He was able to move back into his old room after two more days. His leg was mostly healed, just a fair bit of limping on his part to move it, which meant that while James had been trying to include him in his summer fun, it wasn't likely to happen with the pace he was walking at. In the end he just told James to go on ahead, he didn't mind, not really, and he had all of his old school books to go through anyway.

The summer passed in rather the same fashion. He would be okay for three weeks, keeping to himself and letting James and Sirius cause all manners of mischief in the Potter house, and only telling them off it they made too much of a mess. Or he would stand guard while they flew outside. Or bribed them with sweets if he needed to get James new clothes since he'd outgrown the last pair of jeans he owned. All of it was fine. Then that fourth week would pop up with its stupid full moon and he'd be back to a jealous canine pining over his wayward master.

He started to fear himself when that time came, the second moon proving worse than the first as he not only resented Sirius for being in the house but actually growled at the boy. He remembered the way Sirius had grown impossibly pale, his eyes widening until every fleck of grey and blue could be made out. Remus hadn't meant to do it. The reason for why had been stupid. Juvenile. He'd been coming in to clean up James' room on behest of Mrs Potter who 'would not go into that pigsty until there was some floor visible,' prompting her son to bribe Remus with chocolate to make said floor appear.

It was actually a mess, one Remus cringed at when he thought back now. Clothes were scattered everywhere, even on the windowsill, and none of them were clean by far. They mostly looked to be James', but every now and then Remus spotted something that was distinctly Sirius'. Out of the two of them it looked like at least one knew what tidy meant. Parchment, ink bottles and quills were like landmines, hiding under week old boxer shorts and waiting to pierce Remus' newly healed skin. He didn't even want to know what kind of potions the two of them had cooked up or stole, the remains being layered on the walls and clothes, basically everywhere in sight.

James had been lounging on his bed, the only real clean thing there- which was a stretch since the sheets still smelled like something had died in them. Sirius was on the one opposite, the two of them throwing paper cranes to and fro lazily, which soon stopped when Remus made himself known.

'Good man,' James had crowed, tossing the chocolate bribe over. 'Just clean up around the door. Mum'll do the rest when she gets sick enough.'

Remus sighed but picked up the first article of clothing nearest to him. 'You know you're perfectly capable of cleaning up after yourself. I know it's my job, but you could just make it easier.'

James frowned, no doubt reading into the sentence for what it was, Remus telling him Mrs Potter wasn't going to get a chance to yell at James again since it would be clean by that evening. 'Just the door Rem. Between not being able to use magic and being grounded for that Gnome stunt I have nothing else left. Just let me feel some semblance of chaos. Please.'

He didn't deem that with a response, getting to work on the ink and potion mesh threatening to take his toes off. It took him ten minutes to pick away the gunk. Another ten to get the stain off, and then another for it to look like floor again. By the time he returned to picking up James' mess his arms were aching and his nose hurting from the fumes. He hated being this close to the moon.

His sense of smell came back to him the closer he got to James' bed- he was half hoping it would stay gone until he was done. Three more tackled stains and he mistakenly picked up something that he wasn't meant to. Something he didn't know he wasn't meant to until Sirius was snatching it out of his hands and telling him not to bother with it.

It was just an old shirt, one which he thought he remembered from James' wardrobe. Or maybe his own, since he sometimes he got James' hand-me-downs when the Potters didn't want to throw clothes out needlessly. The pattern on front was worn, and below the definitive stink of Sirius he could smell James and himself on it. But of course it was the Sirius smell that had him reacting. One which tugged at the primal resources of his brain. One which he'd come across a lot doing James' laundry and not so often doing his own.

Come. Which really shouldn't have been a big deal. He'd made the joke himself that James should move on from Lily and just go for Sirius he was that devoted to him. But he was in his irrational time of the month, not thinking straight, and all he could think was that Sirius had got come on James' shirt. He was defiling his human, which would be bad enough if he wasn't an uninvited guest with no concept of boundaries and taking all of his time with James away.

