"So everything is okay between you and Sirius now?"
"So it would appear," James said. He leaned back against the sofa in the common room, pulling Olivia along with him.
"But I don't understand," she frowned, cuddling against his chest. "A week ago, you were ready to kill one another. How did you manage to work it out in a day?"
"We're guys," James said lightly. "Guys handle these things better than girls."
Olivia rolled her eyes, realizing too late that James couldn't see her face. "Well, I don't believe you. There must be something more behind this."
"Seriously, Liv, the important thing is that everything is back to normal," James replied. He wanted desperately to get away from this topic. "Hey, did you still want me to help you with that Transfiguration essay?"
Olivia pulled away from him so she could look at him. "James Potter, you are trying to change the subject."
"No, I just think that we should get our homework done."
"You don't worry about getting homework done early any more than I do," she shot back. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Look," James sighed. "Sirius and I just realized how much our fight was affecting our friendship with Remus and Peter, that's all. We had to fix it, or we were going to tear all four of us apart."
"And there's nothing else?"
"I'd rather keep the details between us guys, if you don't mind."
"James," Olivia said, clearly annoyed, "I'm your girlfriend. You should be able to tell me what's going on."
"Well, I think that I have," James replied stubbornly.
"Fine," Olivia said, standing up. "If you decide you want to tell me, I'll be in the library."
"I've never known you to be so into gossip. And, since when did you develop such a temper?" James asked, his anger beginning to surface.
"I've always had it," Olivia replied. "I just never saw the need to fight with you before."
"I don't see why you do now!"
"Because you're keeping secrets from me!"
"Honestly, Liv, I don't see what you're so upset about!"
"And I don't see why you can't tell me what's going on!"
"NOTHING is going on! I would tell you if something were!"
She gave him a cold glare. "I'll see you later."
James watched in complete confusion as she left the common room. What was that all about? He had no idea why she was so upset.
"Hey, Prongs."
James looked up as Peter came down the stairs from the dormitory. "Hey, Wormtail. Where are the others?"
"Still sleeping," Peter grinned. "I thought you were with Olivia?"
"She just left," James replied. "She's all mad at me over something."
"Why?"
"I don't have a clue." He shook his head, and reached up to clutch his hair. "I'm never going to understand girls."
***
"Are we late?"
"Yes. Again."
James laughed. "We need to start making it to McGonagall's class on time. If we get another detention this year, I think my parents might kill me."
"Well, we're not late yet," Sirius replied as they rushed down the corridors. "We do still have two minutes."
"Brilliant. Two minutes for a walk that's going to take five."
They rounded a corner, and almost ran into Regulus and Snape. Both James and Sirius glared at Snape. Sirius glanced at his brother. Regulus looked at him for a moment, and Sirius thought he saw something like compassion or concern flicker in the younger boy's eyes. But in the next moment he was sure he had imagined it - Regulus glared at him, then looked away.
"Come on, we're late," James said, directing Sirius down the hall.
They moved away from the Slytherins. After they had walked a few paces, Sirius pulled out his wand, and turned back. He muttered a spell. James didn't hear what it was, but heard several students shout with laughter. When he turned around, he saw that Snape was now sporting pointy ears.
"What are those?" James laughed.
"Bat ears," Sirius shrugged. "It was the first thing I could think of."
"At least you're practicing Transfiguration. Maybe you should mention that to McGonagall when we walk in late."
"Yeah, I'm sure she'd be proud. So proud, in fact, that she'd give me even more detention than we're already going to get!" He sighed. "Do you realize that Regulus hasn't spoken to me at all this year?"
"You ran away from home, Padfoot. I'm sure he was hurt by that."
"I didn't wan to hurt him. I wanted to hurt my parents."
"I think you hurt them all."
Sirius shook his head. "I think things would be better between us if it weren't for Snivellus."
"Snape?"
"Yes, Snape. Regulus is always with Snivelly. You know that he doesn't like us. I'm sure that he's poisoning his mind against me."
"Now you're just being paranoid."
"Am I?"
They arrived at McGonagall's classroom a full six minutes late, and tried to walk in and sit down without drawing attention to themselves. She frowned at them, and they knew they were in for detention. They took out their supplies for class, and tried very hard to act the part of diligent students.
