Hey everyone! Sorry for missing the usual Wednesday update, I was away for a few days for exams and I didn't have my computer with me. That being said, updates from now on will be less regular, since I was recently told I have to redo a big project in a short time and I don't have the next chapters totally finished. Still, most of the story is already written and only needs some more editing and little actual writing so I hope to be able to send out a few chapters in the next few weeks before I (hopefully) go to Italy on holiday (a dream I've had for most of my life).

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I can give you another in the next week.

Lee out

3rd December, 1977

Sirius and Remus were waiting outside the Infirmary when Danny was discharged. They'd brought a change of clothes for her earlier, which Lily had picked out, and then Pomfrey had sent them outside to give the girl some privacy.

They refused to let her out of their sight, but she needed to get to the brewing room and start another batch of wolfsbane. "Guys, I know you don't like this, but I have to go. Really."

"So you can poison yourself again?" Sirius snapped, holding her hand so she wouldn't be able to leave.

"Not today. In a couple days, in any case. And I already talked to Madame Pomfrey, whatever I try, I'll come here so she can monitor me after. I really have to go." She insisted, tugging her hand out of Sirius'. "I'll see you guys in a bit, okay? I promise I'll be okay."

Remus almost made to grab her, but it was Sirius who held him back. "Just… be careful, kitten?" He searched in his robes for something, then handed her a mirror. "Take this. If… you're in trouble, or sick, call…"

"For James. He has the other one, doesn't he?" Her eyes had widened and she looked at him in awe. This is what he had given Harry before he died. The two-way mirror.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Of course you already knew, I'm not even surprised anymore. Yes, call for Prongs, and we'll find you."

Danny clutched the mirror to her chest, touched by how much the boys cared. She nodded, bringing both boys into a hug before leaving them to go brew.

5th December, 1977

Danny finished the second batch of Wolfsbane. It didn't look like the kind she remembered watching professor Lupin drink when she was at Hogwarts with him. She kept it aside for further study but started brewing another batch.

6th December, 1977

When the Gryffindors arrived at DADA on Tuesday morning, everything seemed to be fine. The desks had been cleared once more, but Green didn't order them to separate in two rows along the walls. She wasn't even paying attention to them at the beginning.

"Today we're going to test your duelling skills." Green finally spoke up, turning to face them in a snap, a wicked glint in her eye. "In a real duel." She let her eyes scan the students huddled toward the end of the class, her eyes stopping on the Slytherins. "Mulciber. Up." She continued looking through the students, Danny wishing she'd choose her, even if she only did it to try to ridicule her. When Green's eyes stopped on the group of Gryffindor, the new girl almost smirked. Please. "McDonald. Up."

There was a murmur behind her and Danny distinctly heard Mary whisper no. She frowned. She'd seen Mary in other classes. She could hold her own. Why was she so afraid of duelling him in class, then?

Mary had to be given many reassuring words from her friends and a threat to take 20 points from Gryffindor before she moved to the front of the class. She was shaking like a leaf, pale and looking like she might be sick.

"How can she do this to Mary?" She heard Lily whisper to Alice, making Danny even more confused.

"Maybe she just doesn't know. She wasn't here last year." Alice whispered back.

Danny turned to Sirius, on her right, and leant close. Even he was as tense as a guitar cord and looking on with a concerned shadow in his eyes. "What's going on with Mary?" She whispered to the animagus.

Sirius looked around them, glaring at the joyful looking Slytherins, before grabbing Danny's hand and tugging her backwards, where there were less students who could listen to his words. "Mulciber tried to put her under the Imperius curse last year. Everybody knows what he wanted her under control for." He informed her lowly, speaking in her ear while keeping an eye on the duel about to start. "He attacked her in the girl's restroom. She was lucky some seventh year Hufflepuffs got there before Mulciber completely Imperius'd her."

Mary looked like she might be sick any second.

Danny's gaze sharpened on the Death Eater. She felt her insides boil. She'd hated him before, but then…

Green told them to get ready. She didn't even acknowledge the state Mary was in. Mulciber smirked, wands both ready and pointed toward their opponents.

"Start!" Green ordered.

Mulciber's wand immediately lit up. Mary's was shaking, as was the girl. Nobody expected her to be able to protect herself well against the hex already aimed at her.

