Author's Note: Salvation-ala-mode: thank you so much for all your guidance on this story. Honestly, I would not be cranking this story out as fast as I am if it wasn't for the fact that I can't wait for your feedback. You've really, really helped me out. And that facts thing wasn't just directed at you; I got a couple of messages about it. So thank you very, very much, once again. You're the best
"Full moon tonight, aye?" Sirius asked sympathetically as Remus awoke. He was groaning and stretching painfully, his face remarkably pale and his eyes dull.
"Yeah," Remus replied, exhausted.
"Well, mate, we'll be there as usual," Sirius said, ruffling his friend's hair as he went to go take a shower. Remus smoothed his hair back down and got dressed with a yawn, putting on his best happy face for the world.
During lunch, Sirius could sense the depression that Remus was falling into, and exchanged a look with James. The boys began a ridiculous routine of singing bad muggle songs with horrible interpretive dance movements. Remus looked around all of the people staring at them and dragged Sirius back down onto the bench, kicking James under the table.
"Would you two please cut it out?" Remus asked tiredly.
"Just trying to cheer you up, mate," James shrugged.
"Yeah, well it's not working."
"That much is obvious," Sirius grumbled. "What you need is a good pick-me-up."
"What I need is some less annoying friends," Remus retorted.
"Here we go again," James said ruefully, taking a swig from his goblet.
"Must I begin my list of reasons as to why you have the most amazing friends?" Sirius said dramatically. When Remus didn't reply, Sirius continued. "It appears that I must. First, we deal with your furry little problem, which leaves you bitchier then Lily when she's PMSing. Second, we hook you up with all the foxy ladies. Third, we pull the best pranks ever and save you from books, which kill small children. Do we kill small children? I didn't think so. Fourth, I have devilishly handsome features, a charming personality, and extremely good hair, and James has...well, he's James."
He was then interrupted by a napkin, which was stuffed in his mouth my Remus, and a "Hey! I'm devilishly handsome, too!" from James.
"As inspiring as that was," Remus drawled. "I'm off to Ancient Runes. Bye, losers."
"That's just rude," Sirius spluttered as he removed the napkin from his mouth.
Remus wasn't positive why he was reacting so badly to the oncoming full moon this month. I mean, sure, he was usually a pretty mean guy around this time, but he was generally only mean to James and Sirius. This time, he had snapped at poor Loraine so badly that she had run off with tears in her eyes. That had certainly made him feel guilty...
"Moony, mate," James said as he approached. "We'll be down in about an hour. You might wanna go to Madam Gavioti now."
"All right," Remus said morosely. "D'you think, if you see her, you could tell Loraina I'm sorry?"
"Sure, mate," Sirius said as he joined them. "But...why?"
"I kind of yelled at her for asking if I was okay," Remus said sheepishly.
"I thought you wanted to get the girl, not scare her!" Sirius said, smacking himself on the forehead.
"I'm going," Remus said, indicating the portrait hole. "Just...don't forget to tell her, okay?"
"No problem, Moony," James said back with a half salute.
As Remus crawled through the portrait hole, James turned to Sirius with a frustrated look.
"Why the hell did he have to yell at her?"
"I dunno," Sirius shrugged. "But let's go fix it." He nodded to where Loraina was sitting in an armchair, reading a book.
"Loraina, my beautiful love muffin," James said as he ruffled her hair. She huffed, smoothed her hair back down, and looked up at him with raised eyebrows.
"We come with a message to deliver to your Highness," Sirius said dramatically, dropping down on one knee, grasping her hand. She shook him off and rolled her eyes.
"What, Sirius? And James, don't call me love muffin. That's disturbing."
"Really? I rather thought it had a nice ring to it..."
"Moving on," Sirius intervened. "Remus wanted to send you his apologies for snapping at you."
"And he didn't tell me this, why?" Loraina asked, her eyebrows once again raised.
"Because he's visiting home," James said before Sirius could come up with some crazy excuse.
"Yes," Sirius continued, "she's been having a furry little problem."
James whacked Sirius over the head while Loraina had a disgusted look on her face.
"I don't want to know what that is," Loraina said, standing up. "Tell him that I want to talk to him when he gets back, okay?"
"All right," James said, covering Sirius's mouth with his hand. "Well, we've got to go discuss...stuff."
With that lame excuse, Sirius and James fled the common room, with a slightly disturbed and puzzled Loraina sitting back down, shaking her head.
Running through the Forbidden Forest, James, had he been in human form, would have been grinning that excited smile of his. Sirius was dashing after him, his shaggy dog form bounding along like a puppet. They were herding their dear little werewolf friend deeper into the forest, in the event that some random nighttime wanderer was at the edges of the forest.
In the castle, Loraina, Lily, and Delilah were having a discussion in the Heads common room, as James had mysteriously disappeared.
"Where could he-I mean, they-be?" Lily asked, pacing in front of the clock. It read 2:34, and Lily was beyond worried, particularly about James. "What if he's-I mean they're-hurt?"
"Lily, I'm sure they're fine," Delilah soothed, sitting her down. "Now stop pacing, or you're going to wear a hole in the ground."
"Yeah, Lily, just calm down," Loraina supplied, continuing to read her book. It was an incredibly interesting memoir written by a werewolf, and she was so deeply interested in the book that she couldn't worry much about the boys. "He and Sirius are probably pulling some prank. Remus is at home, visiting his mother and helping her with some problem."
"What? I just saw Remus at around six o'clock," Lily said in confusion, furrowing her brow.
"So did I," Delilah nodded. "I was taking a walk by the lake, and he was with Madam Gavioti."
"What?" Loraina asked breathlessly, closing her book. She looked outside, trying to clear her head, and looked at the reflection of the full moon upon the lake.
"Whatever is going on with them," Lily said, biting her lip, "I don't think I like it."
"Me either," Delilah agreed. "Let's wait up for James to come in, and we'll interrogate him. Three against one."
"Sounds like a plan," Loraina said with a yawn, curling into the chair and cuddling into the red blanket that was wrapped around her.
James entered the Heads common room at 5:07 in the morning, exhausted, drained, and with several scratches on his body. He was not counting on three, half-hysterical, wired girls waiting up for him.
"Uh oh," he whispered as he took in Lily's expression.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU ALL BLOODY NIGHT! YOU CAN'T JUST DISSAPPEAR, JAMES! WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR, FOR MERLIN'S SAKE!"
"Lily, calm," Delilah reminded her, gently grabbing her friend's arm. "And where are Sirius and Remus?"
"I told Loraina yesterday," James said with a yawn, "he's visiting his mother."
"Then explain why Delilah and I both saw him with Madam Gavioti yesterday evening!" Lily exclaimed, throwing her hands up.
"I-I don't-Um, you see," James spluttered.
"Well?" Delilah urged.
"We were off on Marauder business, okay?" James practically growled.
"Doing what?" Lily pressed.
"Would you just stay out of it?!" James shouted, before storming up to his bedroom. Lily collapsed onto the couch, putting her face in a pillow and screaming in frustration.
"So..." Delilah said, attempting to clear the awkward silence. "Who's up for a couple hours of sleep before breakfast?"
Author's Note: I've decided to dedicate this entire story to Salvation-ala-mode, for all of her help. Also, I hope you all liked this chapter. I tried to emphasize the Marauder friendship and give them more of personalities than I had before.
