p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="933782b3a86ba1f06b6584dc26c8e025"Sirius was unsurprised to find that the aftermath of Valentine's day shook the castle and probably resulted in the most breakups in Hogwarts' history in the span of a few days. One of these breakups was the 'official' break up of Marlene and Peter. Marlene delivered the news with a solemn severity about the whole matter as if she expected Peter to get down on his knees and beg. She did not seem happy when Peter didn't seem particularly upset. Peter had instead started laughing, because he had glanced at Sirius who had mimed a noose around his neck with his best expression of a dead guy. Marlene had not been pleased about it and she clearly wanted more of a reaction, more drama. She shot a glare at Peter, then Sirius, who didn't care enough to stop his dramatics, then back at Peter before muttering "boys" under her breath in a rather Lily-like manner and stomping off. In Sirius' opinion the prat shouldn't have made the whole thing public if she didn't want Sirius making his own commentary. She should just be lucky he kept it of the nonverbal sort. Afterall, The Marauders had each other's backs. Well...Remus wasn't currently present. But he could be forgiven considering, according to James, Madam Pomfrey had gone full on matron on him and was making him stay in the hospital wing until the full moon./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6abbb50959acca48f03dcf0b453eb39c""Tough break, mate," James patted Peter's shoulder with a knowing smile. "Alas, not all of us can be as lucky in love as me."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="147d391485e05e0cb8afad9d56ad97b5"Peter elbowed James' side as Sirius commented about the extent of 'luck' James seemed to have. James went red and three of the Marauders began bickering in the common room to the annoyance of some and the amusement of others. The whole thing was all fun and games. They knew Sirius and James got really into it since it was allowing them to expel some of their more negative emotions in a playful manner. The topic of their play-argument was none other than Marlene, who Sirius declared that James 'had won over with his fat head and who had driven Peter to jump off a cliff with a broken heart.' Sirius was, of course, the loyal friend coming to Peter's seemed to enjoy this, sitting in a chair watching since he had supposedly died./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d9f7a5f74d45aa1efcb7405bfc5c7bdb""Hey! Why am I the villain?" James protested, breaking character as Sirius continued to spin the tale of how James had actually murdered Peter./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="44a7dc7a4f740ca5b0533c9730f9fc8f""Because 'not all of us can be as lucky in love as you.' Isn't that right, you prat?" Sirius teased, running to hide behind Peter as James picked up a cushion from the couch and chucked it. The projectile hit Peter instead of Sirius./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="51c467144751cd42b7fe3fd0008b6775""First you murder me. Then you beat me up," Peter cried out, trying to suppress his laughter. James looked offended but Sirius started laughing and thumped Peter's back approvingly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ea39b644dc1e4441b43c770d180964da""I'm not like that though," James reiterated, coming over to sit beside Peter./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="407ae73074e5c2537075448131da84e3""That's why it's acting, you dimwit. I think Peter has more talent for it than you do!" Sirius scoffed, sitting down as well and tipping back in his chair so he could prop his feet on the little table where their homework lay forgotten./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="184f3cfb11e9d9ee81a97903293fd0f0""That's not true! I just think you shouldn't be the one coming up with the story," James protested. Sirius set his feet on the ground so he could poke James' cheek./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="50394d94400adacfdecb8d433815c7f8""Come on Jamesy, you can't be good at everything," Sirius mocked James who whacked away his hand with mild annoyance. Despite the good mood they were in due to Ravenclaw beating Slytherin in Quidditch yesterday, their bickering would no doubt have continued in substitute of their homework if they hadn't been interrupted. Prefect Frank, who had entered through the Fat Lady with an air of importance usually absent from the humble young man, cleared his throat, gathering the attention of all those in the common room./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a354a5fc90d048380f58f72a373b8ab4""Professor McGonnagall wanted me to remind everyone that a week from now the second task of the triwizard tournament will begin. She wanted to give the Gryffindors a heads up that for the third task there will be an option for younger students to participate." Frank, who was as kind as they came, was doing a good job of keeping control of the crowd. But at that exclamation he lost the attention of his peers entirely, as the younger Gryffondors burst into excited chatter. Sirius vaguely heard Frank trying to regain control, but he himself was too busy insisting that he would be in the third task for James and Peter to listen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d3c281ccb08b61e2a36a8e3ac26f22ef""Oi, you useless lot. Shut up!" Patricia bellowed, and all the Gryffindors in the common room fell quiet./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="045e5a02773654117f7aa29bb392be66""Erm...thank you, Patricia...I think. Anyways, what I was trying to say is that there will be a competition held after the second task. I do not know what the competition consists of, but I do know Professor McGongall suggests you study up and pay extra attention in class," Frank finished over several boo's from students who, probably correctly, assumed this was just a ploy to get the students to focus less on the new students and more on their studies. Maybe it was also about trying to distract the whole of Hogwarts from the brewing war, attacks happening to muggles and wizards alike at a frightening frequency. But either way, the whole thing now seemed bogus./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d3fdbfe6ce4c5717f2d7bbb32c0d9d59""I still want to give it a shot!" James declared to Peter and Sirius, who had both become less enthusiastic about the matter. "Come on mates, why the long faces? The Marauders can do anything, right?" James goaded, flinging one arm over Peter's shoulder and the other over Sirius.'