Remus' day at Hogsmeade didn't get off to the best of starts. James woke him up exceptionally early, the two of them grabbing breakfast in the great hall while the other two woke up. There, Remus was given a list of things to get while James was busy attending his head boy duties. That part Remus didn't mind too much, it gave him a purpose for being in Hogsmeade, and not just standing around while Sirius looked at this or that. Not to mention he was given a nice little bag of change himself to spend in any shop he liked, so that too made breakfast bearable.

No, the part in which Remus agreed got off to a bad start was after breakfast, when he was dressed, eager and waiting by the carriages. Waiting, and waiting and waiting. Hordes of third years and above passed him in the time he waited there, all of them herded into carriages and drove off by those strange looking horses to Hogsmeade. All of them but Remus.

James came by more than once with excuses for why Sirius would be late. He was a late sleeper when he didn't have to get up for something. He was probably showering. Peter had probably hexed him or something, although, the excuses involving Peter grew fewer and fewer when Peter himself came out of the castle arm in arm with a girl that sent James making kissy faces at them. After that the only thing James could really say was that Sirius probably had some good reason or another, before he too was called away by McGonagall on other head boy duties.

It was probably as the last of the carriages were leaving that Sirius finally made an appearance, the cause for why he was so late plain in the way he was dressed. There was nothing casual about him, all the way from his hair carefully styled to the thin shirt he wore told Remus he was out to impress. Finally the dots connected as Sirius made his apologies and almost ran them over to the carriages. He was going to try his luck with this Moony today. He probably had wanted Remus around to make him look better. Some part of him felt pleased that his advice was being taken, enough that the earlier anger he had towards Sirius melted into understanding.

The carriage ride itself was nothing to boast about, the strange horses were well trained and hardly made any fuss as they trekked the familiar route to Hogsmeade. They stopped at a certain spot, waiting just long enough for Sirius and Remus to hop out before they were on their way over to a paddock where, already, since Sirius had taken so long, there were students waiting to be taken back to Hogwarts.

Hogsmeade was like something out of a doll village, all thatched houses and old signs. It was quainter than Diagon Alley, and since most of the population were underage wizards and witches Remus didn't feel quite as threatened as he did when he was at Diagon. Nevertheless, the small village wasn't completely without its trials, the first one presenting itself almost as soon as they started walking the streets.

Sirius had decided fashion was more important than survival, his thin shirt and jeans leaving him shivering after a few steps as the icy autumn winds started beating against them. Remus himself was trying to keep warm by shoving his hands into pockets, mitted as they were, and didn't dare to think what they would be like if he hadn't had them on. Whoever this Moony was had better be worth the chill Sirius would no doubt get.

'So, where to first?' Remus asked, already spying the Honeydukes sign near the back of the line of shops. No doubt they would be going there last. Probably a good thing too. He took out James' list when Sirius could do more than chatter his teeth, handing it over to the shivering boy so they could make their way to the first item on it.

James, of course, had mostly pranking supplies on his list of priorities. No matter what he said about keeping a level head and focusing on his studies he was still James Potter, and James Potter was a pranker at heart. He couldn't just turn it off, no matter how hard he tried, and Remus had seen him try. So the first place they went to was Zonko's, Sirius visibly drooping from the warmth as they stepped in.

It was like a paradise for pranksters, dungbombs and invisible ink the tamest things on the shelves. Sirius made a beeline for the counter, talking with the man behind it like they were old friends. Remus left him to it in favour of collecting the many items James thought were necessary for his day to day life. Why he needed ten dungbombs was beyond Remus, but it was on the list so into the basket it went. By the time he met up with Sirius at the counter he had more than half the list complete.

They spent the majority of an hour in Zonko's. Firstly because there was something special Sirius had ordered for some prank or another and the man behind the counter was trying to get more money out of him. Secondly, because even when Remus managed to intimidate the man down to his original price with a well aimed glare and a show of his scars, Sirius was reluctant to leave the warmth of the shop, dawdling along the shelves and pretending neither of them knew what was really going on.

