Under the Full Moony

Scroll 3: Potions and Sleeping Beauties

"Earth to Remus! I asked if you knew how to do the fifth Arithmancy problem!"

Remus glanced at Sirius and passed him his completed essay.

"Knock yourself out," with that Remus walked up to his dormitory.

Sirius frowned and followed.

He cornered Remus on the stairs, "Remus? What's up?"

Remus ignored him and pushed past.

Sirius grabbed his arm, "Remus! What is a matter with you!"

"Well, you obviously don't want me in you little plans, so there."

"What plans- oh ... James ... idiot!"

"Good-night."

"Remus, wait! We can't tell you ... because ... it's a surprise ... but I promise we'll tell you when we're done!"

Remus glared at him a moment, "I don't ..."

Then he sighed, "Promise to tell me when you're done ...?"

Sirius grinned, "I swear ..."

"Well ... " Remus looked at Sirius grinning stupidly. "Fine ..."

"Oh good, you can help us start the werewolves essay."

"Oh come on! Was that all you wanted me for!"

Sirius slung his arm around Remus, "Mate ... I will NOT answer that ..."

"The Basic Sleeping Draught is a simple potion that will cause the drinker to become increasingly drowsy, until he or she falls asleep. The draught is not powerful to cause lasting damage, as is with the Draught of Living Death, and the effects will wear off in ... say an hour or so for our recipe. So chop-shop, set up your cauldrons and get started."

Sirius sniggered, "Chop-chop ... heh. James ... these ingredients ... if we were to add a little Bicorn Horn and , say, accidentally forget the Wormwood ... substitute the Frog Spawn for Bobutuber Pods ..."

James grinned, but Remus frowned as he prodded the bottom of his cauldron with his wand to lower the flames to a simmering point.

"You're going to blow up another cauldron, are you?"

James smirked, "And you're going to help us ..."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because Slughorn has his eye on us and we need to distract him."

"I'm not going to help you cause any more mayhem in this class."

"Come off it! Peter's going to steal the Bicorn Horn, you've got to do SOMETHING!"

"Why?" asked Remus absentmindedly, chopping up daisy roots, enjoying the way James was getting more and more annoyed.

"Because it's what WE do! You're a Marauder and you've got to help us!"

"And what if I don't wish to be a Marauder anymore?"

"Then ... then ... " James looked around wildly for some answer.

Suddenly he looked back at Remus, smirking, "We'll tell everyone where you really go, on the special nights-"

"Alright, alright!"

Remus fumed as he walked to Slughorn's desk.

'It's always me who has to distract ...'

"Professor, I have a question."

"Yes? Let's hear it."

"Well, you see ... I have looked ahead in the book and ..."

Remus saw Peter sneak into the private stores out of the corner of his eye.

" ... and I have seen the Draught of Living Death uses Valerian Roots, not Daisy Roots. Does the type of roots you use affect the outcome of the potion? Or is it something else that differentiates the strengths?"

"Well you see, Remus m'boy, Daisy Roots are indeed ..."

Remus pretended to be listening intently (something he'd mastered by now), but his mind wandered.

'Wonder if Sirius' idea will work ... but I doubt tying myself up to the bedposts will do any good ... all I'll do is break my four-poster. Being a werewolf has its upsides though ... James doesn't dare mess with me on PLS ...'

Remus saw Peter sneak back out.

Professor Slughorn was droning on and on about the "importance of Wormwood and the Asphodel Root in combination ..."

He saw Sirius' motioning him to return to the table.

" ... to produce the sleep-inducing formula-"

"Professor Slughorn, you are absolutely right! I understand everything now, thank you."

Remus quickly walked back to their table, "What! I did what you wanted me to-"

"We're going to put the ingredients in and you have to prod flames into a higher temperature."

Remus stared at Sirius incredulously, "All you're doing is putting Bicorn Horn in and Bobutuber Pods-"

"At the exact same time ... me and James are doing that ... AND-," Sirius interrupter before Remus could interject. "Idiot Peter doesn't know HOW to regulate the flame's temperature ... unless of course you want to drop in an ingredient ... and possibly end up in detention ..."

Remus grumbled but nodded, "Tell me when ..."

He heard a 'plop' and, "Now."