But Mulciber's hex rebounded off a barrier right in front of Mary's wand, and he was suddenly flying off his feet and hitting the wall of the classroom with a bone breaking crack. He lay on the floor, unconscious, while the students all murmured, then cheered for Mary. The girl herself stared at her prone opponent with wide-eyes, like she couldn't believe what had just happened.

Only Sirius noticed the sharp movements from Danny's hand at the back of the group. Not a word had escaped her lips, she hadn't reached for her wand. Nobody else could even say a spell had been cast from among the crowd. Sirius wondered what kind of training Danny did, exactly. It wasn't like any kind of magic he'd seen before. Her face was set in a grim expression, and he thought, for the first time, that she was a pretty scary person - if he was on her bad side.

She joined the cheering for Mary as Green sent her back with her fellow classmates, telling a couple of Mulciber's friends to take him to the Hospital Wing. She made a few more students duel for the rest of the class, but none of the duels were as tense or shocking as the first one.

On their way out of class, Danny grabbed Sirius' arm, speaking in his ear. "Padfoot, we're going to need a copy of Mulciber's schedule for our big prank."

7th December, 1977

The third batch was ready. And it looked a lot like the one she remembered. She gave it to the rat and it wasn't affected, so she drank it herself and went to Pomfrey to monitor her for the afternoon. By dinnertime she seemed to be doing fine, so she still attended Quidditch practice, and she didn't get sick all over herself so she took it as a good sign and went to see Dumbledore after, with vials of the potion for him to analyze.

He told her he'd send it to a trusted friend of his to run further trials, not wanting to risk Remus' wellbeing. She agreed.

8th December, 1977

She didn't disappear as she had for the last week and a half, which surprised the boys.

Remus quirked an eyebrow at her. "So is your project finished?"

"Not yet. But I've made good progress and I'm waiting for feedback from an expert." She grinned at him, almost bouncing in her seat. She grabbed Sirius' hand under the table, the boy flushing a bit, before he realized she was sliding something into his hand. His mirror. She leant a bit closer to whisper in his ear. "Thank you, but I don't need it anymore."

Any extra time not spent studying for exams, Remus and Danny spent working on their arithmancy project. It was coming together beautifully. Sometimes Remus would meet her after his free periods while she was in Herbology and he'd tell her he had solved a part that had been bugging them for days. Sometimes she'd run to him after her research on charms or a Quidditch practice and start scribbling and doodling a breakthrough in whatever piece of parchment she found -one time it was James' love letter to Lily, still unsent, which he'd left next to Remus on the couch, facedown, to hide it from Lily.

They worked really well together. They both had the brains, but also the curiosity to want to learn more.

9th December, 1977

It was an odd Saturday. Danny had stayed behind at the library studying for her Ancient Runes exams while Remus and Lily went outside for a walk. She'd assured them they needn't worry about her. She was, admittedly, not as versed in Ancient Studies as them. It was very content heavy and she lacked almost a whole year of material that she'd been trying to catch up on while keeping up with classes.

Sirius found her alone at the library, and didn't like it. They didn't usually leave her alone. He knew he was a bit overbearing, but he thought that if they stayed around her, she wouldn't miss her friends as much.

He came up behind her and looked at the book she was studying from. Ancient Studies. Swot.

"Hey, kitten." He greeted and smirked when she jumped.

She whirled in her seat and looked at him, wide-eyed, before focusing back on the book. "Hey, Sirius. Do try not to give me a heart attack."

"What are you doing here alone?" He leant closer, eyeing the pages she was flickering through. Ancient Egyptian magic. It looked boring.

"Studying." She sighed heavily, as if telling him isn't it obvious?

He frowned a bit, tugging at one of the locks of hair over her back. "It's Saturday, even Evans is outside."

"Well, I have to study more than Lily for Ancient Studies." She gritted out, becoming frustrated.

If Sirius was just a bit smarter, he would realize he was really starting to bother her.

"Aw, come on, kitten. Let's go outside. You can do this later." He waved his hand toward her books and notes, his voice taking a whining quality.

"Sirius, for all that's holy, could you please remember that until last month I was a sixth year? I'm all well and good with practical magic, but I actually have to study to take exams. So. Let. Me. Study." She glared at him over her shoulder.

