A loud crack echoed around the nearly empty living room, sending Remus levitating about a foot into the air. "Hello! Aren't you thrilled to see me?" Sirius asked, pocketing his wand and surveying the bare living room.
"Er… not particularly," Remus said, restacking the pile of books that Sirius had landed on.
"That was rhetorical," Sirius informed him. "Bit empty isn't it?"
"Uh, I just brought the last box inside ten minutes ago."
"Yeah, well… Let's start unpacking, shall we?" Sirius asked eagerly, upending a box with a delicate model of the planets in it.
"Why are you here so early?" Remus asked.
"I had to be the first one to see your new apartment!"
"I thought you were always the latest of late risers."
"Ah! That, my friend, was when all I had to look forward to was school! Today, I got to look forward to seeing your very own, personal, actual, apartment!"
"Oh," Remus said, carefully arranging his books against the wall.
"Yes… Isn't it lovely? And I've brought you a housewarming gift!"
"Oh no," Remus said, looking worried, "Is it going to be the kind of thing I'd like?" Sirius seemed to be in one of his hyper, impulsive, moods and anything was possible at this point.
"Of course! It's a ride on the big, black, monster of death!"
Remus immediately turned rather green and said hurriedly, "I'll pass, thanks."
"Oh come on, Moony! What's there not to love about my one and only flying motorbike?" Remus, who looked as though he'd like to ask what there was to love about the flying bike of terror and would have if he hadn't been about to vomit, was backed up against the wall.
Sirius sighed dramatically, "I'm kidding, Moony… Though, really, you should've jumped at this opportunity. It's not something I generally offer to everyone…" Sirius reached into the pocket of his cloak and withdrew a slightly smushed box of chocolate frogs.
Remus brightened considerably, "Thanks!"
"I know you have a real weakness for them and I thought I'd bring you a treat… Since you absolutely refuse to accept this once in a life time chance to-"
"Thank you Sirius, but I really, really, do not want a ride on your…" Remus choked back some choice adjectives he'd like to use, "…bike. The chocolate frogs are great, though."
"I try," Sirius said, carefully choosing a frog and biting its head off. "Ish shomshing wrong?" Sirius asked through his mouthful of chocolate.
Remus shook his head, "It's nothing…"
"Oh, come on, you can tell your best friend in the whole world about anything, can't you?"
"It's just that… Well, tonight is full moon… And last time I had to transform by myself, it was a bit… er, painful. And not very fun."
Sirius immediately stopped goofing around, "What are the marauders for, Moony? I'll stay."
"No, you don't have to. I feel really…"
"Look, we've always dealt with your furry little problem together, ok? It's not like your whining or anything. I mean, I doubt anyone would call wanting some support with an incurable disease immature, you know?"
Remus nodded, looking relieved. "Great! Shall we call Prongs, then? We'll make it a party! Just like old times!" Sirius exclaimed eagerly as he began rummaging around in the boxes, looking for floo powder.
"Old times being about three months ago," Remus said, looking embarrassed, but much reassured now that his friends would be joining him for full moon.
Sirius flicked his wand at the empty fireplace and a roaring fire immediately erupted. "Hmmm… Maybe I should tone it down a bit…" Sirius asserted as a nearby roll of parchment began to smoke.
With a generous sprinkle of floo powder, Sirius stuck his head into the flames and called "Potter's home!"
Remus waited patiently, trying to unpack as many boxes as possible before Sirius finished chatting with James and decided to 'help' get him moved in.
"He says he'll come!" Sirius declared, "And he's bringing Peter!"
Remus smiled, "Thanks. I really appreciate this."
"No problem! It's going to be fun!" With a resonating crack, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter apparated on top of several boxes and an empty bed frame. James unceremoniously shook Peter off his arm. Peter had been clutching James rather tightly and looking sick after trying to use side-along apparition.
"Hello Moony!" James bellowed, catching him in a bone-breaking hug. "Padfoot here says you need a little help with your furry little problem!"
"It's going to be a house breaking party!" Sirius added.
"A- a what?" Remus asked, but he was smiling all the same.
"We're going to have the best time ever!" Sirius exclaimed.
"What have you been doing?" Peter asked, beginning to recover and eyeing the overflowing boxes and the broken bits of things Sirius had flung all over the place when 'helping' to unpack.
"Unpacking," Sirius said proudly.
"'Breaking' my apartment," Remus clarified.
"Need any help?" James asked.
"The more, the merrier! Remus, where do you keep the food?" Sirius asked.
"Um… I don't."
"You don't…?"
"Have food."
"What? No wonder you're so thin! What're you going to do with out us hanging over your shoulder at every meal making you eat? You're going to waste away into nothing! You look skinnier already! Doesn't he look skinnier, Prongs?"
