Thank you K.C.96, tasia12, Nymphadora Jackson, TikiKiki, WarriorHime53, BiteMedoll, GreyMoon. Huntress, Lady R. Joseph, GoldenWingedAngel, Expendable Red Shirt, and LunaWolfSunTigeress15 for following/favoring this story!

Honestly, guys, I'm glad you're enjoying this story!

Reviews: As of this chapter, the twins are 4th Years. I love all this feedback! I love that you guys like Kenzy, and Lucius, and all the rest. Reviews are what keep me going when I start to get lazy, and don't want to put my brain to work. It happens, A LOT, especially when my toddler has drained all my energy after a day of having my undivided attention. I really think toddlers are nothing more than Energy Vampires. How else is it possible that the more a parent gets tired, the toddler in question just seems to get more perky?

If anyone is looking for another James/OC story, I suggest Marauder Love Story by Sophia Lilia if you aren't already reading it. It's only about 7 chapters in I think, but I'm already hooked.

I hope you enjoy this chapter! As always, Review!


Chapter 9: 2nd Year

"James Potter, Star Chaser of Gryffindor's Quiditch team!" James was ecstatic, had been ecstatic all day.

Kenzy was going to silence him if he said that phrase one more time.

Sirius snorted, "You need to play at least one game to be considered the Star Chaser. You forget, Marley's on the team too."

The reminder had James rounding on her. "I'd nearly forgotten! How come you didn't tell us Harper moved to America?"

She rolled her eyes, having already explained this to Marlene. "Jason asked us not to. Be grateful. There were other Chasers with more skill. You two got in, because you didn't let 'only one will make the team' compromise your team work."

James was outraged. "More skill? You think there were other Chasers with better skills?"

As he started ranting to them, Sirius muttered, "Thanks a lot, Kenz."

Shrugging, Kenzy turned back to the book on magical maladies.

Remus had gotten sick again, and once again, Madam Pomfrey hadn't let them in to see him. At least once a month, sometimes twice, he or someone in his family was sick. They were all suspicious now, even Peter, who normally didn't notice anything, was starting to comment on his frequent illness.

She'd actually gotten the idea for a magical illness from Mary, who surprisingly had also noticed Remus' frequent infirmary visit's. They'd come to the library right after classes, so that they could search through the different magical maladies.

Well, they were supposed to be researching. Somehow, it had turned into just her reading through the text while James, Sirius and Peter talked Quiditch.

Why couldn't Jason wait until tomorrow to announce who made the team?

Kenzy had to admit they were getting nowhere. She found many illnesses that fit Remus' disappearing all the time, but he wasn't showing the other symptoms that usually went with them. Maybe he had a muggle disease. She could ask Adam, but she'd have to do it in a way that wouldn't give Remus away. If he didn't feel comfortable telling them what was wrong with him, she knew he wouldn't want Adam finding out.

She was able to get through the rest of the book before Madam Pomfrey kicked them all out for being too loud. Kenzy didn't know why she was being punished, but that was usually how it went for her and Remus. The three troublemakers caused the trouble, and Remus along with Kenzy were blamed by association.

They hadn't even gotten through their assigned books, the tossers.


DADA was halfway through it's time when Kenzy had a revelation.

Professor Juniper was talking about magical creatures, and Kenzy was taking notes for both Alice and herself. Alice was a horrible note taker. Most of the time they were in a shorthand that Alice herself didn't understand afterwards. Kenzy had taken pity in the middle of their first year, and vowed to be her partner in every class they had together, so that she could take their notes.

He was going through the effects of the full moon on certain magical creatures, and Kenzy let her mind wander. He was covering what was in their textbook, and she'd already read it. Really, it was horrible how a phase of the moon dictated the life of certain creatures. She couldn't imagine not having control over your own mind, not being able to control your actions. She didn't think Werewolves were the mindless beast's the Ministry made them out to be, at least not when they were human. They just went furry once a month, sometimes twice…

They just went furry once a month, sometimes twice if the moon went through two complete cycles.

Kenzy stood up straighter in her seat, giving all her attention to Professor Juniper. She was crazy. She was jumping to conclusions.

She needed to ask without making it obvious.

