Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm up to thirty two(smile) This chapter may not get out the night I write it, but that's because I have to go downtown to a stage rehearsal at eleven and I'm not a person that can get awake very easily. Oh well, that's what the two chapters last night were for. So enjoy reading, and just a hint, I love feedback.

Chapter Fourteen: Case Closed

"When will you be back again?" Sirius asked Remus, who was packing to go home.

He was leaning, arms crossed, against his bedpost. Only he and Remus remained in the room.

"Sunday," Remus replied quietly.

"All right then," Sirius said, "see you Sunday."

Sirius watched as Remus gloomily pulled his trunk out of the dorm. He waited until the wheels rolling the trunk along were out of earshot, meaning Remus was in the common room, where Sirius knew James was stationed.

Remus hit the last step of the spiral staircase leading into the common room, praying that it would be empty. To his misfortune, James was sitting was his back propped up against against a brick red couch arm.

"Tell your mum I hope it's nothing deadly serious," James said, staring darkly towards Remus, "and I hope she gets well soon."

He reached beside him, and pulled out a box of chocolates a fourth year had gratefully gotten him from Hogsmeade.

"Here," James said, handing Remus the box of chocolates, "tell her it's from the Potters. See you Sunday."

Remus accepted the box with a shaking hand and a look of betrayal. He watched James travel back up to the dormitory, feeling as though his body was nothing but an empty pit. He solemnly exited through the portrait hole to find Professor McGonagal waiting for him.

"Do you have your trunk?" McGonagal asked him.

"Yeah," Remus said, casting a sad look back at the Fat Lady who gave him a sympathetic look, "I told them I'd be going home."

"Ah," she said, a smile playing on her lips, "so that's been your excuse."

It seemed for a moment that she would yell, but instead just said, "that's a good idea, Mr. Lupin. It'll give you time to recover."

She led him through vacant hallways, to the Infirmary. There they met Madame Pomfrey, who took over. On the way outside, she ranted on about various cases she had to cure during the course of that week, though Remus zoned out. He was thinking of his strange encounters with James and Sirius that afternoon. When he had safely managed to squeeze through the Whomping Willow opening, and had gotten through the passage, he was still thinking about it. As he leaned against a bare wall, staring out the window above him into the starless night sky, his consciousness hit him. The wolf side.

They know, a voice growled, they're waiting for you to tell them.

I can-can't tell them, Remus thought, they'll-disown me.

Like the rest of the world, the voice snarled.

Go away, Remus moaned out loud, his last thoughts before he changed.

With his friends on his mind, his transformation seemed even more painful. Part of him, at the time, felt as all he wanted to do was to die, disappear into nothingness, and the wolf was going to make sure of it. He snapped at his arms, moving closer and closer to his wrist- he was going to kill himself. He couldn't go through with it- he couldn't let his friends know- the school know- everyone.

The wolf howled. His paw pounded into the glass, showering it over his fur. Even as a wolf, he still shivered at the touch of the cold glass. He rolled, knocking over a chair. And then he fled. The werewolf dashed up towards the upper level of the house, destined in the attic.

The wolf's dead, red eyes looked around. There was a wooden table in a corner. The monster leaped on top of it, crushing the wood to pieces. Once again, the villain examined the room, and uninterested, he went back downstairs. The room the wolf landed in a bedroom. It snarled, drool falling from it's nostrils.

It then saw something. A word, long ago carved into a wooden bedpost: Remus. Who was that? What was that? Dead. The wolf once again bit at itself: teeth breaking into the flesh of his forearm. The moon lowered. The wolf weakened. Night left. The werewolf was gone. For now.

Hours later Remus felt someone shaking him away. And it hurt. He couldn't move. He didn't want to move. He was too weak to move. Another shove. Remus groaned, and managed to turn over.

"Oh my"- a voice gasped. He distantly heard it. "Can- can you sit up, Mr. Lupin?"

Remus let out another groan, and then a hoarse cough. He moaned as he tried to lift up his heavy eyelids. One move, and he moaned once more in pain.

"Mr.- Mr. Lupin?" The shaken voice asked.

Remus let out a final moan, and then fell into blackness.

What seemed like centuries later, he awoke again, but due to close voices, he kept his drowsy eyes closed.

"What do you think happened?"

It was Professor McGonagal's voice, and she seemed very worried.

"I'm not sure, Minerva." That, Remus decided, was definitely Dumbledore's, and he himself sounded as though he hadn't even closed his eyes in days.

"Do you think that he-he," McGonagal was stuttering over her words, obviously afraid to say her thoughts, "he tried to hurt himself?"

"I'm not sure," Dumbledore sighed heavily, "I do not see what would drive him to do so."

"Albus," McGonagal nearly gasped, "he's here, at school, as a werewolf. His friends-"

Remus didn't hear the rest. He felt sick. His arms being under the covers, he hoped the professors didn't notice his movements. Remus carefully moved his left hand over his right arm. He had to bite down hard on his bottom lip in order to not cry out in pain. His arm was wrapped in bandages, but he could still feel the pain. Remus then ran a half bandaged finger over his right arm, and an inaudible gasp of pain escaped from his cracked lips. His forearms were scratched. Badly. He let out a groan of pain, not being able to stand keeping quiet.

