“What did you do?” he groaned.
“Oh, that’s nice,” James said in an offended tone. “Not ‘Hello,’ or ‘Thanks for visiting.’ No, right away it’s ‘What did you do?’”
“I’m sorry,” Remus replied. “Hello. Thanks for visiting. What did you do?”
“Suspicious, isn’t he?” said Peter, smiling wickedly.
Remus eyed them warily. After four years of pranks, he knew when suspicion was warranted. While searching his bed for evidence of their mischief, his nose began to itch oddly. He reached up to scratch it and stopped dead when his fingers touched something cold and wet.
“You didn’t…” he said disbelievingly. “Accio mirror!”
A small mirror flew across the room into Remus’s hand. He looked at his reflection and burst out laughing in spite of himself. “You lot have got a sick sense of humor,” he said, shaking his head.
“Well, you’re laughing, so you do too,” Peter pointed out with a grin.
Remus’s face had been carefully transfigured in his sleep and was now adorned with a dog’s nose, whiskers, and a shining coat of brown fur. His hair was sticking up and had been shaped into pointy ears. Although he assumed the effect was supposed to be that of a wolf, Remus thought he looked more like a Yorkshire terrier.
“We got curious since you never let us see you on a full moon,” Sirius explained. “Did we capture the essence of it, more or less?”
“Not even close,” Remus said, touching his furry cheek. “I look like I should have a big pink bow, not fangs.”
“Fangs!” exclaimed James. “That’s what we forgot.”
“I can fix that,” Sirius offered and raised his wand. Remus grabbed his own wand and pointed it back at Sirius.
“You give me fangs and I’ll give you the big pink bow,” he threatened.
Peter’s eyes lit up at the prospect of a duel. “Do it, Sirius, he’s bluffing!”
“Try me,” Remus grinned and swished the tip of his wand provocatively. At that moment, Madam Pomfrey strolled down the aisle and interrupted their showdown.
“How are you feeling now, Re” what in Merlin’s name?!”
Her eyes widened with shock upon seeing Remus’s new canine features. He couldn’t resist smiling innocently at her with his teeth slightly bared. James let out a snorting laugh, despite Madam Pomfrey’s glare.
“Well, I never!” she sputtered and vanished the transfigurations with her wand. “I would think your friends would be more sensitive!”
“Why?” Peter muttered under his breath, but Madam Pomfrey didn’t hear him.
“I was just coming to ask if you’re ready for me to bring your dinner,” she continued, glaring suspiciously at Sirius out of the corner of her eye.
“Can I go to the Great Hall instead?” Remus asked eagerly.
Madam Pomfrey looked at him skeptically. “You know you’re not supposed to leave until tomorrow. You’re still very sick; you need your rest.”
“But I feel much better,” Remus lied. “Please? I missed the feast last night; I don’t want to miss another.”
Madam Pomfrey hesitated, but then relented. “Very well,” she sighed. “But see that you don’t pass out onto your plate or we’ll both have to answer to Dumbledore!”
“Thanks, you’re the best!” Remus exclaimed and flung his blankets off. Madam Pomfrey smiled modestly and waved Remus’s compliment away. Then her stern expression returned as she turned and shook her finger at Sirius.
“As for you, you should be ashamed of yourself! Of all the disrespectful displays, after all he’s been through!” She strode back down the aisle in a huff.
“Why does she always blame me?” Sirius complained. “This was James’s idea!”
Remus swung his legs off the bed and stretched his arms over his head. He still felt rather sick, but he didn’t want to spend one more minute in the hospital wing. He gathered his books and nodded to his friends.
“Let’s go,” he said. “I’ve had enough of this place for a month.”
Remus slumped wearily into a seat at the dining table and wondered if he should have listened to Madam Pomfrey. Just walking to the dorms and unpacking his trunk had exhausted him, and he had debated staying in his bed for the rest of the night. But now that he saw the banquet before him, he realized that he was even more famished than tired. He loaded his plate with several pork chops, a mound of potatoes and a handful of rolls.
“Feeling better?” James asked, eyeing the pile of food in wonder.
“A little,” Remus replied through a mouthful of bread. He swallowed and took a long drink of pumpkin juice. “Who’s the new professor?”
