Under the Full Moony

Scroll 5: Fifth Year Mayhem

"Aubrey, Bertram," said Professor McGonagall, in her short, clipped way.

Remus watched interestedly as the Sorting began. Aubry was a haughty boy with straw-colored hair.

"Slytherin," muttered James.

"Slytherin!" shouted the Sorting Hat.

"How do you know this?"

"Remus, mate ... we know. Why were you late on the train? Did you have other plans before meeting us?"

"Well ..." Remus looked at his plate. Then he looked at the other first years, "Oh look, I bet he's a Gryffindor!"

Sirius frowned, 'That was obvious he doesn't want to talk about it ...'

"Austin, Michael."

"Hufflepuff!"

Remus caught the eye of a strangely familiar boy with cold gray eyes. The boy gave him a look of horror and retreated into the crowd of first years.

"Black, Regulus."

Remus felt Sirius turn away and stare at his plate.

"Sirius? You didn't tell us ... Regulus was coming to Hogwarts. It'll be fun ... why wasn't he in our compartment?"

"Slytherin!"

Remusspun aroundquickly and watched, eyes wide, as Regulus Black walked to the Slytherin table, taking a seat in front of Snape.

"Sirius?"

"I don't want to talk about it ... ever."

With that, Sirius went back to staring at his plate, his hair falling onto his face, hiding him from view.

"So where why'd you come to our compartment thirty minutes late?"

Remus bit his lip and stared at him plate too. He silently took out a small object from inside his robes and slid it to Sirius.

Sirius looked up with interest at the scarlet badge, lined with gold; with the Gryffindor emblem and a shiny golden "P" on it.

James stifled his laughter as best he could as the Sorting continued and Peter's eyes widened so much they threaten to fall out of their sockets.

"Oh ... my ... god ..."

The taunts he had expected, yes, when he had gotten his Prefect's Badge. He had not wanted it, not at all, but as Dumbledore had explained when he'd tried to give it back, he wanted Remus to try and exercise a bit more ... control over his friends.

Quoting Sirius, "No god-damn way!"

He was one of the Marauders, one of the trouble-makers.

But now, he was a prefect.

What a difference that made in the minds of Sirius Black and James Potter. Suddenly Remus wasn't Moony. Suddenly he wasn't the dangerous, bad-ass werewolf ... the quiet, reserved boy, whom they were convinced was hiding "the madness within."

No. Suddenly he was The Prefect. The good-boy. The disgrace. The PERFECT Lupin. Suddenly he was once again ... the outsider.

And Remus hated it.

He'd finally found true friends at Hogwarts. Friends he thought would never leave him, never shun him.

He was wrong. And he hated it. James and Sirius now for the most part ignored him when planning their next pranks. They sometimes mocked him by pretending to be afraid of him, afraid of the points he might dock from Gryffindor for plotting revenge against 'Snivellus.'

But he'd never do that, and he knew it. But it wasn't good enough because Sirius and James didn't.

Peter for the most part, still talked to him. He was the one person he could count on ... well ... Peter was always there to copy Remus' homework, anyway ... and cheat off tests ... but it was something.

As he was working on his essay for Slughorn's potion class, something hit him on the back of the head. He turned quickly and saw a note on the floor.

He snatched it, irritably, from the floor and opened it up. There in the rather round handwriting that was Sirius' were the words:

Loony Loopy Lupin, the PERFECT prefect.

Remus' eyes narrowed. He stood up, slamming his books closed and strode over to the table where Sirius and James sat laughing. Peter was grinning too, but stopped when he saw Remus.

James' eyes widened and he threw himself at the table, "Quick Sirius, hide the secret plans for the weapons of mass destruction, or Lupin will write to our mums!"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Come off it, Lupin wouldn't dare knock points off Gryffindor for US."

Remus glared at them, "Oh wouldn't I!"

James put his hands in the air in an attitude of submission, "Oh PLEASE don't give us detention! Oh Sirius, I think I see an actual personality brewing in Remus' eye! What can we do to redeem ourselves? Should we bow?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and glared at Remus, "Well? Do you WANT us to bow!"

Remus looked very white, paler than usual. His lips were thin, eyes flashing.

"Five points from Gryffindor," said Remus quietly.

Sirius laughed, "Ooh, big scary man! Taking off five points!"

"For the three of you," continued Remus.

Sirius' mouth dropped open, "You're insane!"

Without another word, Remus walked out of the common room, leaving his books on the table.

'I can't go to the dormitory now ... they'll be there.'

He heard the portrait swing open again and he whirled around to face Sirius, looking angry.

