The weeks went by in an almost monotonous routine really, save for the times when either one of them would just- break. Sirius was prone to moods, cooping himself up in his room for hours on end until he was coerced out by James. Remus tried to keep himself busy constantly, figuring that if he was moving he couldn't think. But usually when he'd done something more than twice his brain shut off while his hands took over, and then he couldn't help but find himself sniffing over washing or whatever it was he was doing. James tried to cheer him up there as well. Really out of all of them James was finding himself the most put out. He was a people person, thriving off others energy. Right now the only energy he had was Sirius' moods and Remus' crying, the effort it took to make them okay again draining him so much Remus saw him again and again just stop or randomly try for an argument. Anything other than the bleak moods that were contained in this tiny flat.

All too soon Remus found himself knocking on Sirius' door. James called him in, the two of them lounging on the small bed with mounds upon mounds of books surrounding them. Normally Remus was loathe to interrupt them actually doing school work, it was few and far between when the Potters had been alive, dead, and that was all they seemed to do when there was nothing else to keep them occupied. It was probably the most productive they'd ever been and Remus was actually quite happy that at least their school grades would come up out of this.

But this was important.

'Something wrong?' James asked, already perked up out of his lounge, like at any moment he would leap off the bed and sort out Remus' problem.

'Not really. I was just wondering what time we were heading off tomorrow.' Remus could tell straight away that they hadn't a clue what he was going on about. Their blank stares had him worried, he probably should have interrupted them earlier. 'The full moon's tomorrow.'

There were only three times in Remus' life that he had actually seen James genuinely scared. The first had been the morning after his first full moon at the Potters. He'd woke up to see the scrawny boy that had tried so hard to be his friend standing pale at the foot of his bed. For a few moments he thought James was horrified, that he would never want to try talking with Remus again. It was gone as soon as Mr Potter said Remus was alright, James trying to reopen his wounds by hugging him tight and telling him he thought he was going to die. The second had been the hospital a couple of weeks ago. This was the third time, and it wasn't any less comfortable than the last two.

'Oh Merlin no,' James panicked, going into a pace- or what would have been a pace had they room. 'Sirius what are we going to do? He's going to- oh Merlin.'

'What about the ministry?' Remus asked, thinking fast. They needed a place and fast. 'They have holding cells for werewolves.' He vaguely remembered hearing about it, and being in one himself after the attack.

'They got rid of them,' James said. 'Figured since all the werewolves were with pure-bloods there was no reason to have them. If we go there they'll think I can't handle you and shoot you on sight. We have to find somewhere else.'

They ended up going out when Sirius said Remus wasn't transforming at the flat. He didn't blame Sirius really, as a wolf the first thing he would be doing would be going for the two of them. Things would be destroyed, walls ripped and Sirius shouldn't have to pay more for this place than necessary, it wasn't that great a flat. There was also the fact a werewolf would need charms to keep it captive. If there was one thing spells like that needed it was practice and time. James had neither, and he doubted Sirius could perform them no matter how good a spellcaster James said he was.

They walked for what felt like hours trying to find the right empty place for Remus to transform in. Either, the place was too surrounded by muggles or it would be discovered too soon in the morning. James was a good liar, but even he couldn't explain away a bloodied boy in a murder scene room.

They went to abandoned houses, buildings with storage rooms and even a walk in freezer. But as they soon found out these places were abandoned for a reason.

It was three in the morning when James tried to talk Sirius around to letting Remus transform at the flat, thinking up ways they could get it secure enough by moonrise. Thankfully Sirius didn't give in to his panic, and quickly shot down any and all ideas James threw his way.

Thankfully, the arguments stopped as the perfect place was found. It was a sports centre, one that was still in peak condition but being knocked down in the coming days because of the newer one built behind it. There would be no muggles walking past since it was pretty remote, and since both facilities were closed while the finishing touches were being made to the new one there was a good chance that they could clean up before anyone came to check on it. The gym inside was secure with three feet of concrete, and even if Remus found a way to break out, there was a maze of corridors and steel doors that would keep the wolf occupied until sun up.

They spent the rest of the day there casting silencing spells, and by nightfall Remus was confident that this was going to be a better moon than last. Any moon was better than last.

