Fisher and Katrina had not, as Remus had feared they might, let Annabell's murder be a kock to their confidence as it had been to Remus's. On the first gloomy January evening they had met after hearing the news, the first thing Fisher did was hug Remus and say how amazing it was that she'd stunned a fully grown wizard, and it had been Remus who's helped her do that. Katrina even had place a comforting hand on his shoulder as silent tears poured down her cheek, she must have picked up on his guilt, she said the same as Fisher had but added he had nothing to feel guilty about, that there was nothing he could have taught her that would have saved her. Since then, both Fisher and Katrina had doubled their effort and demanded their work load be doubled as well. Soon they were both certain to achieve an O in their upcoming OWL exam.
He wished he could say the same for his Transfiguration group. Ever since Roth's murders Michael Weller had been arrving at the lessons with a horrible smug little smirk on his face, that made Remus want to turn him into a ant and stamp on him. Though the three other members of the group Jane Parker, Layla Leon and Martin Green had been trying their best, that fucking Weller just got to him. He sneered and sniggered, he ignored and yawned and he was as insolent and moody as child in their terrible two's. He was so irritating that after one session in early April, when the group though Remus was much further out of earshot than he acctually was the rest of the group had ganged up on him.
"Oi Weller" Snapped Martin in his thick scouse accent "come 'ere"
"What do you want" he grunted
"We want to... um... what do we want to do again Marty?" asked Layla dizzily
"We want you to stop behaving like such a twat to Remus" growled Martin
"You're not big and you aren't funny. No one thinks you're being clever by deliberatley fucking up in these lessons" said Jane darkly
"I'll do what I want" Remus heard a scrape and a thud against the wall
"No you won't. You'll stop acting like a fucking child and accept Remus's help-" began Martin warningly
"I don't need help from a fucking fag" Weller muttered.
"Don't call Remus a fag! You're a fag! Remus is like, really cool and clever and stuff! And What can you do! Quidditch! That's all!" snapped Layla deffiantly. Jane sighed and performed a hex under her breath, soon Remus was treated to the sight of Weller running past him clutching his bottom, feeling very warm and fuzzy that Marting, Jane and Layla (bless her) would go to the trouble to threaten Weller for him
*
"It's five o'clock, we need to make out way down to the Shrieking Shack" said Remus warily, staggering a little as he entered the dorm. Sirius looked up at poor Remus. He was already shaking, he had thick dark circles beneath his eyes and what little colour he had was drained from his face. James, who had been searching for his Herbology essay dropped the llid of his trunk shut on his fingers
"AACK! FUCK!" he shook his hand and blew his fingers "Come on Wormtail" he said pained. Peter smiled and nodded curtly, dropping the quill he'd been absent mindedly twirling. Sirius walked over to Remus and place a supportive arm round his lover's shoulders. They hadn't quite made it to the "telling everyone how we feel about eachother" thing they'de planned, what seemed an age ago, at New Years. They hadn't even said "I love you" to each other since. At least, now they were free to hug and kiss in the dorm, James had even become quite used ot the sight of the two of them together, though seeing still gave Peter the shivers. Remus smiled apprciatively at the arm Sirius had given him and repayed the favour with a quick and feeble kiss on Sirius's neck
"Thanks Sirius" he said weakly, still shaking as they began to walk out the dorm, down to the comon room
"No problem" he gave Remus a quick nuzzle "Your lips are chapped"
"I always get a bit run down at the full moon though, don't I" he said sadly
"Poor baby" Said Sirius sticking out his bottom lip, Remus snorted, and gave Sirius a very soft, playful whack on his chest
"Hang on" said James "Let Pete go ahead" they nodded and Peter descended the stairs of the common room, he looked around and ushered them down
"Coast's clear"
"Thanks Pete. It would make life so much easier for us if my Dad would just give me his bloody invisbility cloak" huffed James
"Stop whinging Prongs, he probably still needs it for work or something" Said Sirius as he helped Remus down the stairs
"Which route are we taking?" asked Remus faintly
"We'll just walk straight out through the enterance hall, that is, if you're still concious by the time we get you down" James warned
"I will be. You've given me plenty of time today" smiled Remus
"Of course we have! We're proffesionals now" grinned Sirius "Are you alright climbing through the portrait hole by yourself?"
