Since I couldn't reply to the review, I just wanted to shout out to Alyssa for her review; it was very much appreciated! To your correction, I guess I want to give a bit of an explanation. As his head of house, I pictured McGonnagall always knowing that Remus was a werewolf because she had to (and because she's Dumbledore's right hand woman). But with human James being bitten, it's the new shock getting to her… I'm really sorry if I didn't communicate that clearly, and I hope that clears things up again. Thank you again for the review! It made my day to see the Review Alert in my inbox this morning. :D Also a huge thanks to the people who favorite it this morning, those emails made me smile as well. Thanks, guys!

Now… Onto the chapter! (P.S. If you review and request it, I'm seriously thinking of writing a couple outtakes of how James and Remus handle the news Sirius gives them..

Whatever Sirius had been thinking in that moment, it was gone. His best friend was staring at him. Awake! Alive. "Morning, sunshine," Sirius murmured, his words still labored from his earlier stint. "Glad to see your bright and shining eyes."

"Sod off," James muttered with none of his usual gusto. "Merlin, what happened?"

Madam Pomfrey opened her mouth, and Sirius coughed loudly, drawing her eyes to him just long enough to shake his head. He was going to handle this because he knew if it were him, he would want James or Remus to tell him. If nothing else, he owed them the same. "The Wolf went a little crazy last night, Prongs."

"Doesn't it always?" James shifted his weight, partially turning away from Sirius to remove some of the pressure from his wounded shoulder; his neck swiveled around to watch his friend. "What aren't you telling me?"

Frowning, Sirius pulled himself to his feet, teetering slightly and inadvertently drawing the matron to his side. "I'm fine," he hissed, beginning the trek to his friend's bedside with some unrequested aide from their friendly school-wide healer. "You dropped your wand before you transformed… Remus-"

"Bit me." James' words were hollow, the realization settling coldly. Sirius attempted to read his friend's expression, but it was blank, numb. He thought that was the scariest part, the numbness, but James' next words scared him more. "Remus bit me."

"The Wolf bit you," he amended softly, his grey eyes sad. "Remus didn't do it; he wouldn't."

The pair fell silent, watching each other cautiously. After a few tense moments, Sirius spoke. "How are you?"

"My shoulder hurts."

Sirius snorted mirthlessly, the corners of his mouth lifting in a wry smirk. "Usually happens when something sinks its teeth into your body. How are you?"

"I'll let you know when I do." Sirius' frown deepened at the defeated tone hidden in his friend's words. "Just give me some time to think about it, alright? We'll talk later."

"I'm holding you to that."

And then they sat. Neither friend needed to say a word; it was both understood and accepted that conversation not only unnecessary but unwelcome. It was enough to just be there.

Eventually, James dozed back off after some much-needed fretting from Madam Pomfrey, and Sirius finally had the opportunity to truly appraise him. His color was awful. He was unnaturally pale, and his lips were dry and flaky. But more importantly, more frighteningly, the peace he had seen on his brother's face was gone.

Madam Pomfrey's hand on his shoulder roused Sirius from his light rest he'd faded into. Subconsciously, he growled at her.

"Now stop that, Mr. Black. Remus is awake, and if earlier was any indication, I thought you would be the one who wanted to tell him."

Sirius was on his feet as quickly as was possible with his current condition. "I do, er, I am. Just- uh- I'll go."

And so he did. Somewhere in his gut, Sirius suspected this conversation was going to be a bit harder than the last. "Hey, Moony. How ya feel?"

"'M alright. How're you?"

"'M alright," Sirius answered earnestly, toning down his usual post-moon mocking. "This was a rough one, wasn't it?"

"I haven't woken up this destroyed since I was left alone with the Wolf. What did I try to do?"

Sirius froze, picking his own brain for a way- any way- to bear this news. James had known; he'd remembered or something painfully similar to that… "It was more than try this time, Moony. We couldn't stop the Wolf this time."

"Who?" That one word was the most painful Sirius ever heard him speak.

Sirius wanted to lead into the news, to build up to it, but he couldn't. He couldn't string this out. "James. But he's alive and awake and not in too much pain."

"He hadn't transformed yet." It wasn't a question. It wasn't uncertain enough to be a question.

"No."

Then there was more silence. If Sirius was tired of anything, it was silence. He'd never liked it: not as a kid, when he was trapped alone and friendless; not as a teen when he knew his friends were angry with him; and certainly not now, when his two best friends were going through Hell and he could do nothing to fix it. Sirius hated silence.

"You don't have to pretend to be okay with me. I mean, you can leave."

Remus' words made him jump. "Leave? Blimey, why would I do that?"

"I'm a monster. I- It was enough that you stood by me when I hadn't hurt anyone, but now… You and James should hate me. Don't feel like you have to be here. I'll make it."

Hands caught momentarily in his hair, Sirius shot him a frustrated glare. "I don't hate you, Moony. Bloody Hell, if I did, I would've let you run off last night and said good riddance. You're one of my best mates. Stop being so thick."

Remus opened his mouth to protest, but Sirius cut him off. "No. I'm staying. The end."

Nodding, the weaker boy yawned. "How is he?"

"Sore. Confused. Afraid, I'm guessing. Just imagine how you felt the next morning. That's what he must be feeling right now."

A great sadness worked its way onto Remus' face, and Sirius regretted his words almost instantly. The first days had been a rough time for the boy, even as a child; Sirius had yet to even hear the full story. "Then he's a lot more than sore and confused, Padfoot."

He nodded, and the pair fell into the ruddy silence that seemed to mark his day. Eventually, Remus dozed off, and Sirius took the briefest moment to examine his face. Then, thinking that peace was something painfully scarce for the Marauders that fateful morning, Sirius fell asleep in a chair for the second time that day.