Leading the Pack, Part 2

Part Two: An Animal by Any Other Name…

Remus Lupin climbed through the hole behind the portrait and into the Gryffindor common room. He looked around: there were quite a few people about, but not the one he was looking for. He found two of his dorm-mates. "James, Peter – either of you seen Sirius?"

"Not for ages, mate," said James Potter, a little dreamily. He was ostensibly studying a textbook, but Lupin had the feeling he had something else wedged into the pages of the book. It smelled like Muggle newsprint – maybe a magazine – but he couldn't be sure.

"He's upstairs," said Peter Pettigrew brightly. "In our room."

Potter looked surprised. "I didn't see him come in."

Peter snorted. "You were looking at the pictures in your book." He grinned as if he knew a wicked little secret, and James blushed slightly.

Remus sighed. "Well, thanks, Pete," he said. "I don't know what's got into him. He said at dinner he had something to show me, then disappeared. I looked for him in all the usual places but I couldn't find him."

The usual places, the other Marauders knew, included the kitchens (where, although he wouldn't have admitted it, Lupin himself probably got sidetracked), a wall that Sirius Black was convinced housed the entrance to a secret passage out of the castle, and assorted favorite snogging spots where the two boys would rendezvous. "I even tried the library," Lupin allowed.

"You must have been desperate, then," laughed James. Sirius Black had, in fact, been known to spend many industrious hours in the library, but rarely were those hours connected to his actual classwork. In addition to a considerable talent for mischief, Sirius also had an extraordinary memory: he could sit in class, never take notes, sometimes not even apparently pay attention, yet could repeat the lecture back verbatim. He shrugged it off as a parlor trick, and seemed unimpressed that he could do it. As far as he was concerned, the only value of perfect recall was that it freed him up to have more fun.

"Well, I've worn myself out walking the grounds looking for him," said Lupin, irritation clouding his voice. "I'm going to bed, unless whatever it is he has to show me is pretty spectacular."

Peter stood up. "He said we're all supposed to go."

"Fine. Great. Let's go." Remus led the way up the stairs to their room, then snorted in annoyance. "You sure you saw him come in, Peter? Cuz he's not here." Lupin tossed his schoolbag carelessly through the curtains that hung around his bed, and was answered by a deep-throated huff.

All three boys froze for a moment; then James closed the door behind him, pointed his wand at it, and muttered an Imperturbable Charm. There would be no interruptions now.

Lupin carefully approached his bed, and drew back the curtains. There, lying across the scarlet duvet, was a large, black, almost bearlike dog.

"He can't buy you a dog," whined Peter. "It's against school rules. You can have a cat, or an owl, or a toad, but not –"

"It's not a dog," said James softly. "It's Sirius."

The dog met James' eyes, and nodded.

"I thought Remus said he was going to be a tiger?" asked Peter.

"I only guessed," said Lupin, "because of the way he walks. But when I dream about him…"

Remus sat on his bed beside the dog. "You did it," he said, his voice barely even a whisper. "You're an Animagus." Hesitantly, he reached out. At first, he simply placed a still hand on the dog's midsection. He laughed out loud, giddy at the feel of the soft fur. Slowly, he began to pat the dog, to stroke it. The dog made a happy noise and thumped his tail on the bed.

Lupin looked truly delighted. "I've never patted a dog before," he said softly. "At least, not that I can remember. Most animals run away from me." He moved his hand to the back of one of the dog's ears and scratched. The dog let out a low moan of approval, and jerked a back leg in response. Remus giggled.

James sat down on the bed too, and took a turn stroking the dog, a look of awe still on his face. "You did it, Sirius," he murmured. "You really did it. Bloody brilliant."

James caught Lupin's eye. "I'm not far behind him, you know. I should be ready in a couple of weeks."

"Please don't rush anything," said Remus urgently. "As much as this means to me, I don't want you to get hurt."

"When I'm ready, and not before," promised James.

Peter let out a disappointed whine. "I don't think I'll ever be ready."

"Nonsense," said James gently. "Sirius and I will help you." He scratched the top of the dog's head. "Won't we, Siri?"

Peter sat down now, too, at the foot of the bed. He gazed at the dog for a while, then asked, "What's his name?"

"Sirius, of course," said James.

"No, I mean, what's the dog's name?"

James' voice took on a quality of strained patience. "Peter, the dog is Sirius."

Now it was the littler boy's turn to be annoyed. "I know that," he said, "but the Animagus form can't have the same name as the human. Something about the spell. It interrupts the transfiguration, or something."

The dog barked in agreement.

Remus giggled again and grabbed the dog's ears playfully. "Does oo need a name?" he cooed. "Is him need a name?"

There was a shocked silence – from Peter and James, anyway – and finally Peter said, "Maybe he left a note."

"Him don't need note!" babbled Remus happily. "I name!"

Peter caught James' eye. "Why is he talking like a house elf?" James shook his head.

"Him name Snuffles!" Remus announced. As the other wizards gaped at, Lupin rubbed his forehead on the dog's muzzle. "Isn't oo? Isn't oo my ickle Snuffles?"

Peter clapped both his hands against his mouth, though whether it was to keep from screaming in horror or laughing James couldn't guess.

For his part, James gently separated boy and dog. "Um, Remus," he said softly, "I know he's an extremely convincing dog, and of course you and Sirius are –you know – but ultimately – well, that is to say – there's a certain level of, of, dignity – of decorum – that needs to be maintained –"

"You're not going to snog the dog, are you?" asked Peter bluntly. "Because that's what it looks like."

Remus drew back, looking sadly at the dog, and suddenly James hated himself. They were doing this for Remus; why was he interrupting the other boy's enjoyment of this moment?

Remus seemed on the verge of tears. But he kept his hands on the dog's face, twisting his fingers around so he could scratch the base of the dog's ears, rubbing the soft fur below the eyes with his thumbs.

"You're a dog," he said softly. "A dog. We can run together. Maybe – maybe – play. I'd never hurt you." And then the tears began to fall.

There was a slight shift, a pale glow as the fabric of reality altered. Then suddenly, just as if the dog had never been there, the face Lupin was grasping in his hands was that of Sirius Black.

Black pulled his lover into his arms.

"I know you'd never hurt me," he said softly. "I know."