Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Wanna thank TheyCallMeCyclone, VampiressBlack, Stephycats7785, moonfoot13, xrosiex, The Queen of Confusion, Miss Di, Miss Music666, Lady Annikaa, fictitiousshore, Inky74, harryhermionerw, and reviewgrl for reviewing the last chapter!

Just reminding everyone that this is going to be a VERY AU story, so a LOT of the things that happened in cannon will NOT be happening in this story.

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"HEAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!" Sirius knew somewhere in the back of his mind that he might have said that a little too loud, but thankfully they were all alone in the Library at that ungodly hour of the morning. Even young yet strict Madam Pince had yet to arrive.

"Will you shut your trap, Black?" Evans hissed, looking around as if expecting other students to be stupid enough to be awake at this hour and in the library of all places. "I'm sure Remus doesn't want to whole school knowing!"

"But---how is this possible?" Remus asked, collapsing in the seat next to Evans, face pale and horrified. "I can't be in heat! I'm not a bloody girl!"

"Well, technically, you were a girl for a couple of days." James' voice was muffled from where he was leaning tiredly with his forehead against the table, looking exhausted. Then again, he'd just pulled his first all-nighter studying, so Sirius really couldn't blame him.

"But these symptoms started happening before that." Remus argued weakly.

Peter blushed for some odd reason, exchanging looks with a suddenly nervous looking Evans.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at them. "What? What do you two know?"

James groaned from where he was still half-asleep on the table. "Its too bloody early in the morning for this."

Remus froze, suspicion written on his every feature. "Too early for what?"

Peter suddenly found the parchment in his hand to be the most interesting thing ever.

James refused to speak or lift his forehead from the surface of the table.

Evans glared at them, muttered something like 'cowards' under her breath, and then took in a deep breath and turned to Remus, placing a careful hand on his shoulder. "Remus, you know that I'm not one for beating around the bush so I'm going to be frank with you, okay?"

Remus nodded silently.

James and Peter peeked glances at the werewolf.

Sirius' stomach collapsed slightly in nerves.

"You're a beta." Evans announced as if that should make some sense.

Sirius was about to laugh and say that that made no sense when all of a sudden he saw the horror on the werewolf's face. "Rem?" He was worried immediately. "What's wrong? What does that mean?"

"I—I am not—but…" Remus stood up from the table, pale and yet blushing all at the same time, looking a little frantic. "I mean, I, both!"

Sirius wondered if anyone had understood that.

Peter and James shared a look.

Evans sighed and stood up, placing her hand on Remus' shoulder as well. "I know, and that's one of the reasons this is happening to you."

Sirius glared. Apparently he was the only one who hadn't understood.

"But—but---beta?" Remus squeaked, running shaky hands through his hair. "Is that a rule? Couldn't I change that? Why a beta?"

Now the dark-haired Gryffindor was starting to get seriously worried. What was a beta and what was so wrong with being one?

"Well, I guess if you found a bitch," Evans announced smoothly, ignoring the shocked expressions on the Marauder's faces for hearing that word come out of 'perfect Evans's mouth. "Or if you found someone more beta than you are."

Remus' face went pinch-white. "I am not a beta!"

"Remus, only bitches and betas go into heat." Evans spoke soothingly, not at all shocked by Remus raising his voice at her.

At that all the anger escaped Remus and he collapsed back into his seat, face in his hands. "How utterly humiliating."

"Will someone explain what a beta is to me?" Sirius finally asked in a hard voice, sick of being the only one in the dark about this whole situation.

Remus could be heard whimpering, the sound only slightly muffled by the hands covering his face.

Evans ignored Sirius' question, her attention on Remus as she rubbed his back soothingly.

Peter blushed scarlet and tried to answer but he kept stuttering and instead sent James (who'd been watching him with an amused expression) a beseeching look.

James grinned teasingly at Peter before sighing and finally sitting up properly in his seat, turning to look at Sirius. "Okay mate, I'm going to say this once so listen well. A beta is what we would consider a submissive. So instead of the wolf looking for someone to mate, it's looking for someone to mate him."

Sirius was silent for a moment, trying to get the difference, and then it hit him like a quaffle to his head. Going red instantly it took all his Black-ness to keep from burying his scarlet face in his hands like Remus was doing at this moment. "Oh."

"What I don't get is why Rem's gone into heat in the first place." James announced, turning to look at Peter. "I mean, he's seventeen, isn't that a little early to look for the wolf to be looking for its lifemate?"

