Previously on Amber Sheets:

Raising her eyebrows again and biting her tongue Tonks turned away from Sirius on the floor, "Wow."

"Yeah," Remus nodded. He banished their ruined potion and began pouring the scorpion tail excrement into the cauldron with the willow tree leaves. There was a bit of bubbling before the entire potion exploded , spraying them and anyone within ten feet with a rainbow of sticky goo. "They are both bat-crap crazy."

Tonks sighed and wiped the disgusting goo out of her eyes and chucked it at the floor, "Yeah.."

Chapter Three

A Deal of a Lifetime

"She... she's driving me insane! I can't sleep, I can't eat. My whole train of thought revolves around her! What am I going to do?"

Peter watched as his friend paced feverishly in their dorm room. Remus' hands were shaking as they ran through his hair, pulling roughly at the roots. "Well you could just be a man and tell her how you feel."

Remus threw his hands up in the air, and rounded on Peter. "Are you freaking insane! Then she would know how I feel! I can't have her knowing how I feel!"

James bit into a chocolate frogs head, before throwing the rest at a seal-hugging Sirius. "Yeah Wormy. I mean going up to her room pretending that an owl miss-delivered her mail is a much better idea."

Sirius bit the leg off the frog and threw it towards Peter, before looking at his seal. "Seth says your attempt at coitus with the new girl is deplorable and you should leave the coitusing to a person who can actually handle it."

Remus laughed darkly, "Oh please. The only thing you have ever been close to coitusing was Seth!"

Sirius' face turned outraged, and he covered Seth's ears. "How dare you! Seth is a virgin, and he plans to stay that way for a good while." Sirius leaned towards Seth, "what? What do you mean you are no longer a virgin Seth?" Sirius moved the seal next to his head, his expression growing darker. Placing Seth on his pillow, Sirius got up and stalked towards Peter's bed his arms crossed against his chest. "Wormtail, why is Seth telling me your snow leopard Oktober and he fornicated?"

Peter looked at Sirius like he was insane, "I haven't a bloody clue seeing as they are stuffed animals and are unable to talk or fornicate."

Remus and James gasped, hands covering their mouths. There was one thing you never did. You never ever called Sirius' stuffed seal a stuffed animal... it lead to very unpleasant consequences. Sirius pointed at Peter accusingly, " OBJECTION! Prongs did you hear him! Wormtail called Seth the S-word!"

James stood beside Sirius and shook his head towards Peter, "why? Why would you use the S-word in front of Sirius? You know how much it upsets him!"

"Moony this is insane, surely you agree with me?" Peter asked looking at Remus hopefully.

"I swear I could throw a freaking rock and come up with three better friends," Remus muttered to himself. "Ok. Wormtail you will apologize to Padfoot for using the S-word. I realize that you do not exactly accept the fact that Pads talks to Seth, but you should at least respect his decision to do so." Remus held up his hand when Peter opened his mouth to interrupt. "Pads, you will apologize to Wormy. It is not his fault that Seth and Oktober had coitus oK? Seth and Oktober are old enough to make that decision for themselves, and you scolding Seth for it will only push him away." Sirius and Peter looked down ashamed.

Peter and Sirius looked up at each other ashamed, "I am sorry." Peter gave Sirius a small smile and Sirius grinned opening his arms for a hug. Peter laughed, standing up to pull Sirius into a hug.

Remus nodded, "very good. Now can we get back to my problem please?"

"Why not invite her to our yearly picnic?" James suggested, laying back on his bed. His socked feet slide absentmindedly against the headboard, as he stared longingly at the picture of Lily Evans he kept on his bedside table.

Remus tilted his head in consideration for a moment, "you know Prongs, that may not be too bad of an idea. You guys would have to bring girls too though, it would be awkward if she would be the only girl."

Sirius ran a hand through his long black hair thoughtfully, "I could ask Marlene McKinnon out. I have had my eye on her for a while."

James nodded, "yes you do that! Wormy," Peter jumped when James called his name, afraid of what his friend could suddenly be so hyper about. "You can ask Dorcas Meadowes! You see that way, Lily will have to come with us to the picnic because her only two friends will be there!"

Peter nodded as James talked, "yeah that is all well and good Prongs, and while I would hate to burst the metaphorical bubble that is your happiness, I can't talk to women. How on earth do you expect me to talk to Dorcas if all I can do is stutter and sweat at her?"

James' metaphorical bubble burst, and along with it went his moment of happiness. "Aw pickles, I was sure that would have worked."

Remus folded his arms across his chest and leaned against Peter's bed post, "it would have worked. If Wormtail wasn't afraid of girls."