Eventually, Remus sacrificed his mittens to Sirius, if only so he could get out and to somewhere new. It wasn't that he didn't like the shop, more like someone had been less than careful with their items and now the whole shop was stinking up faster than the boys dorm on a hot day.

'You should have brought a coat,' Remus told him as they walked to the next shop on James' list. 'You have that black one we bought over the summer.' A shopping trip Remus would rather like to forget. If it was hard herding James and Sirius around wizarding shops it was near impossible in muggle. Remus ended up sending them out more than once in favour of getting their clothes himself. It was hard during that trip not to think about all his clothes left back at his house, the ones that Mr and Mrs Potter had just bought him for his birthday. He snapped back to the present, catching Sirius subtly try to warm his arms with Remus' mittens. 'You know you're more than handsome without showing off. I'm sure Moony won't mind if you dress down this one occasion.'

Sirius cast wide eyes over to him, 'Moony?'

'The person you're impressing. I can't think this was for my benefit after all.' He spared a laugh just thinking about Sirius dressing up for him. 'Don't worry, I don't mind. It's nice here.'

Sirius didn't say anything, the two of them heading into the robes shop where Remus got James a new Quidditch jumper and himself a new scarf when he saw it scribbled on the list. He gave a little grin at the side note James had put alongside it, so I know you're cheering me on, glad to note that Sirius was at least buying himself a scarf as well.

They were on their way to Honeydukes, finally, when Sirius spoke up again, looking decidedly warmer in his scarf. 'What if I was.'

'Was what?' Remus asked when he didn't elaborate.

Sirius shrugged, trying to look nonchalant as he held the door open for him. 'Dressing up for you. What if I was?'

'Why would you do that?'

Sirius shrugged again, the action showing off just how thin, and actually quite small the shirt was. It must have been old, something that was a cast off from last year or bought while he was at school since Remus had never came across it in their washing. The jeans too were quite well fitted, all something someone would wear to catch someone's eye, like on a date, or hoping it would garner them some attention as they passed by. Nothing that would be worn on an outing with Remus.

Honeydukes quickly wiped all thoughts of Sirius' oddness. As soon as they stepped through the door Remus thought he'd went to some kind of heaven. More types of chocolate than Remus knew existed dominated one wall, the rest of the shop showing row after row of magical sweets that had his mouth watering just looking at them. James' things were easy to find, and quickly paid for, Remus tossing the last of the list in with the others before he got his own little bag of money out and counted how much sweet, sweet contraband he could take back with him to the castle.

Quite a lot as it turned out, Remus skipping his way through Hogsmeade afterwards, a nice sugar quill in his mouth as Sirius took him to the Three Broomsticks to meet up with James. Butterbeer wasn't something Remus had a particular acquaintance with, although when he tasted it he could see why the line to get more was out the door.

They managed to find seats near the back of the pub, Sirius not needing his scarf at all thanks to the heat students and teachers alike were giving off. After five minutes Remus himself was sweating in his coat, quickly putting it to the side so he could dig out another sugar quill to munch on.

'James must be stuck with Evans,' Sirius said, not looking too displeased with that fact. He seemed more comfortable now there were people around. Witnesses, some part of Remus' mind whispered, like Sirius had something to fear being alone with him. 'Anywhere you want to go after this? I think Peter might be heading off towards the Shrieking... or we could head to the post office. I hear they have new owls in.'

'Nice save.' The Shrieking shack he'd heard was quite popular today. Something about seeing where a werewolf spent his full moons appealing to the more dangerous side of Hogwarts students. 'But I think I might just let you and James enjoy the rest of your day. Get this stuff back to the castle and have a nap.' And eat, he added on, knowing there was a limited amount of time between James not knowing and James trying to steal his chocolate.

'Oh.' Sirius floundered, looking around like someone would save him, before turning back to Remus with a determined look. 'Look, you don't have to.'

