James and Sirius barely spoke a word to Peter for the rest of the night- mainly because they were nursing sore, burnt throats as a result of the fire breathing, but aside from that they were still raging mad that he failed to inform them he'd tainted the whole school's pumpkin juice with Pepper Breath Potion, instead of just the Slytherins. Peter hadn't stopped trying though, and had been continuously begging for mercy ever since.

Remus was the only one of the Marauders who was happy as Day 3 of their pranking began. He was secretly pleased that the Pepper Breath incident had put a bit of an ironic dampener on his two over-confident friends, and was hoping that perhaps they would learn to ease on a bit. As good as it was that they had been taught a lesson, however- Remus found himself quickly getting fed up with James and Sirius giving Peter 'the old silent treatment', and acting as if he didn't exist.

He had just about had enough when things continued at breakfast on Wednesday morning.

"P-Please, James- S-Sirius, I really, really-"

"Do you hear something, Prongs?" asked Sirius, as if Peter's pleading was nothing more than the wind whistling through a crack in the wall.

"Nothing at all, Padfoot," replied James, casually buttering a piece of toast.

"No, me either. I must be imagining things. Silly me,"

Peter gave Remus a desperate look. Remus frowned, sighing sharply, lowering the copy of The Daily Prophet he was reading.

"Look, this has gone far enough," he said. "James, Sirius- I think Peter has something he would like to say to say to you,"

Sirius sniffed theatrically, and carried on in a throaty voice. "Tell Peter that if he'd said something to us a little sooner, then James and I wouldn't be landed with the worst sore throats in the history of the world today!"

Peter looked doubly guilty.

"I'm sorry! Remus- tell them I'm sorry!"

"Tell Peter sorry isn't good enough, Remus," said James, also sounding husky.

Remus ignored them all and simply held the paper up higher, defensively.

"I did try to tell you!" Peter whimpered. "I did, didn't I Remus?"

"Didn't try very hard, did you?" James retorted. "Obviously didn't think it was important enough to tell us, did you? Did he, Remus?"

Remus couldn't take being caught in the cross fire anymore.

"All right, that's enough!" he said firmly, putting the paper down again. The other three fell silent. "Peter didn't mean for this to happen, he apologised, and I think its time you both accepted that. Anyway- don't you agree that some good has come out of this?"

James and Sirius looked highly affronted.

"Good?" shrilled Sirius, immediately regretting taking such a high tone, and gingerly touching his throat in pain.

"Yes," said Remus quietly. "Don't you see? You're not under suspicion anymore- any teachers who saw what happened would know it can't have been your fault, if you were victims too- I mean, not even really thick people fall for their own pranks. They'll think twice about blaming you now. Think about it,"

James and Sirius considered this for a moment, exchanging glances. Peter watched nervously.

"What do you think, Sirius?" asked James, sliding his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Should we forgive Wormtail? Even if he's singularly the biggest twerp in this room?"

"Oh, ok. Fine," said Sirius with effort. "Forgiven,"

Peter looked purely delighted.

"Oh, thankyou!" he said. "Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!"

Sirius rolled his eyes, flicking his dark hair out of his face. "All right, all right- you're lucky James and I aren't still coughing up flames, or we'd set that thick little head of yours on fire,"

"Should've done it while we had the chance," mumbled James gloomily.

Peter was too overjoyed to listen, and was simply happy they were speaking to him again.

"Well I'm glad you've sorted that out," smiled Remus. He looked at Sirius and James. "So I suppose you two are going to take it easy today, then?"

The two of them grinned madly. Remus' face fell, knowing he would have no such luck.

"Oh contraire, Moony!" said James, gesturing dramatically. "The Marauders don't let little things such as sore throats get in the way of their Marauding!"

"Precisely!" Sirius filled in. "We're only on the 3rd day, there's much to be done! And already I have a plan…this is going to be the best day yet!"

His eyes were twinkling with mischief. Peter looked a tad worried by this time.

