Disclaimer: Characters and settings are property of J.K. Rowling. What you don't recognize is mine. And I wish I owned the Marauders (specifically Sirius and Remus) but most unfortunately, I do not. L

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"There they are!" Janine jumped up, but McGonagall forced her back down into her seat. Lily couldn't look up from the floor. She was so ashamed – and she hadn't been able to look up since arriving in the Great Hall half an hour before. McGonagall had forced them all into chairs, next to an exceptionally angry Snape and cold Professor Violet – their DADA teacher and the head of Slytherin House.

Dumbledore closed the doors behind him, ignoring the two boys before him. Now Lily looked up. Sirius and James were both very white – James had scratches up and down his arms, and Sirius's leg had a deep gash in it and was dripping blood onto the floor. McGonagall stood, her face pale with fury. "Fifty points from Gryffindor!" she snapped. "Each. I've never caught so many-"

"Minerva." Dumbledore's voice was sharp. "There will be no punishment tonight. Not until I fully understand what has taken place tonight. You five," he said, indicated Lily, Janine, Alyssa, James, and Sirius, "are very lucky that Mr. Snape caught up with myself, Professor McGonagall, Professor Violet, Miss King, and Mr. Pettigrew. I have sent Miss King and Mr. Pettigrew to their dormitories with assurances of your safety. The six of you will go to the Hospital Wing and remain there until I come for you. And if I hear of any fights among you students," he added coldly, "I will very seriously consider expulsion. I trust you do not need myself, Professor McGonagall, or Professor Violet to show you the way. Good night."

But it wasn't a good night. Lily's eyes filled angrily with tears. She had only been doing her job as a prefect! It wasn't fair…

She looked up and glowered at Sirius and James once the teachers were gone. "This is all your fault," she hissed, and leapt to her feet, ignoring the pain in her ankle. She limped ahead of all of them down the Hospital Wing.

If she had stayed to watch, she would have seen Alyssa follow her silently and Janine throw both James and Sirius a look of deep loathing before following them haughtily, ignoring the gash on the side of her head.

X-X-X-X-X

"We won't let you get in trouble, Lils," Janine was saying as James and Sirius entered the Hospital Wing. Out of the corner of his eye, James could see Snape lying down in a cot, far away. His back was to them.

James winced when he entered – Janine had a bandage wrapped around her head – presumably to keep Pomfrey's healing potions from dripping down her face – Alyssa's arm was in a sling, and Lily's ankle was taped up. "Just to hold them until morning," assured Madam Pomfrey. She gave James and Sirius vexed looks. "Come and sit down!" she barked.

Both boys hastily parked on a pair of cots as Pomfrey worked her magic. "Thanks, Poppy," said Sirius in a noticeably subdued voice.

She struggled with herself for a moment, and then broke out in a small smile. "You're welcome," was her soft reply. She walked away.

They sat in silence for a few moments, then Janine spoke. "While waiting for you, Snape told us – well, me, really – what happened." Her voice was cold as ice. "I suppose it never occurred to any of you what might happen if he'd died. If we'd died. I don't think I need to tell you."

James looked at his feet, but Sirius made a noise of protest. "Leave him out of it. It wasn't his fault. It was… it was mine. I told."

Janine's face was full of disgust. "You're pathetic, Black. And you don't deserve to be a Gryffindor." Sirius's head snapped up and he opened his mouth to object; she cut him off. "For one thing," she continued in freezing tones, "it was a pretty damned cowardly thing to do. It was a Slytherin thing to do. We're supposed to be better than that."

"Cut it out, Janine!" James snapped. "It's not like you've never made a stupid mistake in your life!"

"Yeah," snapped Janine back. "But my mistakes don't get people nearly killed, do they?"

"Janine, stop," ordered Lily, and her friend subsided into a dark scowl. Lily glared at the boys – particularly Sirius, but then looked back at her friend. "It's not worth your time talking to them. They'll never understand." She lay down in her bed, and in moments, was asleep.

Neither Sirius nor James moved from the sitting position on the cot all night.

X-X-X-X-X

Dumbledore surveyed the six students assembled in his office without words. Adjectives came to mind immediately as he looked at them all – Janine looked defiant, Lily ashamed, Alyssa despondent, and James mutinous and Sirius was… stunned, it seemed. Unable to look at even his best friend, as if so horrified at what he'd done. Snape alone looked impassive.