"Yeah should be" Peter went ahead again, and pulled Remus through the hole "Thanks Pete"
"No problem" he smiled and checked around a bit "You know, I don't think I need to check if the coast's clear today. What with Remus being awake and everything"
"Yeah you're probably right" Sirius put his arm round Remus again and they carried on making their way out side "I've had the strangest feeling though"
"What do you mean?" asked Remus
"I don't know... I've just felt like we were being followed... watched"
"You think so?" asked James a panic spreading across his face. Remus jerked his head round
"I thought I saw someone last moon" Remus swallowed "I didn't say anything because I thought I was just imagining things"
"You probably were. We're just being paranoid. C'mon" Said James shaking his head but still looking panicked as he sped up. The four boys were now walking consideably faster than usual. They practically began jogging when they reached the enterance hal, that is, until they bumped into a familiar face
"where are you going Potter?" asked Snape snidely
"Just outside. Why? Am I not allowed or something?" he narled, advancing on Snape
"No, just seems strange"
"What's strange Snivellous?" sneered James
"That you're going outdoors at six O'clock in the evening, it's getting cold" Snape said with a curl of his lip and a shrug "What's wrong with Lupin?"
"What?" said Remus dizzily
"What's wrong with you? You look like shit"
"Thanks for that" Said Remus, rolling his eyes
"Pot calling the kettle black, isn't it Snivley" snarled Sirius, shoving the boy with his free arm
"oof" Snape rubbed the spot on his chest where Sirius had shoved him "Upset that I offeneded your boyfriend Black?" he sneered
"As a matter of fact, yes" said Sirius proudly, quite certain he would regrett that later. Snape cackled and James shoved him out of the way
"Move it you little grease ball" he growled
"Ask nicely Potter" he smirked, James, with a glare, raised his wand and-
"Stupefy!" Remus had pulled his wand from his pocket and beaten James to the hex
"Remus!" said Sirius with a laugh "It's not like you to be-" Remus rolled his eyes and interupted Sirius
"I know and I don't care, now get me down to the fucking shack" he snarled
"Yes sir" said Sirius with a smirk.
*
Not too long after that full moon, Sirius was struck with an idea
"I want revenge of Snivellous" he snarled
"Why for goodnes sake? He didn't do anything to you" begged Remus
"he needs to know not to get in out way like that" said James in agreement with Sirius
"We haven't pulled a prank in ages" said Peter "With the war, it'll be exactly what people need to cheer them up"
"Exactly, we'll be doing a public service" nodded James
"Fine... can you just... don't aim it specifically at Snape" said Remus "Sometimes... well it just... Do something to the Slytherins instead... if you get all of them, it'll be funnier"
"That's an idea" said Sirius menichally, a plan forming in his head "Something to piss off every single member of Slytherin house..."
"That sound like a little much"
"No... we can do it... we just have to think big" said James joining Sirius with plotting
"We could do someting to their common room" suggested Peter
"Yes! Genius!" said James, Peter grinned. Remus rolled his eyes
"What are you going to do to their common room?" he shook his head at them
"We could booby trap it" suggested Peter again
"Too simple, too juvenile anyway" James frowned a little
"Juvenile? Is there such thing as a mature prank?" snorted Remus
"Yes, if it involves complex magic"
"Complex magic eh?" said Remus, getting sucked into the plan making, as he always did, eventually "You could transfigure a load of the furniture into wild animals, make their common room like a zoo" he proposed. Sirius, James and Peter grinned at eachother
"Don't I have the best boyfriend" said Sirius wrapping his arm round Remus's waist and giving him a proud kiss on the cheek
*
"...Absaloutley unbelievable! How the four of you could manage to do this... It's..." Slughorn twiddled his huge moustache
"Impressive?"
"NO MR POTTER IT IS NOT IMPRESSIVE"
"It was only a suggestion Proffessor Slughorn"
"Detention! All of you for three weeks!"
"Proffesor, I have classes to teach"
"Oh that right Mr. Lupin... fine, no detention for you, but you're banned from the years remaining Hogsmeade trips"
"Fair enough" shrugged Remus
"Three weeks detention is a little harsh sir, considering we already turned all the animals back to furniture" Pouted Sirius
"A little harsh? If anything it's extremely gracious! Just three weeks detention! Compared to all the time Filch and the house elves are going to have to spend cleaning Zebra droppings from the common room! The Hogwarts teaching staff are often far too easy on your your little gang of... Marauders" he spat, James giggled and beamed
"WHAT are you laughing at Mr. Potter?"
