Esther and Kitty joined Lily after choir practice for History of Magic reading. Normally she'd be in the library, but it was a rarely perfect autumn day with a sunny sky. The tree behind Lily's back didn't feel quite as comfortable as last term. She shifted her weight around multiple times before standing and brushing the crisp yellow and brown leaves around. Her hand caught a bothersome stick. Not a stick. Someone's wand.
"Should it go to Professor McGonagall?" she asked. What was one supposed to do when a witch's most important possession was found?
"Or a Prefect," Esther said as Kathryn stood to leave.
"You're not going?! We haven't discussed the text!" Lily said.
"It's just—the ground isn't made to be sat on for more than a half hour," she twirled a curl after standing, "Besides, I'm going out with someone and need to freshen up."
"Who?" Lily asked, surprised at the same time Esther asked, "Out where? We're second years!"
"Third year Ravenclaw, he's taking me to Hogsmeade."
"Which one?" Esther asked.
"Randall Ovras."
"Oh, sweetie, he probably just wants to snog you. That's all any lad wants, but especially him."
"I know," she replied dreamily.
"Have fun! Make good choices!" Lily called as she watched her friend flounce back towards the castle.
"So, Medieval Assembly of European Wizards," Esther started their conversation while picking up leaves and folding them one over the other.
"Can you believe it's still around? That's hundreds of years," Lily said.
Esther tilted her head, laughing, "You think that's old? The Persian Council of Wizards (and Witches...added in 1730) has been honouring bravery against fantastic beasts since Cyrus the Great." She picked up another yellow leaf.
Lily was fascinated, remaining engrossed in conversation until she saw a familiar curly mop-headed boy walking away from the greenhouses.
"It's Remus," Lily said, waving both her hands above her head to her friend. The last few days he hadn't sat with her in any classes, staying in the back. He hadn't responded to the two charmed parchment butterflies she'd sent inviting him to the library either. She knew it must have something to do with the huge reddish-purple gash on the right side of his face.
Since Esther's hands were occupied, she called, "Oi, Lupin! Have any strong opinions about the International Warlock Convention of 1289?!"
Looking around, uncertain, he slowly changed his original course, walking towards them.
"Needed to check on my mandrake," he explained. He'd missed last Herbology lesson. Remus spoke while staring at his shoes, long hair covering most of the two marks on his face. It reminded her of how Sev stood when hiding bruises.
"Missed you, Remus," she told him.
"That's Peter's wand," Remus observed the artefact lying next to her, "How'd you get that?" he raised his eyebrows.
"It was under some leaves," she explained, thankful she knew who the owner was.
"He's been going mad all week looking for it. Skipped practical lessons."
"Is that why you missed lessons?" she asked.
His lips tightened, "I needed to go home for a few days."
"Is that where you hurt your face?" Esther asked, weighing a circlet of folded golden leaves in her hands and passing the crown to Lily.
Remus nodded, stuffing his hands in his trouser pockets.
"What happened? Are things...up to snuff at home?" Lily asked. She inwardly cringed as she used practically the same words Professor McGonagall had asked her. Remus sighed, "I didn't come over here for the third-degree. If you want to talk about History of Magic, let's talk about History of Magic."
"Fine by me," Esther said, "But just know, Remus Lupin, Eagles are good listeners."
"Eagles have excellent hearing; I'm not sure about their listening skills," Remus rolled his eyes before launching into a diatribe about why the Medieval Assembly was out of date and needed to be reformed "Like Binns' lectures" into something "more progressive" like the Persian Council of Wizards and Witches.
When the sky began turning orange, Esther said she had promised her roommates supper together and needed to leave. She pulled her leaf crown off and gingerly placed it on Remus. He glared at her. "Oh, come off, Remus, it's absolutely dashing," she laughed.
"You'll pay for this in Duelling Club tomorrow!" he called.
As the burning hues turned dusky, Remus whispered chokingly to Lily, "They're ugly; I'm horrid."
"No!" Lily objected before she could fully turn his words over in her mind. "Remus, you're always so down on yourself with absolutely no reason! And calling yourself a swot?! There's nothing wrong with loving knowledge! And you aren't ugly. You smell all right and comb your hair and allow Peter to cut it...okay that may be a bit of a mistake...and have the kindest eyes and most expressive eyebrows..." Lily knew she was rambling. But what possible way was there to get Remus to stop self-deprecating himself all the time? "And Esther's right, you look dashing...You'd best stay away from Kathryn or she will use you for snogs over study."
Remus rubbed his hands over his face, wiping away tears Lily tried pretending not to notice for his sake, then traced the two raised lines, "Well, in this lighting even a kelpie would look decent. We should head back to the castle."
"WE ARE NOT LEAVING THIS SPOT UNTIL YOU SAY SOMETHING NICE AND TRUE ABOUT YOURSELF!" Lily pulled the back of his shirt so he had to sit back down.
"Lily—"
"No! Say 'I'm dashing'!"
"You're dashing."
"REMUS!"
"You're wrong!"
"Say it!" she wouldn't back down.
He moved to stand again so Lily leapt on him and they wrestled. In hindsight, Lily knew he had to have let her win, considering he was the strongest boy in their year. But with great victory, trampled leaf crowns, and hands pinned to his shoulders, he conceded, "I'M DASHING, DAMMIT!"
She rolled on the ground next to him, viewing the first stars of the evening through the blowing leaves. They lay there and laughed.
"Thank you," he breathed out.
"You're welcome; keep your head out of your arse...but remember I'm here to talk."
James could feel eyes of several students glance his direction in Potions. With his most charming smile and a wink when he made eye contact, it was easy to relish in the glow that his class still remembered last year's Halloween hijinks. Even Professor Slughorn seemed to avoid the table he shared with Sirius. Why did they expect something to happen in class? That would be less than a tenth of the fanfare a holiday prank deserved.
He idly stirred his pot, bored that the feast was so far away. He'd finished his potion, only needing to allow the final ingredients to dissolve well. Ahead of him he watched Snivellus and Evans write notes in their Potion's textbooks. It wasn't fair Slughorn always put them together now. Discreetly pulling out his wand, he increased the size of the flames under their cauldrons.
Behind him, someone's cauldron bubbled over and hissed.
"I-I thought you added the valerian root already!" Peter said.
"I thought you added it!" Remus replied, desperately attempting to save their textbooks and notes from damage.
Snivellus looked over with the rest of the class and laughed, but then his and Evans' cauldrons exploded. James and Sirius high-fived under the table.
Since there was only five minutes of class left, Professor Slughorn allowed them to leave early.
"I don't know what happened," he heard Evans say to one of her roommates, "I'd finished and it was just on heat to increase potency."
He wrapped his arms around Peter's shoulders and Remus' waist, "Good show, lads. That's five more minutes we have to add colouring!"
"That's five sheets of notes ruined!" Remus complained darkly.
"Precisely," Peter affirmed the werewolf. The werewolf. Caring about his notes and reading and potions. The more James thought about all the werewolf stereotypes from fairy tales his friend broke, the more comical he found the situation.
"Let's just get the beetroot from the kitchens," James released his friends and skipped ahead which turned into a race against Sirius.
James clapped his hands together a few times to dislodge any remaining algae powder, "This is it!" Soon, Hogwarts students and staff would be mesmerized by the merriment of mouthwatering magic and music.
"Brill," Sirius smirked, looking at his expensive, goblin gold wristwatch, "I dare say, comrades, it's nearly time for the Hogwarts Halloween Holiday Feast!"
"We musn't be late," Remus uncrossed his arms, "One wouldn't want to miss the entertainment and appetisers!"
