Lunch was, Aside from Charms, the best place to hold a private conversation in an undertone. There was simply too much noise and commotion for the person next to the speaker to overhear. Which made a three-way conversation rather difficult.

"So what did he want?" Remus hissed at both James and Sirius when they finally appeared.

"Just told us he didn't want to play games," Sirius answered with a scowl, sliding onto the bench.

Remus snorted and rolled his eyes. "His memory has really dimmed in twenty years if he expects that order to be obeyed," he murmured.

"What?" James asked. "Oh! I don't really think he did . . . I mean, he's not quite that stupid. . . . Is he?"

"Only stupid enough to decide to pay a werewolf an unexpected visit the night of the full moon," Sirius spat as Remus hushed him. "Even I thought he had enough sense to put it together that it wasn't exactly safe to try that one out."

"Just be lucky James has more sense," Remus announced. "And what are the two of you planning?"

A somewhat nastier version of Sirius's maniac grin crossed his face, causing Remus to groan and bury his face in a hand. "Oh," Padfoot answered. "Nothing life threatening."

"Unfortunately," James added. "We're not going to try that twice. Besides, it's a week from the full moon, isn't it, Moony?"

"That's very specific," Remus told them dryly. "What have you two got planned?"

"You'll see," Sirius announced, and changed the subject.

Remus let their vague announcements be throughout the afternoon, though it was only uneasily he did so. He had no pity or sympathy for Severus Snape, but he was worried about the other two. James and Sirius had a knack for attracting attention even in the rare instances when it wasn't their actual objective. And weren't all four of them supposed to be keeping their heads down at the moment?

It was slightly unfair to punish Snape for something he hadn't actually done yet, but waiting until they got back on familiar ground for something to happen was preferable to doing it now and possibly revealing who they actually were. A couple of vague hints here and there had made it clear that "James Potter" would probably mean more to many people than just "Harry's dad."

He didn't bring it up, though, until all four of the Marauders were circling the seventh floor. "What are the two of you planning to do?" he demanded to know.

"About?" James asked.

"Snape. Both of you ought to have realized by now that he's either daring you to do something incredibly stupid— which sounds a lot like him— or we're going to blow the very, very thin cover we have. All it'll take is knowledge of the school."

"Or Snape?"

"Sirius! All I'm trying to point out is that being careful for once might not be such a bad idea."

"Point. No one else'll see us," Sirius promised.

"You think Snape won't raise a ruckus?" Remus snapped.

"Not if he had any sense," James announced with certaintly.

Sirius paused and looked from James to Remus contemplatively. "Remus has a point, there. He doesn't have any sense at all. Damn."

"Well, he had to have developed some in order to become a teacher," Remus admitted softly. "But that's no guarantee he'll be able to handle you. Hell, sometimes I wonder how I handle you!"

"Moony, I assure you we won't do anything to hurt him," Sirius announced.

Remus let forth with a premature sigh of relief.

"Much," James amended.

Remus uneasily considered his options. Snape wouldn't hesitate to land the four of them in unimaginably deep trouble. He doubted James and Sirius would really hesitate to go too far. But there was no doubt in his mind that the time at which he could talk his friends out of it had passed, and quite some time ago. He shouldn't have let it be.

"What're the three of you doing?" Peter called from halfway down the hall. The three of them turned to see him standing by the door of the Room of Requirement. They'd been so embroiled in their argument they's missed it entirely.

"Lovely time for a walk, eh, Wormtail?" Sirius called back, grinning his more ordinary maniac grin.

Peter looked rather confused, lifting an eyebrow at Sirius for a moment. "But isn't it . . . kinda dark outside?"

"He's joking!" James called back, rolling his eyes and wandering back down the hall. Sirius and Remus followed him, both slightly exasperated by the cluelessness of their chubby friend.

Remus grabbed Peter after James and Sirius had gone in, however. "Those to are up to something," he announced.

"When are they not?" Peter grumbled.

"No, I mean up to something big! Something to do with Snape, and he's not quite the pushover he was twenty years ago, if you get my drift," Remus growled. "They're going to get us in so much trouble."

"Oh."

"Is that really all you can say, Wormtail?"

Peter shrugged hopelessly, glancing back at the Room of Requirement. "Well, what do you expect me to do about it?"

"Which one do you want to keep track of?" Remus demanded.

Peter appeared to weigh his options for a minute or two. Both were nightmares to track, but one was a more predictable nightmare than the other. "I've got James," he said finally.

"Fine, I'll handle Sirius," Remus answered. "Oh, and Wormtail?" He added, pulling Peter back for a moment.

"What Remus?"

"Just keep in mind that if you loose him and he blows are cover, chances are you'll wish you had been Snape," Remus assured him. "Good night, Peter."

Author's Note: Wow, could that actually be a plot orientated chapter? It might have been. Yes, it's finally starting to roll. Oh, and I hope that this got more into details about Snape— sorry if it didn't. And I had assumed (which I do far too often) that you'd figure Snape had already seen the Marauders and the initial shock of seeing them had already worn off. Sorry for those of you who didn't! Oh, and thanks for the reviews, guys! Cheers! — Loki