Chapter 4
Dear Lily,
How are you? How's your summer been so far? Is your sister still being horrible? Have you started that Charms essay yet?
I'm okay, the moon didn't go too badly. Being stuck indoors gave me a chance to make a start on the Potions essay - I think it's almost done, just need to give it a read through, and correct any spelling mistakes. I also attempted the Charms essay, but am thinking I'll need another couple of reference books to plump it out a bit - do you know of anyone that I could borrow 'Charmed' by Alexander McKee, or 'Explorative Intermediate Charms' by Swindle Sticks off of? It's such a pain that Madam Pince won't send out books during the holidays.
Bit of a random question (I'll explain later), but if it's not too much trouble: are you able to get your hands on some very pale, skin-coloured stage paint, or thick concealer? It could solve a rather stressful problem we've been having for a few years now that doesn't seem to have a lasting magical solution. I would be ever so grateful if you could - but if you can't, don't worry about it - I'll find a way to get my hands on some somehow.
I hope you're well, and haven't murdered your sister yet (if you do - just give me a shout and I'll bring the shovel).
Love from
Remus
HN
Dear Remus,
It's so nice to hear from you - I don't have an owl so I hope you don't mind me using yours to send a return. It seems willing to wait for me to send a reply so I presume it's okay.
I miss Hogwarts so much. The muggle world is great with all the technology, but I miss the ease of magic, and seeing you, Marlene and Alice all the time. Sev lives nearby, though, so I see him lots.
Tuney on the other hand, is driving me to the pixies - she won't stop calling me 'Freak'. It's just so frustrating, we used to be so close - but now all we do is fight and scream at each other which annoys all of us, including my parents. They've tried talking to her apparently, but she just walked off. So it doesn't look like that's going to get any better any time soon. I appreciate the offer to help bury her - it's looking more and more likely that I'll need to take you up on it.
I'm so glad the Moon went well and you're okay. I hate that you have to go through that each month - I just wish there was something that could be done to help ease your transformation.
I've done the Potions essay too - it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be; the texts we have for it already were more than sufficient for the essay debate. Yes. Please do read your essay through - wouldn't want a repeat of the Potions 'bear nut/nob' incident - have your eyebrows grown back yet?
As you noted in your letter, the Charms essay is the opposite - I have the McKee book - and will enclose it with this letter - but don't have the Sticks book. I think Marlene may have it, though, so it might be worth owling her to see if she'll lend it to you.
I look forward to hearing your explanation for why you need an extremely pale concealer, Mr Permanent-Tan. And 'We' - so this is for Potter and/or Black. Interesting… I'm going into London on Friday with Mum and there's bound to be something usable there - if I can get my hands on an owl - I'll send it over to you right away.
Love From
Lily
HN
Dear Sirius,
I've included some things Lily found in Muggle London that might help with Jamie's mark. I think the stuff in the round tin might be more efficient.
Keep your head up, mate, only six weeks to go.
Love
Remus
HN
20th July 1974
Sirius jammed his finger into the slit of the envelope and tugged, allowing the small slip of parchment, a round tin and a circular tube to slip eagerly out of the envelope and onto his bedspread.
He glanced towards the door. Thankfully it was closed, keeping out his hateful family and their nosy house-elf, Kreature. Not that a closed door had ever stopped them from entering his room and snooping through his things - hence the small nature of the note from Remus; the smaller the note, the easier it was to get rid of without being noticed. Sirius was just thankful that he'd managed to force the window open so owls could get through. A development from last summer when it had remained firmly shut no matter how much he shoved it or attempted to throw things through it.
He smiled widely at the note. His friends had taken to sending him objects or things that would help him survive the summer (and occasionally, in Jamie's case, things to wind his parents up, like the muggle magazines filled with pictures of half naked girls he'd sent last week). The parcels were the highlight of his days - one arriving each day, the two boys taking it in turns to send them. They made the prospect of six more weeks spent in the dark cavern that was his parents house seem more bearable.
He grinned - oh the contrast to before Hogwarts.
Despite the occasional act of rebellion, he hadn't been that bad of a pureblood child and so he'd been treated quite well. But upon going to Hogwarts, and being in Gryffindor, and getting in trouble for mischief, and being in Gryffindor, and the suggestions that perhaps Sirius didn't believe the same as his parents did anymore, and being in Gryffindor, his parents' had become more and more disparaging. It had become near impossible to please them despite having good marks in most of his subjects (History of Magic was just… No). So he had decided that trying to please them wasn't worth it - and that, in fact, doing the opposite was far more entertaining.
Sirius picked up the round, inch-deep tin - pushing the circular tube under the bedclothes for now. Emblazoned on the top were the words 'World Famous Face and Body Paint'. Interesting.
He gently twisted the lid off and poked the light beige substance within. Where his finger had made contact with the 'paint' a light layer coated his skin. It didn't match his colouring exactly, but it was passable.