Remus poked the fire to bring it to boiling point and there was a bang and a lot of smoke and there was nothing left of the cauldron but a shard of pewter, which Remus was still poking when Slughorn came to investigate.

"Remus Lupin! I would have expected better from you! And of course ... James and Sirius ... class mischief-makers ..."

Slughorn glared at the three of them, "Look at the roof! You've burned a hole up three floors!"

James and Sirius high-fived each other.

"This is not amusing! James, you will be working with Pettigrew. Stay at this desk. Sirius will be working with Sheckelbolt, move to his table. Lupin you will be working with ..."

Slughorn looked around for a solitary table, "A yes, of course. Severus Snape."

Sirius pretended to vomit and James grabbed Lupin's arm, "Please ... swear to me ... you will stay true to yourself! You will resist him! He will not poison you! Swear to me ... and please bathe before coming near us ... you might pick something up ..."

Lupin rolled his eyes as Sirius and a couple others laughed.

"So," began Remus cheerfully.

Snape looked up at him from his stringy hair with a dead look.

"Um ... I see you hang around with Lucius a lot ... what is he now? Seventh Year? I heard he's going out with Narcissa ... she's actually related to one of my-"

Snape ignored him and Remus cleared his throat. They worked in silence, occasionally glancing up at the board for ingredients.

Remus squinted at the last line, "It's sure hard to see from back here ... Potion should now be ... a lilac color ..."

Remus frowned down at his potion, "Mine's still dark purple ... damn ... must've missed a step ..."

Remus looked over at Snape's cauldron. His potion was now the clear liquid it should be when the potion is finished.

Snape glared at Remus, who smiled weakly, "Sorry ... I ... sorry ... "

To his surprise, Snape peered down at his cauldron and curled his lip in disgust. He quickly cut up some roots, shredded some plants and threw them into Remus' potion. In a matter of seconds it was clear as water, just in time for Slughorn's inspection.

"Full marks to both!"

Sirius raised an eyebrow as his potion was pronounced, "Passable."

He later caught up to Remus at the bell, "He helped you didn't he!"

"What makes you say that?" asked Remus placidly.

"Because when you're sitting next to us you always miss a step, or do something wrong like any normal human being! You've never gotten any potion exactly right!"

Remus laughed, "You're so tactful."

"I'm just stating the facts."

James and Peter walked by, holding their noses, "UGH! Remus you smell like a Snape! Scourgify!"

Sirius helped Remus out of the huge mound of suds that covered him.

Peter looked over excitedly, "I heard Professor Flitwick talking about the Aquamenti Charm! I'll help get the soap out! Aquameti!"

Remus was suddenly hit by a cold spray of water. He glared at Peter through his bangs, "It's AGuamenti ... and we're not due to learn that until fifth year ... and don't you dare try to dry me!"

Peter hung his head as Sirius and James laughed until they cried.

James wiped his glasses, "We all know how that'd turn out. Ooh, ooh! I learned about the Incendio Maximus Charm! Remus goes Kaboom!"

Sirius grabbed on to Remus' tie to keep from falling, he was laughing so hard.

"Ahah hah," said Remus bitterly as they walked to the Great Hall for dinner.

They made jokes about Peter's accident until they saw someone unpleasant approaching their table.

"Oh look, Snivellus and Malfoy ... " grumbled Sirius.

Snape walked right up to Remus, "Due to your obvious inexperience on choosing friends ..."

Snape gestured to Sirius and James, "I do not think it wise for us to be working together or near each other ever again."

Snape put his hands in his pocket and waited for Remus' reaction.

But Sirius stood up before Remus could respond, "If you'd get the slime out of your ears you would've heard it was Slughorn who FORCED him to sit with you. Mind you it WON'T be happening again."

Snape smiled, lip curling, "Good."

With a nod Lucius motioned for Snape to follow him and they walked away together.

"The NERVE! Slimy son of a-"

Remus grabbed Sirius' tie, "Sit ... he's gone ... no use grumbling now."

"I'll get him ... you'll see ..."

Remus rolled his eyes and drank the rest of his pumpkin juice, "Let's go. We've got a werewolf essay waiting for us ... and I've got to leave early tonight ..."

Sirius nodded, "Got ya ..."

"So what kills a werewolf ...?"

Sirius sighed, "Wolfsbane, Peter ... obviously ..."

Remus yawned, " And silver's got something to do with it ..."

