Disclaimer: See the first chapter....

WARNINGS: Just to remind you, there's going to be Remus/Sirius slash! And who knows what else. Teenage boys and their hormones... I dunno if this will end up as an R. It definitely won't in this chapter. Besides, I've promised to tone this story down for my friend Maura who doesn't enjoy slash. But... you know.... teenage boys, love triangles, and Siri's language might make for an R later on. Tho I'm trying my best to keep my promise. Guys kiss in this chapter, so watch out!

First Appearances: Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail! (Moony's been introduced already, but not by name.) And Remus' brother Guillaume. I like his name, don't you? Yes, I picture the Lupins as being French. So there :P

~*~*~*~*~

Year 5 - Success!..... In Some Things

~July 12, 1979 - the Potter house~

"This is it, Jim," Sirius said, nearly trembling with excitement.
"Now we know whether we've succeeded or screwed up things so bad that we'll be stuck with an animal's head forever," James said, equally excited. "The good thing being that if we do something wrong Pete'll hear about it and forget trying it himself."
"He's nowhere near finished, if we get this right we'll have to help him for the rest of the summer...." Sirius said. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
They raised their wands above their heads. Sirius took a deep breath. "On the count of three?"
"Yeah - one.... two.... THREE!"
Together, they chanted the spell, quickly yet carefully. Bluish-white light beamed from their wands and surrounded them. There was no pain, but only a strange, unusual feeling of metamorphosis.

When the light cleared, brown eyes met midnight-blue ones. They couldn't speak, but each could read the joy in one another's eyes. It had worked. They were Animagi.

~July 13 - the back garden of the Lupin home~

Remus was idly swinging in the hammock out behind his house, a book lying open and unread on his stomach. He was bored. Bored and miserable. The events of the last few months at school played in his head almost constantly. 'This is called obsession, Remmie old chap,' he thought to himself more than once. 'Get over it. Sometimes Sirius is a s.o.b., and this is one of those times."
Good advice, but he couldn't help the way his thoughts drifted to Sirius almost every minute of every day. Getting over it *would* be an excellent idea - Sirius didn't need an obsessed werewolf trailing him for the rest of his days. Shelve all of your dreams and fantasies, laddie, it's not happening. Not for all the Galleons in the world.

"Hey, droopy, why the long face?" someone hailed him, and Remus awoke from his self-pitiful doze and turned to see his oldest brother, Guillaume ('Gill' for short), walking over to him.
"Nothing," he sighed, as Gill leaned casually against the tree. "I'm fine."
"C'mon, I know you," his brother teased. "You're so easy to read, moonbaby."
The old nickname was as hated as always. Remus made a face. "I hate it when you call me that, Gill."
"Ahh, I'm just yankin' your chain," Gill laughed. "You know I only do it 'cos it annoys you."
"You and Henri," Remus grumbled. "I oughta think up insulting baby names for the two of you."
"We're straying from the point, I think," Gill said. "Really, Rem, what's up?"
"Well...." Remus hesitated. No need to worry anyone, or spill things that shouldn't be spilt.
"It's a girl, isn't it?" Remus looked at his brother, surprised. "Um, kinda, yeah."
Gill chuckled and rumpled his little brother's hair lovingly. "Let me guess. She doesn't know you exist."
"Well.... she used to, but now she's with someone else," Remus confessed. Boy, how awkward would it be if Gill found out he was really thinking of Sirius?
"Ouch," Gill sympathized. "Been down that road, Rem. I know how you feel." ('Oh do you? Do you *really*?' Remus thought bitterly.) Do what I did - ignore her too. She'll be begging you in a week."
"Did it work for you?" Remus asked.
Gill coughed, looking embarrassed. "Well... no," he admitted.
"You jerk." Remus said, punching him in the arm. "You give the worst advice."
"Sorry," Gill apologized, rubbing his arm. "I just make it worse, don't I?" He stretched and straightened up. "It's time for dinner, in case you wanted to know. Mum sent me out here to get you."
"Okay," sighed Remus, closing his book and sliding out of his hammock. He followed Gill back into the house, mulling over his advice.

~August 29 - the Pettigrew house~

"Are you *sure* this is what I'm supposed to do?" Peter asked suspiciously.
James and Sirius groaned. If they had been anime characters, they would have crashed to the floor. It was a near thing as it was.
"Yes, Pete," James said, a trifle testily. He and Sirius had spent the night at Peter's house, helping him struggle through the last few steps of the transformation. Now it was finally time for Peter to try it - thank God. Personally, James' nerves were shot. Quite the stressful summer.
"Go ahead," Sirius said patiently. "Jim and I've been practicing transforming and transforming back all summer. We know the counter-spell, too, in case you get stuck."
"All right," Peter said nervously. "Here goes."
He raised his wand and softly recited the spell. The bluish-white light that was so familiar to James and Sirius by now engulfed the small boy. Okay, so far, so good. But Peter was *shrinking* rather than growing. And when the light faded, they saw why. Their faces cracked into identical grins.
"Okay, turn back," James said. There was a pause, then Peter was shrouded in light once more. When it faded, he looked at them hopefully.
"Was I okay?"
"Bloody brilliant," Sirius said, grinning.
"Well done," James added.
Peter grinned. Finally, he had done something right.

~September 1 - the Hogwarts Express~

"This is awful," Sirius moaned. "James Potter, on the side of law and order!"
James had just announced that he had been made a prefect this year, an announcement that startled them all.
"How can *you* be made a prefect? You're worse than I am!" Sirius said to James.
James shrugged. "I dunno. McGonagall sent me the letter in July. I wanted it to be a secret until now."
"I can see why," Sirius teased. "I'd beat you up otherwise." He sighed and blew a stray strand of hair out of his eyes. "Not fair. My girlfriend *and* my best friend are prefects. I'll never get away with anything ever again!"
"Lily's a prefect too?" Peter asked.
"Yeah," Sirius scowled. "Sometimes she's too *perfect*."
"And sometimes you're too dangerous," Remus reminded him. "Besides, you'd love it if Lily slapped handcuffs on you."
"Woooo, bondage!" James hooted. "Siri, I never knew you were into stuff like that!"
Sirius sighed, pulled a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans from his pocket, and picked out a green one. He nibbled it, made a face, then turned to James.
"Catch, Jim!" he laughed, flicking the bean at James. "Broccoli ahoy!"
"Broccoli?!" James yelled. "My most hated of all vegetables! You nerd!" He snatched Sirius' box of beans, pawed trough it, and pulled out a suspicious-looking green-blue bean. He tasted it, choked, and flipped it at Sirius. "Chlorinated pool water!" he yelled.
Well, it ended up becoming a cataclysmic Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean fight, and when it ended there were beans scattered all throughout their compartment.
"Honestly," Lily (who had just entered) sighed, picking an eggplant parmesian-flavored bean out of her hair. "Boys."

~September 3 - the Hogwarts Grounds~

"It's *tomorrow tonight*?!" Peter asked.
"That blows," Sirius commented.
"Tell me about it," said Remus sadly. Only two days back at school and worrying about the full moon already. Yeah, he had known it was coming... but still...
"How are you coming with the spell?" Remus asked, trying to sound casual as they passed Hagrid's house. "And *where* are we going, anyway?"
"Couple more months, and we'll have it," James said.
"And we're not going far," Sirius said cheerfully. "Just want to show you something."
They entered the empty Quidditch field. Remus was quite puzzled. What was there here that they could possibly want to show him? The Quidditch season hadn't even started yet. Hell, the tryouts for new team members hadn't even started yet.

