Ugh I'm sorry it's so late guys! Being a teacher is incredibly time-consuming. Dx

But on the bright side, we're finally in fourth year! Looking back through these coming chapters, I realized that fourth year is actually a lot better than third year. I had said that third year was what was holding me back the first time I went on hiatus, and I think the main reason is because there just wasn't a lot plot-wise going on besides the Animagus stuff. But of course, I couldn't just put that stuff together and call it a year. tl;dr, you guys are going to love this next set of chapters :D

The theme of fourth year is Romance, and that may be a little misleading, but trust me, it's going to work out in the long run. ;)

Also, I'm totally pissed that JKR put out the entire Animagus thing NOW after I already established everything in the story Dx The only thing I was right about was the Mandrake leaf because that was the only information I could find about the process when I looked over the summer. If it had come out just a few weeks earlier I would have tweaked everything! *le sigh*

Anyway, as far as my writing process, I finally, FINALLY got some inspiration back to continue where i had left off with writing fifth year. I need to get ahead of the game because eventually these postings are going to catch up to what I have. I've totally reworked what I had planned and how things played out, and it's looking a lot better, so I'm thinking that I'll hit the end of fifth year somewhere around chapter 48 to 50. After that...I have absolutely no idea yet XD Maybe another hiatus? I'll have to think hard on it.

Shockingly there have been no reviews this time around :o So I guess that means it's time to sign off. See you on Monday (hopefully). Love ya!

~SXS

FOR WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMER, SEE FIRST CHAPTER AN.


In spite of having seen his friends less than two weeks earlier, Sirius was quite eager to reunite with them on Platform 9 ¾. For once, only part of that eagerness came from the fact that he was heading back to Hogwarts again. He was also on a high from having a decent summer, making money, and getting to see his friends twice, without any punishment. It was just a shame that he'd probably never have another such stroke of good fortune.

As he and Regulus toted their carts towards the back carriage of the train, side by side, the younger Black gave him a perplexed look. "Did you hurt your leg or something?"

"What? O-Oh yeah. Ow, yeah, I think I landed wrong out of the Floo," Sirius said, playing up his odd limp even more. He thought it best not to share the real reason that he was walking so strangely. His brand new Nimbus 1700 was hiding in his clothes, the handle running from his shoe, through his trousers, and up his back, and the head pressed to the back of his own, under the hood of his robes. Had this been a few years ago, he might have told Regulus the truth, but he didn't know if he could fully trust his brother not to mention it to their parents, or even hold it over his head as blackmail.

They brought their trunks onto the carriage, and found James already waiting in the usual compartment. "G'day, Black brothers! What's wrong with your leg, Pads?"

Regulus gave James a nod, and looked at Sirius with a questioning eyebrow at the nickname, but the older boy didn't bat an eyelash. "It's nothing. Where's Moons and Wormy?"

"I'm here!" Peter appeared in the doorway, dragging his trunk. He slid it under the seat and grinned up at his friends. "Hi, Regulus," he said, smiling at the boy who gave him a small one in return.

There was a short silent pause in which none of the boys spoke, until Regulus cleared his throat. "Well, I think I'll just go…settle in over there," he said, jerking his thumb across the hall towards the other compartment. "Good to see you again." He then pulled his trunk across the way and closed himself in.

Sirius felt guilt tug at his gut, and the locket that he still wore under his clothes (out of habit more than anything, which miraculously James and Peter still had no idea about) felt a bit colder against his chest. He hadn't wanted to make Regulus feel like he didn't want to include him, but the distance between them seemed to grow with every year at school, and every new secret he had to keep. He didn't let this show on his face, though, instead smiling brightly as he closed the door and blinds.

"I have something to show you," he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He pulled off his robes and then his shirt (the locket bundled in underneath).

"Hey, hey, what are you doing?" James exclaimed, shielding his eyes. Peter was too curious to look away. Sirius smirked and reached behind himself, grabbing the broom and pulling it up and over his head.

"Tada!" He held it out in front of himself and it hovered just above his open hands. James's jaw dropped.

