January 15th, 1976
Around 6 A.M.

Remus fell back against the wall of the Shrieking Shack. "I didn't think this night would ever end. I'm wore out."

"You could've fallen asleep," Sirius pointed out.

"No I couldn't have, you guys were making an enormous racket, chasing Peter everywhere..."

Sirius and James grinned sheepishly. Peter looked as tired as Remus felt. "Did you see me catch him with my horns after Sirius threw him with his tail?"

"Yes, I'm sure it shows what an excellent quidditch player you are," Remus said, sighing. "Even as a stag you're so wonderfully talented."

"Careful, Moony, you'll turn into Peter," Sirius said with a sly grin.

Remus ignored that remark. "You have the cloak, Prongs?"

James nodded, and Remus took that as his cue to begin down the secret passageway under the Shrieking Shack. It was incredibly damp, as it had rained that day, and was a rather miserable journey. Once they made it to the exit, they all huddled together under the invisibility cloak and made their way past the Whomping Willow to the school.

"Sirius, do you have to be so close?"

"Sorry Remus, you know how hard it is for me to keep my hands off your hot bod."

Remus blushed; luckily no one else could see. Sirius was always making jokes like that and for some reason they made Remus feel extremely uncomfortable. The rest of the trip up to the school was made in silence.

"Careful, don't track any mud in or Filch will have us," Remus whispered.

They safely made it up to the Gryffindor dormitories. Remus gave the password (pickled toad) and they collapsed on the plush armchairs of the common room.

"What a night!" James said, ruffling his hair. "Good thing we don't have classes today."

"Spent all night out carousing, I expect?" A voice came from the entryway to the girls' dormitories.

"Evans, would I do such a thing?" James' mock innocence was overwhelming. "I merely spent all night thinking about you. Didn't sleep a wink."

"Yes, and in doing so you managed to not change into your pajamas and get your school robes and shoes drenched in mud," she said scathingly.

"I had to take a walk for fresh air. I saw the full moon, but nothing of your beautiful face."

"Pity you didn't get eaten by a werewolf," she said airily, walking towards the portrait hole.

"Hey, Evans!" he said, chasing after her. They both left.

Peter laughed nervously. "Well, maybe he'll get lucky. I'm going to sleep."

Sirius didn't respond; he was half-asleep in his armchair already, or so it seemed. After Peter had left, one of his eyes opened. "He gone?"

"Yes."

"Good." Sirius sat up and was perfectly wide awake again. "What are your plans for today, Moony?"

Remus shrugged. "I dunno. I finished that potions essay - "

"Excellent, may I borrow it before Tuesday, then?"

"Of course," Remus said drily. "But since I'm finished with it I don't have anything to do. I expect you're going out with Miranda?"

"Nah, she's annoying," Sirius' face was uncaring. "Gave good head, though."

"That was more than I needed to know." Already he felt himself blushing.

"Aw Remus, it'd do you good to get a girl like that. You need something to relax you, and a girl like Miranda is perfect for that."

"Not my type." His blush was becoming redder and redder.

"Remus, you're blushing...I think you need a wittle wuv fwom a special someone...do you need me to set you up with anyone? I've got wonderful contacts."

"No, thanks anyway, I'll just leave you to messing with the girls...someone has to do your homework, after all..."

It was always his excuse when they brought it up, but for some reason it seemed so lame now. "Well, it does help out a lot," Sirius admitted. "I wouldn't have gotten half the girlfriends that I've had if I had spent all my time doing homework."

"Well maybe I should stop lending it to you then," he said.

Sirius looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're unbearable when you have a girlfriend. You ignore everything else, and leave me stuck playing gobstones with Peter all day."

Sirius laughed. "Tell you what. I'll make it up to you today. We'll sneak into Honeydukes, you know where they keep that stash of butterscotch firewhiskey in the basement. Then we'll make our way back to the Shrieking Shack and get smashed together. It'll be better than getting head from Miranda Delva."

"All right," Remus said, hating how Sirius was using his love of butterscotch against him. "It would relieve stress..."

"That's the spirit!" Sirius exclaimed, and jumped up. "Well? What're you waiting for? We'll go ahead and filch the firewhiskey before they're properly opened, so it'll be less obvious."

Remus was always hesitant in going with Sirius' plans when they involved stealing. "Wouldn't it just be easier if you went and got it?"

Sirius was quiet a moment. "Probably right, and you don't like filching stuff, do you? Well that's fine, I'll get it and we'll party tonight." He grabbed James' Invisibility Cloak. "See you soon."

And with that, he vanished.

Now how am I supposed to bide my time until he gets back...

After a quick trip up to his dormitory to collect some clean robes, he headed to the prefect bathrooms. It was still early, so no one was there. Remus liked it that way - he felt weird bathing with other guys in the room. He filled the tub in the back up with bubbles and climbed in. It felt like he was washing the werewolf from last night away...it was such a good feeling...

"I'm telling you, Lily, no one will be in here!"

Remus froze. Was that James' voice? He ducked down below the rim of the tub, where he was still above water but out of sight. "James, I'm worried..."

"Don't worry, we're not the first to use this bathroom for such a purpose!"

"Now, just because I've agreed to go out with you certainly does not mean we'll stoop to snogging in bathrooms."

"But Lily, you got me all riled up earlier, you can't leave me hanging...I can't believe you finally said yes...and that kiss, God woman, where did you learn how to kiss like that?"

"I've got my secrets," Lily said slyly. "And I guess I do feel a little sorry for you, I did put you through a good few months of hell, I guess you deserve a little reward."

"That's what I like to hear," James murmured, and Remus heard a stall door open and shut. Feeling it was now safe (due to the loud sounds of snogging, no one would notice his departure) he quickly dried himself, put clean robes on, and headed back up to the Gryffindor common room.

It was a matter of time, he realized. Of course Lily and James would get together. They all knew it, but Remus was amazed it had happened so fast. And that they were already snogging. That might take some getting used to.

Inwardly Remus hoped that Peter never got a girlfriend. He could only imagine the shame of being the only Marauder who was left with no one to snog.