Animal by Neon Trees

I awoke to Lily, Tina, Laure, and Leila at the end of my infirmary bed. From left to right they held homework I had missed, flowers, chocolate, and a book.

"Hullo, you lot," I smiled weakly.

"We heard you were in here because you broke your leg," Lily said as she came around to put my missed assignments and Tina's flowers on my side table. Leila did the same with her book and Laure's chocolate. Lily raised an eyebrow and asked nonchalantly, "How'd that happen, by the way?"

"I tripped," I said without skipping a beat. It wasn't a lie, either. "Besides, I'm better now. I had to take some Skelegro because the break was clean but still a break. I can walk," I assured Leila as she tried to help me hop out of bed.

"Ow, shit-" I swore. Of course I was proved wrong by my traitorous leg. I guess that just because it was healed now didn't mean it wasn't still going to hurt. "Give me a couple hours. I'll see you lot at lunch."

Tina and Laure nodded, understanding, but Leila and Lily knew something was up.

"Hope you feel better before then, Georgie." They left.

I looked at Tina's flowers. They were white daisies; very simple but very pretty. I reached for my missed homework and chocolates, and started on them. I would treat myself with the book later.


Around 10 AM Madame Pomfrey said I could leave.

"But nothing too strenuous, sweetheart," she warned. "Not everyone breaks their legs by just 'tripping'."

I nodded. As I gathered my belongings and dressed into regular clothes, Regulus came in.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. I had just pulled off my black jumper in exchange for a plain t-shirt, but hadn't exactly been able to put it on before he saw.

"You don't look sorry," I responded dryly, yanking my shirt on quickly. He blushed.

"I...came to visit, 'cause Lily and Tina and Leila said you were here, but I see you're about to leave," Regulus said. I didn't know how to react. I didn't know him that well except for tripping him and the one Potions project. Even Sirius didn't stick around last night...so why did his brother?

"I also came to ask you about som-do you want me to hold that?"

"What?"

"The flowers, your bag, the classwork, the book?" I had eaten the chocolates for breakfast so they were nonexistent now. Shoutout to Laure Beckkett for being the real MVP.

"Er, sure?" Regulus took my things from me and we walked out together.

"Anyways, I originally came to ask you about the Cupiditas," Regulus whispered. He had to bend down so I could hear, but his words made me freeze. I had completely forgotten about it, and the memory of me taking it made me sweat.

"...what about it?"

"The real question is why you took it," he said quietly. "I know you did. You were the only other person in the room when I talked to Slughorn after class. I wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't started to search for it." He was silent for a moment. The only sounds we could hear were us walking; everyone else was in class.

After a while I said, "I was...curious, about it. I personally have no intention of using it myself, but I would like to research it and its composition. Preferably with it by my side. And it was a school assignment anyway; it's not illegal to bring a potion that you made in class with you, is it?"

Regulus nodded like he understood. "Fair enough."

The bells suddenly rang for classes to end for lunch.

"I guess I better get going then..."

"Yeah...see you in Potions, then?" Regulus handed me my things as he said this.

"Yeah, sure."

We nodded respectfully to each other before getting caught up in the waves of people who desperately wanted to eat.


"Georgie, would you mind if we spoke for a minute?"

I looked up from my classwork and there stood James, hands in pockets. Behind him were Remus, Peter, and Sirius.

"To finally explain what the hell happened last night? Oh, sure. Where to?" I snapped rather loudly. When a couple people in the common room turned to look at us, James's eyes widened and he put a finger to his lips to shush me. I rolled my eyes and ignored him.

"Our room, actually," Sirius said loftily.

"I'm afraid not, James. One, since boys aren't allowed in the girls' dorm it's probably the same vice versa, and two, because I'm a Prefect. I have to set a good example for the younger ones." I applauded myself for remembering.

"I don't think you understand how urgent this is, Georgiana," James warned.

"I do, I just think-"

"PADFOOT, GRAB HER! NOW!"

I cried as Sirius scooped me up for the second time today and ran towards the stairwell. "Bloody-" Sirius clapped a hand over my mouth. I was tempted to lick his hand like with James, but decided against it. It would be a little weird.

The rest of the boys raced behind us, and Sirius nearly kicked open the door. The boys filed in quickly after him, and Peter shut the door quietly. Sirius set me down. James was pushed forward by the other two and cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Now, last night you witnessed something that no one else but us, Dumbledore, and McGonagall know about. Remus is a werewolf. We, as you have already figured out, are unregistered Animagi, but I don't think Dumbledore and McGonagall know. This is because we are trying to make things a little less hard on Moony on full moons, alright? He is one of our best mates, and we don't think anyone should go through that hell alone. We decided that three summers ago we were going to be unreigstered Animagi because we hated how awful Remus looked and felt, and how much pain he was in. He was so afraid to hurt someone, but because we're Animagi, we can be there with him."

It was a little frightening to hear how considerate, sweet, sincere, (a lot of of other things James usually isn't) James was being.

Remus cut in. "Last night's full moon was the first time I'd ever broken out of the Shrieking Shack at the base of the Whomping Willow. It's something that I regret and I can't believe I put you in danger..."

He shut his eyes tightly and turned around again. Peter patted his back awkwardly.

"We are going to ask you to promise not to tell anyone. Ever," James continued. I furrowed my eyebrows together.

"Like hell I'm going to tell anyone! This is one of Remus and your guys' dark, not to mention illegal, secrets. I say one word and you guys are off to Azkaban!"

"Yes, Georgiana, we know. That's also why I'm going to ask you to become an Animagus as well."