'I know. But you and James will probably want to go looking for Moony so, I don't mind heading back.'

At the mention of Moony Sirius sighed, nodding before slumping down in his seat. 'At least let me walk you to the carriages,' he compromised.

The pair of them sat in silence for the whole half hour it took for James to stumble in to the Three Broomsticks. As soon as he did, Sirius was up and sliding his way towards him, the two of them waiting in line for more butterbeers. Remus made sure to down the rest of his, sorting his own bags from James' as he waited for Sirius to finish up and take him to the carriages.

The pair of them came strutting over more satisfied than they had been walking in, Sirius telling James to keep their seats as he put on his scarf and Remus' gloves. The carriages were a good way away, the silence between the two of them more than enough for Remus to wish he hadn't agreed with Sirius' request.

About half way there something brushed against his hand, the familiar wool on his skin telling that it was Sirius. It came again after a second, and again, until Sirius was gently holding his hand.

'You look cold,' Sirius said, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on their joined hands.

'I am.'

It was a bit weird. He hadn't held anyone's hand since he was ten, Mr Potter finally letting him run loose on his own when he proved he wouldn't run off like James did if he let go. A few students stared, but for the most part they kept on without commenting, and Remus didn't pay much attention to them when they did. Sirius seemed to be quite comfortable with it too, swinging their hands slightly as they walked, he was practically beaming when Remus chanced a look, his gaze firmly fixed ahead.

They got to the carriages, easily finding one that would take him back to the castle. Sure, a few students hopped off when they realised he would be alone with them, but they didn't tell him to walk back, so Remus took it as a win.

Sirius didn't let go of his hand, not even when the odd horses started getting restless. It took Remus notably pulling away for him to come back from wherever he'd been and drop it.

The ride back was just as it was on the way there, nothing really to note. The castle, when he got there, was mostly empty, the dorm perfect for hiding his new purchases. It didn't take long, and after a few chocolate frogs Remus had the rest of the afternoon to himself. For the first time since he got to Hogwarts he had time to himself, without James, Sirius or Peter being there in the background, or duties to attend to.

He didn't know what to do with himself. Napping would seem the best idea. It was what he'd told Sirius he would do. But somehow he was too wired for one- his brain said too much sugar while his heart told it there was no such thing.

Eventually he went looking through James' stuff for something to read, his own things sparse since no one had thought it might be a nice idea to take him to the library again. A few spell books stood out, as well as a Quidditch magazine. But by the time Remus found them he realised he'd been cleaning half of James' trunk as he went. Productive as it was, it wasn't how he wanted to spend his time alone.

Sirius' side of the room had far more interesting things to read, and Remus didn't even have to go looking through his trunk- not that he would. Sirius was more of a messy liver. His trunk stayed closed so long as he was travelling, but if he found a place to call his own he ended up exploding all over it. Remus was half sure there was nothing actually in Sirius' trunk anymore. Here was a shirt that tripped over his feet, there a book on grindylows, and peaking from under his mattress a very unsubtle porn magazine.

It took a second look for Remus to see what had caught his eye. It wasn't a woman on the front, posing and moving about like he'd seen in the ones James had showed him when they were thirteen. This one had a man on it. It was old, the page worn from so many times being turned, and looking to be sticking slightly to the one below it. Remus supposed this must have been a favourite since Sirius hadn't bothered to close it, and while the thought of invading someone's privacy like this was rather skin crawling for him, he couldn't help his curiosity as he fingered it further out from beneath the mattress to get a better look.

It was different to the magazine James had, that one full of girls just trying too hard. This one knew its clientele and knew they had their interest, so the photo was more natural, at least with this one. The guy was blond, kind of skinny as opposed to the stereotypical muscles that he'd heard girls fawn over. The photo moved, the guy squirming in his seat with his hands dipping beneath his underwear every now and then. It was, different, and more than enough to have Remus contemplating his rather convenient time alone.

