Happy Birthday, Remus

It was late one night in March, the sun had long ago set, and though there was no snow on the ground, winter at Hogwarts was not yet over. Remus Lupin, a fifth year prefect, was still sitting at a table hunched over his intermediate Transfiguration book.

He placed his quill in the inkwell and ran his hands through his light brown hair and down his face, closing his eyes with weariness. He should have gone to bed long since, as his friends had, but he had missed two days because of the full moon the week before and thus missed this essay.

Squinting he reread his last paragraph that he had written in response to the question: What are the limitations on human Transfiguration? He had written about involuntary Transfiguration already, enjoying the memory of the time Sirius turned Bellatrix into a bat. (But flinching at the thought of the Howler that Sirius had received).

What was next? Oh yes, Animagi.
Just then he thought that he heard someone coming down the stairs, and the sound of muffled laughter, and he glanced towards the door to the dormitories. There was no one there. Remus shook himself, convinced that he was too tired to think straight.
Where was he? Animagi.
He let the excess ink drip off of his quill and began to write again, his hand slipping every few lines as he threatened to nod off.
Again he heard a strange noise, his ears still strong from the recent transformation, and he turned in his seat.
"James? Sirius? Peter?" He thought that it was likely that they were up and under James' invisibility cloak. It had seemed strange for them to go off to bed without badgering him to go to the kitchens, or something, so they could eat while he worked. Instead they'd just bade him goodnight and gone to bed.
Disappointing, really.
Perhaps he should go to bed. McGonagall would understand, she always gave him a pitying look when he turned up after transformations, and offered him extra time to do work. Not that he ever took it; he wouldn't have any special treatment. He was just as capable as the others and he'd show it.
Animagi. He wondered what his animagus for would be. A wolf probably. He chuckled at the thought. Something barked.
No. Nothing in the common room would bark would it? He looked around, and there in the shadows were two yellow eyes. Remus stared at them as the dog walked up to him.
No, bounced up to him. The dog positively bounced up to him, tongue out and tail wagging. His eyes shown, and in a way it reminded him of Sirius. Perhaps this was Sirius' animagus. Remus laughed aloud.
"D'you know, I just thought that you could be a friend of mine?" he asked the dog. "I need more sleep."
The dog barked, almost in agreement. Then, suddenly, a rat scuttled across the floor and came up next to him. Its eyes were watery and looked somewhat like Peter's.
Cor, I'm going mad. Seeing my friends as animals He was about to pack up his work and go to bed, major essay or no, when James stepped out of the shadows.
He was in his dressing gown and grinning slyly. "James? What are you doing up?" Remus asked, with a yawn. "Dunno how this dog got in here, kind of reminds me of Sirius, don't you think?"
To his surprise, James didn't laugh. Instead he nodded solemnly. "Yes it does. Because it is."
Remus laughed aloud, "James, you nutter, it's a dog. Granted Sirius can be a dog sometimes but-"
The dog barked indignantly... dogs couldn't be indignant surely. Remus stared at it. The dog stared back. "S-sirius?" He stammered. The dog barked happily and leapt up, it's paws on his shoulders. Then, suddenly, it was his friend Sirius Black, clapping him on the back.
Remus fell back into the chair and looked at the rat. "P-peter?" The rat too became human, chubby, blond Peter Pettigrew with a wide grin he only wore if he got an E on an essay or stayed on a broom for longer than five minutes.
Remus looked up at James, "Did you Transfigure them or something?"
James looked at Sirius, "Perhaps he's too thick for us after all?" he asked and Sirius laughed, putting his hand on Remus' shoulder.
"Nah, mate. We're Animagi. We figured it out, and now we can go with you when you transform!"
"What?"
"Yeah," James chimed in, "Large animals can control Werewolves, see? Keep them in check at any rate. Sirius's a dog. And me, well I'm too big to do it in here." He gestured around the common room. "I'm a stag!"
Remus was sure he was dreaming. He'd fallen asleep doing his essay and was dreaming that his best friends were Animagi. That was the perfect explanation. As if he knew what Remus was thinking Sirius clapped him around the head.
Rubbing the spot, Remus scowled at him, "You didn't have to do that."
"Hurt didn' it? Dreams don't hurt, mate." He was right on that. Dreams didn't hurt. (Thank God, or Remus' would hurt every night).
"So, it's real? You did this for me?"
"Yes. Plus it'll be quite a lark." James grinned widely. "The Marauders, Animal Style!"
The three others laughed, Remus finding that he was happier than he'd been since he got friends. He couldn't yet comprehend what it would be like, having them with him during the transformations. In a way he was worried about them seeing it. Knowing what it was like... and yet, as much as he worried he couldn't seem to dwell on that just then.
They talked for hours then, plotting and planning what they'd do, speculating on what it would be like. Remus found his head was swimming with exhilaration and exhaustion as they finally decided to go to bed, and that Sirius took his arm to help him up the stairs.
Once this would have bothered him, but now it was somewhat natural for all of them, they all helped each other now.
As they crawled between the covers all three of his friends chorused, "Happy birthday, Remus."
Remus smiled so hard he thought his face would break.