A/N: My plan is still to get this story finished before the seventh book comes out…this chapter came out later than I hoped, which always seems to be the case. Oh well, here it is:

James turned to grin at Sirius, but before Sirius could return the smile, Adair struck toward him like lightning and grabbed a tight hold on his upper arm. Adair while gripping his arm painfully marched him forward.

"Think you're funny, Mr. Potter?" Adair didn't pause for his response, which was probably a good thing. "We'll see about that after we pay a visit to Professor McGonagall."

Continuing to hold James in a death grip, she forced him out of the office. Sirius rushed out to follow after them.

"Mr. Black, you are to stay here. Begin your work," Adair stated coldly. Sirius hesitated, and then turned slowly around back into the office glancing over his shoulder worriedly.

They met Professor McGonagall outside her office. She was unlocking her door and was muttering under her breath about some trouble Peeves had started on the fourth floor that had to do with paper and water.

McGonagall gestured them to follow her into her office. It wasn't until they had entered McGonagall's office that Adair finally let go of James' arm. Not wanting to give Adair any additional satisfaction, James stopped himself from rubbing his injured arm.

"What's Mr. Potter done now?" McGonagall asked peering at James over her glasses, even though the question was directed at Adair.

"Mr. Potter is a liar," Adair explained very calmly.

"A liar?" McGonagall asked, not looking at all impressed by the charge. "I do no understand."

"Professor Adair doesn't believe that my parents wrote to you about receiving extra help in Defense Against the Dark Arts along with Sirius," James blurted out figuring it was in his best interest to get the truth out there as quickly as possible.

"Clearly the boy is not telling the truth," Adair replied.

"He is not lying," McGonagall responded tersely.

"Excuse me?" Adair's voice was deadly quiet.

"I've been terribly busy and did not have the chance to forward the request made by Mr. Potter's parents. I did not believe it would cause a problem and instructed Mr. Potter to just arrive at the lesson with Mr. Black."

"Well I decline. I cannot tutor Mr. Potter."

"Why ever not? Can he not join Mr. Black?"

"No, he cannot. I have made great progress with Mr. Black and having another student present, especially one that is his friend, would impede it greatly."

"Then I suppose you'll set up a separate time for Mr. Potter?"

"I do not have the time for that."

"I'm afraid you must. You cannot say yes to one set of parents and not another."

"I can when I know that Mr. Potter is only requesting lessons in an effort to annoy me."

McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "I highly doubt that."

"Defense Against the Dark Arts is one of my favorite subjects," James interjected earnestly. "Sirius was telling me all the things he was learning and I found it really interesting, especially since he was learning a lot of extra things based off what we've already learned in class."

James was lying through his teeth, but it wasn't as if Adair could rebuke it. She couldn't claim that Sirius was only learning a slew of Latin words and not what the lessons were supposed to be about in front of McGonagall.

"See there. Mr. Potter is genuinely interested. Surely the reason we all teach is for this very reason, to especially help students who want to learn more than the minimum the school requires."

Adair nodded curtly and gave James a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I suppose I have no choice."

James felt his heart lift in victory even under Adair's cold gaze. James had won the first battle; Adair would be required to teach him.

So Adair grabbed him around the arm again and marched him back to her office. James didn't understand why Adair felt she had to keep such a tight grip on him when he made it clear that he wanted to be in her presence quite voluntarily and he was not going to run away.

Sirius did not even attempt to hide his relief at James' safe arrival with Adair. The moment Adair let go of James' inside the office, she lashed out at Sirius grabbing the notebook he was in the process of writing in.

"Is this all you've completed?" Adair hissed.

"Yes, Professor," Sirius mumbled his eyes on the desk.

Adair strode over to her desk retrieving her favorite instrument of choice, her ruler. She slapped it down hard at the desk Sirius was sitting at, causing both Sirius and James to jump back in alarm, startled by the violence of the noise.

"This is not acceptable."

"We were only gone for a few minutes," James protested. Sirius had probably been too worried about what had been going on to concentrate on busy work.

Adair's gaze turned suddenly on James and he felt as if a cold breeze had just blown over him. "I suppose Mr. Black did not inform you the strict rules that we adhere in my office."

"He told me some," James responded with a shrug. James knew he had to bow when entering and exiting. He found this a very silly tradition. Sirius, however, did find it at all ridiculous, it was something he was very used to doing in front of adults and besides being a bother didn't think of it in any further way.

