Please report to the Storeroom 1C at exactly 4PM this afternoon (Tuesday the Third) for your detention

"Mannn detention today!" James whined right as Remus read his own slip. "At least it's at four and I won't miss Quidditch practice."

"Same here," Remus said, tucking his bit of paper into his bag. "Where is yours?"

"Storeroom 1C," James replied.

Remus brightened, feeling quite pleased. "Oh good, we have detention together."

James perked up as well. "Excellent! I much prefer sharing detention! Wait, what do you have detention for?"

"Setting Snape on fire still," Remus answered with a laugh. "At least I am assuming so. I haven't gotten any other detention since, and I've yet to do my third night. You?"

James looked at his paper then threw it over his shoulder. "No damn clue!"

/\/\/\/\/\

At just before 4pm, James and Remus met up with Professor McGonagall at the storeroom they'd be serving their detention in. She explained they'd be cleaning up. James pulled a cross-eyed face as they went into the old, very dusty, very messy room. Most the shelves and boxes had labels and she showed them a large box for things they weren't sure where they went. There were buckets of soapy water, rags, broom, lots of cleaning supplies.

"I'll check up on your progress in an hour," she said then left them alone.

"Unnnnnnsupahvised!" James exclaimed then flopped over onto a large bag full of papers, using it like a bean bag chair. "This is gonna be a fun detention! Hey, what are you doing?"

"Cleaning?" Remus knelt down by a box of assorted items, going through them. "Doing what we're supposed to be doing?"

"Pffffft." James wriggled in deeper, crossing his legs at the ankle, putting his hands behind his head. "Nobody's watching."

Remus set the items aside, organizing them by material and size. This was a Transfiguration storeroom so he assumed this was what he needed to do. The shelves were all labeled with various things like bells and vases, as well ones such as crystal and glass. He wondered where a crystal bell might go... "McGonagall will be coming back, and if we've done nothing she'll merely extend the detention. Come on, help me."

James groaned loudly as he got up, shuffling over to take a bunch of candlesticks. "Where do these go?"

Remus smiled at him. "Over there, where it says 'candlesticks' perhaps?" James stuck his tongue out. "That would be my guess, at least. Um, don't do that."

James was trying to balance a candlestick on the end of one finger but it kept falling. He caught it twice but the third time it hit the stone floor and cracked slightly. "Whoops. Think McGonsie will notice?"

Rolling his eyes, Remus got his wand out. "Reparo!" The candlestick shuddered, the crack mending. "I don't think she'll notice," he said with a grin as he put his wand away. James snorted, putting the candlesticks up. "Just try not to break anything else w—"

Crash! "Oops. Um, can you fix glass?"

Remus closed his eyes, feeling a headache coming on. Detention with his friend had seemed like a fun idea but it had only been a couple minutes and already he was wondering if it was possible for a twelve year old werewolf to have a heart attack.

"No, that's a little beyond my ability. Sweep it up."

"We need tunes!" James grabbed the broom and dustpan, sweeping up the glass shards. "I'm going to sneak out and get my radio."

"No, J—"

But James had run out the door. Remus groaned, dropping his head in his hands; after a few deep breaths he finished sweeping up the glass, putting it in a trash bag, then returned to sorting through items. He had only gone through a couple boxes before James returned, flushed and quite giddy. He hadn't gone all the way to the Gryffindor tower. Instead he had gone to another storeroom where he knew a radio had been. He set it up, twiddling the knobs until music started playing.

"So, you stole it?" Remus asked as rock music drifted out.

"Uh-huh, another storeroom. One of Flitwick's. He's got a bunch of radios. I remembered from last year when I had a detention with him." James began bouncing to the music then jerking his arms.

"Are you having a seizure? Shall I call Madame Pomfrey?"

"What? No! I'm dancing!"

"We're supposed to be cleaning not danciiaaaah!" He broke off into a yell as James yanked him to his feet. "No! Come on, we need to clean!"

James had a hold of Remus's hands, making his arms swing. "No, we need to dance! This song is the best! Your love is like a dragon, burning me to pieces! Flames! All around meeeeee! Burn! BURN IT UP!"

