A/N: A little more interest this time...that's good! I hope that it will become more obvious now that the events in the sixth year of the Marauders time at Hogwarts will follow a definate linear sequence. I just didn't want to have them happening at the time, as I wanted Remus to have the benefit of hindsight. Thank you for all the lovely reviews and encouraging comments. I hope this chapter pleases too...Peter starts to show signs of...well, you'll see. A prize awaits those who pick up on the little name connection I have thrown in here!

Disclaimer: I don't own, so please don't sue!

"Did…did you see that!" Peter squealed excitedly, suddenly clasping on to Remus' arm and pointing up into the sky above the Quidditch pitch. Remus looked up to see James standing precariously on his broom, one arm out to his side, the other stretched out in front, grasping the Snitch which was fluttering pointlessly in his hand. A group of Gryffindor girls who had been watching clapped enthusiastically, shouting things like "That was fantastic Potter!" and "They won't know what's hit them!" to the boy who circled them triumphantly above. James took a bow before lightly allowing himself to slip back into the seated position, flying over to where Sirius was waiting to release the Snitch again.

Remus nodded to pacify Peter, who was standing, shaking, and watching the Gryffindor team practice, his eyes fixed on the figures of Sirius and James who were laughing carelessly at the opposite end of the pitch. Remus hadn't even been watching them practice; his mind had been full of the events of the morning, and the things that James had said. The thing about Sirius is….he doesn't like change. Remus could hardly believe this to be true as he looked at the dazzlingly confident boy that was zooming along on his broomstick, his eyes firmly fixed on the Quaffle that was flying towards him. He had always assumed that he was so fearless. That he would embrace the future better then any of the Marauders; he would be the one to seize it and claim it as his own. For a moment Remus held his breath as the Quaffle appeared to just be out of his reach. Yet at the last minute Sirius reached high and caught it with great ease to be met with applause and sighs from the Gryffindor girls. Relieved, Remus allowed himself to exhale.

"Peter?" Remus asked cautiously, turning his attention from the friends above the pitch to the friend that sat beside him. Agitated, Peter dragged his eyes away and looked at Remus. "Do you ever…get frightened?"

Peter's vermin features darkened with confusion; his brow furrowed and his nose seemed to become more pointed than usual as he replied, "What do you mean, frightened? You know….you do know you're talking to me…right?"

Remus smiled warmly at Peter's self deprecating nature and, after adjusting the sleeves of his robes he continued, "I mean…do you ever get frightened of things changing? For all of us?"

For a moment Peter's face dropped and his eyes became dark as he shifted guiltily in his seat. He snapped his attention away from Remus and gazed once more up at the friends in the sky, his face black as he drummed his fingers nervously on the side of the stand. Remus watched his friend, confused by the way this question had been received as he said gently "I didn't mean anything by it Wormtail. It was just something that James said earlier…that's all."

"What's he got to be frightened of?" Peter said, his face hot, his eyes flashing peculiarly as he gazed up at the boys above. Remus blinked steadily, his hands folded tightly in his lap.

"I don't know. It's weird isn't it, what rumour and suspicion can do…" Remus' voice was reflective as he heard another cheer from the Gryffindor girls that told him a particularly impressive stunt had been pulled above. "I mean you only have to look at a copy of The Daily Prophet recently to know that things are changing. And just…" Remus paused, his eyes scanning the faces of his fellow pupils, so absorbed with what they witnessing above, yet he remained completely oblivious to the face of Peter beside him. "I can't help feeling that something…something isn't right. There's something happening that I just can't work out. I don't know what…I don't even know if it makes sense. But I can just feel that things are changing."

Peter had frozen; he was no longer squirming uncomfortably, nor was he writhing with the excitement of his friends performing above. He was no longer drumming his fingers. Instead, his hand was gripping the side of the stand tightly; his knuckles had turned white. Remus turned to Peter and was shocked to see an expression of coldness on his otherwise childish face. Remus shuddered.

"Do you want to know what I think?" Peter asked, his voice so quiet that it could hardly be heard amidst the cheering. Tentatively, Remus leant forward, his eyes fixed on Peter's immobile face. Yet suddenly the darkness that had shadowed Peter's face seemed to be lifted; his eyes once more dazzled with excitement and admiration as he said a little breathlessly "I really think we're going to beat Ravenclaw next week."

The heavens had opened not long after the practice had ended and Remus was now standing alone with his back against the damp tarpaulin, the rain falling heavily all around. He raised his eyes to the fabric above his head with suspicion; its centre was dipping lower and lower as the water collected in a great pool in the middle. He had been waiting for Sirius and James for half an hour now and still they showed no signs of emerging. Peter had left, wide eyed and slightly delirious as soon as the practice had ended, mumbling something about The Daily Prophet and that things wouldn't have to change. Once again Remus found himself waiting for his friends and, as he pulled out his wand to strengthen the fabric above him, he sighed despondently, kicking the damp turf about his feet.