"First of all you will only speak when spoken too. I will not tolerate any disrespect, and all your responses will end with a 'Professor' or 'ma'am'. Do you understand?"

James held himself back from rolling his eyes and with all the respect he could muster toward Adair replied, "Yes, Professor."

"Good. As punishment," Adair picked out a book with a purple cover from her overstuffed bookshelf, "you can copy onto the blackboard over there pages one through three."

James accepted the book, opening it up to see it was not only in the smallest kind of print he'd ever encountered, but full of pureblood ideology.

"Since I was not given prior notice about your presence, I do not have extra desk or notebook, so you'll be standing for the duration of the lesson."

"Yes, Professor," James answered dully. He didn't really care about the standing, but the busy work he wasn't too excited about it, still he'd go along with it. James still had to be careful because Adair, as the teacher, was still very much in control of the situation.

Quietness filled the small room, and James started on his task. The slight squeaking sound of the chalk was the only sound filling the room. James paused to look at what Adair was having Sirius do. He noticed she hadn't given Sirius back his book; instead she was caressing the ruler in her hand as if it were some pet. James turned slowly back to his task and he heard Adair say something softly to Sirius. James swiveled around when he heard the ruler hit something. It was only the desk, but Sirius' face had turned very pale.

Adair advanced to her desk taking out a piece of black chalk. James had never seen chalk in this color. She handed it to Sirius and the moment it touched Sirius' hand it turned a bright red color. The color was so bright that James couldn't believe the chalk wasn't giving off heat.

"What's this for?" Sirius asked in bewilderment. Confronted only with Adair's silent foreboding stare, Sirius added, "Professor."

"That writing utensil will stay bright red until it believes you are sufficiently remorseful," Adair explained and she retrieved a book for Sirius to copy lines out of. "I would begin writing quickly or your hand might start to throb."

"What does Sirius have to be remorseful for?" James spat out. James knew he should have been concentrating on his own punishment instead of watching the exchange between his friend and Professor.

"You can add copying pages four and five, Mr. Potter. And what does Mr. Black have to be punished for?"

James held his breath waiting for the answer.

"I think that should be obvious...bringing you here."

"Just put that away already!" Sirius said irritably.

"I've go to learn these before-"

"You've got until next week! For Merlin's sake, I haven't even memorized it all."

James closed the book. Adair had threatened James that if he didn't catch up to where Sirius was by next lesson she'd use that as a reason to discontinue the lesson.

"I just think the best way to annoy Adair is for me to pass her verbal test spectacularly," James explained. "And any way, perhaps these Latin roots will become handy."

"Handy?" scoffed Sirius. "Exactly how do you figure that out?"

"James is right," Remus interrupted. He'd been engrossed in an essay, but apparently listening attentively to their conversation at the same time. "We use words – mainly with some sort of Latin connection – to harness the magic within us. The more you know about the words, the definition, where they come from, the more you know about magic. You could even modify spells or event your own spells."

"You can invent your own spells?" Peter asked wide-eyed.

"Obviously," snorted Sirius, "Someone at some point invented them. Where did you think they came from? Did the spells just fall from the sky?"

"So Adair isn't teaching us complete rubbish," James exclaimed with a grin.

"Just marvelous," Sirius replied sarcastically. "Perhaps we should beg her to double our tutoring lessons."

James laughed. "All right, I'll look it over later, but I will memorize them. What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," Sirius said. "That's where you were supposed to come in."

"You never told us what Adair said when she saw you," Peter told James.

"Ah, she called me a liar and then took me over to see McGonagall. McGonagall put her in her place…it was very entertaining…only for a short while because as soon as we were back in her office she took her disappointment out on Sirius and me."

"What did she do?" Peter breathed, entrapped by James' description.

"Strung us up by our ankles and left us there for hours," James answered with a serious expression.

Peter gasped and it took him a few seconds to figure out James was just pulling his leg. "What did she really do?" Peter whined.

"I had to copy some lines from an old book and Sirius-"

"I did the same," Sirius answered quickly.

James nodded, not sure why Sirius didn't want the others to know the twist Adair had put on Sirius' line writing.

"Enough talking about that," Sirius grumbled.

James laughed. "What is it that you, Prince of the Noble and Ancient House of Black, want to talk about?"

Sirius made a face and then looked pointedly at James. "Actually you."

"What?" James asked not following James' train of thought.

"Let's talk about you, James."