"It's also of great import to support our friend, Mssr. Pettigrew," James said.
"Indeed," the three pocketed their wands and left their goods in the Come and Go Room until Sirius and he were to perform the spells of transference.
"Hullo, Frank!" James smiled up at the Prefect when he sat next to them for supper, "We appreciate your joining us lowly second years."
"Now, Potter, you lot seem to have a penchant for disrupting the proper flow of feasts on holidays. That's not happening this evening."
"Us?" Sirius asked innocently.
The choir filed in and James waved to Peter, "YEAH PETTIGREW! THAT'S MY ROOMMATE!"
"What exactly does a 'proper flow' resemble?" Remus raised his brows and fingers for air quotes.
After casting a noticeable sideways glance down the table to Alice, Frank turned his attention to Remus, "The Frog Choir is going to perform, we are going to eat our meal in five courses, the ghosts are going to perform over dessert, then we, and by "we" I mean the upperclassmen and me, ("Upperclassmen and I" James corrected) will enjoy a provocative pumpkin and/or turnip carving competition liable to end in pumpkin guts in places where pumpkin does not belong. Any deviation from this norm will result in a loss the Gryffindor house does not need this early in the year. Ya digging me?"
"Most assuredly," Remus replied, "Frank, I can honestly say we, and by "we" I mean the entirety of the Marauder's dormitory, would also prefer tonight to proceed as you've described."
"Albeit..." James cut in, "When is one granted opportunity to participate in post-feast partying?"
"When one can go a full term without detentions," Frank shrugged his shoulders, "They're different every year. Hufflepuff's in charge of this evening's killer competition. Gryffindor throws the best ragers. Last year Slytherin had some gnarly ghost stories and mead."
Professor Flitwick stood on his conductor's box and thanked the students and professors for their support of the arts. James wasn't sure how much his peers did for the arts besides listen. Their first ballads were spooky, if a bit droning. He quite liked their muggle song, but not the coughing fits several Purebloods had in the middle. James thought the music quality needed a bit more pizzazz. He was about to really support the arts.
After finishing their last song, The Ballad of Violet the Vampire Killer, Peter slowly removed his wand. The toads followed the motions in rhythm of the song the four of them had been teaching them at Hagrid's. James grabbed his guitar where it was strapped under the table before Frank could stop him and Sirius cast a Sonorus on each of them. Flitwick and the choir students looked around the room, confounded. Evans seemed to have a unibrow with how tightly knit her eyebrows were. Yet they remained holding their toads thanks to a simple (not permanent) sticking charm.
Several professors looked furious, ready to put a stop to their fun, but Professor Dumbledore calmly waved them to remain seated, clearly remembering the fun Valentine'd Day had been.
As James moved to sit on the table, strummed, and toads croaked an appropriate electronic rift, Sirius, Remus, and Peter began to sing, "Raven hair and ruby lips..."
Remus slipped Frank a piece of parchment which read: Just following the proper flow...Frog Choir's performing...
Frank, who seemed to have been placated by Dumbledore's calm, was clearly amused enough for them to continue.
"Woo hoo, witchy woman," James joined in the chorus and winked at Frank, who rolled his eyes.
The song had released the month they stayed with Peter. Jane was obsessed and played it for Jess and herself over and over again on her vinyl spinney table doohickey.
The toads bellowed out one last harmonious croak and the Marauders bowed. Some people (including the Muggle Studies and Divination professors, Hagrid, Windsor, Flitwick, and Professor Dumbledore himself) clapped while others slumped in their seats, expecting something to explode. A few folks may have been wearing the same expression Evans bore, but James ignored them.
The choir filed out and Flitwick removed the sticking charms.
"I bet you think you're so talented," Frank said.
"Well, I am," James replied.
"B-buh-be frank," Peter joined them, flushed and smiling, "the music selection c-could be more...spicy."
"Interesting adjective," Arcuri observed near them and Frank agreed. The other three were still guffawing when Evans passed the side James and Sirius sat on, elbow catching them both against the shoulder blades, "Way to ruin our first performance of the year!" Brown, who stood beside her, also wore a slightly miffed expression.
"Sirius, did we interfere with the Frog Choir's performance?" James asked.
"No, I don't believe we did. We waited like sophisticated men of society for you to show off all those hours of practice," Sirius nodded.
She let out a huff, walking to the Gryffindor girls in their year.
Dumbledore stood to thank the choir for their performance. When he clapped, the five course feast slowly blinked into appearance before them. However, their food was suspended. Not in air, no, rather in gelatinous goodness magically seasoned and dyed for each house's colour.
"That doesn't look appetising," Frank said.
"It's cherry flavoured," James reassured. The beetroot and red algae food colouring wouldn't change the flavour much.
"Yuck!" one of the Slytherin's spat.
"Theirs may be boogey flavoured," Sirius scratched his upper lip.
"How do you know what boogies taste like?"
"Ever tried Bertie Bott's?"
"That was one of the most naff things I've ever seen!"
"Michael McKinnon and Esther Irivani were up there laughing the whole time," Remus shot down the table before he realised the latter had stepped up behind him.
"Jelly's made of ground up animal hooves," she pulled a face.
"Not ours," Remus replied, "and it's blueberry flavoured."
"Blueberries?" Esther smiled. "Suppose I'll give blueberry flavoured Swiss cheese a try."
That sounded delectable to James.
"Ta," she walked back to the Ravenclaw table.
"NO ONE WANTS JELLY IN THEIR SHEPHERD'S PIE, POTTER," Hampton called down the table; Evans and McKinnon were nodding their heads in agreement. However, many more students enjoyed poking the jelly and slurping it down.
"This woulda tasted great with a bit o' firewhiskey," Bannatyne said to his mate.
"It's floating."
"How scrumptious."
A few students, including James until Frank had stopped him, even flung the substance at one another.
Professor Dumbledore appeared to be enjoying the grape flavour they'd offered up to the staff table.
"Give me some skin," James held his hands up for Sirius, Peter, and Remus to perform their first ever quadruple high-five (albeit Remus seemed to swat his hand more than high-five it).
Successful operation complete, James tucked into jelly ensconced potatoes with vigour. While Frank's roommate was animatedly recalling a tale Nearly Headless Nick told him about the Prewett brothers, the floating candles and jack-o-lanterns went out in a breath of air.
"James," Frank started.
"This isn't us," he said, "You said the ghosts were performing."
"Hasn't nearly been enough time, has it?" Thomas Green said as excited chatter began to arise from all tables. A few students, including James himself, spoiled the darkness by casting a Lumos. Various orbs of light went up from some of the professors' wands, in addition to a silver light from something in Dumbledore's hand.
A deafening crash resounded through the hall, window glass flying everywhere.
Professors Windsor and Sprout cast a shield about three meters off the floor which the shards didn't penetrate. Students began to scream.
"These aren't the ghosts," Sirius said. Shadowy figures, not silvery translucent ones, swirled in through the window.
"Is that burnt parchment?" Remus squinted his eyes. James couldn't tell, but he kept his wand raised. He raised it higher when the inky darkness flapped and danced to extinguish each of the lights which floated above the shield.
"They can't be dark howlers?" Sirius observed.
The parchment settled to land in a funny pattern.
"Cassiopeia," Remus frowned. That was the sign of those terrorists!
The voice which emitted from the singed parchment was not the ear-splitting kind Sirius received, but rather a deep, buttery smooth, hiss:
"Residents of Hogwarts...the time is near...for you to take up your wands...and hold your rightful place in the world..."
