For the Climate Control Challenge on the Ministry of Magic Discord.


The dormitory is filled with the distinctive stench of wet dog. And if the smell weren't unbearable enough, Peter has taken it upon himself to remind everyone of it every few minutes with an exaggerated sniff and a loud groan.

"You shouldn't have come out last night," Remus says. He hovers by the window, staring outside at the grey skies with sunken eyes. "The weather was terrible."

Sirius throws Peter a sour look as he flings an arm around Remus' shoulders. If he notices Remus wince, he doesn't show it. Instead, he immediately launches into a loud (and obnoxious) speech about the importance of friendship and helping one another.

"Besides," Peter interrupts drily, "we were pretty much playing fetch with a werewolf. I don't know if the weather was our greatest concern."

"Peter. For fu—"

Remus shakes his head. "He's right. You really should stop coming out with me."

"Although, you didn't even have to stay in the Hospital Wing overnight," Peter continues. "So, I suppose we are helping you a bit, aren't we?"

Remus blinks. He'd be the first to say that he still looks terrible, but Peter's right. What used to be several days with Madam Pomfrey has turned into just a few hours. If she wasn't so pleased about it, she might have been suspicious enough to ask about the sudden change.

"Exactly," Sirius says emphatically. "We're helping. And it's fun." He gives Remus a sympathetic look. "Well, not for you, mate. But, you know...I get to turn into a fucking dog."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Plus now that we've started, James'll never let us stop."

Remus starts. "What?"

"James," Peter repeats. "Now that we've started going out with you, he'd never let us stop."

But before Remus can ask just what Peter means by that, Sirius has very quickly changed the subject to whether or not the stairs to the girls' dormitory would let him up in Animagus form. Remus tries not to dwell on it—tries to stop his thoughts from trailing back to it—but every so often, his mind wanders. He can't help but wonder. Why James in particular? And why does that thought—that James is the one who cares the most—warm Remus's cheeks?