"So, Peter can't make it. I just got his owl." Said Sirius as he and James got ready for the evening in James's room.

"Shame. Evie said as much about Mar and Evans. Great hurt that caused me. You know I do love every opportunity I get at making her red head spin," chuckled James.

"No need to remind me. Looks like it's just us and Evie." Muttered Sirius as he straightened the bowtie James had lent him.

"Don't forget Til."

"Right. Sarcastic, party of one." Suddenly the door burst open revealing a rather lovely looking Evie Bloxum. Sirius gave an audible gulp at the sight before him. Evie's usual untamed dirty blonde waves were fixed into precise curls, framing her rosy face. Her pink lips looked glossier than usual. Her deep set chocolate eyes seemed to stand out more as they were lined with light make up. She strode forward in a pretty crimson silk dress that made her caramel gold hair stand out tenfold.

"Don't you knock?" said James snapping Sirius out of his reverie, not having noticed the once over Evie gave him.

"What could you two have possibly been doing that was far too inappropriate for my young eyes to behold?" her eyes widened, "My god! You're lovers aren't you? Must I remind you, James Charlus Potter that incest is not something taken lightly in most respectable communities?"

"Unless you're a pureblood, which everyone in this room just happens to be," countered James.

"So you're defending the relationship? Well at least it's nice to know he'll fight for this love, eh Sirius?" laughed Evie.

"I'm staying out of this one." He called before walking into James's bathroom.

"So what on earth could possibly demand such a rude entrance from you, your highness? Pray tell was there a dragon hot on your heels?" joked James, earning a bark-like laugh from inside the bathroom.

"No, but you're rather close with that guess of yours, Jamesie." Said Evie as she plopped down into James's desk chair. She absentmindedly look at her newly polished nails knowing full well from the sound of Sirius walking back into the room that she had both boys' attention.

"What are you going on about, Evie-bee?" asked Sirius imploringly.

"Pet names won't get it out of me after the greeting I got from this ponce." Said Evie in a sugary voice.

Instantly James plastered a grin onto his face, "Oh come of it, gleaming, glorious, gorgeous Evie. You know I was only joking, don't you, darling?"

"Hmm well sucks for you. Because this is something I know you've both been pondering for months. Seems I'm the only one who's given it any thought since we got here." Said Evie briskly.

"Wait a minute…You're not talking about Remus's secret, are you?" asked Sirius. Evie's eyes twinkled with the gleam of someone in the know, before muttering something incoherent. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I said I wish I didn't." Blurted Evie. It was true, when she'd envisioned Remus's secret she hadn't prepared herself for the possibility that it could be infinitely more depressing than what she had guessed at. "I've been in my dad's library a few hours every day since we got here. Read everything I could get my hands on and I found it. The only explanation. And believe me, it doesn't make things easy."

"What is it, Evie? Is it really that bad?" asked James.

"For Remus it is," she said as her face fell, "He's got a condition."

"So he really is sick then?" asked Sirius.

"More or less." Said Evie. She knew she needed to tell James and Sirius, but at that moment she wished she could run out of the room or jump into one of the numerous Quidditch posters James had lining his walls.

"Is it incurable? Is Remus dying or something?" asked James in a worried voice.

"Remus," taking a breath to steady her voice, Evie said the inevitable, "Remus is a werewolf."

"A-A werewolf? You're sure?" asked James in a shaky voice.

"It all fits. The monthly cycle coincides perfectly with when Remus gets sick or says he's going home. I reckon if we were to walk into the Hospital Wing day after the full moon we'd find him in a bed, exhausted and bloodied up," said Evie, wincing at the image, "No. I'm sure. Our friend is a werewolf."

Sirius who had been quietly digesting the information finally spoke up. "So what do we do?"

"What do you mean?" asked James.

"Well, do we go on pretending we don't know? Do we tell Peter? Do we confront him about it? I mean none of them seem like the right way to go about it."

After a long pause it was Evie who answered. "We help him."

"Yeah that makes sense. I mean we could do homework for him, cover for him when others ask-"

"That's not what I meant, James. I mean we help him." Said Evie with a suggestive look.

"And how do you propose we help him when he's not in his right frame of mind?" asked James after he realized what she meant, "Remus is my mate. But come full moon he'd be on us like a rogue bludger."

"The werewolf bite only affects humans, James."

"And we are human, Evie." Said James ins a matter-of-factly tone.

"But we don't have to be." Muttered Sirius as he understood what Evie was insinuating.

James threw his hands into the air, "That's it, you've both gone round the bend!"

"James, my dad's an animagus. I'm betting I could find us a book on the transformation process somewhere in that library of his."

"Evie, you're dad did that professionally with help, and he's a more than fully capable wizard. We're hardly in the same league!" exclaimed James growing more anxious.

"And I've been trained by the man since I was practically in diapers. We're all smart and I'm sure once we told Remus our idea he'd help us, and his brain is as good as any," she said trying to soften up her friend, "Admit it. There's nothing you wouldn't do for your friends."

"Remus needs us." Nodded Sirius as he went to stand beside Evie's chair.

"I know. Just had to get that out of my system," said James with a small grin, "So what's the plan, fearless leader?"

Evie raced to her friend and threw her arms around him.

"Oi! What about me! I was on board with it before he was!" cried Sirius indignantly. Evie pulled him into the hug as well.

"You two are brilliant." She said kissing their cheeks.

"Yes we know. So what do you think? Give Remus the good news on New Years?" asked James

"Seems like it. Pete will be here too. It's the full moon tomorrow night. I feel so awful that Remus has to spend his Christmas alone in so much pain." Muttered Evie bitterly.

Sirius pulled her closer, "Well he won't be alone much longer."

"Kids! Come now it's time to get to Lion's Den!" called James's mother from downstairs.

"Well, we'll get started on it first thing tomorrow, after we open presents of course," said James, "Oi, Evie, you've prepared him haven't you?"

"Prepared me for what?" asked Sirius.

"For the Bloxums."