/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4e786d1a56878de25bb9b8604ed12bf0""Well then, let's go tell our other member," Sirius grinned, knowing their swat of a friend would probably be all for some academic competition. James and Peter were eager to agree and the three of them set off to the hospital wing. The boys were glad it was a Saturday, which meant they could properly keep Remus company as he waited for the sun to set and the moon to rise./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8f6079934537157ce6366cb02b009b1c"They wasted no time, sprinting through Hogwarts until Filch caught them and threatened to string them by their toes, as they headed towards the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey gave them the exasperated glance that was habit by now. She busied herself with adjusting the curtains on other students' beds before leading the three of them to Remus' private room. They listened to her usual warnings about not riling Remus up and nodded their heads in unison, doing their best to assure Madam Pomfrey they would never dream of agitating their friend./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b3daffad4bfd3f427cbf534c84032855"They walked into the room solemnly and greeted Remus who was propped up in bed looking as pale as he did three days ago. That was when James had taken the ill boy to Madam Pomfrey who had ordered him to bed rest as the "poor dear was worrying himself sick." Sirius would have thought that the matron was slacking as a healer if they didn't already all know that Remus was pale due to the proximity of his transformation occurring. Remus gave them a strained smile, torn about having them wait with him but they had argued themselves hoarse until the stubborn werewolf had relented to at least allowing this much. It felt like a huge win at the time, but now Sirius just felt small in comparison to Remus' condition and how little they could actually do to help him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="12b9914dd2c358f6850d5c99d5de09b7""Wotcher, Remus?" Peter asked casually with a slight smile./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fa23883c1c39f934cba10c3ebe369575""Oh you know, the usual: battled a dragon, ran a marathon," Remus quipped sarcastically. Their friend was quite bitter about having been put on bed rest for the past three days. Well, maybe he would remember that next time he 'stressed himself to the point of sickness,' as Madam Pomfrey had so wisely put it./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7771b43875761e97ceb8131157d0282e""And now you'll win against a werewolf," James replied encouragingly, and Remus gave him an embarrassed grin. Sirius wished he knew what to say like James was quickly proving himself capable of. Even Peter seemed better suited at it than him. But any time Sirius thought of something encouraging to say, he got all tongue tied and was too worried the word 'monster' would slip out and he would make it all worse. He felt Remus' eyes on him, but he just couldn't bring himself to meet them. There was something about being faced with the reality of it all that made Sirius feel like an immensely childish moron who had to resist the urge not to throw a fit about how one of his best friends was suffering and there was nothing he could do about it. Sirius remembered James' warning which, suspiciously sounded like it had come from Lily, or perhaps Mrs. and Mr. Potter:em style="box-sizing: border-box;" "We can't make this about ourselves, Sirius. What will help Remus the most is if we remain positive and encouraging."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="47dd617ebaf1fb51aff7ce1983237b96""Do you have everything you'll need?" Peter asked kindly, as James went over close to Remus and handed him the temperature-adjusting pillow which the sore boy squeezed tightly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3ff71e3d70a51f137505cb35755e5b7e""Yes, Madam Pomfrey takes good care of me," Remus assured them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="34e6696bbabc0df66016a4435f85debd""At least someone does. Because we all know you don't," Sirius muttered before he caught himself. He didn't need to look at James to know he was shooting him a look. "I just...want you to be alright..." Sirius added lamely. Sirius was unsure if he wanted to hug Remus or shake him or just start crying, none of which would be helpful. Peter had confirmed their suspicion that Remus didn't feel the best before a full moon, though the young werewolf would never admit it. In fact, the giant prat was doing his best not to appear too sick. However, the pale clammy skin with the feverish flush of his cheeks meant that he wasn't able to be all that convincing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="67599695d436fffcfb109695bf7e7e16""I will be," Remus promised with another small smile. Finally convinced that the boys were behaving themselves around her sick patient, Madam Pomfrey left, and as soon as the door swung closed James beamed. Potter directed his wide smile at Remus who looked surprised and then a bit concerned, no doubt thinking the change had something to do with Lily. But with the change of topic Sirius found his voice once more and beat James to the punch:/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="2bcf21cb9a3480786f031d8740d5a826""There's going to be some academic competition and the winner gets to participate in the third task!" Sirius quickly explained before James could./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="48fef09aaa07ad8843541d7e665fc256""Hey," James em style="box-sizing: border-box;"tsked/em but turned his attention to Remus once more. "Peter and Sirius think it's lame but I'm going to give it a shot."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="260e4b2c8532cd1ec3d63ac195c41fc2""That's because studying is em style="box-sizing: border-box;"laaaaaame/em," Sirius shouted lazily and Peter nodded his agreement./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8965a04a40204ca8e2b6389c9481eef6""That's fine, James. We can study without those two. We will cover more topics that way anyways," Remus pointed out, the news seeming to cheer him up considerably. Sirius pondered over the fun he would have in disrupting James' attempt to study with Remus, and knew he could simply not miss out on that./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ac1385e52a84c11f84b04fb70c75e4e0""You know what, I changed my mind. I'm in!" Sirius decided with his best innocent grin. This meant Peter had no choice but to follow suit and while Remus seemed a bit less thrilled about the idea, reminding Sirius they would actually have to study, he still seemed much more lively than he used to around this time of the month. This was a relief to Sirius, who tried to focus on this instead of how much sicker Remus appeared with the full moon being tonight./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e001c9ee0a83931efb557aa3ff22266d"The four of them talked animatedly about the types of topics they thought would be in the competition, all of them having very different ideas about what it would entail. Peter was adamant that Astronomy would be the most useful since this was one of the few subjects he had proven himself to be better at than the others. James insisted it would be charms and Remus figured it would be DADA. Sirius threw in his option that it would be potions since he knew it would annoy Remus./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="143f0eec23b58d6e923eec0188cbf2f4""I've been meaning to ask you about that, actually?" James cut in and the atmosphere shifted drastically as it often did anytime one them stated or even hinted they had a question about Remus./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1128f1efbb3684ad241196808296c4d5""...and what's that?" Remus asked wearily the lively animation in his eyes fading slightly, replaced by that all-consuming exhaustion that Sirius had seen a lot as of lately. Sirius winced but consoled himself by the fact that the Marauders would all be staying up all night, the three of them in solidarity with Remus as well as so they could start working on a cure for lycanthropy./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="de9aefc015f227dd8708ad0c453722ca""You have a horrible reaction to wolfsbane, don't you? Why not let us get rid of it?" James asked flatly and Remus relaxed some./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3c5745410e8e237e02129a98d1994ea8""Professor Slugghorn would notice," Remus explained calmly, sinking slightly down into the bed as his eyelids slowly seemed to become heavier and heavier./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="975d1a8741ca5093c008dd0539f4d842""Pfft, yeah right. That old slug would only notice something labeled 'number one' on it," Sirius pointed out, not a fan of Slughorn. The professor spent way too much energy focusing on the importance of the Black family in a useless attempt to get Sirius to tell him more about his family's success. Of course, Sirius' dislike for the man had increased even more once Regulus had let slip that the professor would be attending Bellatrix's wedding this summer./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="db9e2eeb0b9505dd69ac6a574f50ce05""Look, I appreciate the offer, but Lily told me that he counts his potions after class each day," Remus explained./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="93ee39c22b1f52dc83ebee0c6f4d75f8"Sirius wrinkled his nose while James half-gushed half-complained in a truly bewildering combination. "Of course she would already think of that. Bollocks! Well, maybe we can...make it disappear and reappear in the span of the class period?" James suggested, looking hopeful when Remus didn't reject the idea. "Alright then, mate. Leave it to us and we'll...oh, he fell asleep."