Lily looked at James in disbelief. "I can't believe you're going to bother asking when a) I hate you. b) I already have a date, and c) I hate you."
James became red with fury. "Every time I try to do a nice thing, you always shoot down my throat about the flaws in it! Why can't you ever act normal?"
Lily sneered at James. "James Potter, I always have and always will hate you!" she screeched. "You say do nice things? Well watching me, stalk naked, in the prefect's bathroom, is not a nice thing to do!"
James had his fists balled up in anger. He took one long hard look at her and stormed out of the common room. Lily noticed that a lot of students were staring at her now and she snapped "Get back to your work!"
Xxxx
Remus sighed as Professor McGonagall led him out across the grounds and towards the Whomping Willow. He felt like a female, seeing as once a month his body became out of control. He felt he could sort of understand what females went through now and had more respect for them. Though Remus always respected everyone.
Professor McGonagall turned to face Remus once she had prodded the knot on the tree which had made it freeze.
"This is where I leave you" she said as usual. "You know the deal. Madam Pomfrey will come by in three days time to collect you and bring you back up to the school to heal you. Stay in the house" she finished in a firm voice.
Remus nodded that he understood and clambered through the entryway in front of him. He climbed down the roots and into the familiar passage that would lead him to the Shrieking Shack.
He slowly walked down the passage. He had walked down it once a month for the past five years, and it was still creepy to him. It always seemed that there was something lurking in the shadows, but he knew that he was the only monster around.
He reached the end of the tunnel where he came up through a trap door in the living room of the Shrieking Shack. He could see that it was still slightly light outside but the sun was setting at what seemed to be a rapid pace.
Remus sat down on the floor and looked around at his surroundings. He didn't know why Dumbledore had provided furniture for him; he always ended up ripping it to shreds. The wooden floors were covered in claw marks and the curtains, like the furniture, were ripped to pieces.
Remus sighed once again as he saw the sun disappear over the horizon. He had taken up the habit of sighing a lot lately.
He watched a cloud slowly remove itself from the moon and Remus could feel a vein in his forehead throbbing as a cold sweat engulfed him. His body became rigid and he could feel his body twisting and turning in ways that he didn't think he could do without the curse.
He felt thick fur covering his body while his fingernails grew into sharp claws. His teeth were now growing and becoming much more pointy and into fangs. He let out a howl of pain that could be heard back at Hogwarts as his body finished the transformation.
Xxxx
Peter, Sirius, and James all looked up from their books in the Room of Requirements as they heard the sound of a werewolf howling in the distance. The sound always sent chills down Peter's spine, and he wrapped his arms tightly around himself, as if he was hugging himself.
To get James's mind off of the rejection, Peter and Sirius rounded him up and drug him to the Room of Requirements where they would do more studying on their anamagi forms.
Ever since Peter had transformed that one time he had avoided trying it again in fear that he wouldn't be able to turn back to himself.
After two hours of trying, Sirius was capable of growing a snout and James had developed hooves.
"This is useless" James grumbled as he put his book down on the table.
Sirius sighed. "Peter, how did you do it?" he asked while turning to his friend who was sitting in an arm chair.
Peter became slightly pale at the memory. "I don't really remember. Inside I was kind of praying that it wouldn't work, yet I was completely focused on transforming." Peter gulped and looked at his two friends continued to stare at him, waiting for more to be said. "Well I don't know, I just kind of closed my mind on my other thoughts and then I was a rat."
Both James and Sirius exchanged glances then stood up. James took hold of the invisibility cloak and motioned for Sirius and Peter to get under as they headed back to the common room.
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
The night of the Halloween Ball had finally arrived and everyone was dressing up in their costumes. It was afterall Halloween so of course there were costumes involved.
James had finally managed to get a date with a fourth year Ravenclaw who was quite pretty. He had met her in the entrance hall. She was dressed in a flowy silvery gown and had a pair of wings on and in her wand she was hold her wand which she had gotten one of her friends to put a charm on it to make it sparkle for the evening.
James had his hair slicked back and instead of his usual black rimmed glasses, he sported a pair of 'cool' shades that he had picked up in a muggle store that he and Sirius had seen while walking around London over the summer. He was supposed to be what a muggle referred to as a 'Greaser'.
James grinned at Jessica, the pretty Ravenclaw as she hooked arms with him.
