Our prank was unfortunately postponed when the Marauders ended up getting nightly detentions for the next week. Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal, usually it would make them proud or something, but this time they actually argued against them.

Even McGonagall looked surprised.

I didn't find out why they had acted like that until one particular evening when I noticed Remus' absence at dinner. I hadn't commented on it, but later that night while lying in bed I looked out my window to see the full moon staring right back at me.

Quickly fumbling out of bed and into my trunk I flung on a sweatshirt, and bolted for the door. Not noticing the noise I made had woken Lily up.

Running through the hallways nearly got me caught several times, but I still made it to the front door in record time. When I penned it I was hit with a gust of cold autumn wind.

Thanking Merlin I'd had the foresight to grab the sweater to bolted out the door and raced for the Whomping Willow.

It was so obvious why the boys were adamantly against getting nightly detentions this week. It was the week of the full moon. Remus, or Moony, was going to turn into a werewolf tonight, and he had nobody there to help m through it.

Well, that's what they think. There was no way I would let Remus, a boy I considered to be a good friend, suffer this night alone.

I made it about halfway to the tree when a voice called out from behind me, "Danielle slow down!"

My feet immediately stopped running, "Lily?"

By the time she made it to my side she had to bend over to catch her breath, "What…are…you doing… out here?"

"Lily–" I was cut off my an angry howl. My eyes were staring at the roots of the Whomping Willow in horror, "Please tell me you finished your transformations."

"Danielle what do you mean? And what was that sound?"

"Lily focus!" I gripped her shoulder with one hand and pointed at the moon with the other, "Look at the moon Lily. What is it?"

"Erm, full?" She couldn't see where I was going with this.

I groaned, "What is Remus?" The howls were getting closer.

"He's our frie–" she cut herself off by widening her eyes. They flocked from the full moon, to the origin of the howls, then to me, "He's a werewolf."

Her voice was filed with the dread I was feeling, "You have to get back inside." I started pushing her towards the castle, but she resisted.

"No! I'm not just going to go inside while you risk your life out here!"

My reply was cut off when I noticed her eyes fear filled eyes were looking at something behind me. Ever so slowly I turned myself around to see glowing amber orbs sitting in the roots of the tree. They slowly started moving until I could see a russet snout, followed by a feral wolf.

"Go Lily," I resumed my pushing, never taking my eyes off of Moony's because that's who this was, not Remus, "Run, now!"

My final shout made Moony tense before he lunged forward in powerful strides. He was gaining on us fast, and I felt my fear filling every crease in my body, but I didn't let it overwhelm me.

"I can't leave you," Lily's voice was saturated in fear.

"I'm not asking if you can, I'm telling you to!" With one final shove that sent her to the ground off to the side. I hunched my shoulders, and widened my stance and waited for Moony to get closer.

I could have sworn I heard more shouts from behind me, but they were drowned out by my transformation into my animagus form. It was just in time too because Moony rammed straight into my chest as soon as I dropped onto all fours.

The force sent the both of us to the ground, and we tumbled over each other in an attempt to get an upper hand. Saliva dripped to the ground powerful jaws snapped at the others throat. Our dense bodies hit the ground with such force it shook.

Eventually I got some sort of grip on the skin of his neck, and with the momentum of our next roll flung his body away from mine. He didn't get very far since he was bigger than me, and my body strength wasn't the best, but it was enough.

We stood up from the ground snarling at each other, but when he got a good look at me he paused. His lip was still curled, but his growls ceased and I could see something equivalent to confusion in his eyes.

His nose was twitching as he scented the air, and I remembered the night we had that was similar to this one almost a year ago. The night when Lily was almost eaten by Moony, and he welcomed me as a member of his pack.

No doubt my actions against him tonight were confusing him greatly. First I was a human he was hell bent on killing, then I changed into a member of his pack.

Talk about a mixed signal.

His eyes flicked to my sides and I looked to see a large black dog walk up to my right while a large buck was on my left. I looked at the two animals in confusion before snoring in recognition, So much for detention.

The snarl fell from Moony's lips as his eyes travelled over all three of us. I briefly wondered where Peter was, but then I noticed Moony's eyes lighting up on something behind me.

That something turned into a someone when his growls returned and his eyes filled with bloodlust.

I tensed in preparation to see what his first move would be, but the two dorks on my sides lunged for the wolf before he could do anything. Internally sighing I watched the three if them start fighting amongst one another. It was kind of sad knowing they were such good friends the rest of the month, but then they're forced to do this when the need arises.

Sirius seemed to be doing most of the work since, as a dog, he could take on a more offensive approach. James on the other hand had to use his antlers to try and pole Moony in an attempt to keep him away. Sometimes he would go so far as to kick him in the sides with his hooves.