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="98ad79e607fb4b1dd34a984b9c8924c9"Sure enough, the boy had passed out in front of them. After that, it seemed useless to wait around as they had no idea when Remus would wake up. Besides, they unanimously agreed their time would be better spent in actively helping Remus by beginning their project./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a9cd2a8f21f5a4cb88ea517fe85d2c28""Sleep well," Peter whispered as they all tiptoed out of the style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="60f1562aa330a161c7545ddfc5eb687b""We'll be here waiting for you tomorrow, no matter what," Sirius insisted, wishing he could have been this great of a friend when Remus was still conscious./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9ec33793871ab9f2bc6d14831a472258""That's right. Friends for life." James stated with a finality that often happened with the self-proclaimed leader of the group. Sirius rolled his eyes but didn't fight James on having the last word. After all, the three of them needed to focus their energy on discussing the research they would need to do on what may help lycanthropy. Only to do that they first needed to figure out where exactly they should even start to look. As far as they could tell, there had been absolutely no helpful research on werewolves done./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7daf972b806e7781d7494f6e5635719b".../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9203d5156d6cb13501c04866410fd6a4"Remus spent part of the night fighting the usual thoughts of self hatred, though he had to admit having his friends be there with him before he went out to the Whomping Willow had been a huge help. Remus had not actually fallen asleep, but he didn't have the energy to listen to the wild ideas his friends would sometimes throw out about how they were going to help him. Remus hated feeling weak. Even worse, he hated knowing how disappointed his friends would become when they realized there was nothing they could do to help Remus besides just being there for him. Well, being there for him before his transformations. He refused to allow them to be with him afterwards. It frustrated him to no end that his friends couldn't be more practical./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="197f9f36f1d967db606fa1ed43679648""Just allow them to come to the conclusion themselves, Mr. Lupin," Professor Corbyn had suggested when he had gone to visit his favorite professor the other day in order to be caught up on the work he had missed. While the kind professor didn't say anything outright about Remus stressing so much that he caused himself to become sick, Corbyn was sure to mention for the third time now that what had happened to Davey had been an accident. It was easier to believe that now that the petition to get rid of the Whomping Willow had dispersed. The other Marauders had taken care to assure Remus of this, insisting the only things anyone was talking about anymore was the disaster Valentines day had been, the upcoming second task, and by the sound of it probably the upcoming competition as well./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3f4f30a33e67f1c128e76d683652a251"Remus inhaled slowly, forcing himself to breathe through the pain as he sat up in the shack waiting to lose every semblance of his humanity with restlessness. He felt the wolf stirring inside of him. Besides the typical sharp anger of the wolf that would have consumed Remus immediately if the pain didn't first, there was also a deep and surprising longing that could be summed up in one word: pack. Ever since Remus had come face to face with the mystery of the wolves of the forest he had to fight himself, fight the wolf, not to go back. Remus had succeeded in convincing himself that there was no point in going back to visit the wolves as it would surely cause them more trouble with the centaurs. Then there was the wrongness and danger of the forest itself that felt so different from last year./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ac49b92e9b46f531c767c7d8fd52e1a2"All the thoughts that had been swimming around Remus' head for the past two weeks merged into the all consuming desires to hunt, to be free of this prison, to seek blood. Remus succumbed to the pain and to the wolf with a half scream half howl. The last human thought in his mind as his back broke and elongated was of his lovely yet stupid roomates, who would no doubt have bags under their eyes yet again as they insisted on staying up with Remus even thought it was doing him no good./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="65c59aa6d0e31f10a8abed732c338f26"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Pack. Blood. Free. Hate this cage. Hate this human. Hungry, wild. Will escape. Will run free. Pack. Need pack./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9ef5af5f1ddff2e526ee321b0e3d2ca3".../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b51d3af8f6989610fb89027f4beeb8f7"Remus had been vaguely aware throughout the night that the wolf's...of their... new desires to run with the other wolves had lessened the violence directed towards Remus this time. Instead, the primary focus of the wolf had been to escape, to bite it's way through the shack. Thankfully, such an endeavor proved fruitless. When Remus sat up the next morning it was with cuts and bruises, but for the first time in a long time the gashes were absent and there wasn't anything broken or sprained. Remus had even felt alright to dress himself and fumble with the lock so when Madam Pomfrey reached him it was at the end of the long tunnel right below the Whomping Willow rather than the shack./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9901b4846d4d2bab6acb1b70b3049c2c""Ahhhh," The matron shrieked before realizing it was him, her eyes growing so large they seemed in danger of falling out of her skull. "Oh my! You foolish boy, what are you doing up and about?" Madam Pomfrey scolded harshly, a hand to her heart. Remus had not considered that her finding him here would have scared her so badly. But he was too excited to keep the smile off his face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="95a6b63ee5f7cbee97ee59d34d3099ac""Madam Pomfrey, I'm alright. Nothing is broken and nothing is seriously bleeding, see?" He demonstrated by spinning around slowly, and the skepticism and anger on the matron's face melted into sincere delight./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d6ffc68bab5a9662f6f51a31d9ac2e0f""Oh Remus, that is wonderful. But you must wait for me in the future. Is that understood?