𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗹𝘆, james potter

-ˋ 53

CHAPTER FIFTY THREE
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-: seventh year :-

── IN WHICH IT'S A FULL MOON

. . .

It was several weeks into the year and nearing February when Tiger, James, Sirius and Peter began to see the telltale signs. The complaints of muscle aches and going to sleep earlier than usual began a week before, and it would just keep getting worse. 

He was applying the muscle salve every night, and Tiger and James had snuck down to the Potions Dungeon in the middle of the night to make him more, as well as a healing potion that they managed to incorporate so much chocolate into that they followed their visit to the dungeon with the two-hour long trip to the Honeydukes basement to get more.

Which made sure that the couple were just as tired as Remus was the next morning, heads resting on their desks and fighting sleep in many of their subjects. That day, Peter and Sirius had quite the task on their hands as they dealt with their weary friends.

But after a refreshing sleep, Tiger and James were back in form, helping Remus wherever they could, eyes drifting from the Professor to Werewolf in any classes they shared and practically sprinting from classroom to classroom to reach the Lupin boy whenever they didn't. 

And all these efforts of batting away slightly concerned teachers when they saw Remus asleep or at the very least resting, getting through the hallways whilst supporting him all culminated on the Thursday afternoon; the moon chart on the wall above Sirius's bed telling them that it was going to be a full moon that night. 

Those days were always the same - the ones before a full moon. Remus would be hard to wake up, but they would eventually get him to breakfast and filled him with as much food as they could. He always insisted in going to lessons, but was in the Hospital Wing before noon and now, in the dead of night, Tiger, Peter, James and Sirius lay in wait.

They were hidden in the thick forest by the Whomping Willow, waiting for Madam Pomfrey to return through the passageway beneath it. 

"She's taking her bloody time, isn't she?" Peter grumbled, stifling a yawn behind his hand. "Has anyone got any food? That might help me stay awake." 

Tiger routed through her pockets and extracted a chocolate bar from Honeydukes - it seemed that it was the one thing that restored even a fraction of Remus' energy, and so they each took turns in carrying it around. 

The chocolate bar hit the Pettigrew boy in the forehead and he yelped, a scurrying from a nearby animal making the rest of them jump. 

"Anyone else?" Tiger held up another bar, James holding out his hand and catching it perfectly, breaking off a piece of giving it to Sirius, who hadn't really taken his eyes off of the tree.

"You know, I never quite got used to this idea." Tiger continued, the thoughtful look on her face lit up by the blue glow of Sirius's wand, which was situated in the centre of the circle of friends. "I know me and Leo became Animagi but that was purely for our own gain.. you guys did it just because of Rem." 

"Yeah.. we found out about his furry little problem in our.. second year?" James replied when he realised that Sirius wasn't planning on it, mind flashing back to memories of the night that they did. "Completely by accident of course, Moony was terrified we would hate him and of course we didn't. Then we spent the best part of the next three years figuring out how we could help him."

"We were looking up stuff about fireworks and explosives when we found it." Sirius chimed in. "I stole the cloak and broke into the Restricted section and told James and Peter when the next full moon came and I knew that Remus wouldn't be able to find out." 

"Why didn't you want him to know?" Tiger asked, sitting up a little before deciding to rest her back on a tree trunk. 

"Have you ever met him? That man worries about everything to do with his condition." Sirius replied, shaking his head and tucking his hair behind his ears. "Of course we had to keep it a secret, but Minnie got a little too suspicious and Remus ended up finding out when we went on a strike of silence."

"That would worry anyone." Tiger smiled. "Imagine you being silent for a month." 

"Oh it was hard." James chimed in again. "Me and Pete-"

But in a sudden movement, Sirius had shut them all up, standing with his hand over James's mouth. The whites of his eyes were visible as he slowly turned back towards the clearing in the trees, an orange glow and a figure that was quite clearly the school matron emerging from beneath the tree. 

They remained still and silent until Madam Pomfrey got far away enough, the Whomping Willow's branches return to their usual position. "You ready Pete?" James turned to the Pettigrew boy as they emerged from the trees.

With a nod, Peter turned from himself to his rat form, darting forward to stop the branches once again. A howl in the distance pushed the others to follow him down into the passageway and they began their journey.

Remus hadn't need to transform alone for two years and hopefully, for many more years to come.

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