"Full moon tonight," James sighed

Carry On

By: Teenlaunch

Disclaimer: I wouldn't be writing if I owned it.

a/n: Look! Look! It's a new chapter! And all within a week of the other one! And you can all thank my beta for that. She finally got them back to me. (She apologizes for the long wait, by the way.) So, without further ado, my next chapter. I hope the next is out soon! Hang in there.

--

"Full moon tonight," James sighed.

"Uh huh," Remus mumbled.

"Gonna be cold," Sirius grumbled as he lazily flipped through his book.

"Uh huh," Remus replied.

"Snow's too high for me to walk. I'll have to ride on James' back." Peter yawned.

"Uh huh."

James rolled his eyes. "Remus, are you gay?"

"Uh hu-Now wait a minute! That's interference!" Remus' head shot up from his pillow, his book on disguise spells falling to the floor.

James and Sirius smirked. Peter smiled. "Well, you weren't listening," James laughed.

"There are other ways to get me to listen. Going around and randomly asking if I'm gay, which I'm not, is not one of those ways!"

"But it worked," Sirius sang.

"That's beside the point! You could have asked if I wear frilly pink thongs for all I care, but-"

"Do you?" Peter asked.

"NO!"

"I was just asking…"

Sirius snickered, bouncing slightly now that he had something better to do. "So, are we going on the grounds or Hogsmeade?"

"Hogsmeade, I think. Moony hasn't been there for a while."

The door to the dorm creaked open and Harry walked in. He stopped when he saw the Marauders then started walking again. He knelt by his trunk and rummaged in it, drawing out a backpack. He was halfway out the door before Remus spoke. "Times, why'd you do that?"

Harry didn't turn. "What?"

"Why did you stop Lily?"

"Because…even if you all are shunning me, I don't have to be cruel in return, just difficult." Harry closed the door softly behind him. Remus growled in frustration, making Peter back away.

"I'll figure him out yet!"

--

"I don't like this, Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes and watched Lupin as he paced. "Calm down."

"Harry, you don't seem to realize how serious this is."

"You're underestimating me. Besides, I've been through a lot worse."

Lupin turned sharply, almost running into a tree. "Fine, but when the moon rises, you are to make sure I am out of your sight. Understood?"

Harry sighed. They'd been over this a million times. "Understood." He looked up at the trees for a moment. "You know, I figured out why I'm able to be so many animagi."

Lupin stopped pacing. "Why?"

"Because the Marauders mixed my vials."

"Correct, but that does not explain why you have a natural magical animagus form."

"Maybe not, but it's useful to be so many animals. I can now confuse the Death Eaters, not that it wasn't hard before…"

Lupin grinned then froze, his body stiffening. "Go, Harry!"

Harry jumped to his feet and sprinted upwind, so the werewolf would be sure to follow him. He stopped and had to force himself not to turn back when Lupin began screaming. Lupin had told him, only because of Harry's insistent prodding, what it felt like to change and why it hurt so much. First, Lupin's lungs would seize up, making it hard to breathe. Then the rest of his organs would start the rapid transition from human to canine. But perhaps the most painful part of the transformation, according to Lupin, was the shrinking and stretching of muscles and reconfiguring of the bone structure. Luckily, the werewolf transformation didn't break the bones to change their structure, but Lupin still took a large dose of calcium to prevent it.

Harry shivered and forced himself to tune out the agonizing yells. As they faded, Harry tensed. What form should he take? Perhaps the dog first. Then he could slowly go through the rest so Moony could get used to them. Lupin had said it should only take the wolf one full moon to accept the animals, and after a while the wolf would see Harry as its pack. Yes, that was it. Harry quickly transformed into the dog and sat down, waiting for Lupin.

All too soon for Harry's liking, a large light brown wolf prowled into the clearing. It stopped when it saw Harry and crouched, ready to attack if he made any sudden moves. Harry slowly crawled forward, his stomach flat against the ground, wagging his tail so Moony would know he was a friend. He stopped as the wolf started forward. Moony circled him, sniffing and growling. Harry whined pitifully and laid still, offering submission and the title of Alpha to Moony. Lupin had made him promise he would run if Moony showed any aggression, and Harry had reluctantly agreed. The wolf came up to him slowly and put its mouth around his neck. Harry could feel himself shaking but Moony merely squeezed gently and let go. Harry could have barked in pleasure. Moony had accepted him!

Harry barked happily, startling Moony, but the wolf, though normally aggressive, didn't react. Something about Harry's form must have triggered the wolf's memory or Moony had subconsciously recognized him. Harry barked again and bounded farther into the forest. The wolf seemed to grin and took a running leap over him. Harry growled. He was in for a long night.