He'd never really thought about sex, that much he'd told James was true. But late at night he couldn't exactly tell his subconscious what to dream about. Some of the time when he'd been younger he'd wake from sleep with vague notions of firm skin touching his own. But with werewolf rights the way it was he knew that even indulging in those thoughts was just going to hurt him in the long run, so he'd even tried not to think of them when he went about his day. Still, there were other moments of weakness, like when he was given a rather blush worthy novel from James in jest, or remembered what a girl looked like without their shirt on. Things that had him dipping his hand into his underwear like the man in the magazine.

It would be interesting, he thought, to indulge, just this once. To see what all the fuss was about. He wouldn't be hurting anyone. No one would really have to know either, and he doubted he would make a mess since years of covering James' mishaps up had clued him into a few tricks here and there.

It took a few more seconds before he was darting towards the showers, stripping to his underwear and waiting for the water to warm up. He wondered how it happened. Did he think of something specifically, or did it just happen now he wanted it to?

It turned out the giddiness had him hard just as the water warmed to a reasonable temperature. His underwear joined the pile, Remus never so happy to have the dorm to himself than he was now. Not only did he not have to put up with Peter's constant wary stares when he slid into a stall next to him, but he had never been comfortable with any part of his body on show. Scars were just something a werewolf had to live with.

It turned out it was one thing to think it and another to do. Sure, his cock was half hard against his stomach, but after a few tentative touches Remus didn't really know what to do. It was weird, the feeling stinging slightly as a particular scar on his palm dragged harshly up the side of his shaft. He didn't know how long he did this for, or how long it took before it got how James bragged about it.

He tried thinking about those novels James had got him, the ones that had made him feel something interesting when he read them. About bad euphemisms and soft skin. It worked, slightly. As he remembered chapter thirteen his stomach started tightening, the scar in his palm not even registering as he sped up his strokes a bit more.

It felt even better when something caught his nose, a familiar scent of wet grass and slightly animal, canine. It drove his inner wolf to rear its head, an instinct to get his leg over and prove his dominance. To rut, basically, and had him arching against the shower stall, the water slicking his skin so his hand practically glided over his cock.

Merlin he got it now, and if this was just on his own he didn't dare to think what it would be like with someone else. Couldn't really think about what it would be like with someone else, which had him stopping just for a second. He soon perked back up, the wolf determined to finish, just so he too could mark some part of the bathroom, his human counterpart finally letting it out just this once.

He felt good, great, and as he had the forethought to twist, just to try, on the edge of his next stroke, he found himself boneless, everything coming out of him in long thin stripes.

He washed off the sweat and cum almost as soon as he'd finished, wiping himself down and scrubbing himself clean so he could collapse in his bed without fear of being caught. He wasn't surprised to find he dropped off after a few seconds, all his energy left behind in the shower.

He woke to the others clattering around the dorm, Peter on cloud nine as he recited something or other about his date at Puddifoots. 'And then we went around back where, well, it's one thing to see them and another to touch.'

'Lucky,' James sighed, the glaze in his eyes familiar from years of telling stories about Lily. 'I can't believe you two had good days and I was stuck third year watching. Do you know how boring third years are? I can't ever believe we were like that. You know what, we weren't, they've just gotten lower in quality after our year.'

'Whatever you say James,' Peter chuckled, still stuck in his glow. 'Merlin they were nice.'

Remus was sad to note, when he sat up, that James had found where he'd hid his sweets. Sucking on a sugar quill that was definitely not in his own bags he was chucking his new things anywhere there was empty space. Peter also seemed to have gotten something out of James' thievery, a half eaten chocolate frog in his hand he chucked the rest of Remus' sweet stash to Sirius.

Peter bragged about his experience for a good hour before Sirius told him not everyone wanted to hear about his girlfriends breasts. Peter called him jealous. James just laughed and said if there was one thing Peter didn't have to worry about it was Sirius being jealous. A pointed look, a quick sneer and Sirius was not so subtly trying to cover the magazine Remus had seen earlier.

