Hello! So I accidentally forgot to post a chapter... the new chapter is before this one, and this is the one you read last week! Sorry about that!

Remus was lying on his back, listening to another Alexander Adamson record. Madam Pomfrey had said that she was going to let him leave the Hospital Wing first thing in the morning, and he was about to burst from excitement.

"The first month after one is bitten by a werewolf is absolutely crucial," Adamson was saying. "Some theorize that it is the first month, not the strength of a person, that allows one to survive the first transformation. Some say that nearly anyone can survive with proper bed rest and a good diet. After all, if the curse manages to transform the smaller bodily functions and properly communicate what is going to happen to the brain, then a person could have slightly better chances of surviving."

Remus thought back to his first month as a werewolf. He'd just spent it on the couch, he was pretty sure.

"I don't think it's completely about the first month, of course, though I do hold that proper rest and lots of sleep is the best way to adapt as much as possible before the first transformation," said Adamson. "I think that a lot of it has to do with genetics, too. Perhaps a certain blood type is more likely to survive. Perhaps it has to do with intelligence—maybe there's a Goldilocks brain makeup that allows one to survive. Perhaps it is simply tenacity—a will to live—proper bone strength and calcium—maybe it's just the way that the nerves and veins are arranged. It could be anything, and it could be a combination of many different factors. Most able-bodied, young adults will survive, but it seems to be a toss-up with older and younger individuals."

Remus thought about that, too. Yes, that's what he'd always thought it was: luck. A lot of tiny factors that Remus just so happened to possess. Remus Lupin had simultaneously won and lost the lottery of life.

"It is entirely possible that the transformation…" Adamson was saying, but Remus froze and stopped the record.

He smelled cat.

"Hello?" Remus said, and then Professor McGonagall was standing in front of him.

"Good evening, Lupin," said McGonagall. "You're looking well."

Remus smiled. "I am," he said. "This month's moon treated me rather well, comparatively. What are you doing here? I mean, I didn't… I didn't hear you come in."

"You seemed utterly engrossed," said McGonagall, shrugging. "You were also half-asleep, I think. The door was open a crack, and I just slipped through. I've come to catch you up on an important lesson that you've missed, due to…"

"A precedented event," said Remus, nodding wisely. "Now is as good a time as any."

"Very good. The lesson in question is about Animagi. Since I know the topic of human transformations is sensitive, I thought you might want a one-on-one lesson rather than reading from the textbook."

"I would love that," said Remus. He yawned and sat up, for he had been half-asleep only moments earlier without even realizing it. Such was the beauty of the Hospital Wing, where time moved in an uneven zig-zag instead of in a linear fashion. Remus tucked away the pink blanket and pulled out his lap desk, ink, and parchment. "Is that why you came in as a cat?"

"Of course I gave everyone else in the class a demonstration, so it felt only fair that I might do the same for you. You should know that your friends were especially taken aback."

"Yeah, they'd love to be cats."

"I thought as much. May I ask what you were listening to?"

Remus played with the thumb of his glove. "Alexander Adamson," he said. "Did Professor Questus tell you anything about…?"

To his great surprise, McGonagall rolled her eyes fondly before responding. "Yes. Yes, he told everyone who would listen. He was a walking Werewolf Fun Fact machine."

Remus laughed. "That's funny. I thought he considered me the Werewolf Fun Fact machine." He gestured towards the small pile of records under the bedside table. "He had twenty-three Adamson records, and he left them to my family. I'm working my way through, even though I've heard all of them before with him. It's relaxing."

"And how could that possibly be relaxing?"

Remus repeated what he'd told Madam Pomfrey. "Helps me take a step back. Makes everything seem less personal when it's all medical." Remus hesitated, and then he added, "I also feel a bit less alone. There are other people going through what I am—well, not exactly, but it's close—and I often forget that. Listening to these makes me feel like part of a group, rather than an outlier. Though, to be honest, I'm an outlier even according to Adamson."

"How so?"

"I was bitten at fifty-nine months, which means I'm the youngest on record to survive. He actually mentioned me in one of them—just as an anonymous statistic, but still."

"Ah." McGonagall sat down and studied the record player. "Are you up to taking notes? I know that Questus usually made them for you when he caught you up on lessons in first year."

"That was just because he was a control freak," said Remus, smiling. "Yes, I'm up to taking notes. So the lesson was about Animagi?"

"Indeed. How much do you know about them?"

"Er… quite a lot, I think. I read about Animagi before I came to Hogwarts. They're able to transform into a specific animal—one that they can't choose—at will."

"Exactly."

"I don't really understand it," said Remus, wringing his hands. "How… I mean, why… how is it that it doesn't hurt? It just seems… I mean, you were telling us about Light vs. Dark transfigurations in my first year, and that Light transfigurations didn't hurt. I promise I was listening. But it just seems like transforming into an animal… would hurt. At least in my experience." Remus turned bright red and cursed his pale exterior for allowing him to blush so easily.

