Sometimes, it felt to Hermione like she was living full moon to full moon, the cycles punctuating her time at Hogwarts as much as the ebb and flow of schoolwork. The day was already tinged with tension, knowing Remus had been gone since late afternoon to endure another transformation alone in the Shrieking Shack. The Marauders had gathered in their dorm room, their faces unusually serious as they prepared for their next phase of the Animagus transformation.

"Alright," James said, his voice determined but strained with the nervous energy that seemed to fill the room. He turned to Hermione, who was watching them with a mixture of concern and encouragement. "Let's get everything straight before we head out."

Hermione took a deep breath, reminding herself that this was their journey as much as it was hers. "I still think you should get the dew fresh," she said, yet again, her brow furrowing. "The place I went to two months ago is still good. I can guide you there if—"

"No way," Sirius interrupted with a grin that was just a little too forced, as if he were trying to reassure himself as much as her. "The dew you collected is fine. We trust you, Kitten." He plucked the small silver phial from her hands, holding it up triumphantly. "See? Perfectly preserved."

"It's not about trusting me," Hermione insisted, crossing her arms. "It's about making sure you do it right. The fresher the ingredients, the better your chances."

Peter fidgeted nervously with the edge of his robes, glancing between Sirius and Hermione. "But the books say as long as it's harvested properly and kept in silver... it's okay, right?"

"Yes, technically," Hermione admitted, not bothering to hide the doubt in her voice. "But if you want the best results—"

"Kitten, stop worrying so much," Sirius said with a teasing grin. "You did everything by the book. If you say this is good, we trust you." He patted the phial affectionately, as if it were a good-luck charm.

Hermione bit her lip, feeling torn. She wanted them to succeed—needed them to succeed—but the process was delicate, and any mistake could set them back months. "Fine," she relented, though her tone was still sceptical. "But remember—before you do anything, you need to put out the crystal phial first. It has to sit until it starts glowing, and only then do you add the mandrake leaf, hair, dew, and the chrysalis."

"Got it," James said, nodding enthusiastically. He was trying to mask his nerves with confidence, but Hermione could see the flicker of anxiety in his eyes.

Sirius's face broke into a broad grin as he reached over to nudge her shoulder. "Yes, Mum," he teased, his voice light but affectionate.

Hermione shot him a sharp look, her lips twitching into a reluctant smile. "I sincerely hope I'm nothing like your mum," she retorted. "If I were, I'd be hexing you all back to the dorm and chaining you to your beds every night."

Peter let out a nervous chuckle, but James's smile softened as he glanced at Hermione. "We know, Hermione," he said gently, his voice dropping some of its teasing edge. "We really do appreciate your help."

Hermione's eyes softened in return, but she pressed on. "And remember," she said, ignoring Sirius's mum joke and speaking in a tone that brooked no argument, "you need to hide the phial somewhere quiet and dark. No disturbances. And make sure it's well-hidden. No one—not even Filch or Peeves—should be able to find it."

"Where did you hide yours?" Peter asked suddenly, his voice curious but also tinged with a hint of uncertainty.

Hermione's expression turned steely. "I'm not supposed to be thinking about it," she said firmly. "And you lot need to figure out how to keep yourselves from thinking about it after as well. It's part of the process."

Sirius raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, we'll find a good place," he said, though there was a spark of excitement in his eyes. "We've got this."

James reached into his bag and pulled out the remaining ingredients, setting them out one by one on his bed. "We're ready," he said, his voice steadying as he spoke.

Hermione nodded, her own anxiety settling slightly as she saw their determination. "Good. Then one last thing." She hesitated, then added, "Set wand reminders for sunrise and sundown. You can't miss a single incantation, not even by a second. If you do, it's all over."

Peter paled at that, his fingers curling nervously around his wand. "But what if—?"

"Don't worry, Pete," James said quickly, clapping a reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder. "We won't mess this up. We've got Hermione's foolproof checklist, don't we?"