Right, Sirius thought, blue gaze on the table. Werewolves mate for life.

Peter sent a look in Evans' direction (which surprised and confused Siirus) before looking back at James with a contemplative expression. "Well, from what I read last night, apparently wolves mature sooner than humans do---and Rem must be in the vicinity of various potential mates so the wolf is trying to force him to choose one."

Sirius clenched his fists. Various potential mates?

"That hussy." Remus could be heard growling to his wolf.

"It's not Moony's fault, Ree." Evans announced in that oddly softly female voice she only used when around Remus and Snape. "It's in its genetic makeup to search for a mate when it comes of sexual age. It's only doing what's natural for every wolf. And if you don't want to be the submissive of the relationship, I think you should start looking at the girls around you and see if any of them attract you enough to mate with because that's the only way I see you being able to be alpha and not beta."

Sirius' eyes widened.

Alpha?

He blinked.

The partner of a beta was an alpha?

All anger bled from his expression as he realized that. Sirius had only thought that alphas were the leaders of the pack, he hadn't realized that they also came into play with this sort of thing.

I'm an alpha. He blinked again, a slow smile appearing on his face. And Remus is a beta.

Suddenly this situation was opening all sorts of opportunities for him, and Sirius couldn't help but let his mind wander to the thought of Remus mewling beneath him, trembling, body slick and hot---.

"---Severus of course." Evans announced, bringing Sirius back down to earth with an abrupt jolt.

"I refuse to let Snivellus be a part of this!" Sirius growled, not liking the plan already just because it included the other male.

Both Remus and Evans shot Sirius withering glares for the name he just could not stop calling Snape.

"I agree with Sirius." James announced, eyes narrowed. "Back me up Wormy." Sensing the silence, James tore his glare from Evans and it turned confused when it landed on the silent youth. "Wormtail?"

Peter had put down his parchment and was now wringing his hands nervously. It was shocking that Peter didn't back up James immediately and thoughtlessly, the young Gryffindor near worshipped James. "I, uh, I think Lily has a point, James."

Shock was visible on James' face before it darkened. "You're taking Lily's side over mine, Pete?"

Peter blinked, looking slightly frightened. "It's not that! I'm not taking sides! L-L-Lily is---."

"Oh stop bullying him Potter!" Evans growled in frustration. "You're such an arrogant toerag! Pete obviously isn't as stupidly bias and prejudice as you and Black are! Pete's--."

"One night of studying does not make you two close enough friends to be calling each other by your first names Evans!" James interrupted, glaring at the girl angrily. He'd never liked Evans from the first moment they'd met, and the years only made it worse. "Who the bloody hell do you think you are anyway? First you take up most of Remus' time and now you're trying to get your claws into Peter?"

"James!" Remus growled, standing. "Stop it!"

"She's trying to break us up!" James accused, pointing a finger at Evans.

"Grow up Potter!" Evans stood as well, palms on the table. "Not everything in this world revolves around you!"

Sirius just sat still and watched this all with wide eyes, not exactly sure how things had gotten to this point.

"Severus is the best person to help Remus right now unless you want your best friend shagging every potential mate around him!" Evans growled. "Like it or not, Severus is the only one with the potion skills to make the potion we need to suppress Moony's desires until Ree can pick his own mate!"

"I don't trust him!" James snapped back.

"I do." Remus spoke, voice low and gravelly. "I'd hoped that'd be enough for you and Sirius." And with that he stalked away.

"Ree!" Evans called after him before giving James and Sirius a glare, grabbing a surprised Peter, and pulling him after her as she hurried behind Remus.

Sirius sighed, lowering his head. "We don't have a choice in the matter, do we Prongs?"

"And he just let her drag him away!" James growled, ignoring Sirius, glaring at the others as they left the library. "The traitor!"

Sirius sighed again and rested his cheek on his fist, ignoring James and his rant.

So Remus is a beta and his wolf is looking for an alpha.

A slow smile curved his lips.

Things are starting to look promising.

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Severus Snape had been expecting a lot of things once he knew that Malfoy had told Remus about who was really at fault for him having turned female. The Slytherin had imagined hexes to hate-filled words, had even envisioned the breaking off of their rela—friendship.