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a901889218a190f3466c49ca843b51a6"Remus didn't quite see why that was necessary if he was clearly alright but he nodded anyway and let Madam Pomfrey check him more thoroughly in case there was something he had 'missed.' em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Did the matron really think that he, who had been experiencing this once a month for nearly a decade, would be foolish enough to miss something?/em Remus had been doing self analysis on himself since before he could read./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ed1b55577489ce084ab64313da349530"When the matron was content that he was, unsurprisingly, alright, they headed back inside. Remus felt very dignified in that he could walk back himself. It took some convincing for the matron to get him to stay the day which he only agreed to because it was a Sunday. Remus drank a smaller dose of the usual pain tonic to soothe the aches that were rather minor this time without anything being dislocated or worse. Remus laid down in the bed until Madam Pomfrey left, then sat up and began working through a large book on defensive spells. It could be helpful with the state of the world, the strange competition coming up, and perhaps most importantly, in allowing his journeys into the forest to be safer. Because if this was the result of seeing the wolves, then Remus would do it every month!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d31d76dd3ba3d5f851281882fd185534"Hardly believing his good fortune, Remus waited impatiently. Any minute now his friends would make their attempt to see him. Wouldn't they be surprised when Remus actually allowed them in this time? Remus hadn't felt this well in a long time, and for the first time in weeks he was not hyperfocusing on what a monster he was and what the monster who had turned him had done to his memories./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="964a77906680f2cfe159effb86923575""Remus, your friends are wondering- put that book down young man, you are supposed to be resting," Madam Pomfrey tsked, but she too looked quite excited so that her usual stern demeanor was absent./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="292c9eefccde84d0c1c65f44c6148260""Sorry, Madam Pomfrey," Remus struggled not to smile. He didn't want to actually make the matron upset and he knew better than to be a bad patient./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b4500dde3366f2b493968ec7e1fe8e05""I understand you are excited Remus, but you still need to be careful. Now your friends want to see you and considering your injuries are so minor, I am leaving it up to you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e3e0c9544eb8259508a873e0f883a85a""Let them come in, please," Remus beamed eagerly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="21b0d5c1373ccdca5677e823d224f7e6""Only for a few minutes, though. They better not rile you up," the matron cautioned before leaving. Less than a minute later the pounding of running feet came closer and then the door wretched open. Sirius stood there gasping as if he assumed he had to get to the room as soon as possible before Remus changed his mind. Remus had to admit it was certainly a possibility./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="04fb16f0c3716d33afc3c85b241e1823""Are you going to stand there staring or come in?" Remus asked with pretend annoyance as James and Peter joined Sirius, Peter having to stand on his tiptoes to see over his taller friends' heads./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="651d61b42e9364bbca263791afdda1e1""You don't look half bad. Besides your ugly mug, I mean... but you look..." Sirius trailed off, the confidence in his voice faltering./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a7e9990be8e3bf4ea509ac7612b546dd""Alive?" Remus suggested playfully./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0ebfec792136feb672dc964ee031a6e9""Well you better be alive, mate," James laughed, quickly having proven himself to be the most adaptable to Remus' condition, and the most considerate about it./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="62411763220c751b26123b6d3a47d011""I told you it wasn't that bad. Honestly, when are you lot going to trust me?" Remus knew he was pushing his luck and he was quick to avoid Peter's eyes as he did so, but he just couldn't resist. Both Sirius and James looked rather abashed and Remus grinned, imagining that this would be how his transformations would be for the rest of his life. Deep down, he knew he was fooling himself. But for the moment he fully enjoyed the fantasy. Of course, Peter didn't look abashed. He just looked downright shocked. Considering Peter knew the ugly truth of the matter Remus wasn't surprised by his reaction. Remus also figured that he owed Peter an apology, already having used up Marlene's magical makeup that had allowed him to appear unsick until he had run out of the stuff. Remus doubted that Peter would be getting it for him again, both because Remus knew he had misused the stuff which was supposed to be for transformations only and because Peter and Marlene had broken up./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="04c77f195d71ce0473c0754b2c7d54bd""Yeah, yeah. The great Lupin knows everything and we know nothing. Now scooch over or I won't share my chocolate with you," Sirius threatened and Remus happily obliged, actually feeling well enough that he could stomach the chocolate. James and Peter sat on his bed as well since the thought of them using chairs like normal blokes was apparently out of the question. Remus didn't mind though he was feeling particularly indebted to his friends whose acceptance of him was so touching he was unsure how to come to terms with it. Life seemed too good to be real in that moment and for a second, Remus feared that it wasn't real, that all of this would be a fever dream and he would wake up in his normal state of horrible injury./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a7376aa6f01067d61fe5271fce2b8783""What's wrong, Remus?" Sirius asked, quickly noticing the tears that had sprung in Remus' eyes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="99db5cc633d433485e868c3dce73e693""Nothing," Remus sniffed, wiping his eyes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="674b0b66e8cabcb8fd83afb6453ef161"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Are you actually in pain?" Peter asked worriedly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b088efd799d1ded73c8e9ffcd6e88e68""No, no it's not that, honest" Remus insisted, able to see plainly on his friends' faces that they did not believe him. "I'm just being a moron, that's all."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8ddd9b5b30bc85b7145f557f185df73b""I highly doubt that," James pointed out, reaching over to the little bedside table and handing a tissue to Remus, whose eyes were doing their best to suppress the emotional tears but who were losing the battle./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b10f4a3e135babebe4a6c6104252ae7a""Thanks." Remus dried his eyes again, willing them to behave. "I'm just...so...grateful...that you all...are still my friends..." Remus had done his best to say all of this sanely and calmly but had gotten so choked up that he ended up tripping over his words. There was a silence and Remus felt his cheeks heat feeling foolish. "See, I told you I was being moronic."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bb8cc089a08cab0d9014edd791b7694f""That's not moronic at all," Peter insisted firmly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="04c7dba9b2f02fa3409fca20e2b13997""Maybe a bit swattish but not stupid," James sniffed his own eyes filled with tears now./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0cc1d8e59bdd95d6826622eaabb3d1e1""A bit moronic and immensely swattish," Sirius teased, draping an arm around Remus' shoulders with a smirk. "But that's alright. We're used to you being a swat, our stubborn swat!