Remus managed to get his hands free, stumbling back. "James, come on! Seriously, we need to do what Professor McGonagall told us to do!"

"Seriously, or Sirius-ly? Cause Sirius would be with me on this. Burn my soul to the GROUND!"

Remus sighed, giving up, going back to organizing the objects. If James wasn't going to help then he needed to do as much as he could, not wanting to miss Occlumency, not wanting to get more detention. He began going through a box of spheres. Wooden balls, glass orbs... he frowned, trying to figure out which section to put them in.

"Spongify!"

"Wh—James, no!" Remus yelped as James spongified part of the floor so he could start bouncing. "James! This is DETENTION!" James just grinned, shrugging. "Is this what you do with Sirius in detention?"

"When we aren't supervised!" James laughed as he bounced up and down, holding his hands above his head to make sure he didn't hit the ceiling. "Really, you'd think the teachers would learn by now."

"You'd think you'd learn by now," Remus muttered, carrying an armful of glass orbs over to the glass section, very carefully putting them up.

"What?"

Remus turned to glare at his friend. "As I said... if McGonagall returns and finds hardly any work done most likely she'll extend our time here and you may miss Quidditch practice. And I really do not wish to miss my—... hospital appointment."

James slowly stopped bouncing, the smile disappearing. "Aw, crap, you're right. Fiiiine. Only doing this under extreme protest, though, just so you know." He jammed his finger against the bridge of his glasses, pushing them up for emphasis. "And for Quidditch."

"I got that, yes."

James hesitated, finally getting off the bouncy spot of the floor. "Well, also for your hospital thing. I don't want you missing that."

Remus smiled, a slight shiver of illness for the lie. "Thank you." He got rid of the softening spell as James came over, this time actually helping him though he complained as he did so. They went through a box together which made things a lot easier, a lot quicker. Remus eventually confessed he enjoyed having music while they did this, making James pump his fist victoriously into the air.

A few minutes after that James sat back against his feet, watching as Remus stood on tiptoes to put items on the shelves. "You're taller than me, you should be doing this," Remus grumbled as he struggled to push the statues farther back. He looked over his shoulder to ask for help then stopped when he saw James staring at the far wall, very sad. Remus returned to flat feet, twisting fully around. "James?"

James turned back, the sadness instantly replaced with happiness. Fake happiness? "Yeah?"

"You all right?"

"Yeah! Dandy. Why?"

Remus went over, kneeling down next to him. "You seemed a little... sad."

"Sad? Me?" James laughed. "Nah. I'm good. Maybe bored. You know, doing detention—actually doing it—is really boring."

"Detention isn't supposed to be fun," Remus said, raising his eyebrows. "It's supposed to be a punishment."

"Blah-blah-blah. You know if I were in charge detentions would be fun."

Remus pressed his hands together, tucking them under his chin. "Then please tell me how you would punish students for doing wrong?"

"I wouldn't! Not like that!" James flapped his hand, getting to his feet so he could pace back and forth. "Who in their right mind gives detention for..." He trailed off, squinting.

Remus tilted his head. "For what?"

"I, um, still don't know why I'm here." James sighed, sinking back down. "Let's see... could be the mice Sirius and I floated up the girls' staircases. You know, Snape probably snitched on me for yanking his robes up over his head. Would that be bad enough for detention? It wasn't bad really. Or that cushion I accidentally turned into a pig-toad—"

"What?!" Remus shrieked.

"Didn't I tell you?" James turned to him with wide eyes. "Yeah, that happened the other night while you were at study group. I accidentally turned one of the cushions in the common room into this pig-toad hybrid. I was going for toad but... it didn't go too well. Obviously."

"And you got in trouble for that?" Remus asked, a little surprised. Magic in the common room wasn't really against the rules as long as it wasn't against another student, which was why James and Sirius managed to not get into too much trouble over the furniture-on-ceiling thing.

"Um." James fiddled with his wand, coughing. "No, I—I got into trouble for chucking it across the room and missing Peter. It sorta hit a prefect. Did I get detention for that? Or just points removed?" He tapped his chin. "Hmm. I did get detention for trying to levitate Sirius and he crashed into my cousin."

