Well, maybe not daily updates... here's the second chapter.
"Oi! Remus!" a teenage boy with long, scraggly dark hair ran down the east corridor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Another boy, the same age, though a bit shorter and sporting shorter blond hair, turned around to look at the boy trying to catch up to him. "Need help in Transfiguration, do you?" he asked with a sigh.
"As a matter of fact, no," the shaggy-haired boy crossed his arms. "It's Potions this time." Remus let out a single short laugh.
"Can't help you there," he said. "You'll have to get Snape for that one." A small grin spread across Remus' face.
"I've got a better idea," the other boy said, a smirk developing on his handsome face. "When's your little transformation supposed to happen?"
Remus' smile faded instantly. "I don't want to talk about it, Sirius," he said firmly.
"Come on, Moony," Sirius jumped in front of Remus, who had started walking again. "Whose going to keep you company when you start tearin' up the Shrieking Shack?"
"Don't talk like that," Remus frowned, slight fury in his voice.
"Padfoot! Moony!" a third boy called from behind the two. Sirius looked over Remus' shoulder to see his two other friends jogging after them. The one who had called them was a tall, fit boy with jet-black hair and round glasses. A short, fat boy was trying to keep up.
"I was just asking Moony here when he was due for a visit to the Shrieking Shack," Sirius stepped sideways.
"Why's that?" the be-spectacled boy asked.
"We didn't make ourselves Animaguses for nothing, Clueless," Sirius informed his friend with a bark-like laugh.
"I really wish you three wouldn't do this," Remus said quietly. "It makes me feel like a freak or something."
"Oh, you've got to admit it's pretty cool," Sirius grinned in an almost maniacal way. "Don't you think so, James?"
"Oh yes," the boy with glasses returned the smile, "spending an entire night in a wooden shack tearing at your face with claws and biting yourself with fangs must be loads of fun." The fat boy laughed.
"You wouldn't say that if you were a werewolf," Remus scowled.
"Just tell us, Moony," James urged.
"Tomorrow night," Remus sighed in a defeated way.
"Full moon!" Sirius bellowed, attracting the attention of a passerby from Ravenclaw. "Ready to spend the night in the most haunted building in London?" He had maintained his maniacal grin. The fat boy laughed again.
"I'll bet you'd love it if you were the reason for a rumor like that one, Padfoot," Remus folded his arms.
"You bet I would!" Sirius said.
"We'll be late for Charms if we don't hurry," Remus quickly changed the subject, and hurried ahead without a response.
"He always gets this way…" James muttered.
"Yeah," Sirius shrugged, then turned to look at the fat boy. "Peter, I need you to help me with something."
Peter looked shocked that Sirius wanted him to do something for him. "What?" he asked.
"Snivellus reads under that beech tree by the Black Lake every afternoon, right?" Sirius asked. Peter and James nodded at the same time. "So all I need you to do is play along later, alright? I'll explain later." Peter nodded again, and all three took off down the hall to Charms.
Later that day, after the classes had all ended, the four companions were strolling down the grounds toward the lake. All were wearing their Gryffindor robes, except for James, who was wearing his Quidditch uniform.
"See you after practice," he told his three friends as they passed the Quidditch Pitch. All three waved and carried on, Sirius conveniently leading the way.
They stopped under a large oak tree where nobody was sitting. Remus was the first to sit up against the tree trunk and plunge into a text book: O.W.L.S were that year.
"We'll, uh, see you in a minute," Sirius said. Remus only grunted in response.
Sirius took Peter to a clearing between the beech tree at which Snape was reading alone and their oak tree.
"So, Wormtail," Sirius said loud enough for Snape to hear, but quiet enough so he wouldn't be suspicious, "ready for tomorrow night?"
"Yeah, but I hope nobody knows we're all going to be at the Whomping Willow so late," Peter said. His acting wasn't the best, but it got Severus Snape's attention.
"Aw, they won't find out," Sirius laughed.
"But how do you get under the tree? It'll kill you before you get under the branches," Peter said.
"I told you, Wormtail," Sirius folded his arms. "Just prod that big knot in the trunk and the thing freezes up like water in winter." Sirius risked a glance at Severus out of the corner of his eye. The greasy-haired boy was looking at them with great interest and hate mixed with what Sirius knew was the hopefulness to catch them doing something against the rules.
Both casually walked back to the oak tree and sat down next to Remus.
"What was that all about?" Remus asked, putting down his book.
"Did you hear us?" Sirius asked, swishing the hair out of his gray eyes.
"Nothing but a bunch of babbling," Remus answered. "Another one of your plans on tormenting Snape?"
"You could say that," Sirius said, then looked at Remus skeptically. "You're not going to use your almighty Prefect powers and throw us in detention, are you?"
"Don't be an idiot," Remus shook his head. "If I was going to do that I would have done it ages ago."
Sirius put his hands behind his head and leaned against the tree. "Good to know."
Remus looked fearfully at the rising moon. Despite the warm weather, a chill ran up his spine.
"Ready, Moony?" Sirius asked. His excitement had died away and was replaced with concern for his friend.
Remus nodded and walked ahead of the group.
"Wormtail, you're on," James looked at Peter. The chubby boy nodded, and, before you could ask what had happened, he disappeared. Or at least it appeared that he had. In the pile of clothes lying where Peter had stood one second ago was a rat, which made its way under the branches of the Whomping Willow. After touching the knot on the tree, the rat that was Peter emerged back from underneath the leaves and returned to human form.
"Go on, Moony," James urged. Remus hesitated.
