Remus awoke suddenly with something hard and cold pressed to face. What was it? It was crushing him…oh. The floor.

He felt weak, as he always did after a transformation; his chest and arms were stinging, and his back hurt like hell. But there was a bad taste in his mouth and a gnawing sensation in his stomach that he knew didn't mean he was hungry. He fought gravity and sat up slightly, his vision spinning. His eyes could barely focus on the black thing on the floor a few feet away. I don't remember there being…his eyes shot open. Sirius. James. They hadn't run away…

Despite his weakness and the cold, Remus ran to the black mass on the floor, nearly slipping on the blood on the floor. Please don't be dead, please….

"SIRIUS!" Remus called out the name, his voice scratchy and horrified as he leaned over his friend. Sirius's dark hair was splayed out in a messy whirl of black, shielding his face from view. His robes, ripped almost to pieces, were soaked in red. Remus's heart skipped a beat. I must have…

Remus flipped over Sirius's limp body. His breathing was shallow, and his face was pale as the moon, but he was alive…barely. Remus swallowed a sigh of relief, as another horrible thought wrenched at him. Did I bite him?

Remus's cry had brought James and Peter running to his side. Remus clutched Sirius to him, letting the blood drip onto his bare legs, chilling his spine.

"Bloody Sodding Hell! What happened?" James exclaimed, his eyes wide. He stopped somewhat short of breath and Remus realized he had been limping. Remus's chest ached. What did I do to them?

"I…it's all my fault!" Remus cried suddenly, a wild and hurt look in his eyes. "I could have killed him! I don't…I think I might have bitten him…" He shuddered and broke off, shaking a little.

"I can't tell, well have to bring him into the light…." James said, his voice surprisingly calm despite the worry in his eyes. He held a hand out to help Remus up, but Remus pushed his hand away and scrambled backwards.

"I told you to back off! I could have killed him! I could have killed you all! And what if I bit him? I could have!" Remus roared. His ears were hot now, and he didn't know why he was screaming at James. He couldn't be screaming at James when Sirius was lying there bleeding on his lap. But he couldn't stop.

James looked down at him for a second. "Were your friends," he said quietly. " We won't leave you alone. Besides, it's been fine until now…"

"Yes! And look what I've done!" Remus couldn't believe James was talking like that. How was he so confident? Remus probably almost killed him too a couple hours ago. Remus should feel hot tears on his cheeks. He held his hands out to James. They were covered with blood.

"Look!" he shouted. " This id HIS blood. Your blood! Don't you care? I'm a werewolf! I'm dangerous!" his words stung like salt in a cut as he said them. For so many years he had tried to suppress his memories of his childhood. His parents trying to defend him against angry and frightened neighbors who tried to murder him in his sleep, or from parents of friends refusing to let them play. They were all sensible, they knew not to let themselves mingle with a child who was nothing but a monster. Lonely nights sitting curled up in a corner of the shed his parents had built for him for his transformations, biting and scratching himself to keep his instincts from letting go….

"SO WHAT?" James bellowed. " Do you think we slaved on for three years to become animagus illegally so that we could abandon you when you need us the most? Sirius knew what he was getting himself into when he went after you. He knows you can't just stay there all night alone! That's how much he cares about you! We care about you." James was out of breath now, breathing hard and daring Remus to deny it. Remus didn't know what to say. He didn't understand why James would bother getting himself in danger, let alone Sirius. No one had ever said those words to him before. And yet, here he was saying it like it was normal. And so, all he could do was stare.

"Look!" this was the first word Peter had spoken since Transfiguration that afternoon. Remus looked down, following Peter's gaze. Sirius was opening his eyes. He looked straight at Remus. Remus felt his stomach flutter and clench at the same moment.

Sirius smirked, and his eyes rolled back in his head and his body went limp once more.

"Let's go," James said quietly. "He's still losing blood." Right. He would have been lying there for hours…

Remus tried to stand up, but his legs were still weak, and he fell on his side. Peter scurried over and helped him to his feet. Blushing slightly, he handed Remus the clean set of robes. Remus kicked off the remaining shreds of his old robes and dressed himself.

A/N

Ok, so I didn't do a disclaimer.

The only Remus I own is named Aleu, and if I owned any thing of value the gremlins would have stolen it already.

Well, gee, I HOPE this isn't too confusing, I tend to write thinking everyone knows what's in my head. But I think chapter three went very well, thank you.

Remus is being as little emo child in this, isn't he?

TBC