Chapter two: trip to the infirmary

The sight that met Lily was one she had only seen in a muggle cartoon, where two dogs or other characters got into a fight. It was a mess of heads, legs and arms flailing around the pair. All that was missing were the dust, stars and cheesy sound effects but they would have been drowned out by the loud growls, howls and barks.

If Lily didn't know any better she would have thought she was indeed looking at a dog fight. And there's only one way to break up a dog fight. She said a quick spell and a jet of freezing water shot out of the end of her wand and dowsed both boys causing them to give a small scream in surprise and leap apart.

Lily gasped at the two friends. They were panting like a pair of dogs, were soaking wet and bleeding. Each were covered it marks from bites and scratches. Their trousers were sporting new holes and their shirts were nothing but tatters.

Though they both looked horrible Lily would have to say Sirius looked the worst, apparently Remus was winning the fight.

She shook her head and put her hands on her hips.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" She shouted at the two Marauders, in her best prefect voice. She smiled inwardly as the two flinched. Sirius was the first to recover.

"What the bloody hell is the matter with you, Evans? Look at my poor hair" Sirius pouted as he ran his hand through his soggy hair.

"Sorry Lily, we were just messing around," Remus said hurriedly to cover up Sirius's comment.

"Just messing around," she repeated incredulously. "Just MESSING AROUND!" she shouted. She seemed to pause to take deep calming breaths before continuing.

"Would you look at yourselves?" she said pointing out their injuries.

"What can I say? We're kinky," Sirius said giving her a cheeky smile. Remus couldn't help the small chuckle. Lily turned her burning gaze from Sirius and settled it on Remus.

"Remus what do you have to say for yourself?" she asked sounding like a mother hen. Remus blanched as her glare intensified.

"We were just playing around. I promise." He said holding up his hands to defend himself. It looks could kill. "I guess I just lost control." He added quietly rubbing the back of his neck nervously and looking down at his bare feet.

"You WHAT!" she screeched. "YOU LOST CONTROL!" she paused again.

"Remus…" she started in a strained calm voice. "You know you can't just lose control. It's dangerous. I mean look at Black. What if I hadn't come in when I did? You could kill someone if you just lose control." She said in a rush not really knowing what she was saying.

As a look of hurt fled across the fair Gryffindor's face Lily registered what she had just said. She let out a gasp and put a hand over her mouth. She removed it and began to stammer.

"Oh…Oh Remus I…I didn't…I didn't mean-"she started to say but was interrupted.

"No Lily, you said exactly what you meant." Remus said the look of hurt was replaced by a cold and distant one. Both Sirius and Lily were shocked by Remus's icy tone. They had never seen him talk to anyone that way. Not even to Snape.

Sirius quickly looked away from his now stony friend to the red-haired girl. He let out a low growl and opened his mouth to tell the girl exactly what he thought of her but was stopped when Remus put a hand on his shoulder.

"If you'll excuse us we should be off to the infirmary." He said still with a frigid manner. Lily's eyes welled-up with tears and she put a hand over her mouth again as Remus steered Sirius to the door and the two pushed past her.

She shuddered as Remus shouldered past her. She could feel the coldness of his attitude surround him and it felt like touching dry ice with your bare hands. It hurt.

As the two boys left the room and headed down the stairs Sirius, being the jokester that he is tried to lighten the mood.

"Well I guess we should make it look like we are mad at each other. Y'know so no one gets suspicious."

"Ok" Remus agreed as they came off the stairs and into the common room. He gave Sirius a hard sideways push that sent him clear across the room to land even harder on the ground

Shocked, Sirius stumbled to his feet and followed the werewolf out of the port hole. Once in the hall he took a running start and leapt onto his friend's back. The added weight took Remus by surprise and the pair almost went tumbling to the ground.

"Sirius what are you doing?" he asked the boy on his back, once he regained his footing. "Get off,"

"I'm weak I need to be carried," Sirius replied in his most pathetic voice. "Look you did a number on me…please Moony," he said and Remus could hear the pout in his voice.

"Fine," Remus sighed in defeat. He knew that he would give in eventually anyway and really didn't feel much like fighting anymore.

Placing his hands on the back of Sirius's thighs to keep him steady he headed off toward the infirmary.

"Hmmm," Sirius murmured on Remus's back between deep breaths.

"What are you doing?" Remus asked.

"Your hair," Sirius replied still breathing deep." Smells so good," he said as he exhaled. "Like lemons." Then he began to nuzzle it.

"Now what are you doing?"

"It's so soft," Sirius said running his cheek over Remus's fair hair.