He woke up to snoring in his ear. Sirius, and he knew it was Sirius from his sensitive nose, was drooling too close for comfort, his hair actually draping across Remus' cheek. If he wasn't convinced Sirius needed a haircut before he was sure of it now.

It took a while to untangle himself from the long limbs that seemed to have draped over him through the night, and by the time he actually sat up he wondered if James would tease Sirius about it later. God knows Remus would if he wasn't worried about being kicked out.

James was nowhere in sight, but sounds from the kitchen and the sickening smell of cooking meat told him he wasn't far off. He contemplated getting up, fully up, but figured after the lack of preparation and the fact he really couldn't be bothered meant he deserved to have breakfast in bed this once.

'You should have seen him,' James chuckled over breakfast, shovelling more bacon onto Remus' waiting plate. 'I don't think I've ever seen Sirius so squeamish before. He was all, 'there's blood on my shirt,' 'should it really be coming out this fast?' 'is he dead, I think he's dead.' So funny. He carried you in here this morning.' Remus didn't have the heart to tell James he wasn't up to more meat just yet as another horde of food came his way. 'Said he didn't want you to die in your sleep. He was in the chair last time I came in, guess he fancied a cuddle.'

'Of course he did,' Remus said. 'I'm probably the cuddliest werewolf you're ever going to find. It's the dimples I think.'

He overplayed the nudge James gave him, clutching his arm like he'd seen James do one too many times after a scrape and enjoyed the laugh that burst out of both of them. It felt like a new start, a new cycle of life for him. Last month had started off disastrously, this one would be better, and maybe one month, a few moons from now, they'd get back to what normal could feel like.

'We'll be more prepared next month,' James promised once the laughter had died off. 'I've already planned a trip to Diagon alley. Maybe get more healing books.'

'You know,' Remus remembered, 'If you had just taken Care of Magical Creatures-'

'Don't start.'

James and Sirius' Hogwarts letters came the next Monday, the two school owls dithering about for a bit as they waited for their expectant reward. It took three scraps of bacon to get one of them away from Remus' plate.

The letters had surprises galore for the both of them. James' peddling out a shiny badge that had Sirius whistling lowly beneath his breath. 'What is that?' the grin on his face belying his ignorant tone.

'There has to be some mistake,' James insisted, looking through his letter in the hopes that McGonagall had finally decided to get her own back and prank him with this. But no, the letter had nothing but congratulations inside from Dumbledore, the Head Boy badge expected to be worn on the train to Hogwarts as an introduction to the role. 'I've never even been a bloody prefect. Surely these things go to them. I mean, I'm the farthest from Head boy there should be. The Head boy should be fearing my very presence instead of me fearing... myself...' he trailed showing just how good a decision Dumbledore had made by giving James the Head Boy role.

The Head Boy badge was chucked between the three of them, Sirius and James making a game out of it when Remus started making notes about what they would need from Diagon Alley in the next few weeks. A trip he was most definitely not looking forward to.

Sirius' letter showed a delegation of Quidditch duties. With James being busy with his Heady Boy things it seemed the Gryffindor team needed a new captain to make sure both duties didn't overwork James. Remus had to listen to hours of compromising after that, apparently the two of them having been co captains- to each other anyway- for the past year. This year would prove no different save the role being given to Sirius instead of James this year.

The badge made another pass over his head when a third owl flew through the window. It landed primly in front of Remus, and he was more than surprised to see his name written in green across the old parchment.

'Dumbledore wants to see me,' he heard himself say, his brain still reading over the fine scrawl saying much the same. It was all very polite for a distinguished wizard. Usually, if any, wizard of Dumbledore's standing addressed him it was wolf this and beast that. Dumbledore actually sounded like he meant the welcoming words.

'When?' Sirius asked.

'Tomorrow. He'll be here at noon.'

They glanced at each other, questions and thoughts running through each of their minds as to why Dumbledore would want to visit Remus. It was gone as soon as Remus realised tomorrow was tomorrow, picking himself up from the table he herded the others into a cleaning frenzy.

Despite his attempts at keeping the apartment clean, it never stayed that way. Takeaway boxes always seemed to pile up no matter how many home cooked meals he insisted they eat. Thirteen trips to the bin were what got rid of all their waste, and afterwards they divided into teams each of them taking a part of the flat to scrub the living daylights out of.

