Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx- Late September 8th, 1971

"Remus?"

"I think he's asleep Sirius."

"I can see that Peter, I'm not dense."

"Are you sure?"

"Shut up James."

"Make me."

"Oh, I will, trust me."

"Guys, you're gonna wake Remus!"

"So are you Peter if you keep yelling."

"Oops."

"Are you sure he's not dead?"

"He's not dead Peter, duh."

"I was just checking. He's so still…."

"Awww! Petey's checking on his boyfriend!"

"Shut up!"

This is what woke Remus up to later that night. He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing, it was wonderful having friends. After a few more insults and death threats Remus finally opened his eyes to see James and Sirius circling each other while Peter egged them on.

"Hey! Remus is awake!" Sirius shouted as he launched himself at Remus, nearly running over James in the process as he was caught in the crossfire.

"Sirius, you git! You could've killed me! And I think you're killing Remus too," James said as he noticed Remus' face turning red, to purple, and finally green.

"Oh yeah, sorry Remus," Sirius said as he released the smaller from his grasp.

"We brought you some soup too," Peter added happily as he picked the slightly emptier bowl up off the floor.

"Thank you, Peter, but I'm not hungry," Remus said, "but I would like to know what time it is."

"Why?"

"Just want to know."

"Well in that case," James checked his watch, "It's 5:54."

Remus felt himself paling, he was late to the Hospital Wing! He flung the covers off and started searching through his trunk in order to find a sweater and jeans.

"Um, Remus, are you okay?" Peter asked worriedly.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'm just heading up to the hospital wing."

"Well, okay then. Have fun, I guess." Sirius said, confusion written across his face.

"Feel better," James said with a look at Sirius.

Remus slipped the sweater on over his head and looked up at the clock, it was already 6:00. The lycanthrope decided against the jeans and grabbed his cloak before rushing out of the dorm without saying goodbye.

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Remus ran faster than he had ever run before. 'I'm going to be late, oh god I'm going to be late! What if can't make it on time? Will I be expelled or executed? What if I hurt someone?!' The thought was too awful, Remus quickly pushed it to the back of his mind and continued running until he arrived at the Hospital Wing.

He flung open the door to find a frizzy-haired and worried Madam Pomfrey.

"Remus!" she called as she hurried over to him.

"Oh you poor dear!" You're burning up, goodness gracious!"

"It's okay Madam Pomfrey, I'm usually like this," Remus said, he didn't understand why everyone cared so much, he was a freak. Madam Pomfrey looked up at the clock: 6:13.

"Come now dear, follow me," she said as she led him outside through a small door in the back of the wing. Remus walked across the cool ground, he loved the feeling of the wet dewiness under his feet, even if he was wearing trainers and was on his way to pain and destruction. Madam Pomfrey led him up to a gigantic tree with branches the size of the giant squid's tentacles. Apparently unfazed by the dangerous tree, Madam Pomfrey darted in between the fast swinging branches to press a small knot at the base of the tree half hidden by dead leaves.

"Come dear, we don't have much time," she said. Remus, who realized he had been staring at the tree in a state of awe, shook his head and followed Madam Pomfrey into the secret passage.

The tunnel seemed to go on forever, it must have been at least 6:45 by the time they made it to the Shrieking Shack. It was a dismal building only about a mile from Hogsmeade, but Dumbledore assured Remus it was sturdy and the wolf wouldn't be able to get out.

Remus followed Madam Pomfrey up a flight of stairs into a small bedroom, if you could call it that. There was an old bed with a red and gold comforter on top. And in the corner of the room was a large wardrobe that could probably fit him, Sirius, Peter, and James altogether.

"Are you okay, Remus?" Madam Pomfrey asked tentatively.

"O-oh yeah, I-I'm fine." Damn his stutter.

"Well, I best be going now, I'll be back to collect you in the morning," she said, and with one last pitying glance at Remus and a nervous twist of her hands, she was gone.