"Wait—your cousin?" Remus blinked a few times. "You have a cousin here?"

"Distant cousin," James explained. "Professor Shafiq."

Remus choked on nothing, completely taken aback. "Professor?! You have a cousin who is a professor?! How did you not inform us of this?"

James groaned. "Distant cousin! Plus she's only a substitute teacher. The Indian witch with the headscarf? She's my mum's second cousin, sooooo... my third cousin? I think? Before school I only ever saw her at family events. I don't really know her. Anyway, I got detention for that so maybe that's why I'm here."

"It sounds like it was an accident, though," Remus muttered, still a little bitter that James had never once mentioned one of his relatives taught at the school—substitute or not! If he had a relative around, he would have told them. Then again, he didn't know any of his relatives. Actually there was the possibility he had a distant cousin around somewhere. He knew his father was an only child however his grandfather had had siblings. What if I have a cousin around Hogwarts somewhere? he wondered, trying to remember anything about his grandfather's family. He didn't know much. Just that he had agreed for his son to be sent to Beauxbatons.

He sorta wished that he did know more. That he knew his family. It's my fault I don't, that I can't. Remus bit his lip, heart sinking, regret filling his body for even coming down this path. Because of me, mum and dad had to cut everyone else out of their lives...

"It was an accident!" James said, shaking Remus out of his thoughts. "I think it would have been all right but I did kinda... laugh." It took Remus a second to even remember what they had been talking about. James throwing Sirius into a teacher. "A lot. Or maybe it was the fireworks I let off in the kitchens—"

"James, when the heck are all these things happening?!" Remus demanded. "How come I don't know about most of this?"

James just shrugged, adjusting his glasses. "Most of these have happened while you're at study group. That's why."

Now Remus groaned, pressing one hand against his face. "Okay. Well, um, when I go to study group is that just some sort of signal for a Marauder free for all?"

James perked up. "Yeah, pretty much. You are the voice of reason in our group. Without you, we're feral. Is that the right word use? Anyway, none of that really deserves detention. That's the point I'm trying to make. I mean come on. Would you give detention for what I've done?"

Remus pulled a box over to go through it, trying his hardest not to laugh. "Possibly."

"Oooh, you're mean."

"James you—you threw a pig-toad at a prefect!"

"Accidentally!" James whined. "Pete was supposed to catch it! If anyone got detention for that it should be him! Not me. S'not fair."

Remus shook his head, then began to chuckle. "It truly amazes me how much detention you get."

James beamed. "Thank you!" He rested his hand over his heart. "It's a point of pride and honor. Really, you should be getting more detention too, Remy! You're a Marauder! It's... what we do."

"I get more than enough, thank you." He stood up, putting lanterns onto the shelf with the label metal work then hesitated, looking over at light sources. "Errrr... hmm..."

James went quiet for a moment. Then finally in a rather worried voice asked. "Does it bother you, that we do? That we... get into trouble? Our pranks?"

Remus decided metal work would be the best choice and arranged the lanterns carefully. "A couple months I turned the entire entrance hall into a giant trampoline." He smiled over his shoulder. "I don't mind pranks. I like pulling them. I do like causing trouble. It..." It gave him a thrill. It helped make him feel normal, though he'd never tell them that. He knew he shouldn't, knew how horrible it was for him to do these things after everything Professor Dumbledore had done to him. Flaunting the rules, causing troubles. It was wrong.

But boy was it fun and felt so good!

"It what?" James inquired.

Remus hummed quietly, fingers brushing against the metal as he backed away from the lanterns. "It's the being caught part that is less than satisfactory."

"Getting caught means people know you did it!" James said, folding his arms. "They know what you're capable of!"

"I'm fairly sure by now the entire school is well aware of what you are capable of, James Potter." Remus returned to the box, kneeling next to James, looking at him. "In all honestly, though, I do rather admire your remarkable talent for causing trouble."

James grabbed Remus's shoulders. "Good, because I have a brilliant idea for one involving a bucket of slugs, and Snape."

