You Can Call Me James

I stood in the corner of the room in the Shrieking Shack in my animagus form, patiently awaiting for the moon to set. Werewolf Moony was lying in one of the four-poster beds with the curtains securely surrounding him.

I kept my gaze steadily on the moon, which was just about to disappear. Padfoot hadn't come out the entire night. This must have meant that he was in trouble. It serves him right, he should learn to think before he acts.

The only reason he actually went through with leading Snivellus here was because I wasn't here to stop him. He wouldn't tell Moony what he was planning and Wormtail would never contradict him.

I heard werewolf Moony growl in pain as the moon faded away. Soon enough he was human again. He placed his clothes on and came out from behind the curtain. He looked up at me with tired eyes.

With a small 'pop' I turned back into a human.

"Did I... did I do-"

"Moony, before you ask me that, wait," I cut him off. "Padfoot, he umm... I guess he told Snape where to find you. But," I continued seeing his eyes widen in fear. "You didn't do anything, I stopped you."

We stayed there for a while, not saying anything. Then at last, Moony spoke, "You know, I knew he was up to something. He had been disappearing unexpectedly the entire day. Then when I asked him about it he just said that Snape was going to get 'a rude awakening.' I tried to stop him from doing something stupid, but he wouldn't tell me what he was up to."

I was about to speak, when I heard a knock on the door. Wondering whether or not I should hide, I looked at Moony. He signaled towards the bed, I jumped on it and closed the curtains around me. I heard Moony walk up to the door and open it.

I heard him sigh. "It's ok, it's just Wormtail."

I stepped out from behind the curtains and walked over to Moony and Wormtail.

"Dumbledore needs you, Prongs. Moony, he says that you need to go to the hospital wing and stay there. Padfoot and Snape are already in Dumbledore's office." He turned expecting Moony and I to follow him, we did no such thing.

Halfway down the stairs, he turned. "Aren't you coming?"

"Why didn't you tell me what Padfoot was planning? Surely he told you," Moony said in a tone I couldn't quite register.

"He... he told me not to tell."

"You have common sense, Wormtail! Didn't you notice how dangerous it was?" I yelled at him for his stupidity.

"Well, yeah. It's just... it was Padfoot, I couldn't say no!"

"WHY NOT?" Moony and I yelled at the same time.

"I... I just couldn't..." he looked down at his feet and turned away walking down the remaining steps.

I looked over at Moony, his angry facial expression mimicking mine.

We waited in silence until we heard that Wormtail had exited the Shrieking Shack and was well ahead of us. Then we began to walk. Moony and I parted ways at the entrance hall and I was left to walk up to Dumbledore's office alone.

I swear, if I didn't have to do eight hours worth of sleeping I would be running up to Dumbledore's office to knock some sense into Padfoot right now. What kind of idiot do you have to be? It's plain common sense, werewolves and humans don't mix. (Only during a full moon, of course.) No matter how much you hate someone.

I reached Dumbledore's office way too soon. I stood in front of that statue for a good five minutes before I realized it wanted a password.

I opened my mouth and closed it again realizing I didn't know it. I looked around, no one was here to help me. I suddenly heard a rumbling noise; hastily I took out my wand and pointed it in any direction haphazardly.

"Why so paranoid, James?" I turned and pointed my wand at a figure by the statue, it was Dumbledore.

"Sorry Professor… didn't notice you were there," I said sleepily.

"That's quite alright James, come inside." He led the way up the stairs to his office. When I entered his office I saw Snivellus and Padfoot sitting in front of his desk. Padfoot looked extremely afraid, while Snivellus was looking quite miserable (Probably because he didn't get to have Moony expelled.)

"Take a seat," Dumbledore was already sitting at his desk and was pointing towards the only empty seat between Snivellus and Padfoot. "I am sure that all of you are tired and that you would like to get sleep, but I have to clear up a few things, if you don't mind." He waited as if to see if any of us had anything to say.

"Mr. Potter did you know about Mr. Blacks plans?" I looked at Dumbledore straight in the eye, mostly not to look at Padfoot. Whom I was about to strangle.

"No, sir, I didn't. Because if I had I would have knocked some well deserved sense into him," It was rather rude, the way I responded, but I didn't care.

Dumbledore nodded. "How did you come about knowing where Mr. Snape was headed this evening?"

"I saw him through the window in the Gryffindor common room."'

"Mr. Snape I would like you to bear in mind what we have discussed this evening. You may go," Snape hesitantly got up from his seat and walked down the stairs.