"Is that-"

"Yes, indeed," Sirius responded, and lovingly stared down at his purchase. "The Nimbus 1700. The latest and greatest in flight, and my pride and joy." He sighed dreamily.

"How in blazes did you afford that?" James asked, reaching out to touch it, but Sirius pulled it away quickly.

"Ah, ah, no touchy. I saved every last pence that I made at that pet store for this. It's all I have to show for a summer's worth of work, but it's so very worth it."

James's hazel eyes were just a touch jealous, which was exactly the kind of reaction that Sirius wanted, but before his fellow Marauder could try to coerce him into letting him touch the broom, there was a knock at the compartment door. Seconds later it was opened by Frida Lupin, who was on one end of Remus's trunk.

"Hello, boys," she said with a weak smile. She pulled the trunk in and John followed up on the other end.

Sirius beamed to see them. "Mum and Dad!" he said, going in for a hug once they'd dropped the trunk.

"Good to see you again, lad," John said. He pulled away to shake James and Peter's hands, and then worked on fitting Remus's trunk under the seat. Belatedly, Sirius realized that their carrying of Remus's things likely meant the boy himself was in bad shape with the looming full moon.

"Is Moony coming?" he asked, peering out into the hall. A little ways down he spotted his friend, walking slowly and tiredly in their direction. He was at his side immediately, taking Remus's arm and putting it around his shoulders (which was a bit awkward now that he was the shorter one). "Merlin, you look terrible," he said, noting the bags under his eyes and paler than usual skin. "Are you sure you don't want to stay home?"

"M'fine, Siri. I'm not missing the feast." Remus leaned heavily against him, however, as they started off towards the compartment. He was curious as to why Sirius was shirtless, but didn't have the strength to question it.

Sirius half-carried Remus to the compartment, helping him to sit before he put his shirt back on. Frida and John both stooped to give their son hugs and kisses goodbye. "Remember, you go straight to the hospital wing when you get there," his mother said, cupping his face in both hands.

Remus smiled weakly and he lifted his pinky towards her even though he had no intention of keeping this promise. He wasn't going to lose out on the feast and Sorting just because the moon decided to have bad timing this year. He wasn't going to let it win.

Frida hooked his finger with her own and gave him one last kiss. But she still looked pained at the thought of leaving her son in this state. She turned to Sirius and gave him another hug. "Please take care of him," she whispered, the words so soft he almost missed them. Sirius looked up into her shining green eyes when she pulled away and gave her a subtle nod. As far as he was concerned, the request was unnecessary.

Mr. and Mrs. Lupin then left the compartment with a few fleeting glances. Remus curled himself up on one side of the bench, arms crossed over his chest and head leaning against the window so he could see them as the train pulled away.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright until we get there, Moony?" James asked.

Remus nodded, even though his head rubbed against the window in the process, messing up his hair. "I'll be fine. I just need to sleep a little," he said, closing his eyes.

"It's too bad Madam Pomfrey isn't here now," Peter said. "Even, you know, in case anything happened during the ride to anyone else."

Remus cracked one eye. "That's actually not a bad idea, Peter. Maybe I'll tell her tomorrow." Peter grinned a little, but he couldn't be too proud of his idea when it was coming too late to help his friend.

"Moons," Sirius said as he sat down next to the suffering werewolf. "That's not going to be comfortable." He extended his arm towards the other boy, who had turned to him with a raised brow. "C'mon. You'll sleep better."

Remus couldn't deny that there was something appealing about the thought of using Sirius as a pillow, although the thought of snuggling against him in front of James and Peter was mildly embarrassing. But their fellow Marauders knew how close he and Sirius were emotionally. Why should they feel uncomfortable with physical closeness? Deciding that comfortable rest was more important, he moved into Sirius's side and let his head fall to the pureblood's shoulder. In spite of his newly acquired height, he didn't need to contort his body to manage this, as the length was in his legs. Sirius's arm wound up behind him, and stayed wrapped around his waist. It took hardly a minute for him to fall asleep.

