thought he ought to have gotten over them by now. People didn't need to be irritated just because of a few stupid dreams. Sirius was still waiting for a reply, but didn't get one. Remus simply smiled weakly and tried to get up to go to bed. However, the almost full moon, his hard days work, and the terror instilled by his dream were taking their toll and he fell back onto the couch, knees shaking. Sirius grinned.
"Need a hand?"
"Actually, yeah. That'd be a good idea."
Remus put his arm around the taller boy's shoulder and allowed himself to be helped across the room and up the stairs. When they reached the dorm he sat down on Sirius' bed, which was the closest to the door.
"Just hang on a sec, I've gotta run down to get my books and stuff. I'll be back before you know it."
As Sirius disappeared out the door, the smaller boy considered going across to his own bed by himself, but decided he'd probably fall, break something and wake James and Peter. He lay back, and, by the time Sirius returned, was sound asleep.
...
"Sirius, wake up! You'll be late!"
Remus awoke to see James, who'd just flung aside the curtains around Sirius' four-poster, staring at him with a bemused expression on his face.
"Moony? What're you doing in Sirius' bed? And why have you got all the blankets?"
With a start the boy realised he was in the same place he'd been waiting for Sirius last night, and that there were now two blankets covering him. Sirius was visible at the other end of the bed, curled into a ball, with nothing but a cloak covering his pyjama-clad form.
"Siri?" Remus asked groggily.
The sleeping form stirred gently. Lupin was about to call again, but James had other ideas. He went up and prodded to boy in the stomach.
"Oi! Lazyass, get up!"
Sirius sprung up suddenly, and glared at James through sleepy eyes.
"Couldn't have been a bit more gentle, could you?" He yawned widely as he spoke, and then shivered a bit. "You ok now, Moony?"
"Yeah. But why've I got all these blankets, Siri? You're freezing."
"Well, you'd fallen asleep again when I came back up with the books and I didn't want to wake you again, so I just chucked a blanket over you and left you there. I went and grabbed the covers off your bed, but you started shivering so I gave you those too. Figured I'd be ok with just that," He gestured towards the cloak.
"But you're not, you idiot - you're shivering now."
"Well, if I'd left you the way you were, then you'd have woken up again. It's full moon tonight and, like James said yesterday, you needed sleep."
"But..."
"Look, it doesn't really matter. What time is it? We'd better hurry if we want to eat any breakfast."
"Siri..."
"What?"
"Thanks."
Sirius had brought his own books up to the dorm, but Remus' were still scattered across the table. He told the others to go on while he cleared up.
A few minutes later, as Remus was hurrying down the corridor, Snape appeared out of a doorway and slammed the boy up against the wall.
"I trust you did my prep?"
"Yeah... I did..." Lupin held out his schoolbag. Snape took the rolls of parchment containing his essays and glanced through them. Returning his attention to Remus he pushed him harder against the wall.
"And they'd better get a good grade!"
Lupin opened his mouth to answer, but he was so worried about both Snape's work and the full moon that night that he threw up all down the Slytherin's front. Snape glared at him furiously and then, in a fit of rage, pulled Lupin's own homework from his bag and ripped it up into the smallest possible pieces he could.
"Meet me again at lunch," he hissed, before stalking off.
No longer being held up by Snape, Remus lost his only means of support and slumped against the wall. A few stray tears leaked from his eyes, but they were brushed away hurriedly. Calming his hitching breath somewhat, Lupin managed to gather the strength to get to his feet. Taking a last, woeful glance at the shredded paper on the floor he set off towards the North Tower for Divination. What a day this was looking to be - it had started out terribly, and could only get worse. Remus dreaded explaining his lack of homework to his teachers, and - even more so - to his friends, most of whom had watched him do it.
End chapter four.
Rather pointless chapter. Fluffy beginning - which I thoroughly enjoyed writing ^_^ - then I tried to move back onto the plot, but it didn't get very far. I think I'm just making the most of my opportunity for Remus torture. I'm sorry *glomps* But I got it done sooner than I expected, so I'm happy about that. Next chapter: Sirius and James get suspicious, and the lies deepen. *Suspense galore*
Quick notes to the people I didn't e-mail:
Mysid: You do indeed sense misunderstandings ahead - and quite possibly a certain incident involving a certain tree and a certain jealous marauder ^_- (I'm not completely sure yet though)
Ninjachicks: I'm not quite sure where you came up with that. Was anyone else under the impression that Snape was in the common room at any point?
Untamed: Thanks. Glad you liked my singing Sirius. I thought he was inspired (Well, not really. Me and my friends were just making fun of our archaeology book, and invented the song he was singing) (
Blueberry: Enthusiastic much? *wink* Well here's the more you asked for...
Chapter Four
"A 'T'! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"I'm... I'm sorry..."
"Not good enough, werewolf! Your secret's out!"
Face began to appear in the gloom behind Snape. His fellow students' features twisted into horrible, mocking smiles as a chant rose up, beginning slowly, but growing faster and louder with each beat;
Werewolf,
Werewolf,
Werewolf,
WEREWOLF!
Remus fell to his knees hopelessly. He tried to hide, but the scornful shapes surrounded him on all sides. Suddenly the crowd parted and three figures stepped forward. Lupin's heart leapt - here were people he could count on.
"Peter, James, Siri..."
His words trailed off as he saw their expressions. There was no hint of compassion, not an ounce of friendliness, barely even a sign of recognition. As Remus watched this, his heart breaking, Peter and James joined in the chanting - their voices rising above all the rest. Sirius, however, stepped forward. The tawny-haired boy was still on his knees as Sirius loomed over him, silver spoon in hand.
