Author's Note: can't think of a thing to say again so enjoy!

Disclaimer: You know the drill I say it isn't mine and then I complaing and whine and bitch and moan about it.

Chapter 5

"I hate magic," Cole muttered, his forehead banging down on the kitchen table, his hands moving to cover his head from view.

"No ya don't," James countered finishing off a butterbeer as he sat on the edge of the other side of the table. Sirius had already been kicked out of the room. James had decided that his friend was too distracting to Cole when he was trying to learn.

It wasn't that Cole was disinterested, it was just that he was more interested in Sirius and he knew hormone induced thoughts tended to corrupt the boy rather easily. There was simply too much to get done before school started to allow for any distractions like that.

"I do, too. I'd know."

"If you did, you wouldn't be here so you have to like it. Otherwise you'd still be with those Muggles. One of the reasons you didn't like them was because they didn't believe in magic," James reasoned logically.

"Damn you," Cole groaned. Learning six years worth of lessons in one summer was not easy and often times he wondered if it was even worth it. In the end he always decided that yes, it was worth it. Anything was better than the Muggles. Besides it wouldn't be so bad once he learned the material.

He just wished that he was better at adjusting to his new surroundings. He could still remember his second morning with the Potters. He'd woken up extremely confused to find another body in his bed with him using him as a pillow. He'd had the worst pain in his neck from sleeping sitting up that it wasn't even funny. Mari had needed to use magic before he would even attempt moving his head a second time.

He'd forgotten that he had decided to go by Cole and whipped around every time someone said 'James' thinking that they were trying to talk to him instead of the other James.

At least he could say that it had gotten easier from there. Sirius had felt guilty and responsible for the incident and had from then on made sure to sleep in his own bed. That didn't meant that he never used Cole for a pillow for his rarely taken naps, but at least Cole knew he'd always be able to sleep at night.

"Cole, you're doing good, alright? Just a little bit more and you'll have all you need to know. The history and everything I can teach you while we're at school. That isn't really a big deal. But, as soon as you get this stuff down we can start working on making you an animagus. You better not have forgotten about that," James scolded teasingly. That was the last thing that Cole was likely to forget. He brought it up at least every other day or so.

"Right, right," Cole murmured lifting his head up and fetching his wand from the other side of the table where it had rolled to. "What's next, slave driver?"

*~*~*

"The first time is always the hardest," James warned Cole seriously as he, Sirius and Cole sat outside in a clearing late one afternoon. James' parents had gone out for the weekend leaving the three to fend for themselves for dinner for that night and their meals for the next two days. Not that they had to try very hard to scrounge something up. Mari had been kind enough to do a little cooking before she left and leave it for the boys for whenever they got hungry.

It was obviously the perfect time to teach Cole to become an animagus now that he was caught up with everything else he would need to know, plus or minus a few spells here and there.

"So, whudja wanna be?" Sirius tilted his head to the side watching him with anticipation. "You did think about that right?"

"Yeah, I want to become a black panther. I've always like them. Then of course, you have another large animal to help if something happens with Moony," Cole smiled rather nervously.

James squeezed his shoulder in reassurance as he stood behind him. He handed a small vial to him over his shoulder. "Drink it. You only need to the first time. It helps your body adjust. If you tried to do it without drinking it, you could end up changing into a panther, but losing your human mind."

Cole inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he took a small tentative sip, then tilted his head back downing the entire vial. "Eughch," he grimaced wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

"Good, now, all you need to do is will yourself to be a panther. No silly spells or incantations for this one thankfully. You just have to focus entirely on becoming what you want to become. Otherwise, you might screw up and only turn part of you into it," James chuckled imagining the possible outcomes.

Cole nodded, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he concentrated on an image of a black panther.

"You'll feel yourself start to change shape, but keep concentrating. Don't let the surprise or anything distract you until I say so," James ordered split seconds before Cole began to glow a soft hazy blue as he began to change forms.

"Now," James grinned when the blue faded and a sleek black panther could be seen sitting on its haunches where Cole had just been. Gold-green eyes blinked up at the two grinning wizards.

Sirius dropped down to the feline's level framing its face in his hands. "Well aren't you just the prettiest kitty cat," he chuckled. "Ooo, soft too." He wrapped his arms around the beast's neck grinning back up at James as Cole forced himself not to begin purring ecstatically when Sirius began scratching one of his ears.

A low chuckle escaped James' throat as he watched the pair. Sirius still didn't know that Cole was interested in him and James wasn't entirely too positive on how Sirius viewed Cole. "Alright, to change back, just concentrate again."

There was a small pop as Cole's form returned back to normal, his face bright red.

"Awww, no more kitty ears," Sirius pouted, reluctantly removing himself from the boy's neck. "Sorry, I know you aren't really into touching."

"It isn't that. I'm just not used to it," Cole murmured almost defensively.

Sirius thought about that for a moment. "Oh, okay. In that case," he swung an arm around Cole's waist and hauled him up off the ground. "Time to eat!"

"Then, time to have Remy and Lily over again!" James crowed happily running back to the house, sending quick owls off to the two. It would have been a crime not to take advantage of having the parents gone. Besides, James knew that his parents expected them to come over anyway. Two extra beds had been conjured up in their room for them to use. They trusted the twins not to go overboard, but they made it their business to try to underestimate them as little as possible.

James believed his parents had no idea about their monthly romps with Remus during the nights of the full moon. They silently supported him and his decision by remaining silent. They understood that it had to be hard for this friend and were glad that he had come up with a solution to help ease the transitions. They were fully aware that they had a gifted son. They had decided at the beginning of his sixth year that when he came of age, they would confront him about registering his animagus form. In the mean time, as long as he was careful, they would continue to allow him to have his 'secret' and include Cole in on it as well. After all, he was doing more good than harm.