The boy pulled off his clothes one by one and put them under the bed where he was confident the wolf couldn't reach. After fully stripping, he sat down on the bed and pulled his knees up to his chest, awaiting the hell that was sure to come.

At the first shot of pain Remus let out a gasp, he'd been through this many times but it still hurt like the devil. Then, the real pain started. He started screaming as his skin stretched and his bones cracked in order to change into the wolf, his fingernails became longer and darker until large claws protruded from his fingers, which weren't fingers anymore, but paws. At last, the pain was transforming was over.

But now the wolf was hungry, hungry for blood. The wolf smelled the air, 'Human, pain, human, two humans.' It was too much to bear, the wolf needed the liquid that flowed through veins. He started with a long scratch down his chest before quickly lapping up the beads of blood. 'Blood, must have more, more, more, need more.' The wolf started attacking itself, leaving bite marks, scratches, broken bones, bruises, anything you could think of.

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Remus awoke to a stinging pain in his shoulder, actually, it was everywhere. He pulled himself into a sitting position but a sharp pain in his chest caused him to fall backward. He groaned as one of his hands brushed up against a particularly bad bruise. For the first time since he woke up, Remus looked around at the shack. Blood was spattered all over the walls and the wardrobe was missing a door, it was probably the pile of splinters in the corner. But the worst was probably the bed, the comforter had been ripped to shreds, and the posts were covered in scratches and bite marks. His clothes had been reduced to a mere pile of fabric and fur. He was wrong about hiding them under the bed, the wolf was smarter than he thought.

The brunette groaned again as he shifted his leg, it was obviously broken. 'Oh god, pain, pain everywhere. Dear lord, that was a rib. Stupid wolf. Honestly, with all the brilliant wizards and witches out there no one bothers to look for a cure. One day I'm j-' Remus was jerked out of his thoughts by a knock on the door and a quiet, "Remus?" It was Madam Pomfrey.

Remus hurriedly looked around the room, she would be furious when she saw what happened. The witch would probably walk him straight up to Dumbledore and demand he be expelled, and then Remus would be sentenced to execution for hiding his condition and all the people of Hogsmeade would gather around to laugh, and James, Sirius, and Peter would be in front, talking about how stupid they'd been, trusting a werewolf, a dark creature, a beast, a monster. The thought brought tears to his eyes. He couldn't blame them really, he wouldn't trust himself either.

There was another knock on the door, "Remus, sweetheart. I'm coming in okay?" Madam Pomfrey said, her voice cool and calming. Remus watched as she opened the door and her face changed from fear, revulsion, sadness, and then pity.

"You did this?" she whispered quietly. This was too much, Remus burst out in tears. He was definitely going to be expelled, he was an evil monster, he couldn't believe that he actually thought he would be able to fit in with normal people. So he was quite surprised when kind arms wrapped around him and pulled him into a hug.

"There, there. I'm so sorry, love. I was in shock. Now, let's get you back to Hogwarts. Where are your clothes?" she said soothingly. Remus pointed to the pile of shredded fabric a few feet away before shifting his position slightly, realizing he was naked.

"Oh, well, that's okay," she said as she started to undo the clasps on her cloak.

"W-what are y-you d-doing," Remus asked, wiping the tears out of his eyes.

"Why, I'm letting you wear my cloak dear. Did you think I was going to let you walk back up to castle naked?" she said jokingly as she draped her cloak around his shoulders.

"B-But I'm a m-monster," he said, embarrassed tears starting to roll down his cheeks. Madam Pomfrey's attention snapped back to him.

"Never, ever, let me hear you say that again, do you understand?" she asked, her blue eyes staring into his amber eyes, "You are a little boy who deserves to be loved like everyone else," she said seriously.

Remus nodded, although he didn't believe a word she said.

"Good, now follow me," she said, getting up.

"Um, I-I'm r-really sorry," he said gesturing to his broken leg, "but I c-can't."

"Oh you poor thing, I'm sorry," the woman said as she helped him stand up. And then the pair began their painful journey back to Hogwarts.

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