Chapter 6: Aaooooo! Werewolves of London!

It had been a few days since Lydia's visit to the headmaster's office. She walked into her Defense class that Tuesday morning and took her usual seat. She and Rachel had taken to sitting with James, Sirius, and Remus. The others filed in and class soon began. Lydia couldn't help but keep looking at Remus. He looked pale and sickly. "Is Remus okay?" she whispered to Sirius.

"He's going to see his mum tomorrow," Sirius said. "She's been ill and in and out of private hospitals for years now and it's been a long while since she's improved. He goes to visit her every month. She's going in for treatment tomorrow and he's been a bit nervous."

Lydia nodded. "So, it's not looking good then?"

"No," Sirius said.

Lydia refocused her attention back on Professor Hawkins as he talked about the importance of remaining calm in emergency situations.

Adrian, Rachel, and Lydia worked together on a homework assignment for their healing class. About fifteen minutes in, Lydia put down her quill. "Have either of you noticed how ill Remus looks today?" she asked them.

Rachel nodded, putting down her quill as well. "He gets like that quite often. He's just nervous about going to see his mum. She's been sick for a while and he's never sure what condition she'll be in when he gets there."

"I'm sure it's nothing too serious," Adrian said, writing something down on his paper, "He's still in classes."

"You don't think it could be that something's wrong with him and not his mum?"

"I'm sure if something were wrong with him, James, Peter, and Sirius would be a little more concerned," Rachel said.

"You don't think they're concerned? They're always checking up on him."

Finally Adrian too put down his quill. "Lydia, his mum never shows up at King's Cross, he's always writing to his dad, and he gets nervous before he goes to visit. She's sick. There's nothing else to it."

Lydia dropped the subject.

Remus showed up to dinner that night looking even worse for the wear. "Is his mum really that bad that he gets this nervous and stressed? He looks so sickly…" Lydia noted to Rachel.

"He's fine, Lydia."

Lydia shook her head. She continued looking at Remus. He looked tired, he was pale, and bags were starting to form under her eyes. She knew something was up and she was certain she knew what it was.

"Remus!" Remus turned around to face the person who had called his name. It was Lydia.

"Hello, Lydia," Remus said wearily.

They walked for a while. "How have you been?" Lydia asked.

"Been better."

Lydia shot him a sympathetic look. "Sirius told me about your mum. That must be hard."

"It's definitely not easy."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow night."

Lydia nodded. "Sirius said she's been ill for a while."

"Yeah," Remus said, "she's been to several different hospitals over the years but no one can figure out what's wrong with her. For the past year or so, we've been experimenting. We're trying something else tomorrow."

"You don't seem too upset, talking about all this," Lydia noted.

"Sad as it is, you get used to it. She's been sick for a long time."

"How long?" Lydia asked.

"About ten years."

"That long? So you were seven when she was diagnosed?"

"Yeah," Remus said. "It's been a long time. I can't remember the time when she was actually home."

"I have to leave, I'm supposed to meet Adrian soon. I hope things get better, Remus."

As she walked off, Remus spoke quietly to himself, "Me too."

"I think Lydia suspects something," Remus said.

"That's what you get for befriending Ravenclaws," Sirius said.

"You're friends with her too!"

"Yeah, but I don't have any big secrets to hide."

James spoke up, "She definitely knows something's up. I was talking to Adrian earlier and he said they had been working on homework before she started asking all these questions about your mum and whether she was really sick or if you were the one who was sick."

"If she can find out after being here for less than two months, anyone can. We can't let her find out."

"Well, we can't exactly stop her. Just stick to your story. It'll work out."

Remus nodded resignedly. "Relax, Remus," Sirius said, "Even if she does figure it out, I doubt she'll spread it around."

"And if she says she will, we'll just take her to Dumbledore like we did with Snape," James added.

Remus woke up the next day even more sore and stiff than he had been the previous day. He groaned. "You alright there, Moony?" James asked from the next bed over.

"Yep," Remus said, leaning up. "Just another full moon tonight."

James grinned. "That's right! I almost forgot."

Remus grimaced as he got up. "Lucky you."

James and Sirius exchanged a quick glance. Remus was pale and sweaty, with dark circles hanging underneath his eyes. "You sure you'll be okay for classes today, Remus?" James asked, concerned.

"I'm not sure of anything right now. I feel like crap."

"You look it too," Sirius quipped.

"Gee, thanks." Remus looked around the room. "Where's Peter?"