"I don't know, Sirius," he said. "I don't want to mess things up again- I'm not good with potions and charms…can't we just stay with harmless Muggle pranks? You know, like wrapping things up in toilet paper?"

"Peter you really are a boring git sometimes, you know that?" James told him. "What's the use of going to a school that teaches magic if you don't have any fun with it?"

"But thankyou for bringing me into the theme for our next prank," continued Sirius. "The lavatories,"

"The-what? Oh no," said Remus, covering his face with his hands.

"Oh yes! This one's going to be brilliant, I can feel it in my bones!" said Sirius, winking at them. "Now…" he delved into his robes and brought out two cakes of slightly green soap. "You know what this is?"

"That's soap!" Peter piped up, glad he could contribute.

"Well done, Merlin," said Sirius sarcastically and quickly continued. "This isn't just ordinary soap. Its Zonko's finest frogspawn soap,"

"Aha, Sirius, you've done us proud," said James.

Sirius grinned. "Why thankyou Prongs. Now, according to my research, there are two main things in this world that make girls scream in bathrooms. One is finding something disgusting in the sink. The other is spiders,"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "And I suppose you've done extensive research on this, have you?"

"Absolutely," said Sirius dismissively. "Now, my plan is for us to-"

"Black! Potter!"

Sirius and James jumped at being addressed so suddenly. Madam Pomfrey had approached them from behind and was glaring down at them reprovingly, her hands on her hips.

"Well? Would either of you care to explain why have I not seen you two in the Hospital Wing yet?"

"H-Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey?" asked James.

"Yes, for those sore throats!" she said, as though it were obvious. "I've been treating the other affected students all morning and all last night! Honestly, I would have thought that two fifth year boys would have had the common sense to put their health first! Lily Evans informed me she had seen you two among many others fall victim to that tainted Pumpkin Juice last night,"

"Thanks alot Lily," mumbled Sirius.

"I daresay the house elves are being severely reprimanded for letting such a thing happen…did you say something Mr Black?"

"No," said Sirius quickly. "But really, Madam Pomfrey, we feel fine, I don't-"

"Nonsense," Madam Pomfrey tutted. "You should have come straight to me, you two must be in an awful amount of pain, judging by how badly the other students were affected. Pepper Breath Potion in Pumpkin Juice, honestly…I hope they catch the culprit and give them what for! Come on, come with me- I'll have you both fixed up in a jiffy,"

James really couldn't be bothered being 'fixed up in a jiffy', and would rather have gone to lessons than lay in the Hospital Wing while Madam Pomfrey forced potions down his throat. "Really, Madam Pomfrey, we're both all right-"

"I won't hear such things, Potter. No excuses- you and Black are to come with me now!"

There was no way out. James and Sirius exchanged glances and stood up. Madam Pomfrey turned and left the hall, expecting them to follow.

"Looks like our next prank will have to be put on hold," said Sirius miserably, watching Madam Pomfrey leave. "While James and I go and get mothered by that old duffer,"

"She just won't take no for an answer," James muttered. He winced, touching his throat.

"Oh, but Madam Pomfrey is really nice," said Peter. "She'll cure your sore throats in a heartbeat!"

"Don't you talk to us about sore throats, Wormtail," growled Sirius, and Peter shrank back into his chair.

"Yes, well, maybe its for the best that you have to cancel your pranking for the moment," Remus said as he poured himself some coffee. "Besides, Sirius- I don't think you of all people should be trusted with going into a girls bathroom,"

Sirius' eyes sparkled and he smiled.

"Perhaps you're right," he said. "Do you wanna do it?"

"What??" exclaimed Remus.

"Excellent thinking!" said James happily. "Remus and Peter can do the prank while we're in the Hospital Wing!"

"No!" cried Remus. "I'm not getting dragged in to this! There's no way Peter and I are going to-"

"Please?" asked Sirius sweetly, cutting him off. "It'll be good for you!"

Remus gave him a totally perplexed look, searching him for a reason why creeping into a girls bathroom could possibly be good for him.

