Chapter Six: Plans:

Remus Lupin stared up at the depressing building that was Headquarters for the Order. It had been two weeks since James had gotten himself married, and the full moon was the next day. Remus had to say, he would much rather be in bed at home, pretending that the world didn't exist.

However, Albus had requested his presence, and Remus really didn't feel as if he could refuse. He was feeling extremely anxious and on edge though, so he hoped that this meeting would not be stressful. Moony was on the edge of his mind, and Remus was sure the wolf was growling at him. He wasn't entirely sure why the wolf was so angry this month, but it had him worried. Not only that, it had him reacting very sensitively to things around him.

Rubbing his forehead, he walked into the building, and was surprised by the fact that it seemed quite. Surely he couldn't be the first one to arrive? Remus walked down the hall into the room where they normally held meetings. He was startled to see that only Albus, Minerva, James, Lily, Sirius, Peter, Alice and Frank were there.

Curious, Remus walked in, causing everyone to turn to look at him. Lily jumped up, rushing over to him. "Remus! Goodness, you look terrible," Lily said in alarm. Sirius let out a soft snort at that. Remus gave Lily a tired smile,

"Thanks, Lily," he said with a quiet laugh. He knew that she would see his eyes almost glazed over in pain, as he was having trouble hiding it this time.

"You really don't look so hot, even for you Remy," Sirius suddenly said in concern. Remus flinched at the volume of his voice, refraining from letting out a pained moan.

"Yes, well, Moony is not happy this moon. He's been growling and whining for two days now," Remus said, plopping down in a chair.

Albus looked at his young student, an eyebrow raised. He knew that there was more too it then that, but despite his vast stores of knowledge, he really didn't know enough about the species to know what it was.

"Remy, what's going on?" James asked in concern. "I know there is something up; I saw the looks you and Jenna were giving each other at the wedding."

Remus sighed, looking at them all. The faces were honestly concerned, and he knew that he couldn't lie to him.

"Moony is probably feeding off my own anxiety. I have about a month now before I have to figure out how in the world to have Moony locked in a room with a person and not hurt said person," he said soflty.

"What?" Minerva exclaimed. "Why in the world do you have to do that?"

"The Ministry," Remus said looking angry. "We protest that we aren't evil and dark, so they decided to pick the one night that we are dangerous to make us prove it. I was chosen for this stupid experiment since I am the most recognized werewolf in Britain at the moment, besides Fenrir Greyback. Apparently, they don't really want to try to capture him."

James, Sirius, and Peter were watching Remus closely, or rather, watching his eyes. The others in the room decided to let the Marauder's handle the situation, as no one else had ever dealt with an enraged werewolf this close to the full moon.

"Remy, can you just avoid the Ministry?" Peter asked cautiously. They needed to figure out how bad it all was before they would be able to calm Remus down at all.

"No, I can't! They've decided that if I don't show up, it counts as failing and they will immediately pass a law allowing it to be legal to hunt down and kill werewolves. I cannot condemn them all, but I can't think of a way to possibly be able to avoid Moony's natural reaction. Even in human form on the day of a full moon, it is difficult to control him."

Remus was trembling, looking extremely stressed out. He looked at Dumbledore, "Albus, if the Ministry allows this, you will have nearly 100,000 people join the Dark in this war," he said softly. "They will not stand by while we are slaughtered."

Sirius came and sat down beside Remus, handing him a bar of chocolate, which to the amazement of everyone in the room, he began to eat it. The lines in his forehead relaxed some, and the amber shine in his eyes seemed to pull back towards a more normal color.

When Remus finished the candy, he caught the startled expressions on everyone's face. "What?" he asked in confusion.

"How did-?" Alice started, looking astounded. Lily walked over and looked right into Remus' eyes, from a rather close distance, causing the werewolf to jerk back in surprise.

"That little chocolate bar calms you down that much?" she asked, still staring at him. James and Sirius had been reduced to helpless laughter on the floor, while Peter was shaking his head and laughing. Albus had that delighted twinkle in his eyes again as he sucked on one of his sherbet lemons.

"Oh that, well yeah I guess it did. Moony like chocolate. I think because he likes the effects, but he can't consume it himself as it would make him ill," Remus told him.

"Remus, I think we can come up with a way to get you guys out of this," James said, finally getting off the floor.

"How?" Remus said, looking a bit hopeless.

"It's going to be a bit dangerous, but since you have the full moon tomorrow, we'll be able to try it out in a relatively safe environment."

"What are you talking about James? Try what out?"