Sirius felt his heart clench as he looked down on the shock of tawny hair. He was of course already bound and determined to finally transform into his Animagus form, but seeing Remus this way only increased that desire one-hundred-fold. Even though it wouldn't change this part of the ordeal, there wouldn't be as much dread for the coming nights. He let his hand rest on Remus's hip settling his gaze across the way on James and Peter, whose determination had also been renewed.

The group chatted quietly throughout the ride, Remus not stirring once, but shifting slightly now and then. As time went on, Sirius was treated to little whiffs of Remus's scent, which was stronger than he'd ever noticed before. Perhaps as a result of getting in touch with his inner animal, or rather the lengthened exposure at this close proximity. Either way, he found he quite liked it. Remus (or perhaps it was his shampoo) smelled like apples and warm spices, with a hint of chocolate (which he might have eaten that morning), and musk (possibly from being close to the moon). There were other muddled scents under these, but his nose wasn't quite sharp enough yet. Maybe after he changed into a dog for the first time he could have another go.

"…Pads, are you listening?"

"Wha?" Sirius blinked a few times in succession, finding James and Peter looking at him expectantly.

"You zoned out," Peter said. "We were talking about the map."

"Why are you…rubbing Remus's side?" James asked. It was only then that Sirius realized his hand had started to move of its own accord at some point.

"I-I'm not," he said, stopping the motion and fighting off a blush. "I was just shifting my hand around." He let it fall limp, fingers brushing the seat.

James quirked a brow but he didn't question further, instead launching right back into what he'd been saying before. Sirius forced himself to pay attention, although his thoughts kept wandering to the warm body pressed against him, and how he liked holding onto him a lot more than he would have thought.

When they finally reached the station, Sirius gently nudged Remus in the leg. "Moons. We're here, Moony, wake up," he murmured. James and Peter were already getting their things together, planning to make a few trips. They knew that Sirius would be helping Remus walk and that automatically made them in charge of the luggage.

Remus's brows furrowed briefly before his sleepy amber eyes opened. The nap hadn't helped too much, and he wished he could have stayed exactly where he was because he didn't think he had the energy to stand. But without a word, Sirius was getting up and offering him a hand, then taking his arm over his shoulder as he'd done before. Remus just gratefully leaned his weight onto his friend as they walked out of the train together, hobbling towards the carriages.

They met up with their fellow Gryffindors in the carriage as it started off for the castle. "Are you feeling any better, Moony?" Peter asked.

"Not particularly," Remus answered. He was still using Sirius for support, though he held his head up and the other boy's arm wasn't around him.

"You just have to make it through the carriage ride," Sirius said.

The idea of going to the hospital wing straight away was becoming more tempting, but Remus wasn't ready to give in yet. Some of his Housemates would be sure notice his absence and question where he was. No one ever missed the opening feast. He shook his head. "I can manage at least until dinner starts. Then I'll go."

Sirius frowned. "You promised your mother you'd go."

Remus felt guilt bubble in his stomach, but it was outweighed by his desire not to miss out on the opening festivities. "I'll be fine for a while longer. Just please don't tell her." He turned a pleading expression towards Sirius, who felt his heartrate spike. Now he knew why his own puppy dog eyes worked so well. While he wasn't pleased that Remus was being stubborn about getting help, he couldn't say no.

"Alright. But then I get to decide when it's time for you to go, okay?" Sirius gently insisted. Remus sighed but nodded, and this satisfied him enough for now. He didn't want to coddle his friend, but he also wanted to be sure that he didn't let Mrs. Lupin down so the compromise would have to do.

The carriages parked outside the castle and the Marauders exited, heading up into the Great Hall. Sirius was still Remus's crutch, though they did their best to make it look as subtle as possible, not wanting to draw any attention to the unusual walking arrangement. They sat at the very end of the Gryffindor bench so as to have the easiest exit route possible, and were still attached at the hip.