Dumbledore waited a few minutes before continuing. "Mr. Potter what you did tonight was very brave, though I have one question."

"What?" I yawned.

"How did you manage to fight off a full grown werewolf?"

I froze. I needed to get out of this and quick. I couldn't tell him that I was an animagus. I began to grow extremely nervous, I loosened my collar. Then I felt it: a chain.

"I had this silver chain that I used to fend him off, and then I locked him in. The Shrieking Shack, that is. Not that I knew that it was the Shrieking Shack. I just guessed." Shut up James. Shut up.

I didn't own anything silver, it was fake. None of the Marauders owned anything silver, for obvious reasons.

Dumbledore looked at me with those blue eyes, he didn't believe me. He knew I was lying.

"When did you and your friends find out about Mr. Lupins' condition?"

"In our second year," I said looking at the floor.

"Very well Mr. Potter, you may go. Mr. Black, stay here."

I stood up, glancing at Padfoot for the first time, his face etched with worry and sadness.

"Oh and Mr. Potter," I turned, standing in the doorway. "Fifty points to Gryffindor for your heroic actions."

I smiled at least there was one good thing about tonight.

---

The next day I awoke sometime around noon. Dumbledore had us excused from our classes for today. Padfoot was still asleep, and Moony was probably in the hospital wing.

I reached the Great Hall and spotted Wormtail. I was about to sit next to him when I realized I was mad at him. I went to sit Frank and Davy, leaving Wormtail with some fifth years.

Frank Longbottom and Davy Gudgeon were twoseventh year Gryffindors. As I sat across from Frank I was happy to realize that Evans was only a few seats down from us. I remembered her letter.

"Hullo James," Frank greeted me.

"Hey."

"Had a good sleep?" Davy smirked.

"Yes. Yes, I did. It was quite refreshing." I noticed that Alice and Frank were glancing at each other nervously. They were so into each other that it was almost sickening.

"So, how are you?" Frank asked, pulling away from looking at Alice.

"Good, the only bad thing is that I have to drink this awful medicine everyday before I go to bed."

Davy made a face of disgust. He had to drink stuff like I had too; Back in myfirst year when he got attacked by the Whomping Willow.

"James!" I heard Emi calling. I looked down the table. "Come here!"

I walked to where she was seated with Piper and Evans.

"You didn't tell me you were back! When did you get here?" she asked as she got up and gave me a big hug. As we pulled away I saw her all teary eyed. I smiled.

"I got here yesterday, pretty late actually. That's why I was excused from all my classes."

"My turn!" Piper stood up and softly pushed Emi aside to give me a hug. "We missed you!"

I laughed. "I was only gone for like three days!" They sat down and I looked at Evans, she hadn't said anything yet. She had barely even looked up from her plate.

"Hey," I said softly.

She looked up at me, it looked like, against her own will. "Hello." Her eyes, her beautiful green eyes filled with uncertainty. I stayed there for a while, just staring into her eyes.

"Ehem," I cleared my throat. "I wanted to thank you guys for the letters, they were just what I needed." Though I was talking to the three of them, I didn't take my eyes off Evans.

"Letters? As in more than one?" Piper looked at me confused. I looked away from Evans. Yeah, duh, two letters is more than one. I gave her an odd look. Emi had a confused face too—though Evans had a different face, one of pleading.

Though not understanding exactly why, I lied to Emi and Piper. "I mean, the guys sent me one too. Yeah, there were two." They nodded. "Well, must be off. Need to go grab my Divination books."

As I exited the Hall I decided to take a detour to the Hospital Wing. I knocked on the door; Madam Fermera opened it and glared at me.

"I just want to see Moo-, I mean Remus, please. It's just for a short while, it's very important and-"

"Shush! You may come in!"

"But please, just... What? I can wh-, really?"

"Yes, yes. Now come in quietly. You have ten minutes."

I slowly walked in, shocked at her quick approval. "Hey, Moony. How you holding up?"

Moony was sitting up in his bed reading a book on Herbology. "Good," he smiled.

I took a seat nest to his bed. "You know I never got the chance to tell you, but Evans sent me a letter when I was sick."

Suddenly his face changed, his expression got heavier.

"What?" I asked, noticing how worried he looked.

"She knows," he chocked out.

"Who knows what?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Lily knows my secret." I gaped in shock. It must have been a while before I said anything, because Moony was waving his hand in front of my face.

"How did she find out?" I asked, finally coming out of my trance.

