A/N: This story was, for awhile, discontinued due to lack of reader interest. It finally sparked some reader interest, and so it is being continued again. Thanks to the one who reviewed and wanted this story continued. I apologize, I can't remember your pen name and its too late for me to go online and check.The chapter title of this story was inspired by Fall Out Boy's song "Dance, Dance" but the actual chapter isn't.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, not me. And also Warner Bros... this story belongs to me, and so does some of my original characters such as Ali, Megan, and probably more in the future.

A Marauder's Tale

EilayAdnayVolieay

Chapter Six: Dance, Dance: Part 1

Remus followed Madam Pomfrey quickly, making his way to the Shrieking Shack beyond the Whomping Willow.

"Quickly, now Mr Lupin, the full moon is almost out," she replied. Remus nodded, prodded the ring by the Whomping Willow, and entered the Shrieking Shack. Tonight would be a rough night... his friends couldn't be with him, they had too much work to do. He looked out one of the windows at the Hogsmeade Village, and then briefly looked at the sky. The clouds moved... the moon came out, and Remus had no thoughts... none whatsoever. He screamed in pain, the pain he never got used to, the pain of transforming into a werewolf. Falling to the floor, he writhed around on the floor, still screaming. As fur began to cover his skin, he stood up. His nose grew longer, into a snout, and his eyes turned a piercing yellow. And then... he was gone. Remus Lupin was, at this moment, no longer... it was as if he had never been Remus Lupin.

The werewolf looked around, hunger possessing him. He had to eat... he needed the taste of human— NO! I... I don't need to eat humans, I...— flesh. He looked around, but saw only a chair. He growled, and jumped at it, picking it up and throwing it at a nearby window. He ran around back and forth, and he wanted to escape, but for whatever reason couldn't. A tree, quite large actually, was in the way. Of course, this tree was the Whomping Willow, but the werewolf Remus had turned into didn't know that. He was, actually, quite unaware of it. He began to howl... it was going to be a long night.

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Remus asked. Professor Dumbledore looked down at his hands.

"I admit, it was... a fools... mistake. Blinded by my wish to protect you all from the truth, I decided to wait, and wait, until you were old enough. I never thought you were... really, you were all old enough ages ago. I was afraid to tell you. I know now that this could be one of my greatest mistakes, but it is done." Dumbledore stood up to gaze out of his window, and Megan saw James walk up to him.

"Professor... we can't... there's no way we could possibly do this!" James replied. Dumbledore turned his gaze onto James, and then slowly on turn to Megan, Lily, Sirius, Ali, Remus and Peter.

"Yes, you can. If I believed, even for one second, that the seven of you were incapable of this, I would not have told you. I have faith in all of you... I know you will succeed."

"No... we can't... mmm... we can't..." Megan moaned in her sleep and went to turn over, but resulted in falling off of the bed. Luckily, she had woken up no one but herself. She stretched as she yawned, and decided when her stomach grumbled to sneak down to the kitchens. She slipped on her shoes and got up, walking down the stairs. She saw Sirius entering the common room through the portrait. He opened his mouth to make up an excuse for why he was out, but she raised her hand as she yawned.

"Save it, Black. I could care less what you were doing out at this time of night," she replied. He didn't stay to talk and immediately headed to the boys dormitory.

"Thanks," Megan replied as the house elves in the kitchen supplied her with some muffins. She shoved one into her mouth, and walked past the hospital wing. She noticed that Remus wasn't in there, and grew curious. Where would he be at this time of night...? She wondered. He had lately taken to being in the hospital wing often, so it was strange to see him gone. Deciding she would head outside to get some fresh air, Megan snuck out of the castle, and gasped. She saw Madame Pomfrey and hid behind a tree.

"Poor boy," Madame Pomfrey muttered sadly. She walked back into the castle without ever noticing Megan, who was now very curious. Could she be talking about Remus? Megan wondered. She waited until she was sure the nurse wasn't going to come back out, and snuck over by the Whomping Willow. It was moving again, but she could have swore that Madame Pomfrey had come out by the tree, and it hadn't been moving. Megan tripped carelessly and slid in some mud. Her foot smashed up against the tree, and for whatever reason, it stopped moving entirely. Cautiously, she entered the entrance from behind the tree, walking quietly. She found that she was in the Shrieking Shack, and what she saw was most definitely NOT a student. It was a werewolf, fully transformed. She ran out of the Shrieking Shack as fast as she could before it noticed her there. Who could that... oh no! Remus!

It was at that moment that Megan began having flashbacks from when she and her friends had first noticed Remus' disappearances...

"I... I have to go to my mothers. She's sick," Remus had replied.

"Er... well my mum, see... she has this rare disease, I can't, er, pronounce it, but its quite bad, and I just... want to spend time with her." Remus replied. Megan looked at him skeptically.

Then, there was the time when Megan had first caught him lying... "Remus! I thought you were going to see your mother?" Megan asked. Remus looked up, startled, guilty.

