Disclaimer: All the characters that you recognize belong to J. K. Rowling.
Author's Note: Thanks to MissMrprk, Rylie D, AnIrishLily, Bogloshi, JPx3LE, laurahonest, serindraxx, Rosey, fancythefantasy, Lillith Potter, World Of Broken Dreams, zuska1985, Heather Gernenz, sugur-huny-bun, krazisoapluvnreject, Trocle, Untamed Loner, siriusbrillantbrunette, Katie Pie, Ravenclaw Steph, Annabelle, Miss Myrtle360, siriusbrillantbrunette, Sarah12345, siriusforeva, RubyBinds, sig, Katie, riduculouslyriddikulus, emerald sea, and Red Hair Green Eyes for reviewing! You are seriously the coolest people in the world and I love you all!
Katie Pie: Hi there, thanks so much for reviewing, you've been such a faithful reviewer and I truly appreciate it! As for your questions, James's parents wanted him to be an Auror, but he wasn't quite sure he wanted to be one. For a while, that was his goal, but only because that was his father's goal for him. As for your second question, sadly, the story is coming to an end. I've got a few more events planned, which means a few more chapters, but my guess is that there will be anywhere from 4-10 chapters left, but that's just a guess and subject to change. I want it to end with seventh year, so once they graduate from Hogwarts, Loving You will be finished… sad, I know.
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"How're you holding up?" Peter asked James. The funeral had been a couple of days ago, but James was given the weekend to move at his own pace. Today, however, was his first day of returning to class. Before the funeral, his professors gave him time off, knowing how upset he must be. After the funeral, he had two days to recover over the weekend. But today was Monday morning, and James was required to attend class.
"Okay," he replied, bringing a spoonful of cereal to his mouth.
James, Peter, and Sirius were all seated in the Great Hall, trying to make the best of a Monday morning. It was more difficult that usual, however, due to the fact that Remus couldn't join them for breakfast. It was that time of the month again, werewolf time. The full moon was later on that night, so Remus was forced to spend most of the day in the Hospital Wing getting prepared for his troublesome night.
The bright side of things however, was the fact that the Marauders could have a quality time together that evening. It was always a great joy of theirs to run wild in the night, especially in their animal forms. James was truly looking forward to the midnight adventure. It was the perfect remedy for clearing his mind of the previous week's events. He needed it.
"Thinking about tonight?" Sirius questioned. He had a large grin on his face, the one he always got whenever the Marauders were about to embark into a dangerous adventure.
"You know me so well," James replied.
"And it really couldn't come soon enough," Peter added.
"You're telling me," James commented. "You have no idea how badly I need to get out of the castle."
"Why do you need to get out of the castle?" came a voice from behind James.
James scrunched his nose up toward his eyes and his forehead wrinkled automatically. This morning was not working out too well for him. First, he had to actually go to class. Second, his first class of the morning was with the Slytherins. Third, Lily just caught him talking about escaping from the castle. What made the matters even worse was the fact that she still didn't quite trust him because of his mistake of running away.
"For air," he cautiously replied.
"James Potter, don't you dare lie to me," she said in a stern voice. She took a seat next to her boyfriend and looked up at him with expecting eyes.
"Just to hang out with Moony tonight," he informed her.
Her already narrow eyes crumpled closer together, just barely showing her emerald eyes. She studied him for a bit, as if she were trying to discover if he was being sincere. Once seeing that he was indeed telling the truth, she relaxed her stance a bit. However, she did say, "James, are you really sure you should be doing this?"
"What do you mean?" he defensively asked.
"Well, you've been through a lot this week," she began. "Maybe it's not a good idea for you to wandering around in the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade."
"Lils, I've been doing this for two years, I think I can handle it," he stated.
"But James, you've never done it when there were all these emotions bottled up inside you," she replied.
"Emotions? Bottled up inside me? Lily, what do you take me for, some pansy?" he asked, trying his best to sound manly. To be thought of as anything less than strong and manly always made James cringe. True, sometimes it was all an act and he was sensitive, especially around Lily, but he didn't want his friends to see that. It didn't matter that Sirius and peter were two of his closest friends; he didn't want either of them to see a weak side of him.
"James, stop it, you know that's not what I meant," she argued.
"Then what did you mean?"
"Well, James, to be completely honest, you've been through complete Hell these past couple of weeks. Any normal wizard wouldn't want to leave his room, let alone leave the castle to run around and break school rules," she replied.
"Well, Lily, over the seven years that you've known me, when have I ever been your typical wizard?"
"Not even a day," she sighed, knowing she wasn't going to win this battle with him. At times, James could be so stubborn about things.
"Right then," Sirius broke in. "Don't worry, Lily, we'll take good care of him, won't we Peter?"
Peter looked up from his breakfast and answered, "Of course we will. He'll come back without even a scratch."
"Well, he might have a couple scratches," Sirius went on. "The Whomping Willow can be a bit of a bitch at times, and some of those trees in the Forest are kind of prickly. But anyway, we'll take good care of him."
Lily looked across the table at Sirius, then at Peter. There were times when she truly didn't understand men; this was one of those times. Here they were, trying to defend their friend and make Lily feel better, but they only made her believe nothing good could come from their journey under the full moon.
"I'm going to go," Lily said, standing up from her seat and backing away from the three boys. She had a look of confusion written across her face, which was mixed in with some wonderment. She truly didn't understand men sometimes.
Once Lily was gone, Sirius leaned into the table, motioning for his friends to do the same. "Know what would be funny?"
"What?" Peter asked, enthusiasm running through his veins.
"If we started our fun a little bit early tonight," Sirius replied.
"How so?" James questioned, an intrigued look across his face.