He grinned and quickly unbuttoned his shirt. He slid it down his arms onto the bed before picking up the tin of paint. Swiping his thumb across the substance, he wiped the digit across James's soulmark, transferring the paint onto his skin and partially obscuring it from sight. He got a bit more on his thumb and was rubbing it onto his arm when someone spoke.
"Who is she?" Regulus asked from the doorway, arms crossed in front of him.
Shit.
Sirius froze, his heart plummeting. This wasn't meant to happen. They weren't meant to find out until he was old enough to live without them. Fucking bollocks. Why did he have to have such a nosy twat for a brother?
He had to do something to stop Regulus from telling their parents; if they found out, they'd never let him go back to Hogwarts - or leave the house to do anything ever again. Last summer had been bad enough. He couldn't face that again. The only glimmer of hope was that his brother had assumed it was a girl, and could potentially be persuaded to keep the secret… for a price.
"Sirius?" he asked again, closing the door with a quiet click.
Well, at least it seemed like he wasn't planning on telling their parents immediately. Maybe Sirius wouldn't have to promise him his first-born to keep him quiet.
"Like I'd tell you, Reg."
Regulus raised an eyebrow delicately.
"Why are you covering it? Are you ashamed of her?"
Sirius briefly closed his eyes. It was gratifying that Regulus assumed that he only had one soulmate and that it was a girl - if he did tell their parents then they would be further off.
Despite that, his remarks about Sirius being ashamed of Jamie and Remus hit a bit too close to his own insecurities. He knew he wasn't ashamed of them and that Regulus was just trying to get in his head. But that didn't erase the fact that he'd worried about his covering them up being interpreted that way - when the opposite was true. He loved those boys with every inch of him. He wasn't quite sure if that would mean he'd want to be with them sexually and romantically yet, or just ridiculously close friends, but he loved them and he would never be ashamed of that.
He got to his feet, ignoring the neat, button up shirt he'd been wearing before putting the paint over the soulmark.
Sirius walked over to his Hogwarts trunk that lay open at the foot of his bed. Lying on top was James's most recent present, a Muggle 'T-shirt', that came down his arms far enough to cover his now concealed soulmark but the sleeves still ended before his elbow.
He quickly unfolded it and tugged it over his head - ignoring his brother's continued pointed look.
"You're not going to wear that to dinner are you, Sirius? You know what Mother and Father will say."
Sirius ignored him, opting instead to look himself over in the mirror.
The paint had done a wonderful job of covering the soulmark; it was a bit lighter than his skin, but unless someone was looking for it, they wouldn't notice anything different. The 't-shirt' was delightfully Muggle with a large insignia for 'AC/DC' (whatever that was), and not at all appropriate for the formal affair that would be dinner. Even better, the fabric had retained its fold marks. It was bound to set them off.
He smirked as their mothers' dulcet tones echoed through the house announcing dinner.
Showtime.
HN
Dear Beautiful Human,
THANK YOU SO MUCH, LILY! I don't know if Remus told you what the paint was for, but it was for me. My parents are unapproving disapproving of soulmates. And wouldn't take too kidly kindly to me being bonded with two male specimens blokes, or that one of the blokes was a halfblood with a Muggle mother. And because Jamie's soulmark is on my arm, they might spot it and try even harder than they already are to split us up - I'll tell you about it later if you want? And I can't have that. So thank you!
I was wondering if perhaps Muggle makeup does more than covering up awkward marks? From the Magazines Jamie has sent me (Merlin knows how he got hold of them) the girls always have stuff around their eyes - which would look FANTASTIC on me. So I was wondering if you could/would get hold of some for me? I'd pay you back (obviously) (I've enclosed a few galleons for the paint - let me know if that's not enough). That stick concealer you sent Moony Remus is excellent at covering up my spots - not that I have any of those. I want to see what else it can do.
Thank you again - you beautiful human.
Sirius Black
HN
1st September 1974
"Thank you so much, Lily!" Sirius enthused, enveloping the startled witch in a hug.
She smiled and patted the gangly wizard on the back.
"You're welcome, Sirius."
Sirius pulled back happily, clutching a small bag in his hand. He was free from the judgements of his parents until summer (he'd been instructed, before being shoved through the Floo to Kings Cross, that he was not to come home before then), he had lots of new Muggle Makeup to experiment with, and he was back with James and Remus - finally.
It had definitely become harder to be apart from the two since first year. But he'd leave it to Jamie to spout the mushy 'I love you' crap. The boy did have a not-so-secret collection of romance novellas after all.
"I'll see you later for explanations? Common Room? About nine?"
She nodded before picking up the end of her trunk and making her way onto the train.
Sirius scanned the platform, looking for one of his other third's. Instead, he found Regulus's ugly mug standing a few feet away gaping at him like a fish.
Sirius tried not to laugh; it was clear from his brother's expression that he thought Lily was his soulmate. Lily. Who he hadn't exchanged more than a handful of words with in the entirety of their previous three years at Hogwarts.
