1975

Remus buried his head under the covers of his four-post bed, not ever wanting to come out ever again. His friend. His best friend tried to make him into a murderer. If James hadn't saved that sorry son of a…

"Remus, you've got to get up. It's nearly noon, we have to meet with Dumbledore and Minnie," James said quietly. Remus didn't budge. He simply laid in the bed, covers still covering his body like a corpse. James simply sighed.

"Remus…"

"I'm not going," Remus said, pulling the covers just under his chin. "If I don't go, it isn't real. I'm not going."

James narrowed his eyes. The bugger was always stubborn after the full moon, but this was a new level. "Remus—"

"I'm not going, James," Remus said hoarsely, using the boy's given name for the first time in…months? Years? It seemed wrong to call themselves the Marauders after all that had happened.

"Well you can't stay in bed. How do you suppose you'll go to class?" James quipped.

"I won't be going to class," Remus whispered. "I'm going to be expelled."

"Bullocks," James scoffed. "You're not going anywhere. If anyone is going to be expelled, you and I both know that S—"

"Don't. Say. His. Name." Remus seethed. James rolled his eyes.

"You're going to have to—"

"I DON'T!" Remus yelled, sitting up as the covers rolled away. Remus stared at James with his puffy, red eyes: he had been crying all night. James' eyes widened. He had never seen Remus…so angry. Quickly, the young werewolf retreated.

"I'm sorry…It's not your fault, Prongs. You did everything you could."

"No, I didn't," James spat. "I should've stopped him…I should've known. We're supposed to be friends—or, where friends, with that bugger at least."

"You can still be his friend," Remus said softly. "Just because I'm not, doesn't mean—"

"You think I want to be friends with someone who would do that to you?" James asked angrily. "Absolutely not. Hasn't shown his face all day. When we go see Dumb—"

"When you see Dumbledore—"

"When we go, now, preferably, unless you want to be late, we'll have to see him. Peter's the only one talking to him, that little rat—"

"It's not Peter's fault, he's desperate for friends," Remus said, slowly rising out of bed, joints creaking. If only he could say it wasn't Sirius' fault. What that boy was thinking, Remus would never know. James grabbed Remus' clothes off the floor, knowing the pain it would cause it friend to grab them himself, and tossed them on the bed in silence. Remus slowly put on his robe, and didn't even bother brushing his hair or looking in a mirror—he knew he wouldn't like what he saw.

"Come on," Remus said, rather sadly. "Let's go get expelled."

The two boys walked out of their dorm and into the common room, not stopping to make eye contact with anyone or even say hello. They walked down the hallway to the grand entrance of Dumbledore's office—a place Remus once associated with the miracle that let him in Hogwarts to begin with. And now I'll be leaving it the same way—fitting, Remus thought morosely. From the other side of the hallway, the two boys saw McGonagall approaching. She gave them a severe look and a tight nod, before leading them up the stairs to their headmaster's office.

"Mr. Black, Mr. Snape, and, for whatever reason, Mr. Pettigrew are already there."

Remus let out an audible groan, leading James to put his arm around his dear friend, who was finding all the stairs quite challenging. Finally, they made it to Dumbledore's office itself. Sirius, who had been sitting in a chair directly opposite the old headmaster, instantly rose. His eyes, too, were red and puffy.

"Moony, mate, I—"

"Don't speak to me," Remus said cooly. "Ever." The look on Sirius' face could only be described as depressed. Even McGonagall turned to Remus with slightly widened eyes. She had never heard the boy speak to his friend that way. Sirius sat back down, Snape smiling somewhat, which angered James greatly.

"Boys, Minerva, please, have a seat," Albus said quietly, motioning to three chairs which seemed to have appeared from nowhere. Remus took his seat with James' help, the other boy following suit. "I assume we don't need to go over why we are here—"

"That monster," Snape fumed, pointing at Remus, "Tried to kill me—"

"The only monster is Sirius," James insisted, glaring at the boy he once called a brother. "You call Remus a monster one more time—"

"Shut up, James," Remus spat.

"Boys," Albus said, peering behind his half-moon spectacles. "Now is not the time. We are simply here to discuss the consequences—"

"That werewolf should be expelled!" Snape exclaimed. "They all should be—"

"ENOUGH!" Albus bellowed, silencing and shocking everyone into silence. "Absolutely no one is being expelled, monthly illness or not."

Remus was shocked. "But sir…I…"

"Did nothing wrong," Albus insisted, shooting Snape a glare to make sure he said nothing. "You are here to know what is to transpire, nothing more. There was nothing you could've done, Mr. Lupin." Albus turned to Minerva.

"Under the circumstances, a primary concern is that Mr. Lupin's condition remain that—a condition. Anyone, and I mean anyone, who lets the truth of his condition slip will in fact be expelled. As an educator, my primary purpose is to give an education to all who want it." He paused, glancing at the five boys.

