Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) - Book One (Marauder Era)

Chapter Eighty-Four - Raw Meat For Werewolves

Now that Quidditch season was over it was time to crack down on studying. Exams were only two weeks away for the first years and even the other Marauders reluctantly agreed they needed to start actually reading their text books and practicing spells. Remus helped them as much as he could though grew quite irked when they began calling him Professor Lupin. Of course he was quite unaware of how teacher-y his voice got whenever he lectured them.

"I think it's cute," Lily said on Monday evening as they walked to the library and he finished grumbling about his friends. "Professor Lupin."

His cheeks burned. "S'not cute."

"It is, especially since you're so much smaller than all of them and they just sat around you in a semi-circle like little kids in the common room earlier!" Lily giggled a bit.

"I'm not small!" he protested. "I'm perfectly average." Lily stopped in her tracks, raising her eyebrows at him. "Okay f--fine. I am... a little below average." Her eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline. He folded his arms, glaring. "All right, all right, I'm small! Happy?"

"Immensely."

They began walking again. "Personally I think everyone's just unnaturally tall." He glanced over at her. He hadn't really noticed before she had grown quite a bit since the first years' Quidditch game several months ago, the time he had taken note of her height. He knew he had gotten at least a little bit taller judging by the state of some of his clothes. Most were still too baggy however a few pairs of trousers had a tiny bit of a gap at the cuffs.

Lily just grinned. "Whatever you say, Professor Lupin."

*

When Remus returned to his dorm that night the second he stepped in he fell. Or rather, bounced a bit until he ended up on his butt. The other Marauders were bouncing about, shooting spells at each other as they tumbled through the air. Remus stuck close to the wall, remembering what they said Peter had done. He knew he would regret teaching them the spell however they'd be learning it anyway. "If Spinnet comes in, he'll assume you did it Saturday," Remus pointed out, edging his way towards his bed. None of the furniture had been enchanted so he used that to maneuver through the room until he got to his own bed, sitting cross-legged in the center.

Sirius made his way over, landing roughly on Remus's bed, shaking the entire thing. "Oofah. So? Spinnet's a twit, who cares what he thinks. Besides, everyone knows we were at the game so what's he going to do? Tell McGonsie?"

"I wasn't at the game," Remus pointed out.

"Yes, but you're the most innocent one out of all of us." Sirius flashed a smile. "McGonsie would never believe you did such a thing."

Remus wasn't so sure about that. He had been in the least trouble out of all four of them however he doubted McGonagall would just assume his innocence. "I'm friends with you lot, she'd figure out I did it."

"Guilt by friendship?" Sirius asked with a laugh.

Remus grinned back. "Guilt by association is a thing people ascribe to, Sirius."

"Words, Remy; use English please."

"I am using English!" Remus groaned. "What part of that did you not understand?"

Sirius just shrugged. "I understood it, it just sounded nerdy so I want to pretend that I didn't." He winked at Remus who rolled his eyes. "Does this make me a nerd by association?"

Remus glanced at his friend, taking in his noble beauty, then quickly looked away. "I doubt anyone would ever think of you as a nerd."

James fell onto Remus's bed and Peter followed suit, leg smacking against Remus. "Whoops! Sorry," Pete laughed.