"It doesn't hurt," McGonagall assured him immediately. "I know it seems like it might because it's all you've ever known, but it doesn't hurt one bit. It did the first time, I remember, but it wasn't unbearable."

"So… you just don't feel it?"

"No, not exactly. It feels like moving a limb, more or less. I can feel it, but it doesn't hurt."

"And how do you do it, now that you're an Animagus?" Remus simply couldn't fathom a painless transformation—a new shape that he could into simply slip into whenever he wanted—a transformation that wasn't dictated by the moon. It was unthinkable. Remus reckoned that he was more surprised by this than any of the other magic at Hogwarts (even the moving staircases). "Do you just… think about it?"

"Also like moving a limb. Moving an arm isn't so simple as a mere thought. One can think about moving one's arm without actually doing it. But the process is still so simple that it surpasses explanation—you just do it."

"That makes sense, sort of," mused Remus. "It feels like moving a limb for me, too—except the limbs are being moved against my will and being twisted and broken and completely rearranged."

McGonagall winced. "Yes, that does sound unpleasant," she said.

Remus wrote down "painless transformations" and "like moving a limb", and then he looked up. "I'm afraid I already know some things about Animagi," he said. "I read ahead in the textbook."

"I'm sure," said McGonagall, smiling. "My primary purpose of coming here, actually, was to ask you a question pertaining to the subject."

"Of course, Professor."

"Now, before I begin, you should know that I visited John Questus the weekend after you first cast a corporeal Patronus," said McGonagall. "He tended to chatter, especially when he was excited—and he was very excited on that particular weekend."

"He always gets excited about a new bit of werewolf information," said Remus, but he was smiling. "I'm sure it meant nothing."

"He was proud of you," she said, "even if he never said it. Anyway, I understand that your Patronus happens to be a wolf…."

"Just a normal one. Not a werewolf."

"Even better. That means that your Patronus form is not affected by a major life event—if it were, then it would be a werewolf. If you were to become an Animagus, then, you would transform into a wolf."

McGonagall leaned forward, eyes shining. "I imagine the shift would be much less painful if you were already in a similar form… and I'm sure you could pull it off. Perhaps not this year, but maybe soon? If becoming an Animagus would help ease the transformation in any way, Lupin, then I would be happy to help you."

Remus hesitated, and then shook his head. "It's very kind of you to offer, but I can't become an Animagus. Some of the steps have to be done under a full moon, wouldn't they? It's physically impossible for me to do it."

McGonagall frowned. "Yes," she said. "I'm sorry. I hadn't considered that."

"And it would only help a tiny bit. It wouldn't help the transformation back… it wouldn't help the violence… it wouldn't help the discrimination… no, it would hardly help at all."

"I see," said McGonagall. "Well, it was only an idea."

"It wasn't a bad one. It just won't work. Besides… I don't want to turn into a wolf more than I already have to, Professor."

"I can understand that," she said. "Now, why don't I go over the finer points of the lesson while I'm here? You may already know most of it, but now you can ask any sort of question that you may not have wanted to ask in front of your peers. Let's begin with the first known Animagus, whose notes were recently discovered and published…."

Remus leaned back, took notes, and wished with all of his heart that transforming into a wolf really was like painlessly moving a limb.

Remus eagerly put on his school robes the next morning and packed his books as quickly as possible before dashing to the Great Hall for breakfast. His friends were already there, and Remus waved—then he noticed that there was somebody else at the Marauder Section of the Table.

He sat down next to Peter (as usual) and put his bag by his feet. "Er, James?" he asked. James was talking to the new boy and hardly seemed to notice Remus. "Who's this?"

"Friend of mine," said James. "His name's Benny. Remus, Benny. Benny, Remus."

Remus waved awkwardly. He wasn't used to new people at the Marauder Section of the Table. He wasn't used to new people in general. He might have eaten breakfast in the Hospital Wing if he'd known that there was a new person occupying their table.

"Benny's Chaser this year," James was saying, "and he's right talented. We've plans to go to Hogsmeade this weekend and check out the brooms—Benny needs a new one and I'm happy to help him out."

"James is pretty amazing," said Benny.

Remus shot a wary glance towards Sirius, who was scowling slightly.

"Benny's only just invited me to sit with his friends," said James, grinning. "So I'm going over there for the rest of breakfast. See you lot in Potions!"

"See you in Potions," said Remus. As soon as James had gone, Remus leaned over to Sirius. "You're not still bitter that Prongs has other friends, are you?" he asked.

Sirius crossed his arms. "Logically, I shouldn't be," he mumbled. "I know he likes me best. But I feel so lonely when he's gone."

