Snow was falling outside the hospital wing window when James walked in, the melted remains of his shoe still smoking. As he explained his injury to Madam Pomfrey, he saw Remus's face peeking through the curtains around the next bed. James waved, grinning.

"What are you doing here?" Remus asked when Madam Pomfrey had bustled away to get burn salve.

James sat down on the bed across from Remus and prodded the charred hole in the top of his shoe. "Weren't you listening? I poured in my beetle eyes all at once, and my potion splashed out onto my shoe."

Remus pulled back the curtains around his bed, wincing as the light hit his eyes. "Your dad's a potioneer. You know better than to pour something like beetle eyes in all at once. Even I know better than that, and Potions is my worst subject."

James shrugged. "Guess I forgot."

Remus sighed and rubbed his temples. Dark circles stood out against his pale skin like bruises. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"Do what?" His innocent expression was the one he saved for professors or his parents when they suspected him of breaking a rule.

"Don't give me that bloody look." Remus mimicked the expression, widening his eyes and blinking until James burst into laughter. "It doesn't fool McGonagall and it doesn't fool me, either. You don't have to pour potion on your fucking foot so you can come visit me in here."

"Absolutely deplorable language, Remus Lupin," James said when Madam Pomfrey returned with a tube of salve and a vial of potion. "Just appalling."

Madam Pomfrey poured the vial of potion onto James's shoe; it smoked and hissed, then gave off a strong antiseptic scent.

"What's appalling is that you've managed to get through four and a half years of Potions lessons without grasping basic safety practices." She untied what remained of his laces and eased the shoe from his foot, then glanced sideways at Remus and smiled. "Remus gets a free pass to swear a bit when he's here. A little profanity can be quite therapeutic."

James raised his eyebrows. "Am I allowed to swear, too?"

"Certainly not." She gestured at his unmarred sock, then pulled it off to reveal an equally unscathed foot. "Especially seeing as you are not actually injured."

He gazed at his foot in astonishment. "Wow, would you look at that! It must be the socks – my mum told me they're infused with phoenix tears, but I thought she was only saying that so I wouldn't be careless with them, because they're puffskein and she got them from some fancy shop while we were on holiday." He didn't look at Remus, because he knew he wouldn't be able to keep a straight face if he did. "Anyway, I guess I'll write my mum and tell her how good the socks are."

Madam Pomfrey frowned. "When you do, ask her where exactly she bought them, because I wasn't aware puffskein socks could be infused with Phoenix tears." She handed him his shoe and straightened. "Maybe the shop also sells shoes, since this pair will need to be replaced. In any case, you are unharmed, so you're free to return to class."

James hesitated, treating Madam Pomfrey to the same innocent look Remus had imitated earlier. "Well, I was thinking I could stay and visit Remus for a bit, since I'm already here."

Her frown deepened. "You really shouldn't be missing instruction if there's no medical reason to do so."

"Sirius and Peter were already planning to catch Remus up on whatever he's missing today. They can do the same for me." He cast a pointed look in Remus's direction. "Look at him, Pom Pom. He's lonely and bored."

Madam Pomfrey's lips twitched up into a smile. "You can stay for a bit, but don't make too much noise. He needs rest." She strode away toward her office, then turned and called over her shoulder, "And for heaven's sake, no Dungbombs. It's unsanitary."

"Aren't you pushing your luck a bit, calling her Pom Pom?" Remus asked when Madam Pomfrey was out of earshot.

James shook his head. "Nah. I think it's growing on her. By the way, who let off Dungbombs in here?"

Remus smiled, but it turned to a grimace as he lowered himself back onto the pillow. "Padfoot, that time a couple months back when he pretended to sprain his ankle and convinced Flitwick that Bertram Aubrey tripped him–"

"Well, it's not that far-fetched – Aubrey's feet are even bigger than his head, and that's saying something."

"Anyway, there were a whole bunch of bedpans that someone must've cleaned during detention, and Padfoot made a game out of trying to land Dungbombs in them." He managed a weak chuckle. "He thought it would make me laugh, and it did, except the smell was bloody awful, and Madam Pomfrey wasn't pleased."

"Sounds about right." James jabbed his wand into the air, and his bed scooted a foot closer to Remus. "Sorry you're ill, but tonight will be fun."

A flicker of hope lit Remus's face, and he stopped picking at his cuticle to return James's knowing smile. "Yeah, it should be. Although…." His eyes strayed to the window. "I've never been out in the snow before."

