11

Try as he might, James found himself completely unable to sleep. Even when he felt tired, the moment his eyes closed he would have horrible nightmarish visions of Rochefort casting the torture curse upon him, and he would be unable to see, think or feel anything but intense pain. Then he would wake up.

After doing this countless times, when he opened his eyes, he gave a start-Remus, Sirius and Peter were in front of him. All were wearing looks of concern.

'Don't sneak up on me like that!'

'Sorry, mate,' Sirius said as he sat down on the foot of his bed. 'We don't really have a choice but to be sneaky. We nicked your cloak to get up here.'

Remus offered James something. 'Here, eat this, you'll feel much better,' he said shrewdly. James took it and bit it-it was chocolate, and Remus was quite right. It did make him feel somewhat better. 'It's a remedy for various ailments-most commonly against Dementors.'

'Ah,' said James around his mouthful of chocolate.

'Are you alright?' Remus asked quietly.

James nodded. 'Can't sleep,' he murmured.

'Can't or won't?' Peter asked shrewdly.

James sighed. 'Probably a little bit of both. It seems weak to admit it.'

'Nothing about surviving an attack by Death Eaters, and the Cruciatus Curse at that, is weak,' Remus said simply.

'Yeah, don't beat yourself up about it, mate,' Sirius said, clapping James on the leg. 'Feel up for a stroll? We could make our way down to the kitchens?'

James nodded. 'Yeah, let's go.'

*

Sitting in the bright and bustling kitchens did wonders for James' mood. The house elves worked tirelessly and happily to prepare food, and were all too willing to share the fruits of their labour. James had not quite realized how hungry he was until he was here. He ate a half Hickory-roast chicken and topped that off with a set of bangers and mash. Several yorkshire puddings and a generous dollop of gravy later, and he was fit to burst.

Sirius was busy wolfing down his fifth eclaire, having just finished a heaping helping of roast beef himself. Peter was eating very small portions, and was currently gnawing corn off a cob. Remus definitely had the best table manners of the group, as he was neatly slicing his way through a spiral cut ham.

'That hit the spot,' James sighed. Sirius said something unintelligble around his mouthful of eclaire. 'Sorry, what was that?' he asked.

Sirius swallowed. 'I wonder why nobody else comes down here. D'you think we're the only ones that know about it?'

'Certainly possible,' Remus said as he popped another bite of ham into his mouth. 'We probably shouldn't be out too late. We do have class tomorrow.'

'I'm not tired,' Sirius grunted. Peter nodded his agreement as he chewed on his corn. Remus chuckled.

'I don't know how I'm supposed to be a good influence,' Remus sighed.

'You're tired, are you?' Sirius asked, helping himself to another eclaire.

'Not in the least,' Remus said. 'I'm quite used to staying up all night.'

James chewed on this for a moment. 'Sorry, mate,' he said. 'Is there anything we can do?'

Remus smiled faintly. 'I don't think so,' he said. 'Werewolves are a terrible threat to humans. There is no way you could be near me when I transform.'

'Are you only dangerous to humans?' Sirius asked.

Remus nodded. 'Nobody really knows why. Human prey just seems to be what a werewolf craves. You could march a herd of cows right past me, you could even lay out an army of steaks, and I would skip right past them and attack the chef.'

James thought about this for a second. 'Hang on,' he said. 'So what you're saying is that you don't attack other animals?'

Remus nodded as he at more of his ham.

'So all we have to do...is become animals,' James said.

Sirius snorted. 'Yeah. Easy as pie, that is. Right James, go on, turn into an animal. I think an elephant would do you right.'

'Why's that?' James asked.

'They have the biggest heads,' Sirius grinned.

'Well, I think you'd be an emu,' James replied. 'They have the smallest brains.' Peter laughed ecstatically and Remus chuckled as well. 'Seriously, though...we could do it.'

Remus looked skeptical. 'How, exactly?'

'Look at Professor McGonagall,' James said excitedly. 'She can turn into a cat!'

Sirius no longer looked wary. He looked quite interested. 'That's not a bad idea, James,' he said.

Remus looked stern. 'Yes it is,' he said. 'Even if you could master whatever it is that McGonagall does-and I'm assuming it's not easy-it's a terrible risk to take.'

'But you just said you're not dangerous to animals,' Peter pointed out, immediately looking embarassed with himself. 'I mean, not that I'm really for the idea,' he said hastily.

'Come on, Peter, are you a man or a mouse?' Sirius said irritably.

'There are no records of a werewolf attacking another animal, but that doesn't mean it has never happened,' Remus said carefully. 'And I certainly don't want there to be a first time, especially if that first time happens to involve me eating my friends.'

James wasn't about to give up. 'And what if we transform into something as big as you, hm?'

'Yeah,' said Sirius enthusiastically. 'We could be something big-like a rhinoceros.'

Now Remus snorted. 'Except for the fact that I'd be off across the grounds before you could get to your feet, that would be an excellent choice.'

'Well, something faster then,' said Sirius. 'How about a lion?'

'Can we choose the shape we get?' Peter asked interestedly.

James frowned. Come to think of it, he had only ever seen McGonagall turn into a cat. 'I'm not sure,' he said at last. 'We could probably ask McGonagall.'

'Bad idea,' Remus said at once. 'You don't want to give her any reason to be suspicious.'

'What's there to be suspicious of?' Sirius asked innocently.

Remus rolled his eyes. 'Two of the most renowned trouble makers in school who always seem to find their way into that spot between a rock and a hard place, who happen to run around with a werewolf for a best friend-'

'-they don't know that we know that,' James cut in.