"Well, I think the first thing we need to do is have you gorge on quite a bit of chocolate tomorrow before the moon comes up. It should help make Moony more docile. We'll all be with you as usual, and if the chocolate seemed to help some, we can try it."

"James! Try what?" Remus, Lily, and Alice asked in exasperation.

"Remus, you said that Moony would not actually kill a member of you 'pack', right?" James asked intently.

"Well, yeah," Remus said hesitantly, suspicious about where this was going.

"I think that you should let one of us," James said motioning to the other Marauders, "be the human placed in the cell with you for the Ministry."

"What!" Remus yelped. "No, no way! You'd have to be in human form. No, not going to happen!"

"Remy, relax," Sirius said, seeing where James was going with this.

"The best chance you have at getting Moony to cooperate is to put someone in there he knows and recognizes as pack. You don't have to worry about biting us, because if you look like you are going to attack, we'll just change back to our animal form. It would still be a fail, true, but you won't have to worry about changing or killing anyone."

Remus opened his mouth to object to the plan, but then stopped and thought about it longer. His forehead wrinkled and he tilted his head to the side. He glanced at Albus,

"Do you think that will work, sir?"

"Perhaps," Albus said thoughtfully. "I think that for this moon, we should set up a place that the rest of us can observe you. If we do, then we can offer up suggestions for improvements to the overall plan."

Remus looked very hesitant at the entire idea. He'd never let anyone watch him change before, not even the Marauders. Lily had seen it, but he doubted that she had seen the worst. He was drugged, and that transformation had gone quick in an effort to get a the human blood in the room.

"Remus, we are your friends. We aren't going to be disgusted or whatever you think our opinions will be. If you really don't want us to watch you change, we can turn away for that part," Alice said gently. Remus looked at them,

"It's not that," he said uncomfortably. "It's just that, well no werewolf lets a human watch them really. The procedure is excruciating, and not very pleasant to watch. It is not at all like an Animagus transformation. It's bloody, and loud, and to be honest, I don't want to freak you guys out," he said. He looked at Lily, "You are going to see my body do things that it is not supposed to do. At least, I shouldn't be able to do it and survive anyways. You may wonder about the lack of written information about the transformation itself. Anyone that has seen it has either been killed by the wolf, or Obliviated later."

"Remus dear, you don't have to worry," Minerva said gently. The others nodded in agreement,

"Yes Remus, we love you very much," Lily told him, kissing his cheek. "We will strive to remember that you are used to the experience, and that it is something that has to happen. However, I can say from an intellectual point of view, I can't wait to compare the real thing to the Muggle movies," she said with a giggle.

Remus raised an eyebrow, "Muggle movies?" he asked.

"Oh yes, didn't you know? Werewolves are a favorite of Muggles. They are quite prominent in a lot of movies, as are vampires. The portrayal of vampires is entirely inaccurate," Lily giggled. James and Sirius were grinning,

"Lily dear, can we watch those Muggle movies one day soon? I'd like to see what they think," James said. Remus looked thoughtful,

"That might be fascinating, to see how a race views a creature they don't believe exists," he said. He looked around, "All right, I suppose we can try it," he said. "How many of you are Animagi?"

James looked shocked when Alice, Frank, and Lily raised their hands with sheepish expressions on their faces. Minerva smiled, having raised her hand as well.

"Lily! You never told me!" James exclaimed.

"Well dear, the three of us only just figured out how to do it. We figured that if the three of you could manage it, then we could do it too. Why do you ask, Remus?" Lily asked, turning to the grinning werewolf.

"Well, I think it might be a good idea to see if having more of my 'pack' involved while we are testing to see if I will eat James for lunch. Depending on your form that is. It takes a long time to convince Moony not to eat an animal he considers prey, whether or not they are pack. I still pounce on Peter," he said, giving his friend an embarrassed smile. Peter chuckled, patting his shoulder,

"That's okay, Remus. Playing dodge Moony's teeth has made me much faster."

"Wait a sec, did you say, see if you eat James for lunch?" James asked suddenly. Remus laughed and nodded,

"Yes, I believe I did."

"How did I get volunteered for bait?" he asked good-naturedly.

"Well, in case I do decide to bite you, deer tastes better than dog or rat," Remus said, wickedly. James gave him a horribly offended expression,

"Hey!"

Remus shook his head, "No, the reason I think you should do it is because of the way Moony views you as alpha, even if you look like dinner as an animal and as a human. If you keep a commanding expression on your face, and look aggressive, I think you just might be able to intimidate the wolf," he said more seriously.

"You think? I thought that he might snap if I was aggressive."

