"Potter!" Snape yelled as James dropped an apple in the Slytherin's cauldron.

"Problem, boys?" Horace asked good-naturedly, looking up from the essays he was grading. The two boys were in detention for fighting in the corridor, though James claimed it was entirely Severus' fault. Dumbledore had no choice, though, but to put the both of them in detention. When he had come across the two they had literally been at each others throats. Severus was shoved against a wall holding James' throat, and James was holding Severus'.

"No, sir," James said pleasantly, "I was just helping Snive-er, Severus with his potion."

The rivals had been assigned a Saturday detention with Horace Slughorn, the potions master. He had set them the task of brewing a simple healing potion, as Madam Pomfrey was in need of a few more vials.

Horace, however nice of a man he might have been, was quite daft. He nodded, smiling. "Quite nice of you, Mr. Potter, though I don't think Severus here has ever had a potion he couldn't do. Quite nice of you, though, quite nice. Ten points to Gryffindor."

James smirked at Snivellus as soon as Professor Slughorn had gone back to grading essays. Served the greasy git right for taunting Sirius about his father. Severus was rather good friends with Bella Black, though she was years older, and Bella had told him about how her uncle treated Sirius. The two thought it was funny, the prats.

"How mad is dear old Daddy going to be after he finds out you're still hanging out with Potty?" Bella had said in the hall Friday afternoon to Sirius as James stood beside him. "Might even whip you again, hm?" Thankfully, no one else had heard her, except for Severus. The git had laughed, cackled, really.

Sirius had walked on, ignoring his cousin and Snivellus. James wanted to pound Bella, but she was bigger, more advanced at hexes, and she was a girl. So James had lunged at Snivellus, shoving him into a wall and holding his throat. "Shut up," James hissed. "It's not bloody funny."

Severus had grabbed James' throat, then, and Dumbledore had found them like this minutes later. The two of them were in a battle of the wills, waiting for the other to release his grip. Bella had long since run off, not even attempting to aid Severus.

Saturday was ruined now. Thanks to Snivellus, James wasn't going to get any time to mess about. Sundays, Remus forced them all to study for at least two hours, so Saturday was the only day James got to play on the Quidditch pitch. He'd been dying to show Frank Longbottom his new racing broom, and had also been hoping to spot a certain redhead on the lawn.

"All your fault, bloody prat," mumbled James as he chopped a root to go in his potion.

"I have impeccable hearing, Potter, so shut your mouth before I shut it for you," Snape mumbled back, his cauldron a mere five feet from James'.

James was about to retort when he noticed with satisfaction that Snivellus had needed to start his potion from scratch again, due to the apple. Victory was his. Deciding to leave the git alone for now, James turned back to his own potion and continued his rather rough chopping once again.

Fifteen minutes later, James was released from detention, having finished his potion. Severus would stay with Slughorn until he had finished his potion, at which time he would be released. James felt he ought to be congratulated for thinking to bring an apple to detention. Had he not dropped it in Snivellus' cauldron, the git would have finished his potion a long time ago.

"Alright, Evans?" He said to the redhead as he entered the Gryffindor common room to grab his new broom. The girl was curled up on the couch reading her potions book, of all things. And on a Saturday, too! No one else was even in the common room. It was too nice a day to be inside.

Lily looked up, smiling. When she realized it was James, the smile fell off her face. "No, James Potter! I am most certainly not alright! Why do you have to pick on Severus so?" She stood, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Aw, Evans, I don't see why you've got to defend him. He's just a slimy Slytherin," James said, faltering slightly when he noticed the enraged look upon her face.

"He's my friend, and you know it, too! And my name is Lily!" She picked up her textbook and stormed, barefoot, up the girls dormitory steps.

"Girls," James muttered, shaking his head. He went up the stairs to retrieve his broom.

(Insert line break here.)

"Where's Rem?" James asked as soon as he saw Sirius and Peter sitting in front of the pond.

"His mum's ill again," Peter said, scooting over and making room for James on the grassy part of the ground.

James set down his broom and stretched out on the grass. His back hurt from leaning over his cauldron. "That's rough. Headmaster come get him again?"

Sirius nodded. He was watching a fifth year Ravenclaw with wild brown curls laugh with her friends across the lawn. Her name was Athena, he knew. Her friends always called to her in the hallways.

"He fancies that Ravenclaw girl," Peter said to James, happy to know something.

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Shut up before I hex you both!" James exclaimed. Peter fearfully shut up, for James' hexes were very painful, but Sirius leaned over and punched the boy in the arm before settling down.

"Alright, Pete, I'm sorry. I do fancy her a bit," Sirius admitted, twirling the green grass in his fingertips absentmindedly as Athena let out a laugh at something one of her friends had said.

"She's four years older than you, and she's dating someone," James pointed out. Athena was one of the Ravenclaw beaters, which was the only reason James knew about her. He followed Quidditch religiously, even though he couldn't play yet.