Sirius snapped his fingers, "if I can get Marlene to go out with me, I can get her to drag Dorcas with her!" The three other boys looked at each other and considered their options, and after a lot of consideration they came to the conclusion that there was no other options.

Remus sighed, suddenly feeling less confident in their plan. "Worth a try I guess. When will you try Padfoot?"

A grin on his face, and his fist clutched determinedly he answered. "I strike tomorrow at breakfast!"

o0o

Sirius struck out with Marlene. It had to be one of the most painful rejections Remus had ever seen, literally. Boils covered every inch of Sirius' body, and he was afraid to sit down in fear of rupturing any of them. "Are you sure you don't want to go to Madam Pomphrey Sirius." Remus winced towards him, watching as his friend moved painfully from one foot to the other.

"No I'm fine," Sirius muttered through gritted teeth. "I just don't see where I went wrong!"

Remus looked up at his friend through his eyelashes and pointed his milk covered spoon at him, "really? You really haven't a clue as to what you did wrong?"

"No."

Remus waved at James, turning his attention back to his porridge. "Prongs recap!"

James tapped his wand against the wood of a table and a transparent screen appeared in front of them. A foot by a foot in diameter. "Exhibit One," James presented, pointing towards the screen.

Sirius stared at the screen confused, "that is just me getting out of bed."

James scrunched up his eyes, and nodded, his face wrinkled in slight disgust. "I am aware, that's the point. You jumped out of bed, barely combed your hair, put on no cologne or deodorant, and you expected her to say yes?"

"Of course, this is me we are talking about."

James tapped the table again, the scene changed to Sirius walking behind Marlene commenting on her 'banging ass'. "As much as you believe it is a compliment, commenting on a girls ass, or her chest is not the way to get a date. It makes it seem that all you are after is her body, makes her feel like a piece of ass instead of someone you are generally interested in getting to know and forming a relationship with." Remus explained, not even bothering to look up from his food.

"Maybe all I want is to get in her pants, maybe I don't want a relationship." Sirius counted, wincing as one of his boils ruptured in a particularly painful spot.

"Be that as it may, you need to at least pretend you want to date her."

James tapped the table and the final scene popped up on the screen, "and last but definitely not least. You do not under any circumstances ask a girl out when your head is sticking out of her bowl of porridge."

"Oh come on! That was cute... wasn't it?" James and Remus both shook their heads, and with a final tap the screen disappeared.

"Aww Prongs, it was getting to the best part!" Peter complained as he walked up to the group, throwing his bag under the table and plopping down beside Remus, "Pads was about to get the boils all over his body!"

"Once was enough!" Sirius snapped at him, whimpering as a boil on his nose throbbed threateningly. "And of you guys are so much better at asking out girls why don't you go and do it?"

James stood up and grabbed Peter's arm, pulling him up. "I will, right after Wormtail does."

"I thought Sirius was going to ask her for me!" Peter protested, "I can't talk to girls!"

Remus pulled a small vial out of his pocket and handed it to Peter. The vial was small and held a bright purple coloured liquid in it. "Wormy this is Felix Felicis, drink this and this will give you luck."

James and Sirius looked at Remus questioningly, knowing full well that there was no way Remus could have gotten his hands on something that powerful, and rare. Remus bit his lip and shook his head slightly at them, warning them not to say a word about it. Peter glanced at the bottle, "this will give me the confidence to talk to Dorcas?"

Remus nodded, "but only drink a little of it," he warned.

Peter studied the bottle for a long time, his friends holding their breaths beside him. Shrugging and deciding that Remus would never give his friends anything that could potentially harm them, Peter popped the cork and took a swig from the small vial.

Remus gently took the vial from his small friends hand and recorked it, slipping it back into his front robe pocket. James and Sirius leaned forward slightly to examine Peter. "So Wormtail, you feel any different?"

Peter shook his head, "no not really. Are you sure it works?"

Remus smiled reassuringly, "Wormtail yes I am sure. Would I have given it to you if I wasn't?"

"No," Peter looked around the table and spotted Dorcas and her friends sitting at the other end of the Gryffindor table. "Shall I go try?"

Sirius, James and Remus nodded reassuringly. Feeling a bit more confident with his friends approval, Peter stood and took a deep breath. "Wish me luck!" The three boys flashed him a thumbs up, and watched their friend walk away from them and to his doom.

"Moony that wasn't the Felix Felicis," James stated. "For one it is supposed to be a molten gold colour."