"Werewolves love snow."

Remus shot him a skeptical look. "How do you know?"

James shrugged. "What's not to like?" He realized he was still sitting there with one foot exposed, so he pulled his sock back on. "These aren't really infused with phoenix tears, in case you were wondering."

"Yeah, I figured," Remus said, rolling his eyes.

"It's a spell – sort of like the Impervius Charm but stronger. My dad taught me. I guess he ruined a couple of jumpers my mum got him and she wasn't pleased, so he started using it. It takes a while, though – you have to saturate all the fibers of the fabric – so I didn't bother doing the shoe."

"Your dad would be so proud." Remus pulled at a piece of skin by his thumbnail and frowned. "You sure you don't mind missing Potions?"

"Not a bit." He studied the ruined shoe that still carried a whiff of burnt potion, and his smile faltered. "Do you think Evans saw me melt my shoe?"

"She doesn't spend nearly as much time watching you as you do watching her, but I don't see how she could have missed it," Remus said, a faint smile returning to his face.

"Oh well. I'll just have to figure out a way to impress her to make up for it. What did you two talk about during your last prefect patrol? Maybe it'll give me an idea."

"Fucking hell, Prongs, are you serious? You already made me describe the entire conversation to you in detail." He rolled onto his side and gave a faint moan. "Ugh, moving was a bad choice. Look in my bag – she just finished reading Great Expectations. Why don't you read it and try talking to her about it?"

"Yeah?" James hopped down from the bed to retrieve the hardback book and noticed several of the pages had been dogeared. "Did she fold back the pages like this?" He couldn't imagine Remus doing this; once Remus had told Sirius off for smoking too close to a library book.

"Don't remind me," Remus said darkly. "She does that to every book she reads. I understand if you're no longer attracted to her after finding that out."

James laughed and plopped down on his bed to page through the book. "Moony, this book is almost five hundred pages long."

Remus closed his eyes. "I have faith in you. Read a chapter or two now, if you like. I'm going to rest my eyes a bit, if you don't mind."

"Course I don't mind." James turned to the first page and settled back against the pillow.

He was halfway through the second chapter when Madam Pomfrey padded over and tapped her watch. Conceding defeat, James slipped the book into his bag and jammed the damaged shoe back onto his foot. As he rose to leave, Remus's hoarse voice stopped him.

"Thanks, Prongs."

"Sorry, did I wake you up?"

Remus opened his eyes, then frowned and squeezed them shut again. "Nah, I can't usually sleep when it's this close – my brain goes all wonky. But closing my eyes helps. Anyway, thanks for sitting with me. That helps, too. And sorry you had to miss class and lose a pair of shoes on my account."

James glanced down at the ruined shoe and grinned. "It'll make a good story. Besides, I don't mind. This is what we do. The book's not bad, by the way. I'll see you tonight."

He strode away, his shoe making an odd squelching sound with each step.

As James had predicted, werewolves did like snow – at least, Moony did. He took a tentative step, his hackles raised as his paws sank into the fresh powder. Tiny snowflakes gathered on his thick fur; one landed on his nose and melted. His nostrils quivered as he sniffed and opened his mouth to reveal his sharp, cruel teeth. Hot breath steamed in the air, and James tensed, preparing to spring forward if the situation turned dangerous. Then Moony snapped at a snowflake, and another one, and another one. He made the barking sound that resembled a laugh, and Sirius barked back. They bit at snowflakes together, darting sideways and springing up to snatch them out of the air. After a minute, Moony threw his head back and gave a long, gleeful howl before taking off into the forest.

The others bounded after him, snow pelting their faces and wind buffeting their bodies. Sirius and James raced each other through the unmarred snow until they reached the treeline. James skidded to a stop and looked behind them, straining to spot Peter through the swirling snow. He had even worse vision as a deer than he did as a human, and with the reduced visibility, Peter blended right in with the snow.

But there he was, scurrying toward them in the path their footprints had made. Sirius barked and took off into the forest, while James knelt and waited for Peter to scurry up and cling to his antlers. They followed Moony's footprints and his occasional howls until they caught up to him in a small clearing. The snow was deeper here, and Moony was rolling in the drifts, his fur and nose covered in white. Sirius raced to join him, both of them rolling around until snow coated their bodies, making them almost indistinguishable from each other. When they tired of rolling, Sirius righted himself and began to dig a hole, then barked at Moony until he joined in. Snow flew as they dug deeper and deeper to reach the layer of grass and dirt underneath.