"Well, I noticed that Snivellus is sitting all by himself this morning."
"That's nothing new," Peter commented, glancing over at the Slytherin table as he spoke.
"Yeah, but we could go pay him a little visit," Sirius grinned. "You know, just make sure he knows who the boss around Hogwarts is… We haven't had the pleasure of reminding him in quite a while."
"I like the way you think, Padfoot," James said, a devilish smile appearing at his lips.
With that said, the Marauders, minus Remus, all huddled closely together to discuss their breakfast plan. They needed something good, but not vicious enough to land them in detention for the night. They didn't want to have anything that could interfere with their plans with Remus.
Finally, after several minutes of discussion, they came to an equal census about what to do concerning Snape. Slowly, all three boys stood up from the Gryffindor table and wandered over to see their least favorite Slytherin.
As they neared the table, Sirius began to whistle and look up at the ceiling in a relaxing way. He walked at a light stroll, as if he were walking in a park rather than the Great Hall. His two friends were close behind him, both trying their best not to look too suspicious. However, anyone that neared Severus Snape could be considered suspicious considering that Snape didn't have any friends of his own. Even people in his own House didn't like him, called him an oddball and enjoyed watching the Marauders pick on him.
Snape was sitting on the far end of the Slytherin table, closest to the door. Their plan would work out perfectly. No professors would be able to witness their cruelty, and the door was just inches away. For James's relief, it was also in a position where Lily couldn't see his actions. He knew she didn't appreciate his constant teasing of his fellow students, and stopped pranking them for her sake. However, Snape was just so easy to pick on. One more than one occasion, James knew he was just asking for it.
"Hello there, Snivellus," Sirius greeted, sitting down next to the greasy haired Slytherin. Snape was startled to see the three Gryffindor students approach him and he felt his heart begin to race.
"What're you up to, Snivellus?" Peter questioned, trying his best to maintain his excitement.
"How come you're not answering my dear friend's question?" James pressured, draping his arm around Peter's should as he spoke of his 'dear friend.' He peered at Snape from across the table, his eyes revealing his hatred for the Slytherin wizard.
Snape looked at each of the three boys before sneering, "What do you want?"
"Want?" Sirius questioned, showing mock insult. "Why would you assume that we want something from you, Snivellus?"
"Personally, I'm insulted that you don't have more faith in us, Snivellus," James commented.
"As am I," Peter added, playing along with his two best friends.
"Just go away, Pothead," Snape sneered.
"Pothead, why that is certainly original," James replied, his voice conveying a fake cheery tone. "But honesty, Snivellus, I haven't done pot in a very long time. I for one, don't have the resources available on campus, nor do I want to do that in the castle… But then again, I'm not a Slytherin."
"What do you want?" Snape sneered again.
"What? Can't we just stop by and say hello to our dear friend?" Sirius questioned, a devilish smile spread across his face.
"What do you want?" Snape angrily questioned again.
"That tone really doesn't suit you," Peter teased.
"I agree," Sirius added, slapping Snape on his back as he stood up. Of course, little did Snape realize, but Sirius planted a prank right on his school uniform. It was a magical creation, one that the Marauders invented the previous summer. It started as a small, black dot, which can stick to nearly any surface. However, once it does stick to something, it begins to grow. Vines are released from the black dot and they grow at a rapid speed. Within twenty minutes, the vines would take over Snape's entire body, curling their way around his every limb.
Of course, the black dot that grows into a plant was only meant to be a joke. There was nothing harmful about it. It's sole purpose was just to wrap around the person's body, not tightly, but enough so that the wizard wouldn't be able to slip out of the contraption.
James and Peter immediately stood once they saw Sirius give them the sign, indicating that the black dot was in place. Of course, they knew they needed to do something right then and there, otherwise Snape would grow suspicious of them throughout breakfast.
"Oh, and Snivellus, you might want to get another plate of waffles," James advised.
"Why?"
James looked down at Snape's plate of food released a ball of spit, which landed perfectly on the waffles. "That's why," he cheekily answered.
Snape growled under his breath, but didn't say anything. This type of thing wasn't worth getting anyone else involved in the immature act. To be completely honest, Snape was amazed that they didn't try to pull a much larger trick on him. This seemed elementary, the type of prank they pulled on him when they were in first year. Snape let it go though and pushed his plate aside. He grabbed a new one and overloaded it with waffles before taking out his copy of the Daily Prophet and opening it to the first page.
Meanwhile, the Marauders made their way back to the Gryffindor table. They made sure to sit at the very end. They didn't want to miss a minute of Snape's vine experience.
"Well done, boys," Sirius said as he took his seat. "Now all we have to do it watch."
"I hope he doesn't notice it for a while," Peter commented.
"He might, but he won't be able to do anything about it," Sirius sneakily replied.
"Why?" James questioned, a suspicious smile forming at his lips.
Sirius reached into his robe pockets, revealing a wand nearly two inches shorter than the one Sirius usually carried around.
"How'd you get that?" James asked, pleased to see that Sirius was carrying Snape's wand.
"Nicked it," Sirius answered, a large grin appearing on his face.
"That's my boy," James joked.
"Now, all I have to do is hide it somewhere," he replied.
"How about the broom closet?" James suggested.
"Hmm, it could work, but it might be too easy to find."
"Gryffindor?" Peter asked.
"He'll know it was us."
"We throw it in the lake," James offered.
"I like it," Sirius said, smiling as he got up. He walked out the Great Hall and towards the castle doors, opening them up with his wand. Then, with his own wand, he charmed Snape's wand to fly across the acres of land and toward the lake outside, secretly hoping the Giant Squid might eat it.
Moments later, he reappeared and took his seat again. "Done."
