Chapter 9

As the weeks passed, Severus completed the amulet, and Remus wore it next to his skin. September ended, and Remus chanted his runes every morning.

"I don't think I feel as ill," he said. "But it might be wishful thinking and hope."

"Well, we'll see when we go into the shrieking shack on Sunday evening," said Severus.

"We? But if I change, I'll rip you to shreds, my friend!"

Severus smiled smugly.

"I have a potion of shape shifting," he said. "My grandfather knew I'd want to see the results."

"I'd do it," said James.

"And you could see how the runes held and which ones were working or not?" said Severus.

"Oh. Uh, no, I guess not," said James.

"I'm going to leave it to drink to the last minute though," said Severus. "So I can observe with human eyes and ears."

"Don't leave it too long," said Remus.

"Okay," Severus nodded. "I have no desire to either be a belated supper or be howling at the moon with you. It would put a crimp in my researches."

It was a bit creepy heading out for the shrieking shack in the dark. Sunset was earlier here in Scotland, and it was not much past five when crepuscular gloom hid the egress of the two boys. Hagrid was aware of Remus' condition and would turn a blind eye to a friend going with him, but not all the staff had been told. And Madam McGonagall, who obviously did know, would not take kindly to another of her little lions being absent with his friend. Remus showed Severus how to roll up to the whomping willow and press the knot that stopped it whomping for long enough to enter the passageway, and Severus followed him quickly. They passed down the passage and came out into the basic, but not uncomfortable quarters Dumbledore had provided.

"I'm confined in here by wards," said Remus. "The bed isn't much use to me as a wolf, but it's more comfortable to rest on while I wait for the change, and then to crawl onto to wait for the tremours and pain to subside after."

Severus patted his friend awkwardly on the arm.

"Moonrise in just under two hours," he said.

Remus nodded.

"I can feel when it's about to happen," he said. "We have time to eat first. Or you do; I vomit from the pain often if I eat beforehand."

Severus unnpacked the picnic they had wheedled out of the kitchen elves.

"Try and eat something," he said.

"I'll eat something if it works," said Remus.

"Fair enough," Severus nodded. "I have to say, I reckon it's a bit optimistic to expect it to work first go, but if there's any delay, or you can retain any part of your awareness, we will know we're working in the right direction."

"And as I won't remember, you need to be there to observe," said Remus.

Severus ate, as much for something to do as for hunger. He was at an age when food was always welcome, but it turned to ashes in his mouth as he worried about his friend.

I am afraid of him biting me or clawing me, he reflected. I am afraid of my best friend and that makes me feel guilty. I will not give in to fear and run away!

They played a game of exploding snap to pass away the time, and then suddenly Remus pushed the cards away and started chanting, looking white and sick. Severus retreated to a previously noted position, on top of the canopy of the four poster bed. It held his slight weight, as he had hoped it would, and he sat, cross legged, with his potion ready. He would be out of the immediate reach of a werewolf, and he wanted to see the change if it occurred with human senses.

And then Remus was shaking, screaming, pulling at his face with his hands, and hair was sprouting all over him. An unearthly scream seemed to drag his very face forward with it as he grew a snout.

And then he was standing there, shaking.

"Merlin's bollocks!" growled the boy-wolf, his voice distorted through the elongated mouth. "Sev, you did it … I'm me!"

"I'm staying up here in case there's another stage and you lose it, okay?" said Severus. "I'll come down in about ten minutes, and then retreat again right before midnight."

"Seems fair," said Remus, fingering the hamper of food and stuffing a chicken leg into his mouth. The bones crunched and went down with the meat.

"We ought to give you raw food really," said Severus, critically. "Cooked chicken bones are bad for cats and dogs, so I don't suppose they're good for wolves either."

"It almost didn't touch the sides; I skipped lunch. I usually do," said Remus. "next time we'll get some rare steak."

"Good idea," said Severus, cautiously sliding down one of the posts to the bed. "How long does it last, usually?"

"Until moonset," said Remus. "Which is about quarter to six. I generally wake up on the floor about seven, and then I drag myself onto the bed and sleep away most of the day."

Severus nodded.

"If this isn't too bad, we can sleep the night on the bed, and you'll be fine in the morning."

"Yes, and with luck I'll be able to do this and nobody any the wiser."

There was a knock at the door, and Sirius' voice,

"Pssst, Sev mate! One squawk for yes, two for no, did it work?"

Severus unbarred the door, and looked in vain for his friend. Several heads erupted from the invisibility cloak.

"We thought we'd come down as moral support," said Lily. "But you have to be very friendly under that cloak."

"Yeah, I had to book Tuney for cobbing," quipped James. Petunia loved quidditch too and she laughed.

"Gosh, he's still hairy," said Peter.

"But I'm me inside the hair and that's a victory," said Remus.

"Right," said James. "Congratulations, Sev, mate!"

"I don't think it would have worked without the runes my grandfather suggested," said Severus. "But if he can get a good night's sleep, it shows less."

"I reckon we could cover it more as well," said Lily. "I was reading in one of the theory of magic books we were consulting that a healthy body helps sustain spells."

"Well the rest of us are healthy," said Sirius.

"You're starting to get porky with all those flaky pastries," said Lily. "It doesn't mean just not ill, it means fit. Really fit. And I thought if we had a habit of running round the lake every morning, earlier than most people get up, we could collect Remus on the way so everyone assumes he went with us and came back with us."

James groaned.

"Isn't that a lot of effort to go to?" he complained.

"Is any effort too great for a friend?" demanded Lily. "And if Remus is running as well, he might be able to be able to cope with the strain on the muscles changing shape better too."