"WHAT the hell was that about!"

"You're out after hours," began Remus.

"Oh so now that you've got a nice shiny badge, you've decided you have the BALLS to stand up to someone!"

"You're just jealous! James is on the Quidditch team, and I'm prefect! You're jealous! That's ALL!"

"That's not MUCH to be jealous of, Remus!"

"I'm going to take points off!"

"I bloody DARE YOU! See if you don't get a black eye for it."

"Five more points off."

Sirius looked as if he'd really have punched Remus. Instead he merely glared at Sirius and shoved past him.

"You're out after hours, Sirius."

Sirius acted as though he didn't hear Remus and kept walking away, "Go howl at the moon."

Remus stepped back as if Sirius had indeed punched him. A thousand punches would have been better than that single, cruel remark.

Tears stinging his eyes, he walked back into the common room, pushing past Peter and James and making his way into their dormitory and into bed.

He didn't sleep, but pretended to be asleep.

'It hurt ... what he said ... it really hurt ...'

He heard Peter and James go into bed soon after, but it was hours before the rustle of sheets just next to him announced Sirius' return.

"You've been out a long time."

"What's it to you! Going to dock some MORE points!"

"What you said was mean ..."

"You've got no right to give a damn where I've been, hell even my mum doesn't."

Remus pulled the covers up higher, "What I said was mean too ... I didn't mean it."

"So next time mind your own damn business, Mr. Prefect."

"Are you even LISTENING to me!"

"No. Good-night."

Remus turned away from Sirius, facing the wall next to his bed.

'Now he's mad at me ...'

Then just as Remus was thinking of closing his eyes, he heard a rustle. Was it wings? Maybe leaves ...

Then he felt something slip into his bed, smoothly, and wrap an arm around his waist.

Remus tensed, "James, I swear to god I'll hex you if trying to pull something."

"It's not James. It's me," came Sirius' reply.

Remus smiled despite himself, "What you said was really mean ..."

"Yeah well ... can you EVER forgive me ... or do you REALLY want me to bow to you? 'Cause I will ..."

Remus rolled over, finding himself closer to Sirius than was comfortable.

Sirius just smiled and Remus smiled back.

"So all is forgiven and forgotten, Sirius?"

"Yeah ... so forgotten, I've forgotten what we were talking about.."

"Oh Sirius ... be serious," said Remus with a wink.

"Shut UP, both of ya!" came James' voice from behind his four-poster. "No more boy-love!"

Remus blushed and turned away quickly. He expected Sirius to go to his own bed, but the arms that held him close to Sirius' body didn't budge.

"Night Remus ..."

"G-good-night ... Sirius ..."

"So ... any news from your brother?"

Sirius stabbed at his toast, "Every day you ask the same thing, Peter! And every day I tell you not to!"

Remus joined them at the table, looking shabby after the full moon, but happy, "Good-morning all. So how's Regulus, Sirius?"

"Don't know, don't care."

Peter frowned, "How come you don't yell at him!"

"Do you WANT to be hung by your ankle, Peter!"

"Sorry ..." was all he said.

"Hey look, it's Snivellus! Let's corner him in the Entrance Hall!"

They all ran out and watched as James followed Snape, carefully stepping on his robes. Snape turned around furiously.

"Oh, it's you, Potter!"

"Yes it's me. I've been noticing you're getting buddy-buddy with Regulus and Bertram ..."

"That's none of your business!" said Snape, making to draw out his wand.

But James was quicker. In a flash Snape was hanging in the air from his ankles.

"We've been working on some of our own spells ... you know ... our signature curses. So here goes, Snidgus Pugno!"

Three Golden Snitches came out of nowhere and started zooming at Snape, who could do nothing but try to bat them away. A crowd had gathered to laugh at their antics.

Sirius stepped out, wand raised, "My turn. Canis Lingua!"

Snape growled at him and pointed his wand at them, upside-down. He opened his mouth to jinx them and let out a loud bark.

The crowd laughed as Snape continued barking. His wand fell down uselessly.

Peter giggled and pointed his wand at Snape, "Slymeus Regnum!"

Slime covered Snape instantly, dripping onto the floor. He gagged as he tried to shout, swallowing a whole load of slime.

Remus stepped forward and Sirius grinned at him, "This is going to be good."

Remus managed a weak smile as he fingered his Prefect's Badge. He raised his wand.

"Vestments Unfurlum," said Remus.

Snape's clothes seemed to unravel, thread by thread, until the whole lot fell to the floor, leaving Snape only in his boxers.