"Excellent," James commented. He then looked towards Snape and added, "Any minute now, and we should see some growth."
"And he hasn't realized there's something growing from his back yet?" Sirius asked.
"Nope," Peter answered.
"Are we sure it's working?" Sirius questioned.
"Oh, it's definitely working. We saw a group of sixth year Slytherins walk by him and they all pointed and laughed, but didn't tell him anything about it. He's oblivious to the situation," Peter replied.
Just then, the three boys saw a green vine appear from behind Snape. It took all their might to keep their laughter in, but they managed somehow. What made the situation even more humorous, however, was that Snape was still unaware of the vines. He swatted at his arm a couple times, as if there might have been a bug there, but didn't look up from his newspaper.
Minutes later, they saw Snape's eyes widen; he saw the vines. They were moving over his arms now, making themselves visible to his range of sight. He wore a look of pure panic, but didn't say anything. He reached his hands toward his robe pocket, just barely managing to reach inside. However, he couldn't feel his wand. Shit. His wand wasn't there. His wand was missing when he needed it most.
Snape's eyes darted around the room, wondering if there was anyone around to help him. Then he saw them; Sirius, James, and Peter. They were all innocently looking at him, the slightest smiles on their faces. Once their eyes locked, Snape knew at once that they were responsible for the contraption that kept on growing. His certainly grew when he noticed Sirius wave a slight goodbye at him before the three boys ran from the Great Hall.
Snape was so furious at them, he didn't even realize the vines coming towards his center until he felt one jab at his stomach. He felt his heart begin to race and he started to scream.
---
"I can't believe you three," Lily scolded as she neared James, Sirius, and Peter. The three boys were sitting down in the large, comfortable chairs next to the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. They all had books spread out in front of them, which was very surprising for the Marauders. Usually, they didn't want their appearance as rebel prankers to be ruined by homework. However, tonight was an exception. They had precisely half an hour before they needed to sneak out of the castle to meet Remus in the Shrieking Shack.
"What?" James asked, looking up innocently at his girlfriend.
"You guys were awful to Snape this morning at breakfast," she informed the group, sliding onto the edge of James's chair. She sat on the chair's arm, place where she often found herself. She didn't feel comfortable sitting on James's lap in front of other people, instead opting for a more ideal location.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sirius sweetly replied.
"Yes you do," she argued. "The three of you used some sort of contraption to make vines grow on the poor kid."
"Really Lily, I don't know what you're talking about," Sirius insisted.
"He was screaming that it was you three," Lily stated, staring down all three boys.
"That dirty little bastard," Peter grumbled.
"But luckily for you, Professor Slughorn looked around the room and didn't see any of you. He insisted that it couldn't be any of you just because he couldn't see you," Lily added. She paused for a moment, and then asked, "So, did you have the cloak or something?"
"Nope, we just ran like hell before he could open his mouth to scream," James answered, a smug look across his face.
Lily rolled her eyes, sighed, and said, "You know, that's not very nice, the way you always pick on him. He hasn't done anything to any of you, but you insist on making his life a living nightmare."
"What do you mean he hasn't done anything to us? He's called you a, well, a nice very nice word at least a hundred times," James replied.
"Not to mention he's up to his eyeballs in the Dark Arts," Sirius added.
"Still, would it kill you guys to give him a break?"
The three Marauders looked at each other before simultaneously answering, "Yes."
Lily rolled her eyes again. She tried so hard at getting the Marauders to act decent toward Severus Snape, but it never seemed to work. True, she was successful at minimizing the pranks, but they would never stop harassing the greasy haired Slytherin.
"So, what are you up to tonight?" James asked Lily, looking up at her while he spoke.
"The usual; homework," she answered. "Exams are a little over a month away and my parents have already sent me letters telling me I should start preparing now."
"Are you kidding?" Sirius asked, laughing as he spoke.
"Dead serious," she replied. "My parents are neurotic about schoolwork sometimes. I mean, I'm studying something they wouldn't understand in a hundred years, and they still insist that I do perfectly on it."
"Well, better you than me," Sirius joked.
"Thanks for your support," Lily teased, jumping to her feet as she spoke. "Well, homework calls."
"Have fun with that," James said, smiling at her as she jokingly narrowed her eyes at him.
Lily then straightened up and in a low voice asked, "Are you still planning on going to see Remus tonight?"
"Yeah."
"Well, be careful," she said, "And don't do anything stupid."
"When have I ever?" he jokingly questioned.
"I'm not kidding, be careful out there," Lily replied. "I don't want to wake up to find you in the Hospital Wing."
"Lils, I've never had to go to the Hospital Wing from one of these adventures, just relax."
"Just be careful, okay?"
"I will," he replied before greeting her tender lips with a light kiss from his own. It was nothing too passionate, just a light, simple kiss. It was his way of telling her he loved her, and hers of telling him she cared for him. Yet, at the same time, neither of them were embarrassed to face his friends afterwards.
Once they broke apart, James watched as Lily disappeared up the stairs toward the Girl's Dormitory. She looked back at him for a quick second and smiled, sending a warm feeling through James's heart.
"Okay, Romeo, let's go," Sirius finally said.
James jumped to his feet and with certainty replied, "Right."
With that said, the three boys went up to their dorm room to drop off their books and gather the invisibility cloak. Not to arise suspicion when it came to the portrait of the Fat Lady, only James hid under the cloak. Sirius and Peter acted as if they were just going out of the common room, perhaps to roam the castle halls. Once successfully out of the Gryffindor common room, the boys slipped into a nearby bathroom. Peter transfigured into his rat form and climbed onto Sirius's shoulder, providing more space for James and Sirius to move beneath the cloak.
