Behind the smiles

The Switch III

"Good Merlin..."

Good Merlin indeed! Remus was right! It just felt weird hearing Remus' tone in James' voice. Sirius frowned slightly.

Being Peter....He was definitely shorter, he felt slower, and he was starving for breakfast. This didn't feel right. Last night was a blur and even he didn't understand what had taken place. A book? Dust? This was just confusing. To top it all off, James (in Remus' body) looked...well, sicker than Remus usually did. Why? Remus didn't usually have such a hard time getting up. Full moon was two days away! Remus was never that tired....Right?

"No. We. Are. Not."

"I agree with Rem, Peter..."

Both Remus and James talking, through different voices, it all sounded so weird! 

"Okay mates. Remus, James, Peter, I say that we all go over to her now. Minnie's a transfiguration master. She'll sort this all out."

This was answered by James' weird laugh, Remus' exasperated sigh, and Peter's uneasy whine, which, coming from THE WRONG VOICES was very, very, unnerving.

"What's so funny?"

"S-sorry Black! It's just...you're PETER!"

"Hey!" Sirius heard his own voice (Peter) exclaim indignantly. 

"What? It's just...he called her Minnie, and he's SIRIUS...but he's you, and you're--"

James' clear voice, but with Remus' disapproving tone cut him off. (Sirius was feeling a headache coming on). "Okay. We get it, James, but we all need to talk to Professor McGonagall now. Come on."

Sirius watched as James tried to walk. He paled a bit and clung onto the bedpost again. Remus was never this sick, or this weak. Was it the weird switch thing? Was it a different disease? 

He looked towards Remus, whose eyes (Hazel: James' eyes) met his for a moment, then darted back to James. "James, maybe you should stay here."

"I don't get it Rem! You're never this...well, sick!"

"Believe it or not, James, I am. I always am. It's just...you get used to it after a while. Now lie down or you'll faint. We'll go talk to McGonagall."

Always? Remus ALWAYS felt as awful as James (in Remus' body) did now? They'd have to talk about this later. 

"Alright Lupin, Pettigrew, let's go. You stay here, okay James?"

James plopped back down on the bed and groaned. Remus sighed and Peter nodded.

The sigh, in James' voice, the worry in James' eyes, REMUS in James' body, it was wrong. The uncertainty in Peter's step, the squeak in his words, coming from...well, his body, was worse. 

"We're all a bloody mess... come on Rem, Pete, let's go."

They started walking, to the door, down the stairs. Sirius felt even more unnerved by seeing how they walked. The slouch in James' usually confident figure, the steady pace, belonging to Remus yet in James' steps. The slight bouncing coming from Peter in his body. If only Sirius could've switched with James. Things would have been a lot easier. 

Remus was in the lead, and as they got in the common room, they were greeted by an angry screech.

"POTTER!!"

Remus (in James' body) did not register the call at first, but his eyes soon widened with recognition. He looked at Sirius, clearly panicking--the last thing James would do. 

Sirius could practically feel the waves of uneasiness rolling  of Peter behind him. The last things Sirius should be showing.

Lily Evans stomped up to Remus, aiming her wand at him. 

Remus' answer came out too soft, way too soft for James' voice. "uh....Lily...Good mor-"

"DID YOU JUST CALL ME LI--? Never mind. DON'T YOU 'GOOD-MORNING' ME POTTER, YOU ARROGANT GIT!"

"I-I.."

"THAT STUNT YOU PULLED LAST NIGHT! WE LOST FIFTY POINTS!!!"

"The..er..?"

"YOU BLOODY IDIOT! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

"I'm...sorry..?"

I'm sorry. Those words, coming from James' mouth.....those were wrong. Not that James never apologized but, not like this, and certainly not to Evans.

Sirius groaned, Peter looked even more afraid, and Lily was speechless.