A/N: I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long, but all my teachers have realized the end of the semester is approaching much sooner than they expected and I've had so many papers due that I haven't had time to write. Its not writers blocks, it's just that I really haven't had time and I apologize. This chapter is short, but I knew people are probably getting anxious about a new chapter. I promise the next few chapters will be longer!

The room was filled with every kind of candy he had every seen. There were Ice Mice, Cockroach Clusters, and best of all Chocolate frogs. He stood in the center of the room admiring it when all of a sudden he was falling...

Remus Lupin opened up his eyes to see the top of his canopy bed. The familiar sound of Peter snoring filled the room. Remus tried to sit up when a sudden lurch of nauseousness came over him. The full moon was only a day away.

He stood up to get a glass of water and the room suddenly spun. He had to grab onto the bed post for support. After a few moments had passed, the world had righted itself, and he tiptoed over to the bathroom. He was grateful that he had not awoken his roommates because it would have resulted in a lie. He hated lying about his condition most of all.

His mother said he shouldn't be ashamed about being a werewolf, yet she insisted that he only tell the people who really needed to know.

Instead of drinking the water, Remus splashed it over his face to cool himself off.

As he went back to his bed, Remus realized he was only starting to feel worse instead of better. His body felt weak and his head was hurting and the dorm rooms suddenly felt awfully stuffy.

Remus headed down to the Common Room, which was empty. It was still early enough in the year that no student had attempted to stay awake all night to study and end up asleep on one of the red couches.

After a half on hour of lying on the couch hoping he would feel better, Remus decided to visit the nurse. In this condition he couldn't attend class. Maybe she could give him something. He really didn't want to miss an additional day of classes this full moon.

The nurse had just awoken and she promptly took his temperature, which was normal. She looked him over carefully.

"Well I read a new medical paper the other day studying adolescence werewolves and its very common for your transformations to get worse in your teen years, which you are approaching."

"So you think this is from the full moon? I'm usually just really tired."

"These wizards believe it is very common to see the symptoms before the transformations to get worse as well," she looked at him, "You poor boy. You need bed rest. Tomorrow night will be tough enough on your body. I will alert the teachers that this absence has to do with your condition. I'll give you a sleeping potion."

Remus didn't bother arguing. Though she meant well, the nurse could be a bit over protective. He gave her allowances because he knew he was the first werewolf to ever come to this school.

As she made him drink a cup of purple liquid she asked, "Do any of your classmates know about this should they come by asking how you are?"

"Oh! No! They don't know anything and I hardly think they'll come looking for me anyway."

The nurse nodded and Remus closed his eyes thinking about the candy filled room he had been dreaming about only a few hours ago.

"Sirius! Sirius! Wake up!"

Sirius rolled over trying to ignore whoever was calling his name. The voice was rather persistent and he finally opened one eye. To his surprise James Potter's face, messy black hair sticking up all over the place was looking at him. Peter's round shiny face right beside it.

Sirius sat up abruptly. He hadn't had a chance to talk to James since he had seen him in the hallway before detention. The detention had run much later than it should have and everyone had been asleep by the time he had returned. He wasn't exactly sure where they stood now.

"Morning…" Sirius mumbled awkwardly. Peter backed away now that he was awake looking at him strangely.

James rolled his eyes, "Come on, Peter. I explained it to you already. Sirius never betrayed me."

James turned his attention to him once more, "Right?"

"Right," Sirius said softly, "Err – is that why you woke me up?"

"No," James said laughing and his tone turned more serious, "Remus is missing. He went to bed with the rest of us, but he's gone now. Peter checked in the Common room. All his schoolbags are here still, so we don't he is at the library or at breakfast."

"I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure he'll show up to class," Sirius said.

"That's what I told James," Peter piped up, "But he wouldn't listen to me."

Sirius grinned, "You should have listened to him and let me sleep. I was slaving over those stupid trophies all last night. I'm exhausted."

An awkward silence filled the room then and Peter slipped away to get dressed and get his books in order. James shrugged and went over to rummage around in his trunk for clean robes. Sirius tumbled out of bed.

"So?" James said suddenly his back still facing Sirius.

Sirius turned around bracing for the worst.

James still facing his bed asked, "Is everything ok between us?"

"I didn't betray you. You never wrote that letter to me. Is there really anything for us to even fight about?"

James finally turned around to face Sirius, "No, its just…how did that rumor begin anyway?"

Sirius sighed. He should have been ready with an explanation. "It was my parent's idea. They figured if you were mad at me, there would be no reason for me to stay in Gryffindor. And it almost worked."

"You would have really switched houses?"

"You mean if you hadn't believed me?"

"Yes."

"Can you really see me in Slytherin?"

James shook his head, "About as much as I can see myself in Slytherin."

"There's your answer then."

Sirius went back to getting his books together (now where was his Transfiguration homework?) glad all his answers had satisfied James.

Sirius glanced back at James after a few minutes and noticed the bespectacled boy was frowning slightly.

Before Sirius could ask if anything else was wrong, James said, "Was what Snape said true?"

"What did Snape say?" Sirius asked confused by the turn in the conversation.

"That you were bragging to everyone at the Prince's party about fooling me. And that everyone was laughing, including you, at my parents and me."

Sirius stopped looking for his tie and stood up trying to slow down his racing thoughts.

"It's true," Sirius said quietly.

"Why'd you go along with the lie? I don't understand why you didn't just tell them all that we were friends. This…" he motioned his hand around, "this could have all been prevented."