"Right," Hermione said, feeling a reluctant smile tug at her lips despite the weight of what they were about to attempt. "You better stick to it. I don't want to hear any excuses about missing incantations"

Sirius's grin widened. "Deal, Mum," he teased, his voice affectionate despite the nickname.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head. "You're impossible," she said, but her tone was warm, and she felt a flicker of pride at the trust they were placing in her.

"Alright, let's do this," James said, standing up and grabbing the crystal phial, and herding everyone downstairs. "Time to see if we can pull this off." His voice was filled with a determination that made Hermione's heart clench.

"Good luck," she said, her gaze shifting to each of them in turn, lingering just a moment longer on Sirius, who winked at her before following the others out of the common room.

"Don't worry, Kitten," he called over his shoulder. "We'll make you proud."

"Just don't get caught!" she called back, watching them disappear through the portrait hole, her heart fluttering between anxiety and hope.

As the portrait swung shut behind them, the common room fell silent. Hermione stood there for a moment, the weight of the moonlight outside pressing against her thoughts. She hoped—more than anything—that they would succeed. Because if they did, soon Remus wouldn't have to go through another transformation alone.

Hermione awoke with a start, feeling the soft, warm weight of a blanket around her shoulders and the faint hum of the dying fire in the Gryffindor common room. She sat up, blinking away the remnants of sleep, as a faint creak echoed through the portrait hole. She turned to see three familiar figures slipping into the room, looking rumpled but victorious, their faces flushed from the chilly night air.

"Well past midnight," she murmured, giving them a pointed look even as relief flooded her expression. "How did it go?"

James flashed her a triumphant grin as he dropped into the armchair opposite her, looking exhausted but exhilarated. "It went fine. Perfectly clear moon," he said, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "No clouds, no one around. We got everything set."

Sirius flopped down onto the couch beside her, stretching his legs out and giving her a lazy grin. "We hid our phials, as instructed," he added, his voice tinged with pride. "And—this is the genius part—we Obliviated the knowledge of each of our hiding places from our own minds. So, only the other two know where each phial is hidden."

Hermione's mouth fell open slightly, surprised by the foresight and teamwork. "That's actually... clever," she said, tilting her head in appreciation. "I didn't expect you to go to those lengths."

Peter, who looked the sleepiest of the three, nodded with a small, proud smile. "Hermione, we're Marauders," he said, yawning. "If we're going to do something this big, we're going to do it right."

James leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, a hint of weariness creeping into his voice. "So, can we finally go to bed now? I swear, I'm going to pass out right here if I don't."

Hermione shook her head, fighting back a smile. "Yes, yes, go on. Just… remember, you need to keep up with everything," she reminded them, though her voice softened with an almost maternal pride. "Sunrise and sundown, without missing a single incantation. Do not forget."

Sirius shot her a wry look, raising an eyebrow. "Don't start on us, Mum," he teased, though his tone was affectionate. He gave her shoulder a light, reassuring squeeze. "We know. You've drilled it into our heads plenty."

She gave him a small, tired smile. "Well, it's important," she muttered, unable to hide the concern in her voice. She looked from Sirius to Peter, then to James, feeling a flicker of pride tempered with a familiar worry. "If you're not careful, you'll end up having to restart, and this month won't count for anything."

James chuckled, the tired lines around his eyes softening as he looked at her. "Hermione, you worry too much," he said, his tone gentle but firm. "We've got this. Honestly, we wouldn't have made it this far without you."

The warmth in his voice caught her off-guard, and she felt a faint blush rise to her cheeks. "Just… make sure you do it properly," she said quietly, though she could hear the faint tremor of relief in her own voice.

"Goodnight, Kitten," Sirius murmured, already stretching as he shuffled toward the staircase. Peter gave her a sleepy nod, following suit, and finally, James rose, giving her one last encouraging smile.

"See you in the morning," he said softly. "And don't stay up worrying about us, alright?"

With a last glance at the empty common room, Hermione settled back into her chair, letting out a long, relieved sigh. They'd done it. For now, at least, the weight of worry felt a little lighter, and as the warmth of the fire lulled her back into a peaceful slumber, she found herself smiling.

