Disclaimer: Hogwarts and its students belong to J.K. Rowling.  (Although I did make up a few students to round out the cast.)  Willaston, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, belongs to CLS.  He's mentioned in her story "Fallen- Alternate Version."  (Yes, that Willaston.)

In the Hogwarts Library

Chapter Three- Remus

            I don't why I let Sirius get under my skin like that.  He teases everybody.  He never means anything by it.  He expected me to laugh and instead I got angry.  "Listen to the dating expert."  It was a fair shot.  I've never been on a date, and I was giving advice to Peter.  I was supposed to laugh.  Instead I think I single-handedly dropped the temperature at the table five degrees. 

            I'd better go so James will feel free to talk about Lily with Sirius.  There's no way he'll do so if I'm sitting here glaring at Sirius for the dating crack.

            "I'm going to go back to the library.  I still have a lot to do."

            "Anything I can help with, Moony?"  His eyes are cast down; he knows I'm angry.

            "No thanks, Sirius."  Don't worry; you're forgiven.  "Actually, I was having trouble understanding how belladonna and spiny henbane could be used in the same potion, but I asked Severus and—"

            "Snape!  You asked that dungeon dweller for help instead of me!  I don't believe you, Remus."

            "Well, he was there, and you weren't—"

            "What's that supposed to mean?"

            "—AND he's good in Potions.  I had a Potions question, so I asked."

            "But Snape?  How could you go talk to Snape?"

            "I didn't; he came over to talk to me, remember?  Peter, Jemma, Liegeard.  Is any of this ringing a bell?"

            "Yeah, well, I didn't realize that you and Severus had a whole chummy conversation."

            "Oh grow up, Sirius.  I'm going to the library."

            "Of course you are.  Got a hot study date with a certain Slytherin, don't you?"

            He mumbles the last comment as I walk away, but I have very good hearing.  He knows it.  He knew I'd hear him.  But I'm not sure James intended for me to hear what he says to Sirius.

            "Do you have any idea how much you sounded like a jealous boyfriend just now?"

            "Don't be daft, James."

            Sometimes I just really, really want to growl.  Big, loud, scary growl.  I don't know if it's because the full moon is the day after tomorrow, or if it's because Sirius is driving me insane, but right now—

Crying.  Someone is crying.  "Hello?  Who's there?" 

No answer, but whoever it is, is trying to stop crying.  Follow the sound.  "Can I help?"  There, in the alcove by the window.  A girl—Jemma!  Why isn't she with Peter?

"Jemma?  Is something wrong?"  Of course, something's wrong, you idiot; she's crying, isn't she?  "I thought you and Peter were going to practice Transfiguration together."

"I did—I did a terrible thing, but I was so afraid of him."

Afraid of Peter?  "It's O.K., there's nothing to be afraid of now, Jemma.  You're safe."  She does look terrified.

"No, I'm not, but that's no excuse.  You have to save him, Remus.  Don't let my cousin hurt him."

Oh God, Liegeard is going to hurt Peter.  "Where are they, Jemma?" 

"On the fifth floor, there's a room behind a tapestry of a wizard riding on a Welsh Green."

"Is it just your cousin, or did he bring others?"

"I don't know."

Probably others.  I'll need Sirius and James.

"I'm so sorry.  Tell Peter I'm sorry," Jemma calls after me as I run back to the Great Hall.  There they are, just coming out—Yes!  James and Sirius are talking to Willaston and McElroy.  A couple of seventh year Gryffindor Quidditch players might be exactly who we need.

"Follow me!  NOW!"  James and Sirius don't need to be told twice, but—"You too!" I yell back at Willaston and McElroy. 

"Where are we going?" James asks as he runs behind me.

"To save Peter from the Slytherins.  The room behind the Welsh Green tapestry, Sirius, is this the fastest way?"

"Yeah, at the end of the corridor, take the stairs that curve right.  Just two flights up."

Sometimes I hate the eccentricities of Hogwarts stairs, and sometimes they work in your favor.  Fifth floor—unicorn tapestry—Golden Snidget hunt tapestry—Welsh Green!

"FIRE BREATH!" Sirius, James, and I all yell together. 

* * * * *

I love being around my friends; I really do.  The silence calls out to be filled with their voices and laughter.  But it is difficult to work around my friends.  How can I be expected to care about Goblin Rebellions when James is enchanting rolled up socks to fly around the room in Quidditch formations?  How can I concentrate on arithmancy computations when Sirius is lying on my bed singing "Blue Moon"?  And so, I drag myself out of Gryffindor tower and hide away in the library.

My mum says that the library was her favorite place in the castle, but Mum is a Ravenclaw.  So was my father.  Sometimes I wonder if I would have been one if I hadn't been bitten.  There's no way to know, really, how different a person I might have been.  How much of me is human?  How much is wolf?  I don't want to be here doing this stupid Potions assignment.  I want to be with my friends.  Or is that the wolf wanting to be with his pack?

I smell Snape's shampoo.  Nasty stuff.  Strongest that Mrs. Scower's makes.  Madam Pomfrey had me use it once after an accident in Potions.  I thought it would burn my hair off.

"Hello, Severus."  It drives him nuts that I can recognize him without looking.

"Hello, Lupin.  I heard Liegeard gave Pettigrew a bit of a fright."

I look up at the smug bastard.  "If you can call a black eye, two cracked ribs, and an aging hex 'a bit of a fright'."

"He suffered no lasting injuries, so, yes, I can."

"Liegeard didn't act alone."  You were there.

"Yes, I heard that Diffin and LeStrange are also in trouble for this prank."

"There were six."

"Six?  Really?  Pity that three got away unidentified."

"You were there."  He's silent for a moment.  He wonders if I know, or if I suspect.

 "You really shouldn't accuse me without proof, Lupin."

"You were the one who stunned Liegeard before he could slip away."  He blinks.  He wonders how I know.  It was dark; things were confused.

"You shouldn't speculate on things you can't prove."

"No, I can't prove it.  I haven't mentioned it to anyone, nor will I.  Thank you for recommending these Potions texts to me.  They're helpful."

He nods and leaves.  I wonder why he came over?  I can't do any more homework tonight; the words on the pages just aren't making sense.  The rest will have to wait until after the moon.    I'll go pay Peter another visit in the hospital wing—but first, a detour to the kitchen and get him something he'll like.  It's kind of nice being the one visiting the patient instead of being the patient.  I'll be the patient again soon enough.  Sirius is in the library.  That's funny, he didn't say anything when I said that I was coming here.

"What're you working on?" I glance at his text—sleeping potions.  Sirius is working ahead.  Will wonders never cease?

"Snape just left the library.  Did you two have another chummy little chat in the back?"

I shouldn't rise to the bait; I know I shouldn't.  But that damned snarky tone he's using, it just rubs me the wrong way.  "We did actually.  I'm on my way to see Peter in the hospital wing.  Come if you want."  I leave without waiting to see if he is following, but I listen.  He isn't.

* * * * *

"You can stay for half an hour, and not a minute more.  Peter needs to sleep for the antidote to work properly.  And what are you trying to hide behind your back, Remus?"

"Éclairs for Peter.  Please, Madam Pomfrey.  He always brings me treats when I'm in here."

"All right.  I'll just remind him to brush his teeth tonight."

She pulls the door open wider, and I go around her.  Sirius is sitting beside Peter's bed.

"Get lost on your way between the library and the hospital wing?  Take a detour by the dungeons?" 

Drop the nasty tone, Sirius.  My temper can only handle so much the night before.  "No, I detoured by the kitchen—ta da!  For you!"  Peter gets a big smile when he sees the plate full of éclairs.  It's really strange seeing all those wrinkles put into action when he smiles.  At least he's a lot less wrinkled than he was last night.  He's even less wrinkled than he was at lunchtime.

"Thanks, Remus!  Madam Pomfrey hasn't let me have anything really good to eat since I've been in here."

"When is she letting you out?"

"She says I should be ready to go back to classes tomorrow afternoon or the next morning, but my hair will still be grey until it grows out.  She said that Professor Zabini offered to make a potion that restores grey hair to its original color."

"Don't worry about it," Sirius says with a grin.  "Grey hair will give you something to talk about.  Imagine all the girls who will come up and ask you about it."  Yeah, that's Sirius.  If it makes the girls notice you, it must be good.

"But I don't want to talk about it."

"Then take Zabini up on his offer," I say.  I can understand not wanting to stand out.

"Has—uh—has Jemma visited you yet?" Sirius asks.  He seems almost afraid to ask.  I guess he realizes it might upset Peter to talk about her.  Peter shakes his head.

"She's probably afraid to," I say.  "She's afraid that you're angry with her, and she's afraid that Liegeard will be angry with her if he finds out that she visited you.  She's really afraid of him."

Peter nods.  "You'll see her in Herbology tomorrow morning.  Tell her that I'm not angry with her.  I know she got frightened into doing what Liegeard wanted, but—tell her that she doesn't have to worry about me being around her and making her cousin angry.  I don't want to be around her anymore.  Liegeard wins."

"You can't let that Slytherin bully push you around, Peter."

"No, Sirius.  This is Peter's decision to make—Peter's and Jemma's.  'Whatever happens between Peter and Jemma should be between Peter and Jemma.'  Or does that just apply to Snape?"

Sirius opens his mouth to speak, but then slumps back in his chair.  "O.K., Moony.  Throw that back in my face, why don't you?"

Madam Pomfrey doesn't lose track of time, and all too soon, Sirius and I are escorted out. 

"Those éclairs looked good, Moony.  You don't suppose there are any more down in the kitchen, do you?"

"If there aren't, you just have to drop a hint to the right house elf and there will be."

"Shall we proceed to the kitchen, Mr. Moony?"

"Indeed we shall, Mr. Black, but I think I'll have a steak."  We head in the right direction.

"Mmm, that sounds good too."

"You don't have to have what I'm having.  I think I stopped being self-conscious about my 'week of the full moon' cravings a couple of years ago, at least around you."

"No, really.  A big, juicy steak, cooked to medium, and—"

"Cooked to rare."

"Mine will be medium, and lots of chips on the side.  Why are you hanging around with Snape, Remus?"

He isn't being snarky this time; he just sounds curious.  "I'm not."

"But in the library, you said—"

"You asked if I talked to him.  I did, but it was a brief conversation."

"What about?"

"I really don't know."  Sirius looks surprised.  "I mean, he said something about Peter and Liegeard, but—I don't know why he brought it up."

"He's just gloating that the big bad Slytherins beat up a Gryffindor." 

"No, I don't think so.  I think he was glad that Liegeard got caught, but he couldn't come right out and say so, you know what I mean?  He's got to live in that house."

"You do like him." 

Now that's a tone I'm not used to from Sirius.  Happy, angry, hysterical, yes— but sad?  Sirius? 

"I'm just trying to figure him out."  Time to change to subject.  "I was surprised to see you working ahead in Potions.  You don't usually do that."

"Well, you were working ahead."

"Just because of the moon tomorrow.  If I don't get ahead, I end up falling behind.  That doesn't explain why you were doing it."

"Well, I just thought—oh, hell, Moony.  If you need help in Potions, I want you to come ask me, not that slimy git.  I mean he never even washes his hair."

            Yes he does, Sirius.  Every day.  It just doesn't help much.

Author's Note:  This story began as just a little atmospheric "Severus in the library" piece, but as soon as he saw Peter flirting with Jemma, a bit of a plot began to intrude.   I thought that Remus might understand Severus's actions (or at least try to), but Sirius would not.  After all, Sirius and Severus are just a year away from the Whomping Willow "incident," so the tension needs to be building between them. 

No, Remus and Sirius are not a couple in this story.  They'd both think you were daft if you were to suggest it.  But will they be someday?  That's open to your interpretation, dear reader.