"Mr. Potter," he began, turning to James. "Your actions last night were brave—dangerous, but brave. I can hardly give you credit for what you've done, but Mr. Snape does in fact owe you his life—as does Mr. Lupin. You are a good friend. Mr. Pettigrew," He said, turning to the plump boy. "As Mr. Black has insisted you had nothing to do with what transpired, you will neither be punished nor rewarded. Now, Mr. Black," Albus turned to the boy, who he had never seen so silent in his life. "By all accounts, you should feel very lucky to remain a student here at Hogwarts." Remus snorted. Dumbledore turned, then, to the young werewolf.

"Mr. Lupin, you have something to add?"

Remus narrowed his eyes, which were positively amber. "I have nothing to say to Mr. Black," he sneered.

"Moony," Sirius pleaded, "Please—"

"You think that will work on me?" Remus asked, bristling and shaking as he rose from his seat. "We're done. Completely. Thanks to you, I nearly lost everything. You want me in Azbakan, Sirius? You think that's where I belong? You're no better than those pure-blood twats you call parents, you attempted to murder a fellow student, who, by the way, I'll be shocked to see not tell the whole school about what I am, and then what?"

"And so the monster comes out…" Snape drawled, nearly about to laugh before he felt a hand on his throat. Sirius was furious.

"You say one thing about Remus and I'll drag you into the hole you belong, Snivellus—"

"ENOUGH!" Albus yelled again. "Enough. Mr. Black, you will be serving detention for the rest of the school year. My office, every night. 8PM sharp. You will be given one night of freedom per month—use it wisely," Albus said, knowing what the Marauders were up to every full moon. "Now, Mr. Snape. You are in no trouble and I am grateful you are here unscathed. But I would not be doing my job if I did not reprimand you for your behavior towards Mr. Lupin. I'm sure you have many secrets which you would not like the school to know. I am not asking you to be civil; I am demanding it. Are we clear?"

Snape, clearly annoyed, nodded, but not before flashing a warning glare to Remus. Albus nodded.

"Now, boys, you may go—except for Mr. Lupin."

Remus took his seat, and watched as his three friends rose. Sirius tried to touch his shoulder, but Remus shook him off. James, and Petr, glared at Sirius and marched out ahead of him. The floppy-haired boy sulked behind them, with Snape following close behind. When albus was certain they left, he turned to Remus, eyes narrow.

"You have every right to be angry with young Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin. But I must ask you to find it in your heart to forgive him."

"I'll do no such thing," Remus spat. "I'm lucky to be here in the first place—Mr. Black knows—sorry—knew this. And look at what he did. How can I forgive him?"

"Mr. Lupin," Minerva chimed in. "It is our understanding that Sirius—Mr. Black—was somehow aiming to protect you. Mr. Snape may have said some…unkind things to you. According to Mr. Black, and you must excuse me for saying these words, Mr. Snape said…" She drifted off and cleared her throat. "Mr. Snape said you were an abomination in the magical community, had no place in Hogwarts, and threatened to tell the whole school what you were so that his Slytherin classmates and Mr. Black's family could…" She trailed off an began to whisper. "'Kill you like the animal you are.'"

Remus froze. He had never heard anyone from his own generation say things so hateful. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say, except, rather meekly.

"Severus would never—"

"He did," Albus said plainly. "And had I been alerted earlier, Mr. Snape would have surely received some sort of punishment. As it stands…I'm sorry, Mr. Lupin. My hands are tied." Remus shook his head.

"I nearly…I nearly killed him. That's worse than anyone deserves. I just can't believe…I mean, we're classmates…"

"Not everyone is an open-minded as your friends, Mr. Lupin. As much as it pains me to say this…they are good boys," Minerva insisted. "While Mr. Black certainly was not thinking straight, anger makes people say and do things they don't mean. You would do well to remember that, Mr. Lupin, when you forgive him."

Suddenly, as if breaking out of a trance, Remus replayed his words in his mind.

"I…I told him he was like his…" Remus' eyes widened. "Merlin, I have to talk to him. I have to…" He trailed off, looking impatiently at his professors. "Can I?"

"I assume Mr. Black is waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs," Albus said kindly, his eyes now twinkling. "You may leave, Remus."

Without another word, Remus ran—well, as close to ran as he could—down the stairs and out of Dumbledore's office where, sure enough, Sirius was waiting at the bottom of the stairs—just like the headmaster had said. Sirius' eyes lit up.

"Remus, I—"

Remus flung his arms around his friend in as strong a hug as he could muster.

"Don't you ever, ever, scare me like that again, Pads. They told me everything Snivellus said—I would've done the same if it had been you he said those things about."

"You wouldn't have," Sirius mumbled. "You are smarter." Remus snorted, sniffling a bit.

"You're right. But you were just standing up for me…for your friend, if you'll still have me."

"Don't be thick," Sirius teased. "You're my best furry friend. And no one is ever going to say what that twat said about you ever again."