Sirius gave him a sly grin. "Stay right there."
"What are you doing?" Remus asked suspiciously as they stood in a line about ten feet in front of him. He felt rather uneasy. Positioned as they were, he imagined they were probably going to pelt him with pies or water balloons or something as a late birthday surprise.
But they didn't. Instead they pulled out their wand and exchanged excited glances. Oh, okay. So they were going to curse him then.
But they didn't do that either. They raised their wands over their heads, and at the same time, chanted a spell Remus was unfamiliar with. They were instantly surrounded by a radiant light, so blinding that Remus had to squint and put his hand up to shade his eyes. The light cleared almost as suddenly as it appeared, and when he saw what had happened to them, what they had become, his jaw dropped in amazement. The strength went out of his legs all at once, and he sort of fell to the ground in slow motion, still staring at them.

Where his three friends had stood, there were now three animals - a stag, a dog, and a rat. Remus' eyes filled with tears. They had done it.....
The dog wagged its tail and bounded over, then licked Remus' cheek. It was Sirius, to be sure. The shaggy black fur and dark blue eyes were a dead giveaway. Remus slowly reached up with a trembling hand and stroked the dog's head. The stag and the rat came forward together; the rat that was Peter scampered between the huge dog's front legs and placed his tiny paws on Remus' knees. Remus held out his other hand, and the rat climbed into his palm and sat up, wrapping its long, pink tail around its feet. The stag bowed its magnificent head, and Remus gently patted its nose, then ran a disbelieving finger along one of its antlers. A proud, noble stag - just what he should have expected from James.
"Oh, God..." Remus whispered hoarsely. He was going to start crying any minute now, he just knew it. "This is just.... unbelievable.... I mean...."
He put the rat down gently, then stood up on shaky legs. He walked around them, trying to see them from every angle. Not a single mistake. The stag nudged him with its nose, and Remus was sure it would have been laughing if it could. The huge black dog (Remus suspected Sirius had been a Grim on purpose - oh, ok, he couldn't *choose* the form himself, but it just seemed like something Sirius would do) was wagging its tail like mad, and held a paw out to Remus. Remus took it, the world turning into shining, colored prisms as his tears spilled over. He let go of the dog's paw and sniffed, feeling a tad ridiculous but not caring, and digging in his pockets for a hanky.
As he mopped his wet face, the bright light appeared again, and when it cleared, James, Sirius, and Peter were back, all of them grinning like fools, tremendously pleased with their accomplishment.
"You okay, Remmie?" Sirius asked, putting an arm around his friend's shoulders.
"I'm fine," Remus sniffed. "That was amazing.... I'm proud of you......"
"You sound like my mum," James teased. He kissed the tip of his finger, then touched the tip of Remus' nose. "So now you don't have to be alone all night."
"Yeah, we'll start coming tomorrow," Sirius said. "I was hoping it wasn't coming up so *soon*, you know, so we could let you have a while to cry."
"Oh, shut up," Remus sniffled. "Sometimes I hate you."
"But not right now?"
"Of course not." Remus dried his eyes and stuffed his hanky back into his pocket. "You prat."

~September 4 - 8:00 PM - a broom cupboard~

"Ouch!" Sirius muttered. "Gerroff, Pete. D'you hear anything, Jim?"
James had his ear pressed against the door of the broom cupboard they were hiding in, listening intently. "Okay... okay..." he opened the door the tiniest bit. "Coast is clear. Madame Pomfrey just went down to the hospital wing. Cloak on - let's go."
Under the Invisibility Cloak, they tiptoed across the entrance hall and out the front doors, being as quiet as possible. They crossed the grounds as quickly as they could all packed under the cloak, and stopped near the Whomping Willow (but well out of its range, so as not to get hit).
"How do we get past that?" Peter whimpered. His worry wasn't eased when he saw James and Sirius exchange wicked glances.
Sirius flung an arm around Peter's shoulders and smiled charmingly. "This is a job for you, Pete."
"ME?!"
"Yes, you," James said. "You're the smallest, you have to do it."
"See that knot on the tree's trunk?" Sirius asked, gently turning Peter's head so he could see it. "All you gotta do is transform and then press that knot. You're so small, the tree'll never know you're there."
"Are you *sure* that'll work?" Peter gulped.
"Sure as I can be," Sirius assured him.
"All right..." Peter sighed, resigned to his fate. "But if I die, I'm never going to talk to you ever again." He transformed into the rat and cautiously approached the tree. It kept waving its branches menacingly, but didn't seem to notice the small rat near its roots. The rat took a deep breath, then ran forward and pressed the knot.
Instantly, the Willow froze. After waiting a second to see if it would start again, James and Sirius exchanged excited looks. They pulled off the cloak, James hid it in his pocket, and they transformed. The stag and the dog galloped forward to join the rat at the base of the tree, then the trio slipped into the tunnel opening underneath the tree's roots. As soon as they disappeared into the passage, the Willow began to move again.

~9:30 PM - the Shrieking Shack~

The wolf raised its head and sniffed. Something was coming. It sniffed the air again. Familiar smells, but not human smells. The wolf couldn't quite place it. It kept an eye on the trapdoor, its sensitive hearing picking up scratching and sniffing and - footsteps? - in the passage below.
The trapdoor swung open, and the wolf prepared itself to jump - but stopped when a huge black dog squeezed out of the trapdoor, followed by a rat, and a stag which seemed to be having trouble getting its antlers through the trapdoor. The dog ran its tongue out in a way that made it look as if it were laughing, but trotted over to help the stag. Ever so cautiously, the wolf approached them, its tail waving in sort of a half-wag.
Now that its antlers were clear, the stag squeezed out of the small door and shook its head irritably. The rat was looking around in an uncertain way. But the dog let out a loud, booming bark, and pounced on the wolf.
The wolf's first instinct was to bite, but it didn't. Instead it rolled over, pinning the dog to the floor. The dog's tail thumped on the floor and it barked again. The stag shook its head and stuck its nose between the pair, breaking them up. The dog looked hurt, but then bent down and carefully picked up the rat by the scruff of the neck. The rat squeaked, and the dog turned its head far enough to let the rat scramble onto its back. The rat climbed up and sat on the dog's head.
With a soft whine, the wolf touched noses with the dog, then the rat, then the stag, acknowledging them as its friends.... its pack.

~September 5 - 5:00 AM~

Remus woke up when the sunlight shining through the window hit him in the face. He grumbled. It was too early to get up. He snuggled deeper into the pillows, and sneezed. Why was his bed so dusty? He opened one eye a crack. Huh. He was in the Shrieking Shack. Odd, he wasn't feeling any pain this morning. Why -
He rolled over, and someone yelled. Oh, right. *Now* he remembered.