Sniggering, he made his way over to Regulus and clapped his hand down on his shoulder.
"Not her," he snorted, before spotting the Potters and trotting off in their direction.
Remus was already with them, his hand being shaken enthusiastically by Mr Potter.
Mrs Potter had James by the shoulders and looked to be assessing the state of his robes.
"And you must be Sirius!" Mr Potter exclaimed happily, releasing a slightly relieved looking Remus, and holding out his hand once more for Sirius to shake.
"Yes, Mr Potter."
"It's been a long time since I last saw you, young man. You've grown up a bit."
Sirius exchanged a look with James - as far as he knew, they'd never met.
"What do you mean, dad? You and Sirius have met before?" James asked, having escaped his mother's ministrations.
Mr Potter smiled, his eyes twinkling in the exact manner James's did when they were planning a major prank.
"Just the once. At the Ministry's Summer Ball in '64, the last one we attended. Everyone of the old families went, including the children. You were four, Jamie, and somehow you managed to get into a fight, upend a table full of drinks, and explode a chandelier" his grin grew cheekier, "I was so proud!"
Mr Potter ignored his wife's reproving poke.
"You accomplice through all of this, was young Mr Black here."
Sirius's jaw dropped - so that's why his parents always looked at him oddly when getting ready for the annual summer ball.
Remus looked between him and James rapidly, realisation blossoming across his face.
"You're soulmarks," he blurted - still somewhat quietly, for which Sirius was grateful.
James's eyes widened.
"Of course," he breathed, before turning to his parents with narrowed eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Mr Potter just smiled, "It wasn't just about you, Jamie, it concerned Sirius as well."
James nodded somewhat absently, rubbing lightly at the side of his neck where Sirius knew his own mark lay.
"Of course, the Ministry then banned all children from their Summer Balls," Mrs Potter added, breaking the stunned silence before it could even start.
"But those things are awfully dull, and that gave us the excuse to not go," Mr Potter responded with a mischievous grin. "Haven't been in a decade - the lack of politics has been wonderful."
He reached out to take his wife's hand.
James eyed up the movement, a brief look of queasiness crossing his face.
Mr Potter laughed, having caught the look, "Go on then boys, before I hug my wife and Jamie here has an aneurysm."
Sirius snorted; for someone who was so romantically cheesy, James was pathetically hopeless with public displays of affection. He glanced up at the huge clock on the station wall. Sure enough, it was ten-to-eleven already - they should probably be getting on the train anyway. He grabbed the handle of his trunk.
"Well, have a good term boys. Do try to keep out of trouble…" Mr Potter said, the small twitch of his mouth spoiling the otherwise sincere message.
He reached out a hand for Remus to shake and then Sirius.
Mrs Potter smiled and briefly enclosed Remus in a hug. She raised an eyebrow at Sirius, who, after a brief internal monologue about why Potters had to be so damn huggy, also consented to the short hug.
It was surprisingly comforting.
"Be good," she said, releasing him and turning to eye all three boys up sternly.
Sirius nodded, not quite sure how to feel about the mothering Mrs Potter was giving them.
"If you have any issues, boys, please contact us," Mr Potter said, his eyes resting on each of them in turn. "All of you."
Sirius nodded along with his soulmates. He would do the internal reasoning debating over how he felt about the Potter's parenting later, when he could be bothered - if he could be bothered. While the Potters' attitudes towards him and Remus was definitely a foreign experience, they clearly cared about him - who was he to argue with that? He could always do with more friends and maybe even a family that didn't hate him.
The three trouped towards the train with their trunks. The platform was getting busy now, with students and parents standing around in small clusters. They wove through the families towards the door, Sirius clutching his trunk and the bag of Muggle Makeup in the same hand.
He couldn't wait to try it all out.
After arranging their three trunks in the overhead racks and waving enthusiastically through the window at Jamie's parents, he dropped into his seat and dumped the bags contents out onto his lap. There was so much to choose from.
Sirius grinned widely and charmed a portion of the window to resemble a mirror. This was going to be so much fun.
That same evening, having got off the train sans makeup (he wasn't quite sure he was applying it right), and sat through the Sorting and dinner (complete with Dumbledore's announcements), they had finally got back to the dorm.
"I don't know what I'm doing wrong, Jamie. It just doesn't look right?"
James snorted, lying across his bed to watch Sirius experiment in front of the window.
"That's because you look like a panda, mate."
Sirius spun around, affronted. But before he could say anything, Remus intervened in the cool tone he reserved for when someone (usually one of them) was being an idiot.
"Just put less on, Pads."
Tossing a glare in James's direction, Sirius turned to face the mirror-charmed window. With irritation, he had to concede that James might have a point - even if the boy had apparently forgotten to pack tact in his trunk.
Using his wand, he attempted to siphon off some of the 'eye liner', but instead removed all of it.
