Werewolf Love- Loved and Lost

CHAPTER FOUR

Remus crept into the boys dormitory. The sun wasn't fully up yet and the room was still dark. Remus surveyed the area. Peter was snoring loudly, but his face was somewhere under his pillow. Sirius was sleeping in his usually unusual position, mumbling something that was probably disgusting in his sleep. James' bed was empty, which alarmed Remus. He hoped, as he crawled into his bed, that James had just gone to use the lavatory. Remus was just beginning to sink into sleep when there was a bright flash of light. He sat up and looked around. James was standing over him, the end of his wand glowing brightly. Sirius was standing next to James, looking excited about something. Remus rubbed his head and looked up at his friends innocently. He felt his new moon energy beginning to surge again.

"Where have you been all night?" James asked sternly. "And before you give some fake excuse about being alone and studying or something, let me tell you that Lily has told me that Lessah never returned to Gryffindor Tower last night. I know that you were with her."

"I was..." Remus said, having to think of new excuse.

"Well?" James said, using his Prefect Voice.

"I was helping Lessah look for her other tattoo. Shoe. Boot!" Remus said quickly, hoping that he corrected himself in time. "Yes, her other boot. She lost it, you see, and I was helping her look for it. Because she doesn't wear shoes and she certainly doesn't have any other tattoos. And if she did, I haven't seen or touched them. But she doesn't have any and if she did, I wouldn't know about it. But we found her other boot, it was on her foot, right where she left it. Took us a while to catch on. Nothing happened. The only part of her that I saw was her foot, that she boot was clearly on. But, uh, we found her boot and we didn't do anything."

James raised his eyebrow and looked at Remus. Peter looked over from under his pillow and Sirius' smile seem to take up his whole face. Remus coughed and tried to think of something to say. It didn't work.

"On second thought," said James, "I have decided that I don't want to know. I'm just going pretend that I didn't hear a word of that and that way I don't have to get you in trouble. I think I'll also go down to breakfast early."

James left the room, shaking his head and muttering something about developing a complex. Peter turned over and went back to sleep, burying his head under his pillow. Sirius stretched his arms and sat beside Remus on his bed. Remus didn't like the way Sirius was smiling at him.

"Sooo, you and Lessah were out all night long and you didn't do anything," Sirius said smoothly. "Tell me all about it. What of this tattoo you mentioned?"

"We didn't do anything," Remus insisted. "And I am certainly not going to tell you, of all people, about it."

Sirius continued to question Remus on the subject and Remus continued to refuse to comment. Remus told Sirius a few things, but they were detailless and cryptic. This did not deter Sirius in his quest for answers. Remus never did get to sleep before it was time for breakfast. Just outside the great hall Remus had decided that enough was enough. He rounded on Sirius, red in the face, and raised his wand.

"Remus! No!" Lessah and James said together, but it was too late.

"Excorio Crinitus*!" Remus shouted.

*From the Latin words excorio:to shave/scalp, flay/oppress/peel. and crinitus:long haired

A flash of rusty brown light burst from the end of Remus' wand and hit Sirius in the face. Everyone in the area stared as Sirius' long black hair fell from his scalp to the floor, still tied together in his trademark ponytail. Light reflected off Sirius' head. Sirius stared at Remus wide eyes, his mouth hanging open in shock. He looked down at the floor, at his ponytail lying on the floor, and then at Remus again.

"Did you just hex all my hair off?" Sirius asked, totally shocked.

"Sirius... I didn't..." Remus said, equally shocked by his actions. "I didn't mean... I just wanted you to..."

"I'm going to kill you!"

Remus bolted and headed to for the main entrance, Sirius on his heels. Remus knew that he could outrun Sirius, he was smaller than Sirius and had the advantage of the new moon. Sirius tore out of the castle and headed to the forest, hoping that he would be safe if Sirius caught up to him.

"You can't hide in there Lupin! I know my way around just as well as you do!" Sirius yelled after Remus.

Remus cursed under his breath. Now that they were in the forest Sirius was able to turn into the huge wolfhound he had learned to become, without worrying about the secret getting out. Sirius said he knew the forest, and he was right, but Remus knew the forest better. Many times he had tried to run away from James and Sirius and head to the school, only to get hopelessly lost. He knew every tree in the forest. Remus could hear barking behind him, it was growing louder. A moment later Remus was thrown to the ground by the weight of the wolfhound. Sirius changed back to his human form and sat on Remus. Remus turned his head to see Sirius examining his wand.

"What shall I do with you?" Sirius asked, obviously he didn't want Remus to answer. "Let me think. You made me lose my hair. Girls think my hair is sexy. Now I have no hair."

"Sirius! Really, I didn't mean to hex your hair off," Remus pleaded, knowing that Sirius was more capable with hexes and curses than he was.

"What was that? I'm not listening," Sirius said coldly. "I'm too busy thinking about how best to hurt you."

Remus struggled to get away from Sirius. Sirius was bigger than Remus and weighed more than he did. In the end, Remus had to give up and take his punishment. Sirius took a long time to punish Remus and in the end they both missed breakfast. Remus' hair was green and silver, a theme which Remus was getting used to by now, both his ears were neon shades of pink and orange and he seemed to have a wolfish tail. Remus hung back in the forest and repaired the damage Sirius had done to him and then headed for class, which he was late for.

Sirius' hair grew back a few hours after Remus hexed him, but the damage to their friendship was done. A rift had formed between them and Remus knew it could only grow. The only upside was that Sirius had finally stopped questioning Remus about his private life with Lessah. Remus tried his best to mend his friendship with Sirius before school ended, but things were just not the same after that.