CHAPTER SIX

~Bye Remus~

Next morning, James and Sirius still had grins pasted on their faces after both agreeing that Snape would be their main target for pranks.

"I don't know why you would want to waste time on him," Remus frowned at the laughing pair.

"Oh come on, Remus! You have to admit, it is funny seeing Snape turn red and looking like a winded rhinoceros," Sirius said.

"Yeah! Hey, you can even help us with this next trick we've planned …" James looked hopeful.

"Oh, no … no, I think I'll be 'right, thanks guys." Remus took a step backwards, away from the advancing two.

"Please?" Sirius fell down on his knees, doing a very dramatic (and very bad) act of a lovesick person. "Pretty please, Remsey? Pleeeeeaasseee?"

"Don't call me Remsey."

"Remsey, Remsey, Remsey, Remsey!"

"Stop it!"

"Not unless you help us –"

"All right, all right," Remus finally agreed, defeated. Then he added, "When do we start?"

Sirius and James both exchanged identical looks of mischief.

* * *

Grabbing a school owl, James, Sirius and Remus fought hard not to giggle. The red envelope in Remus's hand was going to give them so much laughter at breakfast. As soon as it was carefully strapped to the owl's leg, they sent it off, watching as it dove straight down, heading for the Great Hall.

The three skidded to a halt in front of the breakfast table where Peter was waiting sulkily for them.

"Where were you?" he asked. "I've been looking all over our common room but when I couldn't find you three, I went down here. I thought you'd already left for breakfast, but you weren't here either." He stopped, glancing at the three faces. That's when he realised they weren't even listening to him.

"Hello!? What is up with you all!?" he screamed. James put a finger in front of his mouth, hissing, "Shh!"

Peter frowned, his rare temper rising.

* * *

Severus Snape

As Severus pushed a spoonful of cereal into his dry mouth, a piece of paper hit him on the back of the head, causing him to choke on the milk and cornflakes. The paper dropped onto his lap.

It was red. And it scared him.

About to run out of the Hall, he stopped. Perhaps this wasn't what he thought it was. Opening it very slowly, a voice boomed out at him:

"I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU DID SEVERUS SNAPE! YOU MADE YOUR MUM PRACTICALLY FAINT WHEN WE GOT WIND OF THE FACT THAT YOU HAD A CRUSH ON SOME MUGGLE-BORN GIRL. THIS – THIS LILY EVANS … GET HER OUT OF YOUR MIND! YOU'RE INSANE, BOY, I TELL YOU. IF YOU HAVE FEELINGS FOR HER EVER AGAIN, EXPECT TO RECEIVE A GOOD BEATING UP WHEN YOU GET HOME!

The screaming stopped. Time stopped. Severus blinked. Had he heard right? Him, having feelings for … for who? Lily Evans?! That wasn't true! Wait … yes it was. Even though it was pain to think that his father was right, he –

He blinked again.

Something clicked in his mind. Dad? That wasn't his father. The didn't sound one bit like his father. In fact …

His black eyes searched the Gryffindor table. Sure enough, there was Potter and his friends, red from trying to keep in laughter, rolling around like pathetic fools.

By now he was aware of the laughing and pointing that had started. His gaze drew from Potter and landed on Lily. She had a mixture of pain and a disgusted look on her pretty face. Now he had wrecked his chances with her. But, what was he thinking about? He never had a chance with her in the first place.

* * *

"That was bloody funny!"

"God, yeah!"

"Best plan I've ever had, I'd say!"

"That wasn't your plan Sirius," James said, turning to face him. "I came up with the idea of the howler."

"Yeah, and I came up with the absolutely-fabulously-wonderfully-brilliant idea of sending it to Snape."

"But I came up with the idea of saying something about him having a crush on Lily," Remus interjected.

"Good thing we did that, too … it made the whole trick even funnier."

"How come you guys didn't tell me anything about this?" Peter spoke up for the first time in a long time. "I never knew anything about it." He sounded and looked hurt.

"Awww come on Peter," said Sirius. "You were still in the land of dreams by the time we came up with the idea."