"I couldn't, James. I couldn't. I'm sure you've been to plenty of formal parties with your parents. You know how you have to act in those type of settings…well just imagine that 100 times worse. You don't contradict your parents in public. Ever. On the off chance your parents actually value your opinion; all discussions are done in private. Children are to be seen, not heard. Children are there to carry on the family name. It would have been disastrous if I had protested. I had tainted the Black name enough just by being in Gryffindor. I couldn't shame the family more. My parents knew that and they used that to their advantage."

"So the worst that could have happened if you hadn't gone along with the lie, is your family name would have been ruined a bit more?" James asked skeptically. He didn't seem to think that was a big deal.

"Look I had to deal with enough at home without having to add being disruptive at a public function. I wouldn't expect you to understand with your perfect family."

"My family is hardly perfect."

"I bet it beats mine."

Sirius noticed Peter was eyeing their conversation warily. He looked ready to bolt if they starting swinging fists.

"I guess that answers my original question."

Sirius looked away from James staring at the red bed curtain, "You're completely misunderstanding everything. What do you think was the one thing that kept me from cracking all summer? What do you think stopped me from just giving into my parent's wishes of being the ideal Slytherin son?"

"Hating the color green?" James asked with a wry grin.

"I may have agreed with their lies at the party, but once I was at home I refused to continue them. I told them just to tell everyone the truth, but my parents do not give up easily. They still haven't given up. I refused to write that letter that you received, but my father used my blood for a spell to make it look like I did. My parents are willing to do more than most to keep the family name untainted. They had one problem of course and that was that I wouldn't go along with it all. I was punished all summer for my disobedience."

"I had no idea," James says softly.

"Now you do, but I don't want to talk about it ever again. Let's put it behind us."

James looked as if he wanted to keep asking questions, but he remained silent.

"Are we going down to breakfast or not?" Peter asked his bag slung over his shoulder and his stomach rumbling.

"Sure, Peter, Give me a second," James says grabbing the last of his things, "You coming, Sirius?"

Sirius shrugged stuffing his homework into his bag, then said, "Everyone still thinks we hate each other."

"So what do you want me to tell them? That you never betrayed me or that I simply forgave you?" James asked.

"What you do you think, Pettigrew?" Sirius asked the plump boy in front of him.

"Umm…I…what?"

"What would you believe more easily?"

"You're asking me?" Peter looked absolutely shocked.

"No the bloke behind you…" Sirius said with a laugh.

"Sorry…" Peter turned red, "I would believe that James forgave you."

James shook his head, "I'll just tell them all to mind their own business. We're friends again and that's all that matters."

"Ok…I guess that will work," Sirius said as they headed down to the Common room.

Just as the three of them were walking across, Robert McCoy, Quidditch Captain now in his sixth year, followed by a crowd was posting up tryout sign-up sheet.

"Aren't you going to sign up?" Sirius asked James who looked very determined to make it out of the Common room as soon as humanly possible.

"Oh…yea…I'll sign up when there's no crowd," he said absentmindedly. James kept glancing at the crowd of students who hadn't seemed to notice them yet.

Sirius realized James was trying to protect him. If they made their way to the crowded bulletin board, people were bound to notice they were friends.

"What are you trying out for?" Peter asked.

"Chaser…there's two spots open. One graduated and the other needs to concentrate on his Newts. What could possibly be more important than Quidditch?"

"Breathing?" Sirius asked trying to sound very serious.

"Nah."

"Eating!" Peter exclaimed.

"Maybe for you," James said and the three boys erupted into laughter.

The conversation on the way to the Great Hall seemed so normal that Sirius was momentarily startled to see all the other students look at them strangely. He had forgotten for a few seconds about their impending problems.

"Just act like everything is normal," whispered James as they sat down.

Surprisingly, Lily, Andrianna, and Katie sat down right next to them few moments later. Usually the Gryffindor second year boys and girls tended to sit separately.

"Hello, Black," Lily said pleasantly, "I assume you boys made-up?"

"You assumed right, Evans," Sirius said and James nodded.

A minute of silence passed.

"Well if no ones going to ask, I am," Andrianna said as she buttered her piece of toast, "Why are you friends all of sudden?"

Lily nudged her friend to indicate she didn't approve of her questioning, but looked eagerly at the three boys.

James shrugged, "I forgave him."

"Forgave him?" Andrianna echoed.

"Yes. Simple as that. The rest of the details are really no ones business."

"Are you still trying out for Quidditch, James?" Katie asked attempting to change the direction of the conversation.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"I didn't see your name on it when I signed up," Andrianna said.

"I haven't had time."

"I would have expected your name to be the first on the list," mused Lily and Katie giggled.

"Lily is going to watch the Quidditch tryouts," Andrianna said with a mischievous grin.

"Well we're not sure if she's there to watch Quidditch or…" Katie chimed in, but was hushed by a red faced Lily.

James and Sirius exchanged lost looks. They still considered girls very strange creatures.

Andrianna took a bite of her toast, "I heard the competition is supposed to be fierce at tryouts…"

"I'm not worried…" James said grinning, "Are you?"

"Enough about Quidditch already," Lily said, "The year just started!"

"Didn't you know, Evans," Sirius said winking at James, "Quidditch is more important than breathing and eating!"

Now it was the girls turn to look confused as the boys erupted in laughter.

A/N: Told you it was short. Sort of a filler chapter. I hope you still enjoy it. I'll have a lot more time to write after May 5th…so I do promise a longer, better chapter next time. Thank you all for sticking with my story.