Rating: Yes, I know that I've updated the rating to M, but I've never been quite sure about the rating and I figured that it was better to be wrong than removed off fan-fiction. So, here it is.

Disclaimer: None of the characters mentioned in this story belong to me, but rather to J.K. Rowling, I promise to return them to her once I am done with them. The poem which this story features is taken from the novel, The Smoke Jumper by author Nicholas Evans.

Part Four – Fateful Prank

"And all the gathered riches of our journey,

The moments shared, the mysteries explored,

The steady layering of intimacy stored."

January 1977

Remus Lupin groaned and rolled over, away from the harsh morning sunlight, wincing as he did so. He was in the Hospital Wing. It was the morning after the full moon and, as usual, he had a few new aches and pains from the transformation the night before. Remus attempted to open his eyes but gave up the attempt when he recognised just how tired his body was.

"So you're awake." A distinctly male voice said by his side.

"James?" Remus questioned, opening his eyes fully this time to look at his friend. "I wouldn't be if it weren't for the bloody sun. It's always brighter on this side of the castle." James chuckled in reply, but to Remus' heightened wolf senses it sounded hollow and empty and he was immediately alert. "What's wrong James?"

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong. Why would you think that anything was wrong?" James' eyes darted around the room, rather giving off the impression of Peter, something which Remus thought it would be wise not to tell his friend at the present time.

"James." The growl in Remus' voice put a halt to James' denial and he sighed.

"Look, Remus." James said. "I don't' quite know how to tell you this. Something did go wrong. Last night in fact." James paused and Remus sat up straight, his immediate thought that he had somehow managed to escape the Shrieking Shack and his friends and had hurt someone. James saw this in his eyes. "No, don't worry, you didn't hurt anyone. No thanks to Sirius…"

"Sirius! James, what happened?" Remus saw the hesitation in James' eyes and placed a bandaged hand on his friend's arm. "James, tell me what happened. I need to know the truth."

"It was Snape, Remus. You know how much Sirius hates him. Even I don't understand how he can hate someone that much." Remus felt as though an iron hand was gripping his heart. "Snape was… snooping around again. Asking questions. Questions about you, Remus." James stopped again, looking Remus in the eye as if willing Remus to already know what he was trying to say so that he didn't have to put it into words.

"Go on, James. No matter how bad it is, I need to hear it." Remus said, his voice shaking despite his best efforts.

"Snape was asking questions about where you go every month or so and well, Sirius… he thought it would be funny. I don't know what got into him, Remus." And suddenly the words came pouring out of James, and into Remus who felt as if his world had been shattered. "Sirius told Snape to follow you into the Whomping Willow. He didn't tell any of us that he was planning it. I wouldn't have known myself if I hadn't heard him mentioning it to Snape. I tried to warn Snape not to follow you but that only convinced him more. I only just got him out of there. But he saw you Remus, he saw you transform. He knows that you're a werewolf."

Remus buried his face in his hands, desperately trying to hide his tears from his friend. He had not expected this, this betrayal. He had loved Sirius for nearly three years now, and this is what that love and his silence had given him in return. Betrayal of his trust. He had trusted Sirius with his greatest secret and this is how Sirius had repaid him.

"Where is he?" This was not a question, but a growling demand and James looked uneasy, once again avoiding Remus' glowing amber eyes. "Where is he?"

"Remus. I know that you're angry." James said, backing away ever so slightly from the furious werewolf. "But think about it. He's your friend. They're thinking about expelling him, Remus. He's with Dumbledore now. Dumbledore and Snape."

"He doesn't deserve expulsion! He betrayed me, James! He humiliated me! He used me in an attempt on another student's life! I'll never forgive him! Ever! I hate him!" Remus had leapt out of bed and began ripping the bed sheets apart, his pain at the betrayal turning to anger and hate.

"Do you really mean that, Remus?" The quiet voice of Sirius at the door of the Hospital Wing stopped Remus as he was ripping apart the pillowcase. "Do you really mean it?" Remus turned to look at Sirius, his face a terrible combination of hate, fury, pain and betrayal. Sirius took a step back into the corridor.

"Get out!" Remus said, his voice streaked with emotion. "I never want to see you again. You betrayed me, Sirius! After everything, it would be you who betrayed me! Get out!" Remus was shaking so hard he felt like he would fall over and he could hear his voice trembling in his fury.

"Remus—" Sirius said, taking a step closer into the room, tears running down his cheeks.

"GET OUT!" Remus screamed. He didn't think that he had ever been this angry before in his life. Nor this crushed and hurt, not even on that day when the werewolf had bitten him and begun this torment. He turned away from Sirius, the pain running through every part of his body, but mostly concentrated on his heart.

"Sirius, I think you should go. Remus needs to rest. Come back later if you want. But I really think that you should go." James stepped forward from the corner where he had been standing the entire time and placed his hand on Sirius' shoulder, Sirius shrugged him off.

"I'm not leaving. I'm so sorry Remus. It was just a joke. I didn't think that he'd be foolish enough—" Sirius was cut off yet again by Remus who turned around once more and glared at him ferociously.

"That's just it, isn't it Sirius? You didn't think. You didn't bloody think about it at all, did you? You just thought, 'hey let's give Snape the fright of his life.' You didn't think that you were messing with my life too, did you? That you were messing with my future! If James hadn't intervened, if I had killed Snape like you had obviously planned, the ministry would have the right to cull me!" At Remus' words, Sirius turned ghastly white. "Do you know what that means, Sirius? They would have killed me, just because you wanted to play a joke on Snape. Well ha ha Sirius. Very funny."

"I'm so sorry Remus. Please forgive me. I'll do anything, just forgive me." Sirius took another step towards Remus, his voice sincere and the tears running unchecked down his cheeks.

"Just leave, Sirius. Just leave." Remus turned away from Sirius and sat back down on the bed he had vacated not all that long ago, not moving until he heard the door shut behind Sirius.

"Remus—" James was interrupted by werewolf.

"I'd like some time alone please, James. I just… Thank you. For telling me. I appreciate it." Remus could feel his voice beginning to falter and he knew that it would not be long before he started crying again.

"I'm sorry Remus. I didn't want to tell you. I'm so sorry." Remus didn't say anything, just nodded and waited for James to leave. The door had only just closed when Remus fell to the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I hate you, Sirius. I hate you so much." Remus said passionately, punching the ground until his hands were raw and bloody. But it was not the hate that Remus felt that was causing the tears to stream down his cheeks, but the fact that, despite it all, he still very much loved Sirius Black.