Remus Lupin and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Chapter 4: Moonlighting

It had taken a few days, but once he had woken up the morning before the full moon, he knew what course of action he would take. None. He was staying at Hogwarts. Firstly, how many jobs would he be able to have where his employer knew of his dangerous handicap and still let him work there? Secondly...the logic was sound. Hurtful. Devastating, frankly. But sound. Dumbledore was pragmatic as well as kind, and while his primary motivation--Remus hoped against hope--might be to give Remus the job because he thought he could do it and do it well, what Lucius had said....

Could he truly blame anyone for taking no chances? They had all been inseparable. The first and, if he was being honest, only friends that Remus had ever made. With only 2 out of the 4 left, only they knew the full history and scope of their connection. With the moon sending an ache through his marrow at a dull pound, his thoughts went unbidden to the night before the full moon they had told him. Their plan.

"We really wish we could do something," James had grinned, hands clasped behind his back, rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet as if he could barely contain himself.

"Yeah, it just burns us up that you have to do this every month. All alone. By yourself." Sirius had agreed, snickering.

"A crying shame," Peter had added, innocently.

Remus had stared at them incredulously. "Yeah, guys, I'm really feeling that," he had said, loudly. "You just reek of sympathy right now."

"But what good does sympathy do?" James presented this like a used-broom salesman, cocking his head and perching his chin atop his fist with a look of faux teacherly curiosity. "Does us feeling bad for you help you in any way?"

"I mean, no, not...like...in a tangible way, but...." He looked between their ill-contained glee and doubt started to push it's way through annoyance. "...What?"

"What what?" Peter was back with the heavily leaned-upon sweetness and light voice.

"You're all planning something stupid. I can tell."

Sirius broke in with a haughty toss of his hair. "Um, nothing we do is stupid, I beg your pardon."

"Everything you do is stupid." Remus needled back.

"I don't remember you hard vetoing any plans, so I think the terminology you should be using is 'everything WE do is stupid'," James corrected piously. "But that's beside the point. Our plan is not stupid. We just wanted to give you a chance to have the last word, as we won't be talking much for the next month."

Remus couldn't even fathom what this had to do with anything, let alone his condition. "I've never known Sirius to be quiet for more than 30 seconds before--"

"10," the boy corrected imperiously, impish smile fully in charge of his face, now.

"Let alone a month."

Peter shrugged, "Well, it's hard to talk around a mandrake leaf without everyone noticing, after all."

He boggled at them blankly. Mandrake leaf? "For the spell," James said it as if reminding him, as if it were obvious.

"The spell."

"Yeah, the spell." Sirius leaned on James' shoulder with broad grin fighting free of his 'well duh' face.

"Are you all drunk, or something? What SPELL?"

"We're we become Animagus', of course!" Peter threw his hands in the air as if asking for patience.

There had come a silence that was punctuated by the sound of shifting cloth as Sirius and James simultaneously threw their arms theatrically wide; ta da!

"I...what?"

"We've been researching and preparing since last summer and we're almost at the end. All that's left is holding a mandrake leaf in your mouth for a whole month--a bit ludicrous, but, there you go--and a few more incantations and that's it! We're coming on a honeymoon with you!" James let loose excitedly, now that the punchline had fallen, a kid at Christmas.

"Isn't it Animagi, not Animagus'?" Sirius muttered at Peter.

"You guys--"

"Is it?"

"No--"

"I feel like that's something you should know before you become one. Are you sure you haven't been sleeping through the secret meetings?" James added.

"You don't under--"

"Have not! I've been working hard!"

"STOP."

They all turned back to Remus and did not look nearly as surprised at his outburst as he felt they ought. In fact, they all looked quite smug. "First of all, that's illegal. Second of all, why on earth would you do this? Third of all, that's HIDEOUSLY ILLEGAL. Fourth of all, what makes you think--"

Sirius smirked and held up his hand, counting off on his fingers. "First, duh. Second, so you won't be alone when you Change each month. Third, double duh, that's part of what makes it fun--"

"For you," muttered Peter.

"Third--no..." he thought about it. "Yeah, fourth, I assume you were gonna ask why we thought that would make any difference. We asked you about it. Last year."

"What?!"

"Yeah," Peter piped up. "We asked if you went after animals. You said no, not really unless you were hungry. But...you didn't like it when that happened so you always make sure you take a potion from Madame Pomfrey before, to make you full."

James nodded. "Werewolves are only dangerous to humans; we learned so in Defense Against the Dark Arts--which werewolves shouldn't be a part of, honestly, it's a bit offensive--"

"Yes, my dear, we know your opinions and agree, preaching to the choir, please continue," Sirius said placatingly sweet, rolling his eyes.

"So, we figured, if we weren't human, it wouldn't be a problem."

Remus felt like a fish, gaping and mouthing silently until-- "That's...that's just mad. It's just too dangerous, too risky. Not to mention magic too advanced and, have I mentioned, ILLEGAL--"

Sirius put up his hand again, this time to stop him. "Here's the thing. We're not asking. We know what you would think about us trying it. We knew exactly what you'd say. I've actually won quite a substantial amount of knuts for some buzzwords and phrases you said, so thanks for winning me those bets. But--"

"But," James took over. "You don't let anyone help you. You always seem secretly afraid that we're about to--to run for the hills or something."

"I don't--" Remus started to object.

"But we're not." Peter said plainly. "Plus--"

"Plus," grinned Sirius. "It's gonna be wicked cool." The edge to it softened a bit as he met Remus' eyes. "We know what we're doing. We've been researching this for half a year and we want to do this for you. For us. Okay?"

3 pairs of warm and expectant gazes rested on him as he felt a trembling in his chest. Something was squeezing his throat and heating his neck and ears and face and eyes. His eyes burned. His voice cracked.

"Okay."