Hello everyone. Thanks for all you reviews, glad you liked the last chapter (and I'm glad someone noticed my freudian cameo)

Here's the new chapter

Enjoy

Chapter Nine - Moon Night

James and Harry stepped back as Hermione pointed her wand and muttered various spells under her breath. The shed glowed blue and she turned back to them with a grim smile, "It's secure."

James didn't say anything, he stared at the shed realising for the first time in five years he wouldn't be with Remus when he transformed. The full moon was what made the marauders the marauders. It was their monthly escapades that made them much more than just best friends and comprehension of this suddenly made James feel lonelier than he had done for a long time.

"Peter?" asked Harry softly.

James spun round eagerly, "Where?" Harry stared at him, "Oh right…yes?"

Harry opened his mouth but he was distracted by loud, piercing howls coming from the shed.

James couldn't bear to hear them so he trudged back into the house. Most of the guests were the living room but Ginny, Dean, Neville and Seamus stood in the hallway.

"Excuse me," James muttered as he trudged past them.

"We didn't mean to stare," Ginny said as he walked past her, "We're sorry."

"It's not me you have to apologise to," James replied sharply.

Ginny frowned, "We haven't anything against werewolves you know. We were just a bit surprised."

"Yeah," put in Dean, "One of our professors was werewolf, Remus Lupin was his name and he was the best teacher we ever had."

James stopped and nearly smiled. Old Moony was going to be a professor. That figured.

Neville nodded enthusiastically, "Definitely the best, I remember crying when he left."

"Why did he leave?" James asked.

"People found out about his condition so he had to resign," Seamus responded sadly.

"Ignorant people," Neville added angrily, "People who were too stupid to see past something he couldn't help. But we're not. Peter, we're sorry we stared but we really don't care that John's a werewolf."

James allowed a small smile to creep onto his face but he realised this was not his moment. It was Moony's.

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"Peter?"

James sat up from where he sat in the large armchair of the library. He had been sat there for about two hours lost in his own thoughts, wondering what Lily, Sirius and Peter were doing now. He hadn't even heard the sounds of guests shuffling out of the house earlier than they had expected or the muffled whispers of intense conversation that had been held outside the library door. He turned to face Harry who walking towards him with two mugs.

"Coffee," he explained handing one mug to James with a polite smile, "I assumed you wouldn't want to sleep."

"I couldn't even if I tried," answered James taking a few sips, "Where's Hermione?"

"She's downstairs with Ron and Ginny," Harry replied sitting down on the sofa opposite his guest, "She's still a bit upset. She thinks this is somehow her fault."

James didn't answer. He knew he was supposed to say it wasn't Hermione's fault at all but he couldn't help thinking it was. Harry watched his face carefully. "She didn't mean to confront him like that," he said. "But if you had told us, none of that would have happened anyway."

"It wasn't my secret to tell," answered James sharply.

"Why does it have to a secret?" Harry countered, "There's no shame in being a werewolf."

"I know that, but it was John's decision to keep it quiet and I had to respect his choice."

"Even if his choice could have put dozens of people in danger?" asked Harry.

"Well no-one would have been in danger if you had let us leave."

"He blew one of the doors down!"

"He was trying to get away, to protect all of you!" James said defensively.

The two potters stared at each other fiercely but did not say anything more. The uncomfortable silence was broken by the arrival of Hermione, Ron and Ginny.

"Hello," said Ginny slowly, immediately sensing the tension, "Is everything ok?"

"Fine," answered James standing up abruptly and leaving the room with a second glance at anyone.

"He can't even stand to be in the same room as me!" cried Hermione tearfully. Ron wrapped his arms around her and Harry patted her back awkwardly.

"That wasn't about you Hermione, we…er… exchanged words," Harry explained.

"What did you say?" Ron asked.

"I just wanted to know why they didn't tell us before."

"Harry, that's so personal," Ginny said, "quite frankly it was none of our business."

"It would have been our business if he had transformed," Ron put in, "It was reckless not telling us, who knows what could have happened."

"No," argued Hermione pulling away from Ron and wiping back her tears, "Ginny's right. It wasn't any of our business and if I hadn't stuck my big fat nose into it none of us would have been in any danger. John was trying his hardest to get out and I was stopping him. If anything had happened it would have been my fault." with that Hermione descended once more in tears and hurried into her bedroom. Ron contemplated following her but instead sunk into the sofa beside Harry with a sigh.

"I'm going to check on Peter," Ginny said leaving the room and heading downstairs. She walked past the sitting room which, not long ago had been packed with people dancing the night away. It was funny how a night could change so suddenly she thought. She found Peter sitting on the lawn outside the shed, where loud howls could still be heard.

"Hello."

"Hi."

"How long before he transforms back?" Ginny asked sitting beside him. James turned to face her with a solemn expression.

"Soon as the moon fades," he answered staring up at the sky. The moon was shining brightly above them and did not look like it was going anywhere fast.

"Are you going to stay out till then?" asked Ginny. James nodded; his eyes were fixed on the shed. He didn't know why but his thoughts quickly leapt to Lily and the baby. He could feel tears brimming up in his eyes so he turned away from Ginny but his sentiment didn't evade her, "You'll get cold sitting here all night. Why don't you come in for a few hours?" she said softly.

James glanced at her and then back at shed, "I want to be here when he gets back."

"Fine," said Ginny and she watched the shed with him.

"Are you going to stay here with me?" asked James in confusion. Ginny nodded with a grin.

"But you'll get very cold," James added examining the short dress she was wearing.