"Students of Hogwarts, I welcome you," Professor Dumbledore said as he stood to address the room. "It's always wonderful to see the bright faces of our pupils new and old. Now, I'm sure you're all eager to be on with the proceedings-" It might have been his imagination but Sirius thought that the Headmaster was looking at him. "-so let us begin with the Sorting!"

The first years walked into the Hall, lined up as the Marauders had been just three years prior, to the day. Now they were close to halfway finished with school; they'd be taking their O.W.L.s the next year, and soon they'd have to start thinking about career paths and the future and it was scary for all of them. Sirius didn't want to think about what awaited him when he was out of school, and so pushed it from his mind for the next few years.

McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat down on the stool at the front of the room, and its brim opened for the year's rhyme.

'Students hear me as I tell,

The tale of Hogwarts' birth.

How four talented and famous Founders,

Built the most magical place on Earth.

Slytherin and Hufflpuff,

Ravenclaw, Gryffindor,

These witches and wizards came together,

And here's what they had in store.

Create a school to pass our knowledge,

To train the next generation.

What started small has now grown to be,

The pride of all our nation.

They built this castle in which you sit,

Constructed all these walls,

Not knowing how many students in coming years,

Would grace these sacred halls.

The Founders got along,

But were different as could be.

They took students that matched their ideals,

Into four Houses, not three.

They knew that they would not live forever,

To continue their tradition,

So they charmed me to life and gave me a brain,

And one thing in addition.

They embedded their spirits into my being,

So that I could choose in their stead,

Which new student would wind up in which House,

Where they would go to bed.

Now I turn to you, new brave first years,

Don't worry, I don't bite.

Let me sit on your head and I will Sort you,

Into your Houses by the end of the night.

My purpose is not always for this,

And now you will see why.

There are darker times ahead of us,

But please don't be scared or cry.

Friendship and trust, loyalty and love,

These will surely be tested.

Be strong of heart and sound of mind,

And you shall not be bested.

The hat finished its song and the Great Hall applauded, though the staff seemed wary after the last verses. They had to brush it away, however, as the first of the new students was beginning to approach the stool.

Sirius didn't know quite what to make of the end of the poem, but the Hat had inadvertently provided a reference point for finding a spell to embed their spirits into the map. He turned to Remus to see if he'd noticed, but the werewolf was starting to shake.

"Shit, Remus…" Sirius took his arm around his shoulders again, and Remus's shivers buzzed through his body. "It's time to go."

Remus had been trying his hardest to stave off the trembling, but it was impossible when it felt like his very bones were rattling. "B-B-But the S-Sort-"

"No. No more wasting time," Sirius said firmly, and he helped him up from the table. James and Peter mouthed goodbyes as they slipped out of the Great Hall.

Thankfully they were much closer to the hospital wing in the Great Hall than they were in their dorm, so the trip wouldn't take even half as long as it normally would. Sirius wanted Remus in the Healer's care as soon as possible.

"I don't know why you wouldn't just go when we first got here," Sirius chastised lightly. "You're not usually like this."

"I know…B-But…the moon n-never interf-fered before…" Remus admitted quietly through chattering teeth. Had he not been so weak, he would have sounded more frustrated, but he didn't have the strength to sound anything more than pathetic. "N-No one else m-misses feasts."

Sirius's chest tightened in sympathy. "I know, Moony, but you need to take care of yourself."

Remus sighed. He knew the other boy was right, and that he'd been stupid to push himself to his limits, but he wanted for once to not have to bend to the will of the moon. He smiled faintly, cheeks dusted with pink. "Y-You've been t-taking good care today."

This made Sirius grin, pride swelling inside him. "Well, I try. After all, if you're not going to then someone has to." Remus let out a weak chuckle.

Once they reached the hospital wing, Sirius handed Remus off as usual, but was struck with an empty feeling at seeing him go. They'd been sitting and standing shoulder to shoulder for hours now, and it was strange not to have the other boy at his side. But he knew the feeling wouldn't last forever. Someday he wouldn't have to leave Remus behind.

.:~I~S~S~:.

