"James!"

Sirius grasped the cloak and yanked it off them, sprinting toward James. Remus followed after, though Sirius had a plan. As Sirius ran, he grew shorter, hairier, and faster. He transformed into his Animagus form, the big, shaggy, black dog that would try and save James. Remus stared at the sight, slowing down, knowing there was nothing he could do.

Suddenly, there was a voice. A very familiar voice. A voice you wouldn't expect to hear at a time like this.

"James!" it called. "JAMES!"

The shaggy dog was right on the stag's tail, now, and was about to bite its leg and drag it backwards when the stag came to a halt on its own. The dog skidded to a stop to prevent from flying into the lake itself and sat there, puzzled. Then, it heard the voice again, and it all made sense.

"James...don't do this! I...I love you..."

The stag's head turned slowly, its eyes filled with yearning and high hopes. Its body turned slowly with its head, and it began to make its way farther and farther from the water, being followed closely behind by the dog. The stag transformed back into James, who was looking tiresome and weary, hoping that what he was hearing wasn't just his imagination.

"What?" he asked, unsure of what he was asking.

"I love you," spoke Lily clearly.

It was as if all of his hopelessness, fury, and fatigue had evaporated from his soul. He locked eyes with her, desperately hoping this wasn't just a dream. None of it made sense, but it was real enough for him. His pace quickened as he neared her, and she walked toward him. James wrapped his arms around her and held her close as if he would never let go. He never wanted to lose her. He loved her so much it hurt. His heart ached from having to hold his emotion to himself this entire time, but he felt overwhelmingly relieved to finally say these words.

"I love you, too."

Lily sobbed quietly from sheer happiness and disbelief. Remus smiled as he watched them, and Sirius, having transformed back, was now grinning. Lily and James stopped hugging and looked at each other, their eyes filled with loving compassion and strength that grew from that love. They kissed under the moonlight, still hoping that it wasn't a dream, and thrilled that their hearts could mend as fast as they could break.

There was no need for apologies. There was no need to try and explain. A silent reconciliation had been borne, and there was no need to speak it in words. They were all friends again. The common bond was reunited. James didn't even ask about Remus and Lily being together. It didn't matter now.

Because it was physically impossible for the four of them to fit under the invisibility cloak, Sirius volunteered to lead the way in plain sight, using the Marauders Map to make sure no one was nearby. The caretaker was in the library and none of the teachers were wandering the halls. Sirius marched on confidently while the others stumbled along.

"Ouch, James, watch where you're putting your elbow," complained Remus while rubbing his now bruised cheek."

"Sorry, mate," whispered James. He put his arm around Lily's shoulders and held her close. Remus struggled to stay under the cloak, his foot or arm occasionally peeking out. When they got into the common room, they took off the invisibility cloak and sat in their favorite armchairs. Sirius continued to glance at the map, his eyes widening when he saw a certain name. His jaw dropped as he mumbled incoherent fragments. James and Remus looked at him, puzzled.

"Uh, Padfoot...what's up?" asked James, not knowing what Sirius was trying to say.

Sirius laid out the map on the small coffee table in front of them and pointed to three dots that were located in the Slytherin common room. The names below the dots read, "Lucius Malfoy," "Narcissa Black," and, "Delaney Dickson". James peered through his glasses at the names and shrugged.

"So?"

"So..." Sirius had apparently remembered how to talk. "Delaney Dickson is that kid we saw under the table."

Remus sat back in his chair to contemplate what this could mean, but James jumped up and announced his encounter with Delaney at the pub.

"I saw that kid today! He was at the Three Broomsticks! He bumped into my stool and I turned around and...and...Lucius was there, too!" declared James, realization sweeping over him.

"Something's definitely going on," stated Remus matter-of-factly.

"What could they be up to?" asked Lily.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it must have to do with us. Seeing that kid three times at awkward moments is too bizarre to be a coincidence," said James seriously.

"Bloody hell, what does Lucius want with us now?" barked Sirius.

"I say we go find out," spoke James with a mischievous grin on his face. Sirius nodded in approval.

"How are we going to get into their common room? We don't know the password," said Lily, using common sense.

"Ah, we can figure it out," said Sirius in an attempt to cut off all of Lily's negative thinking. James and Sirius didn't think things through, but acted on impulse, and that was the way they wanted it to stay. Lily sighed and didn't make any valid points for the rest of the night.

It was back to the invisibility cloak, though this time they put an enlargement charm on it so that all four of them would be able to fit under it with ease. They made their way to the dungeons where the Slytherin common room was located, Marauders Map tucked securely in James's pocket. When they reached the entrance, they all paused and stared, not exactly knowing what to do.