"Me?" James asked with a careful laugh.

"Yes. The Potters, one of the biggest blood traitors, want their sole heir to marry a pureblood. I think we all deserve an explanation."

"Oh. That."

Sirius nodded enthusiastically.

"My family wasn't always considered full blood traitors…that title we've only gotten recently."

"The Potters have always been soft on muggles and non-purebloods, have they not? Or have my parents not given me a proper history lesson on all pureblood families?"

"Well yes…especially compared to your family."

Peter sighed dramatically. "My mum would be happy if I married anyone…I don't think she'd care about blood, she'd just be happy that I'd found someone," Peter supplied softly.

"We're a bit young to be discussing marriage," Remus stated.

"Hardly. We are at the perfect age. This is when the old pureblood families begin worrying about this sort of thing, especially for their heirs. It's all about forming the right alliances through their sons and daughters," Sirius said matter of factly.

James nodded in agreement. "My grandfather has only touched the idea few times, but those times he was completely serious about the idea."

"Do you think he'd force you into a marriage," Remus asked with concern.

"I don't know – I don't think so – I think he'd be very forceful of his expectations, even verbally forceful, but I think that's as far as it would go."

Remus was shaking his head as if he couldn't believe that they were being very serious about the possibility of arranged marriages. "It all seems so barbaric that families still force their children to marry. Isn't that something that was stopped ages ago?"

"Pureblood families are very traditional and they don't like change. Marriage isn't for love; just like friendship isn't just for companionship sake. And if you want to stay one hundred percent pure you can't let you son or daughter marry any old witch or wizard," Sirius explained.

"Well that makes sense, if you care about purity," Remus conceded.

"And there isn't much choice these days. The pureblood families are dwindling. I'll probably end up marrying someone related to me, like my cousin."

"That's disgusting. Your cousin?" Peter said making a face.

"Imagine marrying Bellatrix," James chimed.

"Don't even joke about that!" Sirius cried in horror.

Peter and Remus snickered.

"Is Victoria Dekker pure?" Sirius asked James.

"Why? Are you interested?" James responded hopefully.

Sirius laughed. "She's all yours mate."

"You might not even have anything to worry about James," Peter said. "You might fall in love with a pureblood girl. It wouldn't matter then."

"I might, but I just wish – I wish no one cared about those things."

"It's only going to get worse," Remus relayed.

"What is?" Sirius asked.

"Blood mattering."

"Why do you reckon that?"

"Haven't you been reading the Daily Prophet lately?" Remus questioned. Sirius and James scoffed at even the suggestion. "Well the rumors are still growing about an all out war based on blood. Mind you, its just rumors, but ones that won't go away, which lends me to believe there must be some basis."

"Rumors are still rumors," Sirius insisted, yet his words were far different from his own thoughts. He remembered that the meeting he attended with his father and listening to The Lord. The man had more than hinted about bigger things to come and about obtaining more rights and privileges for the 'pure'. It sounded very similar to what Remus had described the Prophet was printing; eerily similar.

"That was satisfactory, Mr. Potter," Adair stated.

'Satisfactory?' James thought. He felt he'd earned more praise than that. He'd just recited perfectly all the Latin words Adair had instructed him to memorize. Adair had them both standing behind their desks facing each other. James now had his very own desk as well as a notebook. Sirius was grinning at him from across the room.

"Now what I find interesting is how it was possible for Mr. Potter to learn all those words in a mere week, while Mr. Black, you've had weeks to work on them and you still do not have them properly memorized."

Sirius was no longer smiling.

"Do you have an answer to that, Mr. Black?" Adair questioned.

"Perhaps because James was not forced into these lessons as I was, Professor," Sirius replied smartly.

"No, I think it's because you do not have the proper motivation."

James' intention had never been for Adair to compare his progress against Sirius'. James had spent all that time only because he wanted to prove to Adair he was serious about this all. He'd never expected Adair to attempt to pit them against each other. It wouldn't work, but it was quick thinking on the teacher's part. It would not be wise of James to forget that Adair would not try everything to make these lessons as awful as possible for them.

"Mr. Black, what do you think is the proper motivation for you?"

Sirius looked startled by the question. Adair was baiting him obviously since there was no reason for her to really care about his opinion.

"Doubling these lessons, Professor," Sirius answered carefully.