Before she could raise her hand, Evans had already shot hers into the air. "Professor, if Werewolves only transform on full moons, how do people know who they are?"

Kenzy could kiss her. "Good question, Miss Evan's." Juniper said, "It's actually hard to know when someone is a Werewolf, unless you know what to look for. Days before the moon is full, their mood will deteriorate. They will look like they are coming down with something, when in reality, they are fighting their wolves. It takes a great deal of effort not to act on those animal instincts, some don't even try, but a majority of them do. They are not the mindless animals the Ministry would have you believe."

Kenzy couldn't help but ask, "How do you know this, Professor? This isn't in our textbooks."

"My brother is a Werewolf," He answered. Surprised gasps rang around the room. "He was bitten two years after graduating. You don't really know what being a Werewolf is like unless you live with one, or are one. It's hard at times, but having a support system is the best thing you can do for someone who's been bitten."

Kenzy went back to her thoughts once he moved on to a different subject. It fit, it really did. He was gone once a month, sometimes two. He either got sick, or claimed a family member was every time he left. He was moodier days before the full moon, and Kenzy could go back to every full moon since she'd met him and say with complete confidence that he was never there. There was no doubt in her mind. Remus was a Werewolf.

Class was let out, and Kenzy packed away her things quickly, eager to tell James her discovery, but Professor Juniper held her back. He waited until everyone had left before saying, "I've been meaning to talk to you, Miss MacGregor."

"Have I done something wrong, Sir?" Kenzy was nervous. She didn't think the boys had pulled any pranks on this teacher as of yet. He was new, having replaced the one from first year, but he was cool and the guys had decided not to hassle him.

He laughed, "No need to look so nervous. You aren't in any trouble. On the contrary, actually. I've heard from Professor McGonagall that you plan to be an Auror."

She nodded. "Yes, Professor. My father is with the muggle police, and I've wanted to follow in his footsteps since before Hogwarts."

"Ah, starting a family tradition then?"

"More like continuing." She explained, "His father was a cop as well, and his father before him. I don't know much after that, because they come from Scotland, but they could very well have been cops too."

He whistled lowly, "That's a long line a protector's."

Kenzy grinned, nodding proudly. "Fight injustice, protect those who can't protect themselves. That's practically the MacGregor motto."

Professor Juniper laughed again, delighted. "That's quite a saying, and something everyone should live by. I've noticed that the spells I've been teaching your year come easily to you. I don't fell like you're being challenged."

Kenzy shrugged. "I have a photographic memory, Professor. Sometimes it comes in handy."

"No," He disagreed. "I don't think that's it. You have potential inside of you Miss MacGregor, potential I think is wasted on what you're learning now. You clearly know the material, and have shown proficiency with the spells. Tell me, is it true that you called your broom to you with your mind?"

Damn James. She would never live that down. "It was a fluke, Professor."

"Have you tried doing it again?" He saw the answer on her face. "Yes, I believe there is a lot of potential in you that should not be wasted. Now, I don't think your Head of House will approve, but I am going to give you the required texts for 3rd and 4th year DADA students. I can't get you a pass into Professor Flitwick's dueling club. That's for 4th years and up, but I can work with you during your free time if you want to get ahead."

Kenzy was silent as he retrieved two books from his bookshelf, and brought them to her. Taking them, she looked at the covers and frowned. "Professor, I don't think these are the required ones. They look nothing like my brother's."

"They aren't." He pointed to the author's name. It was his. "I self published these. I took all the defensive spells and compiled them into books for each year, because I felt what they taught was not adequate. The Ministry did not agree with me."

She couldn't wait to look through them. "Why are you doing this for me?"

He was silent until they walked to his classroom door. Then he said, "Because I see a potential in you, Miss MacGregor, that I feel shouldn't go to waste. Not when we need people like you the most during these times."


Kenzy didn't mention the books to anyone, not even Alice or James. Professor Juniper had told her Professor McGonagall would not approve, and those two were the biggest blabbermouths at Hogwarts. She didn't want to get him in trouble, not when he was keen on helping her advance.