Not only were the professors in the combat ready positions James recognized from Duelling Club, the prefects and several older students stood in defensive positions. Many students clambered under the tables. Frank had his non-wand arm out in front of James and Sirius. MacNair in Slytherin was crouched low, ready to fire a spell. Michael McKinnon leaped over tables to his two sisters.
Why didn't Dumbledore, the great defeater of Grindelwald, fight? James drew his wand back, about to cast the same incendio Remus had used to destroy Sirius' last howler, but felt an elbow in his mouth.
"You cast a spell, it reverberates back to us. Or worse, their shield comes down," Frank snapped.
"For too long...we have had to hide...for too long...we have been pushed down...but with the right power...with me at the front...we will rise...we will take our rightful place in the world...we will conquer the weak...we will eat death..."
"But there are some among you...who do not belong...There are some among you...who are tainted with power...and families...and land...and careers...and magic...stolen from us...My disciples will come...my Death Eaters are near...and you will pay for muddying the true might of our world...It starts tonight...on this most hallowed of nights...my ascension...I am...Lord...Voldemort..."
"If you wish to help...you desire to make a difference...for the greater good...seek out those with my mark..."
The howlers zoomed around again, casting dark shadows; their cloud formed a more distinguishable figure. It was a skull, with a snake slithering out of its mouth. It remained, suspended in the air, like food in jelly, for several moments before whirling and exploding in ash. At the disappearance of the intruder, the Great Hall descended into chaos.
"SILENCE" Professor Dumbledore's voice boomed with a sonorous charm. "PREFECTS ESCORT YOUR HOUSES BACK TO THEIR DORMITORIES, POST HASTE. MAKE SURE EACH STUDENT IS ACCOUNTED FOR AND SECURE THEIR ROOMS. Heads will check in before midnight. Minerva, alert the Aurors! The rest of staff convene in my office."
James felt himself being ushered into a crowd of Gryffindors. The candles were relit so everyone could see who they were stepping on as they filed out.
"Stekore, mind the first years!" Frank yelled as Alice began leading Gryffindor out of the Great Hall.
"I'm staying with my family!" Michael McKinnon yelled stubbornly.
"Dammit, come to the Gryffindor Tower; make sure your house knows," Stekore conceded and ushered Mary McKinnon out the doors.
James searched the crowd for Thomas Green. He was muggleborn. Bloody hell, so was Evans. But it was more chaotic than when the fire sprinkler spell was accidentally set off (perhaps by himself) at the McKinnon Christmas party in '68. James climbed on the Gryffindor table, stomping over their feast until he had eyes on the two gingers safely leaving. He leapt off the end of the table to hook his non-wand arm through Remus'. No one would lay a single spell on their werewolf tonight...unless of course it was one of the Marauders. But no one with nefarious intent.
Remus, who was paler than around the full moon, yanked his arm away from James but stayed with him up to the seventh story.
James stopped at their room once they climbed the stairs and the four filed in.
"Th-that was..." Peter wrung his hands. "That was d-dark magic. At Hogwarts."
Sirius walked through the bathroom and returned a few minutes later, "Green is here safe," he said monotonously.
James watched Sirius walk over to their window to let the cool autumn air in. The breeze blew his fringe back while he stood pensively.
"The Knights are changing their name left and right like some troll class band. They cannot possibly possess the power that Voldemort is talking about," Remus reasoned as he gingerly sat on the edge of their bed.
Sirius spoke, gaze still transfixed out the window, "Voldemort is who Reg has been saying our mother's mooning over. My father's hiring tutors who spew the same bile. And Bella's married a Lestrange. It's only a matter of time before Cissy and Malfoy join, if they haven't already. Cor...my entire family's in with him; fuckin' deranged, all of us." Sirius looked ready to be sick through this whole confession.
"Not your entire, family," Remus said, ever logical. "Your cousin married a muggleborn this summer. Plus you and Regulus aren't practicing dark magic either."
Sirius shook his head, "It's only a matter of time before they come for Reg. I have to protect him."
"Y-You don't think they'll f-find my mum, do you?" Peter asked.
"Your sister can put wards up. I think Remus is the one we need to be the most worried about tonight," James reasoned aloud.
Remus turned his gaze from Sirius to him, curious, "Why me?"
James realised his blunder.
"You're half-blood," he said smoothly.
"So why is my father in any more danger than Pete's mum?"
"N-Not your family, you," Peter said. James wished he was close enough to wallop Peter's shoulder.
"Remus, we know," Sirius' transfixed gaze never left the night to see Remus' reaction. But James did.
His friend looked as terrified as he had when Sirius pushed him off the lake tower. Breaths were nearly as shallow as their first class with Windsor. Hands clutched the bedding they were resting on James thought Sirius couldn't have picked a more inopportune moment to open his mouth. Or Peter. Or himself, for that matter. He shouldn't have said anything. The whole school wouldn't likely be attacked by Death Eaters tonight. That was a poor recruitment and battle tactic if James had ever heard one. But that didn't mean those who weren't pureblood in other places weren't losing their lives tonight. That was a better tactic because it would give credence and validity to the words Voldemort spoke through his twisted howlers...
"Kn-know w-what?" he believed he was playing cool despite the irregular heartbeat and sweaty palms he'd suddenly developed. Remus caught James' eye on accident. The panes of glass in front of his brown eyes did nothing to soften their scrutinising intensity. In fact, Remus was sure those blasted spectacles increased his inability to look away.
"We know," James said slowly but firmly, "That you're a..." He licked his lips as if they'd suddenly become dry, "Were—," both his sentence and Remus were cut.
The door suddenly opened and even Sirius jumped. Frank stepped in and shook his head, "Sorry, lads, window's got to remain closed so protection spells can do their thing. I can also lock you in your room if you'd feel safer, but honestly anything which can get through the portrait hole could find a way in."
Remus tried to focus on every word Frank said, anything to run from what James was about to say without physically running.
"No," Sirius shook his head. "Leave it unlocked."
"All right," Frank nodded, taking in the shaken expressions of everyone, "Buck up. Tonight was likely a fear tactic. Dumbledore's being precautious. There's hot tea, biscuits, and quite a lot of leftover jelly in the common room until midnight. There'll also be a Prefect patrolling all night."
When he left nobody moved or spoke a word.
Remus didn't want to blast his own foot off. These were the same fellows who'd thought he was a boy in the head and heart with female anatomy. They may not have evidence to back up what they were (rightly) accusing him of, "What makes you think that?" he asked James after moments of tense silence.
"You visit a sick mother who doesn't exist every full moon, yet you're the one who gets ill. You don't use the silverware in the Great Hall and always shower alone. You don't let us, the most spectacular mates to ever exist, in on your secrets. Every time I think I understand who Remus John Lupin is, you go and get cagey or twitchy. You've got claw marks and such all over your skin! And most importantly, we followed you and saw it with our own eyes."
The broken seals.
"WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THAT?" Remus shook in despair. He could have murdered them.
"We had to be sure," James didn't raise his voice, but it got more pained with every word.
"Silencio," Peter cast around their room.
"LITERALLY MY GREATEST FEAR IN THIS G-DFORSAKEN WORLD IS HURTING YOU!"
James paused, as if he hadn't considered that. Of course he hadn't. Remus was always risk management for their half-cocked schemes.
"We needed to test and see if our hypothesis was correct before we jumped to a serious conclusion—" James approached Remus who stood and backed away.
"SO YOU DON'T TEST IN SOME OTHER, LESS FATALISTIC WAY?"