"I don't mind if it means a week off school."

James smirked and they sat outside together for nearly an hour. The conversation was sparse but it didn't matter and they didn't once feel the cold. At about midnight Harry and Ron joined them with more coffee and suddenly what had began a gloomy act of solitude turned into an enjoyable night time chat. Sometime after three the howls stopped and there was silence amongst four of them.

"He's back," James said standing up and walking to the door of the shed, "Where's Hermione? We need to get these wards down."

Ginny went upstairs to fetch Hermione who by the looks of her weary face had been up all night too. Soon the security spells were lifted and James made for the door, he raised a hand to stop the others entering, "He'll be naked," he warned.

Harry, Ron and Hermione took a step back but Ginny simply rolled her eyes, "Oh please I have six brothers," she said with a grin but suddenly her eyes welled up in tears as she added in a choked voice, "Sorry, I mean five," and backed away. James stared at her in concern but sounds from the shed alerted him to Remus's awakening. He rushed inside where he found his friend on the floor desperately trying to clutch at pieces of clothing in a clumsy attempt to get dressed.

"I'll help you," James said. Normally Remus would insist against such a proposal but he didn't even try to argue and James could see how bad his transformation had been because he was badly bruised and simply held on to James as he was dressed. When he was clothed, James slowly and delicately helped Remus to his feet. The werewolf swayed but James kept a firm grip on him as he carried his friend outside.

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione were waiting for them in the garden and immediately Harry took one of Remus's arms whilst the others tried unsuccessfully to keep their shock at seeing someone so badly beaten and frail from their faces.

"Will he be ok?" Ron asked as he followed his friends upstairs.

"Yeah," grunted James as he and Harry lifted Remus up the stairs, "He could do with a healing potion or something."

"I'll get some," said Hermione immediately hurrying out the front door.

Once upstairs, Harry and James placed Remus on his bed. He looked up at them with a grateful smile before his eyes flickered in an unsure manner to Ron and Ginny.

"It's ok," whispered James sitting near his friend, "Nobody cares Moony."

"What did you say?" asked Harry sharply.

James immediately realised his slip-up, "I said nobody cares June-nee. It's a play on Johnny, been my nickname for him since we were kids," he added quickly.

"Oh," said Harry with an embarrassed smile, "I thought you said…never mind. You probably need rest John, we should leave."

He gestured for Ron and Ginny to follow him out of the room.

"You better go too Prongs," Remus muttered, "You look awful."

"You can talk," teased James but his face was back to serious in a moment, "I wish I could have been there with you."

"I know," said Remus, "but you've done enough for me tonight."

James smiled then yawned.

"Go to sleep," Remus ordered, "I'll be fine," he added seeing James's hesitant expression. James grinned, patted Remus's head and then headed into his bedroom, a few moments later Hermione bustled into Remus's room.

"Oh," she said looking around in a surprised manner to find no else in the room. Her eyes settled on Remus and he could see she looked nervous as she said, "Hello, how are you feeling?"

"I suppose you'll want the truth," Remus said with a wry smile, Hermione blushed but moved further into the room, "The truth is, it was probably the worst transformation I've had in a long time," he admitted, "every bit of me aches."

"I can imagine," replied Hermione sitting on the bed beside Remus. She opened her bag and took out numerous potion bottles, "I brought you these for the pain, that one," she picked up a purple bottle, "Will heal all your scars. You should probably take them now," she suggested.

Remus nodded and tried to sit up; he needed Hermione for this and to help him take the potions which caused him to look away immediately in shame.

"Thanks," he mumbled as she helped him lie down flat again.

"You don't need to thank me," said Hermione quietly, she was looking down at her hands, "John…"

"It's ok," Remus said anticipating what she was about to say.

"No it's not," insisted Hermione, "What I did today; I've never been so ashamed."

"Hermione forget it," said Remus firmly, "It's in the past."

"I never thought in million years that this was what you were hiding," Hermione continued in trembling voice, "I was so sure you were lying to us and you were but I thought it was something bad."

"It was," Remus pointed out.

"Being a werewolf isn't bad. There's nothing wrong with it."

"It's hardly something to be proud of," Remus replied angrily, "I don't see people lining up to take my place." He saw Hermione's face and softened, "Sorry, it's just…people aren't usually as accepting as you guys have been. I'm kind of still waiting for pitchforks to arrive."

"Harry and I, and all our friends would never ever discriminate against a werewolf. You know Teddy Lupin? He's father was a werewolf and it didn't change anything. I was the first person to figure it out at school but with you, I don't know why I couldn't see it," Hermione finished looking Remus squarely in the eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," whispered Remus, looking straight back at her, "I should have been honest."

"Well I shouldn't have been so suspicious," Hermione countered, "Can we start again? I'd really like to become friends with you John," she said sheepishly.

"Aren't we already friends?" asked Remus shyly.

Hermione smiled, "Just as long as there are no more secrets."

"No more secrets?" repeated Remus, he stared at the fading scratches on his arms and then looked up at his new friend, "Deal," he said stretching out his hand.

Hermione took it and they shook hands whilst smiling at each other with an odd familiarity.

"Hermione?"

Ron came through the door and stopped short of the bed as Hermione hastily dropped Remus's hand and immediately stood up.

"Ron," she said with sudden exuberance, "Er…will you help me take these potions downstairs?"

Ron nodded slowly, throwing covert glances at Hermione and the werewolf in bed behind her. They left the room moments later and Remus lay in his bed and stared at the hand Hermione had shaken with shy smile on his face.

How was that?

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WFG