Soon enough, they were outside, staring at the Whomping Willow. Peter scurried to the ground, getting away from his two friends as they each transformed into their animal forms. Once in his dog shape, Sirius grabbed the invisibility cloak in his mouth, ready to leave it at the base of the Whomping Willow once Peter activated the knot in the tree, which stopped the dangerous branches from moving for a few seconds.
In a matter of moments, the three boys, in their animal forms were climbing through the tunnels, towards the large room where Remus was waiting for them. They could hear his howls; some from boredom, others from his self-inflicted pain of biting at his arm. Looking at the walls that surrounded them, they could see the scratches and claw marks, damaging the wallpaper.
James hated the fact that his friend was confined to the Shrieking Shack. It was such a dreary place, despite the efforts of the Headmaster to make it enjoyable for Remus. The few pieces of furniture in the several different rooms were all broken; legs missing from tables, stuffing pouring out from couches, bite marks on nearly everything.
The three wizards heard another howling noise, which led them to the proper room that Remus was in. The Shack itself had several different rooms upstairs, each one equally beat up. Usually, they could find Remus in the master bedroom, where he could sit down on the four-poster bed, which was also ruined form bite marks. However, today, the howl was coming from a different room.
As soon as the Marauders entered the room, Remus's howling subsided. Even as a werewolf, James could sense that Remus had a sudden lift in spirit at seeing his friends. This always happened, once he realized his friends were with him. The constant biting died down a bit, only occurring occasionally, and Remus rarely felt the need to bite the furniture.
Soon enough, Moony, Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail made their way out of the Shrieking Shack, towards the familiar grounds of Hogsmeade. Just running around in the empty village was enjoyable for the Marauders, especially for Remus. He didn't have to stay cooped up in the Shack, he could roam the village. He could run around as if he didn't have a care in the world.
First to leave the Shrieking Shack was Wormtail, sneaking through a small crack in the floor. He always left the shack first, just to make sure no humans were around. Nothing would ruin the evening more than if they had to control Moony's instinct to kill all people that came within his smelling range.
Luckily, Wormtail didn't sense any human nearby. While outside, he pounded his entire rat body onto the lever that the Marauders constructed on one of their many illegal trips to Hogsmeade. They made a devise that sat in a remote area near the shack, one so small that only Wormtail could reach. It automatically opened the Shrieking Shack door, allowing the three larger animals to escape from the shack.
Once they saw the door slowly creak open, Prongs, Padfoot, and Moony bolted out the door. There was nothing like running free around Hogsmeade. There was nothing to stop them from racing up and down the streets, exploring the different wooded areas nearby. It was an amazing experience.
Prongs trotted over towards Wormtail, who was coming up from the small crack where the lever was. Wormtail skittered up Prongs's long legs, not stopping until he reached his back. This way, Wormtail could still participate in the adventures, despite his small form.
With the full moon shining down on the Marauders, Padfoot began to run. His dog feet pounded onto the dirt road, making a light pounding noise. Moony and Prongs, with Wormtail on his back, soon followed, running beneath the moonlight.
They ran towards a deserted wooded area, one that they hadn't explored since the beginning of sixth year. The trees were thick, the branches rubbing against Prongs's thick stag coat. He didn't mind though, just trooping through the area was an adventure on its own.
He saw Moony run out ahead of them, as if he wanted to play a game of tag. Prongs looked at Padfoot and nodded his head, his antlers clashing into a low branch. Yes, they would join their werewolf friend in the game. The only question, who would be it first?
Prongs eyed Padfoot, and with a quick dash, he ran away. Padfoot was going to be it in their game of tag. He was going to have to track down all of his friends. Of course, the game was a lot more fun in the woods as animals than anywhere else as humans. As animals, they could pick up on a scent trail to find their opponents, which made it easier to chase down. However, they could also run much faster and find several different hiding places in the woods.
Prongs caught sight of Moony, still running in the opposite direction. He let out a low howl for no good reason at all, just to express his werewolf form. Prongs stood still for a moment and looked around, wondering where Padfoot could be. He couldn't hear any footsteps, but that didn't necessarily mean he wasn't close by. Padfoot could be sneaky at times, launching on any unsuspecting stranger.
He started to run again, Wormtail still hanging onto his fur. He ran swiftly past a large oak tree, one that he noticed contained large slash marks on its bark. He knew they must have come from Moony, and they still looked fresh. Moony must be nearby.
As he rounded the corner, around the large oak tree, he came face to face with the large werewolf. Moony let out another howl, but continued running, Prongs at his side. A couple minutes later, Moony seemed to realize that Prongs wasn't trying to tag him; they were on the same team tonight.
A moment later, Moony cocked his head and sniffed the air. A large, shaggy black dog emerged from the shadows and ran right towards Moony. He lightly placed his head against Moony's leg, signifying that Moony was now it.
Moony looked down at the familiar dog, his dear friend Padfoot, and let out another low howl. He knew what had happened, knew that it was his turn to chase down his best friends throughout the forest.
Prongs looked at Padfoot for a moment, their eyes locking at once. They stayed that way for a split second before they both ran for dear life away from their werewolf friend. Prongs let his hooves sink into the dirt terrain, mud sticking to his feet. Padfoot was right next to him, the pitter-patter of his paws touching the ground seemed to echo through the woods.
They didn't stop running until the reached the edge of the forest, where Padfoot came to a halt immediately. Prongs continued on a bit, trying to slow himself down. He then turned around and met his friend back a few meters. He stared down at the large dog, trying to figure out why Padfoot had so urgently stopped.
His eyes gave it away. In place of the usual happy-go-lucky dog eyes that Padfoot usually had, there was pure terror. It could mean only one thing; he smelled people.
