It was the day before the full moon, just a week before they left for summer holidays. Remus eyed his friends. Peter, Sirius, and James were whispering together, just out of range of his hearing. It was like they knew he was a werewolf. He shivered. I don't think I could stand anyone finding out. The consequences would just be too horrible!
James sauntered over to him where he was working on his Potions essay. "Remus, last time you were gone, we were playing Truth or Dare. Want to join in this time?"
"Well, I have to go soon. My mum's sick, and Dumbledore's letting me visit her. But, I think I have time to play for a little bit," Remus said, smiling at them.
Sirius went first. "Peter, truth or dare?"
Peter thought for a minute. "Truth."
"Do you still wet the bed?"
Peter went bright red. "Uh..."
"Now, Peter," James mock-chided. "You have to answer truthfully."
Peter mumbled a yes, and the other boys burst out into a fit of coughs.
"SO, James, truth or dare?" Peter asked hurriedly.
"Dare!" James said.
"Go into the second-year girls' dorm!"
James snuck out of the dorm and into the common room, the other boys following to make sure he didn't cheat. The room was empty. Everyone had left to their dorm rooms. "Someone has to levitate me!" He whispered to them.
Sirius gave him a scornful look. "When you get a dare in truth or dare, you have to carry it out yourself!" he hissed.
James frowned, then perked up. Pulling out his wand, he conjured a rope and made it attach itself to the ceiling, one end at the bottom of the girls' stairs, and the other end disappeared into the darkness. He climbed on a table next to the doorway and grabbed the rope. Then he went hand over hand up the stairs. "I'll follow him," Remus whispered. Quickly, he jumped on the table and grabbed the rope, following James. He caught up with after a minute. "James!"
The other boy whipped his head around. "Remus, what are you doing here?"
"Sirius wanted to make sure you weren't cheating."
"I see."
The two boys continued traveling hand over hand up the rope. Finally, they reached a door with a sign that said, "Second-Year—Lily Evans, Sarah Milton, Ariana LeDore, Alice McClintock." James carefully opened the door with his feet and dropped silently inside. Through the open door, Remus saw him grab something then come back out, jumping to reach the rope. James closed the door, and the two boys traveled back down the rope into the common room.
"Tada!" James whispered. He pulled out a wand. As Remus looked closer, he realized it was Sarah's.
"James! You took Sarah's wand?" He scolded his friend.
"Well, yeah. I figured you would recognize it, thereby validating my claim."
"Go back up and give it back! She'll freak out if she can't find her wand!"
James looked confused. "Why would she freak out? It has to be here in Hogwarts."
Remus gritted his teeth. "It was an eleventh birthday present from her dad. He left her the money because he couldn't go to Diagon Alley with them."
"Oh." Without another word, James went back up the rope. When he came back down, the wand was gone, and James reassured Remus that he had put it back where it belonged. They trooped back up into their dorm, and it was James' turn.
"Remus, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
Sirius pouted. "You're no fun!" Remus just grinned.
"Remus..." Something about James' demeanor and tone made Remus nervous. He shook himself mentally, deciding that he was being silly.
"Are you a werewolf?"