It wasn't until the salt water reached his lips Remus realised he'd begun crying. He was going to lose his friends. But if he had lost them, he would have Avada'ed himself.
He couldn't look at James' face anymore, "I'm sorry," he choked. "I'm sorry. In the morning I'll pack my things."
"Y-you want to leave tomorrow?" Peter sounded hurt. Well, he couldn't leave tonight with the entire castle on lockdown. He voiced as much.
"Please don't leave, Remus," James shook his head.
"What?! And you're—you're just fine and dandy with a monster sleeping in the middle of your bed?" Remus asked incredulously. Somehow he'd found himself backed against the stone wall.
"We don't care, Remus," Sirius spoke for the first time. "You've just got a...little problem. We all clearly have 'em."
"Y-yours is just a furry little problem," Peter smiled for the first time since the feast. James laughed.
They had no idea what they were saying. Remus shook his head, "I'm too dangerous."
"Remus, you organise your underpants, forgive me if I'm not impressed," Sirius crossed his arms.
"So what? You just don't care?" Remus' voice began to raise again, "You don't care that I could kill you?"
"Trust us, Remus. We've had group discussion time already. It may have been what ignited Sirius' temper tantrum a few weeks ago," James said.
"G-got himself into a right strop," Peter added.
"OI!" Sirius said.
"Point is," James said, "We know and it doesn't change how we see you or how you fold your pants. We care very much—about you. Give us a little credit."
"So w-what's it feel like having super p-powers?" Peter asked.
"Can you really hear as well as a bat?" Sirius queried.
Remus felt every nearly every wall he'd put up since he was five crumble. He collapsed and sobbed into his robes. They weren't leaving him. They were the most idiotic students in the history of Hogwarts, but they knew and they weren't leaving him.
Peter briefly left but returned with two fistfuls of chocolate biscuits.
"They'll help."
***waning crescent***
The morning of Sirius' 13th birthday, the headline of The Daily Prophet read: Death Eaters Responsible for Thirteen Dead Across British Isles on All Hallow's Night
Frank had been right. Nothing truly horrific happened at Hogwarts, but eight muggles and five muggleborns were killed in 4 different locations. The skull eating a snake had hung above each scene. Minister Jenkins said the culprits would be apprehended immediately. Even if they were, Sirius wasn't sure that would dissuade his parents from believing pureblood was the best blood. He refolded the paper on itself and tossed it over his shoulder.
"OW! Watch where you throw things!" Marlene chastised.
"Watch who you're walking behind," Sirius replied. He had several other pieces of mail he hadn't yet opened—more than he had ever received on his birthday before. James also received a letter even though it wasn't his birthday.
After reading, he adjusted his glasses and said, "Dad says first of all to wish you 'Happy Birthday' and look for biscuits from Mum plus a little something from him in one of those parcels. It also says to share with me..."
Sirius pawed at the letter, "Where does he say that?" James snatched his hand away quickly. "Maybe he doesn't say that exactly, but it's implied."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Mind your elders, Potter."
"Ahem, he also says Jenkins has mooncalf shite on leads and the Prophet's trying to prevent mass panic. But he wants the four of us to watch each other's backs and not 'recklessly leave school property after hours and without telling anybody'. There's also a reminder to treat those without wizarding families just like we treat everyone else."
"So—as prime pranking targets," Remus said with obvious sarcasm but James grinned, "Again, it's much implied."
Together they carried Sirius' gifts and prizes to their dorm ("James Potter, if your birthday is considered a holiday, mine is even more so since you forgot about it last year." "We didn't know!")
Sirius opened the letter from his father first. He warned his oldest and impressionable esquire to stay away from the mudbloods as "The Dark Lord's" disciples were likely to be watching. He was the heir to the House of Black and had a "reputation to maintain." He told him to keep his head down, study the most useful and powerful spells the hardest, and keep his body fit. Sirius doubted he was implying just for Quidditch any more than Mr. Potter had secret implications to share Mrs. Potter's biscuits. Father encouraged Sirius' own tutoring and schooling of his "poor, feeble-minded half-blood roommates" that they may have a chance in the society Voldemort was going to build. There was no mention of his birthday.
"I think you should open the biggest one next," James drew him away from the letter and shook the largest parcel at him.
The brown paper was decorated in those stickies Evans had on her trunk. Gold stars littered every side but clustered around the tag: Andy and Ted
James began to help him tear but Sirius swatted him away. He wanted to preserve the gold stickies. Once he got the paper off, he tore into the box which definitely had a weight lightening spell on it. Inside were 13 magazines with muggle pictures. Cars and bicycles with motors and big wheels looked up at him. There was a fat book (of course, Andy was still an Eagle) of 13 muggle fairy tales. 13 vinyl records like Peter's family played (Yellow Submarine, Let it Be, Blue, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Cosmo's Factory, Led Zeppelin III and IV, Who's Next, The Stooges, Loaded, Sounds of Silence, Romany, and Electric Warrior) encased in colourful sleeves. He opened the accompanying letter and read: Congratulations on teenage years...lucky thirteen...I am adjusted to living in the muggle world...birthday present to teach you some things Auntie Walburga never would...en-culturing you to the rest of the world outside high pureblood society...use Room of Requirement to request a record player...Yes, I know that you know about that...various selections from both Teddy and I...I'm figuring out what genre I like best myself...Teddy says teenage boys faun over cars...We'll see if we can meet at Christmas hols...however...disowned...potentially McKinnon's gala...Best of luck 'til we meet again...Keep asking good questions...Cure for the Black Mania...Speaking of family...
"Cor, Andromeda's pregnant!" he couldn't believe his cousin was going to be a mother.
Much love from the Tonks household,
Your favourite Black Sheep
"I thought you were your favourite Black Sheep," Remus remarked. This letter, unlike the one from Father, he allowed to be passed around the group.
"You already know you like Who's Next!" Peter said proudly.
"Open another present!" James encouraged.
The package was wrapped in silver paper which boasted the seal of The Spiny Serpent, a shop in Knockturn Alley. This one he opened with his wand, not trusting it to not be a curse from Cissy and Bella or Snivellus. However, it didn't seem nefarious. He levitated a simple but shiny mirror out of the tissue and picked up the letter it contained by hand.
Dearest Esq. Sirius Orion Black,
What you have is one half of your birthday present. I have the other. The mirrors are connected so we can see each other and talk, even if we are in our separate houses. I spent two whole month's allowance on them! To activate the spell, simply say, "Show me Regulus," and I'll be contacted. Set it to vibrate so other people don't know about them and we can be spies!
Sincerely,
R.A.B.
"Show me Regulus," he grabbed the mirror out of the air.
A smiling face appeared which was not his own, "You got it!"
"Aces!" James said, flabbergasted.
"Is that James?" Regulus asked, "This is supposed to just be our thing."
"I can't be a spy without my side-kicks knowing," Sirius rolled his eyes.
"All right. What does thirteen feel like?" Regulus wasn't looking at Sirius, but rather his surroundings. He was walking with the mirror low, so Sirius had a good view of his neck and chin.
"Like I've been granted whole new subsections of brain and stomach space for filling."
Regulus laughed, "Whatever you say. I'm leaving for class now. You don't want to be late either."
"I want to finish opening my presents! This is the first year I've had so many," Sirius said.
"That seems irresponsible to be late."
"C'mon, stay on while you walk to class so I can show you what I got!"
Regulus hesitantly agreed and left his common room with mirror hidden in an open book.
This time Sirius did allow James to assist in opening a yellow wrapped present with charmed flowers blooming against the background, "This is Mum's paper!"
