Disclaimer: "A Friend to Me" Belongs to Garth Brooks (yes, it is an older song). The characters are property of JK Rowling, as is anything else you might recognize.
Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a songfic. You have been warned.
Remus looked up when he saw James and Sirius coming through the portrait hole. "Where's Peter?" he asked automatically, well aware the chubby boy had left with the other two and should have returned with them.
"Hospital wing," Sirius admitted, making a face. "Maybe we shouldn't have played a joke on the Slytherin quidditch team. Especially since he took the brunt of it."
James nodded. Remus sighed and buried his head in his hands. "Maybe?" he asked. "Maybe you ought to think about who's going to take the worst of it when you do things like that," he suggested through his fingers. "It's almost always Peter."
"Well, you and I
We're buddies
And we've been since we first met
Me and you
Well, we've sure been through
Our share of laughter and regret."
"Not always," Sirius struck back defensively. "Sometimes those curses go where they're supposed to go— us."
"Slytherins don't often fight fair," Remus snapped back. "They'll almost always go for the weakest point, and in our case that's Peter."
"Well, maybe the little guy ought to work on his dueling," James suggested, mussing his already messy hair. "We won't always be there to block for him."
"Maybe you shouldn't have thrust him into a situation he's not ready for," Remus growled. "He's been working on it, actually, we just didn't tell you because you'd have given him hell about it."
"We would not," Sirius argued.
"Lord knows we've had our bad days
And more than once we've disagreed
But you've always been a friend to me."
Remus shook his head, closing the book on his lap as he stared at two of his three best friend. "Precedent is against that," he reminded them. "Whenever Peter's tried to catch up with us on something before, you've given him hell about needing to. Just because he's slower than we are doesn't mean—"
"Moony, we don't," James argued. "Well . . . at least not until he's 'improved' and still messes up."
Remus glowered back at the two of them. "That's not exactly fair and you know it," he snappishly reminded him. "Just because he is slower, and just because he doesn't get everything perfect ever, you tease him. We're supposed to be his friends."
"We are his friends," Sirius pointed out. "Half of everyone else doesn't wait for him to mess up. We at least don't tease him for something he hasn't done yet."
"You can be so stubborn
Sometimes I think you just like to fight
And I hope and pray
I live to see a day
When you say I might be right."
"What if it was me making a mess of something?" Remus demanded, hoping changing the tables would have some effect.
"Remus, mate, it's not you who makes a mess of your life," Sirius pointed out. "Something already did that for you, and that not your fault. You don't want us to get on you about that do you?" he added, voice odd.
Remus glanced around nervously, though no one was looking at the fighting Marauders. "Do you have to be so loud?"
"Do you have to be so paranoid?" Sirius asked. "I didn't actually say it."
"And there's times I'd rather kill you
Than listen to your honesty
But you've always been a friend to me."
Remus put his book on the table and stood up, face flushing slightly. "You know, Lily's sometimes right about the two of you," he snarled. "You don't think about what you say and what it does to people."
He knew that particular comment would strike a wrong chord in James, but he didn't wait to hear his friend's reply to it. Rather, he just stormed up the stairs to the boys dormitory, well aware that several people were staring at them now. Why did every fight of theirs have to come back to werewolfism, whether it took only a little while or a long time? They couldn't seem to leave it alone.
He took a seat on his bed, staring at the wall irritably. Sometimes those two. . . .
He barely heard the door open, but he turned to watch James and Sirius come in side, both with apologetic looks on their faces. "We're sorry, mate," James muttered. "We shouldn't've gone that far."
"Well," Sirius mumbled, shamefaced. "We shouldn't use it against you, at any rate."
"You've always been
Time and again
The one to take my hand
And show to me it's okay to be
Just the way I am
With no apology."
Remus wasn't sure how to reply to that, glancing out the window at the fading sun. "Speaking of which, I need to get down to the hospital wing before the moon comes out," he muttered, standing up again.
Sirius reached out to grab his friend by the shoulder, smiling slightly. "We'll be there sometime before midnight, Rem. With Peter if we can get him out. Don't think we'd leave you there by yourself."
Remus's face went absolutely red then; he mumbled a quick thanks before he disappeared down the spiral staircase.
"Oh you've always been
and you will 'til God knows when
Yes, you've always been a friend to me."
Author's Note: You cannot try to tell me the Marauders didn't have their fights. You will fail so incredibly miserably that I might pity you. So, opinions, anyone? Any constructive criticism and encouragement would be appreciated. Cheers! — Loki Mischief-Maker