"Yeah, you know what, he sort of-"
"I just moved in twenty minutes ago. I haven't even spent a single meal-time in my apartment yet!" Remus protested.
"Well, we're going to have to do something about that, aren't we? Who wants to go buy Moony some food?" Sirius asked, looking around expectantly as if waiting for someone to raise their hand and volunteer.
"Here Padfoot. Shut up and have a chocolate frog," Remus said, pushing the box over to him.
"Oh, if you insist… but you have to eat one, too."
Remus rolled his eyes, "Alright!" He chose a frog and took a bite, "happy?"
"No! Tonight is full moon! You need more! You need to eat real food!"
"You mean you need to eat," Remus corrected.
"Well, that too… I'm ordering a pizza! Do you have any butter beer? Maybe even something a bit stronger?"
"Oh, come on, it isn't even lunch yet! This really is going to be like old times, isn't it?"
"You bet your tail it is!"
"What?"
"I said, 'you bet your-"
"I heard what you said."
"Well than why did you ask?"
"I was just wondering why you said it."
"Ah! Wouldn't you like to know!" Sirius said tapping his nose in an all-knowing way and gulping down a recently conjured drink.
"What!"
"I said, 'wouldn't you like to-"
"I heard what you said! Why did you say it?"
"I don't know! I don't remember what I said!"
"Moony, stop messing with Sirius's itsy-bitsy little brain and eat something, alright?"
"Yeah! Hey… wait a second…" Sirius said, trying to decide whether James had been insulting him. Remus rolled his eyes, but accepted a slice of the pizza James had summoned.
"Shall we apparate to Hogsmeade?" James suggested.
"Good idea, I don't want to ruin my brand new apartment…" Remus agreed.
"It'll be a lot more fun that way, too," James pointed out.
"Yes, but we can't go into the village. We'll have to stay in the shrieking shack."
"Why not? Don't be a spoilsport!" James whined.
"Hey! Who're you calling itsy-bitsy!" Sirius cried suddenly.
Remus sighed, "No more drinking for you, today, mister." Turning back to James he said, "We can't just wander around Hogsmeade! Do you know how dangerous that is?"
"We used to do it all the time!"
"We used to be complete idiots!"
"Used to be?" Sirius countered, everyone looked at him, startled by his sudden coherency, whether or not it was accidental.
"You know what, you're right! Who am I kidding? You still are complete idiots, but that doesn't change the fact that it would be really irresponsible and reckless if we set a grown werewolf on Hogsmeade!"
"That's what makes it fun!" James muttered. Remus glared at him, "Alright, alright! We won't go into Hogsmeade! But can we stay in the caves in the mountains on the outskirts of town? No one will find us there and we'll have some room to move around."
Remus considered this, "I suppose… As long as I couldn't hurt anyone… but you have to promise not to let me out of your sight!"
"Ok! We promise!" James said, throwing his hands up in surrender.
"Peter, if they try to go into Hogsmeade with me, you'll bite them, won't you?" Remus asked. Peter looked worried for a moment, but Remus didn't seem to require an answer so he went back to nibbling on his pizza.
"Don't worry, Moony! We won't let anything bad happen to you!" Sirius said, throwing his arm around Remus's neck.
"It's not me I'm worried about," Remus said darkly, but he let himself be dragged to the floor and stuffed with pizza and butter beer.
"Ouch! Sirius, watch who you apparate on top of!"
"Peter, we're done. You can open your eyes now."
"Did anyone bring the chocolate frogs? Or the butter beer?"
"You can't drink butter beer while you're a dog!"
"Who says?"
The four marauders were making their way slowly up the overgrown trail towards the caves higher up. "Can we stop now?" Sirius whined.
"No! We've only just started! We'd better hurry up, too. It's getting late."
"Quit worrying, Remus!"
"I just don't want to start transforming here and bite you all to death!"
"Ah, Remus, you'd never bite us to death!"
"I wouldn't, but Moony would…"
"Oh, shit! Look! The sun's gone!" James exclaimed. All of them glanced nervously at Remus.
"What are you waiting for? Turn into animagi, quick!" he exclaimed. They didn't need to be told twice. Peter had only just finished shrinking when a cloud drifted aside, shedding moonlight across the path and a low growl rumbled behind them. Padfoot, the great black dog, whirled around and grabbed Remus's suddenly very hairy arm in his teeth. Prongs cantered around to his back, nudging him forward with his antlered head. The werewolf struggled for a few moments, but with the combined efforts of Prongs and Padfoot he finnally continued his assent up the footpath.
