Moony: Year 3

Saturday
20 October, 1973

The first game of the year was in two weeks and practice had moved from every weekend morning to every day. James hadn't complained once but all three of them could see the lasting effects on their friend, at least one of them trying to make it out to watch him practice and be there for support.

Remus just didn't like when he was stuck with the weekend since it was the morning, and it was cold, and all he wanted was to be in the Great Hall drinking some warm tea and finishing up his Ruins homework.

"Remus!"

The werewolf's name being called made the thirteen year old look up at his friend's smile.

"Did you see it? I scored again!"

Remus smiled up, embarrassed he had been musing over his longing for a warm drink instead of watching his friend play.

"Yeah! Great shot, James," he lied, "You are really going to show those Slytherins who is boss!"

The compliment made the Gryffindor beam happily, doing a small flip on his broom before flying over to where the team captain had called for the meeting. Remus sighed and watched his friend fly down to the dying grass of the pitch, staring at the red and gold jumpers they all wore.

He wasn't lying about beating Slytherin, from what Remus could tell from just watching and his limited knowledge on quidditch, the Gryffindor team was training and working hard. He could see a break from their losing streak easily and a small part of him credited James for that hope.

The captain disbanded the Gryffindor players and James made a dash for the stands, jumping on his broom so he didn't have to climb up; the lanky teenager landing next to his friend and grinning at him.

"This is like a dream I never want to wake up from," James sighed happily, watching his friend close his text book and stand up.

"Thought getting your broom was a dream you never wanted to wake up from," Remus countered, raising an eyebrow at his bespectacled friend.

"Yeah, that was just the start of it all. Now I just need a beautiful woman, one of you mates on the team, and an island and I will think I died and gone to heaven."

Remus snorted, smiling showing up on his face.

"Well, guess you are going to have to beg Pete to be on the team then because I almost failed flying last I checked and I believe Sirius is quite happy being the announcer."

James just pouted, "But Pete already said no."

Remus only shrugged, a smirk appearing on his face before it disappeared as a cold autumn wind blew around them.

"Come on, let's get inside."

Before Remus could protest James pulled him onto the broom and kicked off the ground. The werewolf clinging tightly to the polished wood handle as James raised higher into the sky before shooting off towards the castle.

"Aren't you going to change first…o-or put away your broom?" Remus called over the wind, hoping James could hear him.

The messy haired wizard just leaned lower, pushing his chest against the werewolf's back as he urged the broom faster towards the ancient stone work, "Nah, Moony, this is way more fun. Who needs walking?"

Remus closed his eyes against the wind, and gripped the broom handle tighter so his knuckles turned white.

"I swear to God, I am going to murder you," he muttered; elbowing James in the stomach when the boy laughed in his ear. Wind whipped around them thankfully slowing down as they landed in the courtyard closest to Great Hall.

James hadn't even touched the ground before the werewolf scrambled off the broom and back to the safety of the ground. Laying on his stomach on the cold stones and taking a few deep breathes.

"Next time, can we just walk?"

James stared down at his friend, smirk on his face, "But this was so fun, we got to bond as people and- ACK! Help! Rogue Moony!"

"Potter!"

Remus had dropped his text book and parchment, which had thankfully survived the flight, and tackled the wizard to the ground. James struggling against the thin form of Lupin as they 'fought'.

"I'm sorry! I am Moon- hey! No hair pulling, we agreed that is cheating!"

"All is fair in love and war."

James grit his teeth, hazel eyes narrowing behind the glasses, "Really?"

The hand that wasn't holding Remus off him poked his friend's side, making the boy yelp and scramble to shoo that hand away. It didn't do much good as the small wrestling match turned into Remus trying to avoid being tickled.

"James stop it!"

"You said all was fair though!"

"Not that!"

Sirius and Peter dragged themselves out of bed around noon and stumbled into the common room where James and Remus now sat comfortably. The cold from the morning chased away by the fire and their little wrestling fight pushed behind them.

Remus was dosing on one of the plush couches while James red in a big red chair, both not even glancing up when the last two members of their group joined them till Sirius decided it would be best to lay right on top of the thin werewolf.

"Must you use me as a bed, Sirius?"

"Too early to be asking questions, Moons."

"It is twelve thirty, not early at all," the wizard grumbled, wiggling one of his arms free from where it was pinned on his stomach.

"Early for me," Sirius grumbled.

"Well, maybe you should have went to bed earlier instead of taking James' cloak to sneak around for whatever you were doing that late at night."

James closed his book and looked over at his best friend's back, "What were you doing, Sirius?"

The question seemed to bring a spark of life into the dark haired wizard, the teen turning his head and looking at James.

"Well you see, I decided that it was time that I saw what was in Flitch's secret stash."

Remus pushed Sirius off him and onto the ground before the ground before he continue with his explanation of what he had been plotting. Peter jumping out of the sleep he was falling back into and looking around nervously before seeing it was just Sirius hitting the ground that had made the noise.

"Ow," Sirius remarked, sending a glare at the werewolf who was smirking down at him.

"Just get on with it, Sirius," James insisted, book forgotten and staring at his best friend with excitement.

Sirius rubbed the back of his head; holding up a finger as if to say hold on a moment.

"Alright, you won't believe what I nicked. I think we have hit the jackpot in small pranks to create large chaos."

James grew an identical grin to his best friend, sending a gleeful gaze to Remus whose eyes matched it. The only thing that stopped them from starting to plot was the rumble of both Peter and Sirius' stomachs.

"Food first, then we plot."

A/N: I am so, so, so, so, SO sorry. I have been so behind on schoolwork and other things that I haven't had the energy or time to write. This probably sucks but the plot just suddenly died on me for a month and I couldn't think of anything. I think I got something again though, even though it has changed about three times.

Ideas are 100% appreciated, just random pranks, headcannons, things like that can really get the Third and Fourth year moving since these are like the glory years, where there isn't a lot of mystery or angst to really tug it along. Just normal school years.

Again, I apologize for the wait and I am going to TRY (no promises) to at least post every Saturday. If that schedule doesn't work know that I am probably really tired or doing school work. Thank you for those that took the time to read this and are still clinging to this story. We still have a lot more to go and I am not dropping this any time soon.