He was right in the face that she wasn't being challenged. Kenzy blamed it on her eagerness to learn magic. If she hadn't felt like knowing everything, she wouldn't have read all her textbooks. Professor McGonagall told her that she grasped the theory of magic very well and that's why classes like DADA, Charms, and Transfiguration were easy for her. Understanding potion ingredients, and all their uses and side effects is what made Alice a prodigy in Potions and Herbology.

Kenzy wanted to start pouring through them right away, but first she had to tell the boys what she'd discovered. She had Peter distract Remus while they snuck out of the common room, and went to an unused classroom.

"Alright, Kenz, you have our attention." Sirius said, "What did you find out?"

"I don't think Remus has a magical malady."

James frowned. "Didn't we agree it had to be magical since you said no Muggle disease fits Remus' symptoms?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, she said she didn't think there were any Muggle diseases that fit his symptoms. Well, besides a ladies monthly-"

"That is not just a muggle ailment," Kenzy growled. "And besides the point as Remus is not a female."

"Alright," James said. "Then what could it be?"

Kenzy took a deep breath, and then said, "I think he's a Werewolf."

There was silence, and then the boys started laughing.

"That's priceless, MacGregor." Sirius was holding his side. "We thought you had seriously come up with something."

Kenzy was not amused. "I am being serious."

James was the first to stop laughing. "You really are, aren't you?" She nodded. "What gave you that idea? Dumbledore wouldn't let a Werewolf roam Hogwarts without anyone knowing."

"Think about it." Kenzy insisted. "He's gone once a month, sometimes twice, and it's always on a full moon. I've looked back, and you know how good my memory is."

"Oh yes," Sirius muttered. "Can't forget that genius brain of yours."

James smacked his arm. "Stop being a prat."

Kenzy sent a glare to the sulking Black, but continued. "He gets moody right before he gets sick, and when he's really annoyed, I swear there's a growl in his voice. A literal animal growl."

James thought back to Kenzy's first match, and how he had thought the exact same thing when Remus had spoken on their way to the infirmary. "Alright, you have a point. That doesn't explain how it's possible for him to be here. Wouldn't Professor Dumbledore know?"

Kenzy had already thought that through. "Yes, I think he's perfectly aware. I think they take him somewhere, a place he can transform. Madam Pomfrey doesn't let us see him. It's probably because he's not even here."

"You think they lock him up in a cage?" Sirius sounded horrified.

Kenzy's eyes grew big. "You think they would do that?"

Sirius nodded. "Werewolves can't control their minds when they transform. They become the wolf. He'd be a danger to any student in the school. They'd have to lock him up."

"That's ridiculous," Kenzy said. "Remus wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Sure." Sirius shrugged. "But the wolf isn't Remus, Kenz. That's what makes them dangerous. Unless you're an animal. They get along with animals, I think."

James said, "We still don't know if it's true. You could be wrong, Kenzy."

"I think your wrong," Sirius muttered.

Kenzy ignored him. "What should we do then? We can sneak into the infirmary, but even if he's not there, it doesn't prove anything."

James and Sirius looked at one another, and then back at her. James looked guilty.


"I can't believe you kept this from me," Kenzy hissed, and not for the first time. Ever since James had told her about his Invisibility Cloak, Kenzy had been carrying around a sense of betrayal inside of her. His father had given it to him right before he started Hogwarts, and she was only finding out about it. The guys knew about it, had known about it since first year, and she was only finding out about it now.

If they didn't need it to find out about Remus, James would probably never have told her.

That was what was getting to her. He wouldn't have told her. Sirius knew. Remus knew. Even Peter knew. She'd thought she was better friends with him than Peter, at least, but apparently not.

He'd been apologizing for a month now. She wasn't mad at him, exactly. She was more sad that he didn't count her on the same level of friendship she counted him on. Sirius said she was being dramatic, which she probably was, but at the moment she didn't care. She'd get over it after tonight. She was going to force herself to get over it, because they'd have confirmed her theory about Remus, and they'd have other things to concentrate on.

Like letting their Werewolf best friend know they didn't care about what he was.