"You look gorgeous" he whispered into her ear as they enterred the wonderfully decorated Great Hall.
Jessica turned a deep shade of red at the words being whispered into her ear, but she suddenly gasped at the sight of the hall. Floating Jack-O-Lanterns of all shapes and sizes were floating along with the enchanted candles. There were haystacks and scarecrows enchanted to dance. There was an area set up for dancing and an area off to the side set up with tables full of every kind of sweet immaginable. The band 'Spook 'Em', which was composed of several ghosts, was hired, and there were already several students out on the dance floor.
Sirius and Belle waved from the dance floor as they saw James and Jessica walk in. Sirius was dressed as a vampire. He had the black cape, fangs and all. Belle, of course, was his victim. She was dressed in an old dress that she had found in the back of a store. The sales clerk had leered at her while she was trying the dress on and when she bought the dress, Belle could've sworn that the clerk had smirked to herself. All she knew was that some old and powerful witch had once worn this dress.
Sirius and Belle continued to dance as Remus and Alexis came and joined the two. Alexis was dressed as the transfiguration teacher and Remus had a long silvery beard attatched to himself and one could only guess he was trying to be Dumbledore.
Sirius and Belle both laughed at the sight of Remus with the long beard.
"Who are you supposed to be? Father Time?" Sirius asked in between chuckles.
"I'm Dumbledore, obviously" Remus said.
"I told him he needs the half moon spectacles" Alexis said while grinning.
They continued to dance for a while and then went and sat with Peter and Emma who were both dressed as gingerbread men (well Emma was obviously a gingerbread woman but you get the picture).
Soon James and Jessica came and joined the others.
"I don't know how people could breathe in these corsets or dresses" Belle commented while taking some shallow breaths.
Sirius turned to her, his face full of concern. "Are you ok?" he asked.
Belle nodded. "Just need to get adjusted to breathing like this."
Alexis turned to Belle. "Do you want to go to the loo and I can loosen the corset for you?" she asked.
A wave of relief swept over Belle. "Would you?"
Alexis nodded while standing up and following Belle to the bathroom.
After many minutes of trying to loosen the corset in the bathroom, Belle gasped as she felt the material tighten around her. "I said loosen, not tighten!" she managed to squeeze out as the material kept shrinking in around her. It suddenly stopped when she was the point to where she felt as if she was going to pass out.
"I'm trying, I'm trying. It won't loosen up at all" Alexis said. She then took out her wand and muttered a charm, but it didn't seem to work at all.
"Nothings working" Alexis said to Belle who immediately started to panic. "Calm down or you're going to pass out. I'm going to get James and Sirius. You wait here" Alexis said while rushing out of the room.
James and Sirius rushed in with Alexis tailing behind them. Belle had become dizzy and ended up leaning against the wall. She knew that sitting would put more pressure on her lungs and she wouldn't be able to breathe at all.
"Belle, are you ok?" Sirius asked a very pale Belle. She nodded weakly and collapsed into his arms.
After trying for several minutes and having absolutely no luck, Sirius sent Alex and James off to find Dumbledore. Sirius held Belle close and kissed her forehead lightly. "It's going to be ok" he whispered in her ear.
Dumbledore rushed in with McGonagall, once again with James and Alex tailing them.
Dumbledore took a look at the clasp and murmured something to Professor McGonagall who merely nodded her agreement.
"Insemptio" Dumbledore mumbled while tapping the corset with his wand and the clasp dissolved and immediately loosened the whole corset.
"Take her to the hospital wing" Dumbledore told Sirius, James and Alexis. "Madam Pomfrey will be able to give her something to make her capable of breathing better. I'm afraid she may have a bit of a problem because it was bound so tightly for so long."
Sirius picked Belle up and carried her to the hospital wing as James and Alexis returned to their dates.
He laid her down on the vacant bed Madam Pomfrey had shown him and held her hand. Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips then walked towards the cabnet at the far side of the wing.
"Same night eh?" Sirius said.
Belle smiled weakly and reached up and kissed him lightly to Sirius's surprise.
"Ahem" Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat. "I think it's best you leave now. You can check up on her in the morning."
Sirius nodded and kissed Belles cheek one last time and then left the Hospital Wing. Instead of heading back to the ball, he headed straight to the common room. He couldn't wait until the next day when he could check up on Belle.