"Mr. Potter and Mr. Black, I'll see you here at eight o'clock tonight," she said sternly.
James and Sirius nodded glumly. After all the years they had spent in Professor McGonagall's class, they knew the drill.
McGonagall gave them assignment, and the students set out to attempt to transfigure the kittens she set before them. Olivia "accidentally" vanished hers, and had to get another from the cage in the back of the room. As she walked past James, she dropped a piece of parchment onto the table. James picked it up, and unfolded it.
"James - "I'm sorry. Can we meet after class? "-Olivia"
When James looked up, he saw her looking at him hopefully. He grinned, and her face lit up with a smile. James knew that time would stand still for him until the class ended.
After class, he waited by the door for Olivia. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were also hanging around, waiting for everyone to get together to go to lunch. Olivia walked out of the classroom with the other girls. She looked at James, and gave him a smile that made his heart flip.
"You guys go ahead," James said. "Liv and I will catch up with you later."
The others exchanged glances and barely-concealed smiles, and agreed. James and Olivia watched as they walked toward the Great Hall.
"Is there somewhere we can go to talk?" Olivia asked.
James nodded. "Come with me."
He led her through the castle to the same room where he and Veronica had had their memorable discussion. He hoped that this time, things would go better.
"Whose classroom is this?" Olivia asked as she walked inside.
"I don't think anyone uses it," James said, shutting the door behind them. "For right now, it's ours."
Olivia smiled. "James, I'm really sorry. I should never have pushed you to tell me everything. You're right: the important thing is that you and Sirius have fixed your friendship, and I don't need to know all the gory details."
"You're sure?" James asked, feeling relieved.
"I'm sure," she replied. "I guess I was just upset because . . . James, I feel like we really should be sharing more of our lives now that we're in this boyfriend/girlfriend relationship rather than just being friends. But, I feel like you aren't telling me any more now than you were before."
"But my feelings for you have changed," James assured her, closing the space between them. "I think of you differently now. If I don't tell you something, it's probably because I don't want to change you opinion of me. I don't want you to think any less of me."
"That won't ever happen."
James sighed. "Look, Liv, there are some things that need to stay between me and the guys. It's not that I don't trust you, or that I don't care about you, believe me. It's about the fact that these guys are my best friends, and if they tell me something in confidence, I need to keep their secrets. You understand, don't you? Don't you do the same thing for Dana and Kathleen and Lily?"
"I suppose," Olivia admitted. "It does feel like a trust issue to me, though."
"I swear to you, that's not what it's about," James said. "Do you believe me?"
She looked into his hazel eyes for a long moment. "Yes," she said at last. "I believe you."
"Good," James said. He leaned down, and kissed her gently.
***
Back on good terms with both Olivia and Sirius, James finally felt normal again. He and Sirius returned to their torment of Snape, who Sirius was convinced had helped to turn his brother against him. For his part, Snape was searching for a way to have both James and Sirius, as well as Remus and Peter, expelled from Hogwarts. He had seized upon the fact that Remus went missing for a brief time each month as a reason for expulsion.
"Is he completely mental?" James asked when they uncovered that tidbit of information. "How can being away from the castle qualify you for expulsion?"
"We're not really supposed to leave other than for holidays," Remus admitted uncomfortably. "Apparently, he doesn't believe that visiting my ill mother once a month for six years is a good enough reason to leave."
"What's going to happen?" Peter asked nervously. "He won't find out, will he?"
"How can he?" James asked. "The only ones who know are us and the professors. We know that none of the professors want to let that out, and we won't tell."
"Right," Remus said. He looked even more uncomfortable. "I don't like the idea of him searching for answers, though. I mean, you guys put it all together. What if he does, too? And he did see me going toward the Whomping Willow with Madam Pomfrey once."
"When?" James whispered.
"Last month," Remus replied. "You were all a bit too preoccupied to notice."
James and Peter looked down. This was yet another ramification of the battle between James and Sirius.
"I would serve him right if he decided to follow you," Sirius said, showing no shame for his part in their current dilemma. "He deserves it."
"Sirius," Remus said in exasperation. "Don't be ridiculous."
"He's a maniac!" Sirius exclaimed.
Remus shook his head. "You're as mental as he is."
