They couldn't work out whether the hardest part would be getting the extra ingredients, or getting into the kitchens. Not having the cloak made both hard enough, but he couldn't tell Remus and Peter how he had lost it. They would have questions, questions they couldn't answer.

They made a list of the potion ingredients they already had, before making a separate list of ones that were in the student cupboard in Slughorn's classroom. They could easily sneak them out when getting other things they needed in class.

"How are we going to get the rest?" Peter asked, as they looked over the list once more before bed one evening. William and Michael were still in the common room, meaning the four had the room to themselves.

"We need a distraction," James muttered, running his finger down the very short list of ingredients they could only get in Slughorn's personal supplies. "Either that or we somehow convince Slughorn to let us have a look."

They all turned to Remus. The boy sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"If we outright asked Slughorn for them, when we did it he'd know it was us."

"Not if you could get him to leave you alone," Sirius said. "Go on, Remus. All you have to do is tell Slughorn you're working on a project, an advanced potion. He'd believe you."

Remus opened his mouth, but was cut off by James.

"Just grab something you'd need for…" He flicked through the book. "This. Then, if he asks to see it, just show him the other stuff you took."

Remus looked at the page. It was a potion they wouldn't be able to do until at least fifth year; a potion that changed your eyes to match your mood for a few hours.

"And if Slughorn asks to see the results?"

"Tell him it failed," James replied, shrugging. "Tell him it exploded or something. And look really upset about it."

"I really don't think this will work."

"Always worth a shot." Sirius leant forward, grinning at him. "Please, Remus? For us?"

All three turned towards him then, eyes wide and pleading. "I'm the only one who should be able to do puppy dog eyes that well," he muttered, crossing his arms. It was Sirius who could do them the best, Sirius who could make you feel really, really sorry for him. "All right. I'll do it."

X X X

That Friday, when their Potions class finished, Remus hung back.

"Professor Slughorn." In his hand he clutched a list of ingredients for the eye colour potion. In his pocket sat the short list for the ones they needed for the prank potion. Slughorn looked up from his desk, smiling at Remus.

"Ah, Remus. I've been meaning to ask you something."

Remus blinked at him, slightly stunned. "Err, actually, sir, I was wondering if I could ask you about something."

Slughorn laughed. "Isn't that always the way it is? Well, let me go first. The Christmas holidays are coming up and, well, I'm having a little party. I was wondering if you would be interested in attending."

The club. It had to be. And Remus has seen the way Slughorn had been slightly less interested in James and Sirius once they stopped attending the meetings, or tea parties, or whatever they were. If he refused, Slughorn was more than likely to refuse Remus the ingredients.

He nodded. "Sure. I'd be delighted."

"Good. Glad to hear it. And mention it to Mr Potter and Mr Black too, will you? They might enjoy themselves. Now, what was it you wanted, Mr Lupin?"

Remus uncurled his hand, placing the parchment on the desk. "I was…well, I wanted to try something a bit above our level, sir. But these ingredients…"

Slughorn picked up the parchment, scanning it. He smiled. "Well, Mr Lupin, I admire your ambition. It's a great surprise you're not in my own house." He chuckled. "The Wynburg Potion. A very interesting choice. And it is certainly a favourite among the fifth years. Though when not prepared probably, it can have some strange consequences. Only a few years ago, one of my students found his whole skin changed. It altered colour rapidly throughout the day." He glanced up at Remus. "At this stage, Mr Lupin, I would say I don't think your skills are quite advanced enough. But if you agree to show me the potion at the final stage, before you drink it, then I cannot see why you cannot attempt it." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a set of keys, and handed them to Remus. He gestured at the door at the back of the classroom. "You will find the required ingredients in there. And I will allow you use of the spare room down the corridor, to help with your potion. If you come across any difficulties, please seek me out."

"Thank you, sir." He could barely believe it; it all seemed too easy. Professor Harpo still hadn't given him permission to go into the restricted section of the library, but at least she had been willing to consider it. And Slughorn…

Remus turned and darted to the back of the room. He heard Slughorn chuckle to himself, stand and leave.

"Just drop those off at my office when you're done, please, Remus. And don't forget to lock up."

"I won't." With trembling hands, he unlocked the door and slid in.

The smell hit him instantly.

The strength of it was overpowering, and he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Maybe because it was a multitude of different smells, attacking his nose from all sides. His eyes roamed quickly over the shelves, grabbing the ingredients for both potions and gently placing them in his bag. He resisted the urge to look at anything else, suspecting the sight of some of the things contained in there was likely to make him sick.

As soon as he was done he left, locking the door and casting a quick charm on his bag, to make sure the ingredients didn't bash into each other and break. That done, he left and headed for Slughorn's office, dropping off the keys and thanking the professor once more before heading to the common room.

James and Sirius were already waiting for him, before heading down to the Great Hall for dinner. Their eyes locked on him as soon as he walked in, and he went straight past them, up to the dorms.

They followed, and he could hear them scrambling off the chairs and practically running as they tried to keep up with him.

From the bathroom, he could hear running water.