Sirius huffed, and retreated to Remus's bed, where the werewolf was lying on his front reading a textbook. Sirius flopped over him so he could still glare at Jamie whilst upside down.
"I don't get it, Moons, it's not working," he whined, pouting.
Remus sighed, shifting slightly beneath him.
"Could you not just go and ask Lily for help?"
Sirius sat bolt upright and bounced off the bed onto his brightly coloured feet.
"That's perfect! Thank you, Moons!" he exclaimed loudly, before rapidly scooping the various bottles and tubes back into the bag, and charging out the door.
He was supposed to meet Lily in the common room in about 30 minutes anyway, maybe she would be early.
Sure enough, when he'd jumped into the common room, Lily was sat in front of the fire with a book.
"Lilykins!"
Lily slowly lifted her head from her book, eyebrows raised.
"If this friendship is going to work, Black, you call me Lily or Evans. Nothing else."
Sirius nodded, not dropping his grin, and sat down on the rug facing her.
"Okay but can you teach me how to use these please? I keep doing it wrong; and instead of being helpful, Jamie insulted me, and Remus told me to come and find you."
Lily marked her place with a piece of parchment, and put the book in the bag at her feet. She slipped off the sofa to sit with her back against the foot of the chair.
"Okay - do you know where all of this goes and what it all does?" Lily asked, rummaging through Sirius's bag.
"I think so?"
It turned out he didn't, so Lily walked him through how to use each item, and what order to use it in. Sirius found that he liked eyeliner the best - it contrasted nicely with his eyes, and made them stand out, without enhancing his eyelashes. The best thing was that it was subtle enough that he could probably get away with wearing it around school.
Once Sirius was well acquainted with the Makeup supplies he had (and had extracted a promise from Lily that she would get him more at Christmas), the conversation moved onto why he'd needed the concealer in the first place. And so, after being assured that she already knew about the soulbond between the three of them, he told her about the issue his parents would take with Remus being one of his soul mates just for his purity of blood.
"- and that's not even taking into account the fuss they'd make if they knew about his furry-little-problem."
"But what about James? Surely he would be a problem too because he doesn't share the same beliefs?"
Sirius nodded.
"Yes, they wouldn't like that either. All of that isn't even considering their reaction to my inability to… to...," he grimaced, "reproduce with either of them."
Lily shuddered as if a cold breeze had just washed over her.
"Eww, that's not something anyone our age should have to think about, let alone want to think about," she added.
She fiddled with the bag in front of her for a minute, clearly in thought.
"I get that them finding out would be bad for your home life, but they're going to find out eventually, and with you living here for nine months of the year, what can they actually do?"
Sirius smiled sadly, "They'd try even harder then they already are to split us up. I'd probably be withdrawn from Hogwarts and homeschooled."
Lily hugged her knees to her chest, her eyes wide and her eyebrows drawn together.
"What do you mean? They're trying to split you up? They don't even- But why?"
Sirius shrugged carelessly. He'd been dealing with the knowledge that his parents detested his friends for years; he'd simply grown used to it.
"In short: they think the boys are a bad influence because I'm not going along with what they're telling me to believe anymore. To my parents, they're 'negatively influencing' me. But in reality, it's life, and common sense that are 'influencing' me. It's just how everything they've taught me falls apart the more I learn about the world and the different ways everyone was brought up. It just doesn't make sense anymore. Not that telling them that makes any difference; they just start saying that I've been brainwashed."
He took a deep breath then released it - the whole situation was just ridiculous.
"Their solution to this is to get me resorted. They've been lobbying Dumbledore for the past year, but he won't give in. I overheard a discussion this summer - they're going to stop trying to get me resorted - apparently the 'damage is done'," he snorted, amused at his parents blind tenacity. "They're going to start pushing for a dorm reshuffle in Gryffindor - just to get me away from the boys and their 'bad influence'."
Sirius rested his head against the sofa seat. As frustrating as his parents were, the whole thing was more utterly knackering, than upsetting.
Lily just looked at him, her brow furrowed and her mouth downturned. She looked sad. But as Sirius continued to look at her, her mouth tightened, and her eyes narrowed.
"Surely Dumbledore won't let that happen though, Sirius? He's blocked it so far - so he'll keep blocking it?"
Sirius smiled sadly, "Probably. Just wish I was older, or could live somewhere else without the massive battle of getting my parents to agree."
Lily removed her arms from her legs and shuffled over to him, laying her head on his shoulder and slipping an arm around him.
"It'll be okay, Sirius. You'll be okay."
Sirius really hoped she was right.
HN
27th February 1975
"I'm still not sure about this," Remus groaned as he attempted to roll out of bed at the same time as pulling on his trousers.
Sirius just grinned at him from the window where he was applying the eye-liner he'd developed an obsession with. Much to his exasperation, Remus had to concede that it did look good on him. It made him look older, more confident in who he was - and (as mortifying as it was to admit) made Sirius even more fetching then he had been to begin with.