***
Olivia scheduled a Quidditch practice for the night of the full moon. James was annoyed, but didn't complain. He couldn't say anything without revealing that he had other plans - and then she would just want to know what those plans were. For all her speeches about trusting him, he was sure that she was still a bit concerned that he was keeping things from her. And she was justified - he was keeping a huge secret. He had managed to avoid these issues with Danielle and Veronica because the relationships had been far less serious. Now that it was becoming an issue, he wasn't really sure of what to do.
"Look, I'm really sorry, but there's nothing I can do," James said after he told his friends about the practice.
"It's all right," said Remus. "Do you want to just skip this month?"
"No," James replied. "You guys can go without me."
"I don't want to have to control a werewolf alone," Sirius said uncomfortably. "Not that you won't be there, Peter, but -"
"It's okay," Peter said quickly. "James is bigger than I am. I understand."
Sirius looked rather relieved that Peter had taken his comment so well. He didn't want to insult his friend.
"Tell you what," James said, "why don't you guys wait for me to come back from practice? It can't possibly take all night. Then we'll go down together." He looked at Remus. "Will you be okay on your own for awhile?"
"I was on my own for four years," Remus replied. "I'm sure I can handle a few hours."
"Excellent."
***
The Quidditch practice took longer than James had anticipated. Olivia was still determined to bring her team up to the standards Gryffindor had set for itself during the past few years. She worked them harder and longer than any other captain James had seen. She was beginning to remind him of Derek. He wondered idly if his girlfriend had gone slightly insane.
Olivia finally signaled the team back to the ground. She launched into a speech about all they had done, and all they needed to accomplish. James glanced repeatedly at the full moon as it shot higher and higher into the sky. When would this end?
Olivia dismissed the team, and glanced at James. He knew she expected him to help her lock up; he always had in the past. He sighed, knowing that he couldn't back out gracefully. Once everything was the back way they had found it, she gave him a rather seductive smile.
"Want to hang out in the office for awhile?"
James felt his knees go weak at the look she was giving him. He forced himself to think of his friends.
"Liv, I'm really sorry, but I promised Peter that I'd help him with Transfiguration tonight," he said, giving her the first story he could come up with.
"Wouldn't you rather stay here with me?" she asked, putting her hands against his chest. She leaned into him, and kissed his neck. "I'm sure I can be more exciting than Transfiguration."
"Oh, I know you can," James said, trying desperately to stay focused.
"Then stay," she said, reaching up to kiss his lips.
His firm resolve began to melt. He kissed her back, loving the feel of her body pressed against his. A dog barked somewhere in the distance, bringing James back to earth. He pulled back.
"I can't, Liv," he said, gently putting her from him. "I really have to get back to the castle."
She frowned. "You'd rather be with Peter than with me?"
"You know that's not true," he replied. "It's not even fair. My friend needs me."
"I need you," she said.
"Not in the same way," James said gently.
She sighed. "Fine. But you'd better find me as soon as you're done with him."
James grinned, trying to hide the fact that he knew it wouldn't be until tomorrow that he would have the time to search for her. "You know I will." He held out his hand to her. "Want to walk up with me?"
"Sure," she smiled.
James set a quick pace back up to the castle. If Olivia noticed, she didn't comment. They gave the password, and entered the common room. James looked around the room, trying to find Sirius and Peter. He saw them in a corner, laughing about something.
"I'll see you later, okay?" he said.
"I'll be waiting for you," she grinned.
He kissed her cheek, then crossed to his friends. They were both still laughing, which he found to be rather odd. Weren't they concerned about Remus, who was transforming all alone for the first time in almost two years?
"What's so funny?" he asked as he sat down with them.
"You're never going to believe what Padfoot did to Snivellus!" Peter gasped.
James smiled tolerantly. "Did you give him bat wings to go with his ears?"
"Even better," Sirius choked out. "I told him how to follow Remus!"
The color drained from James' face. "You what?"
"You know how he is about finding out where Remus goes every month. So, I told him how to find out." He stopped laughing, and an evil, ugly look crossed his face. "It'll serve him right."
"Sirius, you arse!" James yelled. He jumped up from his seat. "How long ago did you tell him?"
"About fifteen minutes ago."
"You bloody bastard!" James yelled. He charged through the common room, knocking several students over as he tried to reach the exit.