"She said she found out in fifth year when we became prefects together. For Christmas she gave me a Lunascope and she just said, 'I know Remus,' when I opened it. She said she wouldn't tell, or think of me differently. But I just don't know. I just don't."

"Moony, I mean its Evans. She won't say anything. I mean, she's not in Gryffindor for anything. And if she hasn't told anybody by now, then I don't think she will."

"But what if she has?"

"Don't you think you would've noticed?" He looked pensive for a few seconds.

"You're right."

I heard a knock on the door and saw Madam Fermera rush towards it. I could hear faint arguing coming from where she was standing. Finally, I heard some footsteps, which ended up being Padfoot's.

"Hey," he said, looking back and forth between Moony and me.

Neither of us said anything in response.

"Look," Padfoot began. "I'm really sorry, really I am. I didn't realize what I was doing. I wasn't thinking-"

"You're damn right you weren't thinking! I warned not to do anything stupid! Why are you even here? Leave! I DON'T EVEN WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE!" Moony suddenly began to yell at Padfoot.

"But I don't want you to be mad at me. Tell me anything I can do to make it up, please."

"There's nothing you can do. What's done is done. Just leave."

Padfoot then turned to me. "Prongs! Please convince him to forgive me, please."

I looked at him coldly. "I'm not helping you at all. First of all, what you did was stupid and your own fault. Second of all, I know you made Lily cry. And if it wasn't because yesterday was a full moon I would have strangled you the moment I laid eyes on you. And Sirius, you can call me James."

Sirius looked flustered. He looked at Moony as if to blame him, but then thought better of it. With one last glance at Moony he took a step back and went to the door.

Before we heard the door close I heard him yell, "I'm suspended for two weeks, hopefully by then you guys will forgive me." The door closed with a final thud.

I looked at Remus and sighed. The Marauders were never going to be the same again.

---

I sat through double Divination predicting how many natural phenomenons were going to occur before the end of the school year for about an hour and a half. After that I dragged my feet towards the Transfiguration room for Advanced Transfiguration.

Since Moony and Padfoot weren't here, the only person I would have paired up with was Peter. Once I got there I frantically searched for a person with no partner, anyone would do. Being an Advanced class it was very small, so this was a difficult task.

My eyes traveled from desk to desk, but everyone seemed to be paired up.

"Mr. Potter, take your seat," McGonagall was standing behind her desk giving me a stern look. I tried to sit in the empty seat in the corner of the room when she said, "Your assigned seat."

I had no choice but to sit with Peter. I tried to ignore him the entire class, really I did. But the only reason he was in this class really was because of Padfoot, Moony, and I were... he needed all the help he could get.

Ten minutes into the class Professor McGonagall had already given me the task to help him transfigure his cat.

After thirty minutes of Wormtail turning his cat into a fish without gills, or a fish without eyes, or a fish without fins the bell rung. I was free, and it was time to go to dinner. I quickly headed towards the Great Hall, extremely hungry. Wormtail was a few steps behind me trying to catch up but he was too slow.

I reached the Great and again I sat down by Frank.

"James where's Sirius and why aren't you sitting with Peter?" Frank asked.

"Umm, Sirius is suspended and Peter and I aren't talking."

"Why?" Davy demanded.

"I don't want to talk about it." Davy and Frank then began to talk about something but I wasn't listening. I saw a flash of red hair out of the corner of my eye. I looked up and saw Evans rushing towards the door out of the Great Hall. I got up to follow her. I think that Davy and Frank asked me where I was going but I didn't reply.

When I walked outside the Great Hall I saw her quickly turn the corner. I began to pick up my pace to catch up with her. It didn't take much to catch up with her, I was much faster.

"Evans!" I called out. She stopped, not turning around to see who was calling her. "Wait up," I told her even though she wasn't moving.

When I was a few steps behind her when she turned around. She had an annoyed look about her.

"I'm sorry," I told her.

"What?"

"About Padfoot, he was being stupid."

"Oh, right. That's fine. Yeah," she sighed and turned.

"Wait. I wanted to ask you." She turned around giving me an inquisitive look.

She was so pretty, everything about her was perfect. Her hair, her face, her hands, her eyes, everything.

"Go out with me." This isn't what I mean to say, but it just slipped. I couldn't help it.

She sighed as she turned around. "No." She walked away leaving me standing in the middle of the hallway by myself.

---

:a/n: I hope this made up for the last chapter. It was horrible. I think this is like the longest one yet. I need Reviews, people! Sigh, I'm dying here. How you guys hurt me so... I still love you though.