Sirius was staring out the window wishing for something interesting to do. Defense Against the Dark Arts had grown increasingly boring as Professor Arden stopped paying attention to his winks. The weather was still rather bleak at the beginning of March, although the snow was almost gone and there was the occasional sunny day. Today was not one of those days. Then Sirius remembered. Tonight was full moon. Smiling, he began to imagine the adventures they might encounter in the forest.

He turned to mention this to James when he remembered. James was in a mood. Thanks to Evans. Well, not really Evans, really Snivellus. Absent mindedly twirling his snitch between his fingers, James had a huge scowl on his face. This negative attention was directed at Snape, who seemed to have a vague idea that James Potter was imagining all the different ways he could dismember a 6th year Slytherin with skinny legs and a twitchy walk. He occasionally glanced back, always getting his face back to Professor Arden in a split second. Every time this happened, James looked as though he was going to repeat his reaction to Snape's Evans-gazing two months before.

"Relax Mate," Sirius nudged him.

James didn't respond. He was still glaring at Snape.

Exasperated, Sirius poked Remus on the shoulder. "So tonight," he smirked happily. "Do you think we'll see the centaurs again?"

"Keep your voice down," Remus whispered harshly.

"Oh relax, no one knows about the 'furry little problem,'" he scoffed. "Do you?"

"I don't know. Maybe." Remus was looking around somewhat nervously

"That would be brilliant," said Peter. "Hey Sirius, remember when that one almost kicked you?"

Sirius grinned, nodding. "I hope we see them again."

The rest of the day seemed to go at about half speed. By the time they had finished lessons, had supper, gone up to the common room and Remus had gone down to meet Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing for his monthly sojourn, Sirius was ready to jump out of his skin. He was dying for an adventure. Things had been uncharacteristically dull for the Marauders this year. Well, definitely not dull, but all that extra drama had seriously damaged the troupe's ability to commit the high-jinks they used to.

"So," he said, nudging James. "Ready for tonight?"

James, sitting very still on his bed, shrugged.

"Come on," Sirius nudged him again. "An adventure. Isn't Prongs just aching to get out? Things are much less complicated as an animal James, come on.."

"That's true," he nodded sadly.

"Hey Wormtail," Sirius beckoned the boy on the other side of the dormitory. "Are you looking forward to tonight?"

Peter nodded vigorously. "Definitely. It's been months. This is going to be bloody brilliant."

"See Prongs," Sirius gestured at Peter. "Wormtail is excited, I'm abso-bloody-lutely dying to go, and you're here sulking. I have a bit of a problem with that."

James shrugged again. "I'm going, isn't that enough?"

"Is that enough?" Sirius scoffed. "Is that enough? You are James Potter, Quidditch captain, ruler of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Transfiguration genius. You are even as attractive as Sirius Black…almost. Is just going enough? I think not, was just going good enough for Merlin, for Hengist of Woodcroft, for Godric Griffindor, for Albus. Dum..."

"Okay Sirius I get your point," James said. He smiled slightly. "Is that better?'

"I suppose," Sirius shrugged. "You have the map?"

"Yeah, right here," James pulled a sheaf of parchment out of his trunk and handed it to Sirius.

"I Solemnly Swear I Am up to No Good," Sirius said with a grin. Lines began to appear and then rooms and then dots, and soon Sirius held a map in his hands. He unfolded it, studying each and every floor to determine their route down to the Whomping Willow. The main stairs were empty. Filch was pacing up and down a corridor. Sirius noticed that Dorcas Meadowes was in a 1st floor classroom with Robert McMillan, the Hufflepuff's keeper. He was a little surprised. He'd have to ask her about that later. Lily Evans was, as was expected, in her bedroom. The path was looking perfectly clear, as if fate had intervened for the purpose of allowing the boys to have their fun. Sirius almost didn't see the dot loafing around the Whomping Willow. When he did, his face fell. He knew who it was before he even read the label.

This was far from the first time Snape had lingered around the Whomping Willow while Remus was up in the Shrieking Shack. He had started tracking Remus' activities during 4th year and by now, it was completely normal for James, Sirius, and Peter to have to dodge him on their way down to visit Remus.

"Oy James," Sirius yelped. "Snivelly is down there again."

James frowned. "Stupid git."

"Come on," Sirius smirked. "Let's go and have a little fun."

"No, I'm not really in the mood."

"Didn't you say you wanted to make sure he lay off Evans?" Sirius was a little shocked at James' flat refusal.

"Look Sirius," he said shortly, looking up at his friend. "I just don't want to, okay."

"Well alright," he shrugged. "Do you want to dodge him or wait until he comes back?"

"I really don't want to go at all," James said, lying down on his back. "Why don't you two just go? Remus will understand."

"It'll cheer you up mate."

"No, it won't. You two just go."

Sirius scowled at James. He wasn't going to force him to go, but he wanted to. "Fine," he said. "Let's go Peter."

Peter was looking from Sirius to James, looking very conflicted.

"I…I…" Peter started.

"Oh forget it," Sirius shoved the map angrily in his pocket. "I'll go myself. I have business with Snivelly anyway." He stormed out of the dormitory and down the stairs to the common room. As he walked, he got angrier and angrier. This was not how things were supposed to be. Tonight was supposed to be the Marauder's night; it was supposed to be like before. Everything was all wrong. A depressed James ruined it. It was all Snivellus' fault. If he hadn't given Evans that damned love potion, James would still be on his "she thought I was impressive" high. And now, Snape's abnormally large nose had stuck itself in to something that was none of his business.

Then it hit Sirius.

If Snivellus wanted to know about Remus, Sirius would help him find out.