"It'll give Peter a chance to redeem himself," James pointed out, sparing Peter a meaningful glance. Peter nodded, thoroughly enthused, and eager to impress. "And plus," James continued, redirecting his gaze to Remus. "You said it yourself: no one suspects us anymore after last night,"

Remus thought for a moment, his eyes narrowed in thought.

"If we get caught," he said darkly. "Not only will I get my badge taken away, but I'll probably be expelled,"

"Come on, Moony!" said Sirius. "Take a chance, you little rebel, you! Or else we'll have to resort to blackmail,"

"B-blackmail?"

James leaned forward. "We'll tell everyone your secret,"

Remus paled in disbelief. "Y-you wouldn't-"

"Nah, we wouldn't, mate," said Sirius light heartedly. "Just wanted to sound threatening!"

Remus looked highly unimpressed. Peter looked between him, and James and Sirius, waiting for a response.

"So?" whispered James. "Will you do it? For us?"

"Your best friends?" added Sirius.

Remus sighed. And then, finally, he said, with much effort: "What's your plan then, Padfoot?"

Peter and Remus walked towards the girls lavatory on the 2nd floor as if they were heading for the gallows. Rightfully they should have been in Divination, but Remus had informed their teacher that he had some important 'Prefect' business to sort out, and Peter was helping him out. What they were about to do couldn't have been further from important Prefect business.

Sirius had given them instructions, and handed over the frogspawn soap to Peter to carry. He had also told them the rest of the plan, which was a little more harsh than simply swapping the cakes of soap around in the sinks.

"I- I don't like spiders much, Remus," Peter stammered, the two of them walking down a corridor towards the bathroom.

"Its all right- the hex doesn't actually create real spiders. Its just an illusion," replied Remus. "We won't be in there long. We'll just do what James and Sirius wanted, and then get out, and go back to our lesson,"

He turned this over in his mind, replaying what exactly it was they were doing, and realisation washed over him.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered. "They'll never let us forget it if we don't go in, although they're bound to use it against us at some point if we do go in…so really, Peter, I think we're caught between a rock and a hard place,"

Despite walking slow, the two boys eventually reached the foreboding door that marked the entrance to the girls bathroom.

"Well…here we are," said Peter, fiddling with his tie in a nervy manner. "Should-should we just- go in?"

Remus glanced back down the corridors, looking worried. He was clearly getting nervous, and kept running his hand through his hair.

"It…it doesn't sound like anyone is in there at the moment," he observed, glancing at Peter. "We should be…all right,"

Peter nodded.

"Well?"

Peter hesitantly put his hand to the door and gently pushed. It creaked open. Remus closed his eyes briefly, then mustered up all of his courage and peered in.

He was right, and they were in luck- the lavatory was deserted.

"I think its safe," he told Peter. "Come on- lets go,"

With one final fleeting glance down the corridors leading up to it, Remus and Peter ducked inside, half shielding their faces in case anyone was to see.

The door shut behind them. They were in. Remus breathed a sigh of relief.

"So far so good, I guess?" said Peter, twitching nervously. "I-I've got the soap,"

"Right," said Remus. He made his way over to the sink, and with disgust, picked up the slimy, existing soap, slipping it into his pocket. Peter did the same, and placed the bars of frogspawn soap in their place.

"Yuck," muttered Peter, rinsing his hands under the tap. "So-so what exactly happens when someone tries to use this?"

"Well," said Remus. "I'm no expert on Zonko products, but I'd imagine instead of foaming up, I guess upon using it you end up with a handful of frogspawn... trust Sirius to think of it,"

"That's really gross," said Peter, screwing up his face in disgust. "Wh-what about the spiders?"

Remus got out his wand and looked up around at the walls and the ceiling.

"I suppose we'll have to do those too," he said heavily. "If we don't, James and Sirius will find out,"

He aimed his wand and remembered the curse.

