A/N- I don't own any of the Harry Potter world. I do however own this story.
Sorry for the delay. Only got back from bumming around the country (england) seeing uni friends about three hours ago.
BrennQT your right. I do feel sorry for Peter in a way. Maybe it explains
a lot if James and Sirius weren't always that nice to him... Although if you don't like yourself its hard for others to...
Hope you enjoy the new chapter.
Chap 6- Pants on Fire
Remus staggered into the hospital wing. His face and arms were covered in scratches and bruises. He had no memory of the night before. Something he was infinitely grateful for.
His whole body ached dully and apart from the occasional burning twinges from the cuts. "I feel like I've just gone four rounds with that Whomping Willow. While it was holding a cudgel." He winced as he was pushed onto a soft bed.
"You look it too." Said Madam Pomfrey grimacing as she examined him; she began dabbing the cuts with a green ointment. One by one they stopped stinging. "I'll have you right as rain in a few hours. Just you see."
"What time is it?"
"Six." She pushed him into a lying position. "I can heal the cuts but they'll leave marks, that's werewolf scratches for you. You should have today off at least."
"No!" Remus cried sitting up. "No. I can't miss school."
"That's what the Headmaster said." She muttered in the most mutinous tone Remus had heard yet. "You've been through quite an ordeal…"
"I know." He snapped. She looked at him a while, then sniffed and put her nose in the air.
"Fine. You obviously know best." She put the bowl of ointment on the table with a loud thump. "Your fine. I can't do any more for you apart from order you to take it easy…"
He nodded and stood up, limping slightly he made his way to the door. "Thanks Madam Pomfrey." He said softly, turning to face her. She nodded and turned away. A loud sniff made him leave as quickly as he could.
He limped slowly up to the Griffindor common room. He had to shout loudly before the fat lady woke up.
"What are you doing up so early?" She asked grumpily.
"Niffler." He said ignoring her question.
As she swung open he distinctly heard her muttering something which included the words: "Young boys….insolent….no respect…"
The common room was warm and welcoming and all of a sudden he felt very drowsy. He had meant to stay up, do a bit of reading before breakfast but now not even an interesting new book was as welcoming as his nice soft warm bed... Quietly he crept up the staircase and into the dormitory. He could hear Peter's soft snores as he slipped into the room.
Looking across, all three boys were fast asleep in their beds. He breathed a sigh of relief. His first full moon and he had survived it.
888
When James woke Remus was asleep on top of his covers. Still wearing his clothes from the day before. James quietly climbed out of bed and padded softly over to his friends bed.
Remus looked even more pale and sickly than ever. James hadn't thought that possible. There were more cuts on his arms and face, although they looked as if they were healing quickly leaving nothing but thin red lines which looked sore. His clothes were dusty and rumpled.
He nearly screamed like a girl when someone nudged him. Turning he saw Sirius standing beside him, looking equally worried, but surprisingly alert considering the time. He turned and raised an eyebrow significantly at James.
James moved closer and gently tapped Remus on the arm. He woke up slowly. His eyes taking a long time to focus.
"Oh," He yawned, "Morning."
"Welcome back." Sirius said. "What happened?" He asked in the same breath.
Remus took a long time to reply. "Nothing. Mum's getting better. Dad overreacted."
"He meant about the marks." James said; his voice gruffer than usual. Surely Remus' parents wouldn't…
"Oh? These? Old scars they flare up occasionally." He climbed out of bed, James watched him as he pulled a fresh set of clothes out of his trunk. He looked exhausted.
Glancing over at Sirius, he knew neither of them believed Remus' story about the 'phantom scars' for one minute. "Look Remus, whatever is wrong. You can tell us?"
Remus looked up. Holding Sirius' eyes, for a moment James was sure he was going to spill everything. Then his face closed and he shrugged. "Have no idea what you're on about." He murmured. "What you been up to?" He asked abruptly.
"Not much." Sirius replied coldly. Turning he stalked back to his bed, pulling his own uniform out.
James wasn't as good a liar as Sirius, Remus glanced at him and then smirked. "What have you done now?"
"Nothing." James grinned. "Well, not much." Remus raised an eyebrow. "Ok. me and Sirius took the invisibility cloak out last night…"
"And?" Remus asked.
"We found a secret passage."
Remus shrugged. "There's loads of them, all over the castle."
"Not like this one." Sirius said, turning around and grinning. Obviously over his little funk. "This one is different."
"How?"
"Well for one thing, it's longer. Me and Jamesie followed it for at least twenty minutes. But it went on and on and on… So we thought we'd wait for you." Sirius came over and sat on James bed. "Oh and Peter."