Remus resisted the blush he could feel rising. He was glad they had mutually decided to not go there with their relationship until they were older and knew that they wanted it to go there for the rest of their lives. While he'd come to the conclusion in the past year that he most definitely was attracted to both of his soulmates in that way, he most certainly wasn't ready for acting on those feelings just yet.
"You don't have to be sure about it, Moons, you just need to turn up to breakfast with us. It's a surprise, remember! Surprises are always good!" James exclaimed, coming out of their bathroom rubbing his head with a towel.
Remus groaned and face planted the bed.
"But it's you two doing the surprising, so we're all going to end up with a week's detention, and green hair for a month," he said into the pillow before turning his head to the side. "And green is really not my colour."
A hand landed on his shoulder, patting it gently.
"Come on, Moons. When are you going to let that go?" Sirius asked from just above him.
"Yeah, that happened in like January. That's a whole month ago."
Remus groaned again. The morons were just proving his point.
"Pleaaaaaaassseee, Remus? We've been working on this since last June, and we think you'll really like it. And we'll even show you all the charms, transfiguration spells, and potions we used afterwards."
Bah, those two really knew which buttons to press to get him to do something.
"Fine," he muttered, sitting up. He was going to regret this. He just knew it.
Remus dragged his heels all the way down to the Great Hall, much to his stomach's protest. Why had he agreed to this? He had so much homework to do - he couldn't afford to lose 10 hours to detention.
He wearily sat down on their usual bench and poured himself a cup of tea before knocking it straight back (sans milk and sugar) before immediately pouring himself another one - it was going to be that kind of morning. As he gulped down his second mug of tea (having actually added milk and a pinch of sugar this time) he remained fully aware of everything that was going on around him. James and Sirius's pranks tended to be more loud, and less subtle than the ones they planned with him - so he'd probably be able to either feel or see it coming.
Before he could even really comprehend that thought, his fingers, still clutching his mug of tea, began to change. They darkened into a tawny brown, the smooth skin becoming long, elegant feathers.
The teacup fell to the table, thankfully mostly empty.
He seemed to get smaller, the table top now about head height instead of sitting at waist level as it had done previously. Remus glanced down, not knowing what he was going to find but doubting that he was going to see his legs. Sure enough, instead of his school trousers, all he could make out were two three-taloned claws, with an extra talon pointing the other direction and gripping the back of the bench.
He wobbled backwards in shock, letting out a loud yelp. Only instead of it coming out as a yelp, it was a hoot. Remus's arms - no, wings - spread out instinctively to halt his fall. Trying not to think (because he was 99% certain that if he did that he would fall), he flapped the wings, and rose towards the ceiling.
Consequently, he had the best view for the absolute carnage taking place across the Great Hall.
Everywhere he looked there were animals wreaking havoc; the hall seemed split between those who were chewing on the furniture, and those who were charging around in absolute panic. The seats James and Sirius had previously been sitting in were now occupied by an antlered deer, and a shaggy black dog with huge paws - both sitting on their rumps, paws and hooves splayed in every direction.
A huge furled parchment banner popped into existence above the door, drawing eyes across the hall. With another pop it unrolled, revealing three lines (and a signature) of large purple script.
For the next six hours you will inhabit the body of the animagus form you
would have access to, should you ever become an Animagus. After that you may
retain some qualities of your animagus for a further twenty-four hours. Enjoy!
~ The Marauders
Six. Hours.
Six. Hours. Feathers.
Six. Hours. Feathers. And a verifiable mountain of homework he had to do before the following day.
Six. Hours. Feathers. Homework. All for a prank. A prank he knew they'd only chosen as a result of their quest to put themselves in needless danger.
He was going to kill those cretins.
Feeling how the air currents beneath his wings fluctuated, he was fairly sure he knew how flying worked. It seemed fairly instinctual.
He flapped his wings harder to gain altitude, and then flipped so he was facing the dark fur and antlered head beneath him.
He dived.
HN
(later that day)
"Hey, Moons, I need to send a letter to Mum and Da-"
James spat the pillow out, before lobbing it back at a red faced Remus who caught it neatly and placed it back on the armchair he had originally taken it from.
"What? Where's all that patience and wisdom owls are renowned for?"
"Up your arse."
"Wisdom, Jamie? Moony, wise? Are you sure you've got the right bloke?" Sirius smirked, dancing out of grabbing zone.
Remus scowled, "And what would you two imbeciles know about wisdom?"
James and Sirius simultaneously clutched at their chests. It would appear that the two had been working on their syncrosity. How wonderful.
"Who? Us? Not wise? You wound us, Moony. Tell me, oh wise and intelligent Padfoot, am I bleeding?"
Remus ignored them and continued climbing out of the portrait hole.
"Why must you say such hurtful things, Moony-kins?"
Remus shot Sirius a glare. He did not appreciate the nickname.
"If you knew anything about wisdom you wouldn't be trying to do what you're trying to do," he muttered, not really caring if they heard him or not.
