Well, it looks like the reviews have all been great so far. Thanks to everyone for taking the time and everything. I hope these past few chapters have intrigued you to read more of it. Sorry for the lack of romance between Lily & James. You know how stubborn they are. The only hints of romance between two people is Frank/Alice & Remus/Carly… the rest will come later, and I think you know who the pairings are ;). Well anyway, on with the story! Thanks again!
On a side note, I'd like to wish my pal Harry Potter a happy birthday. I know, he's famous and all now thanks to Miss Rowling, but I still wanted to wish him one. Make sure you do it yourselves, too guys!!! Haha.
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"POTTER!! I AM STARTING TO GET SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR PATHETIC PRANKS, NOW CHANGE MY ROBES BACK!!" screamed Lily. She was currently furious with James because he had charmed her robe to make it as if it were a filthy, dirty rag. Oh, did I mention it smelled too?
"Aww come on, Evans. Take a joke."
"This isn't funny!!! This is the robe that Penny gave me for Christmas and you are ruining it!"
"It's only a charm, I can change it back."
"Well DO IT THEN!"
"Fine, fine."
James muttered the countercurse and then had to duck for cover because Lily had just thrown a book at his head.
"Potter, I don't know why for once you can just leave me alone. What is it your mission in life to annoy me?"
"Am I doing a good job?"
"Yes!!!"
James flashed Lily a smile that only disgusted her even more. The others were used to their fighting, after almost nine months of living with them. They just stayed quiet, and phased their voices out of their heads. Jade shook her head at Lily. Wonder how she would act if she found out James was the one that saved her face from being broken. Jade had a sense that these two, although they had a weird way of showing it, liked each other. Lily denied it just as much as James did, and well, that's the first step in developing a crush: denial. Jade figured that only time will tell when these two would get together. Her, Carly, and Penny actually made a bet saying which year Lily and James would finally realize their true feelings for each other.
The following day, James and Sirius were in the library for some peculiar reason. You hardly ever find those two in the library, but they were there for a purpose. Sirius had a brilliant idea in drawing a map of Hogwarts. Sirius had a hidden talent of drawing, so he could easily put the map together himself. It was Remus' idea that made the map a little more complicating than expected. See, James wanted to decrease their chances of getting caught, and he wanted to find a way to make sure he knew where everyone was. Remus told them about a couple of books in the library that could tell them how to track people, and that's what they were doing right now. Remus was 'sick' again so he wasn't able to join them, but he knew that James was smart enough to handle the task on his own. Sirius came with James, well just because they were practically joined at the hip. You would hardly see one without the other. Everyone knew the dynamic duo of James Potter and Sirius Black. The two boys found the books in the back of the library and went to go sit down and research in what to do. Well, actually James was researching while Sirius was trying to remember how the third and fourth corridors connected. He was currently trying to draw out a rough sketch of the map. They decided that they would finalize the map as soon as they knew every single detail of the map. After a while, James and Sirius were heading back to the Gryffindor Tower. Sirius looked out the window as the full moon shone brightly through the stained glass. Sirius then had a hunch.
"Hey, James, you know tonight's a full moon?
James looked out the window. "Yeah, it is. Why?
"You ever notice that Remus is never with us on a night of the full moon?"
"Come to think of it, he never is with us at a full moon. He's always visiting his Mum."
"Yeah… that's pretty weird if you ask me."
"Wait!! I came across it while I was studying one day for our DATDA class."
"You mean, the Defense against the…
"Dark Arts, yes, I was just too lazy to say the whole thing."
"James, I think I'm rubbing off on you."
"I know, I've noticed. Anyway, just think about it, what never wants to be seen during a full moon night."
"Hmm…. werewolves?"
"Exactly!! Perhaps Remus is a werewolf."
"Or maybe his mum is!"
"Nah, why would he say he was going to visit her? Werewolves hunt humans."
"Oh yeah… you really think so?? It does kinda make sense. He's always nervous whenever he's saying that his mum is sick. Maybe he's afraid to tell us."
"I don't see why he should be afraid, though."
"Well, maybe because he'd think that we would think that he's a monster and never want to be friends with him again."
