Disclaimer: Don't own.
A/N: I normally try to save this for the end, but I think I need to do some explaining first — this will seem very anti-Marauders and a bit anti-Remus but not so much. The idea was to pick your favorite character and portray them in a bad light. I picked Remus, of course, and the bad light about him here is in not having faith in his friendship. I don't believe the dynamics of the Marauders were actually like this at all.
He stares moodily at the unopened bottle of Ogden's Old. It's not like he'll be drinking it. Alcohol wreaks havoc on a werewolf's metabolism; he found that out in fifth year, when he tried some along with the other three. His three friends.
That's just the thing — his friends. They're the best thing that's ever happened to him, but . . . it's just that he sometimes thinks he cares too much about his friendship with them; he'll do anything to keep it. He's weak, he thinks, slamming his fist into his thigh. Weak.
He almost wonders if they're only friends with him because he helps them out of trouble and sometimes lets them copy his homework when they've forgotten. Because he always makes his conscience shut up when they're tormenting Snape. Because it's nice to have a prefect on their side.
Of course not, Remus, he tells himself. They became Animagi for you, for Christ's sake.
But did they really do that for me? a traitorous voice whispers darkly. Would they have done it if not for the thrill?
He hates these thoughts, hates the loss of faith in his friends. He hates it! But it just seems, sometimes . . .
He wonders bitterly how far he would go for that friendship. I'd probably go against everything I ever thought was right, if they told me to. I'd probably do anything. Because the truth is, he doesn't care if their friendship is simply for convenience — even a second-rate friendship is better than none.
And if they told him to down the entire bloody bottle of Ogden's Old, he'd most likely do that, too.
A/N: Yeah. Please review, I'll love you forever. I also answer reviews on my LiveJournal ("homepage" link on my profile).