Chapter Two: Best Friends

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize isn't mine.

By Padfoot

Took me awhile (torches and pitchforks rise around her in protest) but it's finally finished. A Life's Debt will most likely be updated next, but you never know. I change my mind a lot. X.x Hope you like. I do. - Padfoot

"Come on you guys—I mean, we don't even know if he really is a… you-know-what," a boy was pacing in front of his two friends, who were both parked on a couch.

The boy on the left had scruffy raven colored hair, and he seemed to disagree. "Yeah, it is possible that he isn't—but what if he really is?" he protested, ruffling up his hair, making it even scruffier.

The pacing boy stopped to stare at him. "Then he is. Seriously, I don't understand what the big deal is," he admitted.

"The deal is he's a werewolf, Sirius," the boy on the right side of the couch piped up. "Werewolves are violent and untrustworthy creatures. I mean, he's noteven really human."

"Peter," the boy called Sirius began, "you sound like my mother." He had stopped pacing now.

"Well Peter's right, Sirius," the messy haired boy said.

Sirius groaned in frustration and sat down on the hardwood floor. "So let's say that Remus really is a… you know. He's never hurt anyone."

"That we know of," brought up Peter.

It was well into the night, and the Gryffindor Common Room was free of anyone working late on their homework. The only people in the room were three second year boys. Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew were trying to decide to bring up the fact to their best friend that they were suspicious of him being a werewolf.

"Yeah," James said. "Remus could have done anything as a werewolf, and we wouldn't know. He lied to us already by telling us all of those things about why he was gone—who's saying there isn't more to it?"

"I am," debated Sirius. "And besides, we don't even know if he really is a werewolf yet."

"Sirius, you heard all of our facts. How could you not agree with us?" questioned James.

Sirius was watching the floor, not making eye contact with his best friends. "I do agree with you," he mumbled. "But I just think we should ask him first."

"Oh, that would be nice," Peter said sarcastically. "Hey Remus, we were wondering, are you a werewolf? Yeah, that would be just the perfect topic to bring up in the morning."

"Yeah, well what's puzzling me," James announced, "is why he never told us that he was a werewolf in the first place. I mean, we're all best friends."

"Maybe because he knew that we would act this way if he did tell us," answered Sirius, still staring at the floor. "If he does say he's really a werewolf—you know what we have to do, don't you?"

"No," admitted Peter. "Other than ask McGonagall for a new dormitory."

Sirius shot him a look, but instead of looking right down at the floor again, he looked right up at the two. "We're going to be more his friend than we were before," he declared.

They both looked at Sirius as if he were a werewolf too. "What?" James almost yelled. "You're kidding me, right? You know how werewolves act!"

"Nope, not kidding," Sirius replied coolly, standing up. "What did he do to us before we guessed this?" And as Peter opened his mouth to say something back, Sirius interrupted, "Besides the lying about being a werewolf."

Peter and James were silent. "Exactly," smiled Sirius. "Now—I'm going to go wake Remus up that way we can all talk about this." And he dashed off before James or Peter could argue back. They exchanged looks. How were they going to
bring up the fact that they thought their best friend turned into a monster once a month?

Sirius was convinced that there was nothing wrong with one of his best friends being one of the half-breeds that his family so greatly detested. He didn't care that Remus could have done anything, anything as a werewolf, whether intentionally or not. He didn't care. He was convinced to be his friend.

"Remus!" Sirius whispered, shaking his friend in his blankets. "Wake up."

"Wha?" Remus muttered lazily, and he turned over on his bed.

"Wake up, Remus," repeated Sirius simply.

Remus turned over again, facing Sirius. He opened his eyes slowly. "Why?" he mumbled softly.

"We need to talk to you," Sirius whispered.

"'Bout what?" Remus asked as he pulled himself out of bed. Sirius didn't answer at all as they walked down to where James and Peter sat in the Common Room. "Once again, I ask—what's going on?" Remus said as he sat down on the couch across from Peter and James alongside Sirius.

"We just want to talk," said Peter.

"It's two in the morning," pointed out Remus.

James had a strained and awkward look on his face. "Well, erm, we wanted some privacy to talk about… erm…" he trailed off.

"About me?" he guessed correctly, looking around at his friends' distress.

"Err… well," mumbled Peter, looking at his feet.

But Remus already knew what they had wanted to 'talk' about. "Anything to do with my being a werewolf?" He inquired, wincing slightly at admitting what he was. Bull's-Eye.

"Erm…" Peter was still fixed on his shoelace.

"Yes," admitted Sirius.

James hesitated before he said anything. "So… you are one, then?"

It was Remus's turn to avoid their eyes. "Yes," he whispered so quietly that they could hardly hear him. But he continued, a bit louder, but still very quiet. "So, what do you want to talk about? Are you going to tell McGonagall, ask her for another dormitory mate? Then I understand why you're doing this, you've got to confirm it with me first. Or do you want to tell me how you're 'so sorry, but you just don't want to be seen with someone like me?' Because it's quite alright, I'm used to it by now." Remus finished coldly, still looking at the floor.

"Well, we were going to ask you if you were really a… yeah," Sirius couldn't finish.

"And then ask you," Peter continued for him.

"How do you want us to help?" James smiled.

"You mean…?" Remus looked up at them, bewildered.

"Yep," James, Peter, and Sirius said together.

"You couldn't possibly think we'd abandon you, did you?" Sirius asked, chuckling softly.

Remus smiled. It was amazing. He had three best friends that didn't really care that he was a, well, you know. "Well it seems pretty stupid now," he admitted. "Hey—how did you figure me out in the first place?"

"Easy," Peter said. "You disappeared on the full moon every month, and came back with more and more scratches? Do you think we're that dumb?"

"Don't answer that," James told Remus.

"Well I have been thinking on how we could help you, Remus…" Sirius brought up.

It was lucky it was a Friday night, because the four best friends spent the whole night forming a plan on how to help Remus Lupin with his 'furry little problem' (as James liked to call it). But Remus wouldn't have cared if they weren't going to help him. He at least had friends that liked him for who he was, knowing he was a werewolf. He had never met another child like that before. And these three seemed to be the best.

You read it—You loved it—Now review it!

A bit of a change from the first chapter, eh? (I hope so. xD) I'm not sure I liked the ending so much….eh. - Padfoot