Remus's birthday fell on a Monday, but that didn't stop the Marauders from making grand plans. The fact that it was also a new moon was practically a sign—it was the one night in the month when Remus felt at his best, and they were determined to make the most of it. Even a busy school day couldn't keep them from celebrating him in their own unique style.

As the morning sunlight filtered through the common room windows, the four of them huddled together in a corner, grinning conspiratorially. Hermione handed over the carefully brewed Polyjuice Potion, her eyes flicking between each of them with wary amusement. "Just... don't do anything too reckless, alright?" she warned.

James, ever the ringleader, flashed her a grin. "Oh, come on, Hermione, it's all in good fun! Besides, it's Remus's birthday," he said, slinging an arm around Remus. "And nothing says 'Happy Birthday' like a little bit of chaos."

Hermione sighed but couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips. "Alright, but I'm not helping if you get yourselves into trouble."

The plan was simple enough, but the Marauders had a knack for making the simple outrageous. Each of them would take a dose of Polyjuice Potion and transform into one another, swapping appearances but keeping their personalities intact. James would become Peter, Peter would become Sirius, Sirius would become Remus, and Remus would become James. It was confusing even for them, but that only made the plan more exciting.

They gathered in the boys' dormitory, each holding a vial of the murky, unpleasant-looking potion, though each a bit different after having added the hairs to it. James wrinkled his nose, eyeing his vial with exaggerated disgust. "Here's to drinking something that smells like a cauldron exploded," he said with a mock toast.

"Cheers," Sirius replied, smirking as he clinked his vial against James's.

With matching grimaces, they all downed the potion. The taste was as vile as ever, but they endured it, grimacing and shuddering as the effects kicked in. Within moments, their features began to shift, their forms taking on the likenesses of each other.

Hermione watched, half-amused and half-concerned, as the transformations finished. In front of her stood Remus with James's messy black hair and glasses, Sirius now looking exactly like Remus, complete with his softer expression and scarred face, James looking every bit like Peter with his round face and nervous eyes, and finally, Peter now a perfect replica of Sirius, tall and grinning mischievously.

They exchanged glances, their expressions morphing from shock to delight as they took in each other's new forms.

"Alright, let's do this," James (who now looked like Peter) said, rubbing his hands together with glee. "Operation: Confuse the Entire School is officially underway."

Their first stop was breakfast in the Great Hall, and they entered together, trying their best to act like one another—or, in this case, to act like each other acting like each other.

James, now disguised as Peter, shuffled in with a sheepish grin, occasionally glancing around nervously and giving a few apologetic nods to people he passed. Hermione could barely contain her laughter as she watched him, especially when he took his seat at the Gryffindor table with exaggerated timidity.

Peter, now in the form of Sirius, strolled in confidently, leaning against the wall with a relaxed, cocky grin. He raised an eyebrow at some passing Slytherins, giving them a lazy smirk that made them do a double-take. He managed to capture Sirius's swagger so well that even Hermione was briefly fooled.

Meanwhile, Sirius, disguised as Remus, was doing his best to maintain a calm, studious air, though his own mischievous nature kept breaking through. He kept glancing at his reflection in a spoon, admiring how well he looked as Remus. "I have to say, Moony, you're dashing," he murmured to himself, trying to keep a straight face as he settled down with a book he pretended to be engrossed in.

And finally, Remus, now looking exactly like James, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed and legs propped up in a perfect imitation of James's signature swagger. He even managed to capture James's easy grin, though there was a faint blush at the attention he attracted. "Good morning, everyone!" he greeted loudly, a little too enthusiastically, causing several Gryffindors to blink in surprise.

Hermione watched them with a mixture of awe and barely contained laughter, completely caught up in the spectacle they were putting on. But the real fun began when their classmates started to catch on—or, rather, not catch on at all.

Lily Evans was the first to approach them, her eyes narrowing as she took in "Peter" (actually James) sitting across from her. "Peter, are you alright?" she asked, frowning as he fidgeted with his fork nervously.

