A Sirius Series of Recollections Part 2: Cry Wolf

For the last few days Sirius had been impatiently waiting and watching for an opportunity but none was forth coming. When he wasn't at the school in his dog form he spent his time in the Shrieking Shack and a cave not far from Hogsmeade. He entered the shack, returning from the school. He had just discovered Remus was there. It left an ache of deepest longing to see his old friend but he couldn't. He hadn't trusted Remus then and Remus wouldn't trust him now. He found himself thinking back to his Hogwarts days yet again. To the fateful night they had discovered Remus' secret.

"Where's Remus?" Peter asked, finally noticing there were only three of them sitting by the fireplace.

"He said he wasn't feeling very well and went down to the hospital wing," Sirius supplied not moving from his lounging position as he stared into the crackling fire.

"Poor Remus," James said.

Sirius grunted while Peter nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps we could go see him. I'm sure he'd like the company…" James' eye strayed to a nearby table and he got up and crossed to it, picking something up. "Hey this is the book he was reading!"

Sirius sat up. "Are you sure? Why wouldn't he take it? He can't survive without a book to read!" Sirius couldn't help it. He thought he was hilarious.

"He probably forgot it. Let's take it to him. Curfew is in five minutes."

The three boys looked at each other with a grin and all said at the same time, "Plenty of time."

That close to curfew the corridors were all deserted. Peter, his eyes darting around everywhere as usual, saw movement outside. He stopped and went to look. Sirius and James turned to him impatiently.

"Isn't that… what's her name, the hospital witch?"

James and Sirius hurried to the window shoving Peter out of the way. "Yes," James said. "And that's Remus and… Professor Dumbledore?"

"What?" Sirius pushed James away from the window so he could get a better look. "You're right. I wonder what they're doing?"

"You tell me," James retorted, annoyed.

"Let's follow them," Peter suggested practically bouncing up and down in excitement.

The three boys broke into a run and raced each other to the Entrance Hall. Remembering they were supposed to be up in Gryffindor Tower, they took a shortcut that they had found in their late night explorations and managed to avoid patrolling teachers and prefects. Once, when they stopped suddenly, Sirius thought he heard steps behind them but when they weren't discovered, it was shrugged off.

They slipped outside and paused on the steps.

"They were going in this direction."

James pointed and they took off again. They dived into some bushes, amazed they weren't seen when they saw movement under the Whomping Willow. Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore were standing under its unusually motionless branches.

"Dumbledore has his hand on that knot. See?" Sirius asked.

"Yes…" James said squinting.

Madame Pomfrey moved out from under the tree and stood out of its reach waiting for Dumbledore. Dumbledore pulled out his wand muttered something and pressed it to the knot. It stayed there. He joined Madame Pomfrey and held out his hand. His wand shot into it and the tree immediately shook itself and lashed out but of course only hit air.

The boys made sure they were well hidden as the two adults came towards them. They walked past without pausing. Once they were gone, Sirius, James and Peter approached the tree.

"See if you can reach that knot, Peter," Sirius said.

"What me?" Peter squeaked.

"Yes you. You're the smallest and fastest. Probably from all that running away from Slytherins you do."

"I don't run away! I-I just retreat until I'm… prepared to counter attack.."

"Of course, Peter." James nodded in agreement.

When Peter, full of determination darted forward, James shook his head at Sirius and imitated Peter running away, scared. Sirius laughed but they were both impressed when the tree suddenly froze. They ducked under branches and headed for the trunk.

They found Peter.

"There's a tunnel," he panted.

"That must be where Remus is."

Sirius and James entered the tunnel followed closely by Peter. It didn't take them long to reach the end and to find themselves in a rundown house. The full moon shone through a window. A snarl and a crash drew their attention to the ceiling and then the stairs leading to the next floor.

"What was that?" Peter breathed down James's neck.

After waving him back irritably, James shrugged. "Let's check it out."