"Oh, Merlin."

/\/\/\/\/\

Wednesday morning they went into Charms laughing and joking, Sirius telling a particularly vulgar joke that made them snort with embarrassed laughter as they took their seats.

Professor Flitwick waited until everyone was in their seats then he waved his wand towards a large boulder that was sitting in a corner. It lifted up into the air, then dropped. Several students gasped in fear as it hurtled down... then it bounced right back up, bouncing several times before settling.

"Can anyone tell me what—" Flitwick began but four hands shot up. He looked over at the Marauders, giving a small sigh. "Why am I not surprised? Very well then, Mr. Pettigrew, I'll have you answer."

"Spongify!" Peter exclaimed happily.

"Correct. Two points to Gryffindor..." Flitwick then lectured a bit about the history, what the spell did, what the spell actually was along with the wand movements, then handed out rocks to everyone. Pretty much right off the bat four rocks went bouncing all over the room causing shrieks from the other students. Flitwick gave the Marauders a look as all four of them were grinning, watching their rocks going everywhere. "It seems that we have four masters of the softening spell," he said, and the rest of the class tittered. Remus flushed slightly but James and Sirius looked quite proud. "Very well. Since you four have such a terrific grasp of this particular spell and it seems this lesson is not going to be much of help to your education..." Flitwick paused for dramatic effect, Remus knowing his friends were expecting to be dismissed for the rest of class by the fact all three of their faces fell when Flitwick finished with, "I'll just give you a quiz on the spell." He tapped some parchment then sent the papers flying over.

"I'll help you," Remus whispered since he knew they knew nothing about the spell, and they weren't being given anti-cheat quills.

"Thank Merlin," James whispered back, relieved.

But as soon as they had the parchment in their hands Flitwick added, "Miss Magpie, would you mind switching seats with Mr. Lupin?"

Remus froze, then glanced at the others who looked even more miserable now. There wasn't anything he could really do except grab his bag, the scroll with the questions on them, and switch with Magpie who had been sitting clear on the opposite side of the room. He slumped down in his seat, casting more glances over at the Marauders, giving them a sheepish shrug.

Veronica McNab leaned towards him to whisper, "Shame you can't help your friends cheat, huh?" Then she went back to working on her rock. Remus felt a stab of petty joy when her rock remained stony.

Remus began answering the questions which were mostly easy... for him. He knew the others wouldn't be able to answer. Hopefully this was just to keep them occupied and Flitwick wouldn't actually grade them. Then a bouncy rock came to a rest near his feet. He was going to ignore it then realized some paper was wrapped around it. He picked it up, peeling the paper off. It was from Sirius, begging for help. He looked at Sirius who was nodding at him.

Remus eyed Flitwick who was helping Nettle with her wand movement then quickly scribbled a few answers down. Not all of them, just a couple of the easier ones, and some of the harder ones, and maybe a few in-between ones. He re-stuck the parchment, re-spongified, then sent it over. Unfortunately he was a much worse aim and it careened in the wrong direction, smacking into Struthers who took the paper off. He read everything on it then looked at the Marauders. James was banging his head against his desk, Sirius had his arms folded angrily, Peter's eyes were huge, and Remus began chewing at his nails.

Struthers looked at Flitwick. All he had to do was hand it over and Remus would be in so much trouble. Probably the worst trouble he'd ever been in, worse than setting Snape on fire. Possibly. He was cheating. He was helping his friends cheat. All right, so he had done it plenty of times before for minor things like this—whispering out answers, helping with homework—but this was... evidence. It wasn't a real test though! Did it matter? His stomach began hurting really bad.

Struthers looked back at Remus who gave him a desperate, pleading look. He knew if Spinnet had gotten the rock it'd all be over but Struthers was a little nicer. Hopefully a lot nicer.

Flitwick.

The other Marauders.

Then he tossed the rock towards the other Marauders. He caught Remus's gaze and rolled his eyes, smiling slightly as he shook his head, going back to his own work.

