Author's Notes: Hi! I'm just updating this so I can reply to a reviewer. (everyone should follow their example and write one!)

YamikiofAnime: I appreciate the review, but in my profile, I clearly state that I won't write slash. I'm sorry if that disappoints you, butSirius and Remusare my two absolute favorite characters, and in my mind, completely straight. Sorry!

Disclaimer: sigh these are sooo annoying. I DON"T OWN ANYTHING! I ADMIT IT!

Chapter 9: Memories Complete

James stared into space, eyes glazed. Though his expression was calm and indifferent, his mind was reeling. He relived new memory after new memory as if it had just occured.James put his head in his hands, thinking of what Moony had told him just an hour before.

Remus was sleeping peacefully,unaware of the large gash over his right eye. His unnaturally pale face was bruised and cut.The boysighed and turned over in his sleep, looking absolutely helpless. His hair was matted from blood and dirt. Dark smudges under his eyes toldofloss of sleep, soMadame Pomphrey had finally stopped fussing over him and let him rest.

Remus stirred, and James whispered, "Moony, you awake?" Remus opened his eyes. James froze. They were that terrible golden-color. When he blinked, it cleared a little bit, but the golden tint still remained.

"James?" his voice was hoarse, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

James shook his head.

"Nothing. How do you feel?"

Remus smiled wryly. "Like I've been run over be a troll." He frowned. "James, I had another dream."

James leaned forward. "What happened in it?"

Remus was silent for a moment. "We...we were playing in...a field near my house...It was cold...so cold...we played hide and seek. I went to hide, but..." he stopped, shivering.

"Do you want me to get the nurse?"

Remus shook his head. "But...something leaped out at me...it was horrible...a great big wolf...you and Sirius came...and it almost killed you, but then someone yelled something and killed the wolf...and then everything went dark. James," he whispered, afraid, "I think that was when I...when I was...bitten."

He coughed several times and moaned before loosing consciousness again. James called for Madame Pomphrey. The nurse came quickly and took Remus' temperature, declaring he had a small fever.

James stayed by his friend's side the rest of the night.

"James!" James felt himself being shaken awake. It was morning, and he was stiff from having slept sitting up all night. He looked over to see Remus still asleep.

"Sirius, I need to tell you something." he retold what Remus had said.

Sirius sat for a moment. "So...that's when it happened. We were there...we could've done something to save him." He curled his fist into a ball, and glared down at it, eyes narrowed. "Remus deserves so much better than this, it's not fair." He looked at his sleeping friend. "Look at him James. He looks two years younger than us, he's so small. And he's so beat up... we could have prevented that."

James didn't know what to say. The same thoughts had occurred to him as well.

"Sirius..." but he was cut short as Remus stirred on the bed and opened his bleary eyes. James was glad to see the gold had faded almost completely.

"Hey Moony," Sirius said gently, "How are you feeling?"

Remus shrugged, then looked like he regretted it as he winced in pain. "Okay, I guess."

Sirius frowned, but said nothing.

Christmas Break had finally arrived. Sirius was the only one staying at school, when the others offered to stay, he dismissed them saying, "Can't bear to be parted with me for a second, eh? Well, go home guys, I have a girlfriend to keep me company."

He had, in fact, just recently acquired a new blonde, thin, tall, and dumb;a Hufflepuff that spent all of her time reading fashion magazines. Not one of the other Marauders understood what he saw in her, but they never bothered to bring up the subject around Sirius.

So it was that only three Marauders were on the Hogwarts Express, heading home. The trip was uneventful, and they played Exploding Snap all the way to London.

Remus had mixed feelings about seeing his parents. He now knew that they had modified his memory. Though he also knew they had a good reason and were only doing what they thought was right, he was a little angry with them. They had lied to him all his life, lied about the thing that had ruined his future, the thing that prevented him from ever being considered human.

All too soon, they arrived at King's Cross. It was beginning to snow, but the station was warm with all the people crowded together, waiting for their kids. He spotted his parents near the barrier and paused; they hadn't seen him yet, and he didn't know how to greet them. Should he be mad? Should he be resigned? Should he be happy and pretend everything was alright? Too late his parents saw him. He put on a false smile and went to hug them.

"Mum, Dad! I missed you so much!"

His parents held him tightly for a moment. His mother gave him an extra squeeze before she straightened up. "We missed you too, sweetie, now, let's get you home.

Remus gabbed his mother's arm right before she apparated. He gritted his teeth through the unpleasant squeezing sensation. Soon, he found himself facing the familiar living room.

The oriental rug that covered the floor had once been thick and full of vibrant colours. Now it lay, thin and worn, all the colours turned to grey. Against the far wall, an old antique sofa, wood scratched and worn, sat under a painting of one of his ancestors. The man smiled out of his portrait, greeted Remus with a warm hello, then dissappeared into the wall.

"Remus, dear, your trunk's in your room. Why don't you take your uniform off so I can wash it?"

Remus left the living room through a door to his left and walked down the short hallway to the stairs. He climbed them, wearily pulling himself up with the handrail, his suddenly tired feet dragging on the ancient wood. Once on the landing, he opened the nearest door and walked inside.

Remus studied his room. It looked different, somehow. There was The Lord of the Rings he had read when James had first appeared. He picked it off the shelf, then set it back down. The room was completely unchanged. He was the one that had changed. He remembered even more than what he had seen in the dreams. He remembered his whole life, from before. From when he was still human...

He set his trunk at the foot of his bed and unpacked. Unlike most boys his age, Remus actually folded his clothes neatly and placed them in his armoir. By the time he was done unpacking, the sun had set and wonderful smells were wafting up from the kitchen, putting aside his anger, at least for his mother. He hastily finished putting away his last cloak and quickly walked downstairs. For all his neatness and perfectionism, Remus was still a hungry boy.