Disclaimer: Rumors indicate that Rowling's said when she dies, she's giving HP rights to a randomly selected mugglenet member over the age of 18. I'll be 18 by then, presumably. So as of now, I have just as much shot at owning Remus as anyone else.

Heh.

Heh.

Not really. If anyone even half-way believed that for a second, I chuckle to myself. With love, obviously. Thanks for reading this far, everyone. I realize my update is shamefully overdue. Good thing the puppies are real puppies and not Tamagotchi's, or they'd have died 15 months ago.

Holding Out for a Hero: Chapter Six

"Hey, James…."

"Yeah?"

"Does this mean the bet is off?"

The three Marauders had left breakfast early and were making good time on their way to the hospital wing. James gave Peter a look, then cast a furtive glance back towards Sirius, who was shuffling sullenly behind them and keeping uncharacteristically quiet.

"I don't know, Peter." James answered, lowering his voice in an attempt to keep from unsettling Sirius further. "Worry about it later."

"Do you think Remus is mad at all three of us, or just Sirius?"

Out of the corner of his eye, James saw Sirius' head snap up, out of his own thoughts and listening to them now. "I don't know, Peter."

There was a pause. Then, "I wonder if he cried when Dumbledore told him what happened. He's awfully sensitive, you kn-"

"Please quit speaking, Peter."

The loud chatter from the Great Hall was far behind them as they reached the Infirmy, instinctively quieting. The entranceway to the corridor was open and empty. As soon as they crossed the threshold into the foyer, though, Madame Pomfrey swooped down out of nowhere on them, blocking their view.

"What are you lot doing here so early?" she demanded in a hushed voice.

"We want to see Remus," said James.

"I don't think Mr. Lupin is prepared for visitors," Madame Pomfrey responded. "You three boys should be back at breakfast. Now run along."

She began corralling them out, but Sirius would not be moved. "We finished breakfast. We just want to see him before exams," he insisted adamantly.

The nurse examined him through her spectacles, then sighed. "Well, I suppose since you'll be taking mid-terms the rest of the day…..Oh, very well," she said, turning to lead them back towards the main room, and they fell in line behind her. She stopped at the doorway. "He's hasn't been here six hours, and is very likely asleep. If he is, you are to leave immediately, do you understand?" She waited for the boys to nod consent, then continued, leading them down the short hallway. "And don't be alarmed by the bandage. Twice I found him nearly gauging his eyes out in his sleep. I used an adherus charm to prevent him from injuring himself further. Nothing to worry about though, dears." And with that she departed, leaving the door open for them and sweeping back into the hallway.

Sirius was looking too appalled at hearing this to even scowl at being called 'dear.'

"Sirius should probably wait out here, don't you think?" Peter said, then shrank back from the glares he received in return.

"Let's just go," James said wearily, giving Peter a look. Properly chastised, the smaller boy fell in step behind James, heading into the patient room of the hospital wing. Sirius brought up the rear, with his hands balled anxiously into fists and shoved into his pockets.

Remus' sleep was not deep, nor was it dreamless.

He was in a room on the seventh floor. He was on his side, lying on a green rug. An unnatural tension pressed across his eyes and around his head, hindering his vision. His eyes burned.

He heard the voice of Lucius Malfoy above him, sounding amused. "You two may have overdone it."

"Just a little." A girl. Remus and Lucius were not alone; there were others. How many of them were there? Remus desperately tried to sit up, but he couldn't move. Suddenly he became aware of several outside voices, and strained to hear if they were coming in.

"We want to see Remus." It was a voice he knew.

"I don't think Mr. Lupin is prepared for visitors," the girl answered. More voices. Voices that Remus had heard, but couldn't place as friendly as dangerous.

"We finished breakfast. We just want to see him before exams."

Sirius.

At Sirius' voice, Remus was pulled from sleep into the world of the conscious. His eyes opened, and he saw…

Nothing. Only black. His eyes stung furiously, and the pressure on his head had become painful. The muffled voices still reached him, but he could hear nothing. Frantically, he rubbed at his burning eyes… and felt the texture of cloth.

He was blindfolded. And the voices were nearing. Where was Sirius?