So he growled. He barely noticed it, and honestly thought it was something else with the way it sounded completely inhuman. When he realised it was himself the damage had been done, Sirius was rigid in fear. Thankfully James was there, telling Sirius to be more careful with his wanking next time and nearly shoving Remus out the door.

He blamed it on the moon. He apologised to the whole family that night he felt so bad. He would have apologised to Sirius privately too but he was afraid of what he might do, and of what Sirius might do to him. He'd completely overstepped a line, one which had him retreating into his cellar days early to avoid the rest of the family and more fallout.

August came with a stern owl. Two of them, delivering letters to James and Sirius at the breakfast table. Remus thanked the owls for their interruption. Things had been bad since the growling incident, Sirius not even trying to get along with him anymore- not that he made much effort in the first place. He avoided even looking at Remus through their meal, instead keeping his eyes on his plate or James who was complaining, loudly, about how there was nothing to do.

The letters came with results of their OWL's. Results that had Mr and Mrs Potter whooping in the kitchen and saying things like James wasn't going to be a layabout after all.

'Some bloody vote of confidence that is mum,' James yelled, sharing a look of disbelief with Sirius.

The letters also came with a list of books and supplies the two of them would be needing for the upcoming year. Remus poured over the book list when he was given the letters. He'd finished James' current ones, and despite the fact they were mostly biased towards wizards was looking forward to their follow ups. Or would have been had James not been dropping some of his favourite classes.

'You know, it's probably not a good idea to drop Care of Magical Creatures when your magical creature at home will need to be cared for at some point,' Remus pointed out, handing the letters over to their original owners.

'True,' James agreed. 'But my magical creature is perfectly capable of being cared for on his own. And, furthermore, if my magical creature should need outside care than the care he provides himself then something drastic must be wrong and therefore I must seek professional advice elsewhere as would be proper. So don't even try and guilt me into taking that class for another two years Rem.'

With the letters came the customary trip to Diagon Alley. Thankfully this was something Remus could beg out of. Not only had a bad experience the first several times scarred him for life, but the Potters believed it best to keep Remus at home while James was out to suss out where the smell, that usually cropped up around the fifth week of James' stay, was coming from.

They left the following morning, the four of them clattering out the house with more raised voices than was wise. Mr Potter came back twice in the few minutes they had left, each time greeting Remus at the door as he snatched his forgotten hat and James' forgotten shoe.

Finally as the house grew quiet, Remus ventured back into James' room to start a real clean up. He hadn't been back in here since the growling incident. James had tried to coerce him back in for games and such, and the few times Sirius had passed him in the hall he had mentioned to him not to be a stranger.

It took some effort, and mental preparation for whatever may be in there. Thoughts of what he last found were pushed to the back of his mind. It wasn't his business, and it wasn't near the full moon so he should be okay.

He should be. That didn't mean he was. It hurt more than it should to smell Sirius all over James' stuff. Thankfully it wasn't on any more of James' clothes, and where it was Remus just kept away from.

It took him an hour to have the room looking okay. Okay being what he was willing to leave it at since it was the first time in a long time since Remus was left alone for the day. He did a few other chores, not wanting it to look like he spent the whole time alone doing nothing, before he found a nice patch of sunlight and took a nap.

The door slamming woke him up, James bounding over with a half dripping ice cream running down his arm. 'Quick Rem before it's gone.'

It was his favourite flavour, chocolate with more chocolate on top, and wizarding so the flavour was even more intense. He was sad to say it didn't last two minutes, licking the rest of it off his fingers as he followed James over to where Sirius had picked up some take out.

'Where's Mr and Mrs Potter?' he didn't hear them, or even smell them, around the house. Since James and Sirius didn't look worried, well, James didn't look worried, he figured it wasn't a big deal to ask.

'Grimmauld place.' At Remus' blank look, 'Sirius' house. Mum and Dad wanted to give Sirius' parents a chance to pay for his stuff. Of course they said no, so now Mum's having the mother of all rants at Mrs Black. Dad brought us back, but I think he went to back Mum up. Probably a good thing too, your Mum's scary,' He said to Sirius, the boy looking more pale the longer they talked about it.

'You should see her when she's really mad.'