He pointed towards the head table, where a pretty, dark haired woman in red robes was talking with Professor McGonagall. Sirius grinned.
“Spotted her right away, didn’t you? That’s Professor Cóvas, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. We have her first thing tomorrow morning,” he said in a pleased tone.
Peter snickered, “Sirius fancies her.”
“Like you don’t?” Sirius countered.
Remus looked her over appraisingly. She was young for a professor, about thirty years old, he guessed. Her eyes were dark and watchful, framed by long lashes and olive skin. She had a strong, angular face and her upright posture gave her an aura of nobility. He could see why Sirius was attracted to her, but she gave Remus an odd sense of unease. Her expression, though pleasant on the surface, was completely guarded. Years of quiet observation had enhanced Remus’s ability to read people, but he could not sense anything beyond her cool façade.
“Interesting woman,” he murmured.
“Gorgeous woman,” Sirius corrected.
“Come off it,” said James. “She may be gorgeous, but she’s twice as old as you.”
“James, my young friend, you have so much to learn,” Sirius sighed with an air of wisdom. “She’s not old, she has blossomed and matured like a fine wine. A sweet, fragrant and intoxicating wine...”
“I always thought women were like wine because they make you stupid,” James said. “And you have to be careful not to let McGonagall find them in your room.”
“That too,” Sirius grinned.
Remus heaped trifle onto his now empty plate and ate a large spoonful. He was slowly beginning to feel human again. His eyes wandered back to the mysterious Professor Cóvas, but seeing Professor McGonagall beside her drew his thoughts to other matters. He looked around the table to ensure that no one was listening, and leaned forward.
“So how have you been doing with the Animagus spells?” he asked in a low voice.
James frowned thoughtfully and whispered, “It’s been incredibly difficult, but I think we’re finally getting close. I reckon Sirius is almost there.”
“You’ve almost got it too, James,” Sirius said confidently. “I bet we’ll master it within a month or so.”
“So soon? That’s great!” Remus beamed.
Peter averted his eyes and fidgeted with his napkin. Remus knew that he had been having trouble with the spells and was not progressing as quickly as James or Sirius, but he didn’t think that was any reason to be ashamed. There were very few who could compete with their natural talents.
James noticed Peter’s discomfort and said kindly, “Don’t worry, Peter; you’ve made a lot of progress. I bet you’ll be able to do it this year.”
“Yeah right,” moaned Peter pitifully. “I’m nowhere close, and even if I ever do get it right, I’ll probably end up a flobberworm or something.”
Sirius clapped his shoulder. “Then we’ll put you on a lettuce leaf and you can ride on our backs. But there’s no way you’re missing out.”
Remus glowed with pride and gratitude. He still could not believe that his friends were going through so much just for him. All these years, he had hardly dared to hope that they would manage the spells. His desire for company during his transformations was too strong and close to his heart for him to risk being disappointed. But now that his greatest wish was so close to coming true, he felt like a new person in a new world. He knew that soon his life would never be the same.
“I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” he said with as much sincerity as he could express.
“Hey, don’t get all emotional on us,” grinned Sirius. “We’re just tired of letting you have all the fun. You’ve been right selfish not letting us come along.”
“So sorry,” Remus smiled.
“What about you, Remus?” Peter asked. “Once we become Animagi, we’re going to have a great time in our animal forms. If you learned how to do it, we could go out all the time, not just on full moons.”
“No,” Remus answered quickly. “Thanks, but I spend quite enough time in an animal’s body as it is.”
“But it wouldn’t be the same if it was voluntary, would it?” Peter persisted. “Don’t you want to see what it’s like when you’re… you know… sane?”
Remus shivered, remembering his transformation the night before. “No, I’m quite sure. Every day I spend without fur is a good day for me.”
“Fair enough,” said James. “But you’ll change your mind when you see how much the ladies love us as animals.”
“You know you can’t tell anyone or you’ll get arrested,” Remus reminded him. “Is it worth it just to impress a few girls?”
“Who said anything about telling? We’ll just be the lovable cats and dogs who happen to find their way into the girls’ dorm,” James grinned.
Peter’s face lit up with excitement. “Maybe they’ll even let us sleep in their beds!”
