Illiterates and Exhibitionists

Remus can remember the first time Sirius had accompanied him to the Shrieking Shack. It had been the last Full Moon of their fourth year. Sirius, being the magical genius he was when he could maintain his interest long enough, had been the first to master the Animagus Transformation. And, being the impatiently hyperactive person he was the majority of the time, he couldn't wait for the others to master the process.

He had 'borrowed' James' invisibility cloak and snuck out to the shack alone. This had of course meant waiting for James and Peter to fall asleep first and, as such, he hadn't arrived until well into the night.

Remus had already transformed and could recall nothing of the nights events until he awoke with the sunrise, curled in a corner and covered with a blanket. This itself had confused him, and then the pain set in. Or rather, the lack thereof.

His eyes were still stinging in the lights, and his limbs ached through to the bone, but the migraine was subdued and the nausea manageable. And there weren't nearly as many scratches as usual.

He had been more than a little startled when the huge black dog padded out from the shadows, becoming his friend mid-stride. His stormy grey eyes had been wide, questioning and wary.

In that sickeningly long instant, Remus had thought their friendship was over. It was one thing to know about his 'furry little problem', but to actually witness it? To watch his bones shatter and reform, the flesh rearranging itself over new sinew and muscle. And the howling…

What had they been thinking! Now Sirius had seen exactly the kind of monster Remus really was, and Remus couldn't blame him for looking so tentative.

' Padfoot, I… uh…' He sighed, looking pointedly at the floor. Then he sucked in a deep breath and said very quickly, ' I understand. I mean I'm a monster, and now you know exactly how much and you'll never want to see me again and you'll warn Peter and James not to bother anymore and…' He finally stopped for a breath, then added more coherently, ' I understand if you don't want…'

But he was cut off as Sirius closed the gap between them in a stride and pulled him into a fierce hug.

' Don't want to what?' He demanded. ' What don't I want anymore?'

' Well,' Remus muttered, still looking at the floor. ' To hang out with me.'

' You are a complete idiot sometimes, Moony!' He exclaimed, pulling Remus' chin up and forcing him to too look at his face. ' How could I see exactly what you go through every bloody month, and then turn around and walk away. Abandon you?'

Remus hadn't know what to say, and looked at the floor again, finding his feet. He wiggled his toes, and it was a sudden and poignant reminder that he was naked. He felt his cheeks burn as his face flushed crimson, making a very eloquent little squeaking noise with the back of his throat.

Sirius took the hint, and began rummaging around the room for clothes, throwing them unceremoniously in the general direction of Remus, who quickly pulled them on. When his head popped out of his jumper he found Sirius watching him closely, looking uncharacteristically solemn.

' What?' Remus demanded, nervously.

Sirius' rough fingertips traced a new cut across his face with a surprising gentleness. The line cut across the corner of his mouth diagonally, grazing the flesh of his lips. He inhaled sharply as the fingers mimicked the slash. Fortunately, the older boy mistook the gasp for pain and withdrew.

He fixed Remus with a determined stare, grey eyes locking onto Remus' hazel ones.

' I am going to do whatever I can to stop you from doing this to yourself,' he said, slowly and clearly, and the werewolf had believed him.

And now here they were again, standing in the Shack in the darkness, nervous and apprehensive. Only four instead of two, and - for the moment at least - all human.

They had come out earlier so Remus could show them how to bypass the Whomping Willow and show them the tunnel and the house itself. Sirius was the only one to have actually been here before, though they had all nagged. Remus had refused them every time, knowing just how dangerously the fragmented line between curiosity and obsession was in these boys. Particularly Sirius. He hadn't wanted one of them to become so interested in seeing a true werewolf that they forgot about the danger of it all.

James was looking around the house, quickly scanning each room in turn. Peter was nervously eying the smashed furniture scattered on the floor, the long deep gashes in the wood. Sirius was watching the other two closely, almost challenging one of them to say I'm not so sure anymore. Neither did.

Remus checked his watch, then made for the stairs.

' It's nearly time,' he said, unconsciously tensing his shoulders, stretching the muscles.

James nodded, determinedly, making to follow him, the others in tow.

They reached the bedroom of the house, and Remus removed his shirt, folding it neatly and pulling it in small trunk by the bed.

' You probably want to change now,' he said, quietly.

' We're with you,' Sirius said, crouching to the ground and becoming a bear-sized dog, his grey eyes entirely focused on Remus'.

' All… All the way,' Peter stammered out, and Remus felt a surge of affection for the smaller boy. He was clearly terrified, but he was still here.

Remus watched as Peter sat cross-legged on the dusty floor, and closed his eyes in concentration. It took longer than it had Sirius, but after a few moments the boy had shrunk significantly and grown fur and whiskers, and scuttled over to the boarded-up window, where he perched himself on the 'sill.

James beamed, and Remus wondered fleetingly how much credit for Wormtails transformation belonged to Padfoot and Prongs. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up at James' bespeckled face. His eyes were confident and reassuring.

' We'll see you on the other side, mate.'

He stepped back slowly and then he was gone, replaced by a large brown creature with four legs and antlers. It cantered back a few more steps, then bent its front legs and bowed it's head.

' I… I don't - Thank you,' Remus managed, cursing the inadequacy of the words. He didn't know if they understood him, even, and for moment he hoped they couldn't, then he could try again in the morning.

He didn't get long to worry about it, though. His joints screamed as the moonlight flickered through the slats of the window blockade. He felt his body hunch over, bones cracking as they reshaped, muscles stretching. His vision burned white with the pain. He heard a distant thud as his body fell to the floor.

He heard the howl, long and low, as everything went black.

Remus awoke in almost the exact same spot as when Sirius had been with him, curled in the far corner of the bedroom, wrapped in a thick blanket. He didn't open his eyes immediately, but lay there enjoying the warmth against his aching body. He snuggled deeper into the heat, sighing contentedly.

' Make yourself comfortable.'

' Gah!' was the only response Remus' brain deemed adequate. He opened his eyes and was confronted with Sirius' face, eyebrow raised in amusement.

' Anyone'd think it was a bleeding hotel!' James said from somewhere beyond Remus' immediate vision.

James was here too? They stayed all night. He could hear Peter giggling in the background, too. Remus realised he was gawping, and closed his mouth.

' You… What are you doing here?' He asked, after a moment to compose himself.

' See,' Sirius shouted, triumphantly. ' I told you that's what he'd say!'

' So you did,' James agreed, patronisingly, like addressing a child.

' Aren't you glad we stayed with you?' Peter said, quietly, eyes wide.

The question took Remus by surprise. Had he sounded so ungrateful? Words were failing him, and he suddenly felt illiterate to the worst degree.

' Of course I am! I… Well, I don't… Don't really know what to… How to say… ' He managed to stammer out before James cut him off.

' Then don't. We know.'

There was silence while Remus beamed up at his friends. There weren't three better friends in the world, and he wished he could tell them that. But then, he was grateful he didn't have to try to put it into words. They all grinned back at him, and he knew they understood.

' Anyway,' Sirius broke the moment by throwing a shirt at Remus. ' Put some clothes on, you filthy exhibitionist.'

Okie-Dokie, Chapter two is up! Hooray!

I didn't want to beat around the bush with the animagi thing, so here it is. I mean, we all know it happens at some point anyway, why not the first month.

I also feel compelled to point out that my house has flooded. So I came to my lovely fathers house to finish this chapter for you, the delightful readers of this story. As it is, my dads heating is broken. So I am now sat with only my brothers hoodie keeping me alive, and my fingers frozen to the keyboard.

I hope you appreciate it! Reviews would be nice. Danke!