"Er—yes, yes, absolutely, Lily," James stammered, doing his best impression of Peter's nervousness. "Everything's… er, brilliant!"

Lily raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled but dismissing it with a small shake of her head. She turned to "James" (actually Remus), who greeted her with James's usual confidence. "Morning, Lily," he said with a broad grin, though his cheeks went slightly pink as he caught her gaze.

Lily narrowed her eyes at him, her confusion deepening. "Didn't you just call me Evans last week? Why are you suddenly calling me Lily?" she muttered, trying to make sense of the sudden personality shifts.

But the Marauders were undeterred. They spent the rest of the day throwing the entire school into confusion. "Remus" (Sirius) wandered into the library with an air of studiousness, taking books off the shelf and nodding thoughtfully, pretending to scribble notes. Madam Pince did a double-take every time she passed him, clearly baffled by the unusual intensity "Remus" was showing toward his reading.

Meanwhile, "Sirius" (Peter) used his newfound form to pull minor pranks in the corridors, giving the Slytherins smirking nods as they scowled back. Peter found a newfound appreciation for Sirius's mischievous confidence and was thrilled to live it out for a day.

By lunch, most of Gryffindor had caught on to the fact that something strange was going on. Their classmates watched with wide eyes as "Peter" (James) nervously made his way through the meal, spilling a bit of soup onto his robes, while "James" (Remus) laughed louder than usual, his behaviour becoming more and more uncharacteristic.

Finally, after hours of keeping up the act, they returned to the Gryffindor common room to find a crowd of their housemates waiting, looking thoroughly amused and exasperated.

"All right, I'm calling it," Lily said, arms crossed as she gave them an unimpressed look. "Which one of you is actually James?"

The Marauders exchanged a quick glance, and without another word, they burst into laughter, their charade collapsing.

"Happy birthday to me," Remus, now disguised as James, said with a grin, giving his best friend a clap on the back.

"Thanks for the entertainment, gentlemen," Lily said, unable to keep a smile from tugging at her lips. "But I think I've had about enough of your antics for one day."

The four of them grinned, feeling more victorious than ever. As the Polyjuice wore off and they returned to their usual forms, they collapsed onto the common room couches, still laughing.

"That was brilliant," Remus said, wiping tears from his eyes. "Best birthday I've ever had."

James grinned, giving Remus a nudge. "Anything for Moony."

Hermione, who had watched it all unfold with her usual mixture of exasperation and affection, shook her head as she handed them each a glass of pumpkin juice. "Well, as long as you enjoyed it," she said, unable to stop herself from smiling.

As the laughter died down and the Marauders sprawled across the common room couches, basking in the glow of their latest success, Sirius glanced at the clock on the wall, his eyes widening slightly. "Bloody hell," he muttered, "that Polyjuice lasted at least six hours."

Remus grinned, tipping an imaginary hat to her. "Here's to Hermione and her superior brewing skills. Without her, our harebrained schemes would be, well… mostly harebrained."

James's birthday dawned cold and grey, an unspoken tension lingering among the Marauders. It was rare for the full moon to fall on someone's birthday, and this year, that someone was James. Knowing that Remus would be spending the evening in the Shrieking Shack cast a sombre shadow over the day, and although James tried to keep his usual enthusiasm alive, it was clear to everyone that this birthday wouldn't be the raucous celebration he had imagined.

The morning began quietly. A few Gryffindors offered him brief birthday wishes as they passed him on the way to breakfast, and though he grinned and nodded, the usual sparkle in his eye was noticeably dimmer.

In the Great Hall, the Marauders gathered around him, with Hermione joining them. The Gryffindor table was abuzz with chatter about the upcoming Easter holidays, but their group kept a quieter energy, all too aware of the evening ahead. They laughed and joked as best as they could, and Hermione did her part to keep things light, although every now and then Remus would drift into silence, a slightly pained look in his eyes as he sipped his tea.

"Happy Birthday, James," Remus said finally, his voice soft and a bit gruff as he looked at James. "Sorry it's not going to be... well, what you'd hoped."