'-all of a sudden come up to their teacher asking about how to turn into animals? You don't think that would raise her guard just a little?' Remus asked.

Sirius snapped his fingers. 'I've got it! It goes against every fiber of my being, though,' he said bitterly.

'What's that?' James asked.

'The library,' Sirius said with a shudder. 'We could probably find information on it in there. Come on, Moony, you're always in the library.'

Remus sighed. 'I suppose we could look for things there. It's probably best if I go. If you two asking McGonagall about it would look suspicious, I can only imagine the rumor mongering that would occur if you two were sighted in the library.'

'Excellent,' James said. 'Let's go now!'

'No way!' Peter said instantly. 'Madam Pince never sleeps. I'm sure she'll be there waiting to jump out from behind a bookshelf or something.'

'He has a point,' Remus chuckled. 'There aren't many things in the castle more frightening than Madam Pince.'

'Tomorrow, then,' James relented.

Remus nodded. 'Alright. After class, I'll go to the library and see what I can find. We should really get you back to the hospital wing in case Madam Pomfrey wakes up to do a midnight check.'

But at just that moment, the portrait hole to the kitchen opened again. Peter squealed, and James quickly threw the invisibility cloak over the four of them as they stood and backed into a corner.

'Wow,' came the voice of Alice Dearborn. 'How did you find out about this place?'

'Potter, believe it or not,' said Lily Evans, and James' heart leapt as they both stepped into view. 'I really don't see why it couldn't wait until morning.'

Alice grinned mischievously at Lily. 'Come on, it's Frank's birthday tomorrow and we're not allowed in Hogsmeade until next year-I just want to see if we can get a few treats for him, that's all.'

Lily sighed, looking wary. 'I don't like breaking rules,' she muttered.

'How are we going to get out of here?' hissed Peter.

'Wait until they go to leave,' Remus replied.

Lily sat down only a few feet away from where the four of them stood, huddled under their cloak. 'You like Frank a lot, don't you?' Lily asked.

'Of course I do,' Alice sighed as she sat down, having just asked the elves to make a nice, large chocolate cake. 'Do you think he feels the same?'

Lily snorted. 'Please. If you two were any more attracted to each other, you might somehow morph into one single entity.'

Alice beamed. 'What about you? Fancy anyone?'

James' heart was racing in his chest.

'Not really...' Lily answered. 'Not like you and Frank, anyway.'

'What about...Severus?' Alice asked, a rather ugly look on her face as she said the name. Affection for Alice swelled within James.

'Don't say his name like that,' Lily said haughtily. 'Severus is very nice, and we've been friends for a very long time. But...that's really all I think I want.'

Alice's eyes narrowed. 'You think you want?' she said.

'I don't know how we got onto this topic,' Lily sighed.

'What about James?' Alice asked off handedly.

Lily spluttered. 'Wha-Potter? Are you taking the mickey?'

Sirius stifled laughter. James elbowed him in the ribs.

'I see the way you look at him,' Alice chided.

'WHAT? WHAT WAY? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!' Lily exploded.

'Shhh,' Alice hissed. 'Someone might hear you.'

Lily seethed silently. 'I don't look at Potter in any way,' she whispered angrily.

Alice raised her eyebrows. 'You look at him when he musses his hair all the time. And you're an awful liar. You have an obvious tell.'

'What? What tell?' Lily asked.

'Never played wizard poker, have you?' Alice mused. 'When you lie, your right leg jiggles.'

Sirius was starting to laugh silently again. James and Remus both elbowed him in the ribs.

'I have nothing to lie about,' Lily said angrily.

'I don't know why you're getting so uptight about it,' Alice said. 'He is rather good looking.'

If Lily was spluttering before, she was positively incoherent now. A stream of disconnected words flew from her mouth, not all of them entirely appropriate to a civilized conversation. Sirius began to laugh again, and this time he received elbows from all three of James, Remus and Peter.

'Here you go, miss,' a house elf said to Alice as he handed a large, delicious looking chocolate cake with generous swirls of white icing on top, forming the words 'Happy Birthday Frank! From, Alice' on it.

'Excellent!' Alice said, clapping her hands with glee. 'You're a life saver!' she told the elf, who beamed happily at her. 'Right, let's get back to Gryffindor tower so you can keep denying you look at James.'

'Oh knock it off,' Lily said angrily as they opened the portrait hole.

'Now!' hissed Remus. They quickly moved to get out through the portrait hole after the two girls. The portrait was closing, and nearly shut on Peter's leg. Peter gave a short yelp, and they froze.

Alice and Lily had turned on the spot and were staring at the space where they were. 'What was that?' Lily said.

'Did you close the door on a house elf?' Alice asked worriedly.

The four boys shuffled silently to the side as Lily checked the door and, apparently satisfied that they hadn't accidentally murdered one of the kitchen elves, set off once more.

'Great,' murmured Remus as James mussed his hair happily. 'He'll never leave his hair organized ever again.'

They strolled leisurely back up to the hospital wing where they found it just as they left it. Madam Pomfrey was apparently still asleep in her office.

'The sun will be up soon,' Sirius observed. 'Do you want us to stay?'

James shook his head. 'It's okay,' he said, glancing at his watch where the time told him it was just around five in the morning. 'In a couple of hours I'll be able to get out of bed and come see you.'

'We'll wait for you in the common room,' Sirius said.

'Try and get some sleep,' Remus said in a concerned tone.

'Yes, Madam Pomfrey,' James said sarcastically. 'See you three in a couple of hours.'

The three of them left and James settled into his bed. He didn't mean to, but content with a full stomach and with Alice and Lily's conversation playing over and over in his head, he drifted off to sleep.