"That's quite a useful charm," said the girl who had rushed from round the side of the Quidditch pitch and underneath where Remus was finding shelter.

Remus shrugged and pocketed his wand with the words, "It helps to know these kinds of things when you're waiting for friends who make a habit of leaving you in the rain."

The girl laughed at this, but whether or not she found what he had said truly humorous Remus couldn't tell. For a moment there was silence; his sanctuary had been invaded by someone he didn't know and it made him feel uncomfortable as he silently prayed for the rain to stop. The girl seemed to notice and, after tossing her blonde hair out of her eyes and down her back she said lightly, "Eleanor Figg." She then held out her hand in a strangely formal gesture that made Remus suddenly feel more at ease. With a brief smile he took it and said, "I'm Re…"

"Remus Lupin, I know." Her hand fell from his and she stuffed them in her pockets, sticking out her chest and whistling lowly.

"But how do you…"

"You're friends with Potter and Black aren't you?" she interrupted once again.

A little disappointed, Remus nodded. Why was it that he only ever seemed to exist in conjunction with his friends? Eleanor didn't seem to notice his expression as she continued, "I've never really understood that you know. You're quite a quiet person and they're…well they're so…"

"Loud?" Remus offered. Eleanor's lips curled into a pleasant smile and Remus could feel himself tingle with the threat of a blush. Quickly, he turned away, his eyes searching for any signs of his friends amongst the blurred landscape around them. The greens of the grass seemed almost indistinguishable from the greys of the sky and as Remus watched his nostrils filled with the pleasant smell of wet, lush earth. However, he couldn't help but fear that more pleasantries may come. Would they be forced to speak endlessly about Quidditch (a subject which Remus hardly knew)? Would they try to uncover some common friends or enemies, and laugh falsely at the idiosyncrasies of each? Would they talk of the lessons that they did and did not enjoy, or would she (perhaps worst of all) quiz him about the inner workings of James and Sirius?

Yet, as they stood in the silence which was only softly broken by the rain on the fabric above them, and the tastes of the water on the air, Remus found himself pleasantly surprised by the lack of conversation between them. Each seemed too absorbed in the views that surrounded them; each was silently waiting for the arrival of friends. Remus could hear her whistling lowly; that same, deep song she had been whistling earlier, and something about this made Remus relax. He could almost forget about Sirius' slamming the window behind him; about James' solemn words and Peter's strange reaction to when Remus had asked him if he ever got frightened of change. Standing here beside this girl he hardly knew made him feel at peace, forgetful of the concern he felt at making Sirius lose his temper, and reflective on the possibility that the rain could stop.

"Looks like your friends are here." Her voice broke the repetitive nature of the falling rain and Remus could see James and Sirius running over to where Eleanor and he were standing, sheltering from the rain.

"Sorry…we kind of…got caught up in something…" James managed to pant; his glasses were splattered with rain. Suddenly he seemed to notice Eleanor, who had been watching the two boys with a silent smile playing about her lips, and he gulped hard before saying, "You're Eleanor Figg aren't you? The Ravenclaw Chaser?"

The blonde girl shrugged as if the name meant nothing and inwardly Remus was pleased that she seemed so flippant. Yet immediately she had turned her attention to Sirius, whose wet hair was rippling in front of his face, barely hiding the scowl that had lined his face with displeasure.

"I guess we'll be up against each other on Thursday then," she said sweetly. Sirius said nothing; his eyes seemed to be moving between Eleanor and Remus, trying to piece the scene together.

James grinned confidently and, clamping an arm around Sirius' shoulder he shook him out of his staring for long enough to reply, "I don't think there is really much competition."

Inwardly, Remus winced at the sharpness of this reply but Eleanor seemed to find it amusing and after she had finished wringing the bottom of he jumper free of water, she turned her eyes to Sirius and said, "Perhaps not. After all, how could anyone compete with the…" She paused, placing one hand over her heart before saying, every inch of her voice mocking, " The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

James laughed at this, but Sirius did not; his eyes had turned opaque with blackness as he stared directly at Eleanor. Remus could feel the air around them grow tense as he waited for Sirius to loose his temper; to return with something cutting and hurtful. He did not, however. Sirius simply smiled and, after looking at Remus for a brief moment he said to James, "Shall we go in?"

James nodded and they moved away, Remus followed a little way behind them, the rain falling heavily all around. Remus imagined Eleanor Figg watching them go, her blonde hair falling around her slightly red face, still humming that tune under her breath. Yet something interrupted this thought; something inside him forced him to relinquish this day dream as he stared at the back of Sirius' head. His heart grew tight within his chest as he wiped the rain from out of his eyes. Something inside him was forcing him to feel awkward; a strange kind of guilt was rushing through his veins. Shaking his head as if to rid him of this feeling he found it only grew, and he once again heard James' words in his head The thing about Sirius is….he doesn't like change.

Please take the time and let me know what you think!