It was another three tosses before any of them realised Remus was awake, and another two before they realised that Remus had seen they stole his contraband. James was the one to sheepishly hand it back, promising it wouldn't happen again.

'The day I believe that is the day you stop pranking.' No amount of protestations could help redeem James, not after his shopping list. So he had to settle with an apology, and come up with a better hiding place when James decided to go to sleep.

Hogsmeade turned out to be a full weekend. James was up at the crack of dawn again, trying to coerce Remus up too. It took a battle where Remus lost his pillow and half his quilt before James decided it wasn't worth it and went to bother Sirius and Peter.

By the time he did get up half the castle was gone again. With no one around Remus could lie in the common room with only first and second years to creep around him, and they didn't put up much of a fuss when Remus was not only something that could eat them but was a full five or four years older than them.

He couldn't go back to the dorm today, Peter having been given some instruction at Hogsmeade from his girlfriend that he was going to get more than a quick preview was now in the dorm with her. Remus had made the mistake of going up there after breakfast, only to have Sirius steer him by the arm back down.

'You don't wanna go in there,' he warned, Sirius going off to the library to fetch something as soon as Remus was safe from the horrors within.

The common room got boring after a while, and soon Remus was remembering what he did yesterday, wondering if he could get away with doing it again. He'd tasted the forbidden fruit and now, he wanted more. It didn't help he woke up hard almost every morning now, his inner wolf smelling that animal scent all over the dorm, mingling in the background and hovering over the majority of Sirius' things. He just wanted to try it again, just once. Quickly. There had to be somewhere he could go.

Even as he thought it the more logical side of him started laughing. One wanking session and five years of repressed hormones were catching up with him.

Of course, he didn't manage to find any time alone that day. Nor the day after since he was back to work for Hagrid. Nearly a week had passed before the thought of just doing what James did and have one off late at night But even the thought had him turning red. The idea that he would have to look the others in the eye afterwards. He wasn't a wizard, he couldn't just put up silencing spells. Not to mention he would know himself. He could smell when the others did it, hear them sometimes too, he only did it in the shower because it washed itself down the drain afterwards. He didn't think he could stand smelling his scent so potent and knowing why it was there. It would be too embarrassing. James would surely suss him out one way or another.

It got worse the week after. Not only was he wired up from more than his tiring work with Hagrid, but it was near the full moon. His senses were in overdrive, and irritability at an all time high. The only one allowed around him that week was James by elimination. Peter was too scared to even look in Remus' direction. Was it slightly Peter's fault, maybe. But really when the moon was gone Remus would apologise for his behaviour, seeing how wrong he was to toss Peter's stuff out the dormitory window after he'd brought his girlfriend over one time too many that week.

'- sick of smelling your dick all over the room!' he remembered screaming while James held him back. The rest of it was a blur, but he was sure at some point he'd threatened to cut the soles out of Peter's shoes. Why he thought of that threat was a mystery.

Sirius was well versed in a bad month, and had taken one look at the mess that was Peter after that confrontation and spent the nights afterwards sleeping in the common room.

'So he doesn't maul me James,' he'd heard Sirius hiss.

'He won't,' James said, the response so repeated these days it sounded dull. Remus didn't really mean to glare at Sirius, it was mostly that smell that followed him around that had him riled up.

'You don't see how he looks at me.'

He tried to be nicer to Sirius in the following days. The two of them had been getting along after all, and James was planning on moving in with him again this summer which meant Remus was too. So he tried not to be mean. But being hard every time Sirius passed didn't exactly help his case. Remus was at a point where it was only his embarrassment that restrained him enough to not hump Sirius' leg like a dog.

James was pulled at all corners that week, and every chance he got Remus said he was sorry, wishing he had more control over himself. James, of course, told him he was being stupid, despite the fact he'd had to console a squeamish Peter and petrified Sirius earlier in the evening.

