Inside the Chamber of Secrets, Prongs kicks a hoof at a thick chain, making it ring through the echoing tunnels. At the sound of the heavy clinking, Moony comes careening around the corner with Padfoot a step behind. The canines scramble for it, teeth snapping and catch one end each, launching into a violent tug-of-war.
Prongs sneaks off into the side room the two were in, off the main chamber that they use, and quickly transforms back into James, fixing up the giant Gryffindor lion plushie that Moony tore to shreds and shuffles things around.
By the time Moony stalks into the room, having smelled a human, Prongs is languishing in a nest of plushies. Moony does a perimeter check and then climbs on top for cuddles, gnawing lighting at Prongs' antlers.
Padfoot comes jogging in with a ripped tapestry in his mouth and then has to drop it, skidding to a halt as he has cute sneezing fit. He comes out of it with a fully-body shake and then paws at it, nodding towards Moony.
Prongs shakes his head and mimes a sneezing sound that comes out as a bleat. They don't have clothes for him or a blanket but putting something dusty over Remus isn't going to help.
They kind of forgot the time since the Room of Requirement still had bright sunshine coming in through the windows and they had to literally sprint down here, Remus diving in headfirst and shredding his clothing as the transformation came on.
They don't even have their regular potions - and they're going to need to brew new batches of everything soon since they're running out anyway. Running to the medical wing is possible but Pomfrey never gives them anything strong enough for Remus because she mananages the doses for a normal teenager.
Remus comes back to himself in pain like always, curled on his side and every part of him aching, anything touching his skin like needles and his body jerking still with the snapping of bones even though it sends waves of sharp pain through his torn muscles.
Someone casts a numbing charm on him, a warming one. The pile of lumpy, fuzzy something under him turns limp and cushioned. A muscle relaxer spell. More numbing and warming charms as his werewolf constitution tries to shake off the magic. A thick blanket that's so soft and fluffy it feels like it's weaved from clouds. A couple simple and general healing spells.
The standard, basically, ever since first year when James stayed long enough outside the tunnel's door to the shack to hear the transformation back. He lost his mind, told Sirius to blow the door off its hinges and burst in to help.
"Moony was such a good boy tonight as well," James says soothingly, keeping his voice quiet and even.
"Except for the tug-of-war, where he cheated," Sirius argues, also staying quiet.
It's better that they talk, to distract Remus, to even pretend for a little bit that Remus isn't naked and in pain and pathetic.
"He didn't cheat, he's just twice your size," James argues.
"He stepped on the chain," Sirius complains. "I thought we were playing by the rules, having an honourable duel, but fine. I would have shown him what for if he hadn't ran after you."
"I'm sure," James laughs. "You can tell me all about it, after you come back with Remi's clothes and the potions ingredients."
"We are low on some," Sirius muses. "You go, I went last time."
James sounds like he's gearing up for an argument but huffs and leaves. Sirius keeps talking, about nothing at all, about how Prongs got his antlers stuck in a tapestry last night and wined at them for ten minutes before realising he could just rip it straight off the wall.
"Dumb deer doesn't know his own strength," Sirius says fondly.
James returns with Harry and they set up the usual potions kits in another room, block the smell in as well so Remus doesn't get hit by it in this state. Most of the potions are quick one-hour brews, the others they'll pick up in the afternoon.
Remus works on sitting up and then standing. He can manage a slow hobble -that must look concerning since Harry hovers so much- by the time Sirius is botting the first batch to be done. Recovery is much slower than normal and he has no idea why. Maybe the moon hit harder this time, it happens.
The hidden passage is bit far but it has a rudimentary elevator inside it and Remus sure as hell isn't taking the stairs if he can help it.
They have three hours left until they need to be up, if they skip breakfast, so Harry helps them up to the dorm and all three pass out.
Harry peeks his head into the sixth year boys dorm after he comes back from breakfast, a bag of sandwiches in hand, and doesn't see either of the three up and about. He walks in, nodding hello to the other students, and circles around so no one else can see when he opens James' bed curtains.
There are various limbs of James and Remus, sticking out from under a Padfoot blanket.
"You feeling okay?" Harry asks.
Remus, half-asleep, opens his mouth to reply and just eats fur. "Gah – bleh. Ugh, good, yeah. Getting up."
Harry is at study group with Lily and her friends in the library (having made up from their screaming match about Snape being an asshole, in a touching display where Harry slipped up and called her mum and Lily's heart just melted) but Remus isn't feeling the best and the castle is getting a bit stuffy so the Marauders are just going to skip the last half of the day, head down to Hogsmeade and do nothing.
It's not a Hogsmeade weekend but who's going to stop them?
They're outside on the short stone wall lining a wide but quiet street, people watching. Sirius is bored, snapping his fingers and lighting up different coloured flames, making his rings gleam. Remus is slumped down against Sirius' leather jacket, long legs splayed out and looking half asleep like he just happened to fall there and isn't getting back up any time soon.
James is sitting in the small space between Remus's legs, hands on the taller boy's knees and leaning forward over the street. "Wook at da widdle puppy!" he coos, a bright smile on his face.
A woman in an athleisure robe is walking a tiny little dog, a fluffy brown toy basically, with the puppy's tiny legs working so hard just to keep pace with her slow steps.
"That's the cutest thing I've ever seen," James wheezes.
"I thought Moony was the cutest thing you've ever seen," Remus points out.
Sirius snuffs out the fire again and looks at the oncoming puppy with a sceptical eyebrow. "Padfoot is way better than that chew toy."
"Moony looks like the weird kid in class compared to this sweet angel," James retorts. "And Padfoot doesn't even stand a chance - like in every way, this is better than Padfoot. I would literally kill Padfoot if this puppy told me to."
Sirius and Remus turn to James in outrage. They've spent years now, within arm's reach of constant compliments and affection, and now he hits them with this? Without even a warning?
"Hi, baby," James whispers, leaning all the way forward so he can hold out a hand at ankle height.
The puppy's stubby little legs clip-clop as it veers off towards James, black eyes wide and staring up with a tiny pink tongue poking out of its mouth. It almost gets close enough for James to reach out and boop it on the nose-
Remus and Sirius lurch forward with violent, rabid snarling, Sirius' jaw gaping wide to show teeth blurring into fully fledged fangs and Remus' voice making noises a human should not be able to make.
The puppy abruptly flops over and the witch jolts so hard she staggers away, tripping to the ground and then scrambling back up, yanking the leash to grab her dog off the ground and then just sprinting for it. A wizard pauses, backs away, crosses the street instead so he doesn't have to walk past them.
Sirius sits back and starts lazily snapping his fingers again. Remus slumps, eyes half-lidded.
James turns to stare after the running woman as he straightens up. "I think it's dead. I think it literally died. I saw the light leave its eyes."
"Oh no," Remus muses.
"My bad," Sirius drawls.