This was urgent; they couldn't have Moony catch onto the scent. If he caught wind of human flesh, he would attack at once. It wasn't that he wanted to do it; Remus would be mortified if he woke up the next morning to discover he bit a human. However, they were dealing with Moony now. And Moony was a werewolf; he couldn't help the urge to bite into human flesh, it was his natural instinct.
Prongs and Padfoot immediately went back towards the heart of the woods, hoping to find Moony before he found the humans. Padfoot put his wet nose to the ground, trying to pick up the trail. Meanwhile, Prongs ran ahead, hoping to spot Moony.
He wandered deep into the woods, bending his head down every once in a while to try to smell Moony's scent. He had no luck though; he couldn't see or smell his werewolf friend anywhere.
Moments later, Prongs heard a deep bark, and he knew it came from Padfoot. Padfoot had located Moony, and from the tone of his bark, Prongs needed to run faster than he had ever run before to help. He knew the severity of the situation, knew that although Padfoot was strong, he couldn't do it alone.
He trampled plants and grass as he ran through the woods, not bothering to stick to the paths that the Marauders made during their midnight journeys. Instead, he opted for going the most direct path, even if it meant battling through tree branches.
Prongs's heart was racing; he could hear Moony's howls and Padfoot's barks becoming louder. He must be getting close. A branch whipped across his face, scratching at his skin. Prongs ignored the pain though and ran faster. He needed to help control Moony. He couldn't let those poor people get bit, especially for Remus's sake. He couldn't let his friend live with the fact that he was responsible for ruining these people's lives. He couldn't let that happen.
He jumped over a low bush and came towards a clearing. He could faintly see Padfoot jumping up into Moony, pushing him against a tree. It was the only way to confine the werewolf, trap him to he couldn't move. As Prongs neared, he could see Moony lashing his arms about, scratching Padfoot in the process. Still, Padfoot didn't give up, he continued to push Moony against the tree.
Once Prongs came towards them, he slammed his entire body weight against Moony, hoping it might subdue him. He hated the fact that it would leave awful effects on Remus in the morning, filling his body with aches and bruises, but it had to be done.
He glanced at Padfoot for a moment and they came to a mutual agreement that the best thing to do was to bring Moony back to the Shrieking Shack. It was the only place where he could truly be confined. The only downside to the plan was that they needed to bring him there, which would not be easy.
Prongs leaped over to Moony's side and forcefully prodded him with his large antlers. Meanwhile, Padfoot guarded Moony with his sharp barks, every so often nipping at his legs. They guided Moony towards the other end of the woods, towards the Shrieking Shack. It wasn't easy; they had to use a lot of force. Prongs found himself constantly standing on his back legs and jabbing at Remus's chest with his front hooves. Padfoot had to circle around the large beast, not allowing him to escape from his watchful eyes.
Once out of the woods, Moony caught scent of the humans again, which drove him wild. He nearly ran Padfoot over in an attempt to escape the animal's efforts to contain him. Luckily, Prongs leaped out in front of him, blocking his escape path with his large body.
Padfoot nipped at Moony's ankles, forcing him to move away from the humans and towards the Shack. Prongs provided an ample block, swiftly moving from side to side in his efforts to force Moony towards the Shrieking Shack.
Once they came close enough, Peter skittered down Prongs's leg and bolted toward the small lever. He plunged on top of it, making the door open at once. He stayed down there, waiting to see Moony's body shoved inside before closing the door.
Still, actually getting Moony into the Shrieking Shack proved to be a very difficult process, just as challenging as getting him out of the woods. Padfoot continued to nip at his ankles before eventually jumping at his legs to move the process along. Once close enough, he launched one final time on Moony's back, shoving him into the Shack.
Wormtail then jumped off the lever, making the door slam tightly shut. He darted back into the sight of his friends, only to see them both transforming into their human shapes. Wormtail then transformed back as well and joined James and Sirius as they ran away from the Shack. They could hear the sounds of Moony's howls, this time filled with sadness.
"Are you guys okay?" Peter whispered, looking at each of his friends as they wiped blood away from their faces and arms.
"Yeah," James replied, despite the fact that his arms felt as if they were going to fall off.
"Fine," Sirius added.
"We have to go see if those people are okay," James then announced.
"But we know that Moony didn't touch them, let's just get out of here before they owl the Ministry of Magic," Sirius hissed.
James looked at each of the two faces of his two friends. They were both fairly easy to read. Sirius had an intense stare in his eye, one that James had rarely ever seen. His act as the cool, rebel of the group could easily be seen. He wanted to get out of Hogsmeade, make a narrow dash from the authorities. That was typical Sirius Black. He was the bad boy just looking for some fun, which often got out of hand. Of course, James knew there was a deeper emotion in there too. As much as Sirius wanted his peers to view him as the type of guy that doesn't give a damn about school, he knew he was just barely sliding through Hogwarts. His grades were remarkable, but his attitude and pranks landed him in more detention in one month than most Hogwarts students received throughout their seven years.
Peter, on the other hand, had an anxious look on his face. He didn't want to get into any trouble either, but he craved James's opinion. He always looked up to James, always agreed with him on whatever he said. If James said they needed to check on the people tonight, Peter would willingly go with him, whereas Sirius would probably turn his shoulder the other way.
"Sirius, this isn't some dumb joke, we need to make sure that whoever it is, is okay," James insisted.
Sirius laughed in response and rolled his eyes once before saying, "And what're you going to say? Hello there fine people, just wanted to make sure the big, bad werewolf didn't scare you, even though I know he didn't come any where near you." His last sentence was full of mockery, portraying James as if he were a naïve child.