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8470f81a449f8936937f2f577ad0600f"Remus stuck his tongue out at Sirius, who laughed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="05dd5adcfc8f29a98b7fdae654a12e5e""I love you guys!" James abruptly shouted, sounding choked up himself. Then before Remus could stop it his three friends were all hugging one another in a big uncomfortable utterly perfect mess on top of the hospital bed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6abbb50959acca48f03dcf0b453eb39c""Tough break, mate," James patted Peter's shoulder with a knowing smile. "Alas, not all of us can be as lucky in love as me."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="147d391485e05e0cb8afad9d56ad97b5"Peter elbowed James' side as Sirius commented about the extent of 'luck' James seemed to have. James went red and three of the Marauders began bickering in the common room to the annoyance of some and the amusement of others. The whole thing was all fun and games. They knew Sirius and James got really into it since it was allowing them to expel some of their more negative emotions in a playful manner. The topic of their play-argument was none other than Marlene, who Sirius declared that James 'had won over with his fat head and who had driven Peter to jump off a cliff with a broken heart.' Sirius was, of course, the loyal friend coming to Peter's seemed to enjoy this, sitting in a chair watching since he had supposedly died./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d9f7a5f74d45aa1efcb7405bfc5c7bdb""Hey! Why am I the villain?" James protested, breaking character as Sirius continued to spin the tale of how James had actually murdered Peter./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="44a7dc7a4f740ca5b0533c9730f9fc8f""Because 'not all of us can be as lucky in love as you.' Isn't that right, you prat?" Sirius teased, running to hide behind Peter as James picked up a cushion from the couch and chucked it. The projectile hit Peter instead of Sirius./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="51c467144751cd42b7fe3fd0008b6775""First you murder me. Then you beat me up," Peter cried out, trying to suppress his laughter. James looked offended but Sirius started laughing and thumped Peter's back approvingly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ea39b644dc1e4441b43c770d180964da""I'm not like that though," James reiterated, coming over to sit beside Peter./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="407ae73074e5c2537075448131da84e3""That's why it's acting, you dimwit. I think Peter has more talent for it than you do!" Sirius scoffed, sitting down as well and tipping back in his chair so he could prop his feet on the little table where their homework lay forgotten./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="184f3cfb11e9d9ee81a97903293fd0f0""That's not true! I just think you shouldn't be the one coming up with the story," James protested. Sirius set his feet on the ground so he could poke James' cheek./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="50394d94400adacfdecb8d433815c7f8""Come on Jamesy, you can't be good at everything," Sirius mocked James who whacked away his hand with mild annoyance. Despite the good mood they were in due to Ravenclaw beating Slytherin in Quidditch yesterday, their bickering would no doubt have continued in substitute of their homework if they hadn't been interrupted. Prefect Frank, who had entered through the Fat Lady with an air of importance usually absent from the humble young man, cleared his throat, gathering the attention of all those in the common room./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a354a5fc90d048380f58f72a373b8ab4""Professor McGonnagall wanted me to remind everyone that a week from now the second task of the triwizard tournament will begin. She wanted to give the Gryffindors a heads up that for the third task there will be an option for younger students to participate." Frank, who was as kind as they came, was doing a good job of keeping control of the crowd. But at that exclamation he lost the attention of his peers entirely, as the younger Gryffondors burst into excited chatter. Sirius vaguely heard Frank trying to regain control, but he himself was too busy insisting that he would be in the third task for James and Peter to listen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d3c281ccb08b61e2a36a8e3ac26f22ef""Oi, you useless lot. Shut up!" Patricia bellowed, and all the Gryffindors in the common room fell quiet./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="045e5a02773654117f7aa29bb392be66""Erm...thank you, Patricia...I think. Anyways, what I was trying to say is that there will be a competition held after the second task. I do not know what the competition consists of, but I do know Professor McGongall suggests you study up and pay extra attention in class," Frank finished over several boo's from students who, probably correctly, assumed this was just a ploy to get the students to focus less on the new students and more on their studies. Maybe it was also about trying to distract the whole of Hogwarts from the brewing war, attacks happening to muggles and wizards alike at a frightening frequency. But either way, the whole thing now seemed bogus./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d3fdbfe6ce4c5717f2d7bbb32c0d9d59""I still want to give it a shot!" James declared to Peter and Sirius, who had both become less enthusiastic about the matter. "Come on mates, why the long faces? The Marauders can do anything, right?" James goaded, flinging one arm over Peter's shoulder and the other over Sirius.'/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4e786d1a56878de25bb9b8604ed12bf0""Well then, let's go tell our other member," Sirius grinned, knowing their swat of a friend would probably be all for some academic competition. James and Peter were eager to agree and the three of them set off to the hospital wing. The boys were glad it was a Saturday, which meant they could properly keep Remus company as he waited for the sun to set and the moon to rise./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8f6079934537157ce6366cb02b009b1c"They wasted no time, sprinting through Hogwarts until Filch caught them and threatened to string them by their toes, as they headed towards the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey gave them the exasperated glance that was habit by now. She busied herself with adjusting the curtains on other students' beds before leading the three of them to Remus' private room. They listened to her usual warnings about not riling Remus up and nodded their heads in unison, doing their best to assure Madam Pomfrey they would never dream of agitating their friend./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b3daffad4bfd3f427cbf534c84032855"They walked into the room solemnly and greeted Remus who was propped up in bed looking as pale as he did three days ago. That was when James had taken the ill boy to Madam Pomfrey who had ordered him to bed rest as the "poor dear was worrying himself sick." Sirius would have thought that the matron was slacking as a healer if they didn't already all know that Remus was pale due to the proximity of his transformation occurring. Remus gave them a strained smile, torn about having them wait with him but they had argued themselves hoarse until the stubborn werewolf had relented to at least allowing this much. It felt like a huge win