"But that's nonsense, of course we'll still be friends. He's Remus!! The smart one of our group! Well, we're all smart, but he's the one with the most common sense. It's because of him that Evans and her gang even talk to us."
"Yeah, but well, maybe he just doesn't know that fact yet. I mean, remember in the beginning of the year, he said that he never really had friends before. Perhaps we are the first ones to take him in."
"Well I'm glad we did. We'd be nothing without Remus. He's the one that is always planning our master pranks, and he covers us when we forget to take notes. Sirius, I think we should talk about this with him when he gets back. It's time he faces his fear. I mean, it's better for him to tell us now than later."
"Yeah, we'll do that when he returns. But for now, let's go visit those house-elves again. I'm feeling hungry from all that map-making."
"Sure thing, let's do it."
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Carly Atwater loves her life as of right now. When she found out that she was a witch, she was just as ecstatic as Lily was. Her parents' reaction was different, though. They refused to let her go to Hogwarts, but the constant notices of a hundred owls would make anyone change their mind. See, they thought that her going to a school of witchcraft and wizardry would disgrace the family name. Sometimes, at night, she cries in her sleep because her parents may never accept her for what she truly is. Carly was indeed glad to have friends like the people she made during her first year. Lily, Jade, Penny, and Alice are like sisters to her. Also, she met the most wonderful person by the name of Remus Lupin. After finally admitting to herself that she liked Remus, she became a little more nervous whenever she was around him. Penny told her during the Christmas break to just be herself, because she was beautiful. She blushed at these words, but took it to heart. Besides, the way Remus was, she thought, you could never be nervous when you talk to him. He always made you feel comfortable and he was very easy to talk to. That's what she liked about him, oh and the fact he was arguably one of the cutest boys in her year.
"Hey, Penny, do you know where Remus is?" She asked.
"Oh, he mentioned something about going to visit his sick mother." replied Penny.
"Her mom gets sick a lot, doesn't she?"
"Yeah, at least every month. Maybe she has some sort of disease or something."
"Oh, poor Remus. I don't know though, it doesn't seem like he's telling us everything."
"What do you mean, Carly? He tells you everything. You two are almost as close as James and Sirius are… best friends."
"Yeah, but when Remus talks he always looks into your eyes. When he makes excuses like this or when he's nervous, he doesn't really look at you. I know this, after always talking to him about stuff. I don't know… I hope he's alright."
"Don't worry about it Carly. Remus can take care of himself. He hangs out with the two most impossible gits in the school."
"I don't know, Jade… I think James and Sirius are actually good-looking."
"Of course they are, but that doesn't mean they have to be all 'oh look at me I'm the coolest'. Sometimes it just annoys me."
"Ooooh! So you're saying that you like Sirius??"
"Ewwww no!!! How did you come up with that?"
"From the way you two flirt with each other."
"You mean FIGHT with each other. How could you think of that. When two people fight, that means they hate each other."
"Uhhh.. hellooo.. James and Lily?"
"Well, that's different!!"
"You always say that!!"
"Well it is! James and Lily are made for each other."
"Whatever, Jade. I still think you should get to know Sirius more though. Maybe there's more than meets the eye."
"Sure, Carly, I'll do that later, though. I have to memorize the four parts of a getroladia plant and its functions for the Herbology exam tomorrow."
"Alright, I guess I'll help you then. I got nothing else better to do."
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The weekend past, and Remus was finally back. Carly was happy to see him again, but James and Sirius were still plotting on how to tell Remus that they know about his condition. They didn't want to just tell him straight up, and they rarely had time all day to get him alone, so they figured they'd do it at night-time after dinner. The day went by rather slow. James mastered the upside-down charm and used it on Sirius in the morning while he was still asleep. Sirius, still had some after-effects of his frightful wakening and was shivering a little bit. He was even afraid to go to sleep during History of Magic, and he managed to just waste his time perfecting his sketch of the map that he, James and Remus were working on. Once again, Lily and James got into a fight again, causing another ruckus in the common room before dinner. This, however, ended quickly, plainly because James spotted Lily with her hand clenched on her wand as if she was about to kill.