"We think it might lead out of the castle." James said, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice. "Maybe even into Hogsmeade." Remus nodded. "Oh and I object to being called Jamesie." He hit Sirius on the back of the head. "Hey, you ok? You look really pale." Remus had slumped onto his bed.
"I'm fine." He said softly. "Where is the passage?"
"Behind a mirror on the forth floor." Sirius said, watching Remus carefully. "We've added it to the map."
James stood up and pulled the bit of parchment out of his robe pocket. He handed it to Remus who unfolded it and glanced at the messy scrawl.
"I thought we agreed Sirius wasn't to write anymore? I can't read it? It looks like a spider's dipped his feet in ink and tap danced all over it."
"Yeah, whatever." Sirius scowled jumping up; he went back to his own bed pulling his tie on.
"So. Are we going to explore tonight?" Remus asked eagerly. His face had regained a little colour so now he only looked like he was on his death bed, not completely past the land of the living.
"Ah…" James said turning away; he picked up his own tie. "We… can't…"
"Look, if you think I can't handle it... I'm fine." Remus snapped sharply. Misreading their awkward glances.
"I'm sure you are mate." Sirius replied. "Its just, well me and Jamesie can't…"
"Why not?" There was suspicion in Remus' voice.
"Well, it's a long story…" James felt his face flush. "You see. We were so excited about finding the secret passage, we kind of, sort of, well, forgot to put the cloak back on…"
Remus stared at them. "And?"
"Well, Filch caught us…." Sirius muttered; he looked as embarrassed as James felt. "Went and woke Professor McGonagal up and, well there was a lot of shouting…"
"And?"
"We've got detention every evening for the rest of this week…" James said sullenly. "She took ten points each from Griffindor as well…"
James looked up in time to see Remus disappear the other side of the bed. Thinking his friend had collapsed he rushed round. Remus was gurgling. It took James a couple of seconds to realise he wasn't choking; he was laughing so hard he was turning red in the face.
"Oh, my, god." He gurgled. "You two are thick as two mountain trolls…."
888
Sirius had never been so embarrassed. He listened as Remus recounted the story to Peter over breakfast; neither he nor James wanted to speak of it again. Peter was listening while eating the usual five eggs and six pieces of bacon, he looked hurt; he even opened his mouth to ask why he hadn't been invited along.
"Because you were in the middle of your homework. You were still doing it when we got back." Sirius snapped picking at his toast; he knew full well he was taking his own embarrassment out on Peter.
Peter flushed and nodded, if he'd said something back, retorted, fought his point; Sirius might have had more respect for him. But he didn't, he just sat there accepting it. Remus was still chuckling, tucking into his usual kipper. Sirius was glad he looked more like his usual self, if anything he looked even more cheerful. Perhaps actually seeing his mother had waylaid some of his fears.
The post owls swooped down and around the hall and he breathed again. Breakfast was not one of his favourite meals of the day. He usually had the appetite of a hippogriff, but recently he couldn't face more than a piece of toast.
Together they made their way slowly to Defence Against the Dark Arts, their old teacher Professor North was sitting behind his desk looking every bit like a senile old man. But when he stood up he moved with the ease and energy of a much younger man.
"Good morning." He called. "Settle down, settle down. Today we will be studying how to correctly use a shield spell."
Sirius nudged James, who was sat beside him. To their left sat a Slytherin boy, he was staring intently at Professor North, taking every word and every gesture in. His hair was black and looked like it hadn't been washed in a long time; it hung limply around his sallow face. His long hook nose stuck out and seemed too big for his face.
The boy was so intent on the lesson he didn't notice James pointing his wand and muttering quietly. Sirius listened and distinctly heard "Incendio".
Sirius watched with interest as the boy sat there for at least half a minute, his rapt concentration meaning he didn't realise flames were steadily growing higher and higher from his chair. It was a girl sitting behind James and Sirius who first noticed.
"Oh!" She squealed, pointing.
One by one the class turned and stared until, only Professor North, who was writing various shield spells on the board and the greasy haired boy who was scribbling it all down very fast, were left oblivious to the commotion. Sirius glanced quickly at James who was grinning broadly. "Flame freezing charm, he can't feel a thing…" He muttered quietly. Sirius was trying not to laugh.
"Mr Snape. What are you doing?" Professor North had turned round and was staring at the boy.
"Sorry, Professor?" The boy asked, looking up.
"Your chair Snape!" Professor North strode towards Snape, but before he could reach him Snape had looked around and seen the flames. Panicking he jumped up and began swatting at them.
The whole class erupted into laughter. Sirius stomach began to ache he was laughing so loudly.