"And leave you to suffer all by yourself? I- OW, Jamie!" James nudged Sirius hard in the side. "Fine, Mr Pointy-Elbows; we don't think so."
Remus sighed, giving up for now. Clearly the two were beyond reason.
"Why couldn't you have just made a wolf-friendly version of single-player Monopoly?" he muttered under his breath.
"What's Monopoly?" James asked cheerfully from where he'd appeared beside his elbow.
"And why does it have to be 'Single-player'?" Sirius added before cocking his head slightly to the side.
Remus just shook his head and kept walking - after having his breakfast rudely interrupted this morning, and having done none of the work he needed to do before tomorrow, he was really not in the mood for the Trouble-Twins unique brand of idiocy.
"Us? Idiots?! A SHOT, SIRIUS! A PALPABLE SHOT! I'm down! Wounded! Send for help!" James cried.
Remus rolled his eyes and kept on walking. The faint strains of conversation reached his ears as they neared a corner.
"-definitely not capable of this, Albus. They're only 4th years for Merlin's sake; this morning's show was almost certainly the work of a 6th or 7th year - the knowledge and skill required for the potion alone is far beyond those boys. If it was transfiguration at that level maybe, but potions? None of them are particularly gifted at it, Albus."
Remus stopped abruptly and put out his arm to catch his fellow Marauders. He put his finger to his lips urgently (and ignored the indignant looks). This was a conversation it would be best to overhear and not blunder into - especially if it led to less suspicion in the execution of future pranks. (He was working on the principle of: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.)
He tapped his ear with his finger before returning it to his mouth. He smiled somewhat involuntarily.
Sticking close to the side of the corridor, they crept closer to the conversation. Remus was almost certain that the Professors were around the corner they were nearing.
"Well, if you're sure, Minerva," Dumbledore stated, his voice getting more distant with each word.
The Irritations trapped him against the wall, their eyes glittering in a way that would terrify most of the school.
"What was that about, Moony?"
"We're no longer suspects."
Sirius grinned widely at him.
James pushed between them and threw an arm over each boys' shoulder.
"This is the best prank yet!"
HN
They had done it. Not only that, they had only gone and bloody done it in time for the last full moon of the year.
They were Animagi. Actual proper Animagi. They could help Remus through his transformation. He would never have to go through that alone ever again - at least when they were at Hogwarts. Although James supposed that if they gave it enough thought and let his parents in on the Animagi secret, they could make that statement completely true.
James snorted and tossed his antlered head. It was time to show Remus that he wasn't alone.
Reciting the incantation to turn back in his head, he focussed on his human body - with special emphasis on his glasses. He didn't want a repeat of the first time he had tried to turn back and had been left with a ring of hair where his glasses should've been, like some exaggerated version of a monobrow.
He didn't think he would ever get used to the feeling of shifting morphologies. The first time he'd achieved the shift had hurt but apparently that only happened the first time.
When he had hands again he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to comprehend that antlers had just been protruding from that very spot.
James glanced across at Sirius, who was still in dog form. It was somewhat nutty that the already huge black dog's paws were still disproportionately large against its body. James couldn't quite comprehend that Sirius could grow any bigger in this form.
It was even stranger watching the shift happen from an outside perspective. It wasn't that all of a sudden the dog disappeared and Sirius reappeared - it was more of a slow transition. The dogs' unfamiliar features morphing rapidly into Sirius' familiar ones.
Sirius just shook his head at him. He too was struggling to grasp the words needed to describe what they'd just achieved.
"To Moony?" James asked, grabbing his cloak from where it had landed in a crumpled heap on his trunk earlier.
Sirius looked around, apparent having lost his own cloak.
James rolled his eyes and snagged the item from where it lay on Sirius's bed.
Sirius smiled, a mischievous happiness lighting up his face.
"To Moony!" he shouted, charging out of the door.
The walk down to the Shrieking Shack had never seemed longer as the moon threatened to rise over the horizon before they made it to their friend.
James didn't think he would ever forget the look of terror on Remus's face when they stepped through the door. Nor would he forget the elated relief that flashed across Remus's face when he and Sirius' turned into their Animagi forms. Or the scent of happiness that accompanied the expression. Despite the excuses and protests Remus had been spouting ever since they had first suggested the idea, James knew from that scent that Remus appreciated it. That alone made it worth it.
It was something that James tried really hard to bear in mind a few minutes later when the transformation started. Remus still had to go through the transformation - but at least he didn't have to go through it alone anymore.
James watched, wide eyed, as Remus' features slowly became more wolflike. Given the amount of pain he was clearly in, the physical change wasn't the same as the one that himself and Sirius had just achieved. He made a mental note to look into what the differences were; if they could find what made the two different, maybe they could find a way of making the wolf transformation more like the animagus transition?