Adair smiled. "That is merely a twist on detention. I've seen your record and I know that detention is not a true determent. I was debating about corporal punishment, which has worked on you in the past to an extent." Adair paused. "Still I don't think just using corporal methods will do enough. Since you two boys are so adamant about having these lessons together, I think a great motivation for both of you would be that for every rule you break you will both be consequently punished. I'll let you off today with a warning. I will not punish Mr. Black for not being fully prepared, but we have a busy day ahead of us. Do not get used to this leniency. Mr. Black, if you do not show by next lesson more interest, you will each receive ten lashes. If you do not have the material memorized as Mr. Potter has, you will each receive ten lashes for that as well. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Professor," James and Sirius answered mechanically in unison.

"Good. I'm glad we understand each other," Adair said. "Now sit."

James sat in his seat heavily. Sirius had warned him that Adair was very strict in her private lessons and this meant they didn't have much room in the confines of the lesson to try anything. Still James had one thing he could still use and that was his parents' influence. His parents, unlike Sirius', could and would complain to the Headmaster if James alerted them that Adair was not teaching them real things as well as abusing her position as teacher.

He had to be careful about how and when you use his parental influence. He'd only have one shot in playing that card. If and when his parents complained Adair would most likely just change tactics.

Remus opened his eyes. He was on his back in bed and as he rolled over onto his stomach his body protested the movement.

It was once again approaching full moon time. He looked over to see the magical clock on his bed stand. If he wanted to shower before breakfast, he had to get up. Remus did not want to miss breakfast. He always became ravenous around this time, which didn't completely fit with his other usual symptom around this time, which was nauseousness.

Hair still wet and school bag slung over his shoulder, Remus followed his friends down to the Great Hall for breakfast. James and Sirius sounded louder and more boisterous this morning than usual or perhaps he was just more sensitive this morning.

There was one change for this full moon. He wouldn't have to think up a lie to tell his friends about his upcoming absence. They knew he was a werewolf and they had accepted it. He was very grateful, but it was hard to change the habit of keeping this time of the month secret as he had done for so many years. Remus was still getting used the idea of his friends knowing. Remus almost had to remind himself that they did know and that he could actual talk to them about it. He was also so used to hiding his symptoms that it didn't occur to him to ask James and Sirius to speak a little quieter that morning.

They took a seat in their usual area digging heartedly into the breakfast meal laid out in front of them.

"You're looking a bit peaky today," James pointed out and then in a slightly lower voice said, "Is it because of your furry little problem?"

The glass Remus had been holding in his hand crashed to the floor. All the Gryffindors turned to look at him, most with annoyance at the noise distraction. Sirius fixed the glass with a 'Reparo!"

"My – er- what?" Remus asked faintly.

"Furry little problem," James repeated. "I thought it would be a good way to refer to it in public."

Remus stared at James, unsure of the proper reaction; if he should laugh or yell angrily at James.

Furry little problem? Did James not understand the severity of transforming into a deadly monster once a month? Calling it that made it seem as if it were nothing more than a slight inconvenience. Remus had lived with this affliction for most of his life and never had he thought of his lycanthropy in such light terms.

"Brilliant, James," Sirius agreed, leaning back into his chair.

Peter was looking at Remus worriedly. "Is that ok with you, Remus?" Perhaps Peter was frightened that if they angered him, he'd attack them in wolf form in the middle of the night. Or maybe Peter was just more intuitive because only now did James and Sirius realize his reaction had not been entirely positive on hearing the code word.

"It's just…" Remus didn't know how to explain it. "It's just not exactly a proper description is it? Little? Furry?"

"You do have fur, don't you?" Sirius asked.

"Well yes," Remus muttered. "But little problem? Have you seen pictures of-" Remus didn't want to utter the word werewolf with so many people around.

James didn't look dismayed or disappointed by Remus' reaction. "That was the point in the code word, Remus. I realize you don't turn into a fluffy bunny, but we don't want people guessing what you are, do we? So what better way than using a saying like that, which will throw fellow students off the trail completely?"

Remus couldn't argue with that logic. It did make sense if you looked at it in that way.

At home and at school before his four friends had figured out the truth, the full moon had always been very serious business. His parents had blatantly told him the repercussions that could occur if he did not take the proper safety precautions. They had never joked about it or made light of it. Ever. Everything they did as a family, even if it wasn't that time of the moon cycle, his parents always brought up his lycanthropy. It was always taken into account in whatever they did. Remus had never pictured thinking about it all in any other way. Werewolf was synonymous with monster, beast, and savage.

