Well, I haven't updated this story in over six months and I wasn't sure I ever would. I can't honestly say that I've recommitted myself to it because I'm not sure if that's possible. However, it is my senior year and I have finished all of my applications and I think that there will be enough free time for me to complete more of this story. I will try my hardest, but I've come to expect long hiatus's in my work, even if I don't like it. Thank you to all who review.

Anyway, I don't own Harry Potter. Andrew, Amelia, and Peter's parents, although only mentioned briefly, are my creation.

Note This is a PRE-OoTP story. Characters will appear as they were known before hand. I am going to try and put some OoTP into this story, but other people and parts, such as Arabella, will remain as they were. I am not going to change this entire story just so that I can give Lily's friend a new name.

A Rat's Tale

Confessions

And that was Christmas break, second year. Andrew didn't send me anything and I didn't expect to get anything. My dad ignored me, as usual as did my mother. The only presents I got were from the girls and James and Remus. Sirius didn't get anything for anybody that year.

            The rest of the year was quiet and had a very serene quality to it. Every once in awhile, James and Sirius would pull a prank that would have the rest of the school talking about them for days on end. Sirius' cousins, Bellatrix and Narcissa, were starting to make a name for themselves in the Slytherin house. Every now and then, one of the pranks would be directed at them, but there seemed to be a peace accord in affect. If we left them alone, they would leave us alone and Sirius's parents wouldn't hear about what he had been doing at school if the girls' parents didn't hear either. Each time we passed them in the hall, we were treated to a smirk and a nasty whispered comment and that was all. Nothing new or unusual happened that year until right before exams.

            I had been sitting in common room and looking over my astrology chart with Lily. She was calmly explaining the origins of the names of the planets and the stages of the moons to me for what seemed to be the twentieth time. Every time I asked for help we'd go over it. She didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that I was using her as a tutor and wouldn't accept anything from me that I'd offered in payment. She told me that by reviewing with me she was also reviewing herself and that was helping her to maintain the high standards of grades that she'd come to expect of herself.

            "So, which day in June is going to be the full moon?" she asked me. I looked over the chart I had from May and found the previous full moon. It was only a matter of taking things from there.

            "Right on astrology final." I answered. Lily looked pleased with me and herself and began to close up the books on the table.

            "Yeah. And I think you're going to be ready for it. Just be confident in yourself. You know all this material. You shouldn't forget it when we get to the test." She put the books into her bag. "You'll be ready for that full moon."

            "Full moon?" I turned around to see Remus standing behind us. He was carrying his book bag, which was stuffed with books that he'd taken from the library. His latest absence had left him a few days behind us in classes, but he'd always managed to catch up in a few days.

            "Yeah, on the astrology final day." I replied. I waved goodnight to Lily and she started up the flight of stairs to the girl's dorm.

            "Shoot."

            "What's wrong?" I asked.

            "I'm not going to be able to be there. I have to talk to Dumbledore." Remus replied. He walked towards the stairs to the dorm and started to take them two at a time.

            "What is it this time?" I asked. Remus pushed open the door to find James and Sirius sitting on the floor playing a variation of Exploding Snap. The cards James was holding exploded in his hand as he quickly turned his head to face us.

            "What do you mean?"

            "I mean, last time it was your aunt. Or your uncle. I can't remember which. Who is it this time? Do you already know, two weeks in advance, who's going to be sick?" I looked at Remus and he stared back at me in awe. I'd never spoken to any of them like this before.

            "Wedding. My brother."

            "But I thought your brother had an uncontrollable case of pneumonia four months ago. Three months ago you went to his funeral. Remember?" This time it was James who cut in. "Remus, what are you hiding?"

            "It's like every full moon…" I started, but then drifted off. Remus' eyes widened and he looked away.

            "You're gone." Sirius finished. He started to laugh. "What are you, a werewolf?" Remus' started to shake violently and he tried desperately not to catch our eyes. Sirius suddenly stopped laughing. "You are. Aren't you?" It was more of a statement then a question, but it didn't matter. Remus went to his trunk and opened it and began to throw things inside.

            "What are you doing?" I asked. James and Sirius dropped the smoking cards and sat down on Remus' bed.

            "Packing. You wouldn't want a werewolf at school with you. I'm going to have to leave now." Remus looked down, but there was no way for him to hide the fact that he was crying. "It was fun while it lasted. You don't have to keep in touch."

            "Where are you going?" Sirius demanded. Remus looked up at him, the tears openly streaming down his tired face.

            "I have to leave."

            "What are you, nuts?" This time it was James.

            "No. You don't have to pretend. I get it. You don't want to be friends with a man killing beast like me. I'm dangerous. I can go crazy and kill people at any second. Don't you understand? You don't want to be associated with me. You're only going to get yourself into trouble. Sirius, what would your mother say? James, what about your parents? Peter…well, I guess that yours wouldn't care, but still, none of you can go home and say, 'this is Remus, he's a werewolf from Hogwarts'." Remus stopped babbling and looked at each of us. "Please move while I pack.

            "Wait, you're a werewolf?" Sirius asked again. Remus looked at him like he was going to attack him at any second.

            "What part of that did you not understand?"

            "No, wait. That is so bloody COOL." Sirius said, his voice getting louder by the word. "Do you hunt? What's it like to be something else? Can you bite somebody for me? Just Bellatrix, Narcissa isn't that bad. And my brother. I mean, he won't be a student for another year, but he's so annoying. Oh yeah, my mum and my pop too. Maybe I should just set you loose during the summer. I'll have to lock myself in a room or something, but you wouldn't bite me, right? I'm your friend. Yeah, you wouldn't do that." Sirius looked at Remus with a huge grin on his face. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

            Remus' mouth was hanging open in a style I'd only seen in the muggle comics Andrew bought for Amelia. James was looking at Sirius and then at Remus and trying not to laugh.

            "Are you insane?" Remus shouted. "You don't want to be my friend!"

            "How is this going to change anything? You're still the Remus we knew before." James put in. He got off of the bed and swung an arm around Remus. "You're not going anywhere."

            Remus' face was full of relief. He looked calm and relaxed, both states of being that we'd not often seen him in before He looked each of us in the eye and we all nodded in turn. I heard him mumble something under his breath and then he lay down in his bead and closed the curtains. Almost immediately, we followed the suite, but not before the deck of cards gave us a miniature fireworks display.