He tore through the castle, praying that it wouldn't be too late. He continued sprinting when he got outside, trying desperately to reach the Whomping Willow before Snape did. He knew that the chances were slim, but he prayed that he would at least be able to get to Snape before Remus did.
He finally reached the tree. A long stick lay on the ground. Cold fear filled James. The only thing he could think of was getting Severus away from the werewolf. Ignoring the stick, he plowed on toward the passageway. The Whomping Willow reacted violently, swinging its cutting branches at the intruder. James was smacked time and again, and was soon bruised and bleeding, but he barely noticed. He made it through the passage, and started running down the tunnel.
"Snape!" he yelled. "Are you down here? Where are you? Severus! Answer me!"
As he drew closer to the Shrieking Shack, he could hear growling. He increased his speed. He was more than halfway down the tunnel when he slammed into a solid object.
The impact sent Severus sprawling out on the ground. He scrambled to his feet, and looked at James.
"Potter," he gasped.
"Come on," James said, looking at the werewolf. He was standing near the entrance to the Shrieking Shack, and was poised to attack. "We have to get out of here."
"It's a werewolf!" Severus said pitifully.
"I can see that!" James yelled. "Come on! We have to move!"
Severus still seemed frozen in place. James knew they only had seconds before Remus tried to spring at them. He grabbed Snape's arm, and dragged him away. They had only gone a few paces before Snape came back to his senses. He wrenched his arm out of James' grasp, and took of at a run.
Neither of them stopped running until they reached the castle. They had been abused yet again by the Whomping Willow; even that had failed to slow their strides.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Snape gasped once they were safely inside the castle walls. "Who keeps a werewolf that close to a school?"
James remained silent. If Snivellus hadn't figured it out on his own, James wasn't going to help paint the picture.
"Black said if I went through the tunnel, I'd see where Lupin went," he said slowly. His eyes grew round. "Lupin is a werewolf?"
James was pleased to see the flicker of fear in his eyes. He maintained eye contact, but didn't say a word.
"I have to see Dumbledore," he said. "I have to see him."
"Snape, wait!" James finally found his voice, but it was too late. Snape had already run off in the direction of the Headmaster's office.
Madam Pomfrey came down the hall, and stopped short at the sight of James. "Mr. Potter! What on earth happened to you?"
James looked at her. Snape was telling Dumbledore he had discovered Remus' secret, and she was worried about him? He shrugged slightly. "Whomping Willow," he said.
"Did you miss the rule about not trying to challenge that tree?" she scolded. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."
James followed her silently to the hospital wing, too concerned about Remus to even try to protest. Besides, he did need to have his bruises and cuts healed. He needed to be at one hundred percent when he killed Sirius Black.
***
James was submitting to Madam Pomfrey's ministrations when the door to the hospital wing swung open. Professor Dumbledore walked in, followed by Snape.
"Poppy, may I have a moment with these students?" Professor Dumbledore asked.
"Of course, Headmaster," Madam Pomfrey replied. She checked James again, then walked out of the room, leaving the professor alone with the two boys.
"Mr. Potter, I have just heard an interesting account from Mr. Snape," Dumbledore said, sitting down next to James' bed. "And judging by your appearance, it must ring true." He looked over his half-moon spectacles at James. "Now, may I please hear your side?"
James looked at him for a moment, knowing that it was useless to lie. He drew a deep breath. "I heard that Severus might try to find Remus," he said. "And I stopped him before he got too close."
Dumbledore looked at him intently. "There's nothing else you wish to add?"
The door to the hospital wing swung open again, and Professor McGonagall appeared, leading Sirius and Peter. Fear began to creep into James' eyes. What was going to happen to them all?
"Ah, excellent timing, Minerva," Dumbledore smiled.
"Might I ask what this is all about, Headmaster?" McGonagall inquired.
"I need to have a word with all of these young men, and I'd like for you to be here with us," Dumbledore explained. "Mr. Black, Mr. Snape has informed me that you sent him on quite the adventure this evening."
Sirius met the professor's eyes without the least trace of shame or guilt. James was stunned by his attitude. "That's right, sir."
"And in order for you to have done that, you must know quite a bit about Mr. Lupin. Mr. Potter, too, must be quite well-informed, as he was the one to save Mr. Snape's life."
