Sanctuary

Chapter 31

Sunday, 13th February 1972

'Don't worry, Pete,' Remus said as they descended the stairs to classroom 12c. 'We're going to be fine.'

James draped his arm around Peter's shoulders. 'Yeah, you did great in the test last week.'

'But that was just pretend. I knew I couldn't be hurt,' Peter whispered. 'This is real. What if I freeze up and get eaten?' He shuddered. 'What if we run into the acromantula?'

Sirius chuckled. 'I doubt there's really an acromantula in the Forest. It's just a rumour. But if we did, we'd fight it, obviously.'

'We won't leave you, Pete. Friends don't abandon each other to save themselves,' Remus said.

James nodded. 'Especially us. We're the Marauders.'

'Okay,' Peter said, smiling a little. 'I trust you guys.'

'So you should,' James said with a firm nod as they arrived outside the classroom. 'We're a team. The Marauders are forever.'

James really seemed to believe that. He truly considered their friendship to be indestructible, but Remus wasn't so sure. Right now, they were all caught up in their own lives, but that wouldn't last. Eventually, they would start to take notice of his frequent absences. And when that happened, it wouldn't be long until they spotted the pattern. Would the revelation that there was a monster in their midst be the thing that finally tore them apart? He couldn't keep it from them forever.

It would be painful to lose them. Maybe even more painful than his monthly torture. Physical pain was something he was used to, the lycanthropy didn't allow him not to be, but the emotional pain of loss was different. It was so infrequent in his life. He'd been young when his dad first rejected him, and it felt like it had always been that way. It still stung, but it wasn't excruciating. Losing the Marauders, though. That would be unbearable.

He fiddled with his necklace, the symbol of their friendship, as he followed the others inside. The room had been returned to normal, no sign of the arena remained, and there were roughly thirty groups of competitors waiting to begin. They ranged from first-year to seventh, but a few that had attended the practice lessons weren't present. Either they had chickened out at the last minute, or they never intended to take part in the first place, merely taking advantage of the extra tuition. Fifteen of the oldest students were milling about up on the stage. Possibly there to escort them down to the Forest. Remus was interested in finding out how they planned to get them all there without being spotted.

'The competition looks tough,' Sirius said. Remus followed his gaze to a team of Gryffindor seventh years on the other side of the room. They were tall and muscled, and they looked beyond confident.

'They might be bigger than us and know more spells,' Remus said. 'But we're here to spot things, not fight them. When they go stomping through the Forest, they'll scare everything away.'

'Actually, we're here to talk to the centaurs, and find a mooncalf den,' James said. He ran his hand through his hair, messing it up. 'I can't believe I'm saying this, but the competition is secondary.'

Sirius frowned at James. 'Secondary?' he hissed. 'It's a competition, James! Fame and glory, etcetera...'

'I know,' James said, keeping his voice low so they wouldn't be overheard. 'Believe me, I know. But the potion is more important.'

Sirius sighed. 'I guess.'

'You never know, we might find what we need and still win the competition,' Remus said. 'I mean, we are brilliant.'