at the time, but now Sirius just felt small in comparison to Remus' condition and how little they could actually do to help him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="12b9914dd2c358f6850d5c99d5de09b7""Wotcher, Remus?" Peter asked casually with a slight smile./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fa23883c1c39f934cba10c3ebe369575""Oh you know, the usual: battled a dragon, ran a marathon," Remus quipped sarcastically. Their friend was quite bitter about having been put on bed rest for the past three days. Well, maybe he would remember that next time he 'stressed himself to the point of sickness,' as Madam Pomfrey had so wisely put it./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7771b43875761e97ceb8131157d0282e""And now you'll win against a werewolf," James replied encouragingly, and Remus gave him an embarrassed grin. Sirius wished he knew what to say like James was quickly proving himself capable of. Even Peter seemed better suited at it than him. But any time Sirius thought of something encouraging to say, he got all tongue tied and was too worried the word 'monster' would slip out and he would make it all worse. He felt Remus' eyes on him, but he just couldn't bring himself to meet them. There was something about being faced with the reality of it all that made Sirius feel like an immensely childish moron who had to resist the urge not to throw a fit about how one of his best friends was suffering and there was nothing he could do about it. Sirius remembered James' warning which, suspiciously sounded like it had come from Lily, or perhaps Mrs. and Mr. Potter:em style="box-sizing: border-box;" "We can't make this about ourselves, Sirius. What will help Remus the most is if we remain positive and encouraging."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="47dd617ebaf1fb51aff7ce1983237b96""Do you have everything you'll need?" Peter asked kindly, as James went over close to Remus and handed him the temperature-adjusting pillow which the sore boy squeezed tightly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3ff71e3d70a51f137505cb35755e5b7e""Yes, Madam Pomfrey takes good care of me," Remus assured them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="34e6696bbabc0df66016a4435f85debd""At least someone does. Because we all know you don't," Sirius muttered before he caught himself. He didn't need to look at James to know he was shooting him a look. "I just...want you to be alright..." Sirius added lamely. Sirius was unsure if he wanted to hug Remus or shake him or just start crying, none of which would be helpful. Peter had confirmed their suspicion that Remus didn't feel the best before a full moon, though the young werewolf would never admit it. In fact, the giant prat was doing his best not to appear too sick. However, the pale clammy skin with the feverish flush of his cheeks meant that he wasn't able to be all that convincing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="67599695d436fffcfb109695bf7e7e16""I will be," Remus promised with another small smile. Finally convinced that the boys were behaving themselves around her sick patient, Madam Pomfrey left, and as soon as the door swung closed James beamed. Potter directed his wide smile at Remus who looked surprised and then a bit concerned, no doubt thinking the change had something to do with Lily. But with the change of topic Sirius found his voice once more and beat James to the punch:/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="2bcf21cb9a3480786f031d8740d5a826""There's going to be some academic competition and the winner gets to participate in the third task!" Sirius quickly explained before James could./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="48fef09aaa07ad8843541d7e665fc256""Hey," James em style="box-sizing: border-box;"tsked/em but turned his attention to Remus once more. "Peter and Sirius think it's lame but I'm going to give it a shot."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="260e4b2c8532cd1ec3d63ac195c41fc2""That's because studying is em style="box-sizing: border-box;"laaaaaame/em," Sirius shouted lazily and Peter nodded his agreement./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8965a04a40204ca8e2b6389c9481eef6""That's fine, James. We can study without those two. We will cover more topics that way anyways," Remus pointed out, the news seeming to cheer him up considerably. Sirius pondered over the fun he would have in disrupting James' attempt to study with Remus, and knew he could simply not miss out on that./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ac1385e52a84c11f84b04fb70c75e4e0""You know what, I changed my mind. I'm in!" Sirius decided with his best innocent grin. This meant Peter had no choice but to follow suit and while Remus seemed a bit less thrilled about the idea, reminding Sirius they would actually have to study, he still seemed much more lively than he used to around this time of the month. This was a relief to Sirius, who tried to focus on this instead of how much sicker Remus appeared with the full moon being tonight./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e001c9ee0a83931efb557aa3ff22266d"The four of them talked animatedly about the types of topics they thought would be in the competition, all of them having very different ideas about what it would entail. Peter was adamant that Astronomy would be the most useful since this was one of the few subjects he had proven himself to be better at than the others. James insisted it would be charms and Remus figured it would be DADA. Sirius threw in his option that it would be potions since he knew it would annoy Remus./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="143f0eec23b58d6e923eec0188cbf2f4""I've been meaning to ask you about that, actually?" James cut in and the atmosphere shifted drastically as it often did anytime one them stated or even hinted they had a question about Remus./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1128f1efbb3684ad241196808296c4d5""...and what's that?" Remus asked wearily the lively animation in his eyes fading slightly, replaced by that all-consuming exhaustion that Sirius had seen a lot as of lately. Sirius winced but consoled himself by the fact that the Marauders would all be staying up all night, the three of them in solidarity with Remus as well as so they could start working on a cure for lycanthropy./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="de9aefc015f227dd8708ad0c453722ca""You have a horrible reaction to wolfsbane, don't you? Why not let us get rid of it?" James asked flatly and Remus relaxed some./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3c5745410e8e237e02129a98d1994ea8""Professor Slugghorn would notice," Remus explained calmly, sinking slightly down into the bed as his eyelids slowly seemed to become heavier and heavier./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="975d1a8741ca5093c008dd0539f4d842""Pfft, yeah right. That old slug would only notice something labeled 'number one' on it," Sirius pointed out, not a fan of Slughorn. The professor spent way too much energy focusing on the importance of the Black family in a useless attempt to get Sirius to tell him more about his family's success. Of course, Sirius' dislike for the man had increased even more once Regulus had let slip that the professor would be attending Bellatrix's wedding this summer./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="db9e2eeb0b9505dd69ac6a574f50ce05""Look, I appreciate the offer, but Lily told me that he counts his potions after class each day," Remus explained./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="93ee39c22b1f52dc83ebee0c6f4d75f8"Sirius wrinkled his nose while James half-gushed half-complained in a truly bewildering combination. "Of course she would already think of that. Bollocks! Well, maybe we can...make it disappear and reappear in the span of the class period?" James suggested, looking hopeful when Remus didn't reject the idea. "Alright then, mate. Leave it to us and we'll...oh, he fell asleep."