At these words, Professor McGonagall made a slight noise like a gasp. Snape's face twisted into an awful scowl at the last part of Dumbledore's statement. James had saved his life?
"I am assuming," Dumbledore continued, "that if Mr. Black and Mr. Potter have this information, Mr. Pettigrew must have it as well." He looked at the three boys for a moment. "Please tell me what you know, and how you obtained this knowledge."
"We know that Remus is a werewolf," James said dully.
Professor McGonagall's eyes opened wide. "How did you find out?" she asked.
"Well, we didn't believe that he was always running off to see his mother," James continued. "If his father is a Healer, his mother should receive the best care. Besides, why would a Healer summon his son home every month? He'd wait until the last possible moment. So, we wanted to figure out where he went."
"We didn't want to ask him," Sirius said, picking up the story. "We were concerned he wouldn't give us a straight answer. So, we began charting when he was gone, and for how long. We consulted the lunar charts, and came to the conclusion that he must be a werewolf."
"We confronted him about it," Peter said in a small voice. "And he admitted the truth."
Dumbledore looked impressed in spite of himself. "When did you learn all of this?"
"In our second year," James said.
"And how did you know about the Whomping Willow?" Professor McGonagall asked, trying to hide her own pride at having such bright students.
"We followed Remus one night during the full moon," Sirius said. "We had asked him about where he went, but he refused to tell us. He said he had given you his word, and he wouldn't break it."
"You followed a werewolf to watch him transform?" McGonagall asked, blanching slightly. "Did you realize what could have happened?"
"Probably not," Sirius admitted. "But nothing did. And we've known since then."
"Have you told anyone else?" Dumbledore asked.
"No," the three boys said in unison, looking a bit scandalized at the very idea.
"It's Remus' life," James said. "We wouldn't do anything that could hurt our friend."
"Ah," Professor Dumbledore said, resting his fingertips together. "And is that why Mr. Snape nearly found himself under attack by a werewolf? Because you were trying to protect Mr. Lupin?"
James and Peter both turned to look at Sirius. For the first time, pain and guilt crept into his eyes.
"I didn't think, Professor," he said softly.
"That," Professor Dumbledore said, "is painfully obvious." He looked around at all four young men. "I am going to ask all of you for your word that no one else will learn of Mr. Lupin's condition while you are students at Hogwarts. If he chooses to share his secret, so be it; it is his to tell. But the four of you must give me your solemn promise that you will tell no one."
"Yes, sir," James, Sirius, and Peter said as one.
"But, sir," Snape protested, "it isn't safe to have a werewolf at Hogwarts! How can you endanger the students like this? Lupin should be expelled, sir, and these three with him!"
"Mr. Snape," Dumbledore said sternly, holding up his hands, "Mr. Lupin has been a student at this school for six years, and not once during that time has a student's life been in danger."
"You mean until tonight," Snape said, his eyes narrowing as he looked over at Sirius.
James, Sirius, and Peter exchanged glances. They all were thinking the same thing: Snape had gone insane. Who in their right mind would speak to the Headmaster like that?
"Until tonight," Dumbledore agreed. "However, it was because Mr. Potter knew of Mr. Lupin's condition that you are still here with us, Mr. Snape. So, I must ask that you, like the others, promise me that you will not breathe a word of this to anyone."
Snape glared at the other boys for a moment, then finally responded. "Yes, sir," he said reluctantly.
Dumbledore nodded. "Good. Now, Mr. Snape, I believe we need to have a private chat." He turned to Professor McGonagall. "I will leave the punishment of these boys in your hands, Professor McGonagall."
She nodded curtly, but remained silent until Dumbledore and Snape had left the room. After the door had closed behind them, she turned back to the boys.
"Mr. Black, I have never been so disappointed in a Gryffindor," she said harshly. "One hundred points from Gryffindor, and three weeks of detention with me."
"Yes, Professor," Sirius said in a small voice. For the first time, he looked afraid of Professor McGonagall.
"However," she said, "Mr. Potter, you displayed the sort of bravery that gives Gryffindor its name and reputation. Forty points to Gryffindor."
James smiled slightly. At least that cut the number of points they had lost to sixty.
McGonagall rose from her seat. "I will see you all in class tomorrow."
They watched her leave the room, then looked at one another. James' fury returned.