"You're testy today, kitten."

"I'm stressed, Black! And you're not helping! Go away!"

Sirius took a step back. Danny didn't usually scream at him, even less in the library. Several people looked their way and shushed them, making him feel even more uncomfortable.

For a moment, he was reminded of his parents' house, of the screaming matches with his mother.

"Fine." He spat and turned on his heel, walking fast to leave the library.

Marlene watched from a table she shared with a few Hufflepuffs. They'd been studying for their Magical Theory class exam, but she couldn't help but listen to Danny's scolding. She frowned. This was probably the first time she'd seen both of them even halfway angry with each other. They'd been very close since the girl had arrived a month earlier.

She excused herself from the table, gathered her stuff, and followed Sirius outside.

Danny was surprised to find Sirius' spot still empty when she arrived at the Great Hall for dinner. She'd assumed he'd gone where James, Lily, and Remus were. But those three were already sitting down.

She sat down beside Remus with a tired sigh and immediately reached for some water and soup. She was parched. And tired.

She wanted to go to sleep. She knew she would be exhausted the following day.

She didn't see anyone on Sunday. She'd retreated to the Room of Requirement as she did every Sunday, but earlier, and didn't return to the dorms until curfew. She had been alternating studying for exams with practicing her magic, and it left her so knackered she'd skipped dinner and only changed into her pyjamas before falling on top of her bed.

Danny spent too much time reviewing notes during mealtimes the following week. Sirius didn't interrupt her, which meant he didn't talk to her, basically all week. He avoided the library, and when Danny wanted to see him, he was nowhere to be found.

Marlene, though, made sure to look very smug whenever Danny was around. The time-traveller didn't like her expression, but she had no idea what she was so smug about.

16th December, 1977

Danny's shoulders slumped as soon as her arithmancy exam was over. Remus, Lily, and her left the room, James, Sirius, and Peter waiting outside for them. Sirius looked down at the floor, still upset about Danny being mean to him. So he didn't see her walk straight toward him and hug him.

He tensed, unused to the sign of affection after the last week.

"I'm sorry I screamed at you. I get mean when I'm stressed."

"You get really mean." He emphasized, but his arms wrapped around her. Lily and James watched them attentively and he shared a relieved look with James.

"And now I'm really sorry." She mumbled against his shoulder, drained.

"So you're not stressed anymore?"

"Exams are over. I shouldn't scream like that to you until NEWTs."

That made him chuckle, hugging her to him a bit harder. "Can hardly wait for that, kitten."

"I promise to try to be… less mean."

He sighed. He knew he'd hardly been helpful to her the previous week. She was right, she had to study twice as hard as Lily or Remus to not fall behind when it came to the theoretical contents of her classes. She'd been a sixth year just a month earlier. And he hadn't been considerate of that. "And I'll try not to bother you as much." He promised, rubbing a hand up and down her back. He could feel her exhaustion.

17th December, 1977

It was the day. She'd had the damn mandrake leaf in her mouth for a full month. It was ready to be added to the potion.

Sirius and James had the phial, dew and chrysalis prepared. They took Danny up to the abandoned classroom where they'd left a phial earlier that night in direct moonlight, the classroom Danny, Remus and Sirius had occupied after she'd gotten upset with Marlene about the picture with her sisters.

Sirius had the dew with him, bought from the same source he'd gotten it for his own potion two years prior. He thanked his Uncle Alphard for the inheritance that allowed him to get such an expensive ingredient. He wouldn't tell Danny how hard it was to obtain, he knew she didn't like charity.

James had the chrysalis. He had nicked it from Filch' office. His cloak, Head Boy privileges and a certain petition to Peeves to cause a racket that would draw the caretaker away from the place had been necessary to get the ingredient. Good thing Peeves was always up for troublemaking.

Danny placed the mandrake leaf in the phial and added a strand of her hair, Sirius added the dew and James the chrysalis. They had to do the whole process by the window, where direct moonlight hit the phial. Once they were sure it was ready, they placed it in a dark cupboard in that same room and left, awaiting the next lightning storm. They didn't expect her to be ready for the full moon in under a week.

19th December, 1977

A lightning storm started in the distance while they were in practice. Danny's eyes widened at the implication and she immediately searched for Sirius in the air, who looked back at her with the same look.