Mr and Mrs Potter came back after a while, Mrs Potter a whirlwind as she cursed and said things Remus only half understood. He got the gist of it after Mr Potter explained. The Blacks had outright told Sirius to get out of his sight, that he wasn't welcome there and shouldn't have even came back at all. Even Regulus, who was Sirius' younger brother, had thrown the last of Sirius' stuff out and told him to get lost. It was about then that Sirius and James made their escape. Also around about then that Mrs Potter really let her tongue loose.

The meal that evening was uneasy. Every now and then Mrs Potter would start in on another one of Mrs Blacks unfortunate traits. Mr Potter would try and calm her down, but that had her going on an even bigger rant about how she shouldn't be told to calm down, and how she had every right to start on those people. James was a nervous wreck. He never dealt well with his parents fighting, or any kind of conflict really if he wasn't a part of it. He was more the peacemaker of the family like his dad, and was on a constant stream of jokes and memories to try and cheer Sirius up. Sirius, he was probably the most quiet Remus had ever seen him, and that was saying something since he barely talked while Remus was around anyway. He was sinking into his chair, fiddling with his food more than eating it.

He excused himself without so much as eating anything, the leftovers being put in the fridge for later. As soon as Sirius was gone James let it out to his mother. 'I know you don't like them, but you could at least keep some of your views to yourself mum. They're still his family.' He was gone soon after that, no doubt to reassure Sirius that the Potters would always be here for him.

Remus left too. James' words were scathing, and Mr Potter was more than happy to start explaining why when his son left the room. So he retreated to his room hoping for an easy night. He should have known his luck wasn't that good.

Sirius was on his bed when he got in, James pacing the room and trying to form three apologies into one. For his parents. For how the day went. For Sirius' life in general. Giving up only when he saw Remus standing in the doorway, a stranger in his own room.

'Rem you know what it's like. Tell Sirius he's going to be fine.'

'I'm going to be fine James,' Sirius said before Remus could even open his mouth.

That didn't stop James from insisting that Remus tell him still. 'I mean, you were fine when you came to stay with us. I mean, it took a while but-'

'I'm grateful for everything you've done for me,' Remus said at last. 'And you're everything I could ask from a family. But you're still not my parents James. Blood is still blood at the end of the day, it doesn't just change because you want it to. But, Sirius, my family isn't yours, and just because they're your family it doesn't mean what they do is always right. The Potters love you, you're going to be fine.'

James huffed, 'See, told you he'd know what to say.'

'Yeah.' It was probably the first time in a while since Sirius had voluntarily looked him in the eye. 'Thanks Remus.'

Believing the matter settled James joined Sirius on Remus' bed. Not having the reservations Sirius had he kicked his feet up and asked why Remus was still standing in the doorway. He thought the matter of him trying to cheer Sirius up dropped when he finally joined them, opting to read while James was quiet for once.

But as was his luck, 'What were your parents like?' He knew the question was directed at him, the pure curiosity on both Sirius and James' face belying the innocence it was asked with. James tried again after a moment. 'Did they mind that you were a werewolf?'

Remus shrugged, that night came back in flashes, the wolves, his parents, his dad. His dad, he still didn't know what happened to him. Whether it had been a slow or quick death. Whether he had gotten bitten like Remus and executed afterwards with the rest of the werewolves. Whatever happened, he hoped his dad didn't suffer much.

A poke in his leg brought him back. 'They died the night I got bit. I think my mum tried to fend the wolves off. She was outside the cupboard they put me in. Well, some of her was.' James cleared his throat, looking seconds away from giving a hug, something, for some reason, Remus didn't want to happen. Not right now. It wasn't James' fault this happened to him. Besides, Sirius was watching, he couldn't afford to look weak in front of another- he was about to think wolf again. His instincts were in serious need of re-evaluation. 'Like I said though, I have you now. It's fine.'

'They must have been nice,' James decided. 'To do that for you. And I remember when you first came here, I sometimes heard you crying. I don't think anyone would do that if their parents were awful.'

'I guess.' He agreed, not really remembering anything about them other than that night.