"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO REMUS?" he shouted.
"What are you on about?" Sirius yelled. "I wanted to make Snape pay, not Remus!"
"Yeah, well, Remus is the one who would have! Can you imagine what it would have done to him to know that he hurt someone like that? Can you even try to think of the state he'd be in? No, Sirius, you can't. Because you weren't thinking about Remus. You were thinking about yourself, and no one else."
"Well, at least you got to play the hero," Sirius spat.
"That wasn't about heroics!" James yelled. "It was about saving Remus a lifetime of guilt, and about saving Snape's life!" He glared at his best friend. "Think about someone other than yourself for a change, Sirius."
***
The next morning, James, Sirius, and Peter made their way to the hospital wing to visit Remus. Madam Pomfrey had been informed that they knew of Remus' condition, and were permitted to visit him. He looked up at them as they appeared at his bedside, his face pale and battered from his night alone.
"Hey," he said softly. "Did you guys make it last night? I don't remember a thing, and that hasn't happened since . . ." He trailed off, concerned that he might be overheard.
"No, Remus, we didn't," James said. "Sirius would like to tell you why."
Remus turned to Sirius. "What happened?"
Sirius' face flushed, and his eyes filled with shame. "I messed up, Moony."
Remus frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Remember how I said that it would serve Snivellus right if he found you during a full moon?"
"Yeah . . ."
"Well, I sort of helped him do that."
What little color Remus' face had held disappeared. Horror was etched in every feature. "What?"
"I told him how to find you," Sirius whispered.
Fear joined the horror. "Did he try? Did he - did I - Oh, God, what happened?"
"Snape is still with us," James said. "Sirius told me what he did, and I ran after him. I got to him before the werewolf did, but he saw - well, he saw enough."
"Snape knows?" Remus whispered.
"Yes," Sirius said. "But he won't tell anyone. Dumbledore swore him to secrecy - us, too."
"Dumbledore knows you know?"
"Yes," Peter said. "But that's all he knows."
Remus looked a bit relieved at Peter's last statement, but still horrified over all that he had heard.
"I'm sorry, Remus," Sirius said softly. "I didn't think, I just wanted to hurt Snape . . . I would never do anything to hurt you, I swear. I just didn't think."
"Damn right you didn't," Remus said coldly. "Sirius, I could have killed him. I could have turned him into someone like me. And then I would have had to live with that forever." Anger darkened his eyes. "I'm not some little project for you to play with, you know."
"I know that," Sirius whispered. "I'm sorry."
Remus turned away. "Leave me, all of you. Just go away."
"Remus," James began.
"Go away!"
They exchanged a glance, and left the hospital wing. Without saying a word to one another, they returned to the common room.
***
"James Potter, where have you been?"
"Liv!" James exclaimed.
"Where have you been?" she asked again, her eyes flashing angrily.
The events of the previous day slowly returned. Before the trauma had started, he had been with Olivia . . . He had promised to find her . . .
"Oh, Liv, I'm sorry," he said. "We had a bit of a crisis, and then we had a meeting with Dumbledore, and I just forgot."
"Forgot," she muttered. She looked at him critically. "My God, James, what happened to you? You're a mess!"
James reached up to touch his bruised face. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not! Have you seen Madam Pomfrey?"
"Yes."
"What did you look like before?" she gasped.
"You probably don't want to know."
She shook her head. "Are these bruises a result of your crisis?"
"Yeah, they are."
"Here, sit down," she said, leading him to a sofa. "Tell me what happened."
"I can't," James said.
She frowned, her anger returning. "You can't?"
"No, I can't," James said. "I'm sorry, Olivia, but I really need to keep this one to myself."
"James, you stood me up, and now you're a bloody mess, and you can't even tell me why?"
"I'm sorry," he said again.
She shook her head. "That would have been fine when we were friends," she said. "But it's not going to cut it now."
James thought of the amount of covering up he was going to have to do as long as Olivia was his girlfriend. It actually made him feel nauseous to think about it. "Then maybe we should go back to the way things were," he said slowly.
"What?" she asked.
"Look," he said, "neither of us is going to back down, and neither of us necessarily should. Maybe the easiest thing for us to do is to go back to being just friends."
"Do you really mean that?"
James looked into her eyes. "We were really good as friends," he said. "But now . . ."
