ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪᴛ ʀᴀɪɴꜱ ☾ ʀᴇᴍᴜꜱ ʟᴜᴘɪɴ

Introducing Messrs & Mses

The Shrieking Shack wasn't what anyone had believed. From the outside, it looked ominous, sure — it was a dilapidated wreck of a house with its creaky, broken shutters and ivy-strangled walls. But inside, it was something else entirely. Remus didn't know what he was expecting when he travelled through the dirt tunnel on the eve of the full moon but it certainly wasn't all of his friends attempting to make it more homey. James and Jo were adding another barricade to block the loose doors when Remus transformed, Peter had brought down a bunch of old quilts his mother made for him and Sirius snuck a bunch of food from the kitchens to hide in the floorboards because "who won't need a feast after this?"

He felt awful, the worst he had since the moon began to wax, but tonight? With the added presence of James, Sirius, Peter and Jo, the mood felt a little lighter. Remus was nervous, terrified of injuring or turning them — especially Jo — he didn't know what he'd do if he had to break that news to their families that she had become a werewolf. Yet, there was no dissuading the teenagers, they were determined.

"Alright, Remus?" Jo approached him, "couple more minutes ok?" She brushed his hair from his face, placing a hand on his cheek — already flushed, burning hot from the weight of the transformation lingering in the air. "Can I get you anything?"

"A kiss would be nice." He grinned toothily.

Jo rolled her eyes playfully, "nice to know you can still joke — c'mon now." She hooked an arm under his, helping him further into the shack, James coming to her aid, lugging the dazed Remus across the creaking floors.

Suddenly Remus jerked forwards, "wait — go, all of you, wait upstairs." His hand clutched painfully across his face. "I don't want you to see it happen, please, Sirius — take Jo — she's fucking stubborn."

"Hey! I've seen it all before!" Jo tried to argue but was easily restrained by Sirius who tugged her behind the door.

Sirius laughed against her. "As much as I'd love to hear what kinky shit you get up to, now's not the time Josie."

"Don't call her that!" — "Don't call me that!" Remus and Jo both yelled angrily, the teenagers collapsing into laughter on the stairs of the derelict house.

Then there was another yell, a cry of pain that seemed to shake the walls, Jo flinched, attempting to reach the door. Stopped only when James came to stand in front of her — "not like this, at least transform before you go storming the room." He gave her a knowing smirk, "unless you've not quite gotten the hang of it yet."

"Piss off, as if you weren't stuck a stag for thirty minutes last night because you couldn't quite figure out how to turn back. Need I remind you that me and Sirius managed the quick change first." She narrowed her eyes, snapping her fingers at Sirius, both of them transforming with a cocky expression. "So much for the best transfiguration student in decades."

With a burst of magic and a scramble of legs and fur, James and Peter morphed into their Animagus forms, joining Sirius and Jo, already pawing at the door until James pried it open again with his antlers. Remus was already a werewolf, pacing back and forth, agitated by the change. His wolfish growls were low, aggressive at first, as though he could smell the human presence but not quite able to locate where it was from.

It was Jo who made the first move, prancing towards Remus, chattering delightfully, running between his legs and bumping into him. Everyone stood shocked, unsure if their plan were really to work as animagi. But then Remus seemed to make a huffing noise, spinning excitedly into Jo, causing the little auburn fox to fall on her side.

Then came Sirius, in his shaggy dog form, bounding up to him to nip at Jo's tail like it was a game. Remus turned, momentarily confused, his big yellow eyes narrowing at Sirius, who barked back and leapt away, clearly inviting him to chase.