"No, I don't think so. If you just passively sat there, I believe he would try to challenge you for leadership. Moony is getting old enough to want to be the leader, so you are going to have to show him who's boss. Maybe we can give you a thin flexible stick to hit him with, in place of a nip," Remus replied.

James' mouth actually dropped open, "You're telling me that you want me to hit a werewolf with a stick while I am in human form?" he yelped. Remus laughed,

"Relax James, we'll give you a long stick. Sirius will be able to hold me off," he said, then glanced at Minerva, "Uh, Professor, I don't know that you should join in, or at least be very close. I might chase you," he said with a flush.

Minerva laughed, "I think that is probably a good idea dear," she said. "I doubt I would enjoy being chased, by you or Sirius," she said, glaring at Sirius, who was giving her an innocent expression.

"What do the rest of you change into?" Remus asked.

"I am a bear," Frank said with a smile. Remus looked startled at that.

"Well, would you be willing to assist? I am pretty sure that Moony wouldn't mess with a bear."

Sirius snorted, "Remus, Moony tried to take on the Whomping Willow," he said. Remus chuckled,

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," he said wryly, rubbing his head. "It definitely whomped me."

Frank laughed, "I will join you I think. You can't turn an animal, so I don't think I will mind helping, even if you are aggressive. I am a rather large bear."

"I am a fox," Lily said. "I would rather wait and be introduced to you slowly, Remus. I am not big enough to defend James, and I'd rather not be lunch. I think I'll wait until the guys can help introduce us properly."

Remus nodded, "That is probably a good idea Lily," he said with a smile. He turned to Alice, who had a mischievous expression on her face.

"I think I'd rather show you all," she said. They watched closely as she changed, and Remus let out a startled yelp when she changed into a gorgeous, solid black wolf. When she changed back, he was staring at her, an odd, highly embarrassed expression on his face.

"What's up, Remy?" Sirius asked, concerned.

"Uh, Alice, we might want to wait to introduce you to Moony as well," he said uncomfortably.

"How come?" Alice asked, looking a bit hurt.

"Well, I have no doubts that a wolf would be very effective with controlling Moony, I have no idea how I would react to a female wolf. You are the only one of the same species, and I do not want to, um…" Remus trailed off, looking down at his feet.

"Remus dear," Alice said, gently touching his cheek. He looked up at her uncertainly.

"I understand, and I am not offended at all," she told him. He looked into her eyes for a long moment before finally smiling.

"What made you think you would have problems with that type of thing?" Sirius asked. Remus groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"It's a werewolf thing. When I come across any canine, I can read them I guess, or rather, understand the language. I would guess that Alice hasn't hung out with any wolves yet in her form, so she hasn't figured out how to not speak when she is a wolf yet."

"Oh dear!" Alice exclaimed. "What in the world did I say to you?"

Remus blushed, "I think I will keep that to myself," he said, causing Alice to drop her head on the table. Before anyone, namely Sirius, could comment further, Remus suddenly slumped forward in his seat, letting out a soft groan. The little boost the chocolate had given him was gone, and hi headache was back in full force. It felt as if the pressure inside his head was trying to push his eyeballs out.

"Remus?" Lily asked gently, taking a concerned step forward. James gripped her arm and shook his head. Peter and Sirius knelt close to the werewolf.

"Remus, push him back. Your mind is much stronger than that of the wolf. You can do it, but don't let him out until it is time," Peter said gently.

"He'd furious this month," Remus whispered, almost inaudibly. He looked at Sirius,

"Can I borrow a room?"

"Sure, Remy. We'll all hang out here tonight and make plans for tomorrow," Sirius said, helping his friend to his feet. Remus allowed him to help him up to one of the guest rooms. James gave Albus an alarmed look.

"I've never seen it effect him this badly," he said softly. "It's going to hurt him badly tomorrow."

"We will do what we can, James. Right now, I think I will head off to the Ministry and see if I can convince the Minister to wait another two or three moons to try this out. If we can get in a few experiments beforehand, then perhaps we will be able to pull this off. I want to get him to agree that if we do manage it, he has to leave the werewolves alone."

"If anyone can do it, it is you, sir," James said with a smile. When Albus and Minerva left, promising to return the next day, the friends sat close together. Alice, Frank, and Lily were looking at James and Peter.

"I never realized how much this would actually affect him," Alice said quietly.

"It does, a lot. He skimmed over the issue when we were talking, but do you remember when he said that Moony is only a cub?" James asked. They all nodded, and James sighed, looking sad.

"What he neglected to mention is that human side is aging too fast. Despite his strength and speed, he is not immortal. You've all seen the gray hair. His body is the equivalent of someone fifty or sixty years old, though you will never hear him complain about it. Werewolves bitten as young as he was normally don't make it past the age of forty or so, if that. The transformations are hard on him, and if the Ministry or Voldemort doesn't kill him first, it will be the lycanthropy that does so."