/\/\/\/\/\

After Transfiguration Professor McGonagall asked Remus to stay behind. Immediately the other Marauders made 'ooooh' sounds, joking that he was in trouble. They left the room though Remus knew they were right on the other side. Remus grabbed his bag, going to the front of the room, wondering what McGonagall needed, terrified she had found out somehow he had helped his friends cheat in Charms earlier.

She motioned for him to sit down which he did, anxious about what he had done. Before he could ask McGonagall said, "I was wondering how your Defense Against the Dark Arts classes are going."

Whatever he had expected it certainly wasn't that. "Um..." He shifted in his seat, insides all swoopy from confusion now instead of just anxiety. "I—I think they're going all right? I'm getting good grades."

The corner McGonagall's lip twitched just slightly though it didn't continue into a smile. "That is good to hear. However, I was more meaning how things with Professor Prewett are going."

"P... Prewett?" Another second of confusion then he realized what she meant. "Oh! Oh! Um, y—yes. I think so. He—he seems nice, he hasn't acted like Professor Dedenne yet. Is that what you mean?"

"It is," she said, now frowning. "What do you mean 'yet'? Do you suspect he might?"

Remus bowed his head, fingers twisting into the hem of his vest. "I don't know. I mean, it—he... he's nice."

"Is there a problem?" she probed and he remained silent. "Mr. Lupin. After what happened with Professor Dedenne, I really hope you feel you can talk to me."

He shrank back in his seat. "No. There isn't a problem. I just mean 'yet' because—well, I mean..." His fingers twisted even more into the wool, some of it very tight, cutting off blood circulation to the tip of his right forefinger. "He's nice."

"Mr. Lupin," she warned.

He regretted even saying anything. He should have just said everything was fine. "I'm a werewolf. So... most people don't like me. I just figure there's always the possibility of—of his opinion changing."

McGonagall sat back, folding her hands together. "I see. Mr. Lupin, I know you are a werewolf and I like you. You are a brilliant young wizard, with immense talent. I am proud to call you one of my students. Do you believe my opinion will change?"

His nose began itching as tears threatened to spill over from her words. He managed to hold them back, thankfully. "N-no ma'am," he managed to squeak out. He knew he shouldn't truly trust her, but he did. His parents, of course, he understood most of their love for him (though he still was in awe they gave up everything for him, he felt as though he didn't deserve it), and Miss Fawley—she had her own experiences. However, McGonagall was like Dumbledore. They were solid fixtures who, for some reason, cared about him despite his monster status; something he didn't understand but finally accepted.

"I understand your worries," McGonagall said gently. "What happened with your previous teacher was terrible. It makes sense for you to have these fears. I am very glad to hear Professor Prewett is treating you well. He is a good person so I expected as much, however I wanted to make sure. Please come talk to me if any issues arise."

"Yes ma'am."

He left the classroom, running headfirst into James. "Everything okay?" Sirius asked as they untangled from each other.

"Yeah, it's fine," he said, straightening up.

"Not your mum?" Pete asked.

Remus shouldered his bag, trying not to smile at the concern in his friend's voice. "No, thankfully not. I think if my mother were very ill, she would have told me before class."

Pete screwed his face up. "Ooh, right. Well, I'm glad everything's okay. Are we going ahead with our prank tonight?"

"Are we doing that tonight?" Remus asked, frowning. "I thought we were doing it tomorrow night. I have study group tonight."

"I have Quidditch practice tomorrow," James pointed out, and Remus made a face having completely forgotten that. "We can do it after study group tonight..."

"Except we might not be able to find Snivellus after study group," Remus said.

Sirius groaned. "Can't you be like, ten minutes late to study group? Or not go?"

"I—I suppose I don't need to go however I would much rather not miss it. Or be late. I'm only going three nights a week. Can't we do it another night?"

"I have Quidditch practices," James said huffily.

"Can't we do it now?" Peter inquired. "If we can find him, I mean."

Sirius shook his head. "We don't have the slugs ready."

Remus grabbed James's arm, looking at his watch. "We can get them done before supper, and ambush Snape on the way to the Great Hall. Anyone opposed to that?"

They all shook their heads then hurried to their dorm to begin Operation Slimy Snivellus.