"Let's see how you enjoy this, werewolf," He growled maliciously, bringing the metal down to strike Remus across the face.
"No! Please, stop!" Remus cried out as the blow caught him in the face. He fell to the ground whimpering. The crowd began to close in...
"Remus! Moony! Wake up! Please..."
Jerking awake, Lupin found himself still on the couch next to Sirius, who looked as though he'd just had the fright of his life. 'Just a dream...only a dream.' Remus almost cried with relief. It had all been so real...
"Thank god you woke up. You looked as though you were having a fit or something. I got really scared. I woke up a couple of minutes ago and you were asleep on my shoulder. I'd almost drifted off again when you started shaking like mad and yelling out."
"Did I wake anyone?"
"Other than me, I don't think so. They're all knackered out. But, more importantly, are you ok mate? What happened?"
"Just a nightmare, happens all the time..."
Sirius frowned. Remus realised his mistake. Damn.
"All the time? But you never make a peep when you're sleeping, Rem."
"It mostly happens around full moon. I just put a charm on my bed so I don't annoy you guys." He tried to sound casual, but it was proving to be difficult. He was still shaking, and so was his voice.
"Moony, you idiot - why didn't you just wake us? God, if that happens to you regularly I wouldn't mind losing a few nights sleep to help stop it."
"I don't want to be a bother."
"I've told you before - repeatedly- you're not a bother. Promise me you won't silence yourself anymore?"
Remus couldn't really think of any reply to that. At home he'd always been sent back to bed if he complained to his parents about nightmares. They just thought he ought to have gotten over them by now. People didn't need to be irritated just because of a few stupid dreams. Sirius was still waiting for a reply, but didn't get one. Remus simply smiled weakly and tried to get up to go to bed. However, the almost full moon, his hard days work, and the terror instilled by his dream were taking their toll and he fell back onto the couch, knees shaking. Sirius grinned.
"Need a hand?"
"Actually, yeah. That'd be a good idea."
Remus put his arm around the taller boy's shoulder and allowed himself to be helped across the room and up the stairs. When they reached the dorm he sat down on Sirius' bed, which was the closest to the door.
"Just hang on a sec, I've gotta run down to get my books and stuff. I'll be back before you know it."
As Sirius disappeared out the door, the smaller boy considered going across to his own bed by himself, but decided he'd probably fall, break something and wake James and Peter. He lay back, and, by the time Sirius returned, was sound asleep.
...
"Sirius, wake up! You'll be late!"
Remus awoke to see James, who'd just flung aside the curtains around Sirius' four-poster, staring at him with a bemused expression on his face.
"Moony? What're you doing in Sirius' bed? And why have you got all the blankets?"
With a start the boy realised he was in the same place he'd been waiting for Sirius last night, and that there were now two blankets covering him. Sirius was visible at the other end of the bed, curled into a ball, with nothing but a cloak covering his pyjama-clad form.
"Siri?" Remus asked groggily.
The sleeping form stirred gently. Lupin was about to call again, but James had other ideas. He went up and prodded to boy in the stomach.
"Oi! Lazyass, get up!"
Sirius sprung up suddenly, and glared at James through sleepy eyes.
"Couldn't have been a bit more gentle, could you?" He yawned widely as he spoke, and then shivered a bit. "You ok now, Moony?"
"Yeah. But why've I got all these blankets, Siri? You're freezing."
"Well, you'd fallen asleep again when I came back up with the books and I didn't want to wake you again, so I just chucked a blanket over you and left you there. I went and grabbed the covers off your bed, but you started shivering so I gave you those too. Figured I'd be ok with just that," He gestured towards the cloak.
"But you're not, you idiot - you're shivering now."
"Well, if I'd left you the way you were, then you'd have woken up again. It's full moon tonight and, like James said yesterday, you needed sleep."
"But..."
"Look, it doesn't really matter. What time is it? We'd better hurry if we want to eat any breakfast."
"Siri..."
"What?"
"Thanks."
Sirius had brought his own books up to the dorm, but Remus' were still scattered across the table. He told the others to go on while he cleared up.
A few minutes later, as Remus was hurrying down the corridor, Snape appeared out of a doorway and slammed the boy up against the wall.
"I trust you did my prep?"
"Yeah... I did..." Lupin held out his schoolbag. Snape took the rolls of parchment containing his essays and glanced through them. Returning his attention to Remus he pushed him harder against the wall.
"And they'd better get a good grade!"
Lupin opened his mouth to answer, but he was so worried about both Snape's work and the full moon that night that he threw up all down the Slytherin's front. Snape glared at him furiously and then, in a fit of rage, pulled Lupin's own homework from his bag and ripped it up into the smallest possible pieces he could.
"Meet me again at lunch," he hissed, before stalking off.
No longer being held up by Snape, Remus lost his only means of support and slumped against the wall. A few stray tears leaked from his eyes, but they were brushed away hurriedly. Calming his hitching breath somewhat, Lupin managed to gather the strength to get to his feet. Taking a last, woeful glance at the shredded paper on the floor he set off towards the North Tower for Divination. What a day this was looking to be - it had started out terribly, and could only get worse. Remus dreaded explaining his lack of homework to his teachers, and - even more so - to his friends, most of whom had watched him do it.
End chapter four.
Rather pointless chapter. Fluffy beginning - which I thoroughly enjoyed writing ^_^ - then I tried to move back onto the plot, but it didn't get very far. I think I'm just making the most of my opportunity for Remus torture. I'm sorry *glomps* But I got it done sooner than I expected, so I'm happy about that. Next chapter: Sirius and James get suspicious, and the lies deepen. *Suspense galore*