Two nights before the full moon James kept him down in the common room for as long as possible, telling Sirius to stop being a wuss and just go to bed. The fire was doing something for his mood at least, casting aside all his annoyance in favour of remembering all those times he'd lay in front of the fire at home. Mr Potter used to let him sit on his lap when he was younger, when his legs used to get cramps from the wolf growing before his human body.

'I'm sorry,' Remus said.

James hopped down next to him, huddling close to Remus' back and slinging an arm around his waist. 'It's fine, I keep telling you. Besides, you kind of had a point with Peter. Even I could start to smell him and his girlfriend around the dorm, and my nose isn't half as good as yours.' A pointed flick on said appendage had Remus giving a wet chuckle, wiping his eyes again as a whole new flood of tears threatened to breach his eyes.

'Do you remember when we were little and Mrs Potter would make those full moon shortbreads?' It was one of the ways she used to feel helpful in the first few years Remus lived with them. They were always in the shape of moons, and always had too much sugar on them for his sensitive tongue. 'I used to hate her making them. She would wait for me to eat them, and I would, but as soon as she went to bed I'd throw them back up. I always felt bad.'

'I know.' The hand around his waist tightened.

The day of the full moon Remus felt like he was reliving some kind of repeat of last month. Breakfast was awful, every student he encountered stood a good metre away.

When he got to the hospital wing, two students even moved beds so they wouldn't be near him, and to make matters worse, around mid morning, his red headed advocate turned up again. After the month of silence, he'd hoped she had given up on her want to talk to him. Yet there she was, looking just as determined as always as she stopped next to his bed.

'I wanted to apologise.' She held her hand out, Remus shaking it gently, not sure what to think just yet since she obviously had more to say. 'I read through the book. And before you say anything, yes, I did know some of it. But I just hadn't realised... I mean, wizards are always going on about how superior they are to muggles yet they still practice slavery. It's horrible, and I know James isn't like a pure pureblood but it kind of threw me when I connected his family with actually having something to do with this foul institution. It make me think the worst of him- it always makes me think the worst of him- but I've seen the way he treats you and, I'm sorry. I can't believe I actually almost made things ten times worse.'

'You thought what you were doing was right.' He felt like he had to give her some credit. She cared at least, which was more than he could say about the rest of the wizarding world.

'I know, but usually I think these things through before I do them. In your case I just... I just saw another guy like me and thought he was in trouble. I should have been more careful.' For an apology it was really good. There were no backhanded comments or rude names. She even complimented James- kind of. 'Anyway, I had better go. I hope you have-'

'A good moon?' he finished for her. She cringed, Remus having a bit more pity on her laughed at it, letting her see there was no more animosity between them. 'I will. Thank you.'

She turned almost as red as her hair as she bolted out the hospital wing's doors.

Lunch came with James bringing him a nice raw steak, the blood doing little to help his street cred as it clung to his chin.

Since it was winter, or bordering, that was his last meal, the sun setting way before dinner would start. It was rather cold in the shack this month. Cold enough for Remus to miss his cellar and even the sad excuse of a changing site that James and Sirius would find for him over the summer.

He kept his clothes on for as long as he could, only when he had to strip them off it was to the thought he could've had one off had the weather been nicer, which just set his bad mood back on.

He wasn't surprised to wake up in pain the next morning. What did surprise him was just how early it was. Usually, he slept through whoever cared for him finding him, usually mid morning or late evening. Today, it was still grey, and his legs were still shaking off the last of his transformation jitters.

He itched and bled as he made his way over to the tattered remains of his clothes, something pulling at the corner of his mind and demanding attention. It wasn't until his bladder decided he was still animal enough to just go wherever it liked that Remus realised what damage had been done this month.

He let out a scream more worthy of wolf than boy, his voice having gone hoarse long through the night, but still there enough for Remus to let out a good volume of howls as new pain struck through him.