They headed up the stairs. They came to a door. It shook under a heavy blow and the three of them jumped in fright. It went suddenly quiet. James reached for the door handle and Sirius leaned closer, his head under James's as he slowly turned the handle. Peter pushed forward so he could look under Sirius and the door opened a crack.

The three of them recoiled in horror and the door swung open wider. The werewolf snarled and James threw himself forward against the door and closed it against the werewolf as it launched itself at the door again. It crashed against it. The door held but it wouldn't for much longer.

"Run!" James yelled. "I'll hold it until you're clear!"

"I-I'll do it. I'm faster remember," Peter offered leaning against the door.

"No! You need to hold the knot so we can get out!" James shoved Peter away and Peter nodded and dashed off down the stairs.

"James…" Sirius started to say but James cut him off.

"I'll make it! I'll close all the doors that are between us to slow it down. Get out of here now! As soon as you're down the stairs I'll follow!"

It was a terrifying flight but they were lucky. It took Remus longer than they had thought to get past the first door and he gave up when the second door didn't give after a couple of tries. Returning to attacking himself.

The days that had followed, Sirius wasn't proud of. He realised he was leaning against the wall staring up the stairs to that room that had almost ended everything. After that night they had, to be brutally honest, abandoned Remus. They couldn't deal with the knowledge that their friend was a werewolf. The best they could manage was to just keep his secret. It hurt Remus but he never learned why they had avoided him for those few days, of which Sirius was immensely grateful.

"Sirius! What'd I miss?" Remus asked cheerfully.

"Nothing." Sirius avoided looking at Remus. "I have to go and… do something," he added lamely leaving the common room and heading upstairs to warn James and Peter that the werewolf was back.

Remus had followed him and, receiving the same treatment from the other two, he had isolated himself, spending as much time as possible in the library. Except during class of course. In class, he took to sitting with Lily and her friends. She couldn't stand James and Siruis for some reason but she seemed to like Remus. People commented on this but no one would ever know what had come between them.

One night in the common room, Lily could take it no longer. Her teeth clenched in anger she advanced on the three of them.

"I need to talk to you," she growled looking straight at James.

Without shifting her gaze she grabbed Peter's sweater as he rose to leave. "All of you. In private. Now."

She was scary. They didn't argue, not even Sirius. They followed her out of the tower and into the first empty classroom they came across. Once the door was closed Lily turned on them.

"You bloody bastards! He is your friend! I don't know what's happened but Remus is miserable.He's the same person you befriended and you just abandoned him. What kind of Gryffindors are you? What kind of friends? Perhaps you should ask to be transferred into Slytherin! That is where your kind of behaviour usually comes from." She finished her ranting and breathing hard, she glared around at the three of them.

Her words hit Sirius hard. She was right. They were acting like Slytherins. In the short time they had known Remus he had come to really like him. They weren't as close as he and James but still… being a werewolf doesn't change who he is. It shouldn't anyway. Sirius had never felt so disgusted with himself in his life. Not until he traded places with Wormtail as Secret Keeper.

James looked just as upset as Sirius felt. But then he opened his mouth. "What about your boyfriend? Snivellus is a Slytherin."

"Don't call him that! He is my friend, not my boyfriend. As for you, I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole."

"I don't know what that means but the feelings mutual."

A door banged open in a draught pulling Sirius from the past. He almost expected to hear their voices coming down the stairs his memories were so vivid. He sighed sadly. Never again. Maybe if they had accepted Remus as he was from the start, maybe they would have trusted him. Maybe they would have seen the true traitor. But there were too many maybes and what ifs. Sirius had already had twelve years with nothing else for company and it hadn't changed anything. Not for him, Remus or James. And especially not for Harry.


A/N: Thinking about how I see the Marauders, I found this a very likely reaction to finding out what Remus is. Particularly in such an abrupt way. J.K. Rowling insinuates that James and Sirius figured it out on their own but that is what Remus believes happened.

Please review and let me know what you think.