"Jameson! I'm home!" Lily called as she waltzed in the door giggling.

"I don't know a Jameson, but I hope for whoever's sake it is that he stays far away from you!" James called back polishing off the last bit of his pasta and running to go see her. He swept her off her feet and swung her around before setting her back down.

"Missed you too, James," she kissed him before running her overnight bag up to the bedroom. She was just on her way back down the stairs when she ran into Remy and the others on their way up. "Oh, uhm."

"Back on up! I've got the butterbeer!" Sirius grinned nudging her back up the stairs dumping some of the bottles into her arms as he did so.

Cole yawned, trying his best to remain awake and fight the slightly drunken effects the numerous butterbeers were having on him. He wasn't sure if they were supposed to have alcohol in them, but he had a feeling that if they didn't, Sirius had doctored them up a little bit. He could feel the color staining his cheeks from having a few too many of the sweet drink. He yawned again, covering his mouth with his hand, trying to hide it. He slumped a bit, resting his temple on Sirius' shoulder.

Sirius grinned to himself, quite pleased with his current situation. Then again, what gay guy wouldn't be pleased to have a slightly drunk, extremely cute friend using him for a pillow. "So, Cole. Who was your first kiss?"

"Uh, welluhm, y'see IstillImeanIveneverhadanyonekissIveneverkissedanyoneyet," he flushed a deep red, innocently turning his face into Sirius' chest in an attempt to hide it.

Silver-grey eyes blinked in surprise, quickly turning into delight. "Hey, Cole, I'll kiss you," he offered moving the boy away from him to see him a bit better. He laughed as hazel eyes went wide and a tiny squeak found its way past his throat. "You're cute when you get all flustered," he chuckled stealing a kiss from the stunned lips. The chuckle turned into an outright laugh when Cole toppled sideways into his lap, passed out from the combination of alcohol and shock.

Remus stared, completely in shock himself. "Sirius Black! He's drunk! Maybe he was saving that for someone!"

"Calm down Rem," James gave Remus a quick, meaningful glance. "So Sirius," he continues mimicking Sirius from a few moment's prior. "Who was your first kiss?"

"That would be... Shawna Owens." He counted off on his fingers trying to determine just how long ago it had been, "five years ago."

"But, aren't you gay?" Lily gave him an odd perplexed look, then looking to James for confirmation.

"Yeah, but I was twelve! I didn't know I was gay when she kissed me! I didn't figure that out until I was thirteen," he defended himself.

"Hey, Remus? What about you?" James asked.

"..." he mumbled incoherently.

"I didn't hear that. Who was it?" Lily asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

He blushed, his eyes focusing on an imaginary spot on the floor. "It was Sirius."

"What?" Lily's mouth dropped open. She would have expected it to be a girl if anyone.

"I'm bi alright? My first kiss was from Sirius when he found out a couple years ago," he murmured softly. "I wanted to see what it was like so I asked him to kiss me."

"Oh. I can't believe you had the guts to do that," James laughed gently, slapping him on the back. "Way to go! Now everyone's first kiss other than Lily's was with Sirius."

Remus blushed. "You too?"

"When was this?" Lily leaned away from him a few inches to see his face in its entirety.

"Three years ago," he grinned a little sheepishly as Padfoot snickered rather proud of himself. "We tried some of Dad's fire whiskey an' well, I told him I'd never been kissed before so he did me the honors to in his words 'do it right without scaring the girl off' and it seemed to work," he smirked kissing Lily teasingly. "You didn't run away."

"You two, I swear sometimes you're both insane," she shook her head in disbelief, smiling anyway.

"Well, everyone else has gone so now it's your turn, Lils," Sirius smiled.

"I most certainly will not participate in this!" She huffed indignantly.

"Fine, I'll tell. It was me. Your first and your only," James squeezed her waist in a slightly possessive gesture. Everything about his expression said that he was thoroughly pleased with his information.

Remus looked around the room, his gaze stopping on Lily, "everyone but Lily's kissed Sirius."

"I could fix that just for the sake of fun," Sirius sat up a little straighter pretending as if he were really interested in kissing a girl.

"NO!" James and Lily both yelled back simultaneously.

"Alright already!" he laughed, carefully picking up Cole and tucking him in his bed. Cole was cute, he mused smiling to himself. He had always thought that of James, but James was straight and he also had Lily and deeply loved her. Cole, however, was unattached and his preference was as of yet unknown. That gave him some semblance of hope. He'd ask James about it later after the others were asleep.

Unfortunately James fell asleep before both Lily and Remus. He bit his lip deciding to wake him up and ask anyway. It was better to just get it over with. Or at least he thought so. "James?" Sirius whispered, sitting down on the edge of his groggy best friend's bed. He didn't want to accidentally wake anyone else up.

"Hmm? Sumptin' wrong?" James opened one bleary eye trying to see Padfoot in the dark.

"No, not really... Just wanted to talk to you 'bout Cole," Sirius knotted the sheets in his hands nervously.

"Whatuh 'bout 'im?"

"Do you uh... well do you know if he's... y'know... if he swings my way or not?"

"Huh?" he was too tired to bother trying to decipher the words. He wanted it spelled out or he wasn't going to bother with it. He was tired and he didn't care who knew it.

"Do I have a chance with him? Y'know like you and Lily."

"Yes, now go to bed," he gave Sirius a half hearted shove trying to get him off of his bed. Unfortunately, Sirius had other plans and hugged him enthusiastically instead.

TBC...