"You're funny," James sarcastically replied before becoming serious about the situation again. "I'm not kidding; we need to check on them."
"Fine, but if they owl the Ministry, I'm bolting as Padfoot," Sirius warned.
"I know," James replied, "Now, come on."
With that said, the three boys made their way towards the strangers that inhabited Hogsmeade during the night. They weren't sure of the exact location of the strangers, but tried their best to recall where Padfoot had smelled them. Once they realized their journey was starting to look unsuccessful, Sirius transformed into Padfoot once again and easily picked up a human scent.
He barked once and began to run towards the humans. In fact, he ran so far ahead, that within minutes, James and Peter couldn't see their doggy friend at all. They knew the general direction that Padfoot traveled, and followed that trail as best they could.
However, they didn't need to wander about Hogsmeade aimlessly for very long. Padfoot came running back towards them, transforming back into his human form in the process, meeting them at a jog.
Sirius was breathing heavily as he approached them, as if he had just sprinted a marathon. His hands immediately went to his knees, his body hunched over as he regained his breath.
"I, I saw who it was," he stated, still breathing deeply.
"Yeah?"
"We should have let Moony bite him," Sirius angrily replied, standing up as he spoke.
"Sirius, what are you talking about?" Peter questioned, a confused look across his face.
"It's Avery," Sirius snapped.
James's confusion quickly faded into anger. Avery? He was in Hogsmeade right now? The man that murdered his parents and almost succeeded in that same task with himself, Sirius, and Lily was in Hogsmeade. James had just saved one of Lord Voldermort's wizards from receiving Moony's werewolf bite. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't even begin to comprehend the fact that murderer was only a short distance away from him.
"He must be hiding out here for the night," Sirius said. "It's odd though, I didn't see Mulciber at all."
"Where is he?" James sternly asked.
"Out near the old cottage near Bryn's Forest," Sirius instantly said. "At least that's where he was heading. My guess is that he was sleeping somewhere else in town, but when he heard Moony's howls, he probably got scared and ran for it. He was only walking when I last saw him though, so he probably thinks the werewolf is gone."
"Okay," James said, rubbing his temples as he thought for a moment. "Peter, go back to the castle and tell Dumbledore. I don't care that he's probably asleep, go wake him up. The password to his office is Gumdrop. And don't tell him that we're Animagi, just say we snuck out of the castle and you came back to get him, Sirius and I are going to stay here."
"Why don't we all go get him?" Peter hesitantly asked.
"Because, I'm not going to let the man that murdered my parents escape this time. I want to see him rot in Azkaban," James bitterly answered. "Now, Peter, go, run. Go back through the Shrieking Shack as a rat and then transform back, and the cloak on your way too."
Peter didn't say anything; he only nodded and began to run back towards the Shrieking Shack.
"We're going to go follow Avery, right?" Sirius asked, a glint of deviousness in his eyes.
"You bet we are," James replied. The two boys then went running towards their enemy. James wished they could do this as animals; he wanted nothing more than to jab at Avery with his strong antlers a few times. However, he knew that was out of the question. They couldn't be seen in their Animagi forms, especially not by Dumbledore. They couldn't risk their highly illegal secret coming out in the open. Besides, a part of James wanted to see the look on Avery's face when he showed up.
As the two wizards ran through Hogsmeade, edging out of the town, James felt a rush of adrenaline. He was finally going to come face to face with one of the two people responsible for his parent's death. He was finally going to be given the opportunity to make Avery beg for dear life.
"Hey, James," Sirius said, his breath uneasy from their running.
"Yeah?"
"We don't have wands," Sirius informed him, a slight bit of hesitancy in his voice.
James continued running, but thought about Sirius's words. He was right; they didn't have wands. While in their animal forms, there was no use for wands. None of the marauders ever brought their wands with them during their full moon adventures. Shit. What where they going to do? James knew they still needed to get to Avery; he wasn't going to back down now. He didn't care if he was unarmed, he'd find another way.
Sirius slowed down his pace, forcing James to stop as well. They walked for a little bit, knowing that they were coming close to the old cottage. "James, what're we going to do about the wands?"
James thought about it for a second, lightly biting his lower lip. "Steal his."
Sirius smiled and slapped James on the back while saying, "That's my boy. Steal his wand, why didn't I think of that? Its genius, all we have to do is get it from him, and we outnumber him. It should be a piece of cake."
James looked at Sirius while he spoke, but felt hesitant about the words he spoke. It wouldn't be easy, he knew that. They would have to find a way to trick Avery, without the use of their wands.
"Marauder style?" Sirius asked as they neared the cottage.
"Marauder style," James agreed.
They crept up the stairs to the cottage, hoping that Avery wouldn't be able to hear their footsteps. It was an old cottage, one that had been abandoned nearly a hundred years ago after a severe fire burnt down one side of the house. Of course, it was fixed years ago, although no one ever wanted to purchase it. No one wanted a house that partially burnt down once; fires weren't good luck in the wizarding world.
James and Sirius slowly opened the door, however, to their unfortunate luck, a loud creaking noise sounded when it opened. The door was hardly ever open, rust making the creaking noise.
Still, James and Sirius continued into the house. They needed to make sure that Avery wouldn't apparate. They knew he wouldn't leave if he saw them there. They knew he thought he could easily murder the remained of the Potter family, as well as the blood traitor, Sirius Black.
They rounded a corner in the small cottage, only to see Avery shoving random objects into a small bag. He was anxiously looking around the room, making sure he had everything with him. It was obvious that he was looking for a quick escape.
"Going somewhere?" Sirius questioned, his voice calm and collected.