When they reached a clearing and Prongs finally managed to prod Moony through the trees and into the grassy meadow, Padfoot ran around in circles, chasing his tail and eventually collapsing in a panting heap. Prongs, momentarily leaving a preoccupied Moony who was busy gnawing his own leg off, took this opportunity to give Padfoot a good jab with an antler. Yowling in surprise, Padfoot leapt up, whirling around to face his dear friend. Prongs had a quite unstaggish look on his face, suggesting that the poke had been in payback for the last time they'd transformed and Padfoot had felt inclined to leap onto an unsuspecting Prongs's back.
With a malicious, laugh-like bark, suggesting that Prongs was going to get it, Padfoot bounded forward, snapping at Prongs's hooves. Prongs took off across the field, galloping at full speed and always keeping just close enough to give Padfoot a sharp kick once in awhile. The friends were only roused from their fierce game of tag by an insistent squealing echoing across the clearing.
Glancing fearfully at Padfoot, the stag leapt back to where they had left their wolfish friend. Wormtail was the only one to be found, jumping up and down unrattishly and squeaking as loud as he could. Padfoot gently seized the rat in his jaws and took off down the slope, following Moony's distinct smell. In the distance was the sound of a howl, ringing eerily through the night.
Putting on a burst of speed, Padfoot wheeled around a bend in the trail. Trotting ever closer to the village was the werewolf, sniffing the air eagerly. Padfoot took a second to thank Merlin that he was upwind before loping quickly up behind his friend and propelling himself onto Moony's back. The werewolf snarled and snapped at Padfoot, wriggling and thrashing about, trying to dislodge him. Wormtail, who'd been roughly dropped to the ground, ran off into the nearest clump of bushes squealing piteously.
Prongs suddenly cantered out to meet them. He'd had some difficulty leaping down the steep hill, but he was here now and he immediately jumped into the battle, screeching to a halt and whirling around to face the struggling wolf. Locking eyes with him, Prongs stood his ground, desperately searching for the Remus he was certain was hidden within. The werewolf calmed, a soft growl still reverberating in his throat.
With great effort the friends at last coaxed Moony back up into the hills and away from the village. When Wormtail was sure the Prongs and Padfoot had Moony back under control, he crept after them, drying himself of dog spit and shooting worried glances back at the houses of the village where he was sure he'd seen a light come on in one of the windows.
"I can't believe it! I can't believe you let me do that!"
"Calm down, Remus! It was an accident!"
"I knew I shouldn't have gone into the hills! I should have stayed in the shrieking shack!" Remus was very pale and exhausted looking, but he was absolutely furious at his friends and refused to have any toast shoved down his throat.
James, who looked absolutely miserable, tried again to apologize, "I'm really sorry! It won't ever happen again! You just seemed really busy and I didn't think you were going anywhere!"
"Have you learned nothing after all these years? You never trust a werewolf!" Remus exclaimed, pushing away Sirius, who was prodding bits of egg into his mouth every time he opened it.
"Look, mate," Sirius said, setting aside the eggs, "I know I can't trust that werewolf, but I'm so used to being able to trust my Remus that sometimes I forget, you know?" Suddenly adopting a tone of mock reverence, Sirius knelt by Remus's feet, clasping his hands together, "I have broken my promise to you. Will you ever please, please, please, forgive me?"
"Of course I forgive you," Remus said, softening. "And stop that, you smell like wet dog," he added, pushing Sirius's hands off his shoulders .
Sirius chose to ignore this remark. "Did you hear, Prongs? He forgave us! I don't know what I'd do without my furry little friend!" Sirius cried, reaching out to pinch Remus's nose and put another piece of toast into his mouth. Like lightening, Remus ducked out of his reach, clamping his mouth shut.
"I can feed myself, thanks," he said, selecting half a piece of toast and a bit of bacon.
Grudgingly Sirius turned back to his own eggs. "Shall we start on that report for the Order?" James suggested.
"We'd better," Remus said, clearing James's and Peter's plates. "We're supposed to have it in tomorrow."
Sirius moaned, "It's like being in school, again!"
"Dumbledore did warn us, you know."
"Yes, but I never supposed being in the Order would really take this much writing," James put in.
"Me neither," Peter agreed, helping Remus fetch the parchment and quills.
Sirius, who seemed to have resigned himself to an afternoon of work, was busy digging through another unemptied box. After several valuable books and a good set of brass scales had been tossed across the room, Remus at last inquired as to what Sirius was looking for.
"Butter beer," Sirius said, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Butter beer? Are you kidding me?"
"I'm thirsty!" he elaborated.
"I give up!" Remus sighed, putting his head in his hands, "I give up!"
A/N: Thanks for reading, hope you liked it! Please review!