Remus sat up, only to find he had rolled practically right on top of Sirius, who was blinking sleepily up at him and looking as though he couldn't quite figure out what was going on. Remus blushed.
"Sorry, Siri," he said, getting off Sirius.
Sirius sat up, running a hand through his disheveled hair and looking around groggily. "What time is it?"
"I don't know," Remus said. "I left my watch in the castle."
Sirius punched the bundle of blankets beside him, which squawked and sat up. "WHAT?!" James mumbled, patting around on the covers looking for his glasses.
"You're no help, you can't see," Sirius said in disgust, and crawled over James and poked Peter, who was sleeping on James' other side. "Pete? PETE! Gah, he's hopeless." He grabbed Peter's wrist and squinted at his watch. "It's five o'clock," he answered his own question, and crawled back over James ("Gerroff, Siri!") to his spot on the bed.
Remus had been looking around the room while this was going on, and had recognized his surroundings. They were in the master bedroom of the Shrieking Shack, and they were all packed into the huge four-poster bed which stood in the center of the room. "How," Remus wondered aloud, examining their rather cramped space on the bed, "Did we fit on this thing? Considering three of us make very large animals."
"Don't ask me," mumbled James, who had found his glasses at last. "What time is it, Siri?"
"Five."
"In the morning?"
"Duh."
"We should get back to school before someone misses us," said Peter, who had finally woken up.
"Pete's right," Sirius said, rubbing his eyes. "Maybe we can catch a few more winks before classes." He looked at Remus. "You okay, Remmie?"
"Sure," Remus said, getting up and going to the window. He peeked out of the crack between the boards, trying to see if Madame Pomfrey was returning. "Actually, I feel *much* better than I usually do after.... you know." He turned to look at them. "You'd better go, Madame Pomfrey will be coming for me soon."
"Okay," James said as they struggled out from the tangled bedclothes. "We'll see you in a while, okay?"
"All right," Remus said softly, watching them vanish as they pulled on the cloak. "Hurry."
As soon as he heard the trapdoor close, Remus climbed back into the bed and straightened the bedclothes, then laid still and pretended to be asleep. After a while, Madame Pomfrey came to bring him back to school.

~12:30 PM - Lunch~

"You looked so funny last night, Jim," Sirius giggled softly.
"Shut up," James said warningly. "It's not *my* fault they build trapdoors too small."
Remus giggled. "Those prongs of yours'll have to go, Jim."
James looked at him, wide eyed. "Remmie!"
"What?"
"You've just given me an idea!" James said happily.
"I did?" "Yes! We need - NICKNAMES!"
"Oh," Said Remus. "Top secret secret-agent names?"
"Oooh, I like that idea," Sirius said happily.
"And you've given me the perfect name, Remmie!" James said. "PRONGS!"
They stared at him. Nearby, a fork fell to the ground with a clatter. (Pointless suspense.)
"I like that," Sirius said after a few minutes. He looked imploringly at Remus. "Remmie, give *me* a nickname! Pleeeeeeease?"
"Let me think," Remus said. They waited while he thoughtfully chewed a meatball. "Um.... how about - okay, this is dumb, but the best I can think of - Padfoot?"
They stared at him. Nearby, a fork fell to the ground with a clatter. (Again, I guess.)
"That's perfect," Sirius said. "I'm PADFOOT!" He giggled like mad, and said, "What about Pete?"
"Easy!" Remus responded. "Wormtail!"
They stared at him. Nearby, a fork fell to the ground with a clatter. (Someone has a case of the dropsies today.)
"Why?" Peter asked.
"Well, your tail looks kind of like a worm," Remus said apologetically. "Sorry."
Peter pouted, but James laughed and punched his arm. "I think it works. And besides, be glad you don't get your wormtail caught in things."
"Now *you* need a nickname, Remmie," Sirius said. "Huddle!" He put his head close to James' and Peter's, and they mumbled back and forth to each other. Remus waited patiently, sopping up the last of his spaghetti sauce with his bread crust.
"Okay," Sirius said a minute later, beaming, "We've decided!"
"You're MOONY!" James said, making it sound as if he had said, "You're a sack of GOLD!"
"Moony?" Remus repeated, trying out the name. "Heh. I like it!"
"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," James mused. "Yes, that'll work. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs - the names that will soon be INFAMOUS around this school!"
"If a prefect is allowed to be infamous," Sirius said sweetly.

~October 1 - the Library~

Sirius had his head on the table. He was sleeping. Lily gave him a poke in the ribs, and he woke up with a yelp.
"Oh, it was you," Sirius said, scowling at his girlfriend. "What was that for, eh?"
"I thought we were on a *study date*," Lily teased. "Not a sleepover."
"We'd get thrown out for *that*," Sirius said, winking at her. She just giggled and flapped a hand at him.
"You're a booger sometimes, do you know that?" she asked, and giggled again.
"Am I?" Sirius pouted. "If you keep calling me names I'll never kiss you again."
"Good, that means my skin won't melt off," Lily teased. Sirius shot her a fuming glare, but then joined her in laughing.
"Okay, okay," he said, smiling. "If I promised to work instead of sleeping, would you let me kiss you?"
Lily blushed, and shot a quick glance around. "Okay. But hurry - I don't want Madame Pince to see."
Grinning, Sirius leaned across the desk to claim his prize.

~October 17 - Midnight - Astronomy class~

Remus was staring up at the sky, only half-listening as Professor Sinistra delivered her lesson on the phases of the moon. He was an expert on the moon; knew more about it than he ever cared to learn.
He gazed upward at the bright star, Sirius, then over at the human Sirius, who was pretending to listen to Professor Sinistra, but was really passing notes to Lily, who was trying to hide her giggles behind her hand. The sight made him feel like kicking something (and since Snape was right in front of him, the desire was doubled), so instead Remus fell to musing his new nickname. 'Moony'.... well, it wasn't 'moonbaby', so *that* was a relief (and if his friends ever heard the nicknames his brothers used for him, he'd die seventy times of embarrassment). It wasn't so bad. In fact, he liked it. Usually he hated everything that had to do with the moon, and that meant stupid names as well. But he supposed he liked it so much because it was given to him by his friends...
Professor Sinistra dismissed them (probably noting how many people were yawning), and they headed back to their common rooms, discussing the upcoming weekend. It was going to be a Hogsmeade weekend, a cause for celebration, but Remus was less than enthused - Sirius would either bring Lily with them, - which wasn't too bad, but it was awkward watching them snog in the middle of Zonko's - or go off with her by himself. Which Remus didn't care for either. The Marauders weren't complete without Sirius. And poor James often looked as if he had lost his best friend - well, in a way, he had.

~October 31 - Halloween - Great Hall~

"Who wants to find out some of the benefits of being a prefect?" James asked casually.
"Me!" Sirius said. Remus was deeply suspicious.
"What are you talking about, Jim?" he asked warily.
"Well, I have a little adventure we could go on tonight..." James said. "That is, if no one's too busy..."
Remus sighed. He really wanted to study for his O.W.L.S. Sure, they weren't until the end of the year, but still.. you could never be too prepared. But James, bless him, looked so excited about whatever-it-was that he had planned, Remus didn't have the heart to ruin it.
"Count me in," he said.
"Me too," said Peter. "Where are we going?"
"It's gonna be a surprise," James said. "Only - I hope you all brought your swimming trunks."
Now this was confusing. Remus had, of course, brought his (Siri dragged them out to the lake every night it was warm enough to swim), but it was a puzzlement to him as why he'd need them tonight.
Sirius smiled his most charming smile. "You're not even going to tell *me*, Jim-Prongs?"
"Nope, this is top secret," James said, smiling a maddening smile.
"No fair," Sirius started to protest, but he was cut off by Lily, who had just arrived.
"H'lo, love," she said, sitting next to Sirius. (Remus and James scowled.)
"What is *that*?" Sirius asked, pointing to the huge folder of papers she was carrying.
"O.W.L. practice papers," Lily said brightly. "Can't be too prepared, you know!"
"That's what I've been telling them since *last year*," Remus said.
"You'd better listen to him, he's right!" Lily said to James, Sirius, and Peter (but she seemed to be talking to Sirius in particular).
Sirius grumbled. "I am NOT a moron, Lil," he said, shooting her a venomous glare.
"I know you're not. But you're also not someone who starts things well in advance."
"Barking mad, you and Remmie," Sirius grumbled, going back to his pumpkin pie.