"But if she wasn't-" Sirius said, before he realized the impossibility of a fifteen year old dating an scrawny eleven year old such as himself.

"Unlucky, mate," James sympathized. "Hey, you lot want to sneak out tonight? It's full moon and there's bound to be loads of stars. We could come right out here and star watch."

"Wish Remus could come," Peter grumbled, but he agreed to the plan, as did Sirius.

"We'll use the cloak, that way we won't get caught."

It was settled. That night, the three of them got ready for bed, and when one of the Prefects came around to make sure they were all accounted for, they pretended to be in deep sleep already.

Five minutes after the Prefect had shut the dormitory door, Sirius slid out of bed and put on his slippers and the night vision goggles he'd gotten for Christmas from the Potters. James had unpacked his cloak, and Peter stuffed his pockets with Chocolate Frogs to eat once they got there.

"Quiet, now," Sirius instructed, pulling the lightweight silvery fabric of the cloak over them. His night vision goggles were very helpful for leading them through the dark common room and through the corridors.

"This is exciting," Peter whispered, fighting to keep his voice in a whisper. They had all reached the lawn now, and, as James had predicted, the stars shone brightly in the dark sky, overpowered only by the vibrant glowing of the white full moon.

"Come on, then," James ordered, tugging the cloak off and holding it tight in his fist as he raced across the lawn. He settled on a part that was completely washed out by the moon's light, and he flopped back in the grass with a sigh of contentment.

Sirius grabbed Peter's arm and they joined James, laying flat on the grass and peering up towards the sky. For several minutes, no one spoke. All three boys were engrossed by how well you could see the stars. The only sound was a slight rustle as the wind rushed through the leaves on the trees.

Their comfortable silence was soon penetrated by a high pitched howling noise in the night. Peter stiffened, frightened easily. Another bout of howling started, louder than the last. Whatever was making the noise was obviously in pain.

"It's just the ghouls, remember? That article two months ago?" Sirius said lightly, but even Peter, who was not the most perceptive person, picked up on the soft undertone of fear hidden in his friend's voice.

James was eating a chocolate frog, wand in his free hand. "We're fine," he said around a mouth of frog leg. "Got my wand, haven't I?"

"Yeah," Peter said softly, "We're alright." These words were mostly to reassure himself. The howling was constant now, loud and high pitched and awful.

Sirius could hear the pain in the howling, and it made him uncomfortable. It was almost like something was lonely, like something wanted help.

(Insert line break here.)

There was no Remus. There was only Wolf. And Wolf was hungry. There was nothing for Wolf to eat, and he grew more and more agitated as the evening wore on. He wanted to hunt. He wanted to escape the small room in which he was confined, but no matter how many times he threw himself at the wall, nothing budged.

Rage built up inside of the Wolf until he was sure he would explode from the pain of it all. Growls ripped themselves from the animal's throat, first low and soft, and then growing increasingly louder as he realized no one would come for him. Flesh. That's the only thing that would appease Wolf, yet there was no flesh in sight.

Angrier than before, Wolf tore at his own body with his sharp claws, scratching at his own fur and biting himself as he howled in pure agony. He threw himself into the wall of the shack, and rolled around on the dirt floor as he continued to injure himself. Remus was long gone by this point, replaced by the hungry animal who wanted nothing other than to bite something-anything.

He howled louder, hoping to be answered by one of his own. But no answer came to him. There was no sound. Louder howls poured from his mouth as he bared his teeth. Where were his kind? Why wouldn't they come to him, help him escape from his prison?

Blood was on the floor, mixing with the dirt. Wolf was biting himself again, this time deep enough to draw blood. Anger and hunger were his only emotions, and that was never a good combination. Bruises were forming underneath the thick fur, but Wolf didn't notice, or otherwise didn't care.

Wolf did not grow tired as most people would have assumed. His howls did not grow quieter, and he did not stop tearing at his own body in his desperation. He did not sleep, and he did not sit. He paced the shack's perimeter, hoping to find a way to get out.

There was no exit, of course. There never was.

Pain was all Remus felt. In his arms, his legs, his face. His entire body was covered in dark purple bruises and scratches. There was a gash underneath his left elbow, where he had bitten himself in his rage. Not that he remembered his transformation. He never did.

Remus was on the floor of the shack, his hair matted with dried blood and dirt. The blood was his own, and there was quite a lot of it. He was almost certain he was laying in a puddle of blood, but his head hurt too much for him to look up. Madam Pomfrey would be by for him in a minute or so, he was sure. Until then, he remained flat on his back, breathing hard and trying to ignore the pain he was in.