Dumbledore had dealt with each of these students before – in groups and alone. He knew them all quite well, and was able to read most of their expressions like an open book. His talents at Legilimency helped. With his knowledge of what they were like and his utilization of Legilimency, he'd be able to get the truth out of them.

And if he sensed any lying, he'd use truth potions if necessary.

Dumbledore sighed, and turned to Janine. Judging from her expression, it'd be easiest to get the story from her first – although he had no doubt in his mind that the story would be quite a biased one, coming from her. "Let's begin with you, Miss Garnet. What do you have to say for yourself – and in your defense for being out on the grounds after curfew?"

She opened her mouth, and then closed it with a decisive snap. "There isn't much to say," she said at last. "And all I'm going to say is that I have no idea what really happened last night. Lily told me she'd seen someone out on the grounds, and she was going to get them, because that's what prefects do. I had no idea it was Severus, and I knew it was a full moon. Marlene, Jen, Lily, and I figured out what Remus was in our third year. I went to try and stop her, to warn her it wasn't safe." She set her jaw, and fidgeted for a moment. Dumbledore said nothing, knowing the girl had more.

At last, she burst out, "You can't get mad at Lily! It's not fair! Fine, maybe the rest of us were out of line – but she was doing her job, and-"

Dumbledore held up a firm hand, and Janine bit her lip, silenced. "I do not have any intention of punishing Miss Evans. Nor do I plan to punish you, although I will tell you that it would have been wiser for you to go to a teacher. I will not punish-"

"There was no time to go to a teacher," interrupted Janine. Although Dumbledore showed no surprise, he had rarely been interrupted by a student before. But she wasn't the first. "And you can't punish Remus, either. Because that isn't fair either. It's not his fault that his friend is a stupid, arrogant, selfish little berk who didn't think of the consequences of his actions." Sirius hung his head while James glowered at her – as if Sirius didn't feel bad enough as it was.

Dumbledore was briefly amused, although he didn't show that, either. Of course – her story, as always, is biased.

He sensed the truth from her. "Thank you, Miss Garnet. And you look very tired. I suggest you lie down."

She shook her head adamantly. "I'm waiting for Alyssa. She needs me to be there for her right now." She looked at her friend, and Dumbledore nodded gravely.

"Admirable," he told her softly. "It's nice to see such bonds of friendship." He was looking at James and Sirius when he said this. "Miss Comforts, would you like to tell me anything?"

"There's nothing to tell," said Alyssa dully. "Remus was a werewolf and he didn't tell me. I didn't even know until the end of last night's ordeal. And I went after Janine because I didn't want her to go into the Forest alone and I was curious. It wouldn't do Lily a bit of good if they both got lost while being alone."

Dumbledore gazed at her gently. "I am sorry that you had to find out this way. Perhaps you'd best lie down?"

Alyssa sighed. "I think I will." Janine stood up to go with her, but she held up a hand. "I think I'm going to go have a good cry in the bathroom," she admitted without a trace of embarrassment. "And I think I'd like to be alone for a while, thanks."

Janine looked worried, but Lily said, quite kindly, "Use the prefect's bathroom. Nobody should bother you there; password's 'chocolate pudding.'" Alyssa nodded her thanks and left. Lily glowered at Sirius and James. "And if either of you so much as thinks as using the bathroom for your own means, I'll hex you into the next century." Neither of them looked at her.

Janine suddenly leapt to her feet, knocking over the back of her chair. "Miss Garnet?" asked Dumbledore quietly.

"I've got to go," she announced.

"But Alyssa said-" began Lily, but Janine cut her off.

"I'm going to the Hospital Wing!" she blurted, and rushed from the room, looking horrifically upset. Dumbledore watched her go. Lily tensed her arms, wanting very much to run after at least one of her friends – or at least go and see Jen and Marlene, but Dumbledore shook his head gently.

"I need you to remain for a moment, Miss Evans." Lily slumped in her chair. Dumbledore's eyes were kind, but firm. "All I need is your affirmation that you had nothing to do with this… prank." Snape's eyes snapped with fury at the word, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

Lily lifted her chin, looking both fierce and proud at the same moment, as though she could say so without a guilty conscience. "I had nothing to do with it," she said firmly. Professor Dumbledore inclined his head.