~November 1 - 1:00 AM - Gryffindor common room~

Remus was pouring over a list of dates, trying to memorize them all for next week's History Of Magic test. He was wearing his swimming trunks under his robes (still perplexed over why he'd need them). He was also trying to ignore Sirius and Lily, who were exchanging a very long, very sloppy kiss good night. As usual, the sight of them together made him want to kick something. In fact, his leg kicked out involuntarily and he stubbed his toe on the table leg.
"Damn!" he yelped, dropping his notes. Sirius jumped and looked at him.
"Profanity coming from the mouth of Saint Lupin?" he asked, pretending to be shocked. "Why, Moony! I never!"
"You prat," Remus sighed. "I stubbed my toe."
"Oh."
"Why d'you call him Moony?" Lily asked curiously.
"Um.........." Sirius stalled. "Because... uh - that stupid Divination class - you know, when Tomoe said he was ruled by the moon or something. Besides, he looks like a Moony, doesn't he?"
Lily giggled, getting up. "You do, Remus," she said, blushing. "I don't know why, but it just fits you."
"Thanks, Lil," Remus said. "Good night."
She rumpled his hair on her way upstairs, and dodged, laughing, when he pretended to kick her.

Just a minute after Lily left, the portrait hole opened and James climbed in.
"I just got off patrol duty," he explained before Sirius could comment. "Let me change and I'll be right back."
He ran upstairs, presumably to change into his swim trunks. Sirius sighed, and wandered over to where Remus was studying. "What'cha doing?"
"Studying for that quiz Binns has for us," Remus replied.
"Oh."
Sirius leaned over Remus' shoulder and pretended to read the page. He snuck a peek at Remus and was surprised to see a flush spreading across his friend's face. Hmm. Was he - well, he'd see. Hardly daring to breathe, he slipped an arm around Remus' waist.
Remus nearly fainted. What in the world was Sirius doing? He *had* a girlfriend - and besides, he had admitted he wasn't in love with Remus. Well, then, what was this?
He turned to face Sirius, who was giving him a shy smile from under his long hair.
"Siri," he hissed in a scandalized whisper, "What *are* you doing?"
Sirius shrugged, and kissed his cheek. "Anything you want me to do."
Remus stared at him. "What about Lil?"
Sirius blushed, and was about to reply when James came back down, carrying the Invisibility Cloak and dragging Peter by the arm. Sirius straightened up quickly, but not quickly enough to stop James from giving him a suspicious glare. He chose to ignore how beet-red Remus' face was and said, "Okay, ready?"
"Sure," said Sirius as Remus closed his book. "Let's go!"

They hid under the cloak and followed James, who led them to the fifth floor. He paused in front of a statue of a lost-looking wizard with his gloves on the wrong hands, then grinned. They followed him to the fourth door from the left. James leaned close to it and muttered, "Pine fresh."
The door opened, and he grinned at the looks on their faces when they walked in. "Welcome to the prefects' bathroom," he said proudly.
The entire room was made of white marble, softly lit by an enormous chandelier. There was a swimming pool (complete with diving board) in the middle of the room, and on the sides of the pool were at least a hundred sparkling gold taps with jewels set in their handles. There was a huge pile of fluffy white towels, and on the wall was a gold-framed painting of a mermaid, who was fast asleep with her hair over her face.
"Jim!" Sirius gasped. "This is *YOUR* bathroom?"
"That it is," James said, grinning. "You like?"
"My new ambition in life is to become a prefect," Sirius drooled.
"It *is* nice," Peter said, peeking from behind Remus.
"Now I see why we had to wear our trunks," Remus added.

Sirius knelt by a tap and turned it on. Purple foam flowed from it, beginning to fill the tub. Curious, Remus turned another tap and was amazed when it emitted a stream of heavily-perfumed, baby-blue bubbles which hovered near the ceiling and refused to pop. He tried another, and pink jets of foam hit the water, bounced up, then came back down and began drawing curlicues and spirals on the surface of the water.
The four corner taps were all decorated with diamonds, and James had already turned them on. These taps poured out plain water, but there had to be some magic to it, because the pool filled in a very short time, considering its size. They took off their robes and got in. It was far too deep to sit on the bottom, so Remus stayed in one place, treading water and enjoying the smell of all the mixed perfumes and soaps.
"This is *nice*," Sirius said, looking impressed. He took a few deep breaths, then dove under. Just as Remus started to worry, he resurfaced at the other end of the pool. "I like this! Now I'm jealous, Jim."
"It *is* nice," Peter said again. "I wish our bathroom was like this."
"We're not special enough," Sirius said in mock sadness, shaking his head. "They *like* making us feel inferior."
Remus rolled his eyes and hoisted himself out. He wanted to try that diving board. He climbed up the ladder, peered over the edge, and called, "I'm going to jump!"
"No, Remmie!" Sirius cried. "Think of all you have to live for!"
"Goodbye, cruel world!" Remus wailed, playing along perfectly, and dived.
James, Sirius, and Peter watched in amazement as Remus plunged head-first into the water, doing a perfect dive. He surfaced and shook his bangs out of his eyes. "How was that?"
"And the judges give it... aaaaaaaaaall TENS!" James cried dramatically. "Where'd you learn how to swim?"
"My gram has a chateau in France, and we visit her in the summer sometimes," Remus replied.
They gaped at him. "No, really," James said.
"I'm telling the truth."
"Sure?" Sirius asked.
Remus stuck out his chin defiantly. "I'd tell you the same under Veritaserum."
"Wow." Sirius looked deeply impressed, which was a rare occurrence for him. "Invite us sometime."
"Gram doesn't appreciate freeloaders," Remus teased.
James pouted. "Oh, come on. I'll even wear a shirt that says 'I am NOT a freeloader' if you want!"
Remus rolled his eyes. What a bunch of buffoons.