James' mouth dropped open and he accidentally let Snape down. Snape crashed to the floor in a heap. Everyone was laughing hysterically.

James rushed over to Sirius and Remus, "How the bloody hell-! THAT WAS WICKED! That was so cool!"

Remus fingered his Prefect's Badge again, "Mmm ..."

They heard footsteps. Professor McGonagall walked over, her face white, lips pursed.

"Detention, for the four of you! Yes Mr. Pettigrew, I saw you!"

Sirius sighed, "Professor ... it was just a joke ..."

"You- you ... dare say it was just a joke Mr. Black ... I .. well, I can't say I'm surprised by you and Mr. Potter ... but Mr. Pettigrew! And ..."

McGonagall looked at Remus with a disappointed look, "A prefect ..."

She shook her head sadly, "Eight o' clock tomorrow. No excuses!"

Remus walked over to Snape, "Sorry ... you want me to fix that?"

Snape glared at him and searched for his wand in the pile of slime, threads, and Snitches.

"Vestments Reparo. Here," Remus handed a now fully clothed Snape, his wand.

Snape snatched it as Remus cleaned up the rest of the pile.

He made slashing motions at Remus, who was thrown back, bleeding from a slash at his chest.

Sirius was on Snape in a second, "Relashio!"

Snape was thrown back by the jet of sparks. He retaliated, but Sirius dodged.

Professor McGonagall was outraged, "Stop! Detention Mr. Snape! I SAID STOP!"

Hagrid and Slughorn had to once again intervene.

Sirius watched as James took Remus to the Hospital Wing. He struggled with Hagrid, "Let me go! I need to help him! LET ME GO!"

Professor McGonagall shook her head, "Such violence will not be tolerated-"

"I DON'T CARE! I HAVE TO HELP REMUS!"

"Fifty points from Gryiffindor!"

That shut Sirius up at once.

"And twenty from Slytherin. I expect the five of you in my office tomorrow."

"Are you sure you're fine?"

"Sirius, I am ... we have detention, I couldn't stay."

"But that old bat has to understand that you miss detention because you're BLEEDING to death."

"I am not bleeding to death, though. Am I?"

"Hey, if I had an excuse, I'd miss detention," said James knowledgeably.

"Well, I'm not."

They walked into McGonagal''s office.

"Good evening gentlemen. You will be filing papers."

Snape was already there. The Marauders looked at a huge stack of papers that seemed to reach the ceiling.

"Bloody hell ..." said Peter weakly.

"I have a plan," whispered James as they divided the stack.

Sirius rolled his eyes, "With you 'plans' we'll just end up in deeper shit."

"Listen! All you and Remus-"

"No," said Remus. "I'm not doing anything-"

"-have to do is-" continued James, ignoring Lupin.

"Didn't you hear me? I said no."

"-pretend you're really horny and itching to get inside each other's pants."

There was a ringing silence as they took James' words in.

"No way in hell," said Remus finally.

"Okay," agreed Sirius.

"Gentlemen! This is a silent activity," said their teacher.

Remus took his place away from the rest, away from Sirius.

Sirius, though, had other plans. He walked behind Remus, bumping onto him.

"Mmm ... I'd like to get my hands on that ..."

McGonagall looked up just as Sirius licked Remus' ear. She quickly looked away.

When she looked up again, Sirius was stroking Remus' thigh. Remus looked very hot and bothered.

She looked to James, for some sign that she was imagining everything and saw to her surprise, he was reading the papers.

"Mr. Potter, this is filing not research."

James tapped the papers with his wand, and whispered, "Scritura Doblos."

He folded the copy up and stuck it in his pocket.

Sirius giggled, causing McGonagall to look up. Sirius was holding a blushing Remus close, running his fingers through the boy's hair.

Minerva McGonagall pressed her hand to her mouth, "That will be all ... good-bye all of you. Leave ... now ..."

Snape left quickly. The Marauders high-fived each other when they were outside, "That was brilliant! Stupendous!"

Remus and Sirius walked as far away from each other as they could. When they got to Gryffindor Tower, James pulled Remus into their dormitory and locked him in, "We'll unlock you later ... we've just got some ... er Gryffindor business to attend to."

"But I AM in Gryffindor."

"Erm ... non-prefect Gryffindor business. We'll be right back!"

Remus turned the knob furiously, "Alohomora! Alohomora!"

'Wonder what they're up to ... wonder if I want to know ... '

A/N: We're starting to see more interaction ... more shonen-ai. And what are James, Peter, and Sirius up to now ...?

Dun! Dun! Dun! Please review "wink"