Avery jumped around, his wand pointed out in front of him, ready to attack. His stance loosened once he saw Sirius and James standing before him. He dropped the small bag he was carrying, not bothering to mess with it anymore. He now had no intention of leaving the deserted cottage; he would rather kill the two young wizards.
"Sirius Black, I'm surprised to see you here," Avery sneered. "Aren't you supposed to be at school, with your beloved Headmaster?"
"You've got to break a few rules every now and then," Sirius responded, still sounding very confident. Meanwhile, James stood slightly behind his friend, forcing himself to not launch at Avery.
"Ah, the true words of a Black," Avery replied, a smile gleaming at his lips. It was a cold smile, one that sent shivers up James's back.
"You can talk all about my dreaded family, Avery, I don't care about them. You can relate me to them all you want, it's not going to get under my skin this time," Sirius said, still staring at the man in front of him.
"What I don't understand, is why you're here in the first place, when you know I'm just going to kill you," Avery coldly stated.
"Where's Mulciber?" Sirius questioned, changing the subject at once.
Avery bitterly looked down at the ground and spat. "That filthy traitor left me, similar to how you left your parents."
Sirius took a few steps closer and carefully walked in a circle around Avery, leaving James to stand in the doorway. Avery's eyes followed Sirius, his head whipping around to watch the young wizard's every move.
"That's where you're wrong," Sirius began, "I didn't leave my parents; they disowned me." With that said, he launched at Avery, tackling him to the ground.
James saw that as his cue and immediately ran forward, hoping to force the wand out of Avery's hand. He wasn't lucky enough though, Avery was smarter than they thought he was. Before James could even reach for the wand, Avery hit Sirius with a curse, hauling him across the room. He then turned to see James running at him and hit him with the same curse, sending James right back where he started, only this time he hit the wall.
James felt his back begin to bruise, his already sore muscles becoming even worse. He wasn't going to give up though; he was determined to fight back. He ran forward again, hoping to scare Avery into dropping his wand, but once again, it didn't work. Avery pointed his wand at James and yelled out another curse, although James was able to dodge this one.
"What? You're not going to get your own wand out and fight like a real wizard?" Avery questioned, his eyes darting between Sirius and James.
Neither wizard said anything, nor did they look at each other. Instead, they continued to stare at Avery, advancing on him with very small steps.
"Or is it that you haven't got a wand?" Avery guessed. Although both James and Sirius tried to conceal their surprise at his ability to guess their situation, both of their faces slipped up for a moment. Avery knew at once that his assumption was correct; he was dealing with two unarmed, Hogwarts students.
Not allowing Avery's words to get to him, Sirius ran forward again. He felt as if he were Padfoot and Avery was Moony, reenacting the efforts to control a rabid werewolf. Only now, the werewolf also held a wand. Avery sent another curse towards Sirius, but Sirius was too fast and darted out of the way. The curse hit an old lamp instead, shattering it across the floor.
"Now, what on earth are two wizards doing without their wands?" Avery asked.
Still, he didn't receive a response, only two students advancing on him. Sirius and James glanced at each other for a quick millisecond, hoping that Avery wouldn't notice. They knew it was time, knew that Avery could only fend off one of them at a time.
In an instant, they were both charging towards Avery. Panicking slightly, Avery's eyes widened before he pointed his wand at Sirius and hit him with a curse, this time not missing his body at all. Sirius immediately hollered in pain. He wasn't sure which curse Avery used, but it was certainly excruciating. He felt as if someone had taken a dagger to every inch of his legs, piercing his skin. All he could do was bring his hands to his legs, hoping that the pressure would ease the pain. It didn't, and instead Sirius was left to scream.
The one bright side to Sirius taking the curse was that James was able to tackle Avery to the ground. His hand grabbed toward the wand and he yanked it, but Avery's grip was strong. He wasn't going to let go without a fight.
James brought his other hand towards the wand, hoping it would provide enough strength to ease it out of Avery's grasp. However, Avery brought his knee to James's stomach at that instant, forcing James to buckle downward. Still, he kept one hand on the wand. He knew that as long as one hand was still there, Avery wouldn't have total control of the situation.
With all his might, James hammered his fist into Avery's shoulder. Still, it did nothing but irritate his opponent. Avery let out a small squeal, but didn't release his grasp on the wand. Both men knew that it was life or death, as to whoever possessed the wand.
"Let go," Avery forcefully muttered, just barely audible from Sirius's moans.
"Never," James replied, just as strong as Avery.
Grunting, Avery tried his best to position the wand towards Sirius again but James fought against it with all his might. He couldn't let Avery hit his best friend with another curse, it was bad enough that Sirius was suffering now.
James's eyes met Avery's and he felt his heart beat increase another notch. There wasn't any sympathy in Avery's eyes; only pure hatred. He wanted nothing more than to finish off the job as far as the Potter family was concerned. He knew his master would be pleased with him if he succeeded in the task.
Suddenly, a revelation came to James. While looking into Avery's eyes, he saw pure evil. He knew that it was up to him to destroy this, send away one of Voldermort's creations. With that in mind, James did the only thing he could think of. He knew it was a low blow, but he did it anyway. He launched his face towards Avery's arm, which held onto the wand, and bit as hard as he could.
James felt the cloth of Avery's short on his tongue, tasted the sweaty fabric. It was an awful taste, but he knew he had to do it. He knew it was the only way to end this physical duel.
Avery let go at once and screamed out in pain. His other hand immediately flew to his wounded arm, blood soaking his fingers.
James clutched the wand at once and quickly pointed it at Sirius, ending the dreadful pain in his legs. He then pointed it at Avery and leapt to his feet, not wanting the Dark wizard to get the better of him.
"You bit me," he said, stunned as he sat on the floor.
"But I got the wand," James responded, heavily breathing as he spoke.