Of all days to miss class, the first day was probably the best. The professors were still just warming up, and while they tried to get in as much lecture as possible, students were still in summer mentality, catching up with their friends and sharing stories. Even still, Sirius made sure to note down anything important that Remus would probably want to know about each class. Unfortunately he couldn't do this for all his incapacitated friend's classes as he wasn't in Arithmancy or Ancient Runes (having chosen Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures as his electives), but he'd at least gotten the core subjects.

The boys had visited Remus during lunch, so they headed back to the common room after their last class of the day. They gathered around the fire on their stomachs for a game of Exploding Snap, having no intention of doing homework so soon into the semester.

Peter was just finishing smacking out his sleeve, as it had ignited in the latest round, when the portrait door swung open. Lily and her roommate Mary MacDonald stepped through, still giggling over something that they had said in the hall. James's eyes were immediately locked onto the pair (mostly Lily, of course), and he sighed wistfully. As the red-head caught sight of him, he flashed a dashing smile coupled with a wink, but she immediately turned up her nose and headed towards the stairs, Mary trailing behind and scanning the common room as she ascended. James deflated.

"Why can't she see how perfect I am for her?" he complained, not interested anymore in their game.

"Maybe because you hate her best friend's guts," Sirius casually suggested, remembering what Remus had said in his letter. "She's not about to date someone who constantly picks on someone she cares about."

James looked appalled. "What are you saying? That I should be nice to Snielly?"

"No way! I'm just telling you why she's never going to like you," Sirius said.

"Never say never. She'll have to come around sometime. She can only resist my charms for so long." James ran a hand through his hair confidently, and Sirius and Peter looked to each other, exasperated. "Besides, you don't know anything about the fine art of romance. I never hear you talk about girls."

Sirius was about to retort, until he realized that James was right. He didn't talk about girls, or even think too much about them for that matter. Sure, there were girls he thought were pretty, but it hadn't ever crossed his mind to pursue them before. "Well…so what? It doesn't take a love expert to understand why Evans hates you."

"Whose side are you on?" James said, a bit heatedly. "Just because you don't know the first thing about getting girls doesn't mean you get to be down on my chances." Peter's eyes widened at the sudden turn of the conversation.

"When did this become about me?" Sirius asked, bewildered.

"When you stopped being a good friend!" James snapped. Peter started to inch away slowly.

Sirius didn't know where this was coming from, but he pushed himself to sit up. "I'm just telling it like it is! Snivellus isn't the only one you've ever treated like crap for no reason," he reminded him. By now Peter was gone.

"No reason?" James balked, and sitting up as well. He looked seconds away from punching Sirius in the face. "If you feel that way, then maybe you should just go hang out with him in the dungeons!" Sirius was so stunned by this that all he could do was blink, mouth agape. Realizing what he'd said, James's eyes immediately flashed regret, temper cooling. "Sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I just…" He sighed. "I hate thinking that I don't have a chance with her."

The sting of the comment still lingered but Sirius could see the genuine remorse in his friends gaze. He crossed his arms over his chest, casting his eyes onto the charred remains of their cards. "You're really that into her?"

James nodded. "I know I talk about her like she's just a pretty face, and maybe at first she was. But watching her these past few years…she's also really smart and nice and even when she yells at me it's hot." He let his spine hunch, shifting his legs so they were crossed and resting his elbow on a knee, cheek in hand.

Sirius peeked at him, a teasing smirk tugging at his lips. "You're completely smitten."

"I really am." James's face could only be described as lovesick, and any negative feelings about his earlier words were wiped away.

"Don't worry, mate. We'll get her. We just have to show her that you're perfect for her even if you hate Snivelly." Sirius moved to his side and clapped him on the shoulder. "We'll start the 'Evans Coming Around Initiative'." The portrait door opened at that moment and Remus stepped through, returning from the hospital wing. "Right Moony?" Sirius called over to him.

"Right about what?" the werewolf asked as he approached.

"Just agree."

Remus looked between Sirius and James's hopeful faces. "No." Then he headed towards the stairs.

Sirius pouted as the other boy walked away, and James patted his back. "He'll come around."