What he hadn't expected was to be rudely woken up Saturday morning by Zabini saying that Remus, Lily and Pettigrew were outside of the dungeons waiting to see him. Honestly, he would have thought Remus would have come with Potter and Black to dose out the revenge, and that only made him more nervous as he got himself presentable and hurried out to meet his friend and crush.

"Severus." Remus announced the moment Snape slipped out of the common room and found himself face to face with the Gryffindors. "Sorry to wake you up so early on a Saturday, but I need your help."

Snape blinked, unsure that he was hearing those words. "Huh?"

Lily smiled nervously, looking around. "Do you have somewhere we could all go and talk without being overheard? It's about Remus' furry little problem."

Snape's eyes went wide. While he hadn't been let in on Remus' lycantrophy in the nicest of ways, he was still now a part of the inner group thanks to this knowledge, and protected the secret as strongly as Remus' other friends did. "Come with me."

Leading them to an abandoned corridor not too far from the Slytherin Commons, Snape cast a Silencing Bubble around them and looked up, worried. "What happened? Did---did that stupid potion do something to you? Ree—I'm really sor---."

Remus smiled and waved that off, placing his hand on Snape's shoulder. "Don't worry about that, Sev, I know you didn't mean to hex me."

Snape smiled right back, finally able to take in a deep breath of relief. Remus wasn't mad at him, he wasn't going to hex him, wasn't going to end their friendship.

Pettigrew cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Look Snape, we came here because that potion of yours made something Remus was going through even worse."

Snape tore his gaze from Remus and frowned at Pettigrew. "What are you talking about?"

"Well," Lily blushed. "Apparently the wolf is going into heat, and the potion made him female for a while so it just made his heat get stronger than it normally would. And he's only in the beginning stage. If he doesn't get a suppressant not only will he be secreting pheromones like crazy but he'll end up shagging every potential mate around him and Remus really doesn't want to compete with Black for Hogwarts Maleslut of the Year Award."

Snape was in shock. Honestly, he hadn't really heard much after heat. "He's in heat?"

Pettigrew sighed and looked away, Remus (sadly) pulled his hand away from Snape's shoulder, and Lily explained to the Slytherin all that was going on.

Finally absorbing the whole truth, Snape looked up at Remus. "You're in heat."

A blush covered Remus' face, making him look so much cuter than usual. "I just wish people would stop saying that."

The Slytherin ignored that. "You're in heat so you need me to brew this potion Lily's talking about? The one that lets you keep control over the wolf."

Remus nodded. "I know it's a lot to ask for, and I'll help you all I can—even if I am a disaster at potions."

While Snape would usually jump at the opportunity to be with Remus alone, he hesitated this time. This was a serious, complicated potion, he needed someone who knew the truth about Remus' furry little problem and was decent enough in potions—he wouldn't risk something happening to Remus just because something happened to the potion while it was brewing.

Sadly, that left him with few alternatives.

Thankfully, none of them were Potter or Black.

"No, Pettigrew should do." Snape winced as he said it.

"What?" Pettigrew squeaked. "Me?"

Lily and Remus were surprised as well.

"It's not like I like the thought of spending time alone with you, Pettigrew." Snape sneered. "You're just the only one who knows Remus' situation who's half decent when it comes to Potions. Remus, Potter and Black are all messes when it comes to that, and Lily is decent at best yet not as decent as you."

Pettigrew's eyes were wide. "I'm not decent at anything!"

"Pish," Snape snorted. "I work behind you in Potions Pettigrew, the reason why your potions are a mess is because you let your idol Potter tell you that your correct method of doing it is wrong and his is right. You are going to work with me on this to help Remus and you are not allowed to complain about it!"

Pettigrew looked slightly worried but nodded. "For Remus."

Snape sighed, shaking his head, hoping that this wasn't going to come back and bite him in his ass. He was about to comment on it when he sniffed something and turned to Remus. "You smell unusually good this morning."

Lily and Pettigrew both shared a look. "It's the pheromones!"

Remus winced. "It's starting up already?"

Pettigrew went in between Remus and Snape, annoying the Slytherin. "It's his pheromones, all the potential mates will be able to smell them and---." The Gryffindor suddenly went pale, looking sick.

Remus' eyes went wide.

Lily gasped.

Snape grinned, suddenly the day was looking better than ever. "Potential mate, huh?"

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Okay, I FINALLY have the stage set for the story! Remus in heat and the various potential mates! I'm adding three more potentials but haven't exactly decided who they are yet.

Review?