Five dozen biscuits of varying flavours were preserved in a decadent gold tin. There were also several different kinds of barfi.
"Sounds disgusting," Regulus pulled a face.
"No, it's delicious! Mrs. Potter sent some to James for Diwali last year, too, with other sweets."
"Which starts in two days," James was counting down.
"What's that?" Regulus turned a corner.
"It's this holiday where James and Sakhy celebrate the triumph of light over darkness or something or other."
"Top drawer description," James nicked a lemon biscuit before Sirius could stop him.
There was also a pocket-sized Sneakoscope made of glass and copper.
"Oh, brilliant," Peter turned it over in his hands.
"Last one's from Uncle Al." The gift contained some magical sweets, an ostentatious fwooper feather quill, and a black suede necklace way to short for Sirius' tastes encrusted with emeralds like Canis Major, and—
"Oh. My. Merlin," Peter lifted a magazine out of the box. Remus laughed.
There were three different PlayWizard magazines. A note read: I don't recommend disclosing this with my dear sister. But teenagers deserve to live a little and discover what they like before being married off to the best offer.
Sirius opened to a page where a dark haired witch was stirring a cauldron of Amortentia in less clothing than four out of five Potion Masters would likely deem safe. He turned it around and shoved it in Regulus' face, who's eyes went wide.
With a blush, Regulus claimed he had to cut the connection for class but promised they could talk later.
Sirius opened presents from his roommates last. Each one wrapped more atrociously than the last. A lambswool Gryffindor jumper plus hiccough sweets and stink pellets from James ("Don't mix those up"), a scarlet winter cap identical to Remus' yellow one sans the hideous flower (but with several uneven knots and one small hole) plus a poem from Remus, and a medium sized Alihotsy plant Peter had propagated and grown somewhere along the edge of the Forbidden Forest at the end of last term.
The four walked into Transfiguration fifteen minutes before the end of class. Professor McGonagall shook her head, "Nope; leave my classroom."
"But—"
"You've missed over half the class."
"She recognizes the holiday," Sirius said. "So what do you have planned for me this evening?"
"The events leading up to and transpiring on All Hallow's Eve did take a great deal of our effort, you know" James said. However, there was tone of whimsy in his voice which made Sirius believe he was hiding something.
Sirius knew he was right when James and Peter had both disappeared and Remus was left to nonchalantly pretend nothing was happening.
"They're going to prepare my party, aren't they?" Sirius waggled his eyebrows.
Remus flipped a page in Sirius' fairy tale book, "Sirius—"
"Is it going to be the whole house year invited, or just the blokes?"
"We are terrible at keeping surprises in this group," Remus groaned.
"You lasted over a year with one," Sirius flashed him a grin, "But this isn't a surprise. I asked for this last November."
"Sirius, please do the poor boyo the courtesy of acting surprised. It definitely was no easy feat pulling something together with the tumultuous weeks of Halloween Hijinks, Quidditch practices, sticking Severus to the ceiling of the Potions classroom as well as giving him a chocolate bar laced with a laxative I'm certain you two put together, a weekend cut out because of Duelling Club, visiting Professor Windsor for tea no less than three times, mid-term exams, a racist, pureblood fanatic declaring himself the Dark Lord threatening the wizarding world, and your apparent foolishness which led to the discovery of my furry...little...problem," he finished sternly.
Sirius pretended to take several moments to reflect on this spiel before shrugging his shoulders, "Fair enough."
Remus turned back to his book, rolling the sleeves of his nicest jumper (Honestly, no secrets could be kept), "Give them a few more minutes before I suggest going to the kitchens, we leave, but I suggest checking out an 'empty' classroom." Sirius grazed his eyes over Remus' bared forearms. Huh, there weren't any scars there. But Sirius could've sworn he remembered scars most places on Remus' body when he saw him naked that one time.
"Where'd the scars on your arm get to?" Sirius asked.
Remus stuck his tongue into his newly scarred cheek. Sirius noticed he'd been doing this since he returned from last full moon. Part of him wondered if it had been their fault Remus had attacked his face—he wondered if the claw mark went all the way through.
"Concealment Charm. Madame Pomfrey did it much of last year and I learned how to do it myself beginning of this term. Can't reach my back, but it gets a bit warm in here with Frank still sealing off our window so I like the ability to roll up my sleeves."
"Yeah but—we know now," Sirius' father had once had a Concealment Charm over a wound and bruise which came from his mother throwing an ink bottle at him when he'd asked one too many questions (with a queriable amount of cheek) about such and such. Something to do with why they had to purchase pureblood owls, which were more weak and sickly, instead of stronger hybrid ones with more longevity. They had an importat supper with his mother's brothers that evening; the charm had him rubbing his painful face all evening trying to release the tightness.
"Force of habit," Remus shrugged.
"Well, we don't care. They look pretty groovy, as Schmidt would say—"
Remus let out a huff.
"I get why you didn't tell us though," Sirius continued, "...or at least why you didn't tell me. Even when I offered you to explain last year...I don't want to think the way my family does," Sirius shook his head as if that would shake the words his mother wrote right out of his brain. "I don't believe in pureblood supremecy or hurting muggles and I don't want the Knights of Eating St. Walpurgis' Twat to hurt you."
Remus cracked a half smile, "The Ministry'd probably give them an Order of Merlin if they did that."
"And it's wrong!" Sirius emphasised.
The smile grew, "And for now, it's enough that you, Peter, and James believe that. Speaking of those two dimwits, we've probably allowed adequate time. Let's go to your surprise party."
"There had better be cake with tricky candles!" Sirius grabbed his Gryffindor jumper as they left the room.
***waxing gibbous***
As Lily parted with Kitty, Cari, and Marlene at the Defence office to go have lunch with Professor Windsor, she felt the slightest twinge of regret signing up to eat with Sev, Avery, Mulciber, and Knott. She'd signed up way before Halloween night had happened. Both second year Gryffindor girl rooms had stayed up all evening with each other that night, distracting themselves with cards, Scrabble, and fortune telling. Yet the elephant remained in the room, which Ginny and Kathryn had already been cautious of. A few days after the fact, Ginny had received a letter her brother's Auror status was being fast tracked. Apparently the last time they fast tracked Aurors was when Grindelwald was coming to power. Not only that, just last week another muggleborn, a journalist who had called the Death Eaters terrorists in the Daily Prophet, was murdered.
"Your funeral," Cari waved goodbye. Kitty asked if she was sure she didn't want her to tag along. Lily shook her head and waved. Severus would be there to watch her back.
The four Slytherins somehow beat her there and were already sitting around what she assumed was Professor Windsor's desk transfigured into a large, round, dark wood table; the massive stacks of parchment, scrolls, quills, and letters taking up a quarter of it were a telling clue.
"Miss Evans! Glad you could make it! Apologies for the mess; work at the ministry doesn't stop completely even when taking a full-time position teaching students," he raised his eyebrows.
She sat between her professor and Severus, staring at Mulciber straight across the way.
The boy asked Professor Windsor when they'd be handling creatures darker than grindylows.
"We fought a boggart our first class period," Lily let out a breathy laugh.
"No, I mean beasts like dragons and quintapeds and half-breeds," Mulciber grinned.
"I daresay I'd be sacked if a live quintaped was brought onto school grounds," Professor Windsor chuckled. I do know how to procure the skeleton of one if that creature does truly interest you. Dragons would also be quite volatile around so many students and need many handlers. I am hoping we can speak with some of the merfolk late next term. Sorry to disappoint, Mr. Mulciber, this week it's pixies and nifflers."
The prospect of seeing a real mermaid excited Lily.