Lily had place her hands over her mouth in horror, "Oh no!" she said, horrified. "Isn't there something we can do?"

"Not really," Sirius said, walking into the room, a grim look on his face. Not unless we cure him. Even if we found some way to let him keep his mind when he's changed, the transformations will still tear his body apart."

They all looked very upset at this news. "You haven't seen it yet because you haven't known about his secret long enough, but he gets sicker earlier, and heals slower after each full moon," Peter said softly. "Most people only see the monster, but they do not realize that there is a reason lycanthropy is called a curse."

Lily looked at Alice in determination, "I think I found something I want to focus my research on," she said. Lily nodded in agreement at that. It seemed like a very good idea, and something they could actually do to help their friend.

ooOoo

Remus sat in the guest room on the bed, his eyes closed in meditation. His head hurt too much to sleep, and he really need to try and calm Moony down if they had any hope of getting him to obey James in human form.

His thoughts drifted to his friends, and he couldn't help but smile. It seemed that they would go through a good deal of effort to help him out. He knew that he would never be able to repay them for their efforts. He simply didn't have the time, or the means to give back much of anything. He wished there was something he could do.

But for now, he would have to settle on focusing, and getting Moony to behave himself. He hoped this plan of theirs would work, and that James would be able to change back quickly enough to avoid getting bitten. He would never forgive himself if he hurt, or killed his friend, or worse, passed on this hellish curse.

He turned his thoughts to Jenna, and smiled again. She was a wonderful woman. She'd only been bitten about a year ago, and she was taking the transformations extremely well. Her wolf was much more docile than Moony, and did not fight her every step of the way. Hopefully, when they found a way to defeat the Ministry, James and the others would help introduce their wolf forms. He wanted to make sure that he wouldn't hurt her before he allowed them to transform together.

Sighing, he closed his eyes. He really didn't know why she wanted to get close to him. She knew how long he'd already been a werewolf, yet she was extremely determined to get to know him. In most things, she was more fortunate than him. She came from a wealthy family, and they had not disinherited her when she'd been bit.

He was glad that she didn't have to struggle for a day to day living as he did, but in time, if things kept progressing the way they did, the Ministry would manage to ruin her life as well.

He didn't realize how long he sat lost in his thoughts until Sirius gently tapped on the door. "Remy, we should probably start stuffing you with chocolate. The moon will be up in a few hours."

Remus glanced towards the window, and saw with surprise, that the sun was indeed getting lower in the sky. Remus nodded, getting to his feet and following Sirius out. His friends spent the remainder of the night trying to cheer him up by sharing some of the funny Marauder stories. Albus and Minerva were surprised at some of the stories, and Minerva announced that she needed to take off a lot of extra points from Gryffindor, just on principle.

Albus glanced at the clock, "It is nearly time Remus. Perhaps we should show you the room we set up, and get you comfortable."

Remus nodded, a somewhat distracted expression on his face. They all walked to the basement. When they entered the large room, Remus stopped, a somewhat disbelieving expression on his face. In the center of the room was a huge glass box that was filled with a grass and some logs and large rubber objects, designed to keep him entertained.

His eyebrows shot up as he turned to look at the others. It was getting harder to concentrate. "Let's go set everyone up. It's getting harder to concentrate, he said, despite feeling very lethargic from the chocolate. Moony knew it was almost time to play.

Remus walked into the room and put everyone where he wanted them. James was stationed as far from Remus as he could get. He would remain in human form, standing up, and attempting to look intimidating. Frank, along with Peter, would be lurking halfway, in case he got past Sirius. Sirius would remain the closest to Remus.

Before Remus closed the door, he glanced at Albus, Minerva, Alice, and Lily. "I am afraid you guys are going to have to see me naked. I don't want to eat yet another pair of robes," he said, rolling his eyes slightly, but determined not to look embarrassed.

He closed the door, and watched as Albus locked the room up tight. Remus removed his clothing and vanished them up to his room. Alice was shocked by the number and size of scars that littered his body. Remus knelt on the ground and closed his eyes. They watched as he purposely took deep breaths, trying to concentrate keeping control.

Lily and Alice held each other tightly, watching in anxiety. They were curious, but terrified at the same time. Albus watched the fake window that magically reproduced the outside. Suddenly the moon came up over the horizon, and they watched Remus as his entire body stiffened.

Eyes wide, they watched as he suddenly threw his head back in pain and let out a loud scream, his body contorting in severe pain.

It was time.