"You may go, then." Lily got out of her chair and swept away without looking back.

X-X-X-X-X

Janine, however, was not in the Hospital Wing. Nor was she in the prefects' bathroom (although Alyssa was; Lily could hear a quiet sniffling). Lily didn't find her in the library, the common room, the dormitory (she quietly said hello to Jen and Marlene before promising to see them later), the astronomy tower, the Quidditch field, or the locker room.

"I've checked all her usual haunts," finished Lily at last, with a sigh. "Maybe she just wants to be left alone…"

Giving up, Lily trooped up to the dormitory. Marlene and Jen weren't in the common room as she passed, but she saw James and Peter in a corner, heads bent over something, whispering. They watched her go up the stairs silently. Lily shivered – they were both sending her calculating looks, with unnerved her.

"There you are!" Lily opened the door and stared at Janine, who gave her a tired smile. "I know, I was a bit of a prat in Dumbledore's office – emotional stress. Don't let it bother you."

Lily nodded, although her look was skeptical and she remained unconvinced. "Potter and Black are still up there, last I checked," she informed her dormmates. She hesitated, and then added, "So is Snape."

"How's Alyssa?" asked Marlene in a small voice. "Is she angry at us for not telling her?"

"Alyssa's an easy-going girl, you know that," said Lily with a small smile. "She's not angry – at least, not at us. At Lupin… that remains to be seen."

"Janine told us everything that happened," piped up Jen. Her hazel eyes sparkled with fury. "Damn Black. Remus is going to feel frightfully alone when he gets out of the Hospital Wing, with nobody but Pettigrew as a true friend. We all know Potter's going to side with Black – he always does. Remus is going to be really alone… the poor guy."

"Hey! He has me," said Janine, looking injured.

"True, but you're not his girlfriend, nor are you one of the boys. At least, I hope not. Is there something you want to share with-" Smack. Jen spat out feathers, scowling. "If you're going to hit people with pillows, at least use your own."

Janine shrugged, and threw the pillow back on Marlene's bed. "You deserved it. Sorry about your pillow, Marly," she added in their other friend's direction. Marlene shrugged.

"No big deal," replied Marlene, or she started to, in any case, until a knock came on the door. The four girls looked up.

X-X-X-X-X

Earlier On

"Thank you, Sirius." Dumbledore's voice did not hold the tone of someone who was thanking someone else. His tone was disappointed, angry, and cold all at once. Sirius hung his head, feeling miserable. He'd gotten into the most trouble – the only one in real trouble. He knew what he'd done was stupid, and that was all there was to it. "You will go to the Hospital Wing and inform Mr. Lupin of last night's events and the part you played in them. You will write an apology to Miss Evans, Miss Garnet, and Miss Comforts. In addition, you will write a letter of apology to Mr. Snape and his family. You will be suspended for one week, and when you come back, you will serve one month of detention. You may go."

Miserably, Sirius stood and prepared to leave, but Snape burst out, "That's it? That's all? One week of suspension? He tried to kill me, Professor! And Potter, he did too-"

"Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore slowly, as Sirius turned back, "is another matter entirely. He did not play any part in last night's events, other than to save you life. Which, I might remind you, he did not have to do, and although I will not require you to thank him, you should. Nevertheless, Mr. Snape, you have broken school rules and no matter how provoked you were, you will be punished. As such, I will require two weeks of detention. I will write to yours and Mr. Black's parents. But that will be all."

"But that's not-"

"I should remind you, Mr. Snape," said Dumbledore gently, "that Mr. Potter saved your life. Sirius, you may go," he said once again. Sirius nodded and shuffled miserably out.

"Black, Lupin, and Potter should be expelled!" Snape shouted. "That's attempted murder! I've read our laws, Professor – attempted murder can get you a thirty-year sentence in Azkaban!"

Dumbledore surveyed him serenely. "I have said it before, and I will say it again. Mr. Potter had no play in last night's events. And I do not believe that it was the intention of Mr. Black to murder you, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "He does not have it in his heart for such a coldhearted act. He is being punished, however.