Remus didn't even know where he himself was. Or, more importantly, the location of his wand. Panic took over. His breath quickening, he sat up and began to pull at the blindfold. His fingers shook as he fumbled with the knot, which would not be loosened. He heard distinct footsteps now, at least two sets entering the room. With an anguished cry he began to rip at the cloth, desperately trying to tear it off. Tears of frustration welled up in his useless eyes.

"Moony!" The footsteps doubled in speed.

Remus stopped struggling. "James?"

"Fascaewasi!" Suddenly the blindfold detached itself, and fell four feet away on the ground. Remus covered his eyes for a moment as they adjusted to the light, then found himself staring into the faces of his three best friends.

Sirius looked mortified; Peter, like he was about to be sick. James put a hand on Remus' shoulder and guided him back down on his back. "Easy there, Moony. You're alright. You're in the hospital wing, remember?"

Remus certainly did not, but saw that James was right. He was on a bed, with his wand on a nightstand within an arm's reach. No other beds were occupied. He saw on the ground the strip of cloth, half-way covered in two splotches with what was clearly blood. It wasn't a blindfold; it was a bandage. His mind cleared, Remus drew in a breath and passed his hand over his eyes. Instantly, a searing pain shot through his head. He hissed and drew his hand back. "What's wrong with my eyes?"

James looked at Sirius, who had averted his gaze, then back to Remus. "Honestly? It looks…it sort of looks like tried to claw your way through them."

Remus was silent for a moment, taking this in. He suddenly felt very self-conscious. He ventured a look at Sirius. "Is it…bad?"

Sirius avoided his eyes, rubbing his finger back and forth along the seam of his robe's sleeve. James gave him Remus a sympathetic smile. "It's…pretty bad, Moony."

"Oh." Remus's eyes flicked back to Sirius, who was still determinedly looking away. His heart fell. Feeling wretched, he cast about for something more to say. But Sirius spoke first.

"Listen Remus, about last night…"

He stopped him. "Hold it, Padfoot. You don't have to gloat."

Sirius looked taken aback. "I don't ha-… gloat?"

"Yeah. I know you told me not to transform by myself last night. But there really was no other way, you know. Speaking of which, you guys should start getting to your exams, shouldn't you?"

Peter stared at him. "Then…. Then you haven't been told? Dumbledore didn't say anything about last night?"

Remus looked at him uncomprehendingly. "I don't think so. I don't remember anything after transforming. Why, did anything bad happen?"

James looked at his friends nervously. "Sirius, maybe you should leave for now…"

That night, Arcenne sprawled her homework across the floor in her common room, under the distraction of Lucius Malfoy.

"He wasn't in any exams today, did you see?"

Arcenne crossed out the first four lines in her essay and began again. "Hardly surprising when one's bones elongate, and his organs and flesh are stretched to the size and shape of a werewolf and then changed back again," she said without looking up.

"If this works…" Lucius' eyes had developed an interest she hadn't seen as long as she'd known him. "Imagine how much fun it'll be for us. A bloody werewolf, and with Hogsmeade so close…"

Arcenne sighed, put her quill down, and looked at him. "Can I ask you something, Lucius? Not that I'm particularly concerned, but what's our ultimate goal here, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"With Lupin. I gather the plan is to nab him next full moon and use a potion in hopes that it'll release his inner dark nature. But what's the real reason for all this? Why do you want him on your side of the law so badly?"

Lucius regarded her for a moment, then sat down in the armchair beside her. "Alright, fair question. Let me ask you something, though. You've been at Hogwarts for five years. When was the last time you were challenged here, or were given anything remotely interesting to do?"

She shrugged. "I get your point, but still. All this seems like a lot of trouble and effort, just to remedy your boredom."

"Well, I also really hate his friends."

Arcenne laughed. "Well, don't forget the very legitimate chance of Severus' drink not even working. He's just a kid, Lucius. This potion of his isn't going to be a revolutionary dark item."

Lucius nodded. "I've considered all that. I don't doubt Snape's intelligence, but there's a marginal chance he was at least somewhat off his mark in developing the Quilibertum." He smiled, stood up, and began walking off. "But we might as well try. I guess it'll be a challenge either way."

Arcenne gathered up her books and followed him. "A challenge talking our way out of expulsion, if nothing else."

A/N: I know, I know. Some of the people that read early on are thinking 'I came back after a year…for that?' Cut me some slack. I've been trying to get into college. Silly stuff like that. Next chapter in well under a year, I promise.