"Well, uh...I suppose we need to guess the password," suggested James.

"Um, Flobberworm?" said Remus, almost in question form.

"The Lair of the Ugly Gits!" laughed Sirius.

"The House of Grease!" tried James.

"C'mon you guys, this is ridiculous," Lily objected. The door creaked and slid open.

"Lily, you did it! It must have been the spell 'Riddikulus'!" said James excitedly.

Lily's eyes lit up, feeling very accomplished and part of the group. The four of them quickly quieted down and proceeded inside cautiously. The dungeons weren't very homey. The light was emitted from candles that were inside of skulls that hung on the walls. It was damp and stuffy, creating an almost stifling feeling. It was eerily sinister with chains dangling from the ceiling and sections of the room that almost looked like jail cells. They all walked farther in and jumped in fright when the door slammed behind them. They turned around in unison and shuddered at the sight of Lucius, Narcissa, and Delaney. James stood his ground, however, and looked Lucius in the eye maliciously.

"What have you been up to?" asked James sternly.

"Whatever do you mean?" replied Lucius in a falsely baffled manner.

"We know you're planning something," snapped Sirius impatiently.

"Did you figure that out all by yourself, Sirius? I'm impressed," said Narcissa bitterly. Sirius sneered in her direction and returned his gaze to Lucius.

"I suppose there's no use in hiding it anymore," declared Lucius in a put-down way. He looked directly at James and smirked with pleasure because of what he was about to say.

"Delaney here," he said, motioning towards the small, frail boy, "has been, shall I say, a spy. He's helped me get information about you, though at some points he didn't do a very good job. Finding him under the table was certainly not part of the plan. But, no matter, it all worked out anyway."

Remus's stared, bewildered, Sirius's jaw dropped, and James kept his aggressive expression displayed on his face.

"I'm afraid what I'm about to do might come as a shock," said Lucius casually. He suddenly whipped his arm toward Lily, who just happened to be at an arm's distance, and pulled her toward him. She shrieked in terror and began kicking and throwing her arms in an act of wild defense, but Lucius had locked his arm around her neck and had his wand to her head. She finally stopped her frantic attempt to escape and highly regretted forgetting her wand in the dormitory.

"Lily!" James shouted in horror and fear. He scowled and would have charged at Lucius if he didn't have his wand. Sirius, Remus, and James simultaneously reached for their wands, but Narcissa and Delaney did the same. They glowered at each other as they almost drowned in the tangible antipathy.

"Let her go," said James in a quietly alarming tone. Lucius simply smiled maliciously.

"But she's so pretty," joked Lucius with a snicker. "You don't deserve a girl like her. No one does. I think that means we have to kil- OW!"

A mighty stomp on the foot can come as quite a shock and suddenly release the grip you have on something.

Lily shot over to James and jumped into his arms as James smiled and kissed her head.

"Nice one," he congratulated.

"Want to try that again, Lily?" growled Lucius, who was now almost trembling with rage. "EXPELLIARMUS!"

Three voices chimed the spell in unison, and altogether James, Remus, and Sirius's wands ripped out of their hands and soared over to the Slytherins.

"How brave are you now that you're unarmed, Jamesie?" spat Narcissa. James tore after Lucius, who once again had Lily in his clutches, though she was now unconscious from a charm. Sirius and Remus held him back, however, and dragged him in the opposite direction.

"Because you don't have any chance now, I suggest you scurry along. We'll finish this conversation tomorrow," said Lucius.

"No tomorrow's-" started Remus, but then instantly silenced.

"Oh, no need to fret about that little detail, Lupin, I already know."

Remus was aghast. He glanced at Sirius and James, but both of them seemed as though they had never heard the words spoken.

"Do you think he really meant that?' inquired Remus, panic in his voice. "Do you think they really know?"

"What does it matter. You two made me leave Lily with Lucius. That's practically a death sentence!" roared James who was suffering from emotional guilt. "We just left her."

"C'mon, she'll be fine! Anyway, they took our wands, so there wasn't much we could do," said Sirius rather sensibly. This caused Remus to look at him suspiciously as if they may have traded brains. Sirius answered the unasked question.

"What? I'm not going crazy! I can be serious and practical."

James snorted and Remus tried to stifle the laughter that wanted to burst out from its confinement. Sirius shot them looks of aggravation and they both ceased their amused reactions instantly, though they resumed once he turned back around. They had decided on sleeping in the Whomping Willow tonight, thinking that if Lucius really did now about Remus's secret, maybe he didn't know where the transformation occurred. They didn't want to risk the chance of him seeing them venture under the tree. The Shrieking Shack wasn't exactly the social hangout.