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="98ad79e607fb4b1dd34a984b9c8924c9"Sure enough, the boy had passed out in front of them. After that, it seemed useless to wait around as they had no idea when Remus would wake up. Besides, they unanimously agreed their time would be better spent in actively helping Remus by beginning their project./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a9cd2a8f21f5a4cb88ea517fe85d2c28""Sleep well," Peter whispered as they all tiptoed out of the style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="60f1562aa330a161c7545ddfc5eb687b""We'll be here waiting for you tomorrow, no matter what," Sirius insisted, wishing he could have been this great of a friend when Remus was still conscious./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9ec33793871ab9f2bc6d14831a472258""That's right. Friends for life." James stated with a finality that often happened with the self-proclaimed leader of the group. Sirius rolled his eyes but didn't fight James on having the last word. After all, the three of them needed to focus their energy on discussing the research they would need to do on what may help lycanthropy. Only to do that they first needed to figure out where exactly they should even start to look. As far as they could tell, there had been absolutely no helpful research on werewolves done./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7daf972b806e7781d7494f6e5635719b".../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9203d5156d6cb13501c04866410fd6a4"Remus spent part of the night fighting the usual thoughts of self hatred, though he had to admit having his friends be there with him before he went out to the Whomping Willow had been a huge help. Remus had not actually fallen asleep, but he didn't have the energy to listen to the wild ideas his friends would sometimes throw out about how they were going to help him. Remus hated feeling weak. Even worse, he hated knowing how disappointed his friends would become when they realized there was nothing they could do to help Remus besides just being there for him. Well, being there for him before his transformations. He refused to allow them to be with him afterwards. It frustrated him to no end that his friends couldn't be more practical./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="197f9f36f1d967db606fa1ed43679648""Just allow them to come to the conclusion themselves, Mr. Lupin," Professor Corbyn had suggested when he had gone to visit his favorite professor the other day in order to be caught up on the work he had missed. While the kind professor didn't say anything outright about Remus stressing so much that he caused himself to become sick, Corbyn was sure to mention for the third time now that what had happened to Davey had been an accident. It was easier to believe that now that the petition to get rid of the Whomping Willow had dispersed. The other Marauders had taken care to assure Remus of this, insisting the only things anyone was talking about anymore was the disaster Valentines day had been, the upcoming second task, and by the sound of it probably the upcoming competition as well./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3f4f30a33e67f1c128e76d683652a251"Remus inhaled slowly, forcing himself to breathe through the pain as he sat up in the shack waiting to lose every semblance of his humanity with restlessness. He felt the wolf stirring inside of him. Besides the typical sharp anger of the wolf that would have consumed Remus immediately if the pain didn't first, there was also a deep and surprising longing that could be summed up in one word: pack. Ever since Remus had come face to face with the mystery of the wolves of the forest he had to fight himself, fight the wolf, not to go back. Remus had succeeded in convincing himself that there was no point in going back to visit the wolves as it would surely cause them more trouble with the centaurs. Then there was the wrongness and danger of the forest itself that felt so different from last year./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ac49b92e9b46f531c767c7d8fd52e1a2"All the thoughts that had been swimming around Remus' head for the past two weeks merged into the all consuming desires to hunt, to be free of this prison, to seek blood. Remus succumbed to the pain and to the wolf with a half scream half howl. The last human thought in his mind as his back broke and elongated was of his lovely yet stupid roomates, who would no doubt have bags under their eyes yet again as they insisted on staying up with Remus even thought it was doing him no good./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="65c59aa6d0e31f10a8abed732c338f26"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Pack. Blood. Free. Hate this cage. Hate this human. Hungry, wild. Will escape. Will run free. Pack. Need pack./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9ef5af5f1ddff2e526ee321b0e3d2ca3".../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b51d3af8f6989610fb89027f4beeb8f7"Remus had been vaguely aware throughout the night that the wolf's...of their... new desires to run with the other wolves had lessened the violence directed towards Remus this time. Instead, the primary focus of the wolf had been to escape, to bite it's way through the shack. Thankfully, such an endeavor proved fruitless. When Remus sat up the next morning it was with cuts and bruises, but for the first time in a long time the gashes were absent and there wasn't anything broken or sprained. Remus had even felt alright to dress himself and fumble with the lock so when Madam Pomfrey reached him it was at the end of the long tunnel right below the Whomping Willow rather than the shack./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9901b4846d4d2bab6acb1b70b3049c2c""Ahhhh," The matron shrieked before realizing it was him, her eyes growing so large they seemed in danger of falling out of her skull. "Oh my! You foolish boy, what are you doing up and about?" Madam Pomfrey scolded harshly, a hand to her heart. Remus had not considered that her finding him here would have scared her so badly. But he was too excited to keep the smile off his face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="95a6b63ee5f7cbee97ee59d34d3099ac""Madam Pomfrey, I'm alright. Nothing is broken and nothing is seriously bleeding, see?" He demonstrated by spinning around slowly, and the skepticism and anger on the matron's face melted into sincere delight./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d6ffc68bab5a9662f6f51a31d9ac2e0f""Oh Remus, that is wonderful. But you must wait for me in the future. Is that understood?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a901889218a190f3466c49ca843b51a6"Remus didn't quite see why that was necessary if he was clearly alright but he nodded anyway and let Madam Pomfrey check him more thoroughly in case there was something he had 'missed.' em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Did the matron really think that he, who had been experiencing this once a month for nearly a decade, would be foolish enough to miss something?