--

Harry shivered as he watched Lupin begin to transform back into a human. He had purposefully led the wolf back to this clearing. Lupin's clothes, hastily discarded, were thrown haphazardly into the tree above him. Harry listened as Lupin's whine became ragged gasps and moans. He jumped up quickly and grabbed the extra robe he had brought. He draped it over Lupin's shoulders and helped him up, letting him lean on his shoulder. Harry blinked in surprise when he realized his professor was only a few inches taller than him. He was too used to looking up at Ron to notice any more. Harry sat the slightly dazed man down at the base of the nearest tree, and fetched his clothes. Lupin looked up at him through bleary, bloodshot eyes. "Harry?"

Harry nodded and helped him pull on his shirt. He rooted silently through his pockets as Lupin continued to pull his clothes on laboriously. He wrapped the heavy robe tightly around himself and looked up at Harry cautiously, as though gauging his reaction. Harry rolled his eyes. "Calm down." He handed Lupin a vial and watched him down it. Lupin was about to respond when he gave a soft growl then a whine.

At Harry's confused glance he whispered, "Someone's coming. It's," he took a moment to smell the air, just as Harry had seen him do before, though rather inconspicuously, and yelped, "It's Dumbledore and McGonagall! Go!"

Harry suddenly sprouted twelve-foot solid black wings and shot up into the trees, hoping they didn't look up as there were no leaves to hide him. He curled his wings around his body and hoped they hid him enough. If he was lucky, he'd look like a huge bird, with its head covered up. Harry peered down through the gap between his feathers to watch.

Dumbledore and McGonagall brushed aside a bush. McGonagall pursed her lips and strode forward, tilting Lupin's head up like a child's so she could look him over. She frowned. "Well, it's not the worst I've seen you, but it's certainly not the best. You're lucky your face has never scarred."

Lupin forced his tired voice to work. "Poppy always took care of that first. I guess it rubbed off on me. Unfortunately, I am a bit out of practice."

McGonagall snorted and proceeded to heal the few cuts and bruises forming on his face. Lupin moved as little as possible, especially avoiding looking up, even as the tree creaked horribly as Harry fought to keep his wings pinned down despite the wind.

Dumbledore smiled. "It is a bit strange how intact you are, Remus. Extraordinary as this was only your second transformation without the Wolfsbane potion, as I understand it."

"R-really, sir. I w-wouldn't have n-noticed." Here Lupin sneezed. Harry couldn't tell if he was really sick or not. It had snowed the day before, leaving almost four inches on the ground. Lupin probably wasn't used to the cold. The weather hadn't been normal lately.

As if to confirm that, the wind gave a powerful gust, yanking one of Harry's wings open. He snapped it down and quickly dug his claws into the tree branch, making it crack and a few pieces of bark fell at Dumbledore's feet. Harry didn't see his eyes flicker upward but he was sure the man wasn't suddenly shivering from cold. He was either laughing or having anger management issues. Harry hoped it wasn't the latter as he had seen Dumbledore angry and he couldn't say it was pretty.

Dumbledore tapped McGonagall's shoulder. "I believe Remus would like to be left alone, Minerva."

"B-but, Albus, we're in the middle of the Forbidden Forest! How could he possibly-"

"Mr. Lupin has been living with his condition for years. I believe he will be fine. Come. We will leave you for now, Remus. I will send a house elf to check on you later. Good day."

"Good day," Remus murmured. When he was sure the two were gone, he whipped around to face Harry, who had just landed, his wings still intact. "Idiot! Be more careful!"

"If I had known, I would have put a greater distance between us but as I only had a few seconds I figured I should not attract any attention to myself." Harry gripped Lupin's hand and helped him up. This was going to be an interesting year.

--

Harry watched Lupin as he went about his business, redressing the day-old slashes on his arms and legs. They were too deep to be healed without potions, and Lupin had refused every one Harry had offered, except the Pepper-Up. He wanted to get used to being off the potions again, in case he didn't have them. Harry wasn't happy with the arrangement, but had agreed. Lupin had reluctantly let Harry help clean and heal the wounds on his chest and back in return for Harry not pushing the potions. No matter how comfortable he was with Harry, it would take some time for him to get used to him being around after the full moon.

Hiding a yawn, Harry went into the kitchen, sifting through the cabinets but finding nothing that appealed to him. He had yet to tell Lupin about his dream the night before, for more than one reason. The main one being that he didn't understand it himself. He straightened up and turned around, giving a small jump when he saw Lupin was standing in the door watching him.

"What is it?" He asked, trying off the last bandage.

Harry sighed. "Nothing."

"If it was nothing you wouldn't be walking around with that glazed look on your face. Now, what is it?"

"I just had a nightmare, that's all." Harry moved to walk around him but Lupin stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't brush me off like this."

Harry stared ahead then turned back and sat down at the table, gesturing at the other chair. Lupin sat down across from him, watching him intently. "It's…hard to explain. I don't really understand it myself."

"Try."

"Something bad's going to happen."

--

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

-Proverbs 18:24