He yawned again, "Man ... so tired ..."

James frowned, "It's WAY too early to be tired ..."

"I know but ..." Remus yawned again, "I just am ..."

"So silver wards them off ...?" prodded Sirius.

"Yes and ..." Remus stifled a yawn, " ... if you st-stab ... one with a ... silver ... dagger ... they'll die ... too ..."

Remus rubbed his eyes, "God ... what's wrong with me ..."

Then it happened. Sirius had been expecting it because he knew exactly what was wrong with Remus.

Remus slumped sideways from the chair onto Sirius, who caught him.

"He's asleep ... "

James' eyes widened, "Oh ... right ... Sleeping Draught ... but who-?"

"Snape. When he gestured to us I saw a few drops of clear liquid fall into Remus' glass ... then he put the vial in his pocket ... I saw ..."

"Why didn't you tell us ...?"

"Because I didn't think I was right! I though if Snape HELPED Remus ... maybe he likes him ... obviously I was wrong ..."

Peter's lower lip trembled, "Sirius ... look at the time ... "

"Nine ..."

"And tonight is ..."

Sirius' eyes widened, "Shit ... furry little problem ..."

James bit his lip, "Hospital Wing ..."

"Right."

Sirius looked down at Remus' unconscious form and picked him up, carrying him bridal style.

A lot of Gryffindors stared at them as they made their way out of the Common Room. Sirius merely glared at them and promised each a hex.

Finally, after many stares and hoots, they reached the Infirmary.

"Madam Promfrey! We need an Awakening Draught!"

Madam Promfrey gasped, "He should be at the Shrieking Shack!"

"There's a bit of a PROBLEM! He's been slipped a Sleeping Draught!"

Madam Promfrey bustled about and finally found the potion they needed. Sirius bit his lip and waited at the foot of the bed with James and Peter.

They heard a groan and Remus opened his eyes.

"Yes! Remus ... you have to go ... Shrieking Shack ... now ..."

Remus looked at them drowsily, "Huh ...?"

Sirius cursed out loud and seized Remus' arm. James grabbed his other arm and together they helped Lupin out.

James frowned, "Wait here, I'll go get my cloak ..."

"Hurry ... or he'll go haywire furry on us ... "

It seemed as if James was gone forever for Peter and Sirius, who tried to talk sense into his friend to no avail.

"Finally!" was James' greeting when he returned.

They all squeezed in and thankfully made it out without a problem.

It was in the Womping Willow's passage that Remus fell to the floor, rigid, growling ... turning obviously ... into a werewolf ...

Sirius fell to his knees in front of him and cupped his face, turning it upwards, "Remus, please ... just a bit farther ... "

He wrapped his arms around Remus and helped him up the stairs. It was there Remus savagely threw Sirius off and tried to bite him. Sirius pushed him through the trapdoor and ran off, back to Peter and James.

"RUN! He's nearly-"

A loud howl made them move a bit faster, "Wrong ... he's turned ..."

Back at the Common Room Sirius found himself thinking of Remus and how they'd left him all alone, to bear the pain by himself ...

He found Peter and James staring at him and smiling.

"There's nothing funny! Remus is all alone in that old shack ... biting off chair legs and scratching at himself ..."

Sirius bit his lip, "Let's try to hurry this Animagus thing along ... Remus needs us, okay?"

James clapped his hands together and demanded to Peter, "Pay up!"

Peter did, sourly, and tossed James two Galleons.

"Made a bet," explained James. "I said, I'll bet you the next time he speaks he'll use Remus' name ... a Galleon for each time ..."

Sirius frowned, "What are you ... saying ...?"

Peter and James looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Remus please ... just a bit farther ..."

Peter fell into James' arms, who caught him, "Yes love ... let's leave Peter and James and go snog I a more private place ..."

"WE DID NOT SNOG! In case you didn't notice, Remus was turning into a WEREWOLF! He tried to BITE me!"

James took off his glasses and pocketed them safely, "Ooh ... kinky ..."

Sirius leapt at James with a growl. Peter, used to this by now, only watched as James was pummeled by Sirius.

"Serious and Loony Lupin, sitting in a tree s-n-o-g-i-n-g. Kinky love-"

The rest was muffled by Sirius' fist.

A/N: Yeah it's getting more and more lovey dovey. "wink" Any ideas, comments?

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