/em Remus had been doing self analysis on himself since before he could read./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ed1b55577489ce084ab64313da349530"When the matron was content that he was, unsurprisingly, alright, they headed back inside. Remus felt very dignified in that he could walk back himself. It took some convincing for the matron to get him to stay the day which he only agreed to because it was a Sunday. Remus drank a smaller dose of the usual pain tonic to soothe the aches that were rather minor this time without anything being dislocated or worse. Remus laid down in the bed until Madam Pomfrey left, then sat up and began working through a large book on defensive spells. It could be helpful with the state of the world, the strange competition coming up, and perhaps most importantly, in allowing his journeys into the forest to be safer. Because if this was the result of seeing the wolves, then Remus would do it every month!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d31d76dd3ba3d5f851281882fd185534"Hardly believing his good fortune, Remus waited impatiently. Any minute now his friends would make their attempt to see him. Wouldn't they be surprised when Remus actually allowed them in this time? Remus hadn't felt this well in a long time, and for the first time in weeks he was not hyperfocusing on what a monster he was and what the monster who had turned him had done to his memories./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="964a77906680f2cfe159effb86923575""Remus, your friends are wondering- put that book down young man, you are supposed to be resting," Madam Pomfrey tsked, but she too looked quite excited so that her usual stern demeanor was absent./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="292c9eefccde84d0c1c65f44c6148260""Sorry, Madam Pomfrey," Remus struggled not to smile. He didn't want to actually make the matron upset and he knew better than to be a bad patient./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b4500dde3366f2b493968ec7e1fe8e05""I understand you are excited Remus, but you still need to be careful. Now your friends want to see you and considering your injuries are so minor, I am leaving it up to you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e3e0c9544eb8259508a873e0f883a85a""Let them come in, please," Remus beamed eagerly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="21b0d5c1373ccdca5677e823d224f7e6""Only for a few minutes, though. They better not rile you up," the matron cautioned before leaving. Less than a minute later the pounding of running feet came closer and then the door wretched open. Sirius stood there gasping as if he assumed he had to get to the room as soon as possible before Remus changed his mind. Remus had to admit it was certainly a possibility./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="04fb16f0c3716d33afc3c85b241e1823""Are you going to stand there staring or come in?" Remus asked with pretend annoyance as James and Peter joined Sirius, Peter having to stand on his tiptoes to see over his taller friends' heads./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="651d61b42e9364bbca263791afdda1e1""You don't look half bad. Besides your ugly mug, I mean... but you look..." Sirius trailed off, the confidence in his voice faltering./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a7e9990be8e3bf4ea509ac7612b546dd""Alive?" Remus suggested playfully./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0ebfec792136feb672dc964ee031a6e9""Well you better be alive, mate," James laughed, quickly having proven himself to be the most adaptable to Remus' condition, and the most considerate about it./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="62411763220c751b26123b6d3a47d011""I told you it wasn't that bad. Honestly, when are you lot going to trust me?" Remus knew he was pushing his luck and he was quick to avoid Peter's eyes as he did so, but he just couldn't resist. Both Sirius and James looked rather abashed and Remus grinned, imagining that this would be how his transformations would be for the rest of his life. Deep down, he knew he was fooling himself. But for the moment he fully enjoyed the fantasy. Of course, Peter didn't look abashed. He just looked downright shocked. Considering Peter knew the ugly truth of the matter Remus wasn't surprised by his reaction. Remus also figured that he owed Peter an apology, already having used up Marlene's magical makeup that had allowed him to appear unsick until he had run out of the stuff. Remus doubted that Peter would be getting it for him again, both because Remus knew he had misused the stuff which was supposed to be for transformations only and because Peter and Marlene had broken up./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="04c77f195d71ce0473c0754b2c7d54bd""Yeah, yeah. The great Lupin knows everything and we know nothing. Now scooch over or I won't share my chocolate with you," Sirius threatened and Remus happily obliged, actually feeling well enough that he could stomach the chocolate. James and Peter sat on his bed as well since the thought of them using chairs like normal blokes was apparently out of the question. Remus didn't mind though he was feeling particularly indebted to his friends whose acceptance of him was so touching he was unsure how to come to terms with it. Life seemed too good to be real in that moment and for a second, Remus feared that it wasn't real, that all of this would be a fever dream and he would wake up in his normal state of horrible injury./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a7376aa6f01067d61fe5271fce2b8783""What's wrong, Remus?" Sirius asked, quickly noticing the tears that had sprung in Remus' eyes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="99db5cc633d433485e868c3dce73e693""Nothing," Remus sniffed, wiping his eyes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="674b0b66e8cabcb8fd83afb6453ef161"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Are you actually in pain?" Peter asked worriedly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b088efd799d1ded73c8e9ffcd6e88e68""No, no it's not that, honest" Remus insisted, able to see plainly on his friends' faces that they did not believe him. "I'm just being a moron, that's all."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8ddd9b5b30bc85b7145f557f185df73b""I highly doubt that," James pointed out, reaching over to the little bedside table and handing a tissue to Remus, whose eyes were doing their best to suppress the emotional tears but who were losing the battle./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b10f4a3e135babebe4a6c6104252ae7a""Thanks." Remus dried his eyes again, willing them to behave. "I'm just...so...grateful...that you all...are still my friends..." Remus had done his best to say all of this sanely and calmly but had gotten so choked up that he ended up tripping over his words. There was a silence and Remus felt his cheeks heat feeling foolish. "See, I told you I was being moronic."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bb8cc089a08cab0d9014edd791b7694f""That's not moronic at all," Peter insisted firmly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="04c7dba9b2f02fa3409fca20e2b13997""Maybe a bit swattish but not stupid," James sniffed his own eyes filled with tears now./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0cc1d8e59bdd95d6826622eaabb3d1e1""A bit moronic and immensely swattish," Sirius teased, draping an arm around Remus' shoulders with a smirk. "But that's alright. We're used to you being a swat, our stubborn swat!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8470f81a449f8936937f2f577ad0600f"Remus stuck his tongue out at Sirius, who laughed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="05dd5adcfc8f29a98b7fdae654a12e5e""I love you guys!" James abruptly shouted, sounding choked up himself. Then before Remus could stop it his three friends were all hugging one another in a big uncomfortable utterly perfect mess on top of the hospital bed./p