Shifting his weight on his hooves and hating that his soulmate had to go through this every bloody month, he was somewhat envious of Sirius for having paws that could cover his ears and blot out Remus's screams. But at the same time, in a way he felt that listening to Remus was the least he could do - James didn't have to go through that pain himself - Remus did.
Finally, Remus's shape was no more, and the wolf lay curled on the ground.
James moved forwards, doing his best to ignore the deer instincts firing 'Alert: Predator' signals at him. He could sense Sirius to his left, also moving towards their friend.
The wolf lifted its head, eyes a bright, hungry yellow and fixed on James's stag form.
Sirius barked, and dropped into a play bow.
The wolf shifted its gaze to the dog and clambered slowly to its feet.
It loped towards Sirius, before changing direction in a split second to stalk towards the stag.
Sirius looked at James, his eyes worried.
James shook his head, despite the nerves and the urge to flee. He knew this had to happen for this to work. The wolf would have to understand that the stag wasn't for eating.
Moony stopped about a foot in front of him and sniffed in his direction, curious yellow eyes meeting James' determined hazel.
James refused to blink; he couldn't really afford to lose a staring match with a werewolf who was more than capable of devouring him whole.
After what felt like hours, the wolf blinked before moving towards Sirius again. Only instead of the hesitant staring match James had had with him that had felt like the wolf was sizing up whether he was worth pursuing for a midnight snack, Moony just launched himself at Sirius.
James's stomach dropped. This wasn't good. This was really really really not good.
He charged forwards, hoping he wasn't too late.
But was stopped by the realisation that they were playing. Tumbling over each other, each barking and nipping at the other but never breaking skin; not that James thought they'd be able to even if they wanted to - both were covered in a thick layer of fur.
He let out a high pitched whine before charging forwards: three could play-fight.
It wasn't until much later, when the moon had begun to wane and the screams that accompanied Remus's transformations had ended, that Sirius and James exchanged looks. They wouldn't let Remus tackle this alone. They couldn't. With words they would later speak aloud - they both swore to that effect.
Moving tentatively, James trotted through the door (being careful to angle his head so his rack of antlers didn't get stuck for a second time that evening).
Sure enough, instead of the heap of shaggy fur they'd left behind (at the firm insistence of said shaggy fur) there was a shivering boy lying on the floor.
James shifted and ran over, falling to his knees beside his mate. He glanced over Remus' body, looking for injuries. But thankfully, as far as James could see, Remus seemed to be unhurt - just tired and a bit cold if the shivering was anything to go by.
James grabbed a blanket off the dilapidated dresser and chucked it over him.
Warm air blew across the back of his neck. James jumped, turning his head to look.
Sitting behind him was Sirius in dog form, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.
James rolled his eyes. Prat.
"If you're just going to sit there you might as well make yourself useful," Remus said hoarsely, gesturing Sirius forwards. "Padfoot."
"Eh?" James asked eloquently - not entirely sure if he'd heard the werewolf right.
"Padfoot," Remus said, tugging the blanket over himself more thoroughly, "Sirius's new nickname."
James stuck his bottom lip out, thinking. It worked. Especially with how quietly the dog had appeared behind him.
Sirius-Padfoot lay down next to Remus, head on front paws. He looked dolefully up at James as Remus rested his head on his flank.
"Come on then Hoofs, it's sleepy time. Got to catch the train in 6 hours - and I know you two haven't packed yet so sleep, then pack, then breakfast, then train."
And with that declaration Remus closed his eyes and appeared to go to sleep - completely ignoring James' spluttered protests at the application of the nickname 'Hoofs'.
Although when it became apparent that Remus was, in fact, asleep, he gave up. He would try to dissuade him again when the boy was actually conscious to hear it.
He shifted back into his deer form and curled up next to Remus - thinking it would probably be more comfortable than trying to sleep on the hard floor as a human.
Just as he was drifting off he considered Remus's nickname.
'Hooves' maybe - although it did lack the finesse 'Padfoot' had.
HN
Remus awoke with a start, his face and chest pressed into the hard wooden floorboards. He was naked. 100% naked. Though thankfully his modesty was still intact thanks to the blanket he could feel just about covering his arse.
On either side of his body there was fur. On his right, the short, dark, reddy-brown coat of a stag - thankfully the beasts antlers were directed away from him. On his left was the almost black, long, thick coat of a large dog.
He shuffled slightly, rolling his shoulders against the cramp that was a permanent fixture at this time of the month.
Something was different. But he couldn't quite pinpoint what.
Then it hit him.
He was actually fine. As in, no bruises, no scrapes, no bite marks or scratches. Aside from the general bone aches that came with physically turning into a wolf and the uncomfortable feeling of not knowing what he'd been doing for the past - he checked his watch - 8 hours, he was actually okay. Able to move. Not bleeding out. The whole shebang. It was odd.
Smiling at the warmth that surrounded him and the knowledge that he had some pretty awesome friends, he pillowed his head on his arms and invited sleep to take him again. And in that snug haze, he missed the change of fur to skin and cloth.