"And in light of the fact that they deliberately lured you outside, I will not deduct points or assign more than the detentions already specified." Snape's mouth opened furiously. "Punishment for being out after curfew, and especially out on the grounds," Dumbledore clarified. Seeing Snape turn an interesting shade of red, he rose on eyebrow and asked, "Is that a problem?"

Snape sank down in his chair in a sullen silence.

Dumbledore stood and looked at a portrait of a previous Headmaster, who waved merrily at him. Snape didn't even look up – he just stared sulkily at his shoes. "Severus, Sirius is a good boy, and he will grow up to be a good man. He has made errors in his judgment. That is acceptable. Many your age would. You cannot hold it against him. And as for James… you should remember that James did save your life."

"Whatever." Snape knew he sounded like a six-year-old, and he didn't care. Dumbledore sat down again, looking at him keenly.

"I must impress upon you the importance of this – you may not, under any circumstance, reveal Mr. Lupin as a werewolf. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in immediate expulsion. I hope I'm making myself clear."

Snape shot up in his seat. "What?" he squawked. "That's unfair! Black nearly kills me, and he gets barely anything, but I tell some stupid secret, and I get-"

"It is not 'some stupid secret,'" interrupted Dumbledore severely. "Letting it get out could potentially ruin Mr. Lupin's life. And he has done nothing to you." That's what you think, thought Snape acidly. "I am extremely serious about this matter, Severus. You are not to tell a soul. Not your parents, nor your friends, nor any other random family member of acquaintance of yours. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Headmaster." Snape stood up and began to stride out, without waiting for a dismissal, deliberately being rude and not caring.

"And Severus?" Snape paused in the doorway, but didn't turn back. "I am always there to talk, if need be," the wizened Headmaster remarked quietly. Snape didn't answer; he just left.

Dumbledore sighed, and sat back in his chair. Somehow, he felt older than he had felt in years.

X-X-X-X-X

"Padfoot! Did you bring me any chocolate?" Remus was ravenous; he hadn't eaten since the night before, and he'd felt sick before the transformation (as he often did). Normally, Remus had a hearty appetite, and he was starving. And as chocolate was a favorite of all four boys, one of them usually made a point to bring Remus some the morning after the full moon.

"I… no, I didn't." Remus examined his friend. Remus's senses had always been acute, but never more so than immediately before and after the full moon. The further he got away from it, the better he slowly began to feel.

But now, however, his sense of smell was sharp – and he could smell anxiety and sweat on Sirius. It didn't take werewolf senses, however, to see that Sirius was nervous – he kept wringing his hangs and his face was paler than Remus had ever seen it. "Mate, what's wrong?" he asked immediately, forcing his protesting muscles to allow him to sit up quickly in bed. "What's the matter with you? Are you sick?"

"No, I…" Sirius dropped into a chair, and put his face in his hands. "God, Remus, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Remus tentatively reached out a hand to touch Sirius's shoulder; his friend jerked back. "What's wrong, mate?" stammered Remus, beginning to feel anxious himself, now. He hadn't hurt anyone last night, had he? Had they done something stupid in their outing?

But whenever they want out to explore, all four in their animal forms, Remus felt different. More human. And he could usually remember those nights. Now, he couldn't. Which meant that he had spent the night completely feral.

Oh, that's right – the party. They probably didn't have time to come down afterwards. But what's wrong with him, then?

What Remus could remember, however, was his keen nose and ears picking up specific scents and noises. He'd heard lots of screaming, although he couldn't quite remember whom the voices belonged to, and several scents… sweat, fear, and… wisteria?

Yes, without a doubt. He keenly recalled the scents of wisteria, lavender, and lily of the valley. Those were… girls' scents. And he knew that wisteria was the smell of Alyssa's favorite perfume…

"Sirius." Remus's voice was monotone – he felt a bit dizzy, as if he were trying to think of something that wasn't within the reach of his mind. "What happened last night?"

Dimly, he saw Sirius raise his head from his hands, his pale gray eyes standing out like beacons in his white face. "We… you… I'm sorry, Remus."

"Sorry for what?"

