author's note: Hello! Fair warning, the next chapter will be posted in a couple of weeks since school is back in session. And I know you must be thinking how long are we going to continue reading about them in their third year! In two or so chapter, they will be in their fourth year. I hope you all like this chapter! And if any one is good at editing and would like to be a beta reader, hit me up! i'm in need of one.


Best Friends

are people

who make

your problems

their problems, just so

you don't have

to go

through it alone.


Remus couldn't fathom a response. He was already sluggish from the night before so his brain was slow to come up with a clever answer. All he could do was sit there in bed and stare at his friends like they grew another head.

"You're not denying it," Sirius realized. He narrowed his eyes at the werewolf. Grey eyes scanning the boy. He noted his pale skin and wounds. A few light scratches on his jawline and over his left eyebrow.

Remus couldn't stand being under their scrutiny. Especially Sirius'. Out of his three friends, his stare was the most overwhelming. So, he let his eyes drop to his fidgeting hands that was playing with the old blanket.

"You kept this from us," James had the gall to sound betrayed. Remus' hands balled into fists.

"This isn't about you," he whispered. Merlin, he loves his best friends. James and Sirius are beacons of lights that lures people in but sometimes they can be too egotistic. They find out about Remus' problems and brought it back to them. Remus knew that half his anger was coming was from his post-full moon temperament.

"What?" Sirius stepped forward.

Remus stared back at Sirius, this time his gaze unwavering. Sirius noticed that his eye color was different. The same blue yet with specks of amber around the iris.

"I said, 'this isn't about you'," Remus repeated.

"Who said it was?" James shrieks.

"You come in here and accuse me of being a werewolf—

"—you are," Sirius cuts him off. "Don't try to deny it."

"Mister Black, if you don't tone it down I will escort you out," Madame Pomfrey scolds the boy.

"And you're angry because I kept this from you?" Remus continued.

"Yeah," James scoffed.

"No offense, but why should you be mad? This is my secret," Remus said. That was it. He confirmed it. He didn't expect for them to find out this quick. He thought he had a few months to come up with explanation before their class taught about werewolves. The only thing he could do was either sit there and apologize for not telling them or flip the script. Remus did the latter. "Tell me what you're really mad about? Me being a monster or me not warning you about it?"

"Bloody hello, We're your—

"—Mister Black," the nurse cuts Sirius off. Hands on her hips as she glared at the group of Gryffindors. "That's enough. Remus needs to rest and I can't have you yelling at him.

"We'll talk about this later," James promised before leaving the infirmary with the other two.

"Merlin…" Remus groaned. He threw himself back into his flat pillows, and hid himself with the itchy blanket.

"Mister Lupin," he hears the nurse. Remus peeked through the sheet and blanket. "I know it's not my business but I think that you should trust them. Friends like yours don't come easily."


"Did you just come from visiting?" Lily asked as they both where on their way to Potions. The redhead wasn't blind. After what she witnessed two days ago, she just knew that Remus fancied Adhara. And after finding out about a day ago that Adhara has become 'officially' friends with the bloke. Adhara may be oblivious when someone fancies her but Lily is not blind.

"Yeah, the boys are there now," she said.

Lily nudges the shorter girl with her shoulder giving her a knowing look. "So, what was with that kiss a few days ago?" Adhara is not one for showing affection to any person in public. She was too timid of a person to initiate something. The most that Adhara would do is let her brother or James wrap an arm around her into a hug.

Adhara rolled her eyes at the redhead. She practically forgot that she pecked Remus on the cheek but then Lily would bring it up every time the topic of Remus came up (Lily would be the one to bring it up all the time). Remus was just some guy who's best mates with her brother. But then she thinks about how Fabian held her hand when helping her hold her wand correctly when dueling. She would think about for days on how rough and warm his hands are.

"We're friends," Adhara said, once again. When she thinks about it, she's been saying 'friend' too many times in the last two days. But then again, she's just happy to make a new friend even if it was another friend of Sirius'. Adhara didn't even know what compelled her to even kiss the guy but she wasn't as hung up on it as Lily.

"Yeah, but he's a sweet guy," Lily said. The redhead doesn't know much about Remus. They may not be friends per se, but she just knows that he's a good match for her. Better than a certain redheaded fourth year who constantly flirts with other girls (even if he fancies Adhara—she told Lily the day after Fabian walked her to the Hufflepuff entrance).

And speaking of the devil, they just had to run into the bloke. Lily knew that Adhara was not going to go out of her way to speak to the boy but that didn't mean that Fabian was going to do the same.