Beside the cot McGonagal and Dumbledore exchanged a worried look.

"I'll talk to him," Dumbledore said quietly.

McGonagal nodded and left.

"Remus-" Dumbledore said softly, "Mr. Lupin- can you hear me?"

"Wha-" Remus tried to quickly overcome the shock of hearing his own voice, "what day is it?"

"Monday," Dumbledore replied, "at approximately two P.M."

Remus groaned. His friends were expecting him back yesterday. They'd hate him. They'd-

"Mr. Lupin, do you remember anything of your last transformation?" Dumbledore obviously wasn't afraid to approach the subject right away.

"I- I-" Remus wasn't sure what to say.

Could he let Dumbledore know how weak he truly was?

"I don't remember."

Dumbledore looked down at him, but Remus avoided his eyes.

"If one says what he truly means," Dumbledore said, not taking his eyes off the boy in front of him, "then I always believe them. I think now would be a good time to leave you to rest. I'm sure Madame Pomfrey is anxious to speak to you."

Dumbledore smiled, that famous twinkle in his eye as though offering him sympathy that he couldn't say in words. He watched Dumbledore leave, and the true impact of his actions hit him. Was there any use of him being here? Maybe he should just-

"Mr. Lupin, you need your rest," Madame Pomfrey said kindly, "you may leave tomorrow evening if you feel up to it."

With that she left, leaving Remus to fall into a troubled sleep.

The Next Night

"Merlin," Sirius said under his breath, "if the moon were any brighter you would think someone just bewitched the sun."

Sirius, James, and Peter were the only ones left in the common room, for it was one in the morning, still awaiting the fourth member of their group.

"Yeah," James sighed, I wish Remus would hurry up. "Maybe we can find out more." He looked out the window once more, turning away in frustration as the bright glare from the moon hit his eyes.

"Wait-" Sirius said slowly, "I've got it! I just need to check one more thing..."

"Sirius, what-" James started.

"I have to go look something up," Sirius said.

He dashed up the staircase at full speed, as if there were a demon chasing after him. Naturally James followed, and Peter ran after the two.

"I wasn't sure," Sirius said, throwing back some black hair that was in front of his eyes, "but the moon- the moon explains it all."

"Explains what?" James asked, puzzled.

"Remus!" Sirius exclaimed, flipping through An Introduction to Dark Creatures. "Everything! He's gone- once a month" Sirius could barely breath now, talking so fast, "he comes back every time with a lame excuse. His mother's obviously not sick. He howls in his sleep. He always has those scratches all over him-"

"What are you getting at?" Peter asked, speaking up quietly as James' eyes widened in realization.

"He's a werewolf!" James whispered at the exact moment Remus walked in.

Sirius dropped the book in shock, and quickly kicked it under the nearest bed.

"Hey," Remus said casually, "I didn't expect you to be up."

"We were just waiting for you," James said, "just to make sure you were okay and all."

All three of them then stared at Remus, and realized what they were seeing. Remus was standing there, his right wrist wrapped in bandages, a long, red scratch on his left forearm, a few scratches on his face, and oddest of all- a bite mark on his left arm.

"What happened?" Sirius said, finding it hard to speak.

"Dog attack," Remus said quickly, "at my grandmother's house in Paris. Can you believe it?"

Uncharacteristically, Peter was the first to speak up.

"But you don't live in Paris, do you?" Peter asked.

"I-I" James was surprised to see Remus at such a loss for words.

"Oh don't kill yourself over it mate!" James said looking over towards Will's bed to make sure he wasn't listening. Then he whispered: "you're a werewolf."

Remus stared at them in horror, his mouth hanging open, caught somewhere between fear to speak and shouting. James suddenly felt very bad for his friend right then, bad that he had come out and said that like that.

Before he could apologize Remus fled the room.

He wasn't sure where he would go. He ran out of the Fat Lady's portrait, ignoring her inquiries, and using some of the secret passage ways the four had found, he made his way into the Great Hall, not caring if anyone woke up. He then dug in his robes for his wand, which he prayed was still there, and thankfully found it.

They know.

Somehow they figured him out. All on their own. How had he messed up? He couldn't even fool them for a semester, and now everything was ruined.

"Alohamora!" Remus shouted, jamming his wand at the lock. He turned around him and was terrified to see the other three running after him. "Alohamora! It didn't budge. Come on!" Remus was embarrassed to feel tears pouring from his eyes. "ALOAMORA!" He then kicked the door with all his might, and to his surprise, it opened.

Remus took in the cool night's air, and ran down a dirt path. He didn't even notice until he got there that he was heading for the Whomping Willow. Dodging the branches with ease he quickly found the right stick and prodded the hidden knot. He fled down the tunnel all the way to the bedroom that seemed so familiar to him, and finally sank down against the wall, and sighed, placing his head in his hands as he tried to seize his crying.