There was a reason he slept through this stage, he thought. It was too much for him to handle. Never before had he realised how much had already been done by the time he woke up. There was so much blood, it was everywhere he looked and everywhere he didn't want to look.

He let out another shriek as his body tried to lie back or curl up, each action pulling open his wounds and knocking his cock against something or other. He hated the wolf, he really hated it. Last time it had fancied a scratch and tore his throat open, now, it seemed like it was punishing Remus for his little indulgence after Hogsmeade.

The claw marks themselves were shallow, if they were deep he didn't even want to imagine what it would be like. That didn't mean they didn't hurt. No, it was probably the most painful thing he'd ever felt, next to his transformations. He didn't know why or when it had happened through the night, all he wanted was for it to heal, please Merlin heal.

He tried to sleep away the pain, but every knock and breath he took only kept him more awake. Pomphrey found him minutes later crying into the floorboards, not knowing what to do when she saw he was conscious.

She ended up levitating him up, promising she'd get right to work when they got back to the castle. She tried to talk to him along the way, help take his mind off the pain. 'I thought you were still a wolf to be honest. We could still hear you from the castle. I didn't think...'

He wished she had thought.

His mind filed away the embarrassment he had to feel later as they passed students awake in their beds, all of them gawking at the werewolf passing between them. One of the boys gave him a sympathy wince, but other than that they stared dispassionately at him. A Hufflepuff girl even sneered at him when he caught her eye.

He stayed awake through the spells, through the potions, only resting when Pomphrey closed the big wounds on his body. As the pain seeped away, he was allowed to sleep.

The smell of wet dog woke him up, James hissing not long after as the bed dipped and something soft was wrapped around his hands.

'You're a sap, you know that?' James whispered.

'He looks cold.' Sirius.

'A right sap.'

'What did Pomphrey tell you?' Sirius asked, instead of getting up, settling himself carefully along the side.

'He's going to know you're there, and not much. If you ask me the general population of Hogwarts are more helpful in this case.'

'Firstly, he's not. He's probably got enough sleep potion in him to have him knocked out for a week. Secondly, you really think he gnawed off his own dick?'

The sheets were lifted, Remus shifting slightly as the cold air aggravated his skin. 'Don't know about gnawed, not sure even the wolf can reach that far.' He felt bandages shifting, before a slap from Sirius had James putting everything down. 'It looks like it's still there.'

'Can't believe it actually went for his dick. I mean, you'd think that was one place it would avoid.'

James chuckled, 'If you ask me I think he knew you were trying to get some. Remus can smell horniness from a mile off after all.'

The bed dipped, the sound of flesh hitting the floor came afterwards as James fell off his seat. 'He can not. I think. Shut up! Besides, he thinks I fancy someone called Moony.'

Another laugh came, James not even trying to keep the noise down this time. 'How the hell does he know about Moony?'

'I panicked,' Sirius grit out. 'He asked me who I fancied and it was the first thing that came to mind.'

'You could've said me.'

'I really couldn't.'

Another snigger from James. 'You could've told him it was him.'

'I couldn't.'

A sigh this time. 'I honestly don't see why you're pussy footing around him. He doesn't understand subtlety. Not in matters like this. If you'd told him-'

'I don't even know what he thinks about guys who, you know, like other guys, why the hell would I just tell him?'

'Because he doesn't care,' James said. 'You saw what he was like when we asked him if he liked anyone, he didn't exactly blink twice when I asked him about boys. He doesn't care.'

Remus considered trying to tell them he could hear them. At least so he wouldn't have to feel so guilty about listening into this obviously quiet conversation. But every time he tried he felt more and more weighed down. Pomphrey had drugged him good. He tried going to sleep instead, his brain too tired to think about what the hell the two of them meant, and if they actually meant it.

'Look,' James said, 'Pomphrey said she's keeping him in for a week. When he gets out just fess up. You'll feel better for it, and I won't have to put up with your whining anymore.'