The trip to Diagon Alley was uneventful. Nothing really happened, they went in, went out and were done with their purchases by the afternoon. It had been a while since Remus had last been in Diagon Alley, but, much like last time, he was too busy keeping his head down to really appreciate what was around him. The only highlight he could really remember was James taking him to some ice cream shop, the three of them slopping chocolate and vanilla down their fronts and pretending it was any other day.

He said any other day because, like him, this wasn't just an ordinary trip to Diagon Alley. It was James and Sirius' last one they would ever take to get their school supplies. Not to mention the first time either of them had went without at least one guardian watching over them. James, Remus could tell, was trying to ignore the pointed looks and whispers around him. People gossiping as they had a want to do about James and his unfortunate circumstances. 'Is that the Potter boy?' 'Poor thing, and at a time like this,' 'Looks like the Black boy'll be looking for a new home- again,' that last comment sending all three of them to the nearest shop so Sirius wouldn't be tempted to pull his wand out.

Still, the trip was mostly uneventful.

September 1st on the other hand was a trial altogether. If Remus thought it had been hard herding James and Sirius into a respectable appearance, it had nothing on getting the pair of them up, dressed, packed and to Kings Cross station before the train left.

For some wise decision, James and Sirius had spent the night before their arrival back at school playing games and plotting pranks for the year ahead. Remus hadn't the heart to tell them to shut up and go to sleep, the moments where the pair of them would talk about normal things few and far between these days. So he had indulged them, and stupidly went to sleep himself. Bad idea. With little over three hours sleep and no time for breakfast when they were up it was one tantrum after another for the rest of the morning.

'Get that stupid owl to shut up James or I swear I'll hex it,' Sirius yelled, the bathroom door wide open and showing him trying to right his hair.

'He's nervous Sirius, and your shouting isn't helping much.' James put a cover over it anyway, a new shirt he'd managed to sneak into their shopping. Remus grabbed it before James could leave it and probably drop it on their way to the station. Let the owl be noisy, at least it was ready to go.

He followed James as more items dropped from his arms, socks, books and potions ingredients they could not leave behind in this muggle flat. When he stuffed them all in James' trunk, spotting Sirius' in much worse condition he'd had enough. Stalking back into the living room where another argument had broken out, he hauled Sirius and James back into their room.

'Right, I don't care if your hair's a mess, James yours always is so don't even try it this morning. Get these trunks packed and I swear if they're not by the time I come back in I'm shaving both of you bald in your sleep. Got it?'

They nodded, Remus ignoring the comment about Mrs Potter's temper being passed on to Remus in favour of getting his scarce few clothes packed and ready by the front door. He was happy to note the two of them joining him in under five minutes, waiting like patient children as Remus did one final sweep of the flat before telling them they were safe to leave.

Sirius was the one to take them all to London since he was the only one to have passed his apparition test- something Remus was really going to get James to concentrate on now he was going with him to Hogwarts. It took three trips in total. Two, to get the bags and James' owl on the platform and the third to get Remus and James there. He was shaking off the tight grip when the first horn sounded, Remus all but dragging the two of them on to the train so he could finally get another few hours of sleep.

As soon as they were let go, their bags stowed and James' head boy badge firmly in place, Remus let himself fall back on the hard seats and cast an arm over his eyes. He was exhausted, more than exhausted trying to keep James and Sirius in check. How Mr and Mrs Potter did it he didn't know. Seven- no, six, years of taking them too and fro to Hogwarts, sometimes twice a year. While it was true they mostly just had to worry about James, if this morning proved anything it was that it wasn't easier with just one of them, individually they were just as bad as they were together.

'Rem, we're going to go find Pete,' James said, the door already closing to their compartment, 'So you just go to sleep, rest your little wolfy eyes and sleep off the rest of that nasty temper you have.'

He threw a shoe at James' retreating back for that, the resounding smack off the door satisfying enough to send him into a light doze for a good hour.

The door opening had him perking up, expecting to see James and Sirius retreating from some danger they would've gotten themselves into by now. Only it wasn't them, instead it was three girls, two of them hanging in the corridor while the leader got a good look at Remus.

'Do I know you?' the girl asked, sounding quite sure as she asked that Remus was going to say no.

'I'm not a student.'