"We will be practicing some defensive positions in Duelling Club this month which would be helpful should one encounter a creature either impervious or resistant to spells like quintapeds and dragons...what do the five of you think of the Club?"
The Slytherins seemed to take more time to ponder their answer so Lily swallowed her bite of pasta and jumped in, "It's stellar!
"When are we going to have someone besides the Defence, Astronomy, Arithmancy, Charms, and Care of Creatures professors supervising us?"
"We will have some Ministry officials attending this meeting. Magicless defense is something which can be useful against beasts and in duels. They will also be giving their Troll Level self-defence course free for Club members the next day."
Lily turned and gave Severus a confused look. "First Level," he answered her unspoken question.
"How archaic," Knott observed.
Avery snorted, "Ha, that's all the mudbloods are good for."
Lily stiffened and felt her magic bristle. She let out a slow breath. Use your words, she thought to herself, "What's archaic is slaughtering people because of their heritage or expressing their beliefs in the newspaper." Severus tensed next to her.
Professor Windsor lay his utensils down and spoke to them all, but stared at Avery with a burning intensity she only saw when he duelled, "You will not use such foul, dishonourable language in my presence, or, far more importantly, in the presence of an incredibly gifted young lady, who your sentiment slanders. That will be twenty five points from Slytherin. Now, let's conduct ourselves as gentlemen...and a lady, and not deign to demean ourselves."
"Sorry, sir," Avery tilted his chin up.
"Now apologise to Miss Evans for your ungentlemanly vocabulary and attitude."
Avery shoved his chair out. To Lily's surprise, he made a show of bowing and saying, "Apologies, Evans."
"Thank you," she lifted her own chin up. There was no meaning behind his words.
The conversation inevitably turned to Voldemort. However, Lily and Severus were the only ones not silent on the subject besides the professor.
"But how could a charm get through the glass, much less the protection on the castle?" Lily asked. Howlers worked their magic through a charm, but these were darker somehow.
"Professor Sprout said your leads on solving how the magic penetrated the wards are...lacking," Severus commented.
"It's true, we aren't certain how Voldemort broke through the wards..." Professor Windsor began honestly, "Charms are supposed to be light magic, but, as with most magic, there remains a feasability that it can be warped and twisted for evil—dark magic. There are spells—charms even—designed by dark wizards or beings only for malintent; many spells can be used for either light or dark purposes. This Voldemort and his 'Death Eaters'," he made airquotes, "have shown themselves not only capable, but perfectly content to use dark magic to achieve their power."
"Well—" Knott began, "Dark magic is the most powerful in the world. Even Albus Dumbledore used dark spells to take down Gellert Grindelwald."
"He is powerful," Avery tentatively began after his previous chastisement, "This isn't just Great Britain. The Minister wants us to believe it's local but the same howlers went to Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. It's all of Europe, at the least."
"I'm sorry, fellows. But I don't believe that dark magic is the most powerful. I don't wish to sound like an old fogey, but you five are young and, unfortunately, I believe some of you have perhaps not experienced the immense power of love yet. From family, from friends, from a significant other. Love is the purest power, because it is the most self-sacrificial, motivating, and passionate force that can be channeled through a spell."
Lily rolled her eyes as the boys chuckled at this.
"Don't believe me, I propose an experiment," Professor Windsor said. "One where your only task is to observe, which I myself have noticed each of you are good at. Next Club meeting, observe the power of those with significant others versus those who do not, especially if they are in the same year and duelling side by side. I believe you have two or three couples in your own class, next period when we practice spells, I will partner those I'm aware of next to each other."
Picking her nails, Lily considered this, "What about if the couples were paired together? Couldn't their love, or lust, or whatever it is, be a weakness? I mean, if one was a danger and the other loved them, they may not fight as hard or cast as strongly." She thought of last year when she'd taken it easy on Pettigrew. Not that she loved him, or was even close friends with him, but she cared about him feeling like he'd accomplished something on his birthday.
"She's right," to her surprise, Mulciber agreed with her.
"That observation, while true, does not negate the other."
Peter did not have to set an alarm to wake him up for his thirteenth birthday. He and his friends went out Friday evening to do some exploration at James' suggestion (they'd hardly had the time for a "proper adventure" that term...unless one counted taking new ways back to the Gryffindor tower wherever possible). The next night, they'd been planning to return to Zonko's for Peter's birthday (his sweet stash was running periously low and, he was inclined to agree with Remus, somehow tasted more saccharine when payed for under heightened adrenaline.
Without the cloak, exploration of the castle had to be done earlier in the evening. The added bonus of it being a Friday evening meant a slightly later curfew for second years. Peter and Sirius suggested a trip to Hagrid's first, as Peter, in choir practice, overheard that Evans, who told Irivani, who told Brown that the caretaker was taking care of some nifflers for a professor. Sirius ran and leapt up to swipe every branch with crispy leaves still clinging to them along the way, while James made a show of crunching leaves as loudly as possible with his boots.
The giant of a man did indeed answer the door with one long snouted creature in his hand and another rutting around the hair on his shoulder.
"Har! Wha' a treat," he exclaimed happily. "C'min I'll put some tea on."
As he rummaged about, another niffler shot across the floor in a rolled ball. Kali was hiding herself under a large table.
"H-hagrid?" Peter asked, "Shouldn't they b-be in cages? I-I mean, they like to steal things, don't they?"
He waved a hand, "These lil lassies ar' less than a year old. Don' like the idea of them bein' all locked up with no where ter roam. Youngins need room to play," his bushy brows disappeared when he raised them suggestively at the four of them.
Blushing, Peter scooped the rolling one up. It unfurled and nuzzled his armpit. He supposed she did seem rather harmless.
"Tha's Twinkle," Hagrid poured the hot water and set the cups down beside each boy. Remus lifted his sluggish, but eagerly.
"This's Trinket," he offered the one in his arms to Sirius.
Hagrid reached over his shoulder, "An' this one here is li'l Jingle," he held her out to Remus, but Jingle fitfully turned and wriggled her body up Hagrid's sleeve. James fished the niffler from him.
"Amel didn' wan' 'em in the same room as cornish pixies. Don' think they'll play ter well together. There's one or two more 'round here someplace."
Peter was currently reading the homework for Monday's class (so he wouldn't have to over his birthday weekend) and was inclined to agree with his teacher.
While they drank tea and Twinkle made herself comfortable enough to doze in Peter's arms, Hagrid chatted about this, that, and everything. All of it fascinated Peter. Professor Dumbledore didn't know how the dark magic on Halloween night broke through the wards. Hagrid could feel a stronger magical pull than usual near the stone circle, but only when it was about to rain. Peter was particularly tickled to hear Hagrid enjoyed their performance last month.
"Yer four should star' a band," he chuckled.
"There's my career choice," Sirius said.
"I'll already be signing autographs for Quidditch," James laughed when Jingle removed his spectacles and put them on her much too small face. He did stop her from shoving them completely in her pouch. "Peter's voice will be our money maker, though."
"Would we be on the wireless or sell muggle records?" Peter asked.
This launched a debate which Remus stayed out of. Peter watched his friend with curled hands around his cup and knees to his chest. He'd forgotten the full moon was in just a few days. Was Remus feeling poorly? He was drawn out of his thoughts by Sirius crying, "My watch! Where's it gone? That's solid gold! Oi!" Sirius repremanded his niffler, who was pulling his mirror out of his robe pocket.
"Trinket," Hagrid rumbled. "Di' yer take young Sirius' watch?"
