I don't own Harry Potter, not that it really needs saying.

"It's beautiful isn't it? The moon."

The Marauders were quieter than usual on the Monday after quidditch practice, there was no messing about in potions or fancy spell work in transfiguration, and they were, for what seemed like the first time, quiet.

Of course if someone were to study the boys, watch their life in Hogwarts carefully, they would know that this change occurred once a month, on the one day where a full moon was forecast to appear.

''James.'' Lily called down the corridor to James, Sirius and Peter, Remus having disappeared around lunch.

''Yeah?''

''I swapped our patrol for tomorrow rather than tonight, the Ravenclaw sixth years are doing it now.''

''Oh cool, thanks Lily.'' James said smiling slightly.

Lily opened her mouth as if to ask more into why James wasn't able to attend the patrol that night but he cut across her quickly. ''Well see you later then, we've got, homework.'' The excuse, not one he used often, jumped from his lips easily, not of course that it was true.

Lily raised her eye brows disbelievingly but let the three boys leave without questioning them more.

''What did you tell her, about why you can't do patrol?'' Sirius asked as they turned the corridor.

''Just said I couldn't make it.'' James said.

Sirius nodded glancing at the sky as they passed a window. ''She knows though.'' James said his eyes on a picture of three old warlocks.

Sirius and Peter frowned. ''Knows what?'' Sirius said.

''About Moony and, you know, he told her ages ago apparently, because they use to patrol together, and, well Lily's not an idiot.'' James said, his eyes falling back on to Sirius to watch him.

''He never told us.''

''Well it's never been something he's keen to talk about, telling Lily was probably awkward enough''

Sirius nodded. ''Good point.''

''Come on.'' James said gesturing towards the hall. ''Lets go have dinner and then we can go and get the cloak, it gets darker quicker now it's closer to winter.''

The other two boys followed him silently down the corridor, their footsteps echoing around them.

They turned a corner to lead them down to the ground floor and were met by a familiar sneering face. ''Off for a little fun in the moonlight.'' Snape said from the shadows of the corridor.

Sirius started forwards angrily but James caught him and held him back. ''Back off Snape.'' He growled still holding firmly on to Sirius to stop him doing something stupid.

''What you gonna' do? Set your furry friend on me.'' He said, the cruel words coming easily out of his mouth.

Sirius pulled furiously against James grip, his hands balled in such tight fists that his knuckles were white. James in turn strengthened his grip around his friend, but it looked as though it was costing him all his will power not to punch Snape himself. Snape smirked triumphantly.

''At least we have friends.'' The simple insult surprised all four boys even Peter who had said it. Sirius relaxed slightly in James grip although not completely.

''Nice one Wormy.'' He said amazed at his friends thinking, Peter no longer had the surprised look on his face but it had been replaced by one of pride at both the compliment and his own thinking.

''Yeah, good one.'' James said grinning, his own grip relaxing.

Snape who had only seconds ago looked triumphant now had a red flush covering his face; he slunk back down the corridor before Sirius could remember he wanted to hit him.

"Come on.'' James muttered. ''Let's go and get dinner and then we can get the cloak and go."

They walked silently to the great hall, tension thick in the air. Sirius was still fuming about what Snape had said, although Peters insult seemed to have cheered him up slightly.

They ate in silence and left before the rest of the school had finished eating. The sky was blackening as they walked down the corridor but they couldn't yet see the moon.

"Come on." Sirius said, his mood seemed to have brightened at the prospect of transforming in to his animagus form. ''Let's get the cloak." James smiled as his best friend grinned at him.

The three boys left the castle under the cloak; they didn't want to be stopped before they even left the castle. They left the castle keeping out of site of the windows and walked down the grounds under the invisibility cloak. They walked slowly, as to keep from being noticed, although it was now so dark that they could probably have taken the cloak off and still be invisible.

"Ow, Wormy that was my foot." Sirius muttered as Peter tripped on a stone and trod on Sirius.

They got to the Womping willow, there gate way to Remus without being seen. "Right Wormtail, go on." James said once he had pulled of the cloak.

They would leave the cloak in the shrieking shack once they got there. Peter took a deep breath, preparing himself for the sensation he knew was coming, it wasn't that it was painful. In fact Sirius often said he found it one of the most enjoyable things in the month, James on the other hand had decided that as Sirius had never grown antlers in the space of a few seconds his opinion was less enlightening.