She frowned, her arms folding over her chest, making it stick out just that little bit more. Remus could honestly say this was the longest he'd ever been near a girl his age, and he didn't really know what to do. She'd already labelled him as something, and since the other girls had been muggles he hoped that label was something friendly. A kick in the balls was welcomed over a hex any day.

'You're too young to be a professor,' the girl concluded. 'Unless...' she looked to her friends, the two of them giggling lightly at her like she was simple. Maybe not such good friends after all since she turned back with more than a hard look in her eyes, 'So who are you then?'

'Remus,' he tried, which was really all the information he could give her. He didn't know much about his position at Hogwarts than her at the moment. All Dumbledore had said was that he would be joining James and Sirius at the castle, what role he had remained to be seen when he actually turned up on the grounds.

'Remus,' she sounded, getting to grips with the vowels. Her friends perked up behind her, looking to something at her left. 'Well Remus, you're-' her friends nudged her, nodding their heads to whatever had their attention. It must have been good, since she seemed to change in less than a blink. Gone was the sure attitude and tense stance in favour of a slouch and groan, the three girls disappearing before Remus could even ask their names.

Unsurprisingly James and Sirius appeared before the glass after a moment, the two of them falling over each other to get in, a smaller boy at their heels laughing at their antics.

'Close the door Pete,' James hissed, scrambling onto the seat next to Remus and sending a warning look to Sirius as a horde of students filed past the door.

As soon as the last footstep faded, Sirius took the seat opposite, huffing over at James, 'You could have let me get one hex in. That badge has went to your head.'

'Hardly,' James scoffed, flinging the thing off like it really was responsible. 'Look, the last thing we need on our first day is a detention for fighting on the train. It's not just the three of us this year Sirius.' Remus thought he didn't need to add the subtle head nod in his direction, the fourth member gate crashing their year quite clear in his words. 'Until Remus is settled in Hogwarts we just let them talk.'

'But-'

'I don't care. I don't care anymore, everyone's saying something about us so what does it matter if they're in Slytherin. If they raise their wand then fine, you can hex them. Until then just keep your head down.'

Something unspoken passed between them, something Remus knew partly concerned himself. Whatever it was had Sirius agreeing, his wand being firmly put away just in time for the trolley lady to come around.

With sweets laid out on the seats next to them, and Remus happily munching on a chocolate bar the train ride passed in considerably lighter spirits.

Peter, he learned, was a rather odd boy. From the way James described him in his stories Remus had been expecting someone, well, someone like Sirius. It seemed fitting that the three of them would be alike in more than minds, and since Sirius had set up expectations he never thought he had, to actually meet Peter was sort of anticlimactic.

He was a short boy, especially next to the tower that was Sirius. Dirty blonde hair and watery blue eyes, he couldn't be father away in looks if he tried. Not that Remus was really judging him on that, really, compared to the rest of the image, his looks were rather just background noise Remus happened to pick up.

It was the way he acted that really caught Remus' attention. He reminded Remus of a house elf. He was asked questions and answered as best he could, starting out strongly, before petering off into an almost question when he was finished, only continuing if he was sure he had James and Sirius' approval. He was quiet too, save for the questions about Remus and a brief retelling of his summer, he barely spoke a word, preferring to laugh in the gaps where something was needed.

He didn't bat an eye when James explained the werewolf thing, which told Remus that either Peter was a muggleborn and didn't quite comprehend the true disgust he should show to Remus' kind, or, he was so used to all the tales James told about him that it wasn't that frightening meeting him in person. Remus got the feeling he was rather anticlimactic too, for a werewolf.

If there was one thing Remus would remember to keep an eye on however, in all of his assessment of Peter, it was the way he looked at Remus. Not when he was introduced as a werewolf, and not when he learnt Remus would be staying with them. Rather the easy way James lay about him, knocking him about and using him as a pillow. There was almost something possessive in the way Peter looked at the hand Remus used to throw James off his lap, like he was jealous and happy at the same time. It lay just behind his eyes, in the corner of his mouth where it tightened just slightly, and most definitely in his hands, tensed on his lap and relaxing only when James was stretching his long limbs in the compartment.

'Right lads, I have a head boy meeting to get to. So, Rem play nice, don't go murdering Sirius while I'm gone. And you two, get your robes on, we need to make a good first impression. It's our last year after all.'

'Yes mum,' Sirius intoned, Peter laughing easily again as James slid out the compartment.