"Oh, well... she's doing better and I wasn't feeling well, so I... came here instead, to get better." Remus had lied. Megan at that moment had known something wasn't quite right, but it wasn't her place to comment. After that, Remus never had to visit his mother again. Megan had assumed the worst, that his mother was dead.

"Oh, Remus..."

The werewolf sniffed the air... he smelled flesh. Human flesh. He went to run towards this human, but the part of him inside that was still even somewhat human stopped him, allowing Megan to escape unharmed.

"So you think she recognized you?" James asked in a low voice. Remus was back from the full moon, but as he usually did, he was forced to remain in the Hospital Wing for awhile to recuperate. Remus nodded.

"Sure of it. I don't know why... I just have this feeling that she does. Shh!" Remus replied. Ali walked in and was carrying several books. Remus looked at them and then glanced up at her questioningly. She cleared her throat a bit, and without looking at him, she replied, "Homework... for History of Magic. Lily was going to bring it, but... something came up," Ali lied. In honesty, Lily had told Ali to take the History of Magic homework to Remus and perhaps talk to him alone. Ali had only agreed because she knew that the other Marauder's would be at their friends side, as they always were. Remus smiled.

"Oh, thanks Ali." he replied. Ali nodded, and looked as if she was about to say something, but stopped herself.

"Er, right, well... feel... better." Ali replied. She walked out of the Hospital Wing as fast as she could and immediately felt like slapping herself. She had acted like such an idiot and it was only too obvious that nothing had really come up with Lily. Remus didn't seem to notice, though, and looked over his History of Magic homework.

"Hmm... still working on prophecies..." Remus muttered. James rolled his eyes.

"Come on mate, seriously, for one second can you not focus on homework? Did you just see that?" James asked. Remus shrugged.

"Saw what, James?" Remus asked tiredly. Sirius fell out of his chair, shocked.

"You mean to tell me that you didn't notice that? Blimey Pete could have noticed that, and you couldn't? That's just sad, mate," Sirius shook his head sadly and got up. Peter looked at Sirius confused.

"Notice what?" Peter asked. Sirius nodded at the homework. "Oh, Ali?" Peter asked. Sirius nodded and turned to Remus.

"For heaven's sake, mate, PETE noticed and you didn't! We need to get you more of a social life, get you away from those dreadful... books," Sirius whispered the last word as though saying it out loud would curse him. Remus rolled his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about. If the three of you are just going to stand there and tell me how naive or blind I am, then you might as well leave so I can get this essay for Professor Binns done." Remus picked up a piece of parchment and Sirius grabbed it away from him.

"You're truly stupid, mate." James shook his head. Remus glared at him.

"This coming from the one who spied on me and kissed a girl who hates his guts. Right, James, I'm stupid. That's why I have to help you blundering idiots with your History of Magic homework, with your Divination, with you potions. Because I'm stupid." Remus snatched back the parchment and began writing the essay. James just stood there.

"Are you still mad at me for that? Come on, I was worried about you. How often before the full moon have you gotten up in the middle of the night? You don't even like coming with us to pull pranks at night because your afraid of losing Gryffindor points!" James accused. Remus didn't say anything to James and instead chose to ignore him.

"What about Ali should I have noticed anyways, Sirius?" Remus asked. Sirius shoved James out of the way and sat down.

"How she was acting. You seem to be the only one who didn't pay attention to that." Sirius added. Remus looked confused and thought for a moment. He scribbled on the parchment a bit before actually responding.

"So what? She always acts like that." Remus replied. Sirius grabbed the quill from Remus' hand.

"No wonder you couldn't notice how she was acting, Moony, if she always acts like that around you. Take it from someone who's talked to her when you weren't around, she does NOT act like that." Remus tried to grab the quill back but Sirius held it high into the air so he couldn't. Sighing, Remus asked,

"What should I be noticing, then?" Sirius grinned triumphantly.

"That she li— " At that moment Megan walked in and shoved Sirius away.

"Remus... I... need to talk to you. About where you were last night." Remus looked away but Megan moved over to the side of the bed.

"It was you, wasn't it?" she asked softly. Remus nodded. James smiled.

"See Remus? Not everyone will be afraid of you because of your furry little problem," James replied. Remus smiled faintly.

"Some do, James. You guys are the weird ones who actually accept me..." Remus reminded them quietly. Megan reached over to hug Remus. Sirius pointedly looked away.

"I'm really sorry, Remus. I didn't tell anyone, and I won't. Not even Lily or Ali," Megan promised. Remus shrugged.

"Well, Lily already knows. She figured it out first year, and confronted me." Remus admitted. James and Sirius looked shocked.

"You never told us that she knew!" James exclaimed. Remus winced.

"Because I knew you would make a big deal out if it. Anyways, I'm going to work on this History of Magic essay..." Remus told them. Taking the hint, they all started to leave. Sirius turned around.

"Next time Remmy pay attention... when people are around... you may notice a few things,"

A/N: Well there is the latest chapter of A Marauder's Tale. What did those few reading it think? Let me know in your review! Its only because of the readers that I keep writing this story... I already know what happens, so I don't need to write it for myself.