Unfortunately that was when the realities of being best friends with James Potter and Sirius Black kicked in.
"Hey Pads! Look! Moony's got a tramp stamp."
Instantly Remus was awake.
Fuck.
"Wait? What?" Sirius practically shouted, scrambling onto his feet.
Remus buried his head in his arms with a groan.
"Fuck. He does!"
Remus felt his face burn. This was exactly why he had worked so hard to avoid the location of James' soul mark on him becoming common knowledge.
He felt the warmth of James's hand hover above the skin of his back.
"It's your bloody soul mark, you knob," he muttered to the floorboards, silently asking them to swallow him.
"What was that, Moons? Couldn't quite hear you over the knowledge that you have a tramp stamp…" James laughed loudly.
Remus glared at the traitorous floorboards. This wasn't going to go away anytime soon.
HN
Remus slumped onto the carriage seat. Skipping breakfast for an extra hour in bed before boarding the train hadn't done a lot to make up for the lack of sleep the night before.
That being said, he'd had more then the Trouble Twins, who had needed that hour to do the packing they had put off the previous evening in favour of becoming Animagi.
Remus had, in fact, offered to help them finish their packing, seeing as it was his fault they had been so determined to become Animagi in the first place, and that it had been so important that they finished the transformation in time for last night. But his offer had been waved off, under the protests that he had just turned into a werewolf and back against his will and that he definitely needed more sleep than either of them did right now. Remus didn't agree with that logic but had found that arguing with the two when already tired was a lost cause. Besides, he knew that they would be able to sleep on the train.
That, and a decent amount of guilt on his part, was why he was now playing the role of 'pillow' to both boys. Not that he really minded - there was nothing saying that pillows couldn't sleep too.
They slept through till the trolley rolled up outside their carriage just after lunch time.
After buying and consuming some pasties and cakes from the witch, James and Sirius started a spirited game of exploding snap while Remus resumed reading a particularly fascinating book on the creatures of the deep.
That was until his mind wandered from the mating habits of Sirens and onto his own soulmates. The feeling he associated with them wasn't easy to describe - made even more complex by the blatant inequality in their relationship. James and Sirius both brought so much to the table, not in any way least was the fact that they saw doing something ridiculously dangerous and illegal just to make his life easier as completely logical and reasonable. He didn't know how he could ever pay them back.
"Whatcha thinking, Moons?"
"That I can never pay you back. You became Animagi - which is really fucking illegal; not to mention the danger that's associated with the inital transformation, or the continued danger of being in a room with a transformed werewolf - just to make my life easier?"
James grinned at him from the seat opposite, his hair an absolute mess, "Yup!"
Sirius shot him a matching grin, "Definitely worth it. Wouldn't you agree, Jamie?"
"Oh, definitely, Padfoot."
"Also wouldn't say that you owe us anything, Moons… Who else would be able to keep up with our dazzling personalities? And our unerring charm?"
Remus rolled his eyes, "So this is my reward for putting up with your… madness?"
Sirius and James looked at each other, then back at Remus, "Yup!"
"Madness though, Remus? You wound me! I think you mean genius?"
Remus snorted before burying himself back in his book.
Time flew, and before he knew it they were pulling into the station.
He slipped his book back into his bag and grabbed his trunk off the overhead racks.
Sirius fidgeted with his bag in his seat by the door.
"Do you have the make-up?"
Sirius nodded, his jaw tight, "I'll be fine."
Liar.
Remus pulled him into a tight hug, clearly feeling in how tense his shoulders were, how not-fine Sirius was. James' arms slipped around Sirius from the other direction, his face appearing directly in front of Remus's.
"Hi," Remus squeaked at the sudden intrusion into his personal space.
James snorted.
"Smooth, Moons. Really smooth," Sirius laughed, his shoulders relaxing slightly.
Remus was sure his face was bright red.
"If you need anything, Pads, just ask," James said, pulling back from the hug to look Sirius earnestly in the face.
"I mean it - anything - and we'll be there," he offered, gesturing to both himself and Remus who nodded.
"Thanks," Sirius whispered, pale against his black robes.
The train pulled to a stop.
Gradually they all left the train, each pulling or in one case (James's) levitating their trunk (whilst sitting on it).
Remus couldn't help but think, as he watched Sirius greet his livid-looking mother, that Sirius most probably wouldn't be fine.
A/N Hi!
Not dead. Hope you enjoyed this? It's really really bloody long - that's my only excuse for taking so long xD. I would say I'll post chapter 5 soon but we all know I'd probably be lying xD. I mean I have plans to have this written by the end of Nov. Thanks to Li for beating this chapter - I know you never read these but you're awesome and I appreciate all you do.
I know in canon the boys don't manage to become animagi till 5 year, but I figured the day before 4th year ends is close enough XD and I know 5th year is going to be a big chapter, and that train cuddling opportunity was too adorable to give up.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you did (or didn't xD).
SNR