"Sirius, what are you playing at?" Remus smiled. This was rare at the time, as it was fast approaching the full moon. He dreaded it and hated and feared it. "Are you up to trouble, again?" He asked, knowing full well that when Sirius had that face, he was most definitely up to trouble.
"Trouble?" Sirius laughed. "Me? Don't be absurd, man."
Remus rolled his eyes.
"Sirius," James said, an excited grin on his face as he and Peter entered the room bearing with them a large box. "I think it is time to unveil our plans."
"Now, James? Are you sure?" Sirius asked, melodramatically creeping forward on his knees, hands outstretched.
"Yes, my loyal manservant, now." James said with all the airs of a real aristocrat.
"Manservant?" Sirius yelled, outraged. "Manservant!"
"Certainly." James laughed. "But, my friends, it is time to unveil our master plan."
Remus frowned and reached for a book, certain that he would need something to distract him so that he could have nothing to do with their trouble. If he didn't see or hear it, he didn't have to tell them off. Win-win.
"Uh uh uh, Remus. No books, this time. You see this plan centres its very existence upon you." James grinned.
"James, you know I don-"
"Don't prank, don't trick, don't practical joke, don't shag me on a Sunday…" Sirius listed.
"Ugh, Sirius!" Peter grumbled.
"Pete's right, Sirius," James said, hiding a smile. "That really is a little too much information."
"What about last Sunday?" Remus said, jabbing Sirius' arm.
"Oh, yeh. That was a good one."
"Sirius!" Two people yelled.
"Now, then. What's this scheme you have going?" Remus asked, a little reluctantly.
"Oh, you'll love it." Sirius said.
"Firstly, my dear Remus, we have some introductions to make." James said, approaching the bed on which Remus was perched, and kneeling down with the box held out before him.
Remus took the box, about the size of a shoebox, and lifted off the lid carefully, puzzled, although pleased with what he found. He reached both hands in and waited for the four very life-like little creatures to jump into his palms before withdrawing his hands to look at them closely. It was a tight fit
The first was a tiny little wolf, with certain differences (the eyes, for instance), which set it apart as a werewolf. It was about big enough to curl up in his palm and occupy that whole space. Fortunately, it was standing. Now, Remus being the clever person that he was, looked at his three friends, and the four creatures and deduced that this werewolf was, in fact, a mini-Remus. He saw certain colourings on the coat that confirmed his suspicions, which lead him to further puzzlement over the remaining three creatures, all leaping about in his hands.
The smallest one, he noted was in fact a rat. The rat was not to scale, being only about a quarter of the size of the wolf, but it had a wormy little tail that felt real enough as it squirmed about, avoiding the dog's playful snaps. Remus picked up the wolf and the little grey rat and put them back in the box.
The next creature was a stag, standing proud and showing off its little antlers. Remus saw something marvellous in this stag that instantly reminded him of James. A certain well-deserved pride stemming from the knowledge of his own goodness, and kindness of heart. It playfully charged the dog and trotted back and forth on Remus' palm, seeming to smile mischievously. Remus laughed and dropped it back in the box with the wolf and the rat.
The last creature he studied was a tiny-big black dog, currently attempting to gnaw off his left thumb. When Remus put his nose down to study it, the dog ran up and started licking his face, actually leaving tiny wet tongue-marks and barking happily as it ran around in circles. Remus laughed and put the dog back in the box with the others.
"So." Remus said, still a little perplexed. "Are you going to introduce us?"
"Oh, no. They're just reminders." James said. "We're going to introduce you to us… and them. It's a bit of both, I suppose."
"Ahem, perhaps I shall introduce us." Sirius said with an accent fit for royalty.
"Certainly, my good chap." James grinned, joining in.
"Splendid."
"Magnificent."
"Tremendous."
"Marvellous."
"Superb."
"Dinner!" Remus said.
"My good man," James frowned, "that is hardly the tone of this conversation." He awaited a response with Sirius shaking solemnly his head beside him.
"Dinner is soon, so you'd best introduce us." Remus explained.
"Ah, right you are." Sirius nodded. "First things first, I shall introduce you to you. You see, Remus, you have never, I think, truly met yourself as we plan on seeing you."
"What?"
"Remus." Sirius said, taking one of his hands. "I would like you to meet Moony." Sirius picked up the little wolf and dropped him in Remus' hand.
"Very good." Remus said. "Lovely to meet you, Moony."
"Now, James, if you will step forward and present yourself." Sirius said.
"Remus, Moony, I would like for you to meet the me's in this room. We are known as Prongs." James said, picking up the little stag and bowing.
"And me and me are Wormtail." Peter said, picking up the tiny little rat by its tail and popping it down with the wolf.
"And finally," Sirius said, "the prettiest of us all. I would like you to meet me, Padfoot."
Remus nodded and smiled. He looked at all the tiny little animals and all the people.
"So you've all chosen guises for yourselves?" Remus said.
"For a smart person, you're quite daft." James grinned. "Our guises chose us."
"What do you mean?" Remus asked.
"Don't you listen in DADA?" Sirius rolled his eyes. "Granted, nor do I, but I did listen when they started talking about werewolves, especially that part about sexual practices. Hey, do you remember that part when they were talking about experimentation? Do you suppose that would include the handcuffs, or those potions we took? I can't decide whether that was your idea or mine…"
"Sirius!"
"Oh, right. Sorry." Sirius mumbled.
"What Sirius was trying to explain was that we listened in particular to the part where they explained that werewolves don't harm other animals." James explained.
"So you made me miniature animals?" Remus asked.
"Nope. We went one better that that." Sirius grinned. And, just like that, he turned into a big, shaggy dog. Remus stared around as each of his friends turned into their respective animals and danced around the room before turning back into human form and approaching Remus with the biggest grins on their faces.
"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs." James announced.
"Finally, something to put on that damned map." Sirius grinned.
Remus smiled, too. And he damn-near cried. Later that evening, lying in bed, he did cry. Sirius lay there beside him, holding him, rubbing his arms soothingly.
"You've all done so much for me." Remus said. "Once upon a time, I would have taken that secret to my grave. But you lot… you changed that. I used to drown each time I changed, drown in my own screams and pain. Agony. But you have all done the most marvellous thing. You've set me free."
"We're the Marauders, Moony." Sirius whispered, kissing the back of Remus' neck. "We draw the lines, we write the rules."
"Sirius." Remus whispered.
"Yep."
"I love you."