It was true. Kenzy didn't care. The kid was far more gentle, and peacemaking than the rest of them. He had better grades than her, and if he was a Werewolf, Dumbledore didn't believe him a danger to society. Studying with Professor Juniper had given her more insight into what Remus might be going through. Who cares if he lost his mind once a month? He was a victim. Kenzy fully believed he was a victim.

She knew Sirius was apprehensive about finding out. She didn't think he'd hold it against Remus, not really, but he had been raised a certain way. She wouldn't be surprised if he ended up being the more wary of the group over this. As Lucius loved to remind her; She had not grown up in this world. Sure, she had two older magical siblings, but she hadn't grown up in a magical household, not the way her friends had.

Still, James seemed to be fine with the idea, so she knew Sirius would not be far behind. Peter would take some convincing, she was sure, but he was a follower. If the boys said jump, he'd do it without question.

Right now, they were waiting under the cloak just outside the Hospital Wing. The cloak barley fit the three of them, and Kenzy was sure she was going to have to use the knew disillusionment charm she'd learned from Professor Juniper on herself sometime tonight. She blamed the problem on Sirius. He was taller than the rest of him, and hunching over to their level to walk would be extremely uncomfortable.

Remus was in the Hospital Wing already, had been all day when he'd woken up with a headache. Lily had insisted on bringing him at the start of classes with how pale he had looked. They'd visited him at lunch, he hadn't looked any better, and then Madam Pomfrey had shooed them all out, not to return until tomorrow. The boys had complained for form's sake, but they'd already decided to follow them tonight if they left the Hospital Wing.

James looked at her, his eyes sad. "How long are you going to be mad at me, Kenzy? I already told you I'm sorry."

Kenzy pouted as she said, "I'm getting over it, truly, I am. It's just… You even told Peter before me. Peter! I'm just feeling left out."

James winced. "I know. I'm a right prat."

She felt Sirius poke her and James in their side. He shushed them. "Look, their coming out. Now's our chance."

Madam Pomfrey was indeed heading out of the Hospital Wing with a very pale Remus. They walked by the three without either even looking in their direction. Kenzy frowned at that, wondering why Remus didn't even smell her. If he was a Werewolf, his sense of smell should have been heightened. Maybe it was the Invisibility Cloak? There was a lot she didn't know about them. She'd have to read more on them after this.

The trio kept pace behind them, Kenzy directly in front of the boys. After years of playing war games with their father, Kenzy and her siblings knew how to be stealthy. The boys surprised her. She figured they'd be bumping into each other, or her, and making involuntary noises of complaint. Instead, they were almost just as stealthy as she was.

It was probably all the sneaking around they were already doing, Kenzy thought sourly.

Madam Pomfrey lead Remus outside the front doors, and out onto the surrounding land. Hogwarts was a huge property. The closest Wizarding town was Hogsmeade, a place Kenzy had not seen yet, and there were no muggle towns in the vicinity. It was hard to believe that this much private land could be kept hidden from Muggles, but Kenzy supposed anything was possible with magic.

They had all hiked a good bit before they finally stopped by the Whomping Willow. The Whomping Willow was an evil tree, always wailing on anything that got too close. Kenzy and her friends had taken to playing a game that required dodging its flailing branches. It was dangerous and stupid, and they loved it.

Why in the world would Madam Pomfrey take Remus here?

They got their answer moments later when she calmly walked to the trunk, and tapped her wand to the knot. The tree froze, it's branches already having been coming down to hit the Mediwitch. The trunk opened, revealing a passage that the two readily walked through. James, Sirius, and Kenzy looked at each other wide eyed before they scurried after them.

The passage didn't look old. They'd discovered a few hidden passages in the school, ones filled with cobwebs and dust. This one had none of that.

They stopped when Madam Pomfrey finally led them to a room. Now, this new place they were in looked old. The furniture was falling apart, and there was dust everywhere. Kenzy felt like she'd seen this place before, but she was having trouble remembering exactly where.

The Mediwitch smiled kindly at Remus, and then made some complicated wand movements. Kenzy felt the change, magic was being performed, but nothing visible happened. When she was finished, she said, "There you go, Mr. Lupin. I'll come collect you in the morning. Do you need anything?"

Remus shook his head. "I'm good, Madam Pomfrey. Thank you for doing this."