Dinner came, and the ten Gryffindors pigged themselves out once again. They never really get tired of the food here at Hogwarts, and they discussed a little on who makes such delicious food. James, Sirius, and Remus all smiled at this and decided not to say a word and listen to what the others had to say. Their mouths were too full to mention things anyway. When the trio made their way back to the Tower, James and Sirius purposefully walked a little slower than usual. This caused Remus to walk slowly with them, and that was when James decided to break the ice.
"So Remus, how is your mum?"
"She's fine…. heh… all better now."
"Better, huh?" came Sirius. "So how long before she get sick?"
"Yeah, I'd say she'll get sick in around…… twenty-one days from now??"
Remus paled as he calculated the days in his head. He memorized the chart for the entire year, and recognized the day to be a full moon night. He started to worry a little.
"How did you know?"
"Just a hunch, I guess."
"Ummmm… sure."
"Remus, why can't you just tell us?"
"I don't know what you're talking about James."
"Remus, I know for a fact that your mum wasn't sick. Sirius and I wrote a get-well letter to your mum last week, and she replied today saying that she was perfectly fine."
"I don't know what you're playing, at but you need to stop. I don't appreciate you butting into my personal life."
"We're sorry, Remus." said Sirius. "You understand however why you are lying to us. That's not what friends do."
"People lie all the time, Sirius."
"So you admit it."
Remus put his head down. "Yes…. I lied to you for all those excuses. See, I'm not normal. I have a condition…." Sirius and James looked at Remus with blazing eyes.
"I'm a…. a… werewolf."
"Why couldn't you tell us this?"
"BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID YOU'D HATE ME!!" bellowed Remus. James and Sirius were caught completely off guard. They had never seen Remus blow up at anyone before, and were petrified by the look in his eyes that he was indeed angry. "I'M A MONSTER, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE MY BEST FRIENDS. I-I-I'M SORRY BUT I WAS JUST SCARED."
"Remus, old buddy…. we know what it feels like to be scared of not telling people things. James is living proof!! He's scared to confess his undying love for Lily."
"You git… don't make me turn you upside-down again. I'll even charm you to wear a dress so everyone can see your boxers with little teddy bears on them."
Remus didn't' say anything, but chuckled a little. No matter what, James and Sirius always found a way to cheer him up.
"Guys, thanks. Now I understand how great you two really are. You know, not many people would take my condition the way you two are taking it. I'm very grateful."
"No problem, Remmy old buddy!" said Sirius. "You were always there for us, you think we'd forget that? We're behind you til the end."
Remus smiled and said, "Yeah… I know that now. And by the way, I never really did get to apologize for my lame-o gifts that I gave you two. Candy isn't all that appealing for a Christmas gift."
"Yes it is!!!" shouted Sirius. "Candy is so awesome!! I love it to death. I even got Dumbledore's card from your Chocolate Frogs pack. I need his to complete my collection. So I wasn't disappointed at all."
"Besides Remus," said James. "Your friendship is a gift that neither of us ever took for granted, and today, you managed to give us the greatest gift any friend could ever have."
"What's that, James?"
"Honesty."
Remus positively glowed at James' words, while Sirius smiled and put his arms around his two pals, and they walked happily into the common room. To Remus, today was living proof that James' words in the beginning were indeed true. 'We're inseparable'. With this thought in his head, he promised to always be honest with James and Sirius. They have been, are, and always will be his best friends, till death and beyond. With three smiling faces, all three boys fell asleep accomplishing what they all thought was impossible. Once again, they have made their already tight bond with each other stronger than ever before, and it felt as if nothing could break it now. They felt invincible together, and they knew that no matter what, so long as they shared that bond, nothing could ever stand in their way… no girls, no demons, no nightmares, no curses, no Slytherins, nothing.
In his head, Remus now thought of being a werewolf now as a blessing rather than a curse, for if it wasn't for his condition, then he, James, and Sirius would never have shared this special moment together as friends.
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So what'd you think…. good? I wanted to make Remus' condition a big deal, and that everyone was well aware of it. Didn't think James and Sirius were smart, huh. Think again!!! I really do believe that it was because of Remus' condition that strengthened the bond between the Marauders, minus Peter… he's not a part of the group yet, but he will be soon. This chapter… I wanted everyone to see the meaning of friendship to me, and I wanted to express it through Remus. Thank you Remus, for being who you are. Peace out everyone.