"Now we fight all the time," Olivia acknowledged. She sighed. "Maybe you're right."
"Tell you what," James said, "let's try being friends for two weeks. If we miss this boyfriend/girlfriend thing, we can go back to it. What do you say?"
"Deal," Olivia smiled. "And you're still not going to tell me about your crisis, are you?"
"Not a chance," James grinned. "Friends can keep secrets."
She swatted his arm. "Prat."
"Ah, things are already back to normal."
***
Remus refused to speak to Sirius for two weeks. James and Peter were walking on eggshells around them, afraid that one of them would explode at any moment. For the first time, however, it was Remus who was the more likely candidate for an angry outburst. Sirius was fully chastised. He had realized what he had done was wrong, and was trying to find a way to make amends. McGonagall, too, was being particularly harsh in her detention punishments, which added to his subdued demeanor.
"I wish they would just fight it out," Peter said as he and James walked to the library.
"I know," James said. "This tension is making me insane."
They finally got their wish. All four boys had gone up to the dormitory, and were preparing for bed in silence. The silence had become habit by that point, and James and Peter were becoming immune to it. They both jumped at the sound of glass crashing against a wall. Instinctively, they both looked at Sirius. They were stunned to see his shocked expression as he looked at Remus.
"You bastard," Remus said, staring straight at Sirius. He wasn't yelling, but his voice shook with anger. "How could you do that to me?"
"Remus, I -"
"I COULD HAVE KILLED HIM, SIRIUS! DID THAT EVER OCCUR TO YOU?"
"I didn't think," Sirius said lamely.
"No, that's fairly apparent!" Remus spat. "But I want to know why you felt the need to do that to me. Was it because of your brother? Were you trying to get even with Snape for befriending a fellow Slytherin? Or was it because of some ridiculous insult Snape had hurled at you in the halls?"
"Yes, partly," Sirius admitted. "But it was also because he has spent all our time at Hogwarts trying to get us in trouble. It was because he was so interested in finding a way to get you, and the rest of us, expelled. It was because he needs to learn to mind his own business."
"Beautiful," Remus muttered. "So you used me to teach Snape a lesson. Well, that's bloody brilliant, Sirius. Thanks so much."
"Remus, I'm sorry," Sirius said, his voice pleading. "I truly am sorry. I didn't think of what would happen. I don't know what else to say, except that I hope you can forgive me."
Remus sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. He sat down on his bed, and looked at his friends. "For years, I didn't have any friends," he said slowly. "My parents were afraid to let me have friends before I came here. And then I stared school, and I met you three. For the first time, I had friends. And then you figured out what I am. Do you remember that night when you confronted me about it? When you asked me if I was a werewolf, I was certain that our friendship was over. Who would want to be friends with a werewolf?"
In his mind, James could hear twelve-year-old Remus saying that same thing. Hadn't he moved past that? He and Peter watched their friends in fascination.
"And ever since then, you have proven time and again that you are my friends - REAL friends, in every sense of the word. I've always felt that I could be myself with you in ways that I never could with anyone else.
"And then you told me that you let Snape discover me . . ."
"Remus, I -"
"No," Remus said, holding up his hand. "I don't want to hear it."
"Please," Sirius begged. "You just said yourself that we've been your friends through all these years. Please don't let one stupid mistake change all that."
"I've just spent two weeks deciding if I should or not," Remus admitted. "Part of me wants to write you all off, to pretend that none of the past six years ever happened."
James opened his mouth to protest, but Remus' voice stopped him.
"But they did happen. And I thought of all you've done for me." He looked from Sirius to James and Peter. "Like I said, you've all been my friends for so long . . . How can I turn away from you now?"
"Do you really mean it?" Sirius asked, looking as though he hardly dared to hope. "Can you forgive me?"
Remus sighed. "It's like we've all said at one point or another - you're my brother. You all are. How can I not forgive you?"
A smile spread across Sirius' face. "Thank you, Remus."
Remus smiled, too. "If you ever do anything like that again, I'm giving James and Peter strict instructions to leave the two of us alone at the following full moon."
"Fair enough," Sirius grinned.
Remus turned serious again. "Just keep your promise to Dumbledore, Sirius. Don't tell anyone else."
"I won't, Remus. I swear."