"It's actually brilliant," said Severus. "I know, some of you like your beds in the morning, and I am not shouting with glee, but being able to sustain spells longer does excite me. And my grandfather learned muggle fighting skills to beat up my father, so he wasn't done for muggle baiting, and he's going to have me taught, and if we all learn that too, we can take people by surprise, like we did going for Malfoy muggle fashion, and that will help us keep fit too."

"I hate to say it, but it really is brilliant," said James, pulling a face.

"I … I like the idea," said Peter, after his initial shock had worn off. "I don't like getting up early but I do like the idea of being able to out-perform all the others who think they are so clever. And being able to fight them too."

"Right, sorted," said Severus.

"And we can take turns to stay with Remus as well," said Sirius, "Or at least us boys can, it wouldn't be proper for you girls."

"Also we have nosier dorm mates," said Petunia. "Or we wouldn't care, Remus isn't going to grope either of us, he's too shy."

"And I don't want to do things like that anyway, grownups are icky," said Remus.

"Well, if we're going by etiquette, it's a big deal even at our age to be unchaperoned," said Sirius. "Shall we leave you two to it? Only we nearly got caught coming out, even though Mrs. Norris doesn't give the alarm about us, Professor Povey is prowling."

"Well he can't teach Defense against the Dark Arts to save his life, so I don't suppose he's much good at catching truanting witches and wizards," said Severus.

"He gives me the creeps," said Lily.

"Well don't get caught, then," said Severus, shooing them out. "I brought a travelling chess set, Remus, can your hands manage the pieces?"

"Well I can try," growled Remus. "I can hold a wand, anyway so I can practice the levitation charm with precision."

"Ok, we'll both do it that way; it's a good idea," said Severus. "I thought we might go to bed half an hour before our usual lights-out, because it's been a little stressful for you."

Remus laughed.

"But not as stressful as usual," he said.

The other five Marauders, having got back in good time, went to bed early too, pulling the curtains of Severus' and Remus' beds after making a lump in the covers to look like sleeping bodies, and set alarms to get up early.

They slept better for knowing that their friend was not suffering, and rose promptly at six.

"What's with you lot?" asked Frank Longbottom.

"We thought we'd practise early morning running to increase our health and stamina," said Peter.

"Crumbs! It's not a bad idea, mind if I join in?" asked Frank.

They exchanged looks of consternation.

"Um, yeah, I guess," said James.

"Oh. It's not for morning running, it's for whatever nefarious thing it was you were up to last night." Frank frowned.

James swallowed.

"Look, Frank, it's about Remus' ongoing indisposition. He … he needs to be outside and we do want to run as well, but we thought we'd meet him while we were out.

Frank frowned.

"Does McGonagall know about him being out?" he asked.

"Yes," said James, glad to be able to be honest. "And the headmaster. But we can help by seeing him home."

"All right, if McGonagall knows, I won't ask questions," said Frank. "I would like to come, but would you rather I started tomorrow?"

"Frank, mate, you're a good friend," said James. "Peter, grab some kit for Remus and Sev, would you?"

"Severus is with him?" Frank asked sharply. "Then my apologies for what I suspected, but …."

"Sev's fine. We are planning on taking turns when he has one of his bad turns," said Sirius.

Frank nodded.

"You're good friends to have, I reckon," he said. "I'd like to join you but I don't dare court mischief the way you lot do, my mother would have my guts for garters if I got a swingeing deten like the one you got last week for what you did to the visiting ministry wizard."

Sirius sniggered. The visiting wizard had been pompous and patted them on the heads and called them 'little boys' and 'little girls' and it had taken their combined wand work to banish the man's robes two feet to the right.

It may be said that Professor Flitwick had been delighted, but the ministry man was somewhat less so, especially as he had Fifi La Folle Magic Kisses boxer shorts on under his robes, and apart from his socks and sock suspenders, nothing else.

They had written one hundred times 'I must try to uphold the dignity of the Ministry' and had voted it worth while.

Severus and Remus were grateful for shorts and singlets to run in.

"Next time, whoever's turn it is must as well as Remus should pack PJs, as well as running kit," said Severus. "I feel rumpled."

"You look rumpled," said James. "And hey, we still have a draught of being a falcon!"

"And we ought to take that with us in case Remus messes up chanting his runes," said Severus.

"Oh, yeah. Right, good thought," said James.

"You don't need a draught of being a falcon, James, you soar like an eagle on your broom," said Petunia.

"Pass me the bag," muttered Severus.

"Sev!" said Lily, severely.

"Well, with you, Sev, and James and Sirius and Petunia, who are bound to make the team next year, we won't ever lose another quidditch shield," said Peter, happily. "James as seeker, and what a team as chasers!"

"If we're picked," said Sirius.

"It's a no-brainer," said Peter.

Severus thought he was probably right; the team was a trifle pedestrian at the moment, and the custom that first years were not played on the team was irksome. However, it was nice to have time to settle in without having so much responsibility, which was probably why the custom had been instituted in the first place.

He was blowing when they got back to the castle, and he wasn't the only one.

"I didn't realise I was so unfit," moaned Sirius.

"Well, that will be remedied by the next month," said Lily. "Oh rats, it's Scotland, what will we do if it snows?"

"Take up cross-country skiing," said Sirius. "I know how to ski downhill, so I can be the one who's one up for a change."

"We'd better write home for skis before the weather worsens, then," said James. "Hey, girls, Peter, Remus, if we all get two sets, and I get three, 'cos I'm the richest, it'll be all good. Marauders ought to stick together, and … and hold property in common."

"You're the best, James," said Peter.