James called out for all players to land and head inside before the storm reached the castle.

"Danny!" Potter waved at her to move closer. Once she was close, Sirius right beside her, he whispered. "Let's just fly back, we need to get to the potion as soon as possible."

The three of them hurried to the fifth floor, still in their Quidditch gear, dragging their brooms with them. They had just grabbed the phial from the cupboard when the first lightning struck outside the windows, lighting the room much more than their wands had.

And the potion turned red.

"Lock the doors, ward the room, and silence it." Danny ordered, shedding the outermost layer of her Quidditch gear and leaving the broomsticks all to one side. She moved all the desks against the walls, leaving the centre area open, and once the boys approached her, their tasks fulfilled, she smiled nervously at them. "Bottoms up?"

"It might hurt for a bit and it'll feel very odd. But don't worry, you'll be feeling your animal self inside you for a moment. After that, we'll help you transform, alright?" Sirius was surprisingly good at keeping her calm and soothing her worries. "Bottoms up, kitten. You'll be a real kitten soon." He grinned at his own pun, making her snort before throwing the contents of the phial down her throat.

Damn him. It might hurt for a bit. Damn right it did. How long had she been kneeling on the floor of the classroom, feeling like she was about to retch? Her gut felt about to spill out of her throat. Her skin was burning, it felt like every pore was alive and getting ready to burst into flames. Her teeth hurt.

There was one thought keeping her from crying and telling Sirius to stupefy her until the ill-feeling and pain were gone. Remus goes through much more pain every single month. Since he was a child. This was for Remus. Sure, she wanted to play around like an animal too, but this was, in the end, for Remus.

She had never been so thankful to have James and Sirius with her.

"Breathe in, Danny. You need to let your body flow through the sensations." James was telling her, sitting next to her with his legs folded, ready to catch her if her arms gave out.

"Just a little longer, kitten. Just a little longer. Almost done." Sirius murmured in her ear, not touching her, because he knew any more sensations could be overwhelming, but itching to nonetheless.

When the pain abated, her stomach settled, and she was really able to breathe well, she collapsed. Sirius caught her, moving her so she rested between his outstretched legs, her back to his front.

"Alright, kitten. Now you need to relax." He rubbed her hands in a soothing gesture, supporting her back and speaking low in her ear. "The transformation requires both calm and focus, until you've gotten used to it, so you need to be able to empty your mind."

"I see why it was so easy for you." She shot back, even as she leant against him, comfortable in his arms.

James laughed at that, even Sirius containing a chuckle that she still felt through the vibrations of his chest.

"Glad to see your snark hasn't left you, love." He muttered back, his hands continuing their motions up and down her arms, taking her hands and placing them on his knees at her sides. "Now. The first transformation is very weird. You might not transform all the way. Luckily, we know how to avoid getting stuck now. Prongs there had antlers for a day and a half his first time. It'll feel uncomfortable, because your body is not used to it. After that, you just practice transforming into the animal and back to your human self."

The three of them didn't return to their dorms until well after two in the morning. They'd spent hours soothing Danny through the first bout of pain and helping her control her transformations. They were all itching to tell Remus, but decided to wait for the full moon, in 2 more nights.

Lily and Remus were up and waiting for them in the common room. He seemed to have been trying to reassure the redhead that they weren't getting in trouble, but Lily all but marched up to them when they moved through the portrait hole.

"Where have you three been? It's almost half-past two!" She whisper-shouted, making them all halt at her anger. "Potter, what kind of Head Boy are you? You should be setting an example, instead, you're sneaking off who-knows-where in the middle of the night!"

"Lily." Danny stepped forward, holding her hands up in a peace gesture. "Don't get angry at them. It was my fault. They were helping me with something. We didn't even realize it was this late." She pleaded with the redhead, Remus frowning at the three of them from behind the Head Girl.

"What did they have to help you with until two in the morning?" Lily glared at her, still as tense.

Danny bit her lip. She couldn't tell the truth. She also couldn't lie to Lily. "I can't tell you. But, just so you know, we weren't pranking anybody, we weren't planning a prank, we weren't bothering anyone else and we weren't destroying anything, alright? They… they were just helping me with a personal project. I can't tell you more about it."