She left soon after, the trio having to scramble out of the way to avoid her path. They watched as Remus paced back and forth across the room, getting more agitated as night came.

Sirius nudged her, speaking quietly. "Doesn't this place look familiar?"

She nodded. "Yea, I was thinking that, but I can't remember from where."

Sirius snorted, "What about your photographic memory?"

Kenzy turned to snarl at him, but James spoke up, never taking his eyes off Remus. "It's the Shrieking Shack."

Kenzy looked around the room again, amazed she hadn't put it together. She said, "There's a rumor this place is haunted. Shawn told me about it. The people in the town avoid this place like the plague."

Sirius frowned. "How long has it been haunted?"

Kenzy shrugged. "No clue, but I'll add it to the list of things to read about."

James' mouth turned up in a small smile. "You have a list?"

Light spilled through the window of the Shrieking Shack, stopping Kenzy from answering James. Remus peeled off his shirt and trousers, sweat making his body shiny. Pained sounds left his mouth as he crouched low, wrapping his arms around himself. Kenzy clung to James, tears in her eyes. Something was tearing Remus apart, and they couldn't do anything about it.

She forced herself to watch as he changed. They stayed under the cloak, watching as he transformed into a Werewolf. He fought it, the pain and the transformation. His crying face was the last thing she saw before he changed completely.

"Mother of Merlin," Sirius breathed out. "He really is a Werewolf."

James was watching Remus sniff around the room. "Make a note, Sirius. Kenzy is always right."

Kenzy couldn't believe her eyes. She'd only ever seen Werewolves in books. The pictures Muggle television provided were not accurate. He wasn't one big wolf. No, his fur was too thin and short for him to look like an actual wolf. He looked like a man-wolf hybrid. He looked monstrous, but Kenzy didn't believe he was a monster. He hadn't even noticed they were there.

His heightened sense should have told him they were present.

The fact that he couldn't piqued her curiosity. Even if he hadn't sensed them before his transformation, Remus should have smelled them immediately after he transformed. All the texts, even Professor Juniper's self published one, said that Werewolves were not friendly with Humans. Remus should be foaming at the mouth to get to them. Maybe the cloak was shielding them from more than being seen?

Deciding to test that theory, Kenzy slipped out from under the cloak before the boys could stop her. The boys yelped at her sudden departure, but made no move to come after her. As soon as she was free, Remus stopped pacing and sniffed the air. He turned to face her, growling low in his throat at her intrusion.

Kenzy quickly decided her curiosity had been indulged enough for one night.

Turning to duck back under the cloak, the sudden bang of a body hitting something made Kenzy scream in fright. She looked back, eyes wide, and discovered that Remus had tried lunging at her, but had hit a barrier. He howled in rage, eyes focused on her as he tried to leave the room. His big teeth were snapping at her, desperately trying to get to her. She froze in shock, not able to move.

If James had not quickly pulled her back under the cloak, Kenzy was sure she would have stood there the entire night.

James' arms were wrapped around her, his face pressed into her hair as their hearts thundered. Sirius was staring at them, his jaw slack. He said, "Are you nuts? That was really reckless."

Kenzy couldn't have agreed more. Really, she could have just asked James' the questions she'd had instead of provoking her Werewolf friend. She was about to voice her agreement when James chuckled, "Well mate, she is a Gryffindor." He hadn't let go of her, but Kenzy didn't mind. She felt safe in his arms, even though she was positive she would be the better defense should something happen.

Kenzy looked back at Remus. He had stopped throwing himself at the barrier, but he was pacing restlessly in front of it. He had been somewhat calm before she had stepped out from under the cloak. The calm was gone now. He was growling every few seconds, sniffing the air and getting more agitated by the second.

He was probably reacting to her scent, Kenzy thought. She felt guilty for being the cause of his agitation. Sirius put a comforting arm on her shoulder. "We saw what we came to see," he said. "Let's go before we get caught."


Kenzy had spent the night in their room. They hadn't actually slept, keeping poor Peter up with their discovery. Not that he would have gone to bed anyway. Finding out one of their best friend's was a Werewolf was big. They'd talked it over all night, and had decided to confront Remus that same day. They wanted him to know that they were there for him, and that they accepted him, fur and all.