As soon as that messy head was out of sight Remus made it easier on the other two to not include him and settled down for another nap. He listened with one ear as Peter retold for Sirius more sordid, and probably made up, details of the summer he spent at his uncles' house in Spain. While Remus was sure it was hot over there, he doubted girls, especially the ones he was describing, just happened to wander around topless around him. Still, Sirius was content, and for the next few hours Remus got another comfortable nap.

Once again, and all too soon, he was woke up by the compartment door opening. Sincerely hoping this wouldn't be a regular thing, getting his sleep interrupted, he tried to lift his feet for James to sit down. He shouldn't have bothered, James flopped down between his legs, head on Remus' stomach before he could attempt to sit up.

'What's wrong? Head boy already proving too tough a job?' Peter teased.

'No Pete,' James sneered, 'It's Lily.' Twin groans sounded from Peter and Sirius, the two of them looking sick of their life as they prepared themselves for whatever was coming next. 'For starters, she was pissed that I was named Head Boy. Not only did she have a list she was going to present to McGonagall for better candidates, but she said when the train stopped that if I even tried to herd a first year she was going to hex me purple. Purple, she knows that's not my colour. Then, what's worse is that that when I tried asking her out, hoping that maybe she had softened over the summer, she said she had her eye on someone else. I tried asking her who but she just said he was blonde, cute and none of my business. You think it's someone at school? Maybe that Hufflepuff.'

He could see faces flashing in each boys mind, all of them trying to place blonde, cute and none of their business. Eventually Sirius piped up with something that Remus had heard him say more than once since he'd come to stay with them. 'Listen mate, it's been four years, if she hasn't softened now I don't think she ever will. Maybe you should just let her have this blonde bloke and move on to someone else.'

'Maybe,' James agreed, getting shocked gasps from the other two.

'You're not serious?' Peter asked after a minute, holding his hand up to stop Sirius quipping before he could even think about it. 'Really?'

'Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know,' James groaned, messing his hair up and punching Remus lightly in the stomach while he was at it. 'With everything that's happened it's made me think. I mean, this is our last year, I probably won't see her again after Hogwarts. And really, you're right, if she hasn't warmed up to me yet it's not going to happen. I can't just waste my life on her. Mum wouldn't have wanted that.'

They lapsed into silence, each of them trying to think up ways to cast the thought of Mrs Potter aside. In the end it was the arrival at Hogsmeade that snapped everyone out of their quiet. James took his head boy duties seriously for the next few minutes, telling Remus that as he wasn't a first year he technically wasn't breaking Lily's no interfering rule. He took great pride in telling him to leave the bags, flourishing his arms like a butler as Remus stepped off the train and lead him over to a rather tall man. Well, more than rather tall, he was the tallest man Remus had ever seen. Had it not been for the way he was making himself appear and the kind smile on his face Remus would have been more than a bit hesitant in going over.

He'd seen himself do what this man was doing many a time. A giant in a wizard world was almost as bad as a werewolf- almost. Obviously this man wasn't a real giant, Remus had read those were more wild and lived in mountains, where this man was wearing some makeshift suit and speaking more fluent English than Remus had heard kids in their own town speak. He was happy to go over and get his hand shook, noting the way he hunched in on himself subconsciously, like Remus did sometimes to make himself inferior to those around him.

'Remus eh?' Hagrid grinned, giving his hand another shake, the care took there making Remus grin. 'Dumbledore told me to keep an eye out for you. Off you go Potter, I'll take care of this one from here.'

'You're gonna love it,' James said, nudging him playfully one last time before skipping off to the carriages.

'Nice lad that one,' Hagrid said.

'I know.'

'So, Dumbledore tell you you're gonna be my little helper this year?' Hagrid asked, finally putting to rest the questions Remus had about his role here. 'Nice man Dumbledore, told me all about you.' The praises on Dumbledore's kindness took them to the boats, Hagrid letting Remus ride with him.

The castle, well, the most Remus could say about it was 'wow' his brain going offline as the majestic spires and looming towers illuminated in the sparse windowed candlelight. They dropped the first years off at the front, Hagrid telling him someone else would take them through to the hall while they went through a side entrance.

He was to sit at the staff table, right on the end next to Hagrid when he saw three of the professors already looking ready to bolt if he took one step closer to them.

