I've had this chapter written for a while, so I'm uploading it finally. I like this story and while I'm a little put-off by the lack of reviews that's not going to stop me from posting the rest of it. Thanks to those have and will leave reviews.

-Nicole

Everyone noticed the full moon the next night and made a special note to listen for unearthly howls, though they heard none. Remus didn't make an appearance that night, nor the next. When he came in on the third day he looked haggard and worn-down, but he skipped the usual seat and sat back down at the table with the three men from before, noting with some small satisfaction that Jack was sporting a black eye.

Jack looked up as he came in and then carefully studied the table, avoiding meeting the werewolf's gaze as much as he was able. Eventually he looked up, purple bruise looking angry against his pale skin. "I'm… I'm sorry. I was wrong."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "I've had worse. Believe me, I hold no grudges."

"I wasn't thinking. I've just been raised all my life to think some things and I never questioned them and-" he stopped abruptly when Remus put a hand on his shoulder. He flinched slightly but, Remus was glad to see, didn't jerk away or look disgusted at the contact.

"Got a lecture on manners, I see. Calm down. I came back, at least. I've had better reason not to before. Ask Ian here about it sometime."

"They were… they were talking about that last night."

Ian looked sheepishly over at Remus. "Hey, it's a good story."

"Glad to hear it. Remember it well, you'll never see it from me again. Drunk is, as you might have noticed, not something I do well."

"On the contrary. That might have been the most graceful fall I've ever seen. You should be proud."

"I'm touched, really, I am. Too bad I don't remember that part of the night. I only pray that you took no liberties with poor, unconscious me." He grinned, a real honest smile that few in the bar had ever seen. It lifted years from his face and if you looked past the grey hair and worry lines you could almost see the boy he used to be. "All I remember after that was waking up to my wand and a silver bullet on the bedside table. I understand your intentions were good but you're still all inconsiderate prats. I had to swipe that thing off with a shoe to get at my wand."

"Oops. Didn't think of that one."

"I should hope you didn't do it on purpose. I would have stopped coming if I'd thought you had."

"Story?"

"Bloody bunch of five-year-olds, aren't you all?" By now all eyes were on Remus again. He was almost getting used to the attention. "All right. So I left off… right, never mind. Okay, so after they figured out that I was a full-fledged werewolf, you know transformations, aversion to silver, full marks on the DADA tests. How to tell a werewolf… what a joke. Anyway, my friends embarked on a new project. They became illegal animagi, though I never quite found out how. None of them quite seemed the type for studying that much.

"Anyway, there we were, complete with a new set of nicknames. I was moony, fittingly enough. So one day in sixth year Sirius and I were walking down to double potions when Severus Snape decided it was a great time to play a prank in return."

"It's dark."

"Yes, Padfoot, I know."

"I can't see."

"Neither can I, on account of it being dark. Which I know about as well."

"I knew that."

"Just reminding you."

"Why did that bastard have to take our wands?"

"So we couldn't spell out way out, I'd imagine. You'd have done the same thing to him if you'd thought of locking him in a closet."

"No. It's far too simple. It would never do. We'd need to think up something more majestic, more grandiose. Less common."

There was a loud clanking as Remus maneuvered his way around, trying to find a place to sit. "You might as well make yourself comfortable, Siri. I've got a feeling we're going to be here for a while."

"I'll kill that bastard."

"What, is the company really that bad?"

"Couldn't be better." Sirius clanked down and sprawled out. Right on top of Remus. "Oof. It's a small one, ins't it?"

"Mmm."

He squeezed in next to Remus, ignoring the broom handle poking him in the side. and stretching his feet out as far as he was able. He found very quickly that he had to prop his feet up on a shelf to stretch out properly and resorted to bent knees to avoid stiff legs. "I hope there's nothing crawling around in here."

"What, besides us?" Remus quipped. After a moment of silence he gave in. "Fine, I admit it. Not funny, whatever. Talk to me."

"Do the charms homework yet?"

"Yep."

"Can I copy it?"

"Absolutely not."

"But Remy, why not?"

"Don't call me that. And you know why not. You'll-"

"Never learn it if I don't do it by myself and I don't want to fail all the important exams and not get a good job and a wife and kids and live happily ever after." He paused. "Could I copy it for chocolate?"

"I am not your homework whore. Ask James."

"He hasn't done it either."

"Peter?"

"He's not in our class."

"You're useless, the lot of you. I don't know why I even associate with you anymore. You're an embarrassment. I should go woo Lily. We would have wonderfully intelligent and responsible children, you know."

"She's James's domain."

"You're right. Way out of mine, anyway."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Did you just say you were queer?"

"I said nothing of the sort."

"Did you just imply you were queer?"

"…no."

Sirius shifted to look blindly in Remus's direction. "You're just one surprise after another. Good thing your pals are on top of their game. We figure out all your little secrets right before we worm them out of you."

"Did I ever mention that I hate the lot of you?"

"No, because it's not true." Sirius stretched languidly, as much as that was possible in the tight confines of the broom closet.

"Padfoot, why is your hand on my thigh?"

"Moony, darling, you must be imagining things."

"Of course."

A few rather uncomfortable hours passed in the cramped closet which Remus spent napping and Sirius spent angrily devising ways to get back at Snape. Horrible, painful ways. Like locking him in a broom closet. Filled with vipers. He related them all to Remus when he woke up who then took the opportunity to poke holes in all his logic. Of course he didn't know where to get a pit filled with vipers and stakes and snakes and spiders. That was Remus's job. He did all the thinking and all Sirius had to do was sit there and look pretty.

Remus laughed loudly at that. "Oh, and you do it so well."

Sirius flipped his hair into Remus's face. "I do, don't I? My mirror tells me so every day. It says 'Sirius, if I were human, I'd shag you into the bed.' and I say 'well then, Mirror, I'm glad you're not because I just don't like you that way'". They laughed together for a moment. "It's too bad you got stuck with the brains of the group, Moony. You'd do sitting pretty almost as well as I would." He said dreamily.

"You're joking, right?" Remus felt his face flush and was glad for the first time of the darkness that enveloped them.

"Nah. Pretty, pretty Remus and his fanclub."

"Fanclub?"

"Yeah, you've got half the girls in the school lusting after you. Shocking, really. I suppose you'll have to go and disillusion them at some point, won't you?"

"Tragic."

Sirius scooted closer to Remus. "So, tell me. Who do you like?"

"Now that would be none of your business even if there were someone."

"So you're unclaimed."

"Wholly and completely." Sirius moved in closer still. "Umm… Padfoot? I know it's a small closet and all but there's still a little thing I like to call personal space." All of a sudden strong hands gripped the sides of his head and lips found their way to his…almost. Sirius missed, landing a wet kiss half on Remus's chin, though he would later claim it wasn't bad aim for a dark closet.

When he withdrew Remus sat there and stared at where he thought Sirius must be. "That's something new. And a little awkward. What happened to your devoted fanclub? You know, the girls?"

"James can have them."

"Oh. Well then, that clears up a few lingering questions."

Remus could almost feel Sirius's grin. "Yes, I win."

"What? If it's not outright rejection it's score one for Sirius?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Oh, all right. Score one for Sirius, then."