~Sirius' Journal - November 1, 2:00 AM~

-We just got back from the prefects' bathroom. Nice place. I kinda envy Jim for getting to use it. Not enough to become a prefect, though. Heh.
I think I weirded Remmie out tonight in the common room. Hell, I weirded myself out, never mind Remmie. What the hell was I thinking? I mean, I'm in love with Lil! .......... I think. I dunno, there's something about Remmie that just attracts me. But I'm not going to spend my life being tormented by Snape. I don't need the extra stress. I really gotta put this out of my mind... I mean, I keep doing things like this and Remmie'll start avoiding me.....-

-November 19 - the Shrieking Shack~

Moony stood with his head tilted to one side, a puzzled expression on his face. Beside him, Wormtail looked equally puzzled.
Padfoot and Prongs were working busily at the boarded-up door. Well, working wasn't the right word. 'Smashing into' would be better. They were charging the door, trying to break it open. Finally, the boards on the outside gave with a squeal of rusty nails, and the door flew open. Padfoot barked, and Prongs ducked his head in a modest way. Moony and Wormtail followed them out the door, and the four animals gazed down at the village of Hogsmeade.
(You might be wondering what they were thinking. Taking a werewolf down into a village full of people? Not good. But remember, they're all still pretty young and foolish.)
Prongs led the way, the others following (Wormtail riding on Moony's head). If anyone in the village had been awake, they would have been immediately suspicious - deer did not usually venture far from the forest, and certainly not in the company of dogs, wolves, and rats. But Hogsmeade was virtually deserted. Nobody saw the animals wandering down the main street and up the path leading to Hogwarts.
They crossed the grounds, trying to stick to shadows. Too likely that nosy gits like Snape might see them and put two and two together. They snuck past Hagrid's hut, and stopped on the edge of the lake.
The moon was reflected in the lake, making Moony whine unhappily. He turned instead to look up at the castle. Hmm. People in there - lots of people. He trotted on towards the castle, then broke into a run.
Padfoot barked loudly, and raced after Moony. Couldn't happen! Moony couldn't get into the castle! Padfoot took a flying leap and landed right on top of Moony, growling. Moony snapped at him, but Padfoot growled louder and seized Moony by the neck. Moony went limp at once, his anger turning to fear. Padfoot let him up, still growling, and gave Moony a warning nudge with his nose. Moony meekly went back to Prongs and Wormtail, his tail between his legs. Padfoot followed. If he had been Sirius at that moment, he would have breathed a sigh of relief.

~Remus' Journal - December 17~

-Well, the axe has fallen. McGonagall announced today there's going to be a Yule Ball for Christmas. Sigh. Not my idea of fun. I can't think of anyone to ask, and no one's going to invite me, most likely, so maybe I should go home for Christmas. Serena's staying here for the ball, a holiday without her would be nice.... I really wish I could go with Siri. But he's going with Lily, of course, invited her just two minutes after McGonagall gave her announcement. Sigh again. I might as well stick it out for now - someone might want to invite me....... I don't think sarcasm becomes me, do you?-

~December 21 - Potions~

Professor Kirk had sprung a quiz on poison antidotes on them today, which was off-putting, as it was the last day of the term. Remus had already finished, and handed his quiz in. He was sitting at his table, being as quiet as a mouse and reading a book on unicorns. He was trying to send psychic messages to Peter, who was sitting next to him and was seeming to have trouble. Potions wasn't Peter's best subject, and Remus felt sorry for him.
The bell finally rung for the end of class, and everyone headed off to lunch. Remus was packing his books neatly into his bag when someone asked, "Remus? Can I talk to you?"
It was Snape. Remus gulped, remembering their 'talk' last year. But he said, "All right, Severus," somewhat cautiously (and surprised Snape had called him by his first name).
Sirius looked unhappy, and shot a nasty glare at Snape. "Should we wait for you, Remmie?"
Very nice of them, but Snape was looking uncomfortable, so Remus shook his head. "Not necessary," he said, smiling at his friends, "but thanks anyway. Go ahead, I'll catch you up."
Looking unconvinced, Sirius left, followed by James and Peter (both looking thoroughly perplexed). Remus turned to Snape. "What is it, Severus?"
Snape turned bright pink. He looked down at his shoes and mumbled something Remus couldn't quite catch. "What was that?"
"I wondered if you'd go to the ball with me," Snape said very quickly, turning even brighter pink. Remus was quite taken aback.
"The Yule Ball?" he asked. "You want me to go with you?"
Snape nodded, looking like he wanted to die. Remus could sympathize, after what he'd been through with Sirius. Okay, he could ignore that little incident from last year.
"Okay, I'll be glad to," he said softly, blushing.
Snape looked at him in frank amazement. "You will?"
Remus nodded. For a minute, he thought Snape was going to kiss him, but instead Snape just smiled and whispered, "Thank you," before running out of the classroom.

Remus wandered down to lunch in a daze, still not fully believing what had just happened. Well, now. It looked he was going to the Ball with one of the people on this planet that he most disliked. Huh. It was funny how life worked sometimes. Well, how bad could it be? Remus asked himself. Snape wasn't so bad when he wasn't around the rest of his Slytherin friends. There was only one problem.... however was he going to explain it to his friends?.....

~December 25 - 7:30 PM~

Remus was a nervous wreck. Who knew a stupid dance could be so nerve-wracking?
All four Marauders were in their dorm, getting into their dress robes. Remus' robes were a lovely golden-tawny color that almost matched his hair and brought out the color of his eyes (his mother had picked his robes out for him). Peter's were a dark red, and he looked very self-conscious in them. James was wearing navy-blue robes and leaning over the mirror, trying in vain to get his hair to lie flat. And Sirius.... well, in Remus' opinion, he looked stunning. True to his name, he was wearing black, tight-fitting robes (and oh how Remus envied Lily for being Sirius' date!), and his glossy hair was done in a braid. He looked just delicious. Remus had to fight an urge to kiss him every time he looked at him.
"You're fighting a losing battle, Jim," Sirius said, watching James struggle with his hair.
"I know," James sighed, throwing down his comb in disgust. "Curse the ancestor I inherited this hair from." He straightened his robes. "Should we go?"
"All right," Sirius said cheerfully, already in the hallway. He bounced down the stairs and over to Lily, who was waiting for him.
Anyone would be thrilled to have Lily Evans for their date. She looked as stunning as Sirius in bright green robes that exactly matched her eyes, her flaming red hair was braided with gold ribbon. She smiled and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Sirius on the cheek.
"Simply gorgeous, love," Sirius said, his eyes twinkling.
"You're not so bad yourself," Lily said, taking his hand. She smiled at James, Remus and Peter. "H'lo, guys. Meeting your dates in the Entrance Hall?"
"Yup," they responded, except for Remus, who merely nodded. He felt as if he were going to be sick if he opened his mouth. They trooped downstairs, Remus feeling sicker and sicker with every step.
When they got into the entrance hall, Peter was almost tackled by Grace Addams, a curly-haired Ravenclaw girl whom he had invited. James was met by Rose McDougall from the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. And - Remus swallowed hard and willed himself not to faint - here came Snape.
Remus took a deep breath and went over to him. He could feel six pairs (and more) of disbelieving eyes on him as he kissed Snape's cheek. Let them stare.
Snape smiled at him, and Remus saw Sirius' mouth drop open out of the corner of his eye. It was probably the first time in history anyone had ever seen Snape smile. Remus took Snape by the arm and led him back to his friends, all of whom were gawking openly at them. Sirius' mouth moved, but no sound came out. He looked stunned beyond words. Stunned and stunning, Remus thought, and almost giggled.
"Hello, Snape," James said, eyeing Snape as if he were an escaped tiger from the zoo.
"Hello, Potter," Snape said icily, looking as if he wanted to say more, but Remus gently squeezed him arm, silencing him. Hmm. Intriguing development. Snape would do anything he wanted him to do?
Sirius finally shut his mouth, but looked as though he were undergoing a painful internal struggle. Finally he said, "Um.... we'd better go."
They headed into the Great Hall. "I'm sorry," Remus murmured softly to Snape. "They're just surprised to see us together, I guess."
"That's okay," Snape said (even though it wasn't). He sighed, then said, "You want to sit with them, don't you."
"Well, I would like to, but we don't have to," Remus said. "We could sit with your friends, if you want....." Even though he hoped and prayed Snape wouldn't. A night with Lucius Malfoy was enough to make anyone queasy.
"No, we'll sit with yours," Snape said (Remus almost passed out in surprise). "I suppose it can't hurt this once."
Well, it was likely to be a miserable night.... but Remus didn't argue. Instead he and Snape went to sit with Remus' friends.