Madam Pomfrey was good at fixing him up, but she was usually in a big hurry, seeing as no one else could see Remus in the Hospital Wing. Sometimes, she neglected to heal a few of the bruises by accident, and his mates would question him. Remus hoped she cured all of it this time, seeing as Sirius and James were already getting rather suspicious. Peter believed Remus fully, and that made Remus feel the tiniest bit guilty for lying.

"Remus," a voice said. Remus moaned in response. He wanted to sleep; his entire body was weighed down with tiredness. Cold, soft hands were touching him now, lifting him. "Remus, it's Madam Pomfrey. You've got to stay awake for me, please."

It was early, Remus knew, and he felt bad that Madam Pomfrey had to get up early so that no one would see him coming back into the school. He knew what would happen if someone saw him coming back from the Whomping Willow. There would be questions, which Remus would be required to answer.

Remus didn't bother to open his eyes for a while. Madam Pomfrey was closing his wounds so it was safe to move him. He was being carried through the exit, brought into the crisp January air. Madam Pomfrey never had any trouble carrying him, she said, because he was the skinniest boy she'd ever seen.

The air felt nice on his skin, and he allowed himself to close his eyes for only a moment. Just a moment...

When he woke again, he was tucked into a warm hospital bed, feeling much stronger than he had previously. Madam Pomfrey was sitting beside him, a cold hand on his hot forehead. "Remus, no one saw us. You can relax."

And the tension in his muscles melted away. He didn't have to worry anymore, at least, not until the next full moon. "Thank you," he croaked, for he felt he owed it to her.

She dismissed his thanks with a shake of her head. "I've healed you. There will be scars, of course, but that's to be expected. I'm going to go get the potions for you. You've still got plenty of bruises I need to fix up, also." His potions were Pepper Up potion, Skelegrow if he'd broken anything (this time it was his left thumb), and any other potions Madam Pomfrey thought he needed.

Closing his eyes again, Remus nodded. He felt her rise from the edge of the bed, and he heard her foot steps as she walked off down the hall towards her potions storage room. She hadn't bothered to draw the curtains around his bed; it was too early for anyone else to come down to the Hospital Wing.

There was no longer any pain, only a dull ache that Remus could easily ignore. In a few minutes, he would feel close to normal again, and he could go back to his dorm and pretend to be fine, like he always did. Pretending to be fine was one thing he was very good at, since he'd done it his entire life.

Everyone said he was a bad liar, but he wasn't really. His excuses were rubbish, maybe, but he could lie and say that he wasn't in pain, and everyone would believe him. He had learned not to complain. Complaints would never change the fact that he was a werewolf. Nothing would.

While he thought about this, someone had entered the Hospital Wing. Not just anyone, either. James Potter stood by the door, staring at the hospital bed in which Remus was tucked. "Remus?" James said, and Remus's eyes snapped open. He looked at James closely, not answering, frozen with fear.

James was coming closer now, slowly. He was looking at Remus as if he had never seen him before. "Remus?"

"Stay away." This was all Remus could manage. James would hate him, when he found out, and he would tell everyone. Parents would complain and Dumbledore would have to expel Remus. He would go back to living with his parents, and the whole world would know who he was. What he was.

But James never listened to anyone, and he kept coming forward until he reached the bed. "You're hurt," James said dumbly, looking down at his friend's bruised face and scarred shoulders.

It occurred to Remus that he wasn't wearing a shirt. No one except Madam Pomfrey, his mum, and his dad, had ever seen him shirtless. There were scratches and bite scars on his shoulders, which was why he kept his shirt on at all times.

Instead of making a retort as he normally would, Remus attempted to slide his shoulders under the covers. He willed Madam Pomfrey to come back and Obliviate James, but she seemed to be having trouble finding what she needed. "Go," Remus croaked.

"What the bloody hell happened to you?" James thundered, angry now. "Who did this?"

Madam Pomfrey swooped into the wing then, carrying several vials of potions. She saw James by the bed, and understood by Remus' panicked face that he did not know what to say. "Mr. Potter, how can I help you?" She asked, causing the boy to jerk around.

"Headache," James answered, studying the vials in her hands.

"Come on, then, and leave Mr. Lupin to rest. I daresay being attacked by a dog is enough for one day." This was the only excuse that she could come up with, but Remus was grateful nevertheless.

"A dog? I thought you were at your parents house." James resisted Madam Pomfrey's attempt to pull him away.

"My neighbor's dog attacked me this morning, and Dad thought Madam Pomfrey could fix me up quicker than St. Mungo's." This lie had just come from Remus' mouth, with no hesitation at all.

James looked suspicious, but he accepted it for now. Madam Pomfrey drew the curtains on Remus' bed, and took James by the arm to the other side of the wing. She found the potion he needed, and he drank without protest. Everything was silent for a minute or so.

"Alright, now back to bed with you, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey said, giving him a push towards the door.

James went willingly, calling out, "Thank you, Madam. See you later, Rem."

When he was gone, Remus burst into tears. So much for normal.