"I am Head Girl, Danny. James is Head Boy. We are supposed to be making sure there are no students out at night, after curfew and..."

"Lily." James stepped forward, next to Danny. "Just trust me on this. We weren't doing anything bad. Think of it like this: I was overseeing them to make sure they did nothing bad. So no harm done, alright?"

The redhead's gaze travelled from her boyfriend, to the girl, to the mischief maker who was looking oddly serious a few steps behind. Sirius caught her gaze, nodding somberly. If they'd been causing trouble he wouldn't look that way.

"Just this once." Lily's eyes turned back toward James and Danny. "Just this once I'll let it pass. Come on, it's late. We should all be in bed by now."

Remus walked up to their room behind his two friends. What had they been doing with Danny? He'd checked the map when they hadn't returned from practice with the rest of the team. They'd been in an unused classroom on the fifth floor, but he couldn't understand what they were doing there. "Guys" He softly called after them when they reached their landing, before they went into the room with Peter. The other Marauder was probably already asleep, but he'd rather talk out of earshot. ", what have you really been doing?"

Sirius grimaced and shot him an apologetic look. "We really can't say, mate. But don't worry, alright?"

20th December, 1977

Slughorn had decided to have a 'fun' potions class, as it was the last one before Christmas break. He let them decide what they wanted to brew, they could do anything, so long as they were individually brewing something for the duration of the double period. He walked among them, making idle chatter with the students, spending almost an hour with Lily before moving on. Sirius had been eyeing Danny's cauldron for a while, his brow furrowed, while brewing his own alihotsy draught.

Slughorn stopped beside Danny, his head moving closer and closer to her cauldron, tilting and twisting, smelling the potion as his eyebrows drew closer and closer together. He blinked, unable to identify her creation.

"Miss De-Delacour?" He started, utterly bewildered. "What are you making?"

"Moisturizer."

There was silence in the room as every head turned her way, blank at first. Then some students started snickering toward the back, where the Slytherins were, until Slughorn sent a glare their way.

"Moisturizer?"

"You said we could brew anything we wanted."

"Yes, of course… Where are the brewing instructions?" He looked around her table, even looking toward Sirius, the boy only shrugged. He had no idea.

"Oh, I haven't written them. I've been making this moisturizer for years, I know them by heart. It's a family recipe." She lowered the intensity of the flame when the mixture turned a light shiny ivory. "it works wonders. I've been using a basic one I bought in Diagon Alley when I arrived, but this one is much better."

There was some laughter from the back, Sirius and James turned to glare at the Slytherins, but Danny paid them no heed. At least, until she heard a despective voice.

"Of course the princess would specialize in moisturizers, couldn't expect any better from one like her." It wasn't very loud, but it was very clear.

Danny turned in her seat to look toward Snape, who was sneering at her. "Yes, I specialize in cosmetics. I also make amazing shampoo, I could give you some, it looks like you sorely need it. I promise it'll leave your hair silky soft, it's great." She flicked her own hair over her shoulder and turned back toward Slughorn, who was glancing between both students. Both star students of his.

It was the Gryffindors' turn to laugh, Danny smiling to herself when Sirius bumped her leg with his. Slughorn called for silence, threatening to deduct points if they carried on with the argument and teasing. He moved to the next row, leaving the smirking Marauders behind. Lily, though, wasn't even looking up from her cauldron.

"Hey, Delacour." Another voice called a bit later, a Hufflepuff girl she also had arithmancy class with leaning across the aisle between workstations. Her voice was low so as not to disturb the others, but not so much that she was trying to keep her words a secret. "Could you make more of that stuff? I've been meaning to buy moisturizer."

"I'm making more than I need for a jar, actually. I'll set some aside for you." Danny nodded, getting another clean jar from her bag.

Remus and Danny proudly handed in their Arithmancy project, the professor taking a look at the neatly handwritten notes and numerical charts and looking satisfied with his first impression.

"I'll have all these projects graded when you return from Christmas break." He announced to the class before dismissing them.

"I'm still not letting anyone take my study buddy." Danny told the girls with a fake distrustful look while grabbing one of Remus' arms between both of hers. The werewolf blushed, but he was trying not to let them all know how happy those words were making him.