A/N- Just like I promised, another full moon, another chapter. This one, as you may have guessed from the chapter title, is between James and Remus. Last chapter will be up in the next full moon, between Peter and Remus. Then, if anyone else can give me a good pairing, I may continue.
James sat on his bed, leaned against the wall, staring out the window. The Full Moon stared down at him. Right about now, back at Hogwarts, Sirius and Peter are just heading out with Remus for another night's adventures. And I'm stuck here. I could have stayed at Hogwarts, but no, I let Mom talk me into coming home for Christmas. She had a point though, Christmas is the time to be with family. But the Marauders are my family too. And its a full moon, I should be with Remus.
********
"You know, its too bad James had to go home for the holidays." Sirius said as they went down the tunnel from the Shrieking Shack. They'd decided to spend the night playing in the Forbidden Forest. Most animals avoided werewolves by nature, so they weren't worried about running into anything. Besides, they knew of a clearing they could play in.
"I'll say." Peter replied, freezing the Willow for them. He went out to check to see if it was clear.
"All clear Peter?" Remus asked.
"Yup, come on up guys."
"Cool! Its snowing!" Sirius said, barking happily as he bounded out of the tunnel.
"Sirius, there's been snow around for days." Remus pointed out.
"Yeah, but now its on the ground and in the sky. Even more of it to play in.
"And look, you can even still see the moon through the break in the clouds. Plenty of light to play by." Peter added.
**********
"You know, if I squint really hard, I can see that man in the moon Lily told me about." James said to himself. "Maybe he can tell Remus what I say."
"Well, if by some chance you really can hear me Remus, I'll talk anyway." James said, smiling at the thought. "First off, Merry Christmas. And thanks for the book by the way. I'll be sure to have it read by the time I get back to Hogwarts. Second, I'm sorry I can't be there tonight. You know how I hate missing transformations."
"And if I know you, you'd probably say 'don't worry about it, I have Sirius and Peter. You just have fun with your family, and we'll tell you all about it when you get back'. Well, I still want to be there. You three are the best friends I could have asked for. Sirius is like a brother to me, although if you ask Lily, she'll say he's really my clone. Peter is great too. I couldn't imagine our group without him. Next to Sirius, you're the best friend I have."
"And if Sirius were here, he'd say I was crazy for talking to you as though you're sitting right next to me. Well, I don't care. Who says I have to be near you for you to hear me? True friendship can communicate over any distance. Boy, did that sound philosophical. I must need more sleep."
***********
"Whee! Whee! Whee!" Sirius cried, bounding through the snow. It was already several feet deep. He hit a particularly deep pocket and disappeared from sight.
"Hey Padfoot, where'd you go?" Peter asked, scurrying along the top of the snow, carefully trying not to fall through.
"Right here." Sirius replied, poking his head up from the hole he'd made in the snow. "Come on Remus, you're missing the fun."
"You want me to bury myself in the snow?"
"Why not? I bet we could tunnel all the way to Hogwarts."
"I definitely could." Peter said. Remus turned his attention away from his friends, back to the moon, wondering, not for the first time, if James could somehow hear what he was saying through the moon.
"Really James, you're one of the best friends I've ever had. It might sound corny, but its true. Yes, I'll be the first to tell you that you and Sirius are practically twins. But you are quite a bit more sensible than Sirius. You were the one who figured out the Animagus transformation. You even helped Peter through it, just so he wouldn't be left out. If anything, you're honorable and loyal." Remus thought to himself. "And those are two things I haven't had a lot of exposure to. I mean, not just anyone would stay loyal to a werewolf, let alone try and find a way to help one. If I have one thing to be thankful for this Christmas, its that I have you for a friend."
"Honestly, back in first year, I never thought the four of us would become such good friends. I figured you'd be like everyone else who'd ever found out. You'd shun me once you knew, so I tried to hide it. And I'm thankful every day that you found out despite my best efforts." he said, smiling inwardly.
**********
"I'll never forget the shock on your face when you heard us tell you we'd never abandon you Remus." James smiled. "Though, I suppose that our kind of loyalty and friendship weren't things you were used to. I just wish more people could look past your affliction, to the person you really are. You're everything a werewolf isn't: caring, gentle, loyal. Just one of the many reasons you're such a great friend."
**********
"Padfoot, Moony, wait for m-oomph!" Peter cried, falling through a pocket of snow. Remus and Sirius stopped running and looked back, but didn't see him.
"Hey Peter, where'd you disappear to?" Remus called.
"Gee, I don't know, maybe under the snow?" Sirius asked.
"Could someone get me out of here?" Peter called. "I can't climb out, its too slippery and steep."
"Hold on, I'll find you Wormtail." Sirius said, sniffing for his scent on the ground. He dived into the snow suddenly and popped up, Peter perched on his head. "Look, I found buried treasure Remus!"
"Too bad you couldn't find your brain while you were at it." Remus laughed.
"Peter, hold on up there. Remus, you'd better hope you can outrun me." Sirius laughed, taking off running at Remus, Peter clinging to his fur for dear life.
*********
"I hope Sirius and Peter aren't getting you in too much trouble. Though, that's hoping a lot from them." James grinned. "You know, its funny. My mom asked me a while ago what I wanted for Christmas. The truth is, I have everything I want. I have family, I have Lily, I have Sirius, who is practically my brother, I have Peter, who's like my sensible side, which explains why he's so much smaller than me. And I have you, one of my best friends, a werewolf, and the most loyal, caring, intelligent person I've ever met."
"I know you call yourself a monster. But honestly, I don't think you are. Yes, you're a werewolf. Once a month, you turn into this evil, Dark Creature. Well you know what? Everyone has a dark side. A part of themselves they hope no one ever sees. A part they themselves don't even want to see. We all keep something of ourselves locked away. Even if its hateful thoughts towards someone, like me with Snape. Everyone has a dark side." James thought. "Yours just happens to manifest itself every full moon. But the rest of the time, you are the gentlest, kindest, most caring friend I've ever had the honor of knowing. No one else let's their dark side destroy them, so don't let yours destroy you. And you know that no matter what, you will always have the Marauders. Friends until the end."
**********
"You're one of the best friends I could have ever hoped for. Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined I'd have the honor of calling you my friend, James. I honestly don't know where I'd be without you." Remus thought. "Anyway, I sure hope you like the present I got you. But if I know you, you've already opened it. You're almost as impatient as Sirius. That'll teach me to send your present ahead of time."
**********
James leaned across the bed and thumbed through the book Remus had given him. It was Muggle literature, something that had always held James' fascination. He couldn't explain why he found their stories so interesting. It may have just been their view of magic and its forms that he found so engaging. A Christmas Carol was the title. Lily probably recommended it to Remus, who in turn had passed it on to him.
Snow flakes began to fall from the clouds, which had nearly obscured his view of the moon. Watching the gentle spots of lace fall from the sky, and him wrapped up in a blanket on his bed, James didn't think he had ever been more at peace. And suddenly, for the oddest reason, a Muggle Christmas carol that Lily had taught him came floating into his memory, as gentle and soft as the snow just outside his window.
"Silent night, Holy night." James sang softly himself.
"All is calm, all is bright." Remus sang to himself.