Tonight's dinner was the strangest meal Remus had ever eaten. Not the food - the food was up to the house elves' superb standards. The strange thing was that James, Sirius, and Snape seemed to be getting along. Not *liking* each other, but they weren't fighting, either. Very strange. And Lily kept shooting puzzled looks at Remus, clearly wanting to know why in the world Remus had ever agreed to come to the ball with Snape. Remus ignored her looks. He wasn't about to explain, and certainly not in front of Sirius. He could just imagine how that would sound. 'Well, Lil, Siri broke my heart in favor of you, and he's a total prat sometimes, he was kissing me in the common room while you weren't around...' Yeah, that'd go over just great.
After dinner there was dancing. Looking rather shy and unsure of himself, Snape asked Remus to dance.
"All right," Remus agreed. "But I hope you wore your steel-toed shoes today. I'm a terrible dancer."
Sirius sniggered, but Snape just shrugged. "That's ok, so am I!"
So Remus allowed himself to be dragged out onto the dance floor. He put a hand on Snape's waist and took Snape's hand in his. This was nice, he thought as they revolved slowly on the spot (and everyone else was doing the same; Remus wasn't as bad as he thought). Now only if he could be dancing with Sirius!..... But it really wasn't so bad, dancing with Snape. Frankly, he was amazed at how gentlemanly Snape was being.
A slow number started, and Remus decided to take his chances. He put his other arm around Snape and rested his head on Snape's shoulder.
Snape didn't even flinch. He just wrapped his arms around Remus, and they slowly swayed together to the music. Remus sighed contentedly. He was actually enjoying himself. It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Okay, to be honest, he felt like throwing something every time he looked at Sirius and Lily, but if he ignored them everything was all right. He looked around for James and Peter. Ah. There was James, dancing with Rose over near the staff table. Peter and Grace were sitting down, but they were talking animatedly to each other, and seemed to be enjoying each other's company immensely. Remus smiled to himself. He knew how awkward Peter was around girls, and he was glad Peter and Grace were getting along so well. It would be good for Peter's self-esteem.
The number ended, and Snape leaned close to whisper into Remus' ear : "D'you want to go outside for at bit?"
Remus shivered as Snape's breath tickled his ear. Wow. That was a first. No one had ever done *that* to him before - well, except Sirius. Remus put the thought out of his mind straight away, and smiled up at Snape. "All right," he agreed, taking Snape's hand.

They wandered out to the grounds, which was just a spectacularly decorated as the Great Hall. Real faeries fluttered in the bushes and trees, and lighted on statues of Father Christmas and his reindeer. Snape led him over to a bench, and they sat, still holding hands. Remus closed his eyes and tilted his head back. It was pleasantly cool out here after the Great Hall. He opened his eyes and looked up at the stars. He could see a red glow almost overhead. That must be Mars. He ignored the thin crescent moon, and instead looked over at a bright star the hung just over the Forbidden Forest. Not Sirius, it was too big to be Sirius. It was Venus.
"Remus?"
Remus looked at Snape, who was looking rather shy. It might have been a trick of the starlight, but Remus thought Snape was blushing.
"Yes, Severus?"
"Can I ask you something?" Snape asked. No, it wasn't a trick of the light. He really was blushing.
"Go ahead."
Snape took a huge breath, as if asking this question required every ounce of courage he possessed. "Can I - I mean, would you mind if - I kissed you?"
Remus was taken aback (and not for the first time that night!). But he figured refusing would be rude. "All right."
Snape kissed him, very cautiously, as if he expected Remus to bite him. Remus didn't bite (that would be even ruder than refusing to let Snape kiss him!), just closed his eyes and kissed back. Ah. So Sirius wasn't the only one who could give him a nice kiss. Intriguing development Number 2.
Ever so gently, Snape put his arms around Remus and held him close. Lovely. Remus kissed back more firmly. He wondered if Sirius would mind kissing Snape like this. 'Try it, you might like it,' he thought to himself, and had to rest his head on Snape's shoulder and giggle madly.
Snape looked hurt. "Is there something funny about the way I kiss?" he asked, looking put out.
"No, no!" Remus assured him. "I just thought of something funny. I'm sorry... I'm new at this.."
That made Snape laugh, and Remus smiled up at him. "Want to try again?" he asked coyly, making Snape blush. They kissed again, and Remus reached up to wind a strand of Snape's hair around his finger. He liked this - well, until Snape did something he didn't like nearly as much. He started undoing Remus's robes.
Remus pulled away at once. "What are you doing?"
"I thought we could make this more interesting," Snape said.
Remus' eyebrow arched. He gulped. "More.. interesting?"
"I promise, it won't hurt," Snape said, in a low, husky whisper. "Come on."
Well, this was *not* looking good. Remus had a pretty good idea of what Snape wanted, and he did not share the same desire.
"No, no," he said hurriedly, getting up. "Severus, I'm not ready for this."
Snape's expression darkened. "Not ready for it? As far as I can see you and Black have been at it before."
"No, Severus, no," Remus said desperately. "Sirius is just my *friend*, can't you see that?"
"All I can see is you'll let Black sleep with you, but not me," Snape snarled. "What is it about him that you like so much? Has he got a bigger -"
"I wouldn't know," Remus said coldly, cutting Snape off. "If you'll excuse me, Severus, I think I'll go back in now."
Not waiting for an answer, he turned and ran back inside. He didn't bother to join the ball again. Instead he went back to his dorm and changed into his pajamas, then got into bed. Whew. That had been one *awkward* situation. He fumbled out his journal and began to write.

-I can't believe I didn't see through Snape straight away! Asking me to the Ball - pah! I should have figured he wanted more from me than just a nice date. Well, Siri and Jim were right about him. What am I going to tell them tomorrow? Who knows. I know what they'll be thinking... 'Gullible old Moony, he sure gets bamboozled at lot, doesn't he?'...... My head hurts. I think I'll go to sleep now. That'll help me avoid any awkward questions once the guys come back up.-

~Sirius' Journal - December 31~

-All this week I've been trying to get Remmie to tell me what's wrong. He's a lot quieter than usual lately, just sits around doing homework or O.W.L. practice papers, or else staring moodily off into space. Whenever one of us asks him what happened to him and Snape during the Ball, he changes the subject or doesn't respond at all. I think I know what might've happened.. I know Remmie never came back after he and Snape stepped out for a while. Snape came back about twenty minutes after they left, with a look that could have soured milk. You know what I think? I think he tried to put the moves on Remmie and scared the wits out of the poor guy. I'm not sure. Remmie was asleep by the time Jim and Pete and I got back to the dorm. And since he won't answer us...........
I wonder if this has anything to do with me saying I didn't love him.....-

~February 6 - 4 AM - Hogsmeade~

A piercing howl broke the night's frozen silence. Moony ran down the hill into the village, in close pursuit of a young wizard. The wizard was scared to death, and wanted to collapse, but he knew if he did, he'd be doomed. A wolf was after him, and he had a horrid suspicion that it wasn't an ordinary wolf. It looked like a werewolf.
He whipped around a corner and found himself in an enclosed alley. A snarl behind him told him the werewolf had him cornered. But then, a bark sounded close by, and the wizard was amazed to see a huge black dog tackle the wolf. As soon as he saw the two canines roll off to the side, he bolted. A terrified glance over his shoulder showed him the wolf and the dog, locked jaw to jaw, struggling. Then there was a clatter of hooves on cobblestones, and a stag came cantering up. It bowed its magnificent head and grunted at the wolf. Almost immediately, the wolf quieted.
The wizard ducked inside his own house, but peered through the window at the three animals. The wolf hung its head and trotted off towards the woods, the dog by its side. The stag gazed around calmly, as if assuring itself that all was well, then followed its two companions.