“Well, that makes me want to go practice even more,” James said and pushed his plate away. “Let’s go, I think Remus has eaten every last bit of food in the castle, anyway.”
“Hey, it’s the wolf’s appetite, not mine,” Remus said defensively. He rose from the table and stretched his stiff arms behind him.
“Well, you should tell that wolf to share. I think you’re even skinnier than you were last year,” said Peter, eyeing Remus with concern.
“We’ll just need to steal more sweets from the kitchen then, won’t we?” James said, perking up at the opportunity to use their new secret passages. “Come on, Sirius, let’s go raid the kitchen so Remus doesn’t eat us tonight.”
“All right, all right,” Sirius said distractedly and blew a kiss to the head table. “Until tomorrow, my sweet Cabernet.”
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” James muttered, rolling his eyes. He took Sirius by the sleeve and dragged him out of his chair. “That does it; I’m taking you back to the common room to surround you with girls your own age.”
Sirius did not take his forced removal quietly. As James dragged him away, he began to sing in a loud, rich voice, “Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies, farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain!”
His song carried over the din in the hall and turned people’s heads his way. Most of the students were used to Sirius’s antics and laughed appreciatively, but Remus noticed several Slytherins with expressions of hatred and humiliation. Sirius was something of a liability for them; he was a pure blood from one of the oldest and most respected wizarding families, yet he openly mocked their twisted values and inflated sense of self-importance. Worst of all, he was smarter and more powerful than all of them, so they didn’t know whether to claim his powers as evidence of his bloodline or disown him altogether. Remus smiled with satisfaction as he watched Bellatrix quiver with silent disgust.
“For we’ve received orders for to sail back to Boston, and soon never more shall we see you again!”
At the head table, Dumbledore clasped his hands together and listened attentively as if he were at the symphony. Professor McGonagall furrowed her brow and whispered something into Professor Cóvas’s ear. The young woman turned her regal head and watched Sirius with mild amusement. When he finished his song, she rewarded her serenader with a cool smile and a slight nod. Sirius, pleased to have reached his audience, bowed low in return before James yanked him out the door. Remus could hear the laughter and applause of his fellow Gryffindors in the hall behind him.
“Well, that ought to get you out of her first homework assignment,” Peter laughed as they walked towards the staircase.
“Or get you double,” Remus said with a smile. It never failed to amaze him how Sirius could make a fool of himself in front of the whole school without the slightest hint of humility or shame. Remus could not imagine withstanding that kind of attention, let alone eagerly seeking it out. But he supposed that was why he liked Sirius so much; he felt more daring just being in his presence. He supposed that was also why he got into more trouble around him, but it was a small price to pay for their adventures.
“Canis Majoris!” James called out when they reached the Pink Lady.
“Indeed!” she replied and the portrait swung open.
Remus trailed into the Gryffindor common room behind James, who strutted in as if expecting a welcoming committee. Sirius and Peter followed, each surveying the room as if searching for something to disrupt. Remus gravitated toward the fireplace, which beckoned him forth with its dancing, hypnotic flames. He sank onto a couch next to the fire and laid his head on the arm. He heard James and Sirius laughing behind him, but he didn’t want to put forth the effort of joining the conversation. Now that his appetite was temporarily satisfied, his fatigue was foremost on his mind. The fire crackled soothingly and its heat washed over him in waves, lulling him to sleep. His eyelids fluttered downwards and the voices around him faded into the distance.
“So, how are your chimaera wounds healing?”
Startled, Remus opened his eyes and found Lily standing before him, silhouetted against the fire. He paused, unsure of how to respond. His face must have reflected his apprehension, because Lily smiled and sat down beside him.
“It’s all right,” she said. “I want to apologize for this morning. It’s really none of my business why you were in the hospital wing, and it was rude of me to pry. And it was especially rude of me to go off on your friends the way I did.” She blushed apologetically.
“Don’t worry about it,” Remus said with a relieved smile. He relaxed, knowing that he would not be subjected to more difficult questions.
“So how are you feeling? You look better, not quite so gray,” Lily said, but Remus could tell she was just being polite.
“Thanks, I’m feeling a little better. How about you?”