"Peter got something on his tie at breakfast," Sirius explained, stepping into the room as Remus crouched down beside his bed and began to empty his bag, putting the various ingredients in his bedside cabinet. "He's trying to wash it off."

"You got them then?"

Remus nodded, turning to see James practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, a huge grin on his face.

"Great! When can we start the potion?"

"The herbs have to be left to stew for three days," Remus replied, standing up and stretching his back. "In charmed water. I'll get that sorted tonight."

"Okay, then what?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Can't we just go to lunch? I'm starving."

"Me, too." Peter stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing his tie. The stain was still there.

"I'll go through it all with you later," Remus promised. "Oh, and you're coming to Slughorn's Christmas party."

Sirius and James gaped at him. "What?"

"He asked me, and I had to say yes in case saying no meant he wouldn't let me get the supplies. And he said to mention it to you two, as well. If I have to go, you have to go."

James rolled his eyes. "But…"

"Remus is right," Sirius cut in. "It's only fair."

"Two?" Peter asked. "So, I don't have to go then?"

He sounded almost disappointed. "I wouldn't worry about it, Pete. The Slug Club is full of ambitious, stuck up students," James explained. "It's going to suck."

As if in reply, Peter's stomach grumbled.

"Come on, let's get lunch." Sirius turned and headed back out the dorm, the other three following.

X X X

When classes had all finished, and most other students were lounging around the common room, the four friends headed up the dorm to begin the preparation for the potion.

Remus talked them through the steps as he did them himself. He put the herbs in a bowl of cold water, before waving his wand over it and repeating the words laid out in the book.

"What if it goes wrong?" Peter whispered.

"Shush." Sirius nudged him. "Can't you see he's concentrating?"

"Sorry."

"It's okay." Remus smiled at him, before returning to the task at hand. "We have to leave this on the windowsill, for three days," he said. "So it gets both sunlight and moonlight."

The other three nodded.

Remus scanned the book, eyeing the instructions. "Crush the beetles into a fine powder." Peter winced. "Then sprinkle it across the herbs. Take the eye of a reptile…"

"We've got that, right?" Sirius muttered, and Remus nodded.

"Slughorn had loads of snake parts," Remus explained. "Managed to get a snakeskin, too. Okay, so the eye of the reptile has to be put in a boiling cauldron, along with the fur of a mammal and the beak of a bird. Along with the skin, feathers or fur of a beast of the creator's own choosing." He glanced up at the others. "That's what I got the snakeskin for."

They nodded again.

"Well, we can't do anything until the herbs are done…" James paused, trying to search for the right word. "Resting? Or whatever. You okay keeping that all your cabinet until we're ready?"

Remus nodded. "We might get away with doing it in the dungeons," he said. "But we can't all be in there at the same time."

"I'm no good at Potions," Sirius said, eyes darting from one boy to the other. "If I go with Remus, and Slughorn sees us, we can always say Remus is just helping me."

James grinned. "Okay, we'll do that. It makes sense anyway." He ran a hand through his hair, staring down at the book. "Anything else we may have forgotten?"

"I don't think so." Remus scanned the page once more, frowning as he re-read every line. "If there is, then I've got three days to remember and check. We should be all right."

"Okay, good." James picked up the bowl and took it to the windowsill, placing it down gently before drawing the curtains to hide it. He turned to the others with a wide smile. "Anyone up for chess?"

X X X

The weekend passed uneventfully. The lists for students to sign, if they were staying over the Christmas holidays, were passed around, and James, Remus, Sirius and Peter all put their names down.

When Monday arrived, James could barely sit still. Remus had already told him the potion should be ready by the end of the week; once it had actually been made, it had to stew in a cool, dark place for two days. They'd decided on the closest at their end of the dorm, where they could keep an eye on it. Friday, James and Sirius were planning on sneaking into the kitchen to put the potion in the drinks.

"Mr Lupin," Professor Harpo called at the end of their Defence lesson that morning. "Can I see you for a moment?" The others headed off to Charms, as Remus walked towards Harpo's desk. She smiled at him, and he instantly relaxed. "Here." She handed him a slip of parchment.

I, Professor Gabrielle Harpo, hereby grant Remus Lupin permission to access the restricted section of Hogwarts Library.

Remus stared at the slip, with the professor's signature on it. "Thank you."

"If there's any student I think I can trust in the restricted section, it's you, Mr Lupin. I couldn't see any good reason why I should deny you access."

Remus nodded, slowly, before slipping the parchment into his pocket.

"If you have any questions, my door is always open, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you. Again. Really. You've been…you've really helped me, Professor Harpo."

She grinned at him. "That's what I'm here for, Remus. Now, go on, you're already late for your next class."

He turned, heading out the door. His heart was beating fiercely, his pulse was racing, and he couldn't believe he'd lied so easily to two teachers.

But James, Sirius and Peter were his friends. They'd accepted him, completely, and he knew he would do anything for them.

He began to run, not just because he was late, but because he felt like he had too much energy to just stroll along.

Despite his reservations, now they could actually get into the restricted section, he felt excited. Nervous and worried, still, but eager all the same. Because, if everything worked out against the odds, then maybe he wouldn't have to dread the full moon as much as he did.