~February 6 - 6:30 AM~

"I can't believe I almost bit that guy," Remus moaned. "It's lucky you guys were there.."
James had his arms around Remus and was rocking gently back and forth with him. "It's okay, Remmie," he said softly. "Don't worry about it. It's okay. You didn't bite him. We stopped you in time."
"I feel horrible," Remus whispered. "I'm a monster."
"Don't even talk that way," Sirius said sharply. "You can't help that you're a werewolf. Blame fate or whoever bit you or God or whatever. But don't even blame yourself, Remmie. It's not your fault."
This only made Remus cry harder, even though these were tears of relief, and of love for his friends. There was nothing to be done but to let him cry. By now both shoulders of James' robes were soggy. He cast a look at Sirius, who scooted closer and held Remus instead. Remus sniffed. He hadn't been this close to Sirius in a long time. But it wasn't like the hugs Sirius used to give him. Something was missing. Remus couldn't say what, but now the hug was different. It was more like being hugged by a relative - a favorite uncle or someone like that. Loving, but somehow impersonal. As he pondered this, he stopped crying.
Sirius brushed Remus' bangs away from his eyes. "Feeling better?"
"Yes, thanks," Remus said softly.
Just then, he heard the distinctive noise of the trapdoor opening downstairs. Madame Pomfrey!
James, Sirius, and Peter heard it too. They covered themselves with the Invisibility Cloak and ducked into a corner. Remus flopped down on the bed and pretended to be as sleepy as possible, as if he had just awakened.
"Feeling all right, dear?" Madame Pomfrey asked him, looking concerned. Remus nodded sleepily, and allowed her to help him out of bed and down the path. He looked over his shoulder at the empty corner where his friends were hidden, and gave them a small smile. Another adventure gone undetected.

~March 4 - the Library~

Remus was sitting at a table with Peter, studying. Peter was concentrating hard on an essay for McGonagall. All was quiet and sleepy. Well, until the infamous Potter and Black barged into the library and joined them.
"Guess what!" James said, excited. "You'll never *believe* what we just found!"
"A secret passage?" Peter asked hopefully.
"More than that, Pete," Sirius said, grinning broadly. "Wait until you see where it ends up. You'll flip!"
"Well, you've got me interested," Remus said, closing his book and reluctantly bidding a day of studying goodbye. There was just something about the promise of an adventure that overruled all his senses and made him do odd things.
"Me too, let's go," said Peter excitedly.

James and Sirius led them to the third floor corridor and stopped in front of a statue of a one-eyed, hump-backed old witch. After a quick look around (the corridor was empty), James tapped the statue with his wand and murmured, "Dissendium!"
A passage opened behind the statue. It was a tight squeeze (especially for Peter), but they got in without too much difficulty.
"Lumos!" they muttered in unison, and the combined lights from their wands lit up where they were quite effectively.
It was a damp, spidery tunnel, much like the one Remus and Sirius had found last year. It sloped downward, and James and Sirius led the way down. Just like the other path, it went on for a long time before reaching a staircase, which they climbed. A trapdoor was at the top of the stairs. They paused here.
"We can't go through it now," James muttered to Remus and Peter. "We'll only be able to do it when no one's around, or when there's so many kids we can just blend in. But I'll let you peek - quick!"
He lifted the trapdoor a little, and they peeked out. It opened into what appeared to be a dusty basement. But that wasn't all. The glow from their wands illuminated towers of cartons, each neatly labeled : Jelly Slugs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Fizzing Wizbees....
"Are you telling me," Remus hissed, "That we're right under *HONEYDUKES"*?!"
"Yes indeed," Sirius said, beaming. "Isn't it lovely?"
"You bet," Peter drooled, his eyes still on the crates of sweets.
"Of course we won't *steal* anything," James said, noting the look on Remus' face. "I thought you had us figured better than that, Remmie!"
"I know you're not thieves," Remus said as they started back down the tunnel. "How'd you find it?"
"If you can believe it, in 'Hogwarts, a History'," Sirius replied. "It doesn't say which statue hides the tunnel - doesn't even tell you which *floor* it's on - but we were just passing that one-eyed old crone when we read it, so we decided, why not?"
"Not the best thing to put in a book you two might stumble on," Remus grumbled, rolling his eyes.

~April 17 - Gryffindor common room~

"I'm tired of studying," Peter whined.
"Well, you have to study or else you won't pass into sixth year," Remus said, irritated. He was trying to write an essay for Astronomy, but Sirius and Lily were snogging on the couch, almost right in front of him. Geez, a guy couldn't get any peace in this place. He glanced over at James, who was also eyeing Sirius and Lily. He didn't look very happy about them either. Wait - what? No, it was true! James was keeping a close watch on Lily, and frowning. It hit Remus then, and he almost laughed out loud. Of course! It was so obvious! Why hadn't he thought of it before? James had a crush on Lily!
Well, he still wasn't going to watch this for long. He cleared his throat loudly and said cheerfully, "Hello, Professor McGonagall!"
Sirius and Lily jumped and let go of each other at once, blushing beet-red. Remus had to laugh.
"You jerk!" Lily said. "You did that on purpose!"
"Well, watching you swap spit wasn't helping my stomach any," Peter said. "Thanks, Remus."
"I'm only *teasing*," Remus said to his rather indignant-looking friends. "Take it easy."
"You know, sometimes I'd love to hate you, Moony," Lily scowled (she had taken to calling Remus 'Moony'. Heh. If she only knew).

~May 1 - Gryffindor Tower~

As quietly as possible, Serena Lupin slipped into her brother's dormitory.

They wouldn't be here, that was for sure. She knew James had Quidditch practice, and she had seen Sirius, Remus, and Peter following him out to the field. It was a good thing those guys always stuck together like glue.
Serena knelt by the trunk she wanted, marked 'S.B.'. "Might want to add an 'o' to that," she grumbled to herself, flicking open the latches and pushing the lid open.
She rummaged around in Sirius' trunk quickly, but taking care to keep everything neat. Not that it mattered much. Sirius was a slob.
Finally, she found what she was looking for. A plain black-and-white composition book, with 'Shove Off!' and 'PRIVATE!' written on the cover. Sniggering to herself, he tucked it into her pocket and hurried back up to her dorm. She was the only one there. Good, that was how she wanted it. Even Bunny couldn't know about this. She flipped the book open to the latest entry and read:

-I admit it. I'm still in love with Remmie. But how am I supposed to explain that to Lil? She'll be heartbroken, and I don't want to do that to her. But I can't deny I still want Remmie more than anyone... I mean, just last night, I had this dream...-

Serena's eyes grew wide as she read what followed. Sirius was thinking that about her *brother*? Sick!
She thumbed through a few more pages, and was very surprised by what she read. Some of it could even classify as X-rated, and none of it was about Lily!
After a few more minutes, she snuck back into Sirius' dorm and put the journal back where it belonged. Good. She skipped back to her dorm, smiling.
"I've got the goods on him now," she said smugly to herself. "If he doesn't want Remus - or the whole school - to know what he dreams about, he'll do whatever I want. It's only a matter of time."