James took the bathroom full of mismatched products. James' awful attempts at shaving meant that the sink looked like something had died in it, Remus sparing a few chuckles at the loud complaints echoing over to him.

Sirius took the living room, his shouts mixing in with James' as he found things he didn't even want to explain among the sofa and the coffee table. He told them they were all crowding into the one bedroom that night, saying there was no way he was letting them mess up his clean living room.

The kitchen was all that was left. That and the washing, which took Remus most of the day to clean and dry so it could be shoved into what Sirius and James called drawers.

True to his word Sirius had all three of them crowded onto the small bed that night, Remus fighting off James' kicking feet and Sirius' loud snores to get a decent nights sleep. He was loathe to wake up early the next morning, and would have gladly slept in since Dumbledore wasn't coming until one, but, as was usually the case, it wasn't just him that needed to get ready.

Sirius wasn't that bad. He was showered and dressed before breakfast was done, telling Remus the headmaster had seen him in worse conditions than muggle clothes and bed hair. James however was another story. Remus had him sitting on a stool as he ate, trying as hard as he could to tame what he called hair.

'Ow,' James whined, trying to bat off the brush again with his spoon. 'Gently Rem.'

Remus tried again to sort out that tangle, giving up when it just stuck back up and magically knotted together again as soon as he was finished. 'That's it! Haircut.'

He didn't know how they did it, was actually confused about the time in-between giving up on James' hair and the three of them sitting primly on the sofa, but they did. By one the three of them were washed, ready and presentable enough that when Remus answered the door it didn't look like they were three struggling teenagers.

'Good afternoon,' Remus greeted, letting in an elderly wizard and a stern looking witch. Well, she wasn't that stern. No sooner had she strode past the threshold did she make a beeline for James and Sirius, almost fussing over them.

'I finished my transfiguration essay,' James told her. The witch just tutted and went to sort Sirius out.

The elderly wizard Remus recognised as Dumbledore from his chocolate card collection- or his past collection since he had to leave that in the house with the rest of his things. The man was supposed to be a fair wizard, and one that had went down in history for defeating more than one dark wizard. Standing in front of him it was hard to believe, but Remus knew something about appearances being deceiving, what with his skinny frame turning into a massive furry bulk every so often, and was quite conflicted as to what he should do in front of such a man.

Thankfully the decision was taken away from him as Dumbledore shook his hand. 'So nice to finally meet you Mister Lupin. I knew your father, he was a fine wizard in his day. Shame about what happened.'

'Thank you,' Remus said. He was still reeling from the handshake, from the friendly tone, from the fact it had been so long since he'd heard his last name he'd forgotten he had one at all.

He retreated back into his house servant role for lack of anything to say or do. Starting with drinks he made sure everyone was comfortable, dithering around helplessly while the two distinguished wizards sat themselves down until James just told him to stop.

They were there for most of the afternoon. The proposition, for that was why Dumbledore was here, had to be explained more than once as James and Sirius started on this or that question regarding it. Dumbledore knew their situation, how they had bought this place, or Sirius had, before the accident happened and they had no more plans other than James and Sirius finishing school and moving out next summer. Dumbledore had said it was a good idea, had the Potters been alive, but they weren't, and so James had to think about other things. Like what would happen to Remus while James was away at school.

Even if James kept the place for Remus to stay in while he was gone there was a reason the Ministry placed werewolves with pure-blood families. They had facilities, wands, a means to patch the poor creatures up after a moon. If James left Remus alone for the year then Ministry action would probably be taken at some point to remove Remus altogether. A prospect none of them wanted.

So Dumbledore had an alternative solution: Remus came to stay at Hogwarts for the year. He would help out around the grounds with their gamekeeper Hagrid, and on full moons he would go to a facility Dumbledore had set up and be tended by the matron in the morning.

It was... ideal. But, 'Do you want me to go?' He knew Hogwarts was James' place. Remus tagging along might spoil his reputation or something, and he didn't really like to think about it but James' opinion on him mattered to him.

James didn't see it like that, or just didn't care. Almost as soon as Remus had asked he said, 'Why wouldn't I?' and started making more arrangements of beds and food with the Headmaster.

It was strange, Remus had always wanted to see Hogwarts. He just didn't expect to have lost this much before getting there.