Trinket cocked her head. "C'mere," With two fingers, Hagrid lifted her by her hind legs out of Sirius' arms. With his free hand, he tickled her belly and made high pitched cooing noises. Multiple objects fell out of Trinket's pouch: Several Sickles and Galleons, a ring, Sirius' gold watch, three of Hagrid's spoons, multiple keys, a gold locket, a silver money clip that probably belonged to some muggleborn, a pair of glasses, a pocket watch and—, "My belt buckle!" Peter exclaimed. "I-I was blaming you lot!" James cackled and Remus smiled into his tea.
"Erm—they did get a bit loose 'round the castle this week," Hagrid confessed. "But they don' mean no harm."
An hour later they were leaving Hagrid's for their explorative adventure. They'd have a good two hours to find something before curfew.
On the third floor, a streaky beaky nosed creature launched out of Sirius' robe, running away from them.
"Cor!" Sirius yelled, "Catch her!" They scattered.
James had her cornered but she got through his legs. Peter would have had her, had he not bumped his head on Gunhilda of Gorsemoor's stone head, "Agh!" he gripped his temple in pain. The last he saw of Trinket was her burrowing her way into the wall.
"You nicked a niffler?!" Remus shook Sirius increduously.
"She nicked my watch. I took the other things that didn't belong to Hagrid either."
"SIRIUS!"
"But think of all the practical jokes we could play with a niffler in our group," he was still smiling.
"She doesn't belong to us!"
"Just for the weekend, Remus, pleeeease?"
"She's not staying in Mega-bed," Remus conceded.
"Patent-pending," James added.
"Sh-she won't want to, if you're there," Peter said to his friend with the furry little problem.
"Animals don't think fondly of you, do they?" James asked.
"They can sense I'm not human," he kicked feebly at the wall.
"Bollocks," Sirius said.
"No, really, only this one cat has ever—"
"You are human," James continued for Sirius.
"Monday night I'm not. And you lot would do best to remember that," he said darkly.
"We won't follow you again."
"Serves you right to have lost the cloak."
James gasped.
"Don't curse the cloak!"
"I didn't curse the cloak, merely made a comment about how karma still came for your idiocy."
"That's not how it works," James wagged a finger.
"L-Let's get on with the exploring," Peter changed the subject.
"Where, Pete? It's nearly curfew and we lost a niffler Professor Windsor wants by Monday," Remus was agitated.
"I-I may not be able to solve your furry little problem, but Sirius' furry little problem went behind the one-eyed witch statue. N-now, I'm not positive nifflers can't pass through walls, b-but—" Peter was cut off.
"Of course!" James exclaimed. "The hag is hiding a passage!"
After heaving the statue, Sirius said, "Password or spell protected. Alohamora." Nothing happened. He recited the spell which got into Remus' safe house. Nada.
Peter took a closer look at the statue's description inscribed on a plaque. He knew her from Chocolate Frogs. She had created a cure for Dragon Pox. Peter ran his fingers over the plaque. The stone was uneven underneath. Something else was written. He pulled back gently with the nubs of his nails.
"All right, Pete," James clapped his shoulder and read out loud, "Dissendium." Nothing.
Sirius waved his wand in an elaborate gesture and tried. Nothing. The climax of excitement came when James' wand hit the witch's hump and it moved to reveal a dark tunnel.
"Aces!" James bounced, "Lumos," he jumped in head first.
"We should put the plaque back," Sirius suggested.
"With a permanent sticking charm," Remus added.
Sirius wagged a finger in affirmation.
Peter climbed into the tunnel behind Sirius.
"Took you long enough," James met them at the bottom, "Definitely the direction of Hogsmeade. Good thing I've got some galleons."
"W-we still need to find Trinket," Peter reminded them. He followed the tunnel with far less trepidation than when they'd found the old lord's property. They found the end, but no Trinket. The same spell unlocked another trap door. Sirius and Peter heaved up James after he braced himself on their shoulders and planted his feet in their hands. Sirius and Remus were able to help Peter next, although there was a stomach dropping moment Remus' strength gave out and Peter was sure he'd fall. Peter helped James hoist up Sirius and then the three raised a hissing Remus.
"What's wrong?" Peter asked when they were all through.
"Nothing," Remus rubbed his wrists.
They were in a cellar similar to Zonko's with storage crates. However, these were filled with sweets!
"M-my birthday's come early!" Peter whooped gleefully but was shushed by Remus.
"Honeyduke's," James said redundantly.
A scuffling from the staircase caught Peter's attention, "Twinkle!" the small body was wriggling under the door to the shop. They spent a half hour chasing and capturing the niffler, Peter eventually holding her upside down while James forced her to release her stolen treasures (which once again included Sirius' watch and tie clip). Sirius gripped her tightly while they righted the mess made in the shop, picking up more candy to eat than to return to their displays. One pyramid of chocolate snitches which the niffler toppled Peter wasn't quite sure how to right, so he took the lot.
"It's on me; happy birthday, Peter," James offered before choosing a red velvet cake out of the display. "It'll taste better than the kitchens since it's procured under dubious circumstances."
"Uh, James?" Remus asked, "If—um—you wouldn't mind gettting three chocolate frogs for me I'll pay you back..."
"No worries, I got 'em Remus."
"But I'm not comfortable with that," Remus said tiredly.
James waved him off, dropped galleons on the counter, and they left, arriving back to the common room nearly an hour and a half after Peter's birthday. Peter asked if they could eat his cake right then and there, to which he was obliged. Remus fell asleep shortly thereafter while Peter stayed up talking and trading chocolate frog cards. He had a newfound appreciation for his Grunhilda card. Contrary to Remus' earlier demands, Twinkle did end up sleeping in Mega-bed (patent pending), curled up at James' feet as far away from the hairy scary werewolf in yellow flannel jim jams as possible.
The night of his birthday, Peter suggested they forego Zonko's, because he wanted Remus there or not at all. He was sure the people-pleasing boy would attempt the trip, but he looked like the last thing he needed was to leave bed. So instead, he treated himself to a dormitory lock-in, eating snacks all day with James attempting to teach him how to play his guitar.
Remus was glad he had the weekend to rest. He guiltily appreciated Peter sacrificing his Zonko's trip for a day instead spent lounging in bed with food from the kitchens and James' guitar playing. He taught them a few shantys, which could be considered a bit naughty, and Peter taught them a few muggle ones.
Monday, he attended classes, albeit he was hyper aware of the concerned looks Peter and Lily kept shooting his way. In Defence, one of Hagrid's missing nifflers mysteriously appeared under Sirius' table. He nearly fell asleep to the cooing and awing of the girls over the nifflers.
"Mr. Lupin."
Remus' eyes shot open. He'd closed them for but a second, he was positive!
Professor Windsor addressed him again, "Please remain a few moments after class, Mr. Lupin."
His roommates lingered longer than necessary as the students filed out of their last class of the day. James gave him a look which said: We'll go to Quidditch practice late if you want us to stay. He waved them all off, including Peter. With an instinct, he had a feeling his teacher was going to address something lycanthropish with him, and he hadn't told anyone his friends knew about him.
"How're you feeling?" Professor Windsor asked.
Like shit, "'M fine," Remus passed a shaky hand through his hair. He ran his tongue along the scar inside his cheek.
"Your pallor says otherwise. Would a tea help?"
Remus shook his head; lying down for a kip would help.
His teacher continued, "I will be accompanying you to the safe house tonight with Minerva to protect you. I'll try to remain at the base of the tunnel and as far away from potential scent as much as possible."
"You don't have to do that." He hated he would be keeping Professor Windsor up all night. No one would be attempting to break in again.
