Remus stayed in the Hospital wing for the rest of the day and madam Pomfry lead him down the the whomping willow at sunset.
that night's transformation was one of the most painful Remus had ever experienced. his screaming and yelping was loud throughout hogwarts and hogsmede, sending shivers through the spines of the fearless and making three boys in the griffindor common room close their eyes tightly and flinch with each pained yelp.
"it must feel so bad..." muttered James, sitting in front of the fire, poking it with a stick.
all three of them knew it was no restless ghosts in that shrieking shack. it was their good friend Remus Lupin. and he didn't know they knew.
Sirius silently circled today on his calendar, glancing at the muggle motorbike above the dates. he flicked through the past months and noted each of the encircled dates that remus was away from them and the shrieking shack's cries could be heard.
all were on full moons.
"so, is it as we expected, Sirius?" asked James, waving his wand at the fire, causing the flames to flicker blue.
"... yeah." Sirius said softly and offhandedly. he was thinking about Remus. those hazel eyes, his sandy-blond hair that had a few streaks of silver, all those tiny scars that littered all over his body...
"oi! anyone in there?" came a loud noise, yanking Sirius from his fantasies, making him notice James was practically nose-to-nose with him.
"someone's in there, but they fell asleep." Sirius said bluntly, closing the calendar on his lap, sending a small, tired glare at James.
James grinned. "then we'll have to flood him with coffee, now, won't we?"
Peter looked up from eating his cauldron cakes. Sirius high on coffee was always something fun to see.
Sirius chuckled and stood up. "nah. i think he just needs sleep. like we all do." he said, prodding James in the chest with a finger.
"aye aye, cap'n!" said James in a serious voice, saluting and stomping upstairs to the dormitory room, followed closely by Peter.
Sirius looked out the window of the common room. he could see the shrieking shack from here...
"it's okay, Remus... it'll all be over in the morning..." muttered Sirius, sending a small smile to the shrieking shack before turning, walking up to the dorm.
((TBC))