Now James had taken something Remus had always viewed in a somber and grave manner and turned it all upside down. James had accomplished that in three simple words.

Remus took a big gulp of pumpkin juice and decided to answer James' original question. "Yes, I am feeling under the weather because of my furry little problem"

He said the last three words quickly, wanting to get them out as quickly as possible. It was something he had to get used to - this different way of looking at his lycanthropy.

Madam Pomfrey was busy refilling her supply of healing potions. Every year she was at Hogwarts, she felt the amount of injuries sustained by students increased.

She heard a sudden loud commotion in the part of the Hospital Wing where the patients were kept. She sighed wanting to continue with her work, but knowing she'd first have to deal with whoever was making the racket.

She had always disliked allowing students to have visitors and while she had been busy on this task, a group must have snuck in. She only had two patients, Remus Lupin and Linda Hustle. Lupin, the poor lad, never had any visitors, so she assumed it was for Hustle. Miss Hustle was unconscious at the moment, which meant the volume of the visitors was clearly unneeded.

She swooped into the Hospital Wing ready to chase off a group of concerned friends. Why was it students could never understand how important noise volume was in the Hospital Wing? Mr. Lupin especially needed rest. Last night had not been an easy transformation. The boy had been covered with scratches and abrasions. The wolf had wanted human prey and it had made its discontent very clear.

Laugher greeted her as she walked out of the medicine closet and the sound caused her to stop mid-stride. To her surprise, the boy laughing the loudest was Mr. Lupin. He was surrounded by three friends. Madam Pomfrey recognized Potter and Black as well as the third smaller boy, though his surname had slipped her mind.

She had never seen Lupin so at ease and happy after a transformation. He had always been so sullen and quiet. It had always broken her heart to see an innocent child have to go through such a thing every month and she did her best to make it as bearable as possible. Still she had never been able to receive more than a guarded half smile from him.

She knew Potter and Black were considered troublemakers by the Hogwarts staff. She had treated both boys after they had gotten themselves into one trouble or another. Apparently she had judged the two boys wrongly; there was more to Potter and Black than them caring only about troublemaking. For one thing, they valued friendship.

Werewolves typically lived very lonely lives with very little contact with the magical world. Lupin was already an exception among his kind with the fact that he was receiving a formal education and with friends like these boys he'd at least have a happier life, and perhaps as he matured he could help restore werewolf rights.

Watching Remus laugh and smile, Madam Pomfrey realized she did not have the heart to tell the boys to lower the volume. They were not disturbing the other patient who was still unconscious, so she disappeared back into the medicine room. She'd give them another fifteen minutes or so before chasing them out.

Remus was relieved to be released from the Hospital Wing. He no longer had the burden of facing his friends' question of his whereabouts.

James, Sirius and Peter had also surprised him by visiting him in the Hospital Wing. They had in detail described to him the day he'd missed and had not brought up the fact that he was covered in bandages nor the bruise on his cheek. Madam Pomfrey had eventually chased them away and after they'd gone he fallen into a restful peaceful sleep.

Remus entered the Portrait Hall and he stopped in the entranceway hearing one of the Gryffindor girls speak his name. It sounded as if Adrianna and Lily were asking Sirius about his whereabouts.

"He's visiting his mother," Sirius answered back. There was an evident lack of patience in his voice.

"He missed a full day of class!" Lily said. "When is he coming back?"

"His mother is sick. He'll come back when he comes back!" Sirius replied. "It really isn't any of your business where he goes anyway."

It was funny to hear Sirius use the very excuse he had fed his friends all those long months.

He entered the room and Sirius upon seeing him greeted him loudly with, "How is your mother doing?"

"Not good," Remus said, "I'll probably have to visit her again in a month or so."

"Sorry to hear that mate," Sirius answered solemnly, clapping Remus on the back. Remus could see it was taking all Sirius' effort not to begin laughing. They headed toward the stairs that led to the dorm and Remus could hear the girls muttering about 'how strange boys were'.

As they joined James and Peter in their dorm, he felt a sudden fondness for his friends. Not abandoning him had been one thing and he would have been happy with just that. The fact they had taken it a step further to prove to him they didn't care he was a werewolf was more than he could hope for, which was why when later in the day they began discussing the next prank, he did not try to talk them out of it as usual, instead he asked, "What can I do to help?"

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. There will be much more with Professor Adair in the next chapters; she'll play an important role in the ending. Please review!