James stood at the edge of the clearing watching, letting his heartbeat slow down as snow collected on his antlers. He glanced down and found Peter lurking in one of the tracks Sirius had left behind. When he lowered his head, he saw tiny snowflakes clinging to the end of Peter's whiskers and tail. They looked at each other as though they were laughing at the others' antics, and then James startled when a spray of snow hit his back. There was a bark, and James looked up to see Sirius wagging his tail, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he stood beside his newly-dug hole.

James dug into the snow with his hooves and kicked out, sending snow back toward Sirius. Moony wandered over to join in, and then there was snow flying in all directions. A soft growl reached James's ears, but it was playful rather than threatening. Sirius and Moony wrestled in the snow, nipping at each other and sending even more snow into the air. James gave them occasional nudges with his antlers, eliciting irritated barks and yelps. When the two canines tired each other out, they flopped down, panting. James lay down to join them and felt a puff of snow land on his head. He looked around and saw more snow plop down onto Sirius's tail. Glancing up, James could just make out Peter perched on a branch above them. Moony sat up and howled, then broke off when a clump of snow landed in his open mouth.

When the cold began to seep into their fur, they got moving again, running deeper into the forest. Wind whipped James's face as he dodged trees and galloped over exposed tree roots. He slowed, his ears pricked for Peter's soft squeaking, but he heard only Sirius's barks up ahead. The barks grew louder, and then Sirius dashed past in the opposite direction. Moony howled and circled back; the two stood waiting as Sirius's footsteps faded away to be replaced by the hush of the falling snow.

After a minute a bark sounded in the distance, and then a blurry black shape came barreling through the trees. As he drew nearer, James saw Peter clinging to Sirius's back. Sirius skidded to a stop, nearly sending Peter tumbling to the ground, and nipped at Moony's heels before taking off again. Then they were all racing, Peter no longer left to navigate their uneven trail through the snow.

James was pushing himself to catch up with Moony when his hooves slid across a slick surface, sending him sprawling. Running as a deer had taken some getting used to – he was all long, gangly limbs, and the antlers caught on tree branches if he didn't mind them – but this felt different. As he struggled to his feet, he looked down at a clear, frozen pool. They had never been this deep into the forest, and James hadn't known any such pool existed, but he stored the information away for warmer months. Now he took a tentative step, digging his hooves into the ice to stay upright, and made his way across. He was halfway to the other side when Moony appeared, sliding across the ice until he came to a stop beside James. When Sirius found the ice, he got a running start and launched himself from one side all the way to the other. They took turns sliding, then raced each other. Sirius found a flat log and carried it over in his mouth, then turned and barked at Peter until he hopped down onto the log. The three of them alternated giving the log a push so Peter went skittering across the pond, his little squeaks echoing through the quiet woods.

The snow showed no sign of stopping when they emerged on the side of the forest closest to Hogsmeade. They had never been out this way, either; Remus had worried they might run into a villager. Yet the snow lent a magical, insulated quality to everything – how could any disaster occur when it looked so pretty out? They made their way along the outskirts of the village and headed for the mountain that overlooked the shops and houses nestled together. Higher and higher they climbed, hopping through drifts and blinking snowflakes out of their eyes until Sirius barked twice and bounded ahead. When James caught up to him, he found him inside a wide cave. It sheltered them from the wind and snow, and was tall enough for even James to stand upright.

Sirius looked at James and barked, then jerked his head at the door of the cave. James went back out into the night, certain Sirius wanted him to keep Moony away for a bit. He headed off the werewolf and ran higher up the mountain until the ground leveled out. They both turned their faces up to the sky. Snow tickled James's face as Moony howled and snapped at snowflakes. This must be the top of the mountain. I bet the view's brilliant when you can actually see. He vowed to make the climb again during the day, and then he was scrambling off after Moony, tripping over his own legs and trying to stay upright as they hurtled down the mountain.

When James and Moony returned to the cave, they found a roaring fire, conjured by Sirius or Peter in their absence . Sirius and Peter lay in front of the flames, basking in the warmth. Moony stretched out beside Sirius, folding his paws in front of him and heaving a contented sigh. James lay down next to Peter and lowered his head until the snow slid off his antlers. The cave sheltered them from the wind and snow, and the crackling fire created a cozy atmosphere. A snore issued from Moony's direction; James turned to find him fast asleep with his head on the stone floor of the cave.