"Ads! Just your lovely presence peps me up for my next class," he greets her. The two boys—Frank and Gideon—rolled their eyes at their mutual friend's blatant flirting. Merlin, even Lily had to do the same. It was the same sentence that James greeted her with yesterday. She still hasn't figured out Potter's end game. He didn't so much as spare a glance at her for the last two years unless Sev was with her but now he would go out of his way to talk to her.

"Morning, Fabian," Adhara said quietly. She greeted the other two boys, too.

"Your sister is starting to be a problem, Black," Axton Bulstrode said. His brown eyes trained on Adhara as she spoke to three blood traitors. It was a slap to the face to any Pureblood—especially her family. The boy looked over at his classmate.

"She's my problem," Regulus said. Did Axton think he was daft? Of course, he knows that Adhara is becoming a problem. Sirius was already one but he knew that his older brother was safe. Sirius is the heir to the family so he was safe to do anything. He would still get punished but he didn't have to worry about being burned off the tapestry liked their older cousin.

"People are starting to talk," Axton warns Regulus. "Their starting to question your loyalty."

Regulus hated how Axton said it. He knew that it was just a warning and not a threat but in his House that was pretty much the same thing. He tried not to fret over his sister's choice in friends. She was friendly to anyone. He remembers Father explaining why Adhara was sorted into Hufflepuff. It made sense the more he thought about it. His fat would think of her daughter's qualities as if it was flaws. And he could see her side, too.

Regulus confronted Adhara about it in the beginning of the school year. She had a solid argument on why she is friends with half-bloods and blood traitors. But that didn't mean she had to befriend muggle borns as well. But then again Sev is friends with the same muggle born.

"Reg, my House is full of them," Adhara explained to him. They both were in the library, close to the restriction area. "I do not want to outcast myself."

Regulus felt torn. He could just imagine what their mother would say if Adhara would have explained this to her. Their parents would of expected of Adhara to not befriend them. To be lonely in the Hufflepuff house and outcast herself. But Adhara was not that kind of person. She may be shy but she wants to make friends.

So Regulus let it be. He didn't want to witness his older sister being slapped by their mother like two years ago. Regulus couldn't understand why his two older siblings befriend muggle borns and half-bloods. It took him by surprise when he met Lily Evans last year through Severus and Adhara. She seemed pleasant but as soon as he found out what her 'status' was it his views changed. Regulus tried not to think so much about it since he brought unpleasant questions.

"She needs to be handled," Bulstrode said, shaking Regulus from his thoughts. Regulus stared at his sisters as she spoke to Prewitt. It was obvious that the Hufflepuff fancied the blood traitor. Anyone who knows her well, Merlin, anyone with eyes could see the obvious.

"Yeah…" Regulus remembered what Severus said last year. Severus was the reason behind Regulus reporting back to his parents about Adhara's friendliness with the wrong crowd. It didn't end well. Sirius doesn't look at him the same way. Merlin doesn't either but at least it's not full of disdain. Adhara is always on edge around him. "I'll fix that."


James and Sirius didn't forget about what happened earlier that day. Quidditch practice became a perfect distraction for the boys. they entered their shared bedroom to see Remus laying on his bed. Both boys came from practice with Peter watching in the bleachers as he did his homework. All three of the boys stopped in their tracks when they noticed the werewolf was present.

"Remus," Peter squeaked.

They watched as their friend slowly sat up. His eyes still trained on the floor with furrowed eyebrows.

"You said you wanted to talk," he muttered. "So let's talk."

Remus didn't have to tell him twice. Sirius stepped forward, ready to tell him off but Peter grabbed him, holding him back. "Sirius," he warned.

"I don't care," Sirius warned the smaller boy. He snatched his arm out of his hold before turning back to Remus. He hesitated, noticing how withdrawn and prepared for his friends' wrath.

"You have to understand," Remus began.

"Understand what?" he growled. "That you don't even trust us? You don't trust us enough to tell us what you are."

Remus finally locked eyes with the Pureblood. His voice steady and calm. "Again, it is my secret to tell. I didn't have to tell you unless I wanted to."

"And, why didn't you?" asked James. "Why didn't you want to?" That caught Remus and the others off guard. Sirius was too focused on Remus keeping his secret from them but not trying to find out the reason why. Remus, himself, couldn't fathom a decent response. It was more like an excuse.

Remus exhaled deeply before answering. "This isn't a secret I just tell anyone who I knew for only a few yea—

"—we're not just anyone, Remus," Sirius barked. "We're your best mates—well, I thought we were. Do you not trust us? After all these years."

Remus' eyes widened when he hears the crack of Sirius' voice.

"I'm sorry if I offended you," he whispered. "But how could have known how you all would of reacted. The most decent blokes would run for the hills or run after me with pitchforks if they knew what I am."