“Good, my forehead’s all healed now. Bellatrix will be disappointed; I’m sure she was trying to brand me for life.”
Remus stomach twisted and he glared into the crackling fire, imagining the flames burning Lily’s fair skin. He didn’t know which prejudice he hated worse, that against werewolves or that against Muggle-borns. Not that I have to choose, he thought cynically. I’m lucky enough to live with both.
“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” Remus said softly. “I wish I could have helped.”
Lily shrugged, and the light in her eyes seemed to dim a little. “It seems every day there are more and more people who think like Bellatrix. Hexes I can handle, but the worst is people dismissing me when they find out who my parents are. The only way I can fight that is by showing them I’m just as capable as they are, but they’re always too blind to see it.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” Remus said and they exchanged regretful smiles. The fact that he was a half-blood was irrelevant to his friends, which was how Remus wanted it. But at the same time, he was glad to talk to someone who went through the same difficulties that he did. He was surprised by how comfortable he felt around Lily. He felt a strong kinship with her, as if she understood him without him having to say a word.
Lily drew one foot up onto the couch and rested her elbow on her knee. “You missed some fun classes today. Charms looks like it’s going to be”oh, what are they doing now?!” she broke off exasperatedly.
Remus turned just in time to see Sirius sailing majestically through the air on a flying armchair. The flight was short-lived, however, and Sirius soon came crashing down along with his throne.
“Ow! Peter, why’d you drop me?”
“I’m sorry, it was an accident!” Peter cried. “It just got too heavy.”
Sirius extricated himself from the broken chair and rubbed his back. “Well, it was a great ride while it lasted. Who wants to go next?” he said brightly.
“Oh! Oh! I do!” a second year cried eagerly.
“Absolutely not!” Lily said firmly. “You three find something else to do that doesn’t involve destroying furniture!”
“Lighten up, Evans. I can fix it easily enough,” James said and reconstructed the chair with a casual flick of his wand. “See? Now who’s next?”
“Me!” the second year beamed and hopped onto the seat expectantly.
“No!” Lily said, frustrated. “No more rides! You’re going to hurt yourselves, and most likely everyone else around you!”
James cast her an impatient look. “What’s wrong with you? Last year you would have begged to be next in line.”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, this badge means that it’s now my responsibility to keep you from tearing the castle down,” Lily said, narrowing her eyebrows.
“Is that so?” James said. “Well, then you leave me no choice. Accio badge!”
Lily’s badge flew off of her robes and into James’s outstretched hand. She stood up angrily and drew her wand out.
“Give it back, Potter!” she demanded.
“No!” he said stubbornly and put it in his pocket. “This badge has come between us.”
“Us?” she sputtered, still pointing her wand at him.
“Can’t you see it’s tearing us apart? You enforce order and discipline now, the very things I fight against. We’re like Romeo and Juliet!”
Lily rolled her eyes and tapped her foot impatiently. “James, you have one more chance before I send you to McGonagall. Now hand it over!”
“But Lily, how can I give you back the object that’s preventing our love from blossoming?”
“ACCIO BADGE!!!” she roared. The badge exploded out of James’s pocket so powerfully that it left a gaping hole in his robes. James peered at the hole approvingly.
“Wow, if you wanted to tear my robes off, all you had to do was ask,” he said.
Lily pinned her badge back to her robe forcefully and pointed to the door.
“Out. Now,” she said through gritted teeth.
“As you wish, dear lady,” James shrugged. “Come, Peter! Let us liberate those treacle tarts from the kitchen.” Peter leapt up eagerly and joined James in the doorway.
“Mr. Lupin, you should stay here and rest or you’ll end up back in the hospital wing,” James continued. “Mr. Black, would you care to accompany us?”
“You go ahead,” Sirius said casually and sat in an armchair with his Potions textbook. James tipped an imaginary hat and left the room with Peter. Lily sat back down on the couch and covered her face with her hands.
“Why?” she moaned. “Why does he have to pester me so much?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Remus said quietly. Lily glanced at him through her fingers.
“Don’t let the Romeo and Juliet talk fool you,” she scoffed. “He fancies every girl in the fifth year, but none of them nearly so much as he fancies himself.” Despite his loyalty to James, Remus couldn’t help but see the logic in her statement.