James shrugged, giving him a lopsided smile. "Don't worry about it, Moony. There'll be other birthdays." He tried to sound casual, but his gaze lingered a bit longer on Remus, worry creeping into his expression. "Just make sure you're alright tonight, yeah?"

Remus's mouth curved in a small, tired smile. "I'll manage," he replied, though there was a hint of irritation in his tone, something the Marauders recognised well as a side effect of the full moon. Despite the slight edge, they knew Remus was grateful for their support.

To help break the tension, Hermione nudged a small, neatly wrapped package toward James. "Happy Birthday, James," she said with a gentle smile. "It's not much, but I thought you'd like it."

Intrigued, James tore open the wrapping, revealing a worn, leather-bound notebook. He opened it to find pages of notes and sketches on advanced Quidditch tactics, along with a section dedicated to strategies used by famous teams collected from various sources (books, newspaper articles) making it into a scrapbook kind of deal. His eyes widened as he flipped through the pages, impressed by the detail and obvious effort she'd put into it.

"Wow, Hermione, this is… it's brilliant," he said, his grin widening as he looked up at her. "You did all this yourself?"

She shrugged, blushing a bit. "I thought it might help you think up new moves," she replied. "It's just something to keep you sharp in your downtime."

"Thank you," he said sincerely, closing the notebook carefully, as if it were something precious. "This is one of the best presents I've ever gotten."

Sirius gave him a gentle nudge with his shoulder. "See? Not such a bad birthday after all."

Peter chimed in with a grin. "Yeah, just don't expect anything like that from us," he joked, pulling out a crumpled packet of Chocolate Frogs that he tossed over to James. "Happy Birthday from me and, er, the house-elves."

James laughed, the simple gifts lifting his spirits. "Thanks, Pete," he said, tearing open a Chocolate Frog as he relaxed a bit more.

The true highlight of the day came during lunch, when Lily Evans passed behind James's chair. She paused just long enough to lean down and murmur, "Happy Birthday, Potter," before flashing him a small, genuine smile.

James froze, looking up at her, completely caught off guard. "Thanks, Evans," he replied, his voice softening, barely able to contain his grin. The quiet greeting stayed with him long after she'd moved on, and despite the day's subdued tone, it warmed him in a way nothing else had managed to.

Sirius, watching with an amused smirk, nudged him. "She remembered, mate. Looks like things are looking up."

"Shut it, Sirius," James muttered, though he couldn't hide his grin. Lily's small gesture seemed to lift his spirits in a way that made the day feel special after all.

By the time evening fell, the reality of the full moon had settled over them like a heavy cloak. Madam Pomfrey quietly escorted Remus to the Shrieking Shack, leaving James, Sirius, Peter, and Hermione in the common room to occupy themselves as best as they could. Although they were used to Remus's transformations by now, tonight felt different. It was James's birthday, and the unspoken weight of Remus missing their celebration made the usual laughter and antics feel muted.

After a quiet dinner, they settled into a corner of the common room, avoiding the usual rowdy clusters of Gryffindors. They made a half-hearted attempt to celebrate, pulling out a few Chocolate Frogs and snacks, but the usual spirit was absent. Sensing the tension, Hermione took it upon herself to break the silence. She leaned in, her voice low and animated, sharing stories from her own Hogwarts days—well, modified versions of them, of course.

"So there was this one time," she began with a mischievous glint in her eye, "when a couple of my friends faced a boggart. It was his biggest fear at the time—our potions tutor who looked a bit like Snape, of all things!" She described how her friend, thinking quickly, transformed the intimidating professor into a ridiculous image: Snape dressed in his own grandmother's moth-eaten clothes, complete with a hat that had a vulture sitting on top.

Sirius and Peter snickered, and even James, who had been staring pensively into the fire, broke into a broad grin. "Snape in drag? Now that's something I'd pay to see," James said, laughing loudly.

Emboldened by the response, Hermione continued with another story, this one about a boggart that took the form of an enormous spider, and how it had been vanquished with the simple addition of a pair of roller skates. Peter, who was genuinely scared of spiders, shivered dramatically, muttering, "I'd never be able to do that. I'd run the other way."