Moony eventually got fed up with his pack turning on him, and bit James' antler to fling him out of the way. With him no longer a problem he could focus on getting Sirius off of his person (wolf).

By the time James and Sirius were out of commission I was standing there with my teeth barred, and my head hunched in front of my shoulders. The stance produced a much more threatening sight, and I only knew that cause Moony mirrored me.

My muscles tensed in preparation to charge at him, but an orange and black blur suddenly pounced in my way. I was prepared to strike it out of the way when I realized the blur was just a large cat. A large orange cat with black stripes. A cat more commonly known as a tiger.

The tiger gracefully stalked forward with her belly close to the ground. Her ears were pinned back against her skull, and her lips were pulled back in an angry snarl.

Lily? I examined the tiger before looking around to try and spot my friend. When I failed to find her I concluded that this tiger was, in fact, Lily.

Moony was staring at the new animal with wariness, and I couldn't blame him. One moment she wasn't there then the next she was. Snarling, and hissing, and ready to attack. But when Lily saw that he wasn't immediately pouncing in her her lips slowly went down, and her ears perked back up.

Moony was watching her with his head still hunched, and a look of what could have been distaste. The distaste could have been because he's a dog, and she's a type of cat.

Lily laid her stomach completely against the ground, and I slowly relaxed my stance out if it's defensive position, but I was mentally prepared in case anything went wrong.

With careful eyes Moony slowly stalked forward, and even though he'd list the snarl he was still tense. He stopped walking when he was just a foot away from her, and I held my breath when she barred her neck for him.

It was a tense few moment before he hesitantly pressed his nose against her neck, but I could tell she would most likely be his least favorite in the pack when he quickly retracted his snout.

Padfoot and Prongs slowly trotted their way over to us, and I could see a few cuts along their bodies. They were looking between Tigger and I with what must have been shock.

I started snickering, which sounded a little demented as a wolf, and walked up to Padfoot to lick at a small cut on his neck. A small shudder wracked his body, and I internally smirked. When I went to start licking a larger one on his shoulder we were interrupted by a snarling Moony.

We backed away from each other with odd looks, but Padfoot was forced to pay attention to Moony when he started stalking after him. The sight was definitely an odd one. Watching Moony as he continuously growled at Sirius. Only quieting down when he was fully between us.

When I could no longer see Sirius, Moony huffed and trotted over to me. I briefly wondered if I would have to start backing up too when I saw him eyeing a few of the cuts I'd gotten from our own small scuffle.

I wouldn't have thought anything of it if he didn't start licking them.

A strangled yelp tore itself from my throat as I scampered out if his reach. I looked at him as if he were crazy while wondering what the hell he was playing at.

When I shared a look with Sirius I heard Moony growl again, and he shuffled himself right up against my side. That's when a pang of suspicion wiggled its way into my heart.

Every attempt I made to get closer to Sirius was foiled when Moony would stay close to my side, and snap whenever Sirius came near. Apparently he didn't share the same suspicions as I did. But as time passed my own suspicions were being confirmed.

Moony liked Balto.

I literally dropped to my stomach and covered my eyes in despair. Figures something like this would happen to me.

To top it off I felt him slowly step over me so his body was hovering above mine. I snarled because, nu uh, this was definitely not happening.

Sirius finally seemed to understand what was going on, and a deep growl reverberated from his throat. Deeper then when he had growled at him earlier. All of his teeth were displayed in his snarl, and his ears were set back against his skull in anger.

The two began circling each other, and I moved off to watch along with Lily and James who apparently found this completely hilarious if their odd huffed laughs were anything to go by.

Sirius made the first attack and I couldn't help but worry. Moony was easily twice his size, and if the fight doesn't kill him then his injuries just might.

The three of us cheered when Sirius made it onto Moony's back–only to cringe when he got crushed beneath Moony when he rolled over.

It was pretty agonizing to watch, and when they were both panting from exhaustion I stepped forward, making the both of them stop.

I slowly made my way in between them where I sent Moony a stern growl before walking over to Sirius. His wounds looked pretty deep, and I sniffed at them while the five of us headed for the Whomping a Willow.

I spent the rest of the night watching Sirius lick at his wounds, helping when there was one her couldn't quite reach. Moony sulked on the other side of the room while he licked at his own wounded pride, and Lily and James were content to lay against each other.

When I looked over to see their sleeping forms pressed against each other I couldn't help but think this was much better then what we had originally planned.

Nothing good could have come from Lily faking suicide in the Head bathroom for James to find her.

AN: That really had been my original idea, but then I realized what a horrible prank that would have been and so I didn't do it.