“Maybe it’s just as well then,” he sighed sadly. “With your temper and his, I imagine your children would turn out to be monsters.”
Lily burst out laughing. “Who says I have a temper?”
“Not me!” Remus held his hands up defensively. “I don’t want to get my robes blown apart, too.”
“Well, I had to get my badge back, didn’t I? And it didn’t look like you were going to step in and help me.”
Remus’s smile faded. He knew he would be faced with disciplining his friends, and he’d been preparing for it ever since he received his badge over the summer. He’d tried to convince himself that being a prefect didn’t mean he would alienate his friends, but he didn’t want to punish them and then find out he was wrong. He just couldn’t risk losing the only thing that made his life bearable.
Lily read his troubled expression and said, “I’m sorry. I know it’s a hard position to be in.”
“It’s my first day as a prefect and I’ve already failed,” he frowned. “I just don’t know what to do. I can’t lose them as my friends; they’re all I have.” He was surprised to hear himself say that out loud, but something about Lily’s presence made him feel safe. He felt that he could tell her anything and she would never laugh at him or judge him. Seeing the compassionate expression on her face gave him a wild desire to unburden his soul and tell every one of his dark secrets to her.
“You’ll do what’s right,” Lily said softly. “I know you will. And I meant what I said before… they’re not all you have.”
Remus’s pulse quickened, making him feel light-headed. He wondered if it was healthy for him to keep talking to Lily while he was still sick.
“Thanks,” he whispered.
Remus glanced over at Sirius, wondering why he was actually being allowed to speak to Lily in peace. Although not as persistent as James, Sirius usually liked to be in the center of attention when girls were around. At the moment, though, he appeared to be deeply immersed in his Potions textbook. Remus raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Sirius prided himself on acing tests without studying and he rarely opened his books. Remus looked closer and spied the tip of a wand sticking out from behind the pages and Sirius’s lips moving almost imperceptibly. He looked around the room to see whom Sirius was hexing, but everyone looked undisturbed. Then he looked down and saw that his shoelaces were slowly untying themselves and twisting around Lily’s. Before he could open his mouth to warn her, she had already stood up.
“Well, I think I’m going to bed now. Good night, Remus,” Lily said warmly.
“Wait!” he cried, but it was too late. She took a step away from him and pitched forward with a surprised squeak. Remus quickly grabbed her arm to prevent her from falling, but he lost his balance and they both tumbled onto the floor in a tangled heap. Remus hit his head on the floor and groaned. He tried to stand up, but he realized that his legs were intertwined with Lily’s and her arm was flung across his chest. He decided there was really no rush to stand up just yet.
Lily propped herself up on her elbows and said breathlessly, “Are you all right?”
Remus felt better than all right, despite his aching head. “Yes, are you?” he replied.
“Fine.” She blew a piece of hair from her face and pointed her wand at their feet. “Solvo!”
The shoelaces unraveled and fell limply to the floor. Remus was rather disappointed that she was able to free herself so quickly. Lily untangled her legs and stood up, glaring fiercely at Sirius. Though she wasn’t tall, she looked surprisingly imposing at the moment.
“Black!!”
A first year looked at Lily in terror and scampered into his dorm. Sirius didn’t look up from his book.
“Excuse me, Evans, I’m trying to study,” he said vaguely.
Lily grabbed the book out of his hands and dropped it onto the floor. “Why? Why are you and James not happy unless you’re aggravating everybody around you?! Why can’t you go one night without causing trouble?”
Sirius looked up with mild surprise, as if he just noticed she was there. He smiled pleasantly and said, “Has anyone ever told you how lovely you are when you lose your temper?”
Lily let out a strangled scream and stalked into her dorm. “I knew I should have been in Ravenclaw!” she grumbled and closed the door behind her.
Remus got to his feet and rubbed his elbow, which was beginning to bruise. He stood in front of Sirius’s chair and asked wearily, “Was there any particular reason for that or were things just getting too peaceful for you?”
Sirius picked up his book and rose from his chair, a knowing smile playing across his face. He patted Remus on the shoulder and winked.
“You’re welcome, mate,” he said and sauntered into the dorms, leaving Remus wordless behind him.