Author's note: One more chappie! Once more, completely improvised, so I ain't gonna outline anythin' here. Oh, and I know I called them Padfoot and Prongs and all before they were full-fledged Animagi, but that's because they already knew what they would become in my story long before they mastered it. Just--to save anyone from wondering. :)

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Remus, Sirius, James, or Severus. Tough world, huh? None of them are mine...except in dreams. : P (Peter I can do without...)

REMUS J. LUPIN

After dinner I left quite quickly, feeling slightly ill. I don't eat very much during the full moon due to how my levels of immunity hitting record lows, which doesn't really help them get better anyways. Peter trailed behind, perhaps trying to be slow enough to walk with James, but I really didn't care. I just wanted to lay down, really.

"Lupin."

I looked over to see Severus leaning against a wall in the right hallway holding a book.

"Come over, this might interest a person like you," he muttered, gazing for a moment at the ceiling. I could guess what it was about, but I had no idea what he specifically wanted. Severus slipped into the shadows as I looked behind to see Sirius and James only a dozen paces behind me. I waited for them, rummaging through my bag.

"Lost something, Moons?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, I think so. You guys go without me, I think I left my book at the table," I lied.

"We can help ya look--"

"No, no, it's fine. I'm sure I know where it is. You go on ahead," I smiled. They shrugged and left. Once they had rounded the corner I turned into the hallway and followed Severus down to the abandoned History of Magic classroom.

"Severus?" It was completely dark as I fumbled for my wand, but he reached his sooner.

"Lumos.... Right here, Lupin," he said quietly, motioning for me to come over. He waved his wand so the desk lamp turned on, but the room remained dim.

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Severus looked at me for a moment and then rounded the desk, sitting in the plush chair behind it. He set the book on the table and opened it to a preset page. I looked over to see it through the small light.

"............A Wolfsbane potion?"

"That's right," he muttered.

".....What is it, exactly?"

" A highly advanced potion that when used on a human gives them the ability to be a wolf for some time during the full moon. However, if used on a werewolf, allows him to remain tranquil and keep his wits about him. A large batch is made and during the course of a week preceding the full moon, a goblet of it is administered to the werewolf each night where after the full moon, you probably won't be looking like death warmed over, " he finished with an odd sort of glare/gaze I had only seen him use once.

" How advanced? What are the ingredients?"

"It's extremely complex, even I might not be able to fully handle it, but you cannot make it yourself," he explained.

"Well then why are you telling me this if I can't do it?" I asked increduously

"Because....." he paused and gave me a long look-over, then sighed. "Because I am willing to make it for you."

I wasn't necessarily shocked, but I was surprised. Speechless for a moment as well. Here was someone who in the course of a week had turned from my supposed enemy to my beloved to one of my better friends, and now he was offering to save me from my condition, at least in some manner. He had obviously done some research, even I had not heard of a Wolfsbane potion, but he had also stolen the book from the restricted section by the look of it. He definitely surprised me.

"Do you mean it?" I asked barely above a whisper.

"I do, Lupin. I don't promise a sucess, but I'll try if you want me to," he replied. I had never seen his eyes look so innocent and kind as I did then, and I hardly assumed I ever would again.

"How would I ever repay you?"

"....I really cannot think of a way for you to," he smiled. But I knew what he really meant.

"You do too much for me, Severus. I simply cannot ask you to risk---"

Suddenly he stood up so he was level with me and looked me in the eyes. "I want to do this for you, Lupin. I'm going to try this out. And if you don't want me to....just think of yourself as a test subject for a research."

That hardly made it better, but I just nodded and smiled. Tearing up, I walked around the desk and embraced him warmly. He smelled that was the full moon senses kicking in, but it was pleasant and reassuring until I heard a soft moan and---

"Don't."

"What?"

"Don't," he repeated. "Don't do that."

I let go and, confused, stared at him. "I-I'm sorry."

".....Don't worry about it......"

We stood in silence for a moment, then I nodded and smiled once more, this time less comfortably. " Well, Severus, thank you very much. If there's anything I could ever do to pay you back, just tell me and I---"

"Don't worry about it," he said again, then offered a kinder sort of smirk than I usually saw. "Just, you better head back to your little room now. Your puppy will miss you."

Two days passed and naturally the second day was it---the full moon. I felt exceedingly tired, so I had liscence to leave classes and lie down for most of the day. It's not something I like doing, skipping lessons, but I simply could not concentrate. Besides that, I already finished most of my exams the day before, so it was really of no matter. Potions exams came in a month, though, and I skipped my lesson for that day to tell Severus I'd return the next.

I won't bore you with the details of my transformation and the beginning of the night, however---one interesting and pleasing aspect of the night will be illustrated as follows.

In my wolf form I retain some of my former self, mainly my memory, but rarely recognization of things I know as a human besides maybe the castle and the room I keep myself in. As I paced the room impatiently, still trying to get out I suppose (I was not an intelligent wolf) I heard the turn of the door handle and a quick bark. It was not another of my kind, but rather a domestic dog, it sounded. Hungry for any kind of flesh save my own, I turned on the door to see a large dog about my size, black and shaggy with shining blue eyes. If I remember right, I pounced immediately, jaws itching to tear it to pieces when at the same time the dog jumped on me, pinning me to the ground. I was weak and while I tried to retailiate it was of no use. I stopped biting at him and attempting to claw him when I realized what--or who--it was.

Sirius.

I made a small, apologetic whimper and he let go when he realized I knew who he was, then bared his teeth in a sort of grin only Sirius could maintain as a dog. He wagged his tail and moved for me to follow him down the steps towards the tunnel of the Womping Willow where I found a large stag, presumably James Potter. Sirius bounded along around James and then ran up to the top of the tunnel, waiting for us to follow him outside. James followed quickly as I hesitated. Sirius---Or, rather Padfoot barked and all inhibitions were gone. We spent the rest of the night running through the forest and all over the grounds.

Naturally that might have been the best feeling I had ever felt in my life, let alone as a wolf.

The next morning I awoke as a human on the bed of the Shrieking Shack to find the same black dog curled at the foot of the bed and James as a human sleeping in the torn armchair. I smiled drowsily and pet Padfoot tenderly. He looked up and in a second transformed back into Sirius. He looked nearly as tired as I must have and grinned, moving up on the bed and wrapping his arms around me.

"Go back to sleep, it's Saturday. We got at least 2 hours until Madam Pomfrey will come to get you."

"Mm hm....." I mumbled and settled into his warmth, soon falling fast asleep.