Chapter 1: A Dangerous Side

"You found what!" Remus practically screeched. Oh, shit. Sirius had done it again.

"Found a way to help you," Sirius replied impatiently, but warily.

"There is no way to help me Sirius! What do you think you can do for me? You can't help me at all; there's no cure! You know this!"

"Remus! No one said anything about a cure!"

"Then what are you talking about, Sirius? What?" Sirius paused, shifting his weight uncomfortably.

"I can't tell you. You're not even supposed to know about... well anything."

"Sirius! You have to tell me! I of all people will be able to tell you if it'll work, which I doubt."

"Relax, Moony, we know it'll work." Remus couldn't believe it. Relax? Sirius wanted him to relax?

"Sirius, you could get hurt, bitten, or killed! And it would be me doing it!"

"We won't Remus besides-" Sirius was interrupted by the slamming of a door. The duo turned to find James, who was looking suspiciously at Sirius.

"Remus? How much did the dolt tell you?" James' quiet glare seemed murderous. Remus, expecting James to be more reasonable, used a slightly softer tone when answering.

"Only that you found a way to help me. He won't tell me what he means." Remus threw Sirius a look that clearly stated, 'You realize full moon's coming soon and that I'm extremely emotional, don't you?'

"Good" James simply said, apparently surprising Remus.

"Good? Good? You call that good? You two are trying something obviously new without asking me and you think that's good? You're risking all of our lives!"

"Remus, Moony, just listen," James said, "There's two parts to it. The first part has to work before we even try to help you. If that part works, there'll be no way for you to make us turn back from the first part, so we promise we'll tell you what we're planning." Remus simply stared.

"You don't get it do you; either of you? If a werewolf hurts a human, they're sentenced to death! In this case, I'm that werewolf. I'm the monster!"

"No!" Sirius, exclaimed, taking Remus' shoulders, looking just about ready to shake him, "Don't ever say that! Don't ever call yourself a monster! You're Remus, Moony, our friend, and a Marauder! Never a monster!"

There was a silence. James soon broke it, "Remus, we've been researching about our plan ever since we found out about you. That's been plenty of time and we're positive that we're right. Besides, we said we would tell you."

"No James. Sirius. Please." Remus whispered, "I can't stand it if you get hurt. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"Remus, this discovery could help werewolves all over." Remus blinked up, gazing at Sirius. Sirius tried again.

"Oh, come one Remus, be generous to the cause." He said laughingly.

"Sirius. Remus is the cause."

"Oh. Right." Sirius smiled sheepishly. Remus spoke up again.

"This isn't a game! This is me you're talking about whether you realize it or not. Everything that happens on full moon to the wolf happens to me! I don't know if you're having trouble connect me to him, but we are one!"

"We know, Remus. How could we see you after transformations, knowing that it had been worse before Madam Pomfrey let us in, and not realize that? We see you bleeding and sick and tired. Maybe we're bad at showing it, but we really do care." James said calmly. Sirius jumped in, attempting to cheer Remus.

"Yeah! What? You we think of you as exploding snap or something? Gobstones?" Sirius grinned, "Wizard's Chess?"

Remus gripped the quill he was holding, knuckles turning white. There was a long silent, deadly seeming, moment. Then, the unthinkable. In one, quick, firm movement, Remus threw the quill like a javelin, right at Sirius' heart. The quill stuck, Remus watching on, as the scarlet ink of Gryffindor mixed almost seamlessly with blood. Then, Remus stepped close to Sirius, placing his hand on the wound as if daring Sirius to walk forward and push the quill further in. Their faces were merely inches apart.

"Tell me Sirius," Remus said quietly, a deadly tone to his voice, his usual hazel-green eyes yellow as the wolf showed through, "To you, am I the ink? Or the Blood? Or can you just not tell them apart?" Remus pushed himself off Sirius harshly, no doubt digging the quill into Sirius' flesh. James, stared, horror-struck as his usually gentle, reasonable friend ran downstairs to the common room.