"Arachnophillia," he murmured. A white wisp shot out of the end of his wand and hit a spot high up on the wall. Fluffy white cobwebs began to festoon themselves around the walls and windows, spreading right out into the corners, and draping over the ornate stone carvings. They reached every corner, and across the ceiling like a thin white veil. It was then that spiders of all shapes and sizes began blossoming amongst them. Tiny little black ones, deadly looking red-backs, and huge hairy huntsmens- all scuttling around, spinning their own webs and wiggling their little spindly legs. There were hundreds of them, and every single one of them looked surprisingly real.

Peter gave a whimper, and even Remus shuddered slightly at the sight of them all.

"That will do," said Remus quietly.

"Can we go now?" whined Peter, watching the spiders and quivering.

"Yes, lets get out of here," said Remus. He tucked his wand back under his robes, and was just about to turn towards the door, when a sudden sound from outside hooked his and Peter's attention. They both stood as still as statues, listening.

It was footsteps. Not just of one person, but of many. They were getting closer. As was the approaching sound of chattering voices.

Chattering girls voices.

It wasn't often that either Remus or Peter swore, but at this instant, they both cursed simultaneously and looked at each other in panic.

"Girls!!" hissed Remus. "What do we do??"

"I don't know!" Peter squeaked, voice wavering in fright. "We have to get out!!"

"We can't go out, they'll see us!" Remus moaned, dashing around the room. "There's only one door!"

Peter was jumping up and down in alarm. "We have to hide!!"

"Where??" Remus asked, glancing around frantically.

Peter clapped eyes on the toilet cubicles. "In there!" he cried.

It was risky, but the two boys had no choice. Remus hurtled over and threw himself inside one, Peter at his heels. They bolted the door just in time.

They heard the girls enter in a burst of giggles and excited gossiping.

Remus shut his eyes and put his hands to his head, breathing fast. Peter proved that it was possible to chew all ten fingernails at once.

"Just be quiet," whispered Remus, panic-stricken and looking pale. "They'll never know, as long as we're quiet,"

The group of what seemed to be about 4 girls had clearly not yet noticed the arrangement of spiders crawling around all over the ceiling and the top of the walls, in amongst yards of floaty cobwebs- they all appeared far too absorbed in girly chitchat, and were most likely doing makeup in front of the mirrors.

"So do you really think Lily likes Potter?" asked one girl.

"Absolutely," replied another. "Its written all over her face after she's been talking to him,"

Remus and Peter looked at each other, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," said another girl. "It must be one of those love-hate relationships. They're always arguing! Potter's such a self-centred git, though!"

"I know!" said the first girl. "But I fancy that Sirius Black- he's a bit of a looker!"

All of the girls giggled.

"But he's just as egotistical as Potter," stated one of them. "The pair of them are a couple of total pratts, everyone knows that! I like that cute friend of theirs,"

"Who, Lupin?"

Remus's eyes widened.

"Yeah," crooned one of the girls. "He's so gorgeous and sweet!"

They all giggled again.

Peter was mouthing wordlessly. Remus came to his senses and grabbed him by the shoulders, his cheeks a bit flushed.

"We have to get out of here!!" he whispered as quietly as possible.

"How?" asked Peter. "If only we had James' invisibility cloak!"

The girls continued talking.

"But all 3 of them hang around with that clingy little rat, you know, Pettigrew!"

"Eurgh!" squealed one of them. "I hate him!"

Peter looked extremely hurt, however the girls' comments had given Remus an idea. "Peter!" he said softly. "You need to transform! You can distract them, while we both run out!"

"They hate me!" Peter wailed quietly.

"Peter- it doesn't matter right now!" said Remus hastily. "Quickly! Transform! You go and cause a diversion- then I'll lead the way out, all right?"

Peter pulled himself together enough to nod, and then stepped back, looking like he was concentrating very hard.

He squeezed his eyes shut tight and began to shrink as his features became rodent-like. His face lengthened to a long mousy nose, he sprouted long whiskers, a tail and soon enough, Peter was nothing more than a brown rat, timidly sniffing around on the floor.

"Ok," said Remus, taking a deep breath. "Go!"

Wormtail shot out of the cubicle, squeaking frenetically.