"Nothing it's just Marauders... sums us up perfectly"
"Indeed... as I was saying; The Hogwarts teaching staff are oftn very easy on you four, apparently talent in the classroom makes up for misdemeaner's outside it. This is not the kind of behavior that should be accepted or even tolerated from fourth year students. At such a time of war as well" he shook his head violently "I am especially disappointed in you Mr. Lupin, you should know better"
"I should?"
"Yes! You're on McGonagall's shortlist for Prefects next year, and I suggest, that if you wish to gain that honour, you buck your idea's up!"
"Okay... can we go sir?"
"You will go when I say you can go!" Said Slughorn furiously. He looked back and forth and faltered "...You may go" The boys stood up and left Slughorn's office. As soon as they were deffinately out of ear shot, James burst out laughing.
"What's wrong with you" said Peter curiously
"Moony!"
"What about me"
"Slughorn! Thinking being a prefect is an honour! What a burke!" he cackled "The way he was talking, it was like he expected you to stop having fun just so you could be a prefect" Remus smiled
"He's a tosser, but I wwouldn't mind being a prefect you know" he said casually "the bathroom's really... useful" he winked at Sirius
"You're guaranteed to get the badge though, aren't you" said Peter "with all the tutoring you do"
"Honestly, I doubt it. I'm friends with you three aren't I" he smiled
"Yeah, but you're the best one out of all of us. You hardly ever get in trouble, you don't pull all the pranks like us" said James
"You seem to be forgetting who the mastermind behind this plan was" Said Sirius, smiling proudly at Remus
"I suppose" Said James "It would've been all the more impressive had he thought of a way to make sure Slughorn and Filch didn't catch us"
"We should've brought that weird arse sixth year along with us" said Sirius with a smirk
"Who?" asked Peter
"You know, the one who reckons she can see into the future" he explained
"Oh! You mean Sybill Trelawny" exclaimed Peter
"That's her!" said Sirius with a snap of his fingers
"Something tells me that she's lying" said Remus with a smirk "she goaded me into having my tea leaves read in my first year. She got all teary and said, "my dear, I am afraid I foresee terrible things... in your twenty first year you will be bitten, by a werewolf" needless to say I practically pissed myself laughing"
"Bless her, the stupid bint" said James with a roll of his eyes "It's a shame she can't acctually do it though. I'd happily let her hang round with us if she did. Think of the potential of knowing when a teacher or a Filch was coming..."
"Acctually" said Peter with a knowing smirk "I've heard of a way you can" James scowled and looked over at Sirius and Remus
"Seriously?" said James doubtfully
"Mmhmm, enchanted map"
"Enchanted..." James blinked and shook his head, a grin forming on his face "Peter, you're a genius! A complete genius... I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner" James continued to shake his head and doubled his speed
"Where are you going" asked Sirius
"Where are we going"
"Whatever"
"To the library my fellow Marauder"
"ugh, Why?"
"To do some reading on plotting and enchanting maps" He grinned and began to jog. With a roll of their eyes and a few apathetic shrugs, Sirius, Remus and Peter followed.
*
Since the idea had hit him, James's had become obsessed with plotting a map of Hogwarts. Over the next few weeks neither Remus, Sirius nor Peter saw him without his nose burried deep in one book or another on map making, or bent over a piece of parchment with a pencil, his wand and a quill. He had also begun incessantly reffering to him and his three friends as the Marauders, something which ammused Remus and sirius, but confused Peter, as he no idea what the word meant.
*
They sat down at the first breakfast in May. There hadn't been an attack in a while, and a thick fog of tension and unease hung in the great hall as the post and Daily Prophets arrived. The muggle born and half blood students seemed to be waiting for news of an attack on or the death of a relative or a friend and all took their letters from their owl's gingerly and opened them like the letter might explode. Remus bought the Prophet and an owl dropped a letter in his lap. He nervously opened the prophet and scanned the front cover for news of an attack
"Oh Shit" he groaned, his heart skipping a beat and a nervous sickness filling his senses
"What is it?" asked Peter. Remus read the headline
"13 Killed in Attack on Post Office [see page 3]"
"And?" frowned Peter
"Moony's dad works at the post office" said Sirius sharply. His voice becoming gentle he shuffled closer to Remus and grasped his hand under the table. McGonagall walked briskly into the Great Hall and Put her hand on Remus's shoulder
"Mr. Lupin... I'm afraid I have some bad news for you... I'd like you to come with me, up to my office" Remus ignored her and began to read the article
"Yesterday evening, as day employee's were preparing to leave, four masked wizards forcefully entered the Hogsmeade Post Office. The wizards demanded every employee to come to the front of the Office and state their blood purity. All Wizards and Wiches of a pure blood status were allowed to leave, provided they would not alert the authorities for atleast one hour. An instruction which most ignored, as aurors were on their way within ten minutes of the employee's release.