James, Sirius, and Peter exchanged looks. The heat of the fire made James's eyes heavy; he longed to join Moony in a nap, but someone had to stay awake so they didn't let a werewolf loose to roam the streets of Hogsmeade. Coming to a decision, James heaved himself to his feet and nodded at the others. His meaning was clear, because Sirius curled into a tight ball and closed his eyes, and Peter wedged himself between a small crack in the floor and wrapped his tail around himself. James lay back down but kept himself awake, listening to his friends' rhythmic breathing and the sound of the conjured fire. He had the strange sense that they were the only four living beings in the world. Hogwarts and all of its occupants seemed hundreds of miles away. There was only this cave, and the heat of the fire, and his three sleeping friends.

When the fire waned down to glowing coals, James cast a cautious look at Moony before transforming into human form to conjure more fire. He changed back with a soft pop, his heart pounding, but Moony had not even stirred. He wouldn't hurt me, James told himself as he settled back on the stone floor in front of the fire. It's just Remus in there.

As James's fire began to die, the others stirred and stretched. Moony was up and moving first, barking at the others to hurry as he sped out of the cave. Sirius dashed after him with Peter riding on his back again, and James brought up the rear. The snow had tapered off to a few light flakes, and James could sense dawn lurking on the horizon. As they careered down the mountain, sliding and skidding over the fresh blanket of snow, James was filled with pure, overwhelming joy. He had been up all night in freezing temperatures, and there was already snow sticking to his hooves, and he would undoubtedly fall asleep in History of Magic tomorrow, yet it had been one of the best nights of his life. His happiness propelled him forward as he chased after Sirius, digging into the snow so he wouldn't tumble down the mountain.

"Hi, Moony!"

Sirius launched himself onto Remus's bed, landing with enough force to knock the pillow onto the ground. Remus groaned and tried to shove Sirius off.

"There are other places to sit," he complained, but Sirius didn't budge.

"I'm very comfortable." He gestured at the bag in Peter's hand. "We brought you some food."

"Don't say you're not hungry until you've seen what we brought," Peter insisted, opening the bag and sifting through its contents.

"You missed an absolutely riveting History of Magic class." James settled on the bed across from Remus and grinned. "So exciting that Mary and Bobby Stebbins passed at least twenty dirty notes, and Pete and I both fell asleep."

Remus winced, the movement reopening a cut on his lip. "I'm sorry. It's my fault you couldn't stay awake."

Sirius laughed, the motion shaking the bed. "Don't be stupid. I fall asleep in History of Magic about every other week, even when I haven't been up all night. The only reason I managed to stay awake was because I got hold of the dirty notes. Stebbins is bloody awful at that sort of thing, by the way. At one point he drew an illustration. If you're so bad at shagging that you need to draw a picture to get your point across, something's wrong."

Remus laughed, then clutched his ribs and gritted his teeth. "Still," he gasped, "I feel bad you were out all night."

James chuckled and shook his head. "I already told you yesterday, we don't mind. Last night was brilliant. I've never been that far into the forest, or up that mountain." He nodded at Peter. "I didn't even know rats could climb trees."

Peter grinned. "I didn't either. I just went for it and it worked out." He reached into his bag and pulled out a wizard's chess board. "Anyone want to play chess?"

"I will." Sirius slid off Remus's bed and settled on the ground. "And look out, Wormtail, because I'm finally going to beat you this time."

When Sirius's king threw down its crown in disgrace, Sirius was scowling and swearing under his breath, but Remus wore a faint smile.

"That's the last time I'm playing chess with you, Pete."

Peter flashed Sirius an apologetic smile. "But look – it's cheering Moony up."

"I do feel a bit more cheerful," Remus admitted. "Is it terrible that watching you lose brings me joy?"

"Yes." Sirius turned around to glare at him. "You're an arsehole, Remus Lupin."

"Let's play one more match," Peter urged. "You might beat me this time. Maybe seeing me lose will make Moony even happier." He hesitated, then smirked and added, "Or maybe you'll lose again, and Moony will laugh as you tell me to fuck off and chuck the board across the room."

"You're both arseholes," Sirius grumbled as he began to set up the pieces once again.

James stretched out on the bed and pulled Great Expectations from his bag. He listened to Sirius and Peter quibbling as he found his page, then looked over and caught a smile lighting up Remus's face. Content despite his exhaustion and aching muscles, he settled in to finish the chapter, grateful for his friends and the secret they shared.