It was safe to say they were practically sleeping in their breakfast that morning. All of Gryffindor had noticed the unusual sight of the hyper group barely going through the motions of eating.

Evans was suspicious, and had no qualms about investigating. "Did you four get any sleep last night?"

James responded, "Working on our next prank took up all our time last night. There was no time for sleep."

Marlene narrowed her eyes, looking at Kenzy. "That doesn't sound like you, Kenzy. You never participate in their pranks."

Sirius snorted, "Not true. Who do you think we go to for the logistics of something overly complicated?"

"Remus," Kenzy muttered.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Besides him." Then he groaned, "Merlin, maybe we should skive off today. We need more than an hour of sleep."

Marlene looked at the four, eyebrows raised. "You mean sleep actually happened? Where did Kenzy sleep?"

Sirius grinned. "I fondly recall waking up this morning to hair in my face that smelled so good-"

Evans choked on her pumpkin juice. "You slept with Sirius, McKenzie?"

Kenzy found the idea laughable, and laughingly said, "I slept in James' bed and James fell asleep with Sirius."

The girls laughed, asking James what type of shampoo he used. To their surprise he responded with a wizard shampoo his family had invented that was supposed to help with his crazy hair, but didn't. In his sleepy state, he proceeded to list all his hair disasters while Kenzy, Sirius, and Peter listened. No one could get their attention after that, focused as they were on his stories, which if someone asked the eavesdroppers, could tell you were being repeated as if a new story. Evans finally gave up on getting them to go to class, and went after Professor McGonagall instead.

The Transfiguration Professor found them asleep in their food.

Shaking her head in disapproval, the professor woke them up and led them to Gryffindor Tower, where they were instructed to get some sleep. They were let off with a warning, though none of them were really awake enough to appreciate the mercy they'd been given.

They trudged up the stairs, Kenzy blindly following James as he'd grabbed her hand to keep from stumbling. They each went to their beds, Peter and Sirius both dropping face down onto theirs, snoring seconds later. Kenzy slipped off her shoes, crawled into bed besides James, and was out like a light.

She woke hours later, aware of various voices in the room with her. It took her a moment to remember she was in the boys dorm, but she didn't particularly care at the moment. She was entirely too comfortable to move. She snuggled into the heat, content to just fall back asleep.

Sirius' voice woke her a little more. "Don't worry, Evans. Just because they're cuddling like there's no tomorrow does not mean James doesn't love you."

There was a snort of disgust, followed by laughter. She thought she heard someone ask about a camera, but Kenzy didn't follow that conversation. She drifted off again, only to groan silently when a flash of light fully woke her.

The heat next to her groaned, "Bloody hell. One would assume his mates had enough courtesy to let a bloke sleep."

"That's a nice blanket you have there, Jamsie." She could hear Marlene's smirk.

"Shut up, Marley." James said, "Let her sleep."

She decided to let them know she was awake. "It's hard to sleep when everyone's causing a fuss." She sat up, trying not to blush once she realized she had been using James as a pillow. If her brother's found out she'd fallen asleep in here, they'd have a cow. She noticed all the boys were here, Remus looking worn but alright, and all of her dorm mates were in the room as well. "Did we miss all our classes?"

Marlene nodded, "And Quiditch practice too."

Kenzy straightened. James sat up from where he'd been lounging on his bed. Both began to panic. James ran his hands through his mussed hair. "Shite. Shite. Shite. Captain's going to kill us."

Kenzy was prepared to throw herself at Jason's feet, and beg for forgiveness. He was stickler for practices. "We have that match on Saturday. We're so screwed."

James pressed his forehead into Kenzy's shoulder. "I haven't even played a match, and I'm going to replaced!"

"Typical," Evans muttered. "They're okay with skiving off classes, but missing Quiditch sends them into dramatics."

Marlene rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. I told Bell neither of you were feeling good, a prank gone wrong. As you four put on quite the performance this morning with your half dead moaning, they believed the excuse."

Both Quiditch players relaxed against the pillow on the bed, sighing in relief. Kenzy smiled at Marlene. "You're the best."