Unfortunately in that time, the 13 half blood and muggle born employees [see below for names] of the Post Office were" Remus swallowed, praying the next word would not be what he knew it was "killed... by the four wizards, later identified as some of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters. Upon investigation, none were tortured and all appeared to have died without pain.
The Death Eaters were not identified and are still being tracked by the entire Auror department..." There was more left to read, but Remus stopped. He began to shake, he felt like the bottom had dropped out of his stomach and broke out in a cold sweat.
"Don't panic Rem" said Sirius voce full of dread. Remus dropped his paper, hands goign numb, he was unable to hold it
"I think my dad is dead" he said flatly
"Mr. Lupin, I suggest you come with me" Said McGonagall urgently
"No, he won't be" Sirius shook his head
"He's muggle born. Of course he is" the numb feeling spreading up his arms. Sirius shook his head, and grasped wildly for the paper
"He might not be... you didn't read the list of names at the bottom... he might've gotten away!" said Sirius, messily opening the paper, dropping loose pages fom it's centre everwhere "Wait.. listen" Remus didn't want to listen. He wanted to read the letter on his lap.
"Mr Black, do not-" McGonagal's snap was interupted
"Names of the desceased" read Sirius quickly "Sylvia Brand, Romona Brown, Thomas Drewer, Penny Edwards, Alex Gordon, John Lupin... oh" he said nervously. Remus ignored Sirius, taking his hand out of Sirius's and opening his letter. From his mother. The handwriting was barely legible, irratic and spidery, and there were tear stains on the parchment, the ink had run
Dear Remus – There was an attack on the post office yesterday night. Your father was killed. They said, at the hospital, that he didn't suffer. It was a simple Avada Kedavra. The funeral is on Thursday and I've written to Dumbledore, he's giving you Thursday and Friday off. I'll be coming to Hogsmeade to pick you up, you'll be meeting me at the station, and I'll take you home. All my love, mum x
"Mr. Lupin?"
"Yes Proffesor"
"Please come to my office"
"Why... he's dead... what else is there to say?" Remus got up from the table, pushing past McGonagall, he began his way, slowly and shakily up to Gryffindor tower. He wondered if his friends or the proffessor would follow him. He didn't care. He just wanted to be alone. It had seemed like an eternity before he finnally got to his dorm. Where he sat quietly on his bed and drew the hangings around him, his mother's letter gripped tightly in his numb, shaking hand. The door creaked oped slowly.
*
Sirius begged Peter, James and McGonagall not to come with him as he followed Remus up to the dorm. He had called after him, but Remus was either too wrapped up in his thoughts to hear him or choosing not to. He entered the dorm tentaively
"Remus?" No answer, the hangings were drawn around Remus's bed; he was there, Sirius had watched him go up to the dorm "I know you're there Remus" still no answer "Are you okay?.. stupid question... of course you aren't... erm... is there anything I can do to help?..." no answer "Remus... please... I don't know what to do... but..." he sighed "oh I don't know..." Remus stuck his head out through the curtains, his face eerily expressionless. He got up and threw himself at Sirius, knocking Sirius to the wall plunging his tongue deeply into his mouth
"Remus, what the hell are you doing?" Remus ignore him and began to unbotton Sirius's shirt
"What does it look like I'm doing?" he said flatly, pulling the belt from Sirius's trousers
"Well... This isn't a good idea"
"It is. I need a distraction. You're perfect"
"Rem... Come on" he said, stepping away from Remus
"Just do me a favour and shut up for once" Remus dropped to his knee's and unzipped Sirius's trousers, yanking them dow to his ankles
"I... I don't understand why you're doing this" Remus fingered the elastic of his under wear, his hands cold and clammy "I mean, taking your mind off this, I understand... but... is this an appropriate way to do it?"
"Absaloutely not" said Remus nodding in agreement, slowly pulling Sirius's underwear down. Sirius blushed, ashamed he could be so aroused in a situation like this. He opened his mouth to protest, but this died away the moment Remus's hot, wet, mouth softly worked it's way onto Sirius's hard, wanting flesh.
A/N – A slight warning here! I'm going to be visiting family (ugh, I know, stupid fucking families : P) till next Wednesday so the next update will take a lot longer than usual, sorry! In my absence feel free to give me lots of wonderful reviews to come home to!
