My Brother is a Teenage Werewolf

Red-handed

Age 16

Middle of sixth year

***

"You didn't get into trouble for lying, Remus," Severus remarked from where he sat up against the headboard of his bed. Severus's usual ebony hair was currently a bright shade of red. That morning he had woken up to find it much darker but throughout the day, it had gotten lighter, then darker, and then lighter again. "You got in trouble for lying badly."

Remus turned his head and glared at Severus. "I really appreciate that, Sev. I really do."

He rolled over onto his back and watched as the bewitched stars on the ceiling danced across the sky. "It's ridiculous anyway," he said. "There was no way that they should have found out. We were so careful."

"You can't have been too careful," Severus replied. "You got caught."

"You're really not helping, Severus. I know you're mad about your hair, but it's your own fault that you won't let me tell them. If they knew, we could leave you out of things."

Severus smirked before going back to his book. 

Remus lay there for a long while afterward watching the twinkling stars and thinking about the unfairness of it all. How had it come to this? They really had been so careful!

The plan had gone exactly as it should have. James and Sirius had been in charge of getting the supplies, Peter was the lookout, and all Remus had to do was perform the spell that would turn Professor Slughorn's hair a deep shade of crimson. They had already snuck into the Slytherin dorms and dyed their classmates' hair, but they were saving Professor Slughorn for last, figuring that if they got caught before finishing, they would rather have the Slytherins wake up in the morning to red heads instead of just their Head of House.

How had it all turned out so wrong?!

One minute, Remus had been standing inside the Potions Master's rooms, muttering the spell, and the next, Minerva McGonagall herself had been there. She had both James and Sirius by their scruffs and was glaring at Remus as if he had single-handedly brought about the apocalypse. As of yet, no one knew where Peter had gone off to, and the other boys had pretended that he hadn't been a part of the prank in the first place.

Remus had been brought home for the weekend as soon as classes had ended the next day, and Severus, not having the desire to stay at Hogwarts when he could be home enjoying some peace away from his dormmates, had decided to come home too. Besides, Lily had gone to Hogsmeade with the rest of school and Severus hadn't felt like being out, especially while his hair was still changing colors. So here they both were, hanging out in Severus's room while Remus waited for the other shoe to drop.

It wasn't even as if he would have been in much trouble for the prank itself. Actually, Professor Slughorn hadn't even been angry about his hair and there were always pranks to be pulled, so that would really only have gotten them a couple of detentions.

No, what got Remus into trouble was the lie that came after.

Minerva had brought him up to her office right after she had caught them and had given them all an earful, letting them know in no uncertain terms just how disrespectful it was to prank their teacher, even if said teacher hadn't minded.

She had fully intended to take a few points from Gryffindor, give them each detention, and send them up to the tower until she noticed Remus's hands. They had been stained with the red dye that she'd caught him using on Professor Slughorn's hair.

"Remus?" Minerva had called him back and he looked up at her. "Where did you get the dye?"

Remus had swallowed hard as he looked from his mother over to his two best friends. Thinking quickly, he'd answered her with the first thing that popped into his head. "We ordered it. By owl from the joke shop."