"Stop it," Remus said trying to swat the boy.

"Oh Come one Remmy nuzzle, nuzzle you know nuzzle, nuzzle that you like it. nuzzle"

"No I don't it's weird."

nuzzle

"Sirius stop"

nuzzle

"I mean it"

nuzzle

"I am serious" Remus said in desperation. Sirius's nuzzling of his head was giving him tingly feelings and they were very distracting.

"If you're serious (Sirius) then I want to be James." The darker boy quipped from his back. He took on a slightly more childish voice. "I'm James, heehee. All I think breath and talk about is Lily. Lily Lily Lily Lily Lily Lily Quidditch Lily Lily Lily Lily Lily Lily." Remus gave a snort at that and glowed a little at Sirius's bitter tone.

He was happy that Sirius was upset with Lily on his behalf.

"Hmm, being James is boring and not even Pete wants to be Pete so I'll be you Remmie," Sirius said mischievously. "I'm Remus Lupin, a stodgy ol' prefect. I love books, chocolate, long walks on the beach, candle light dinner and my best mate Sirius Black." He said in a mock pompous tone.

Remus chuckled.

"Now how did you change from making fun of me to making me a personal ad?" Remus asked teasing his friend's acting abilities.

"Hmm I don't know but Merlin knows you need to get shagged." Sirius said not the least bit fazed. Remus was very glade that Sirius was behind him and couldn't see the blush that tinted his cheeks.

"Shut up," he replied and let go of Sirius's thighs. Instead of falling Sirius seemed to be anticipating this. He tightened his legs around Remus's waist and his arms around his neck.

"No no no, Remmy I'm sorry I didn't mean it. Please don't take your touch away." He said in a mock girl voice dripping with saccharine.

"Sirius I swear you're a puppy," he rolled his eyes and replace his hands. Sirius cuddled up against him and went back to nuzzling his head.

"Oi Moony," James called as he and Peter left the Great Hall which the pair was now passing on their way to the hospital wing.

"Hey Prongsie and Wormtail," Sirius called from Remus's back. James looked behind Remus and saw Sirius.

"What are you doing on Moony's back Padfoot?" Peter asked.

"We got a little carried away," Remus answered the same time Sirius said

"Moony tried to eat me again,"

"You guys off to the hospital wing?" James asked. Remus nodded.

"We'll come with." The four Marauders' set off again. After a while of silence James noticed Sirius nuzzling Remus's head.

"Padfoot, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Moony's hair is so soft. Come on, feel it." He said. James gave him a weird look and turned to Remus.

"He hasn't stopped since we left the tower," Remus explained. James nodded. He knew what a nutter Sirius could be. He lifted a hand and stroked Remus's hair.

"Oh you're right Padfoot. His hair is soft." James said as he continued to stork Remus's fair hair. Peter looked at his friends like they were crazy but his motto is "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" and he knew he couldn't beat them. So he joined in the stroking of Remus's hair.

Remus gritted his teeth as his three friends stroked his hair until they came to the infirmary doors. They walked in to the white and sterile room. Remus backed up to a bed where Sirius slid off his back. He sat next to him.

"Peter go get Pomfrey," James told the small boy who shuffled away obediently. James looked at his too friends assessing their injuries. "Hmm not so bad." He chuckled.

"Remember the first time you tried to wake Moony up that way?" James asked. Sirius got a wide grin on his face as he did indeed remember.

"Yeah, he nearly tore out my throat." he said.

"Hey, you got what you deserved," Remus said defending himself.

"That was back in our first year. Before we knew about your 'furry little problem'" James said. The three friends were interrupted by a loud shriek.

"WHAT IN HEAVEN'S NAME HAPPENED!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed as she entered the room.

"Sounds likes Prongs's girlfriend," Sirius said bitterly. James shot him a curious look, but James didn't get a chance to ask what he meant.

"We…uh…were messing around…" Remus said not meeting the mediwitch's eyes. She just clucked her tongue and told them to remove their "shirts".

"Well most of these are pretty shallow and should heal nicely but the others are rather deep and there will be some light scarring." She said pulling out her wand.

Remus just shrugged what's another scar to him? His torso and limbs are already covered in them. Sirius however let out a noise of outrage.

"What? Scars? I can't have scars, what will they do to my perfect body?" he whined.

"Oh come on Padfoot. Think of all the wicked stories you can tell the girls about where they came from," James supplied and Remus turned a nice shade of pink.

Sirius broke out into a smile at James's comment.

"Yeah, ok."

Madame Pomfrey quickly healed both boys and sent them on their way.