"Is the wizard scent why you clawed yourself up so bad last month?" Professor Windsor asked, softer.
Remus shrugged, "Dunno, probably." Even though the bulk of Remus was angry at his friends for putting themselves in danger last month, there was a small part which was cross about their possible role in the permanent disfigurement of his face.
"I'll stay as far away as I can then," he repeated. There was an awkward moment of silence. "Wards were broken twice in a month and Voldemort's attacks are on the rise. It's important to keep you safe."
"D'you...d'you think they'd use the Killing Curse on me? That it would be quick?" he didn't know why he was asking. Maybe—maybe being caught by Death Eaters would be the best way to go. Hell, as a wolf, he wouldn't even know what was happening to him.
Professor Windsor slid a chair out and sat in front of the desk where Remus remained, "Remus," he was surprised at the use of his first name. He only did that with a few classmates who'd been to his office several times. "We don't believe these people want to kill you. If they did, they would have last month."
Remus couldn't stop himself from flinching. That wasn't them who broke in.
"If they could confirm there was someone suffering from lycanthopy inside, they could plan to return and steal you away."
Remus' tongue felt too dry, "Why?"
"Werewolves could be used...as weapons. They can sometimes target intended carnage by scent. The wild packs in central Europe even 'freely' gave allegience to Grindelwald."
Remus' stomach dropped; he shook his head, "No, no, they don't know."
"The Ministry keeps records. Records can sometimes be compromised. I really haven't meant to distress you further, Remus. But should you notice any suspicious persons around Hogwarts, alert me or the Headmasater immediately." Remus nodded and stood to leave, "See you in a few hours then."
"'Til then, Mr. Lupin."
"How long will you stay in the Hospital Wing?" Sirius asked him.
"Dunno."
"Can we come visit you?"
Remus thought about the state he was nearly always in after a full, "No."
"Why not?"
"I have to go now," he gritted his teeth. Professor McGonagall would be waiting.
"We're good at sneaking, even without the cloak," Sirius encouraged.
"R-right then, Remus. A few days, yeah? There'll b-be a chocolate frog on your pillow" Peter offered.
"Have fun," James waved. Fun?!
"Don't smash up too much furniture," Sirius warned.
Remus rolled his eyes and closed the door. When he was halfway down the staircase he could hear Sirius say, "We need to get detention."
Halfway to the whomping willow a new scent flooded Remus' senses; he could hear footfalls on the damp earth and see the rain parting. Professor Windsor had some sort of disillusionment spell on him. The tunnel, even nearly a month later, smelled stalely of his sweaty, acrid, adrenaline filled roommates.
Ahead of Professor McGonagall's wand his sharp eye caught a glimmer of something silvery and translucent. Stepping carefully, he used the back of his heel to kick the prodigal invisibility cloak to a hand behind his hunched back. After Professor McGonagall left with reassurance her colleague would be protecting the tunnel tonight, Remus stripped and left the cloak with his clothes. He wondered, not for the first time, what the Marauders had seen and what the wolf had thought. His mates were utter fools to not only think he was still worth anything to them, but even more ignorant to believe his problem was "cool". Remus' muscles rippled. He supposed they probably didn't know about the pain of the transformation. He grasped his head, curling on the floor. They hadn't considered he'd be put down by the Ministry if he'd attacked them. How it was truly a miracle they got away...
He whimpered until he could take the pain no more and his young lungs let out a howling scream.
Peter was the lucky one who got detention with Pomfrey. Sirius had helped him that morning by bloating Kingsley's toad into a round sphere before transfiguring it into a subpar balloon (It kept it's toadish attributes.). The whole thing was pinned on Peter, who made sure to laugh raciously.
"I'm too good at transfiguration to perform shoddy work; it's a curse. You must do the deed," James had told Sirius.
Once Peter was on the inside, Sirius waited with James around the corner for the all clear signal. Sirius watched as a wind up mouse from Zonko's skirted by and continued on to scare people into believing there was a rodent infestation. Madame Pomfrey was in her office. A cat slunk out from behind the private curtain, joining her. Sirius and James crouched low to the partition on the other side of the room and crawled under it on their stomachs. With the gleeful rush of not getting caught, Sirius stood to take in the sleeping patient for whom all the sneaking was done. His smile faltered. Remus' sheets were pulled down to his waist. Several poultices of yellow slime covered new angry slash marks on his chest. His left arm was wrapped from wrist to bicep—a brighter scarlet than on his chest seeping through. Sweat plastered his curly locks against his forehead and cheeks.
Peter sat by the bed set about finished drying the basins he had cleaned. Sirius slowly moved a hand forward to push the stuck hair away.
"That's better," James affirmed him quietly, not taking his eyes from Remus' chest. However, Sirius couldn't see how. It didn't take away the gashes or other injuries. Did Remus feel it when the wolf did that to him? Why didn't he stop himself?
The curtain snapped back, shocking all three out of their reveries.
"What are you—how did you—Get out of here at once!" the matron hissed. "He needs his rest."
Sirius grasped at the pale, nonbandaged hand to show he had no intention of going anywhere.
"He is resting," James pointed out.
Remus moaned, "Jms?" he opened his cloudy eyes, looking around, "Srrrss?" he slurred.
"Remus, dear, try to go back to sleep," Pomfrey swatted at Sirius' hand and pulled the disarrayed covers back up to Remus' neck, tucking them in tighter than could have been comfortable.
"My fernds," he wobbled his head. What did she have him on? Sirius wondered.
"They're leaving so you can rest," she said.
"No, we're not!" Sirius may have spoken too loudly as Remus moaned and the matron forced him and James into her office by their ears. "Pettigrew!" she hissed and the boy left Remus and followed. Sirius was surprised to see Professor McGonagall, harbinger of detentions and ruiner of fun, sitting in there.
"What's wrong with him?" James asked.
Pomfrey pursed her lips but didn't answer.
"We know he's a bloody werewolf!" Sirius said, "And I want to know why you're not healing his wounds!" he spoke with as much aristocratic authority he could muster. The two women lost colour in their faces. "I beg your pardon? Not heal...not healing him?" Madame Pomfrey was livid.
"Poppy," McGonagall said. "His wounds are cursed, Mr. Black. Poppy puts him back together best anyone could be able. Now," she pursed her lips. "How long have you known?"
"Since before the last cycle," Sirius raised his chin, "And he knows that we know."
"You must understand, all of you, how grave it could be if the wrong people found out?"
"We won't tell anyone; we want him to stay with us at Hogwarts!" James said. "W-w-we're good at keeping secrets," Peter added. Just not with each other, Sirius thought.
"I'm aware your little gang is adept at secret keeping. But this is not some prank on first years or defecating on Quidditch robes."
How had she known that was them?
"McGon—Professor," Sirius said, "Anything that hurts Remus wounds all of us. We'll never tell another soul if it keeps him safe. We just wanted to make sure he was okay...and sit with him a bit...that's all."
"You're too rambunctious," Pomfrey shook her head.
"They may be good for his morale." Sirius was surprised to hear McGonagall take their side. They were right, though.
"You have one hour," the matron finally conceded.
Remus returned a full day earlier than usual. His fourth of the bed had chocolate frogs from Peter, new winter flannel pyjamas with snow, firs, and reindeer washed and folded (by house elves, but mail ordered and set out by James), and a pile of painstaking notes taken and placed there by Sirius himself. Later that evening, he also slipped his friend some soap imbued with that murtlap essence Hagrid had used on him last year. Sirius hoped it would help even cursed wounds.