He supposed there was a lot more to the welcoming feast than eating, but that was all Remus really remembered later. James said there was a speech from Dumbledore, the first years getting sorted and more notices from Filch that had James and Sirius in stitches. Remus tried to remember them, but he supposed he couldn't really be blamed for not remembering. Almost as soon as he sat down Remus' eye was caught on the ceiling. It wasn't just plain or painted, it was enchanted. The whole thing was littered with floating candles, the hundreds of them helping the torches at the sides light up the hall. Above them was the sky, dark and cloudless, it was beautiful. But more than that there was a moon, a moon that looked so real hanging there in the sky, and it was full. This was the first time since he could remember that he'd seen a full moon. Fake as it was, he spent most of the evening entranced in a feeling of amazement and disgust that something so beautiful could cause him so much pain.

Hagrid ended up slipping him a few napkin covered brownies as the feast came to a close, nudging him over to the Gryffindor table with the instructions he was to sleep like the rest of the students. Apparently it was for Remus to feel included, really he knew it was a way for the professors to feel safe in the knowledge that should he attack he would get the students first. All the students had to make them feel safe was the fact that James had kept him under control for the past eleven years.

His bed was a godsend after a summer on a sofa, the pillows soft under his head, and made even better when James threw Remus' bag his way.

'Have fun up there?' James asked, sneaking Remus' brownie from under his nose. 'Sirius thought you looked so cute up there, like a professor. Said he'd gladly get detention from you any day.'

'Very funny,' Remus scoffed, snatching his brownie back. 'So how does this all work?'

James went through their routine, the early morning wake ups and breakfast that the whole school went to, so it was safe to assume Remus was on the same schedule as them for that. Afterwards, well, when Remus told James he was helping Hagrid out, he would probably get more information the next morning.

'So, bed?'

James shrugged, 'If you like. I think Pete and Sirius are going to the kitchens for a midnight snack.'

'You've just ate.'

'I'm a growing boy.'

'Outwards,' Remus agreed.

A pillow hit him square in the face, James launching towards his own bed before Remus could retaliate. 'Don't worry about it Rem, just go to sleep.'

Something that should have been reassuring had Remus not known about James' track record. He knew the moment he said they were going for something to eat it was probably code for something more mischievous. He wasn't surprised when he woke in the dark to sounds of muted laughter. Huffing, he curled closer to his pillow and tried to ignore the blatant evil taking his sleep away.

Thankfully at least one of them was on his side, something hitting one of the others and Sirius telling them to shut it. 'It's not just us anymore Pete.'

'He's asleep.'

'He has sensitive ears,' Sirius hissed. 'and nose. We should probably give a class through the week on how to not piss him off too. Merlin help the first years if they cross him the week before the full moon.'

'Is he really that bad?' Peter asked.

'Nah,' James said, not even trying to keep his voice down. 'Rem's harmless. Even to Sirius.'

A snort, 'He still growls at me.'

'He growls?' Peter squeaked.

'He growls at everyone. Besides that was different. You have to understand that he's been taught to be more wolf than human. He has these instincts that are different to ours. More canine. When you came to our house he felt threatened so he growled and marked his territory. He was different this summer, right?' Some nod of confirmation must have came since James continued. 'It's because it wasn't his home, it had nothing really saying it was yours except the name but he still didn't feel comfortable because, you know, he couldn't make it his. It'll be different here. He has his own bed, which he'll spend all tomorrow night when he's not too tired, littering with his stuff so we know it's his, and he'll mostly be civil. Unless you do piss him off before a full moon which I can't really help you with. That's a whole new level of pissed I don't like to get into.'

Talk, finally, died off about him when Peter made it clear he was uncomfortable with the topic. Especially since Remus was 'right there James.' Which eventually just led to Remus listening to muffled laughter for a few hours before Peter said goodnight.

He was beginning to wonder if they would ever shut up as James and Sirius clambered on to one of their beds still talking. More, he wondered how the hell they even got up for classes if this was their evening schedule. Regardless, he was trying again to sleep when he heard his name mentioned again.

'No, but, what did he say?' Sirius asked.

'He just snorted. He thought I was joking with him.'

'So you don't know if he's, you know, or not?' Sirius pressed.

'No.' A sigh and the bed creaking as James probably stretched himself out followed. 'Look, if you're that interested I don't want to play covert agent anymore. You could probably tell better than I could anyway.'

'You live with him.'

'So do you, now.'

'Fine,' Sirius huffed, footsteps sounding as he went to his own bed, 'But if he thinks I'm being threatening again and tries to maim me I'm haunting you in the next life.'