Peter concentrated on his animagus form, he closed his eyes because he found it more comfortable and waited. He let the feeling spread through his body and when it was gone he opened his eyes again. Grass tickled his nose although it didn't quite reach his eyes. The willow, which before had only looked a few steps away was now very far, he turned and looked up, his friends towered above him as they had not yet transformed.

He scurried forwards dodging a stone that now came up to his eyes. He ran until he had reached knot on the bottom of the tree, he pressed down on it hard with his two front feet until the branches around him froze. Behind him James and Sirius had also transformed, into a stag and a dog.

Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs made their way down the passage to the shrieking shack, Remus had probably already transformed, the moon was up.

When they got to the shack the boy had indeed already transformed. The wolf was scratching at the wall, howling.

Ten minutes later the four were out of the dank, murky room and running around the wilderness outside Hogsmeade. They were free, no one could stop them, and no one would try. When they were like this there was no threat from the looming war, no pressure from school and exams, life was simple. And although it was dangerous, life threatening at times, and painful, especially for Remus, all four of the friends cherished these nights, because they knew how unpredictable life was and they knew to treasure every moment.

James awoke with a pounding headache, this didn't surprise him he had one after every full moon. He didn't mind it, in fact he quite liked it, it reminded him of the feeling from the previous night. The feeling that they could do anything, they weren't held back by the world or in danger from Voldermort, they were free to be anything.

A slightly ominous feeling crept into James when he realised that there were no birds singing outside. This either meant that the weather was bad or it was no longer morning. He dismissed the former rather quickly because of the ray of sunshine coming through the window, contributing to his growing headache.

This meant that is was no longer morning, meaning that they were late for lessons. James swore under his breath, as Remus would still be in the hospital wing after last night and he couldn't wake them all up, obviously Sirius and Peter would still be asleep.

He rolled over with his eyes still half closed to block out the sun, there was a sharp pain in his side from where he must have tripped the previous night, and it was probably bruised. He pushed his glasses on to his face and raised his wrist up to his face to check his watch. ''Bugger.''

It was ten o'clock, second lesson, they were meant to be in transfiguration. ''Were so dead.'' James muttered as he rolled out of bed.

He pulled on his dressing gown and, without bothering to get changed, left the room to go and wake the other two.

''OI.'' He said loudly on entering the dormitory. ''Wake up, we're late.'' He chucked a pillow at Peter and then moved on to Sirius, who he knew from experience was harder to wake.

''Come on.'' He said pushing Sirius with his foot. ''We've got transfiguration.''

''I prefer bed.'' Came Sirius's muffled reply.

James laughed. ''Get up you great lump.'' He said pulling the duvet off Sirius.

''That's abuse that is.'' Sirius muttered as he got out of bed.

''Yeah, whatever. Hurry up and get dressed, McGonagall's going to kill us.'' James said making his way back to the door and his own room.

''We could just skip transfiguration.'' Sirius muttered while looking around for his school robes.

James ignored him and left the dormitory yawning to go and get changed.

After he had washed and located his robes he glanced at his side in the mirror, there was indeed a large purple bruise there, James wrinkled his nose in distaste but shrugged off the bruise, he'd had worse.

He pulled his robes over his head, picked up his bag and left the room to see if the others were ready.

When he entered the room Peter was rifling through bits of parchment frantically and Sirius was in bed, fully dressed and ready, but in bed.

"Oi, Padfoot get up." He said loudly. ''What are you doing Wormtail?"

"I can't find my transfiguration essay.'' The boy muttered frantically.

''It's there.'' James said pointing to the parchment on Peter's bedside table. "Padfoot, get up now. If we go now we'll only be twenty minutes late.''

''Oh I'm sure McGonagall will like that, 'we're only twenty minutes late professor' and will you stop shouting, my head hurts.'' Sirius muttered as he kicked his legs out of bed.

James pushed him out the door laughing at his continual mutterings.

''Did you do your transfiguration essay?'' James asked as they walked through the common room.

Sirius looked blank for a moment. ''YES.'' He exclaimed suddenly. ''Its here.'' And he pulled a torn piece of parchment from his bag triumphantly.

''Fantastic.'' James muttered rubbing his temples.

''Can we go to the kitchens to get something to eat first?'' Sirius said bouncing along his headache apparently forgotten.

''You know you are like a small child.'' James said and Peter laughed.

''I'm hungry.'' Sirius whined as James directed him along the transfiguration corridor.

''Tough, come on.''