Avery looked up at him with terror. He could feel the color draining from his face; not only from the wound he suffered from, but also because he knew James Potter was ready to kill him.
Sirius, still seated on the floor, looked up at James, instantly taking in the situation. He knew what happened, he knew that their plan had succeeded. James possessed the wand, while Avery had nothing to defend himself.
"You're a worthless piece of scum," James said, taking a few steps closer to Avery, the wand still pointing at his heart.
Avery didn't say anything, only continued to look up at him with the same fear.
"Do it, James," Sirius panted.
James knew exactly what he meant. He was in the position to murder Avery now. There was nothing stopping him. After all, it would be revenge. He would be able to rightfully murder the man who took away his parent's lives, the man who made him parentless at the young age of eighteen.
Staring down at Avery, James felt the urge to do it. This man was against everything that James stood for. He supported Lord Voldermort, he was the Dark Arts. It was men like Avery that wanted to rid the world of muggles and muggleborn wizards. It disgusted James, to even think that people could be so heartless as to only care for purebloods.
Then again, he felt his heart soften. Could he truly murder this man? He had accidentally caused the death of another of Lord Voldermort's supporters only weeks ago, which left him devastated. Could he really do it again?
"Please don't kill me," Avery suddenly yelled, his voice conveying every look that James saw in his pathetic eyes. "Please don't."
"Just do it," Sirius countered. "He killed your parents, James. The man's a murderer and a good-for-nothing Death Eater."
James let both of the words echo through his brain. He felt his breathing become even heavier, as if he were back on the ground, battling with Avery once again. He watched as Avery looked up at him, a small amount of hope present in his eyes. He was begging James to not kill him, pleading with his eyes.
On the other hand, he thought about what Sirius said. Avery did kill his parents. They probably looked up at Avery, just as Avery was looking up at him now. They probably prayed he wouldn't kill them, but he did it anyway. He murdered them.
"Please don't…"
"Do it, for God's sake..."
"Please, I'm begging you..."
"James, he's a murderer..."
"Please..."
"He killed your parents..."
"Find it in the goodness of your heart…"
"He's a Death Eater…"
"I'm begging…"
"He killed them…"
"Please, please, please…"
All of their words were scrambling through his brain. He could hear their words echoing, begging him to do it one way or another. He felt an enormous amount of pressure on his shoulders, building up enough to cause a throbbing motion in his head. He just needed this all to stop. He needed everything to stop.
Breathing deeply, James glanced from Sirius to Avery. What was he going to do? Sirius's points were valid. He needed to redeem his parent's memories, he needed to end the life of the miserable man that sat in front of him.
James pointed his wand at Avery, his lips starting to form words. He could see Avery tightly shut his eyes, as if he were too afraid to watch the horror he knew was coming.
Suddenly, James dropped his arm to his side. He couldn't do it. He couldn't live knowing that he purposely ended this man's life. He wasn't a natural born killer; he wasn't going to cross the boundaries that played with life and death.
"James, what are you doing?" Sirius asked, urgency present in his voice.
"I can't do it," he sighed.
Avery then opened his eyes, a grateful look plastered across his face. He took a few deep breath, relaxing into his stance on the ground.
"He deserves to go to Azkaban," James suddenly said. "He deserves to rot there." That was what James truly wanted. He didn't want to be a killer, but he still wanted Avery to pay for the crime he committed. He didn't want the murderer of his parents to get away easy. James wanted Avery to pay a long visit to the Dementors.
Just then, they heard a noise in the cottage. James felt his hand curl tightly around the wand, not sure who the person could be. In fact, all three wizards shared the same look across their faces. Each one was scared and curious.
The footsteps came louder and louder before a tall wizard with long silver hair, a long beard, and half-moon glasses appeared. He instantly pointed his wand at Avery, his eyes locked on the Death Eater.
"James, Sirius, you may leave now," Dumbledore said. "Wait outside, I'll be there shortly. The Ministry should be arriving any minute now."
James and Sirius looked at each other, not sure if they should obey the Headmaster's orders. Reluctantly, James dropped Avery's wand on the floor, walked over to Sirius, and helped him to his feet, draping the arm of his best friend across his shoulder.
A moment later, the Ministry Aurors arrived. They shoved past the two boys, each one pointing their wands at Avery. There must have been at least ten Aurors present, as if half the squad came for the arrest of Avery.
"We'll take it from here, Albus," one of the older men said. James peered at him and squinted his eyes, trying to figure out exactly who the man was. The moment he saw the Auror's eyes, he was able to identify the man. It was Mad-Eye Moody. He was one of the best Aurors the Ministry has ever seen, according to James's father anyway. James had met the famous Auror once before, while visiting his father at work one day when he was eight. Mad-Eye Moody appeared to be a bit crazy to him, but his father assured him that he was the best in the business and to never question the works of Mad-Eye.
Dumbledore then moved away from Avery and tucked his own wand back in his pocket. He turned to look at his two students and a sudden look of relief came across his face. He walked over to the two young wizards and did something he had never done with a student before; he gave them both a large hug. It was just a simple hug; one similar to one a father may give his son. That was exactly how Dumbledore felt too. He was relieved to see the two students he admired most safe and alive.
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Author's Note 2: Hi all! I hope you enjoyed the long awaited chapter 49! I'm sorry about the delay, I got pretty caught up in finishing "How to Lose James" and starting "The One That Got Away." But I promise, I won't neglect this story any more! I really hope you enjoyed the chapter (notice any similarities between James and Harry when it came to James making the decision to not to kill Avery?) and it's also set the new record for the longest chapter I have written (23 Word document pages!) Anyways, please review, it makes the words flow much easier from my brain to the keyboard!