"I… Merlin, I'm so stupid. Remus, I told Snape to go to the Whomping Willow last night." Remus went as white as a sheet of ice, whiter than even Sirius. "He was on his way out there, when Evans saw him. She went after him. Well, once James realized where she'd gone, he went after her – unfortunately, he didn't count on Garnet and Comforts coming along… I went after them…" Remus was frozen. "You didn't hurt anyone," said Sirius, looking down at his hands. "It's probably why you hurt so much. We had to fight you to keep you away from the girls. I'm sorry, mate." Remus was still frozen, his fists clenching and unclenching the hospital sheets with white-knuckled hands. "Say something…" Sirius reached out to touch his friend on the shoulder.

But Remus whipped his hand around, gripping Sirius's wrist in a tight grip as he pulled the dark-haired boy to stare him in the face. "I didn't hurt anyone?" he whispered.

"No," said Sirius. There was a silence. "Moony, I'm so-"

"Get out." Sirius didn't need to be told twice; he fled, wondering if Remus would ever forgive him or want to talk to him again. As the door slammed shut behind him, he thought he'd heard sobs of relief. But he'd never know.

X-X-X-X-X

Sirius stood for a few moments before the girls' door. Well, he didn't stand, exactly. If he had been, the stairs would have turned into a slide beneath his feet. Rather, he was hovering on his broomstick. He raised his hand and smartly knocked on the door.

Marlene McKinnon opened it, and her jaw dropped. "How did – but, the slide-?" She looked down, and realized Sirius wasn't quite standing before her. "Oh." Then she grinned. "That's ingenious. I'm surprised nobody ever thought of that before."

At least McKinnon's not mad at me. I suppose that's something.

"What do you want?" came a rude voice.

Ah, but Garnet is. But I expected that.

"I wanted to apologize."

I really do want to, you know.

"And I want to hit you. We can't all get what we want, can we?"

If you want, you can hit me.

"I'm sorry."

I really am.

"Sorry." That was Lily's voice, and it was acid to his ears. "That's all you can say? That's hardly good enough, Black."

I'm beginning to wish you would hit me.

Fortunately, Janine seemed able to read his mind, and with a resounding smack, she slapped him across the face. He jolted a bit, but managed to cling to his broom. "I'm sorry," he said again, forcing his eyes to focus on the three girls in front of him. Behind them, he could see Jen King sitting on her bed, looking at him, as though she wanted to be angry, but couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic towards him. I don't deserve that, he thought. That sympathy. I don't deserve it… "There's nothing else I can say to you. I'm sorry."

Janine's eyes zeroed in on his. "You're sorry. Fine. You're forgiven. Go away, now." Her tone made it clearly that he was not truly forgiven, and so Sirius hesitated.

"It's not us you should be apologizing to," added Lily coldly. "I suggest you leave." He slowly floated down the staircase, knowing she was right. He only glanced up once.

"When you find Comforts, tell her what I said," he said quietly. "I'm off." Lily and Janine disappeared, but Marlene waited in the door, watching him.

"It's okay, you know," she said, very quietly. "We all make mistakes." She gave him a weak smile. "You know how Lily is. She holds a grudge forever. But Janine's a fairly forgiving person. She'll get over it."

It occurred to Sirius that, at one point in his life, he wouldn't have cared if Janine had forgiven him. But the fact that he'd nearly helped along the loss of her life and she still might find it possible to forgive made him feel better. Maybe Remus could even forgive him, someday.

"I'll see you around, Sirius." And with that, she shut the door, but she gave him a smile, as if she understood something that he himself didn't quite understand.

Thoroughly befuddled, Sirius flew down the staircase to find Remus standing in the center of the common room, just as Alyssa Comforts entered, her face screwed up in fury as her blue eyes focused on her boyfriend in the middle of the room.

X-X-X-X-X

A/N: So, there's the aftermath of James and Sirius's idiocy and stupidity. Here's a hint of what's to come: more LJ tension, Hagrid, and Janine finds a new boyfriend to replace Fabian! But who is it? Meanwhile, Marlene and Fabian are blissfully happy together, and the time until the Christmas holidays dwindles… Reviews are appreciated, as always! I usually wait until I've got around 8-12 reviews (12 being optimum, of course). So review all you want, please, and I'll love you! Life-size Sirius and Remus dollies for all of you that review! Peaches