"You know Pete. He couldn't wait, he's already at the Great Hall."

"Oh, has breakfast started yet?"

"In five minutes, it will."

Remus laughed. "Figures."

But even as he laughed, he ached. A wave of nausea swept over him. "I'll be right back."

Remus darted to the bathroom. James and Sirius hung around inside the dorm, knowing full well Remus wouldn't want them to come in. Remus emerged again a few minutes later. James felt his forehead. "Jeez! Moony, you're burning up."

"Am I?" Remus asked feeling slightly out of it as he swayed left to right.

Sirius shook his head. "You shouldn't go to classes today. James and I will grab some food and bring it back up."

It was a sign of how exhausted Remus was that he didn't even protest.

Before they left, Sirius grabbed something out of his trunk and tossed it at Remus. "Here, Rem. Picked this up at Hogsmeade. Thought you might enjoy it."

Sirius winked, accio-ing the cassette player they had fixed up a few years ago. He tapped it and it turned on. "Have at it."

Sirius and James left the dorms. Remus looked at the tape. Tunes for Every Werewolf. Remus let out a snicker. He stuck it in the player and headed back into his bed. After a minute, a catchy beat came out of the machine. Words soon followed.

I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand,

Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain,

He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's,

Gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein

Aaooooo!

Werewolves of London!

Aaooooooooooooooo!

Aaooooo!

Werewolves of London!

Aaooooooooooooooo!

Remus burst into laughter. Of course they would get him something like this.

If you hear him howling around your kitchen door,

Better not let him in,

Little old lady got mutilated last night,

Werewolves of London again

Aaooooo!

Werewolves of London!

Aaooooooooooooooo!

Aaooooo!

Werewolves of London!

Aaooooooooooooooo!

Sirius and James came in as the song was on its last verse. They too burst into laughter at the song. "I take it you approve?" Sirius said, judging by the look on the other boy's face.

"How could I not? It's hilarious. Where'd you find this?"

"Music store. Where else?" James said.

"Didn't much expect them to have a werewolf tape."

"Moony, you can find anything nowadays," Sirius said.

Remus chuckled at that. "If you say so, Padfoot."

"Anyway, here's all the food we brought back."

Remus looked at the selection before him. He felt slightly nauseous again at the overpowering smell of the food. "I'll just take some pumpkin juice and a bagel for now."

"Suit yourself," Sirius said, digging into a danish as James handed Remus what he had requested.

A little while later, after the food had been cleared, James and Sirius rose. "We probably ought to be going," James said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. I'll probably go straight back to sleep as soon as you guys leave."

"Okay," Sirius said. "We'll probably drop in with some more food at lunch. See you later, mate."

"Okay," Remus said drowsily.

James and Sirius left. As soon as Remus heard the door close, he turned over in his bed and closed his eyes.

"It's 7:00," Remus said, standing up from the game of Exploding Snap. James stood up as well. "See you later, mate," James said. "Tell your mom I say hello."

James gave him a hug. "We'll meet you there at around curfew, okay?" he whispered.

Remus pulled away. "See you soon." He grabbed the bag at his feet and headed out the portrait hole. His monthly schedule was very well thought-out. He was always supposed to be off visiting his mother, who had some kind of terminal illness that required constant care. He usually visited her for "surgeries or new treatment" or if she had "taken a turn for the worse." The former was the case this time. He always had to go to the headmaster's office to keep up appearances and make people believe he was actually going home. Once he got to the office, he would disillusion himself and sneak out of the school and into the shack.

It was almost 10:00 and Remus was standing inside the Shrieking Shack when James, Sirius, and Peter arrived. "Hey, Moony," the voice of Sirius rung out.

"Hi, Pads."

The boys sat and chatted until it was almost 11:00. "It's time," Remus said, standing up. The others shifted into their animagus forms. Not long afterwards, the moon shone through the windows of the Shrieking Shack and Remus's transformation began. His bones cracked as they shrunk or elongated. Hair began to grow all over his body, growing into a thick brown coat. And Remus howled at the pain; a shrill, bone-chilling noise filled the room.

And then it was over. The wolf looked around at his surroundings, sniffing out the familiar site. Then, upon recognizing its guests, it pounced on the dog. The stag seemed to almost smile at this gesture of playfulness as it too approached the wolf for yet another night of mischief and adventure.

Author's Note: The song featured in this chapter is "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon and it was released in 1978.