The wind was brisk and the air was crisp. Shivering was constant as they trudged across the snow-licked ground. The invisibility cloak was the source of their impunity. They were planning on skipping the next day's classes, not caring how many detentions they'd have to serve afterwards. This was more important.

They reached the Whomping Willow and stepped on the root that subdued the tree's antics. They quietly walked into the passageway and followed it to the Shrieking Shack where they fell asleep the very moment they shut their eyes.

The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon and allow the moon's presence to reign over the darkening sky. Blended colors of red, violet, and deep orange swirled around the descending yellow sphere as the Marauders finally stirred awake, refreshed from a night's sleep that was truly a night and a day's sleep.

"How in Merlin's name did we sleep this long?" questioned Sirius.

"I dunno, but you guys better transform. The sun's setting pretty fast," replied Remus nervously. James rubbed his eyes, still trying to adjust to the sudden shock of being awake. Sirius kicked him and James groaned.

"Why'd you do that? I'm up, I'm up!" mumbled James loudly. He twisted and stretched until he felt fully capable of becoming a stag. He stood up and looked at Sirius as if waiting for a signal. They both nodded and closed their eyes in concentration. Remus watched them intently as if it was the first time they had done this before. In a moment's time, the beings which were once James and Sirius were now a stag and a shaggy dog. The dog looked as if it was grinning which caused Remus to lessen his worrying and relax. He did not know why he was so much more tense than usual. This question was answered seconds later.

The sound of muffled footsteps could be heard from behind the door. Remus stared in horror, hoping it wasn't Malfoy. He would tell the entire school in a heartbeat and he'd have to leave forever. He watched in trepidation as the doorknob slowly twisted opened and his worst fear was confirmed. Lucius, Narcissa, Delaney, and Lily all emerged from the shadows, and all but Lily were grinning. Lucius looked the stag in the eyes and explained.

"How did we know? A polyjuice potion here, a hair from Peter there, and wa-lah! I was one of your best friends. You tell your best friends a lot, did you know that?"

Remus glared at him and finally found words to speak.

"You were Peter this entire time?"

"Oh, no," responded Lucius, "not the entire time. Often enough, however. Haven't you realized that I've been trying to have you killed indirectly all year? Did you really think James would commit suicide? He's too arrogant for that. Probably thought the world would stop turning if he left it."

The stag and dog began to move forward, the dog growling viciously and the stag's eyes glowing with hatred.

"I just slipped a little potion in James's butterbeer while Delaney created the distraction. It worked rather well until you had to show up," Lucius pointed out, looking at Remus. "I was so close to successfully killing James without having any blame. The potion would just make him overreact about his emotions, commit suicide, blah blah blah, yadda yadda, everyone's happy. But no, you had to do it the hard way. After months of snooping, we've finally found a way to successfully kill someone. It's too bad it had to be Lily.

Lily's eyes widened in sheer terror. She looked around frantically for an escape, but in a blink of an eye, Lucius, Narcissa, and Delaney were behind the door, pushing it so it couldn't be opened from the inside. Lily pushed back, but it was no use. Remus walked backwards, overwhelmingly frightened by the situation, and only managed to mutter one sentence.

"Lily, I am so sorry."

Lily stood pressed against the wall, hoping she'd blend in and hide from the wolf Remus was about to become. Sirius's dog form moved about restlessly while the stag approached Lily, its eyes looking into hers in an attempt to transfer his love for what might be the last time. James was not about to let Lily die without a fight. He would certainly die first.

The moon raised it all its wretched glory into the darkened sky and prevailed over the goodness and light that kept them all alive. Now the world was turned against them and they were alone to fight the terrible struggle of life and death. The transformation occurred, and Remus became a gray wolf that flashed its teeth as it growled menacingly at Lily, the only human left in its presence. The stag bent over and guarded Lily, as did the oversized dog as the wolf made its way closer and closer, focused on the smell of human flesh and the thought of the delectable taste of the blood that rushed through her veins. The stag's antlers were now pointing straight ahead as a threat and very likely a danger. The wolf did not heed this warning, and when it launched off its paws into the air, it faced the impact of the antlers jabbing its side. The wolf flew sideways into a wall while the black, shaggy dog began to move towards it. The dog returned the vicious growling and teeth-showing charade, determined to intimidate its best friend. The wolf got up and staggered sideways while trying to regain its balance and focus.