"You'd have to," Sirius said, clapping him on the back. "Imagine the spider skating after you, Webby."

They all laughed, and even though Hermione suspected they thought she was making it all up, her stories helped break through the heavy silence. Each tale spun a web of laughter and warmth that pushed away the solemnity, making the night feel just a little lighter. Hermione's presence had a grounding effect, and James felt a small but genuine smile tug at his lips, grateful for the distraction she was providing.

As the hours ticked by, the group grew quieter, the reality of the transformation beginning to weigh on them again. They each drifted into their own thoughts, exchanging only occasional glances and sighs as the common room emptied and the fire dwindled to embers.

Eventually, they gave in to their exhaustion and headed up to bed, but sleep didn't come easily. James tossed and turned, his thoughts tangled between worry for Remus and frustration at the bittersweet end to his birthday. He tried to imagine Remus, alone in the Shrieking Shack, bearing the weight of his transformation, and felt a pang of guilt for wishing the night could have been different.

Morning finally crept into the castle, casting a pale light over Gryffindor Tower. The moment the first rays of dawn lit the common room, James, Sirius, Peter, and Hermione gathered, moving with quiet purpose as they made their way to the Hospital Wing. They arrived just as Madam Pomfrey was helping Remus through the door. He looked utterly exhausted, his face pale and drawn, but he managed to stay upright with the help of the matron.

Madam Pomfrey eased him into bed, murmuring instructions in her usual no-nonsense tone as she checked his temperature, tucking the blankets around him with practised efficiency. She then stepped away, leaving a tray of potions on the side table for later.

James stepped forward first, pulling up a chair beside Remus's bed. He offered his friend a smile, though his eyes were tinged with worry.

"Happy Birthday again, James, even if belatedly," Remus said, his voice weak but warm as he managed a tired smile. "Wish we could have done a proper party or something yesterday."

James returned the smile, pulling up a chair beside him. "It's not belated if you're here to celebrate," he said lightly. He handed Remus one of the Chocolate Frogs Hermione had given him, and Remus accepted it with a quiet, grateful nod.

Sirius sat on the edge of the bed, smirking as he held up the last of their saved treats. "It's not a real celebration, but we'll call it close enough," he said, winking.

Peter settled in nearby, watching Remus with a worried expression. "You're alright, then?"

Remus sighed, the last traces of irritation fading as he looked around at his friends. "As alright as I can be," he replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks for being here, all of you."

Sirius settled on the bed's edge, eyeing Remus with mock severity. "I had an entire prank ready to go," he said, crossing his arms. "Consider yourself lucky we're waiting until you're in top form."

"Just what I need," Remus muttered, though a faint glimmer of amusement softened his expression. "Sirius Black with an entire prank arsenal."

Hermione, who had quietly moved to his other side, placed a bar of Honeydukes chocolate next to his pillow. "I figured this might help," she said, her voice soft and kind. "Get your strength back."

Remus's eyes softened as he glanced at her, a quiet appreciation in his gaze. "Thanks, Hermione," he murmured, reaching for the chocolate with a faint smile.

Peter, too, offered a small gift—a worn deck of Exploding Snap cards he'd saved just for a moment like this. "Whenever you're ready for a game, Moony," he said with a grin, "I'll be here to win."

Remus chuckled weakly, his head sinking back into the pillow. "Always so generous, Peter," he said, though the affection in his tone was unmistakable.

The four friends spent the morning gathered around Remus's bed, filling the Hospital Wing with quiet chatter and laughter. Sirius kept everyone entertained with outlandish stories of pranks they could pull once Remus was up to it, while Peter eagerly tossed ideas into the mix, making Remus laugh softly despite his fatigue.

James leaned back, his smile widening as he watched his friends banter. His birthday might not have gone according to plan, but surrounded by the people he cared about most, he felt a deep gratitude that filled the spaces left by disappointment. The quiet support, the laughter, and the warmth of their friendship were all the celebration he needed.