"Prongs I am perfectly aware of the color the potion is supposed to be, but I was running out of ideas and it isn't like Worm is in Advanced Potions with us." Remus folded his hands and placed his chin atop of them, watching Peter as he stopped nervously in front of Dorcas.

Peter pulled at his hair nervously and he was stuttering, but Dorcas did not look as if she was going to attack him anytime soon, so Remus took that as a good sign. "They don't seem to be on the attack."

James and Sirius nodded, "yeah they look relaxed even. Maybe Peter will succeed."

Suddenly Peter was slapped, and he ran back to his friends. Remus opened his arms and Peter whimpered at him. "Peter what happened!" Remus exclaimed, moving his friends hand gently away from the slap mark on his face, so he could examine it better. "Not too bad, here put this on it. It'll help with the swelling." Remus conjured up a cold rag and handed it to his friend.

Peter accepted the glass of water James handed him, and then he began to explain what happened. "Well, it had started off well. I mean I was nervous and stuttered a bit, but then I asked her and she said yes!"

"Well obviously that yes turned into a no pretty fast," Sirius commented, "unless slaps are now the new was of accepting dates."

"Yeah well then I had asked Marlene and Lily if they would like to come with us to our picnic, and well... I got hit... they really hate you guys."

"Oh Peter I am sorry," Remus said, rubbing his hand over his friends back. "There will be other dates... James where are you going?"

"I refuse to be rejected if I haven't even asked her out yet!" James stalked over to the girls, his friends following him with their gaze, wide eyed. "Listen you! You can put boils on my friend, and you can slap the other innocent little one that had done nothing to any of you, but you cannot turn me down when I haven't even asked you out yet!"

Lily stood up and glared at James, "is this you asking me out now?"

"Yes, Lily Evans will you accompany me to the Marauder's Seventh Annual Picnic?"

"You know James for Head Boy you really aren't that bright. I wouldn't go with you if it was a choice between kissing you or a dementor."

James pondered his options for a moment, before deciding there was one last plan of action he had yet to try. Getting on his knees and clasping his hands together, he began to beg, "please, please, please, please, please go with me?"

Not even bothering to listen, her still being upset over her being forced to curse out the entire potions class due to one of the Marauder's stupid pranks, Lily pointed her wand at James and muttered a spell. James' head became smaller and smaller until it could barely be seen on his shoulders, "Maybe now that your head has been deflated, you can get some sense into that pea brain of yours. I will not go out with you, I will never go out with you, so stop asking me and leave me alone!"

Defeated, James and his little head made their way slowly back to his friends. In a voice that sounds as if he had sucked in helium he said, "I think now is a good time to visit Madam Pomphrey... my head wasn't the only thing she shrunk."

Sirius nodded in agreement, "yeah."

With the two most injured leading the way, the Marauder's left the Great Hall, Remus feeling that if James, Sirius and Peter all struck out, there was no way that he could ever get a date with Tonks.

o0o

"Ugh," Remus muttered to himself as he crossed out a few lines and changed them. "It's still not perfect yet." Throwing down his quill, Remus leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hands over his weary face. It was almost midnight and he was still in the library, when he should now be snuggling into his warm bed and falling asleep.

A bat-like movement to his right caught Remus' attention and he glanced up to see Severus Snape sitting casually on the chair adjacent to him. "Oh not you," Remus complained. He lifted himself further back into his chair and propped his elbows onto the library table. "What on earth could you possibly want from my life?"

Snape raised his eyebrows, "Can't I sit here with one of my classmates, without having an ulterior motive?"

"If it was any other person I would say of course," Remus said dryly. "But this is you we are talking about, and you hate me."

Snape cocked his head to the side, "I don't hate you per say. I just don't like being almost killed by you."

Remus folded his arms across his chest and glared at Snape, "What do you want Snape?"

Sighing Snape pulled a article from the Daily Prophet from his bag and slipped it in front of Remus. "Have you seen this yet?"

"Isn't that the article about the wolfsbane potion they had in the Prophet a few days ago?" A moments longer glance confirmed his suspicions. Shaking his head, Remus handed the paper back to Snape, "Ok what is your point?"

"I thought you would be fully interested in this development, seeing your condition." Snape shoved the piece of paper back into his book bag, and threw his bag onto the floor beside him. He studied Remus through critical eyes, "you don't even seem to care."

Remus closed his eyes for a moment, suddenly feeling a migraine coming on. "It isn't that I don't care, but do you realize how much one supply of it costs? The price they are asking, it is impossible for any werewolf to get that amount of money. They are just tormenting us with it."

Snape crossed his legs and folded his arms, "so your family already checked into it?"