"Yeah, snoring your head off, you were."

"But –"

"Uh-uh, no buts little buddy," said James. "If you want to be part of it, you have to be ready."

"And awake," grinned Remus.

* * *

The next morning, Peter woke up bright and early. Surprised that none of the others were awake yet, he snuck up to Remus's bed, took a deep breath and yelled, "WAKE UPPPPPPP!"

It seemed as though Remus jumped a mile. When he was safely back on his bed again, his heart beating a thousand times per second, he glared at the Peter (who was chuckling stupidly) and screamed, "What the hell was that for!?"

"Language Remus, language," came a mumble from Sirius's bed.

"What's going on?" James's head poked out from behind the velvet curtains. "Who yelled? Better yet, why did that person yell?!"

Remus pointed an accusing finger at Peter. "Ask him! Damn, I was having a good dream too …"

"Language Remus, language," Sirius said again.

"Shut up."

"Whoa, why the bad mood Remus?" said James, getting up and stretching.

"I wonder."

* * *

Peter, James and Sirius mainly avoided talking to Remus at breakfast, seeing as his head was still hot from the early morning's events.

The mail arrived and a howler dropped on top of James's sausage. Muttering an "uh-oh", the others covered their ears as James yanked open the envelope.

"JAMES POTTER YOU STUPID FOOL. I DON'T EVEN LIKE LILY EVANS – SO WHAT WAS THAT HOWLER ABOUT? AND DON'T TRY TO PRETEND YOU'RE MY FATHER AGAIN BECAUSE YOU SUCK AT IT. OH, AND TELL YOUR EQUALLY STUPID FRIEND SIRIUS BLACK TO STOP FLIRTING WITH THAT FELICE PERSON."

Sirius's jaw dropped. "How – how dare he say that I've been – been flirting!?" he gasped. "Oooooh, I'll get back at you Severus Snape … you just watch your greasy head … I'll get back at you –"

"Excuse me?" a voice interrupted Sirius's death threats. It was Lily. Looking murderous. At James.

"What do you think you're doing, sending people howlers saying they like someone for the whole hall to hear?" she shrieked. "And involving me. Don't you people even consider people's feelings? Don't you even know how embarrassing this whole situation can be for a person!?"

The shrieking continued for about five more minutes until Lily's voice grew croaky. With a last death look and cough, she turned around and stomped off, Paige by her side. Felice was eyeing Sirius curiously, obviously pleased at hearing he has been "flirting" with her.

"Are you gonna scream at us too?" Sirius asked, grinning. "'Cause, if you were, let me just grab some ear muffs."

Felice's face contorted and she too, stomped back to her friends.

* * *

"Remus," whispered James cautiously, in case Remus screamed at him, too.

"Speak up James, I can barely hear you." He was smiling so James took that as a good sign.

"Well, I assume you still haven't realised that you have a letter on your porridge."

"What?" Remus tore his eyes away at the retreating backs of the three girls. "Oh, no …" he picked up the slightly soggy envelope, whispered a drying spell and opened it. The first thing he noticed were the bold letters saying, "DON'T SHOW THIS TO YOUR FRIENDS."

Checking that Peter and Sirius were busy – arguing – and James was trying to take ash off his sausage (from the burnt howler), he read on:

Dear Remus,

Hi honey, this is mum. How are you? Hope that school is going fine and that mischief is being avoided [Remus rolled his eyes]. Just wanted to remind you that the full moon is coming tonight. Now, Professor Dumbledore kindly owled me saying that all you have to do is go up to the hospital wing, tell Madame Pomfrey (I suppose she's your matron) that you're ready for transformation and she'll escort you to the Whomping Willow.

Don't worry about your friends, dear … just tell them you're off to see your sick auntie for a few days, until you get back. Mind you behave yourself and don't go outside the tree.

Take care,

Mum.

Remus's heart leaped. He had forgotten all about the full moon. Oh, how he hated having to transform every month, make up lame excuses on why he'll be away …

Silently, he cursed the werewolf that bit him long, long ago.