Sirius jumped onto the already injured wolf and they began to bite and scratch at each other. The dog struggled to avoid being bitten because to him it brought much greater consequences. He moved swiftly, concentrating on defense just as much as offense. He would occasionally lunge toward the wolf and managed to sink its teeth into its side at one point, causing the wolf to howl and yelp with pain. They knew this couldn't go on forever. If Lily didn't die, surely Remus would. The stag walked toward the door with Lily behind it as James decided to take advantage of the distraction Sirius was giving the wolf. He lowered his antlers in the same fashion as before and began to ram it with all its strength. Lily stood back and watched with great anxiousness, hoping he would be successful. The door finally busted open and sent Lucius and company soaring backwards. They landed hard on the wooden floor and tried to regain stability as James transformed again, hoping they wouldn't see.

"Hurry, Lily, run while they're still down! Go get the headmaster!" With those words, Lily bolted out of the passageway and ran toward the castle without any of the Slytherins even realizing it. James ran back inside and slammed what was left of the door, knowing that the Slytherins would gain full conscious momentarily. The wolf was now motionless on the floor and there was a look of intense worry in the dog's eyes. Sirius transformed back into a human and kneeled next to the wolf, observing the wounds.

"Bloody hell, I didn't mean to do that!" yelled a troubled Sirius. Blood stained the ground and flowed in little streams through the wolf's fur. Remus the Wolf was breathing deeply and slowly, obviously in a lot of pain. Sirius cringed at what he had done and jumped up with he heard the door slam open, the whole thing now falling off the hinges. Sirius couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Malfoy's haggard appearance. Lucius pointed his wand at Sirius's chest and spoke in a violent tone.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you," threatened Lucius through clenched teeth. Sirius's disposition now portrayed steadfast determination. James stood beside him confidently, both without wands and without their third friend.

"Since you two are obviously unarmed, I think we should take advantage of this," suggested Delaney in a squeaky voice.

"Who said anything about unarmed?" asked James delightedly. The others, including Sirius, looked at him curiously. Apparently only James knew what he was talking about. His hand, which had been in his pocket, whipped out. He threw a tiny capsule that he had in his hand at the three Slytherins and a pillar of smoke surrounded them. As the cloud slowly faded, only three white rabbits, a bundle of robes, and six wands remained. James and Sirius roared with laughter, and then remembering Remus's poor condition, picked up the three rabbits and the wands and used a charm to levitate Remus's wolf form out of the Shrieking Shack.

"We explained the whole thing to the headmaster," said James happily. "He decided that he had no choice but to expel Lucius. He couldn't expel the others, though, because they denied having any involvement and there was no solid proof."

Sirius moaned with dissatisfaction, having hoped that his wicked cousin would get kicked out as well. They were standing in the Hospital Wing, surrounding the bed that Remus was in.

"Listen, mate, I'm sorry for what I did," said Sirius apologetically.

"That's okay. I'm glad you did. You saved Lily," he replied, following the words with an, "Ouch!" He seemed to feel pain every time he moved. Lily smiled warmly as James hugged her, appreciating that she was alive.

"Um, James, about the whole Lily situation..." said Remus hesitantly.

"Don't worry about that. Lily told me it was her doing," he said almost amusedly, and that was all that was said on that topic.

"Where's Peter? I heard he was found tied up somewhere," asked Lily.

"I have no idea," answered Sirius, obviously not interested in his whereabouts.

"Didja know they're having trouble transforming Narcissa back into a human?" laughed Remus. He motioned to the bed next to him. James moved the curtain that separated the two areas and laughed. A single white rabbit was sitting there, nibbling on a carrot.

"I'm sure Lucius would like to hear that. She's a lot cuter as a bunny."

"Yeah, but the nose still seems rather large," said Sirius. They all laughed together, followed by another groan of pain from Remus.

"Hush!"

The voice was coming from the other side of the room, probably from the nurse. Taking no notice to the request to be silent, Sirius spoke in his normal voice volume.

"James, I've been meaning to ask you, where did you get that potion from?"

"You can thank Remus for that one. He gave it to me yesterday after he said Jennifer helped him again in Potions. He told me I could get extra credit if I turned it in to either Potions class or Transfiguration."

"But Remus, isn't that considered cheating? Some prefect you are." asked Sirius in an over-exaggerated way. Remus smirked and replied simply.

"I remember my words being, 'Here James, try to make the same potion. Use this to match the colors. It'll help.'"

James blushed and replied meekly.

"I don't remember that."

THE END.