They knocked on the classroom door and entered slowly.

''Sorry we're late professor.'' James said attempting to look apologetic but just managing to stifle a yawn.

''And why may I ask do you think it's appropriate to come twenty minutes late to my lesson?'' Professor McGonagall said, glaring at them.

''Well professor we thought it would be better to be twenty minutes late rather than not turn up at all.'' Sirius said grinning at the teacher happily, James rolled his eyes in defeat.

''It would be better, Black, that you were not late at all.'' The teacher said angrily.

''We know but since that wasn't possible we thought we'd go for the next best option.'' Sirius said, James who was trying to glare at him couldn't help but smile at his friends comment.

Professor McGonagall apparently didn't find it amusing. ''Ten points from Gryffindor each, sit down quills out.''

The lesson passed slowly, with Sirius drifting off to sleep besides James every few minutes, I wish you'd decide whether you were tired or not." James muttered as Sirius pulled bits off his quill.

"I'm bored.'' Sirius groaned. ''And tired.''

''Me too.''James groaned. ''When do you think Moony will be back?''

Sirius shrugged. ''After lessons if he's got any sense, he'll be even more tired than us.''

James nodded and rubbed his eyes. ''And we've got potions after this.'' He muttered despairingly.

''You'll be able to ask Evans about that mystery guy.'' Sirius said his eyes twinkling.

James glared at him. ''Do you mind, I had actually forgotten about that.''

"I thought you didn't care about what she got up to.'' Sirius said stifling a laugh as James's cheeks flushed slightly.

''Shut up.'' He muttered.

''POTTER, BLACK.'' The boys winced as professor McGonagall shouted at them from the front of the classroom. ''May I remind you that this is your N.E.W.T year and everything you learn is very important, so it would help if you listened.''

''We were listening professor.'' Sirius said innocently, James raised his eye brows slightly, wondering how Sirius was going to live up to the lie.

Apparently professor McGonagall was thinking the same thing for she raised her eyebrows and asked. ''And what exactly was I saying Black?''

Sirius grinned while James just looked bemusedly at him. ''You were explaining about the difficulty of transfiguring people in to animals.''

Both professor McGonagall and the rest of the class looked surprised at the answer, James took this to mean it was correct. He had no idea how Sirius had known this but took in it his stride and addressed the teacher. ''We can tell you them as well professor, the difficulty's with it.''

Professor McGonagall looked pleased although not all together convinced, she had no doubt about the boys transfiguration skills, they were after all two of the best in the class, it was their ability to remember facts that she questioned. ''What are they then?'' She said sternly.

''Well first there's the problem that you could only transfigure part of the body, which would be really uncomfortable, and it would look stupid.'' Said James.

''Then there's changing back in to a human, it could go wrong, you might be left with fur covering your back, or hooves.'' Sirius continued.

''They're much the same problems as becoming an animagus can cause.'' James said, his eyes sparkling.

''Except becoming an animagus is more dangerous."

"And difficult."

"And advanced."

"But people our age aren't allowed to become animagi because of the Ministry." James said.

"Whereas we're allowed to transfigure people into animals.'' Sirius finished.

"It's stupid really, being an animagi would be much more helpful than merely being able transfigure someone in to an animal." James said as Sirius nodded.

''Yes.'' Professor McGonagall cut across them. ''And as much as I would like to debate the choice of the ministry with you, we have more important things to learn. Such as the subjects you'll have to cover in your N.E.W.T's."

A/N

I AM SO SORRY. I have taken forever and the chapter isn't even very good. I know it reads badly, it's because I just couldn't write it, it was so hard, I just got completely stuck… And then I got concussion and I couldn't write. But yeah, here's the chapter… the title was from the Half Blood Prince film, and one of the lines Snape said was from the third book.

I have tonnes of exams coming up; the first is maths on Wednesday but I will get the next chapter up sooner than this on.

Okay two things:

One are there any songs that remind you of the characters and stuff I'd like to hear them, I have loads, I'll tell you in the next chapter if you want?

Two, I'm sixteen tomorrow or today depending on when you're reading; 7th :D So I was wondering if I could have reviews as like birthday presents? I know I don't deserve them but, y'know can't blame a girl for trying.

Ohh also I have a new Harry Potter twitter account You_No_Poo follow me and I'll give updates on the story and stuff, but tell me if you do follow and I'll follow you back (:

Last thing… A massive thankyou to everyone who reviewed the last chapter :D I love you all (: