DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters/places/etc. Only things I own are OC's.

Chapter 9: Snake and Rat

DECEMBER 31 1976

4 days before the Full Moon

Severus Snape hated knowing things.

He hated knowing things about other members of his house that'd get them a one-way ticket to Azkaban. He hated knowing Dark Magic that would make people like Peter Pettigrew never sleep in their lives again. He hated knowing that Remus Lupin was a werewolf without being telling anyone. And he hated knowing that Lily Evans was falling for James Potter.

It seemed only Severus would be cursed to have such a good memory. Of course, it was not a boon; the trials and tribulations of the Slytherin House would not let him forget it, but it certainly was not a blessing. It wasn't even a week later that he'd already considered Obliviating himself as a way of forgetting.

Drastically dramatic, he knew.

But it was the only way. There'd be no other explanation for his Lily Evans kissing James bloody Potter. She hated him! At least, he'd thought so, even after Severus had called her what she was the year before. Severus managed to hide his grimace at the memory. An overreaction that'd led to her forsaking his name; a discomfort, he'd admit.

The first summer without her felt like an eternity—his only reprieve was the fact that she'd be going back to Hogwarts in September. Spinner's End wasn't anywhere she'd set foot in ever again. Because of him.

James fucking Potter.

Why did that idiot have to save his own skin by saving Severus's? He'd known something had been happening to Lupin the last few years, but Dumbledore was raving mad to let a werewolf on the grounds. Being sworn to secrecy was something Severus had loathed to accept; oh yes, he'd nearly died by Lupin, but they'd still be allowed at Hogwarts? He knew a lost fight when he saw one.

And Potter had the nerve to continue harassing Lily. To his disgusting displays of so-called affection nearly every week, to his annoying habit of messing his hair, to the sheer arrogance of his stride, James Potter did not deserve Lily Evans for a second of his blasted life. Which made the sudden interest in Lucille Wendell good news to his ears.

He'd heard of the nutcase from his fellow dormmates; she'd be perfect if she weren't a Half-Blood. In fact, he'd even heard something of the tiny book she carried around, but not enough to make her a potential target; a real shame if Severus had anything to say about it.

Wendell could be an asset to their cause! She wasn't an airhead like most of the dunderheads that roamed the halls, she wasn't important to anyone, really—she could be slightly below himself in terms of intelligence. The only thing was that now, she was Potter's girlfriend. Which meant that Lily wasn't. And couldn't be, if all the gossip he'd been hearing about Wendell was correct. She had the same, unfortunate mentality all Gryffindors seemed to possess: a prideful one.

Keeping Wendell as Potter's girlfriend made Lily Evans unable to act on the supposed emotions he'd seen at the Ball. Severus would die before Lily went out with James Potter. All he had to do was keep James Potter and Lucille Wendell together, at least until Lily stopped showing interest in the idiot. Then the mongrel could have Wendell, just to hurt Potter even more.

And Severus knew just who would do the dirty work for him.

Peter wasn't all that sure when his friends started crooning about Lucy Wendell, but he was sure that he was sick of it.

Yes, she invented things. Yes, she was smart. Yes, she was dating James Potter. That didn't make her a bloody angel from Heaven itself! She'd gotten James and Remus; only Sirius was left unscathed from the love potion she had to have drugged them with to cause this much attention. But everyone knew Sirius was the counterpart to James, not Peter.

It was almost as if she'd taken his place as their friend, his place at the table, and his friends to go along with it! Peter shifted his book bag to the other shoulder, staring angrily at the vacant space in front of him. James belonged there. Sirius belonged next to him. Remus belonged beside Peter, the final piece to their marauding quartet. How dare some whore replace him?

She wasn't even an Animagus! She didn't even know Remus was a fucking werewolf! She did not deserve his friends! Huffing to himself, Peter narrowly missed the hooked nose of Snape in his squinty anger, finally stumbling over his feet to apologize.

"S-s-sorry, I didn't s-s-see you, Snape," he managed to choke out, already feeling the hairs at the back of his pudgy neck stand up. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Peter'd barely managed a shuffle backwards before Snape extended a swift arm in front of his chest.

"No, I don't think I'll excuse you, Pettigrew," he said silkily, a wand sitting comfortably in his spindly hand. "Seems you're all alone in these halls nowadays, aren't you?"

Fuck, fuck—

Flushing, Peter shook his head.

"No! No, James just escorted Lucy to the Lake with Sirius and Remus, I just-just—"

"You just happened to be alone while all your friends are outside enjoying the snowfall?"

Trying his hardest not to tear up or whimper, Peter thought frantically of what to say.

"Yeah, yeah! I didn't want to play in the snow!" agreed Peter, clutching his book bag handle tighter. "I was just heading to the…the…"

"To the Library?" completed Snape, a sarcastic drone accompanying his words.

"Yeah!"

"Going to the library on holiday? Do you think I'm an idiot, Pettigrew?" Snape hissed, making Peter cringe even harder.

"No, no! I don't think that!" he cried, feeling his heart accelerate to a painful rhythm. "Of course I don't!"

"Good, because I need you to do something for me." Snape stealthily slid his wand back into the illusionary confines of his robes. Wait, what? "I suppose you know about what happened at the Ball, Pettigrew?"

His tone shifted into the silky, predatory one of a snake, and Peter hesitantly nodded even though the danger had passed. At least, he guessed so.

"And I suppose you know about Lupin's…condition?"

Peter felt his blood freeze, but he continued gazing at Snape wordlessly. With an awareness creeping into every sense of his being, Peter gave him a nod. He'd been there that night James saved Snape, so there was no use in lying.

"It'd be a shame…if anyone were to find out about him, wouldn't it?" Snape prodded, a sick sneer curling on his sullen features. "It'd especially be a shame if that someone was Potter's girlfriend…you know, the one who can't keep her mouth shut about the Moon, right?"

Oh, no…

"Please don't tell her—she'd tell everyone!" Peter finally cracked, his plea all too loud in the deserted corridor. "Remus would never—" Remus would never be left alone again, he nearly admitted, before some nerve possessed him to say something else. "—You wouldn't!"

Surprising even himself, Peter tried to contain his pride at sticking up for himself, the way James and Sirius would have if it'd been them Snivellus had talked to, the way they did when they'd stuck together.

"I wouldn't, Pettigrew?" For a second, he genuinely seemed confused. Peter growing a spine? What? But then Snape's tone went dangerously low, a warning that even Sirius would heed, even for a second. "And why is that?"

Fumbling for an answer, Peter swallowed his tongue in delivering the lamest excuse he'd ever heard, and that's because he was friends with James.

"Because Dumbledore told you not to."

Snape paused again, unable to process what Peter'd said for a moment, but it was enough for him to smile bitterly, almost as if he'd said something funny.

"I do not fear that old fool!" The grin grotesquely stretched back into grimace. "And if you think for a second that I will not tell her, it will be your fault when I do, Pettigrew. All your friends will know it was because you couldn't do a simple task. They willhate you."

His friends would never hate him! They wouldn't! Even if he wasn't as smart, even if he didn't have other friends, even if Lucy found out! He was their friend! But would friends leave friends alone for a girl who'd never even spoken to them before Sixth Year? Would friends abandon others over a girlfriend? Would friends let him be bullied by the likes of Snape?! These thoughts swirled around his head like a mantra—Peter felt his nostrils flare at the indignity he'd been reduced to. To being left behind because Lucy wanted to go see the frozen lake? To being threatened by Snape because of it?

Snape acknowledged the ambivalence that must've shown on Peter's face, and he continued, a softer (if Snape could ever be soft) note to his final words.

"But they won't hate you if you make sure Wendell stays together with Potter. Only Potter will be affected by her, and when they get sick of her—you get to go back to the way it was. The way it was without her making your friends fight, without her bothering anyone except Potter. Don't you like hanging out with Lupin and Black?" reasoned Snape, his rationale alleviating every irrational fear Peter had since Lucy'd become James's girlfriend. He was undeniably right! Peter could have his friends back!

Almost as if a light had dawned over the dark and muddled thoughts he'd had, Peter found himself nodding along with Snape.

"I'll do it."

"Are you okay, Remus, you're looking a little…pale?" asked Lucy, setting down the sleeve of the sweater she'd been picking at. "You sure you're not sick?"

It was nothing anyone in the past few years hadn't told him, he nearly huffed at her. But then James and Sirius eyed him darkly, so he offered the baseline he'd told everyone.

"Yeah, I'm just a little sleepy. Late night," Remus shrugged nonchalantly, stretching his legs over the footstool Sirius sat next to.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. She didn't suspect a thing. There was nothing for him to start worrying about if he didn't make it obvious.

"Yeah, this guy never stops!" added James, nudging Lucy with a faux-playful smirk. "He's nearly as bad as you when it comes to reading useless things!"

"My research might be useless to you, but to me, it makes perfect sense," started Lucy, her voice trailing off for him as soothing white noise in the bustle of the Common Room. Thank God James could easily distract her.

Sirius tapped his leg absent-mindedly against the floor, he and Remus watching James's rocket zoom around bothering students. They had all gathered by the fireplace to warm up after Lucy grew tired of the bitter air, during which James had unleashed it to wreak havoc upon the room. It was just as if it would be if they weren't lounging around. It satisfied Remus to no end that Lucy kept the jumper he'd given her on, even when they did go inside.

"Think you're up for the firework show tonight?" asked Sirius finally, a much quieter tone than that of the ferocious argument that blazed up as James and Lucy went back and forth.

"I dunno. I wasn't lying about the late night," muttered Remus, feeling the ache in his very bones for the upcoming moon. It was as if someone'd taken them out in the night and rearranged them in the wrong locations, making them crick and pop with certain movements. "I'll see if he can handle the loud noises."

Sirius made a nod of agreement at the mention of his alter ego, recognizing how delicate and moody the wolf could be prior to the moon. Four days. Four days until he tore himself apart and put himself back together again. Remus was just lucky to have a milder condition than usual.

"We'll see you then, yeah?" Sirius hummed, still not taking his eyes off the rocket. "Blimey, this rocket makes Pads want to chase it forever. I think I'll have to ask James to hide it when he's around. I can hardly stop looking."

Remus huffed a laugh, glancing to the pair still arguing on the other loveseat across from them. He couldn't help his sarcastic remark with the two stuck in their intense argument. "Yeah, I wonder if Lucy's got a control for it, maybe we could get you to chase it with the collar I got you on."

"Fuck off."

It kind of bothered her that James hadn't said anything about the kiss. Surely, a few days would be enough time to come up with an excuse—or even an explanation, right? Not that Lucy was any better, since her own secret would never see the light of day. Still, the thoughts plagued her as they held hands in the crowded courtyard. But how ever she felt about their secrets, Lucy liked the feeling of physical contact. Hell, she still liked James! But now, she felt as though perhaps she would enjoy holding hands more with Remus.

Would his hands be soft? Warm? Cold? Calloused? Would they fit perfectly into her own? A small dainty hand matched with a long-fingered one? James's hands were long and spindly, warm and dry; perhaps Remus's were cool and dry, or maybe they were warm and dry, like James's? God, she was a horrible girlfriend.

James nudged her, almost as if he could read her mind, that she was thinking of another guy right in front of him, but he offered a friendly grin and squeezed her hand in excitement instead. How did she even deserve him?!

"Are you excited?" he asked loudly, his voice tinny with the cool air and the clamoring of the other students that'd stayed for winter break making it hard to hear. "I heard Dumbledore did something different this year!"

Rolling her eyes, Lucy offered a smile back at him.

"That's what they say every year, James!" Or so she heard.

"Maybe it'll be different!" he protested, her remark unable to put a damper on his mood. Even when the grass they'd set their blanket on had proved to be tinged with icicles James had laughed and said it was meant to be their spot because Lucy was a wet blanket when she was cold. She hadn't been as amused.

"Yeah, maybe…" Lucy severely doubted that it was different, especially when most people spread that rumor to trick the Firsties. Most people being James and Sirius.

"Hey, lovebirds, the show's starting!" called Sirius from the blanket next to them, where the rest of the Marauders sat. Peter and Remus (who looked as if the wind was rattling his bones) were already looking up at the brilliant numbers that lit up the sky.

She'd always thought it was funny how wizards thought they were the first to do things like that, their own strange way of commemorating New Year's Eve like they did in the States. In New York, five hours behind, they'd be prepping the countdown for the ball drop, a tradition since 1907. The Hogwarts show was only as of the 70's it seemed, with First Year being the beginning of such progressive ideas. Perhaps Dumbledore had influenced many over the need for such integration; World War II had blatantly displayed a need for the recognition that Muggles were just as capable as Wizards, like it or not. Blinking her way back into reality, James already was grinning with excitement.

"I can't wait for 1977. In fact, I'll see you next year, Lucy! My New Year's resolution is to keep the glass half full. Of Firewhiskey." Oh God, James was already starting with the puns.

"You idiot, why can't you be normal like everyone else?" laughed Lucy, before his own stupid jokes began to worm their way into her sentences as well. "Why, it only took a whole year for you to think of that, James!"

"Not you too!" groaned Remus from the other blanket, a grin on his face even with the lame jokes.

"Shut up, I think we're going to miss the countdown!" Sirius exclaimed over the roar of the students, already preparing for their ecstatic frenzy into 1977.

Maybe Hogwarts would change! Maybe she'd be able to finally go to the Moon! Maybe she'd even…still be dating James? It was hard to think of anything that could split them if even Lily Evans couldn't—no, they would make it through. No matter what! Lucy made the resolution as James clenched their fists in excitement.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1!" BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The hill they sat upon trembled with the force of the fireworks, the excitement of the students trembling with a power only joy could create, of a new hope for the incoming year. Pulling her arm towards him, James captured her lips in a triumphant grin. Through the fireworks, through the cheers, and through the rapid beating of her heart, Lucy felt…a shaky confidence flow through her. It'd be okay. It had to be.

"Happy New Year, Luce," James breathed out, the curls of warmth fanning over her face in the cold.

"Happy New Year, James," Lucy muttered back, her head already tilting towards their friends that awaited their return to the land of the single and lonely. It was hard meeting Remus's eyes despite the joy surrounding them. But then the dynamic shifted, and the groove of a new year hit them all equally. One new year to forget about Remus, to focus on James, and to take the trip to the Moon. It couldn't be that hard.

"Wow, it only took you a year to end that kiss!"

"Seems not even a year's enough for you to grow a brain, Pads!"

JANUARY 1 1977

3 days until the Full Moon

Gwendolyn Wendell née Ollivander wasn't stupid. She wasn't unaware of the thoughts that filled a teenager's mind or the easy corruption of their peers—so her own daughter thinking she could pull the wool over their shared eyes made it all the more infuriating. But if Gwen were being honest, it was exciting having something to stress about as Lucy's Mum.

The brat hardly ever had anyone to mention except the two Ravenclaws she ate lunch with—or used to, according to her latest letter. The newest additions included quite a few boys—of which she'd heard preposterous rumors about throughout her work in the Ministry. The Department of Mysteries was privy to nearly all knowledge of Wizardkind—so even while her specialization was in wandlore, the personal lives of the Pureblood families was all the rage for gossips.

Her new friends were James Potter (the one who apparently was more than a friend), Remus Lupin (son of a Lyall Lupin from the Department of Magical Creatures), Sirius Black (anyone who wasn't living under a rock knew about that boy), and Peter Pettigrew (the only one without a strong influence in the Ministry that she'd heard of).

But now Lucy had gone and made two boys interested in her, if what she read in her latest letter was correct. How could she be so oblivious? That James Potter was one who'd already gotten off to a good start—his mum was quite the woman, and despite his previous obsessions (according to Lucy, the other girl had been out for blood by the time they'd become a couple), he seemed like a good boy. The other, Remus Lupin, was a wildcard. She knew nothing except for the fact that there was a Lupin in the Department of Magical Creatures, and that she wasn't about to go ask him about his son's personal life.

It was a little invasive, wasn't it?

Gwen knew she hadn't liked it when Dad had gone and interrogated Charlie before their first date—so she was certain Lucy wouldn't appreciate her doing the same. But now she was interested. And an interested mother made for some investigations. Especially a Mum who had a daughter that was prone to…strange things.

The door to the cabin blew open with a furious gale of wind, forcing her out of her thoughts and the freezing bitterness of the snow nipping at her skin despite being so close to the fireplace. Garrick entered, rapidly shutting the door and setting the leather bag of wand woods delicately down before the samples could get too restless.

"What did Lucy send you this time?" he asked, wiping his snow-covered boots on the entrance mat. A tiny grin appeared on his face, probably thinking of when it'd be Gabe's turn at Hogwarts back at home.

"Now there's two boyfriends!" exclaimed Gwendolyn, huffing as she set down the parchment. Seriously, did Lucy not think of her when she did things like this?

"My Lucy? Having two boyfriends? That doesn't sound like her," grumbled Garrick, unraveling his scarf petulantly. "Are you sure that's not addressed to another person?"

"Believe me, I checked twice."

Humming, Garrick strolled over towards the desk she sat at, swiping the paper with a grace only a wandmaker could have.

"Hey Mom… mmmmhmmm….mhmmm…." he chuckled, turning it over to check if Lucy'd written more on the other side. "Gwenny, this just sounds like typical teenager stuff. She got the boyfriend trouble, she got the new friends—though, I'd thought we'd get that way before she turned 16—she got the drama…why are you so worked up?"

Worked up? She was not worked up. If anything, she was perfectly calm. Cool and collected, especially when her daughter had two boys vying for her attention! Lucy was a heartbreaker! Lord knew Gwen hadn't dealt with such calamities when she'd been in Hogwarts. She had only met Charlie on a rare passing—and the rest had been history!

"I'm not worked up, Garrick. I'm just a little…worried. You know how Lucy prefers doing things her own way—what if one day, they can't keep up with her…or if she has to pick?" Gwen couldn't imagine choosing between two—Lucy would have to shut down one of them before it got out of hand. But how could she send that in a letter if her oblivious daughter didn't even know herself!

"Then let her pick, Gwenny. She can figure it out—Lucy's a big girl," Garrick argued gruffly, his favoritism easily falling in Lucy's favor. "It's not like those boys are Death Eaters or anything…"

"I'm not saying they're about to murder her in her sleep, it's just that—just—" How did she phrase it without seeming…overprotective? "—I don't want her to stress about what she can't control. It's not her fault the Lupin boy kissed her after she got the Potter one as a boyfriend. It's just…unlucky he didn't tell her before."

"God, if I ever thought you'd be so invested in some teenage soap opera, I'd be a frog by now," muttered Garrick, pulling off all his winter attire before the cabin became swelteringly hot for him. "I get you want to protect her Gwen, but sometimes mothers aren't supposed to interfere with their kid's choices. This is one of those times."

When did he get so wise? Gwen could remember a time where he'd been a mischievous boy, one who'd snuck Doxies into her closet, so she could scream in the morning before the train left on September 1st. One who'd defended her marrying a Muggle. One who'd sobered up just as she had after Charlie was murdered.

"If you're sure, Garrick, I'll stay out of it," Gwen finally conceded, slumping back into the wooden chair. "But if something happens, I'm hunting both of them down."

"I can't blame you for that, darling."

JANUARY 2 1977

2 days before the Full Moon

Lucy was starting to feel much more comfortable with the Marauders than she could've imagined. Even Peter, who she'd assumed didn't like her much, had warmed up to her. It was nice to talk to people in her Year, who could relate to all the nonsense the professors gave them. She could even say it was refreshing.

There was little to argue about, little to think about—ideas bounced back and forth or got shot down in a humorous manner—especially when Sirius thought of them.

"I'm telling you, it could work!" he defended, not for the first time since James had told him it was nigh impossible.

"It would work, and then we would die. I don't think that's a win-win situation, Pads," huffed James, even while she could see his brain considering the consequences. "What do you think, Lucy?"

"I think you're both idiots, and the thought of running in my undies to the Lake and back to the castle just to prove a point means Gryffindors are stupidly bold." Lucy turned the page from the book she was reading. As it turned out, the Romans weren't the first to conceptualize the idea of a wand conduit! Neat.

"See, she said it was bold!"

"Yeah, stupidly bold—that doesn't make us look cool!"

Grumbling, Sirius managed to cram himself between herself and James. Lucy tried to ignore him, really, but then his stupid black hair started touching the side of her face, and that was the breaking point.

"Did you need something, Sirius?" she hummed loftily, trying hard not to bite his head off, especially with his proximity.

"I'm bored!" he whined, turning his attention to James, who'd also been enjoying his book on Quidditch. "Why are you both reading? Lucy, please—we can't have more than two—it's you and Remus already, don't make it James too!"

"Excuse me?" Affronted, Lucy closed her book with a snap. "Well go do something fun!"

"Here we go…"

"Like what?"

"Didn't you want us all to jump in the Lake? Have at it! We'll be waiting back at the castle for you to show up!"

"Wow, did you just tell me to go die?" Sirius gasped, holding a hand in front of his mouth like she was the one who'd wanted all of them to do it with him.

"I never said you'd die," she said cheekily, nudging James. "James did."

"Nonononono, that wasn't me—" James tossed his book to the side, already waving his hands out in defense. "I just said we could die."

"That's nearly as bad!"

Peter, bless his heart, finally spoke up.

"Why don't we just do it, but take our cloaks and sweaters? Then we can say we skinny dipped in the lake. Sort of."

Oh God, what had she done? She never agreed to jump in any freezing cold water or get naked in front of everyone! Especially not wearing the most embarrassing underwear…

"You're brilliant Wormy—you see, even Pete's on board!" Sirius jumped up and down like an energized puppy, regardless of the mortal peril they were soon to face.

"Yeah, I'm not jumping in an iced over lake. You're nuts." Lucy moved towards Remus, who'd been eerily silent throughout their discussion. He'd definitely be reasonable. He'd stop her from being ridiculed in the godforsaken underwear Pandora had thought would be funny. Of course, she'd worn it today to show Pandy that she did care about her gifts, however unused they'd remain afterwards. He was her final option—do or die! "I don't think Remus wants to either, isn't that right?"

"I'm not agreeing to anything…" Remus croaked out, before a devilish smirk crossed his features. "But I'm not saying no to anything either…"

Lucy might've just slapped Remus with the glare she'd given him, but it was totally worth it. The cold air was nothing to the furnace burning inside him while they were in the castle. Some snow would be nice to his feverish skin, and the only thing keeping him from going out himself would be how odd he'd look rolling in the snow.

"Haha! You think you can make Moony side with you? Think again!" harrumphed Sirius, pulling everyone to their, admittedly, disgruntled feet. "Now let's go, we're burning daylight."

"It's nearly ten pm!" protested Lucy, wrapping her arms around herself. "And I get cold easily…"

"Well, you know how to cast a Warming Charm, don't you?" Peter reasoned, already slipping on his winter cloak. She was not looking forward to seeing him in his undies. The mere mental thought of it made her stomach turn. And James? Remus?! She'd spontaneously combust!

But at least it would fix the problem of being cold.

"Okay, fine, fine." Realizing she'd been overruled, she too began shrugging on her many layers, despite the total ridiculousness of their actions. James would just make them all look away, male pride and all. "If McGonagall catches us, y'all are the ones who are getting in trouble. I'm Disillusioning as soon as she starts yelling."

"We can live with that," they hummed in unison, almost like they'd mastered the skill of accepting consequences. What a bunch of troublemakers! "It's nothing we haven't heard before."

"What can she threaten us with anyways? The last thing she threw at me was a letter to my Mum—I'd say she'd be sad I didn't die skinny dipping in the Black Lake!" laughed Sirius, throwing an arm around the lot of them.

"We're gonna regret this in the morning…" groaned Lucy, already thinking of the bitter chill outside. Florida was warm. Florida was sunny. Florida was also conveniently surrounded by the warm Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, which made it nigh impossible for cold temperatures to breeze in. The specific heat of water had a lot to do with it, but that was just Lucy's brain spouting out random facts that decidedly would not save her from joining them.

Scotland wasn't warm. Scotland wasn't sunny (at least, not in the winter storms). It was cold and cloudy, the quintessential parts to make up the miserable winter, when the snow wasn't enough to make her forget about how frozen she was. And there Lucy was, daring the frigid air to nip at her skin like she was covered in fur!

"If you're done planning our deaths, we've got something to show you—" James tugged her towards the portrait hole, holding something shimmery and fluid to the eye. Silk cloaks? They were officially insane! As soon as they were out of eyeshot from the Fat Lady, James threw the silk cloak over all their heads, Remus, the tallest, already folding like a lawn table to accommodate their heights.

"It's cool and all that y'all have a silk tablecloth to cover us while we walk, but it isn't going to stop anyone from seeing us…" Lucy huffed petulantly, not even needing to crouch like the rest of them were.

"Silk tablecloth?" James spluttered, before Remus's low voice crept from above her.

"It's an Invisibility Cloak. I've never seen anything like it," he explained, helping hold the shimmering material around them.

"Yeah, I don't think anyone's seen anything like it, seeming as it makes us invisible, you dolt," muttered Sirius, unable to refrain from adding his snarky commentary. The canopy shifted slightly as Remus swiped at Sirius, the resounding sounds a thud and a hiss of pain.

"I appreciated that, Remus," laughed Lucy, her laugh breathlessly rushing out before anyone heard them. "Thanks."

"No problem."

"We're almost out of the castle, I can see the lanterns in the courtyard," breathed James, all their breaths coming out in foggy curls.

"You're telling me, I can feel how close we are to the outside with this horrible chill. Who's stupid idea was this again?" Lucy complained, holding her arms closer to herself.

"Mine!" cheered Sirius, recognizing that no one would hear them out in the yard.

"Just stand close to Remus, that boy's almost as good as the fireplace in the Common Room," James offered, however odd it was that he knew that Remus was warm.

Oh my God, just stand close to Remus, fine idea from his close friend. Buddy, he was having a hard-enough time trying not to stand anywhere near Lucy! Remus could see all of them in the darkness, his vision nearing perfection this close to the full moon, with his sense of smell already superseding what a bloodhound could only dream of. He smelled her before she got closer, since apparently warmth was more important than whatever promise she'd made herself the day before.

His evidence of the deed? Her shoulders had gone slack with relief, and Lucy had clearly shown that there was nothing left to worry about by staying with James. So, he let her practically stand in front of him, the height difference probably the only thing saving him (and her if he were honest) from curling into her tiny form like an overgrown cat. She was flowers. She was coffee. She was perfection. She was everything that shouldn't have gone well together but became intoxicating to every fiber of his being just by proximity.

Stop. Brain. Stop. Body. Stop.

"Thanks, Remus," she breathed, all while he could practically hear her heart in her neck, waiting for him to all but touch her.

Do NOT think of her that way.

"No problem," he grunted, suddenly thinking about how in God's name he was going to try not to leer at her when she took off her clothes. Remus prayed that James would make them turn around. If only to preserve his sanity. His brain started up again, worry dulling his senses for a moment. "Wait, I've just realized—if Filch comes, he's going to see our footsteps."

"Got it covered," said Sirius, not caring about the need to remain silent once they'd set foot out of the castle. "Been spelling it smooth since Fifth Year."

"What were you doing in Fifth Year that made you learn how to do it?" asked Lucy, her voice sounding adorably confused.

Wait. No. Adorably? The moon. It was doing things to his brain—and not in a good way—Remus still trusted his wits (thankfully, but however unfoundedly) to save him, however detrimental they were to his senses. They focused hard on something (someone) he could not have.

"Er, think I was going to snog some bird by the Lake. Real cute date for her and all that, but anyways, imagine my horror when McGonagall herself finds me with my tongue down the bird's throat at midnight in the middle of December. Never again." Sirius shuddered, and not from the cold. "She'd seen the tracks from her office window and come after us immediately."

Remus remembered that quite clearly. Sirius had gone back to the Tower like someone'd attacked him in the night, like he'd only just made it to escape. McGonagall gave him detention through the Christmas Break, the only time he'd not gone was Christmas Day itself, and then continuing to New Years. It was also around the time Marlene McKinnon had ended things with him, as she wasn't the bird Sirius had gone to meet at the Lake either.

"I can't imagine that," Lucy muttered, disgust and fear grating his ears. "At least James knows I hate the snow."

"He knows but we're all out here about to jump in a lake," countered Remus, her proclamation of excursions with James hell to think about.

"Yeah, what's with that…" James trailed off, realizing he had no argument to respond with. "Well, you could've stayed in the castle…"

"If that was an option, why didn't you voice it before I came out here with you four boys, in the middle of the night?"

"Cos then you wouldn't have come!"

Remus sighed, eyeing how far the banks of the lake were from their distance.

"Guys, we're right on the edge of the lake—who's going first?" he asked, a redundant question, really, since everyone but Lucy knew he was volunteering.

"Real funny Moony," huffed James, still recovering from the bitter mood he'd put Lucy in, which really put a damper on things if he were being honest. "And Lucy, you don't have to join us."

"Well now that makes this awkward, James, so I have to jump in the freezing cold lake." Her pride wouldn't stand for it—and everyone knew why. James really had to work on his phrasing. "I won't be the only one not participating, only chickens don't follow through with things."

"But we won't think you're a chicken!" James protested, throwing his cloak to the ground. "It'll only be us that know you didn't jump…"

"And that's exactly why I have to!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!" And she ripped off her sweater (the one he'd given her), shirt and all with it.

Oh…my….God…he tried really hard not to stare. Really, really, hard. But it was really, really, really hard not to look at the lacy (why did they make it so sheer?!) white bra that practically glowed in the dark. Was his mouth open? No…thankfully—and then the pants came off—and then Remus couldn't think of anything but the sexy lingerie that Lucy was wearing—and his vision—his vision was fucking perfect. Remus could see everything.

A white puff of air came out of her mouth as she shoved James out of her way. All of them blankly stared at her, unable to believe it really was Lucy they were seeing in her underwear, and then she ran off the pier. Remus felt air enter his lungs again.

"HOLY FUCK, IT'S C-C-COLD!" she gasped, coming up immediately after. "HOW L-L-LONG C-CAN WE B-BE IN THE L-LAKE?"

Get-in-get-in-get-in-with-pretty-little-Lucy-make-her-warm—

Remus tossed all his clothes off, and the scars or anything he'd ever thought was embarrassing or shameful became meaningless. The only thing in his mind was to join Lucy in the ice cold water simply because she was in it.

Everyone followed her lead, each of them piling their winter attire by the willow tree to stop it from getting wet, their resounding splashes mottled with "FUCK"s and "WOOOOAHHH"s as they tried to adjust to the freezing water.

He didn't feel cold when he'd jumped in the lake. The water felt amazing, like a cool swimming pool in the middle of a hot summer, and he had half a mind to lap around while everyone practically had their organs shutting down as they floated. Lucy herself was halfway out of the lake the second she'd jumped in, but Remus wanted to stay in the cold water when she did get out so he wouldn't catch sight of her any more than he already had. Did he mention how grateful he was that it was freezing out?

"I'm done, I'm done, I'm d-d-done…" sang James, shuffling closer to the shore of the lake, where Lucy had already wrapped herself up in what looked like her original clothing, plus what looked like four hasty Warming Charms within her vicinity. Sirius followed James to the tee, with Peter (did he even know how to swim?) haphazardly trying to keep up with how fast they were moving through the water.

Remus closed his eyes for a second, letting the rush of water clear his mind before he got out, where a divine angel that looked exactly like Lucy (but in lingerie) graced around. There wasn't anything wrong with being able to see in the dark, was there? Apologizing to James felt like the proper decision to the rational side of his brain, but Remus could hardly be sorry for using his eyes.

It was just one of the perks of being a werewolf.

A/N: Not going to lie, I kind of thought fall semester would let me keep up with this more. Turns out there's more to college than the two classes I took in summer, huh? Didn't think I'd get so close to the actual time in the fic, lol. I've been writing this on and off because I also felt like I didn't know what to write, but I really enjoy the way this chapter turned out. It serves as a plot turn, which lets me progress more from where I left off, AND it's 7.2k words. Fanfiction is way more fun to write than lab reports, lemme tell ya.

Anyways, R/R like always, and I'll see y'all next chapter, which I hope won't be too far away.

Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for reviewing/following/favoriting. It really makes me happy to know people like what I write, especially in such a stressful time of my life where I don't know if anything I do is right.

Ps. I went back and read through my own fic (don't know if that's normal, and if not, I DIDN'T) and I was like, damn, wish there was more—but I'm the one that knows how I want it to go, so that kinda pushed me to finish this chapter up LOL.