"I'm still here. Besides, you've got a girlfriend now, remember? You have other ways to spend your time."

Sirius lit up. "Right! Yes! Sorry, must be going—I have to rub the fact in James' face!"

That wasn't what Remus had meant at all. He watched Sirius walk over to James and Benny, and then he heard Sirius say (very loudly), "Maybe soon I'll invite Charlotte to eat breakfast with us!"

It clearly didn't have the effect that Sirius had desired. James simply grinned more widely and said, "Oh, do! I can't wait to meet her!"

Sirius retreated back to the table with a scowl. "It didn't work," he said.

"No… no, Padfoot, that's not what I meant. I meant that you should spend time with her when you're stressed about James."

Sirius looked up at Remus. "Spend time with her?" he asked.

"Yeah… isn't that what people usually do with girlfriends?"

Sirius nodded slowly. "I'd never really thought about that," he said. "Thanks, Moony. Maybe I should spend time with her. James would be so jealous if I was really never around because of a girlfriend. I threatened it, but I never really did it! Oh, would you drop hints while I'm gone? Hints that I might not be coming back? Just make Prongs paranoid. That'll get him."

With that, Sirius bounded away, whistling his G# merrily (which was the only note that he could whistle).

Remus turned to Peter. "His girlfriend is going to hate him," he said, and Peter seemed to wholeheartedly agree.

Remus and Peter were supposed to be brewing a Shrinking Solution, but instead, they were on the edge of their seats, listening to James and Sirius talk.

"Charlotte is the most perfect, gorgeous, amazing person ever," said Sirius.

"Cool," said James.

"I'm probably going to be spending all my time with her from here on out," said Sirius.

"Cool," said James.

"She's the most fun, interesting person I've ever met," said Sirius.

"Cool," said James.

"In fact, I'd say that she's my best friend as well as my girlfriend," said Sirius.

"Cool," said James.

"We're going to spend all our time together. I'm not joking," said Sirius.

"Cool," said James.

"You can assume that we're together whenever you're in Div or Muggle Studies," said Sirius.

"Cool," said James.

"I'm probably going to miss a few of your Quidditch matches to be with her," said Sirius.

Remus heard the slam of a wooden spoon onto a desk. He nudged Peter, and they both started giggling. "WHAT?" said James, absolutely exploding. "YOU CAN'T MISS QUIDDITCH! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! YOU CAN'T MISS MY QUIDDITCH GAMES!"

"I'm going to miss your Quidditch games," said Sirius, this time far more definitively. "All of them. Every single one. I need to spend time with my girlfriend. Remus told me so."

Remus quickly busied himself with the Solution, and Peter did the same. He could feel his ears turn red, so he ducked behind the cauldron. He'd been wondering when his name would come up. Oh, Sirius, that absolute traitor.

"REMUS!" called James.

"Er… I'm busy," said Remus, and Peter laughed. "It's not funny," Remus hissed. "James is going to tear me limb-from-limb and you think that's funny? Help me out here, mate."

"No one can help you now," said Peter, still laughing. Remus sighed as James marched directly to their table.

"Did you tell Sirius to miss my Quidditch games?" demanded James. He grabbed the front of Remus' robes, and Remus flinched.

"Of course not, Prongs, my good friend," said Remus.

"Did you TELL SIRIUS TO MISS MY QUIDDITCH GAMES?!"

"I'd never! I just told him to spend more time with his girlfriend. And he took it the wrong way. So, really, it's neither of our faults."

"UGH!" said James.

To the innocent onlooker, it might have seemed as if James was genuinely angry. But Remus knew the truth. James wasn't angry.

He was furious.

Quidditch, in James' eyes, was the only part of his own personality. James got scarily obsessive about some things, and Quidditch was one of them. For James, a friend missing a Quidditch game was as good as a friend leaving him forever—he simply didn't understand that there were other ways to show support besides attending a friend's Quidditch game. Besides, the coming Saturday was to be James' first game as a Beater, and he'd been talking about it for weeks.

"You'll still be there?" James begged, and Remus nodded.

"Of course, mate," he said, relieved that James seemed to be calming down. "And, for the record, I think that Sirius is only trying to wind you up."

"Why would he do that?"

Remus realized that James was still totally oblivious to the fact that Sirius was jealous of James' other friends. For some reason, he didn't think that Sirius would want him to tell James, so he didn't. He just shrugged, said, "Friends like to wind each other up," and started chopping some beans for the potion.

James looked back at Sirius helplessly. "I s'pose," he said. "You know what, Moony? He won't really miss my Quidditch game. I'm certain of it."

Remus shrugged again and continued with the potion.

James returned to Sirius, and—aside from the glint of triumph in Sirius' eyes—everything was normal once more.