"Why aren't you coming?" he asked quietly.
"We'll be there in a minute," Sirius answered, holding a confused James back. "You go on ahead; I've got somethin' to tell these three." Remus still didn't move. "You want to turn into a werewolf out here?" Sirius asked firmly. Remus sighed and disappeared underneath the branches of the immobilized willow.
"What's this about?" James rounded on Sirius.
A mischievous grin spread across Sirius' face. "Just waiting for Snivellus," he shrugged, and pulled his two remaining companions into a nearby bush. Before James could ask anymore questions, a dark, cloaked figure taking long strides emerged from the left, from the direction of the castle.
"That'll be Snivellus," Sirius craned his neck for a better look.
Snape was now just at the Whomping Willow, which was now returned to its normal state of readying itself to squash anyone who tried to pass through its branches. He picked up a long stick nearby and, after a bit of searching the trunk, poked the knot in the wood.
Sirius and Peter heard a slight intake of breath from James as he watched Snape disappear into the passageway into the Shrieking Shack.
"Sirius!" James whispered, starting to get up. Sirius yanked him back down.
"Shhh!" he said.
"No!" James said, jerking his robes out of Sirius' grip. "This is more than one of our little jokes, Sirius. This is life and death! Do you want Remus to be guilty of murder?"
"It's not like he'll be able to help it," Sirius hissed. "You can't charge a werewolf of intended murder."
"So you want him to live with it the rest of his life, do you?" James jerked his head around to face Sirius, who was still sitting next to Peter in the bush. Peter watched with wide eyes. "Forty years from now you want Remus to remember that he killed Snape?"
"Doesn't matter now," Sirius' voice was raised now. "He'll be at the door by now."
James ignored Sirius and took off running toward the still-frozen tree. Before Sirius could stop him he had disappeared just as Remus and Severus had.
Neither Sirius nor Peter followed him, but waited nervously, hoping James would return safely.
"Lumos," James muttered. The earthen tunnel suddenly lit up from the ghost-like light at the tip of his wand. "Snape!" he called desperately. Once he reached the end of the tunnel his breath grew less panicked at he saw that Snape was still standing before a closed door. The dark figure jerked his head around to face James. His wand was lit just as James had done.
"Come to stop me, Potter?" he snarled. "Come to stop me from seeing what you and your friend Black are doing out on the grounds at midnight?"
"I came to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life, you bloody idiot!" James nearly shouted.
"Nice try at a cover-up," Snape spat, and reached for the handle before him.
"Don't!" James warned, but it was too late. The door opened, and a fanged, clawed Remus turned his cold, black, beast-eyes on Snape. Though James was facing his back, he could sense Snape's utter shock and terror as the creature that was Remus let out a horrible howl and bared his fangs.
"Close the door!" James screamed. Despite his shock, Severus managed to slam the door shut before the werewolf sliced at his face with razor-sharp claws. Instead, the claws slashed at the door. Both fear-stricken boys heard snarls as Remus clawed and bit at the wooden door.
"Come on," James grabbed Severus' cloak and began to drag him away from the door. Severus jerked away angrily but continued to follow.
"Who was that, Potter?" he demanded. His voice shook with fear, regardless of his anger.
"It doesn't matter," James muttered.
"Who was it?" Severus shouted. James whirled around and glared at his, jaw set with fury.
"That," he growled, "was Remus." He paused briefly to watch Snape's reaction. "Now I think," he continued, "Professor Dumbledore'll want to know you almost got gored my a werewolf."
"Does he know one of his Prefects is a werewolf?" Snape shouted with intense hate.
"Yeah," James said, lowering his voice. He started walked again; the moonlight shining dimly through the entrance was only a few feet ahead. "He had this place built so Remus could stay here every time he transformed. That's how he got to come to school. Now I think Dumbledore's going to do a better job of explaining things, so just shut up until we get to him."
Snape looked like he was going to kill James, but he said nothing, bottling his anger up. At least for the time-being.
After a long visit to Dumbledore's office, the four boys returned to their house common rooms far past midnight. Dumbledore had said that he would see to it that Remus was kept safe until daylight.
All three boys laid on their backs on their beds, unable to sleep. James was playing around with his stolen Snitch as Peter watched with wide eyes. Sirius was tossing a Muggle rubber ball in the air and catching it, half entranced.
"Well, we can thank you for letting Snivellus know Remus is a werewolf," James pocketed the Snitch and glared at Sirius, who was brought out of his half-trance. The ball fell back down as he forgot to catch it and hit him on the head.
"Guess I didn't really think it through," Sirius shrugged, rubbing his head, though it didn't hurt at all.
"All the more reason to do it," James muttered angrily. "And why'll you're at it, why don't you explain why I have to serve a week's worth of detentions with you two?"
"Don't ask me how Dumbledore's brain works," Sirius said. "Don't think even he knows that one." Peter snickered.
"Shut up, Wormtail," James growled.
"Well, I can't help it if he's got a point," Peter defended himself.
"Well, let's look on the dark side again," James glared once again at Sirius. "Thanks to you we couldn't go down there and keep Moony company."
"Your point?" Sirius asked nonchalantly.
"What do you think he's going to say when people see he's got scratches all over his face in the morning?" James demanded. For the first time Sirius looked worried. He scowled.
"Didn't really think it through," he repeated grimly.
I'm a little ways through the third chapter. If any of you have any ideas for an "adventure" or whatever storyline you can think of, PM me, because I really haven't the faintest idea what to write about next. Please R&R!