And he gasped in horror once more- he had left the Willow frozen. Footsteps echoed through the house and stopped in the room he was in.

"So it's true then," Sirius voice said darkly.

Remus looked up at him, embarrassed by his tear-streaked face, and nodded in fear.

"You're a werewolf," Sirius said slowly, as though he couldn't quite believe it. Or maybe he just didn't want to believe it.

"So what's the story then?" James asked, leaning against the torn bed.

Remus took a deep breath. He wasn't sure what to say. Should he lie?

They'll desert you.

No- they wouldn't-

And they'll just be like everyone else.

They may be different.

They'll leave you. Kill you. Remus shivered.

Leave you- like your father.

"Remus..." A voice sung, jerking him from his inner-battles. "You alive in there?"

"What's the story?" James repeated, cutting off Sirius.

"It started a long time ago," Remus said, shivering now as he realized how cool it had been outside, "I was playing in the woods when I was six. My father had told me not too, but I-I went anyway. He said it was dangerous, and monsters would get a hold of me. Later that night, I turned into one. Once the mediwizards confirmed what I was, my father left. I haven't heard from him since. I've been living with my mother. My uncle helps out every now and then."

"And what about your mother?" James asked. "She's not sick, is she?"

Remus shook his head and placed his head in his hands, and began talking to the floor.

"No," he said, still; shivering with nerves and fright.

"Well then," Sirius said, "what is this place?"

As soon as he asked, there was a long, ghastly, howl.

"Wha- what was that?" Peter asked. Remus was surprised to see he was there.

"Dumbledore's canned spooks," Remus said, trying to add some comic relief to the moment. "I transform here. When I'm gone, Dumbledore bewitches the place to continue to howl and screech."

"Are they- painful?" Sirius asked carefully; Remus knew that, for whatever reason, Sirius was just curious to know.

Remus let out a dry laugh. He couldn't believe he was discussing this with someone. In a way it was almost a relief. After all, no one had threatened to abandon him yet.

" Like you wouldn't believe. Since I'm alone, I have to bite and scratch myself."

"So that's why you come back looking like this every time," James said, trying to take everything in.

Remus nodded once more.

"You're a werewolf," Sirius whispered once more, under his breath.

Peter just now seemed to realize this. Taking one last petrified look at Remus, he turned and ran, flying at top speed out the door.

"Well," said Remus, looking up at the two boys remaining, "aren't you going to run too? Go ahead. Aren't you afraid? Go on!"

"What are you talking about?" James asked, staring at Remus in disbelief. "We wouldn't run from you. You're just..Remus."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, breaking himself from shock, "Peter's just...Peter."

Remus hesitated. He didn't know what to say.

"How did you know?" He asked after an awkward moment of silence.

"It was obvious after a while that something wasn't right with your story," James said, "and as much as I hate to admit it, Sirius was the one who figured it out completely in the end."

"Yeah," Sirius said proudly, "I mean, it didn't go past us that you left once a month, and came back beaten to bits. James overheard a conversation from his parents about your mum going to Paris, so she obviously wasn't sick. We just did the math. Well, I did." James glared at him. "I noticed that every time you left, it was a full moon. Almost all of the staff is very protective of you, and once I looked the symptoms up, it just pieced itself together."

"So you're not deserting me?" Remus asked, unable to believe how this was playing out.

"Are you joking?" James said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Like Sirius and I alone could torture Snape to death. He threw a mischievous grin towards Sirius. We always need a diversion."

Remus snorted. "Well, I'm good for something."

"Right," Sirius nodded.

"And I've got an idea anyway," James said, "werewolf's aren't a danger to animals, right?"

"Right," Remus replied, failing to see where this was going.

"So we'll become animagi!" James announced, clearly proud.

"Brilliant," Sirius muttered. He began to pace the floor, and to his horror Remus could already see the wheels of ideas turning over in Sirius' head. Suddenly Sirius exclaimed: "This is excellent! It's perfect!"

"I don't know," Remus said slowly, we're underage-

"We'll do it illegally," Sirius shrugged, as though the thought of facing expulsion- or worse- Azkaban- meant nothing to him.

"No- you can't!" Remus said. "If you got caught-"

"We wont," James reassured, "come on Remus, you know how horrible your transformations are-" Remus shuddered at the very thought, "-see? Animals large enough can keep you in check."

"Well, whatever we do," Sirius said, stopping Remus from arguing more, "let's talk about it later. He yawned as he glanced at his watched. It's two A.M. Let's go back."

James helped Remus up, and without another word said, the three snuck back into the castle, though keeping an eye out for Peter, who was no where in sight.

Author's Note: Though she(he?) hasn't read this story, I would like to dedicate this chapter to Mordred, author of Forever Alive. Forever Alive is one of my favorite fanfics, and definitely my favorite Harry Potter fanfic. Mordred does an excellent job in characterizing the wolf inside of Remus, and has inspired me. You should really read Forever Alive, it's excellent.