Remus nodded, "yeah. I was one of the wolves they tested it on, works wonderfully the stuff. I was able to curl up in my bedroom over the summer and just sleep the entire time. Like I said though, no matter how amazing the stuff is, we can't afford it. Did you come to rub it in my face?"

Snape shook his head, "no actually. I want to make you an offer."

Remus watched Snape suspiciously, "what type of offer are you talking about Snape."

Snape chuckled softly, "such confidence you have in me." Remus glared hardly at Snape, his hand inching towards his wand on the table. Snape held up his hands, "I will make you the potion."

Remus' hand paused above his wand, his mouth opened, and his eyes bulging. "I-I am sorry what?"

Snape smiled, knowing he now got Remus' attention. "I will make you the wolfsbane potion."

"A-are you serious!" Remus' eyes narrowed, "ok seriously what is the catch?"

Snape smiled wickedly at Remus, "simple. You have to help me win over Lily."

"Evans!" Remus stood and slammed his hands on the table. "Are you freaking insane? James has been after her since, god, first year! How can you ask me to betray my friend like that? Besides don't you think it'll be quite impossible for you to win her over, she absolutely loathes you now!"

Snape, "a small technicality I am sure you can fix. That is of course if you want the potion?"

Remus held his breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm his racing heart. "I-I need to think about this."

Snape grabbed his bag and stood up from his chair, "think about it hard Lupin. I expect an answer by midnight tomorrow, or I will assume the deal is off."

Remus plopped back into his chair, his hands running through his hair. He pulled at the roots trying to get his thoughts straight. "What am I going to do? On one hand with them there during my transformations, it isn't so bad. On the other, this is our last year. There is no guarantee that we will be able to continue this after we graduate, that potion may be all I have. On one foot James is my best friend, I can't just betray him like that because it would make my transformations more comfortable for me. But on the other foot, it isn't as if he has had any luck with Lily, it's been almost seven years."

Remus stood and quietly gathered his things. Throwing the bag over his shoulder, Remus made his way back towards Gryffindor Tower, the piece of parchment with his poem falling to the floor forgotten. Confusion and Pain fighting in his mind.

Tonks held her breath as Remus passed her hiding place a book shelve away from where he and Snape had their fated conversation. Tonks watched Remus' back descend from the library, and when the click of the library door could be heard, Tonks left her hiding place. Careful not to be caught by anyone, Tonks tripped over a chair, and shushed it as the sound echoed through the library. "Are you trying to get me kicked out?"

Tonks paused, making sure she disturbed no one and continued to the table. Sitting in the chair that had been occupied my Remus not five minutes prior. Tonks tapped the table and gently the voices of Snape and Remus filled her ears. Her eyes widened in realization, when the news of Remus being a werewolf came to her eyes, but quickly her shock turned into hated anger at what Snape was having Remus do. "How dare he?" Tonks muttered angrily to herself, tapping the table below her more roughly then needed.

The wand fell from her hand and clattered deafeningly to the floor. "Crap," leaning down Tonks blindly began to reach for her wand. Her hand had found her wand and she grinned, her face turned confused at the feel of rough parchment under her fingertips. Bringing up the parchment with her wand, Tonks distractedly placed her wand on the table. Her eyes glued to the parchment in her hand.

Remus' smooth handwriting met her eyes, and she felt compelled to read what he had wrote. Her eyes softened, and a small blush met her features. "Remus."

I admire you from a distance,

the grace you possess is gorgeous.

Even from far away,

my heart stops when I see your face.

No one has ever encountered,

the beauty that is you.

My eyes burn with desire,

when they catch sight of your appearance.

Every single night I dream of you,

I can feel you in my arms.

The day that this will happen,

my fairytale comes true.

I adore everything about you.

your scent, your facial expressions, every movement you make,

They are all imprinted in my mind.

As your name is engraved on my heart.

I am too shy to tell you.

But I want you to know,

how madly in love I am with you.

Please make my dreams come true,

Nymphadora.

To Be Continued...

Next Time on Amber Sheets:

"How could you!" Tonks screamed at Severus Snape, her wand pointing at his throat. "How could you play with Remus' feelings, his loyalty to James!" Tears fell from her eyes, and she panted, her breath coming out in small clouds from the cold in dungeon corridor. "Lily and James die in a few years. How can you just rip the Marauder's apart like that, when they haven't a lot of time left together!" Tonks slammed her hand over her mouth, her eyes widening in realization in what she just revealed to him.

Snape glared into her eyes, sparks of confusion shining in his black ones. "What did you just say?"

Fun Fact:

Did you know that: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus (the motto under the Hogwarts crest) means: Never tickle a sleeping dragon.