1978

In August, before their seventh and final year at Hogwarts, three of the four Marauders went swimming. The lake felt cool and refreshing—a change from the tumultuous world around them. A war was starting, and all three boys felt it.

Of course, it hardly looked like there was a war going on when there were three teenage boys swimming around in their boxers. They were in the shallow part of the lake, feet able to touch the ground, but that didn't stop Sirius Black from showing off his swimming abilities. He would splash about, much to the annoyance of his friends, and dive under the water to pick up bits of kelp to 'feed' to Remus.

"I'm not an otter," the werewolf huffed.

James, meanwhile, was floating on his back, admiring the stars. He was feeling quite at ease until Sirius Black opened his loud mouth.

"So, what are we all doing after graduation?" Sirius asked suddenly.

James glared at him, eyeing Remus. It was supposedly known that the boy wouldn't be able to get a job in the wizarding world after graduation. After Remus' little outburst at the end of sixth year, it had become a bit of a taboo subject. The young werewolf had been particularly moody and insisted that he would never get a job, lose all his friends, and die alone in a hole. His friends had not reacted particularly well to that and it resulted in a bit of a screaming match.

Sirius narrowed his eyes right back at James, then glanced at a grinning Remus, giving him a nod.

"Oi, what's going on?" James asked, utterly confused. Remus cleared his throat.

"I got a job. A real job—I mean, I won't be paid, but—"

"He's gonna be in the Order!" Sirius whisper shouted. "Dumbledore's got him on some secret mission—"

"What mission?" James asked, eyes bulging out of his head. "Moony, this is incredible!" James exclaimed. "Think you can get us in the Order, huh? Now that you're a big shot?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "You two could probably manage getting in just fine without me," he assured the two boys. "It's not really official order business—"

"Bullocks!" Said Sirius. "That not what you told me earlier," he said with a wink, causing James to groan.

"And I suppose I was just supposed to be kept in the dark?" the bespectacled boy asked. Remus laughed.

"Well, you've been so touchy about my plans after graduation, I thought it would be fun to surprise you a bit," Remus explained.

"I've been touchy?!" James yelped. Remus chuckled.

"Alright, I was touchy first," he admitted. "I'm just so bloody excited—"

"What will you be doing?" James asked eagerly. Remus began shifting his gaze around the lake, as if someone was watching him. His excitement fell a bit, and Sirius picked up on this instantly.

"Remus," he began, "If you don't want to tell us—"

"I do," Remus said quietly. "Dumbledore told me to tell my closest friends, in case…" he gulped.

"That won't happen," James assured his friend. "Your secrets, all of them, are always safe with us," he smiled. Remus, in turn, smiled faintly.

"Alright," he began. "Just…promise to stay excited for me, yeah?" He asked. The other boys rolled their eyes.

"Of course, you git," Sirius retorted. Remus cleared his throat.

"I'm…going undercover—"

"Undercover sounds fun!" James exclaimed. Remus smiled softly.

"With werewolves," he finished. James and Sirius' jaws dropped.

"You can't be serious," the floppy-haired boy began. "You can't do that, it's too—"

"Dangerous?" Remus quipped. "Are you finally admitting that I'm dangerous?" He asked, a bit comically. Sirius groaned. That certainly wasn't what he meant.

"Not you, git—them. We've told you again and again, you don't fit in there," he explained. James nodded.

"You're not one of—"

"I am," Remus insisted. "Yes, I'm more educated, a bit kinder, but at the end of the day I am one of them, and You-Know-Who is recruiting. If I can get even just a few fellow werewolves—"

"Don't call them that!" James hissed. "We're your fellows, not them," he spat. "Can't Dumbledore get you some other—"

"Dumbledore has done more than enough," Remus said coolly. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime—a chance to be useful in a way few can be. I'm one of a kind, essentially: straddling both worlds. I can convince them that there's another way," he explained. "Can't you lot be excited?"

Sirius looked at Remus sadly. "I'm excited, Moons, really…but when will we get to see you?" He asked. "I mean, you'll be gone…we won't be able to help you…"

"That should be the least of your concerns," Remus insisted. "There's a reason that werewolves have packs," he said bitterly. "And while I far prefer you lot—"

"You'd better," James quipped.

"—it's better than being alone," Remus whispered. Sirius grabbed Remus.

"You aren't alone," he insisted. "You'll never be alone—I won't let that happen."

"We won't," James corrected, splashing Sirius. "Besides, it's been decided: Sirius and I will be joining you in the Order, and we'll drag Petey along with us. Nothing will change," he insisted. "Except we'll all have loads more time to goof off without schoolwork."

Remus rolled his eyes. "James, I doubt that we'll be—HEY!" Remus yelped as Sirius splashed him.

"You were getting boring," Sirius mock complained. "Excitement from your new job has worn off and now you're back to being particularly Moony-like," he insisted. Remus rolled his eyes.

"I thought you liked when I was Moony-like—"

James splashed the two of them. "Now I remember why we have Peter—helps balance out your incessant quarrel—HEY!"

Remus splashed James right back, laughing. Sirius joined in and soon enough the three boys were in all-out warfare with each other. It was happy memories like this that Remus would miss most of all. James and Sirius—and Peter—did join the Order with him. But their time together was limited. Remus would spend months at a time living and breathing werewolf, while his friends generally got to do more of the 'typical' Order work. Remus became close with, of all people, Mad-Eye, and could barely tell his friends any bit of what he did—especially Sirius. The agitated young man would fume if Remus had a single non-self-inflicted scratch on his body. For their sanity, as well as his own, Remus kept his work a secret.

Of course, there were things they all got to do together in the Order. Remus was at as many meetings as he could reasonably make, and the four boys would try to get together at least one a month for non-Order-related shenanigans. Of course, this couldn't last long—James and Lily eventually had to go into hiding, Pete was generally MIA, and Remus could hardly bear to get out of bed some mornings. The happy, care-free days of their youth gone, the four Marauders were finally growing up

Hard one to write...