Remus and Peter showed up to James' first Quidditch game right on time, dressed in Gryffindor garb that James had insisted they wear. They huddled together, absolutely freezing, as they watched James float above the field. Remus wrapped the ugly Gryffindor scarf that his father had made him more tightly around his body. He wondered if Sirius was going to show—and, by the way that James was scanning the crowd, he knew James was wondering the same thing.

"Sirius really shouldn't make James so angry when James is holding a bat," said Remus, and Peter laughed.

Minutes passed.

Madam Hooch blew the whistle.

Sirius had not shown up.

Remus cheered along with Peter as the game proceeded—James really was a good Beater. As he watched, he couldn't help but be a bit disappointed in Sirius. Why couldn't that boy recognize that people could have more than three friends? Just because James didn't spend every waking second with Sirius didn't mean that he they weren't best mates.

Suddenly, Remus realized that he had made some of the same mistakes as Sirius. He'd been feeling more left-out now that his friends were working on a secret "project" that didn't include Remus. He'd even flat-out assumed that they were no longer his friends, just because they hadn't visited him in the Hospital Wing. Now that Remus thought about it, Sirius' sentiments were perfectly understandable. James was moving at a rate that Sirius was not, and Sirius was used to being on the exact same wavelength with his best friend. It made sense.

But still… Remus was a little afraid. He was afraid that he would have to watch James and Sirius argue. He was afraid that he was going to have to pick a side (and he genuinely didn't know which side to pick). He was a tiny bit afraid that Sirius would tell his girlfriend about Remus' secret—Remus knew, logically, that he would never do that—but maybe, if they really were all that close, then it could happen.

Above all, though, Remus was afraid that the Marauders were going to split up.

But he wouldn't think about that. Not right now—not when James was playing the first Quidditch match of his life as a Beater.

So Remus watched and cheered with Peter. The crowds were so large and Remus was so engrossed in the match that he did not notice Sirius until he tapped Remus on the foot—yes, the foot.

Remus looked down and yelped, and Sirius placed his index finger over his lips. He was crouched under the wooden seats, directly behind Remus, and he looked rather sheepish.

"What are you doing down there?" exclaimed Remus.

Sirius looked even more sheepish. "Watching the match."

"Why don't you get off of the floor and stand with Peter and me? You'll be able to see better, I'd reckon, and Prongs'll be delighted that you're here…."

"No!' said Sirius. "I don't want Prongs to know that I'm here. I'm hiding."

"From… your girlfriend?"

"No! From James! I said that I wouldn't go to his match."

"But… you said that you were going to spend time with Charlotte."

"Who's Charlotte?" asked Sirius immediately, wrinkling his nose.

Remus' mouth fell open. "Your girlfriend, Sirius! Charlotte! Charlotte Davis!"

"Oh, right. Her." Sirius sighed and rested his face on the the wooden bleachers, which was terribly unsanitary. "Here's the thing, Remus," he said. "Charlotte doesn't actually exist."

Remus' mouth was already open, but it managed to open even wider as he considered this prospect. "What?" he said dumbly.

"Yeah. I just wanted to get Prongs to realize what he was doing to me."

"So you… pretended to have a girlfriend?"

"Yeah. Don't tell anyone."

Remus looked at Peter, who was too busy yelling for James to have even noticed Sirius. "I… don't like keeping secrets," said Remus hesitantly. "I already have quite the assortment."

Sirius snorted. "Neglecting to tell James that my girlfriend is imaginary won't be much of a struggle, will it?"

"I suppose… I suppose not."

"Good. Just keep your mouth shut. Easy-peasy."

"Easy-peasy," repeated Remus. "So… you're just going to stay there? It's really dirty down there."

"Yeah. I really do like watching Prongs' matches, and I didn't want to miss one. He's doing brilliantly, isn't he?"

"Can you even see from down there?"

"No, but I can see from Wormtail's face that he's excellent."

"He is," affirmed Remus. "I think, at least. I don't know much about Quidditch. But he's hit a few people on the other team with Bludgers."

"Good for him," said Sirius. "Give me the play-by-play, will you?"

Remus tried his best, even though he hardly knew anything about Quidditch, and Sirius stayed under the bleachers for the entire game. He was sure to scuttle out of sight whenever James flew too close, and Remus even lent him his scarf to put over his head.

The game ended, and Sirius started looking for potential ways to escape without notice. Remus, after a long moment's thought, leaned down and whispered, "I know the Disillusionment Charm. Sometimes Madam Pomfrey lets me practice before we go down to the Willow. It's not perfect, but it'll keep you mostly hidden, at least."

"You're a lifesaver, Moony," Sirius sighed.

Remus thoroughly disapproved of such drama, but he very much wanted to help his friends whenever possible.

Even though Sirius was an idiot sometimes.

AN: New official update schedule is Saturday and Tuesday EST!