Marlene laughed, "Tell that to James. He seems to think he's Merlin's gift to Chaser's."

"I am Merlin's gift to Chaser's," James piped up. "I'm Gryffindor's Star Chaser."

Everyone groaned, already having heard this more than once. Sirius starting to usher the girls out the door, save Kenzy. "Thank you for getting him started, Marley. We'll send Kenzy down to you once we're done with her."

Evans frowned. "I let it go before, but now I have to say something. It's not proper for her to be up here."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Jeez Evans, what are you, her mother?" He shut the door in her face before she could retort.

Peter laughed, "You just keep giving her more reasons to hate you."

James frowned. "He's right, Sirius. That's my future wife you keep upsetting."

Sirius moaned in fake despair, falling to his knees beside Kenzy. "Do you realize, as James' best friends, we will have to deal with Evans' nagging for the rest of our lives."

Kenzy pretended to seriously think about it. "Do you think it's too late to back out of the friendship now?"

James pushed her off the bed.

Remus finally spoke up, his voice louder than Kenzy's swears as she pulled herself back onto the bed. "I'm the one who was sick, but it's you four who look like hell."

Sirius scoffed, "Excuse me, but I never look like hell. I am the perfect example of Pureblood genetics."

James nudged Kenzy. "A perfect example of why inbreeding is bad."

Sirius glared as the two broke out into laughter. Soon, Remus and Peter joined in, while Sirius walked back to his bed. Eventually, the laughter died down, and Remus spoke again. "Seriously, what happened? I wasn't aware we were planning a prank that required Kenzy's help."

No one spoke. No one knew how to broach the subject. She and James kept trading glaces, each signaling the other to start. Finally, Kenzy reasoned that it was her theory, so she'd do it. It had nothing to do with the fact the James was threatening to tickle her.

Taking a deep breath, Kenzy said, "We know, Remus."

Remus was confused. "You know…"

She smiled kindly at him. "We know."

It took him a few moments, but then he got it. He closed his eyes, whispering, "It was your scent in the shack. I didn't want to believe it, but there's no mistaking the prominent strawberry in your scent. I've never smelled anyone else with it."

Kenzy was curious, but decided to leave it be for now. There would be plenty of time to ask questions. She said, "I put it together a month ago, during Defense."

He didn't open his eyes. "You told the others?"

"Only Peter," James answered. "Me and Sirius were there as well. We just stayed under the cloak the entire time."

Remus hung his head, shame filling his words. "Of course. That cloak is weird. I've never been able to smell, or hear you when you're under it…" He looked up, his fearful eyes on Kenzy. "You guys saw me…"

Kenzy stood up. "Transform?" She walked up to him. "Yes, we saw it." Then she did something that surprised Remus.

She hugged him.

He'd been expecting ridicule, and fear. He had expected judgment like his father's friends at the Ministry. He wasn't expecting the hug. Kenzy was willingly hugging a monster…

He hugged her back.

She spoke into his chest. "We don't care. We talked about it, and we don't care. You're still our friend, our best friend."

Remus couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I lose my mind to a monster once a month."

Sirius snorted. "My family is made up of monsters. You're nothing compared to them."

James spoke up. "Honestly Remus, you're the only neat one here. You color coordinate your revisions. I'd laugh anyone out of Hogwarts if they called you dangerous."

They all piled onto Sirius' bed, Remus telling them the story of how he'd acquired his affliction. Remus felt some of the weight he'd been carrying around with the constant lies to his best friends lift from his shoulders. They bonded that night, bonded over the secret they now shared. Kenzy had asked dozens of questions, while James made jokes. Peter piped up with witty quips now and then, and Sirius kept making kitchen runs.

They fell asleep in a pile on the floor, food everywhere, no one caring that Kenzy had never left.


AN: Sneaked or Snuck? That is a question that freaking plagued my mind while writing this the first time. I had to go look it up, and still learned that while 'snuck' somehow popped into the English language, it doesn't say it's wrong. Sneaked just didn't sit well with me, so I went with the other.

Really, this chapter was primarily about finding out Remus was a Werewolf. I don't remember in canon when the Marauder's figure it out, but I figured 2nd year was a good year to do it.

I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think in the Reviews!