He snuck quietly out of the portrait hole and pulled out the map. All clear. He began walking as quickly and quietly as possible (he'd had a fair amount of practice) down the stairs to the castle entrance. When he reached the 1st floor, he heard whispered voices. Crouching in a shadow, he checked the map. It was Dorcas and Robert. He crouched lower as they finished their conversation. He couldn't make out the words, but he got the idea that they were parting amicably. Robert went the opposite way downstairs to the Hufflepuff common room. Dorcas began walking towards Sirius. Merlin, he'd forgotten that she would be walking up this way. He had to move somewhere. Damnit James, where's the invisibility cloak when I need it? Frantically he searched for a hiding spot. She was getting closer. He was getting desperate.

"I can hear you Black," she whispered. "You're rustling your parchment."

Damn. "Mischief Managed," he whispered. He stood up warily, the furious scowl still on his face.

"You're out late," she smirked.

"I've got to deal with some business."

"Business?" her voice danced on the word. "What kind of business? Where's James?"

"Not here," Sirius said. "We shouldn't talk here. We might get caught."

"Alright?" she asked, noticing the expression on Sirius' face.

He glowered. "I will be," he said. "After I see a certain Slytherin. Go on. You don't want to get caught either."

Her expression remained almost the same except for a wrinkle now visible between her eyebrows. Sirius didn't wait for her to nod or acknowledge his comment. He brushed past her and slowly opened the huge front door to the castle.

Once outside, Sirius muttered the torch spell to help him navigate the dark of night. Silently, he snuck between the vegetable gardens and the greenhouses. He slouched, so his height wouldn't give him away. The night was freezing, especially for March, but without ice on the ground, Sirius could maneuver rather easily. As he rounded the last greenhouse, the moon caught a shady-looking figure.

Snape was pacing around the tree, occasionally looking behind and around him. It looked as though he was waiting for someone. Sirius walked in the shadows as much as possible until the field-like terrain forced him out of them. Snape saw him almost immediately.

"I knew it," he smiled triumphantly. "I knew you would show up. I saw Madam Pomfrey bring Lupin down here after supper and then came down to wait after she came back."

"That's a long wait," Sirius smirked. "You're rather determined Snivellus, aren't you?"

Snape didn't answer. He just wore the sick smile barely visible in the dark.

"It's a good trait, determination," Sirius continued, his eyes darkening with anger. "I usually like determined people."

Snape shuffled a little, disturbing the small patch of snow at his feet.

"If you want to get down there, all you have to do is push that knot." He pointed. Snape didn't look. "That one Snivelly," he pointed again, smiling. Then he turned to head back up to the castle, ready to go, when a brilliant idea hit him.

Turning back around, he raised his eyebrows. "You know who else is in there with him?" "Evans."

Snape, for the first time during the nightly meeting, looked angry. "Don't lie to me Black."

"I'm not," he shrugged. "Go see for yourself. See what she's chosen over you and James."

Sirius turned to begin his journey back to the castle. He heard Snape fidgeting behind him, obviously trying to decide whether or not he should go through the tunnel. Sirius knew he would, he had seen the anger he had arisen with Evans' name. Honestly, he would never understand how someone could get so turned around by a bird.

As Sirius reached the entrance to the castle, he saw the door burst open, but there was no person behind it. James had come.

"James?" Sirius smiled. "You'll never believe what I just did? Snivelly will never go after Evans again."

"You didn't, please tell me I'm wrong," he was out of breath as he threw the invisibility cloak off of him and kept running.

"I just told him how to get in to the…"

"Get out of my way," James pushed past him violently.

"James…" Sirius sprinted off after him. They retraced Sirius' steps through the vegetable garden and past the greenhouses at a fevered pace.

"Oy Prongs," Sirius yelled at the boy about ten feet in front of him. "Calm down."

"Sirius," he spat as they rounded the corner and saw that the Whomping Willow was still. "How could be such a fucking idiot? Don't you realize what could happen? What might have already happened?"

James reached the base of the tree and immediately slid into the large tunnel that ran parallel with the tree's large roots. Sirius stood there dumbstruck. What had just happened? What was James doing? Sirius didn't move until James re-emerged; now dragging a paler-than-usual Snape who had an absolutely horror-stricken look on his face. James pulled him out of the tunnel and let go of him as he lay on the grass surrounding the tree.

"Get out of the way," James yelled. He and Sirius ran out of the striking distance. Snape managed to scramble out of the way just before a large branch hit the spot where he had been dropped by James.

Snape's face had contorted into one of total hatred. His black eyes were bugging to twice their normal size. He looked at James, then at Sirius, then back to James. "You were trying to murder me, weren't you?" he looked as if he had been possessed by some unworldly thing. "By sending me down that tunnel to that…that thing."

"Hey," James bit. Just because he had saved Snape's life did not make them friends. "That "thing" happens to be our best friend."

"It doesn't matter," Snape was shaking violently with anger, his fists and teeth were clenched, and his hair had fallen into his face. "You tried to kill me. You murderers!"

"For Merlin's sake, keep your voice down," Sirius snapped, glancing around him.

"KEEP MY VOICE DOWN?"

"Hey Snivelly, I guess you didn't notice, but James just saved your life."

"After the two of you plotted to kill me," Snape had been walking towards them during this rant and now was only about a foot from the pair of them.

"That was all Sirius," James glared at his friend. "I may not like you, but I'm not stupid enough to do that."

Snape responded by punching James squarely in the face. It was a weak hit, though it did crack James' glasses. Without thinking, James punched Snape right back, knocking him back.

James took his glasses off and muttered "Occulus Reparo." Putting his glasses back on, he muttered. "Don't do anything stupid, Snape."

Snape had stood and was advancing on James, though he was wobbling on his feet a little. He pulled back his arm, ready to punch James again.

"BOYS! HEADMASTER'S OFFICE NOW!" Filch was standing on the other side of the tree.