~June 1 - Exam Week. O.W.L.s - Part 1, Transfiguration~

It was stifling hot in McGonagall's room, where they were taking the Transfiguration part of their O.W.L.s, but Remus ignored the heat and the sweat on his forehead. He was concentrating as hard as he could on turning his desk into a pig - McGonagall was having everyone do it one-by one so as not to have the room overrun with pigs.
He chanted the last part of the incantation, and - pop! - the desk turned into a large black-and-white sow.
"Excellent, Lupin," McGonagall said. "Full marks."
Remus breathed a sigh of relief, then scratched his pig behind the ears before transforming her back into his desk. He sat back down, much happier than he had been this morning. Transfiguration and Potions were the exams he was most concerned with, they were the subjects he had to really *work* at. To his surprise he seemed to have a natural talent at Defense Against the Dark Arts.
McGonagall called Brian North up next. While he began his spell, Remus mentally contemplated his friends' results. Sirius and James had done their spells flawlessly - though Sirius' pig (what color? black, of course!) had decided to root through the wastebaskets, upsetting them and spilling crumpled bits of parchment and old apple cores across the floor. Lily's pig had also been perfect, and very well-tempered. It had been a shame to turn it back into a desk.
Now it was Peter's turn. He did almost everything perfectly, reciting the incantations in a shaky voice. His pig came out almost as good - it still had a wood-grain pattern to its brown skin. Remus stifled a giggle at the wooden-looking pig as it gazed around the room, looking confused. Peter turned it back into his desk and sat down, blushing.

~June 8 - O.W.L.s - Part 6, Potions~

The other exam Remus dreaded had finally arrived. Professor Kirk had set them all into pairs and was watching them through narrowed eyes as they struggled to make an effective Invisibility Potion. James was Remus' partner this time, and together they managed to put the potion together quite well. It was good for Peter that his partner was Sirius, because Sirius didn't go to pieces in Potions.
When it came time to test their potions, Professor Kirk went to each pair in turn and had them make an apple invisible. To receive full marks, the entire apple had to vanish for a full five minutes, and it couldn't have anything missing when Professor Kirk dripped the counter-potion into it. Both Remus and James heaved relieved sighs when their apple returned whole. So did Sirius' and Peter's; so did Lily's (she was partnered with her gossipy friend Debbie). Snape's and Malfoy's reappeared, but Crabbe and Goyle must have done something wrong. Instead of becoming invisible, a dotted-line outline of their apple remained. Sirius sniggered. It was only partially invisible!

~June 13 - End of exams~

"Free for a whole wonderful week," James sighed, rolling onto his back and putting an arm over his eyes. "I thought it'd never end!"
"Me neither, it was torture," Remus agreed, tilting his face up to the hot sunlight. He truly loved summer weather; snow and ice made him feel ill even after a few minutes.
"Remmie, you love tests," Sirius teased. "I'm surprised you didn't ask if you could take more!"
"Ah, shut up," Remus replied cheerfully. "Even I can't take such stress."
"But this *is* stressful!" Peter groused. "We have to wait until *July* to see our results!"
Maybe that was stressful for *Peter*, he was the only one who didn't have enough confidence in his abilities. But you did have to admit, it was nerve-wracking to wait that long....
"Don't worry about it, Pete," Remus said comfortingly.
"I'm sure you passed," Lily said, smiling. "Cheer up and enjoy the weather."
"Yeah, you're right," Peter said, brightening. "It's hard to be unhappy when it's so nice outside."
"I think I did best on the Transfiguration exam," James mused.
"You did a fantastic job," Remus said to him. "I think my best exam was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Maybe I'll teach that when I grow up."
Sirius winced. "You're seriously thinking of becoming a professor?"
"Why ever not?"
"Well," Sirius hesitated, "You'd have to... follow rules, and set examples and stuff! It'd take all the fun out of life!"
"Maybe for you," said Remus composedly, "But I think teaching would be a good job."
"You could write a book," suggested Lily.
"I could do that," Remus agreed. "But teaching would have to earn me money while I'm writing."
"True."
"You know what I'd like to be?" Sirius said.
"I'm afraid to ask," James teased.
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Jim. I wanna be a dragon killer -oooo, no, how about a vampire slayer?"
"Ew," Lily said, wrinkling her nose. "Too much blood for me, thanks."

~June 29 - King's Cross Station~

Remus and Serena dragged their trunks and Remus' owl's cage over to the place where their parents and Gill stood waiting. Mrs. Lupin seized both her children in a tight hug, giving them both noisy kisses on the cheeks. Remus was heartily embarrassed, because Lily, Peter, Sirius and James had emerged from Platform 9 3/4 just in time to see this. Thankfully, they pretended not to notice.
Remus struggled out of his mother's grasp and turned to his friends. "G'bye, guys," he said, still blushing.
"G'bye, Remmie," Sirius said cheerfully. "We gotta get out camping again this summer."
"Definitely," James agreed. "We'll owl you and make plans."
"We can go to the water park, too, maybe," said Peter.
"Sounds good," Remus replied. "Like the - *lake*, huh?" He winked, and they all sniggered, remembering the prefects' bathroom.
"Have a nice summer, Remus," Lily said shyly, as her father hoisted her trunk onto his shoulder.
"You too, Lil." Remus smiled.
She kissed the tip of her finger, touched his cheek, and left.
"There's my parents," Peter said. "Goodbye, guys."
"Goodbye, Pete."
They watched the Pettigrews leave, then James and Sirius turned to Remus. Sirius cast a quick look over at Remus' parents (who weren't paying attention to them; they were talking to Bunny Chikamatsu's parents), then muttered, "You need us to stay with you, just owl us, ok?"
"We'll come straight away," James added.
Remus felt like crying, but held it in. He cried too much. "Thanks, guys," he said, touched. "I will."

"Come on, Rem," Gill hailed his younger brother. "We're going!"
"Coming," Remus replied, then smiled shyly at his friends, starting to hold out his hand. Sirius, of course, pulled him into a bone-crushing hug and kissed his forehead (Remus turned scarlet), but James settled for a friendly punch on the arm.
"See you next year, mate."
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Sirius advised.
"There isn't anything *you* wouldn't do," Remus interrupted, smiling.
Sirius rolled his eyes and ignored that last. "But if you do, name it after me."
"Sirius!"
"Yes! That's perfect!"
"You're a dunderhead," Remus sighed, and left, hearing Sirius' delighted giggles.
Perhaps there was still a chance.


To Be Continued

(Coming Soon : Year 6! Snape won't leave Remus alone, and it almost gets him killed. Lily learns something surprising, James gets a lovely surprise, and Serena puts her plan into action. And Peter stays Peter. No surprise there.)