"Well, we're not decent or normal," James said confidently. That made Sirius and Remus turn to the bespectacled boy. He gave them a grin and shrug. "What? We're not. We prank people for the fun of it. May them be the nicest Hufflepuff or the most horrid Slytherin. We dare each other to eat the most gross foods." James then turns to Remus and said, "But that doesn't mean we'll 'run for the hills' because of what you are."

After a few seconds of silence, Remus broke it. "What are your thoughts on werewolves," he asked them.

"They're scary," Peter was the first to answer. Sirius and James rolled their eyes at him but couldn't help but crack a smile at his response. "But that doesn't mean the person is," he added.

That made Remus look up at the chubby boy. He gave him a grateful smile.

"You think that we would have thrown out three years of friendship after finding out what you are?" Sirius asked. "Remus, you know me. Coming from a prejudice family didn't stop me from being friends with blood traitors and muggle borns. So, what do you think their thoughts of half-breeds would have done to me?"

"Yeah, we could care less if someone is a werewolf if their amazing like you," James agreed with a grin.

Remus shook his head with a wry smile. His friends had no self-preservation.

"Do you guys not understand or just barmy?" he asked them. Remus tried but failed to keep his voice steady. "I'm a mons—

Remus was cut off with the punch in the shoulder by Sirius. "What the hell?"

"I will punch you if you call yourself a monster," he promised. Remus bit his tongue from saying that he already punched him before he could even finish his sentence. "You're not even close to being one."

"Yeah, you're a saint," James joked.

"St. Remus Lupin," Peter laughs.

"Who we occasionally corrupt into pranking and getting detention," Sirius added. The boys knew better with thinking that their best mate is a saint. Majority of their pranks, Remus is the brains behind their masterpieces. If it wasn't for him, the boys would have had way more detentions then they dealt with.

"If you don't mind," Peter hesitated before continuing. "Can you tell how you became one?"

"He was bit," James scoffed.

"He meant when, you prat," Sirius shoved the boy.

Remus knew that this story could change the dynamic of their friendship. Him confessing about his blood-status is the ultimate display of how he viewed their relationship.

He acknowledged that his relationship with these boys are changing. He realized it two days ago after his talk with Sirius over his boggart. Sirius realized it, too. They aren't just friends who he can joke around with. They are not reaching uncharted territories in these last few days.

They are starting to talk about feelings. Ugh. Remus didn't mind but knowing his friends, it was like pulling teeth or being friends with a Slytherin.

Remus told the reason behind of how he is a thirteen-year-old werewolf with hesitation. This would be the first time he recounts the story of Fenrir Greyback. Remus tried to blink back the tears when he finally said the name of the man who ruined his life. Remus tried not to think of the man much. But after fighting their boggarts a few days ago, his nightmares

Their room became filled with silence after Remus finished. All the werewolf could hear was their heavy breathing. He avoided their eyes. He didn't need pity.

"This is why I can't understand why werewolves are taboo," James spoke up, voice angry. Remus lifted his head with a confused expression on his face. He noticed Sirius and Peter nodded, agreeing with the bespectacled boy.

Remus knew he would have to spell it out for his reckless mates. "Do you not understand," he asked them, his voice desperate for them to comprehend this. He didn't need the three of them to act as if nothing changed. "I—I'm a-a-a monster," he cried.

Sirius stayed true to his promise. He punched him on the shoulder, again. "Merlin, Remus. I don't know how many times we must tell you. You're St. Remus."

Remus cracked a smile when he called him a Saint.

"Now that we know your little secret," James pat him on the back. "We can help you lie better."

"Lie better?"

"Yeah, because you getting sick every month for the past three years is suspicious," he explained.

"I tricked you guys," Remus said with a smug smirk. "And we've been living together and we're best mates."

"Don't need to rub it in."

"But James is right," Sirius agreed "We should have realized sooner since we are your best mates but you never know who's watching you. We can cover for you."

"Is that why you don't befriend many people?" Peter asked. Remus nodded. He's naturally a quiet boy especially to strangers but that never meant he didn't like talking to people. That was one of the handful of qualities that he envies about James and Sirius sometimes. But he doesn't want to be that way all the time. Remus rather be in the shadows sometimes with Peter, watching everyone (as creepy as that sounds).

He had to be a closed book and try not to draw too much attention to himself. His father stressed enough of that before he went to Hogwarts his first year. It made Remus resent his illness more. But by following his father's requests, he realized that he didn't need that many friends like James and Sirius.

All he needed was a handful of good mates and nothing else.


Author's note: so obviously Remus will continued to self-loath even if the consequences will be Sirius' punching. Until next time...