"What's that?" asked one girl vaguely, hearing the squeaks.

"A RAT!!" shrieked another, setting them all off into a symphony of ear splittingly high screams.

"EWWW!!"

"I HATE RATS!!!"

"ITS DISGUSTING!!"

"IT PROBABLY CAME OUT OF THE LOO!"

"WHERE DID IT GO???"

"EYAAAAAHHH!!"

Remus took his chances and flung the cubicle door open- he cannoned out, through the cluster of screaming girls, bolting towards the exit after Wormtail, his robe hood pulled down over his face. He single-handedly wrenched the door open, stumbled out and ran like he'd never run before.

A rather bemused looking Filch- who happened to be passing- eyed him as he tore past, and a rather hungry looking Scraggles did the same to Wormtail, who was scuttling after him. With an angry growl, Scraggles was off, hot on Wormtail's trail.

"Scraggles!" Filch bellowed. "No!"

Wormtail, noticing he was now being hunted by an enormous cat, sped up, galloping along as fast as his little rat legs could carry him. Remus, hearing Filch behind him skidded to a stop, only to see Scraggles lunge at Peter and fasten his fangs around his friend, who was squeaking hysterically, writhing around.

Remus, suddenly not caring if Filch saw who he was, grabbed Scraggles around his scrawny waist and twisted his squeaking friend out of his jaws.

"You can't eat him!" he told the cat firmly.

Filch was slowly advancing, looking at him oddly.

"Lupin?!" he exclaimed. "What were you doing in the girls lav-"

He was cut off as another, even louder round of screams sounded from the girls bathroom, amidst which was a clearly perceptible cry of "SPIDERS!!!".

Filch, hearing the blood curdling shrieks, turned and strode towards the bathroom- then, feeling it his duty as a caretaker to see to the problem, he opened the door.

This resulted in the loudest bout of screams yet from the girls- obviously they considered seeing Filch setting foot in their bathroom was 10 times scarier than any amount of rats or spiders.

Remus couldn't help but laugh to himself, and, still holding Wormtail- who was trembling violently- he left the scene, and didn't stop until he was several corridors away. He knelt down beside the One Eyed Witch statue and set the rat down on the floor, once he was sure the coast was clear.

"Its all right, Peter- its safe,"

Peter began to grow- the reverse of what had happened moments before. The whiskers vanished, as did the long thin tail, and eventually, he was human again. He looked a bit worse for wear, though- his robes were untidy and his mousy hair ruffled, and he was sobbing fretfully.

"Are you all right, Peter?" asked Remus gently.

Peter flung his arms around Remus gratefully. Remus, looking a little taken aback, patted him awkwardly on the back.

"Er- there, there?" he offered.

"You saved me Remus!" Peter choked, crying his eyes out into Remus' chest. "Thankyou!"

"That's fine, Pete- look, I don't want to sound rude, but- could you perhaps let go now? Filch has already seen me coming out of a girls bathroom; if he sees us hugging passionately like we are, I think he might start getting the wrong idea,"

"R-right," Peter snivelled, releasing Remus and drying his eyes. "I'm not ever doing that again, no matter what James and Sirius threaten to do to me,"

"No way," said Remus. He smiled. "We did it though, didn't we?"

Peter smiled too, gulping back a few tears. "Y-yeah," he said. "I nearly got eaten, b-but we did it,"

Remus was grinning in an uncharacteristically evil manner. "Do you think we should tell the others what we overheard? You know, the whole 'self-centered, total pratt' thing?"

Peter thought for a minute, then shook his head, also grinning.

"Yes, I agree," said Remus. "I think we'll just keep that little bit of knowledge to ourselves…we'll save it until next time James and Sirius need their egos deflated. Come on, lets go,"

And with that, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin left the 2nd floor corridors, feeling bad…but feeling well and truely like Marauders.

A brief thankyou to all my readers so far- I'm rather shocked anyone read it and could be bothered commenting at all! But again, thankyou, you know who you are! More to come...er...if you don't mind, that is xD