As We Would Have Done for You

sAs We Would Have Done for You

It was a beautiful day. The sun streamed down on the multitude of students lounging around the Hogwarts grounds. Sirius Black lay on his back, trying to take in as much sun as he could while still mostly wearing his school uniform. So, the shirt was unbuttoned and open. And the sleeves were rolled up. Honestly, it was still on. And the sun felt good.

James Potter was leaning up against a tree beside him, playing with a snitch, and trying to figure out a way he could enchant it to buzz into Snape's hair. He glanced at the greasy Slytherin, who sat several yards away beneath a similar tree. Then he looked down at Sirius, who had rolled over, and flipped his shirt up to get a tan on his back. James raised an eyebrow. "Sirius, you do realize that's disgusting, right? No one wants to be stuck watching you sunbathe."

Sirius turned his head and cracked an eye open to look at his friend. "Right. No one wants to watch me, huh?" He casually jerked his thumb in the direction of a few Ravenclaw girls who'd been eyeing him.

"Clearly they have no taste, Sirius," James quipped. He jabbed Peter, who'd been sitting beside him, messing with a piece of parchment. "Isn't that right, Wormtail?"

The shorter blonde boy looked up. "Huh?" He sent James a puzzled look. "What?" Then he glanced over at Sirius, and made a face. "Aw, come on, Padfoot. Put your bloody shirt on."

Sirius sighed in mock exasperation, and sat up, slowly stretching to show off his muscles one last time to the girls, before buttoning up his shirt. "You know, you two are real spoilsports. If Moony were here, he'd back me you know. He knows how to value a little sunlight..." He grinned wickedly. "And he really knows how to value a little moonlight. Speaking of which, we have a fun night coming up, don't we?"

James shook his head. "Don't get excited about it. Full moon is in two days."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "I'm not supposed to get excited about that? It's the last time we get to have a good romp through the grounds before we graduate. What's not to get excited about?"

James and Peter exchanged looks. "I hope you're joking, Padfoot," James said.

Sirius ran his hand through his long black hair and looked between the two boys. "Er--want to clue me in as to why I'm joking?"

Peter sighed. "You've forgotten, haven't you?"

"Of course not," Sirius snapped. "I don't forget things. I strategically misplace them within the recesses of my mind. It's a simple retrieval problem. I do not forget."

"Right..." James said, smirking. "Well, to aide your retrieval problem, how about we remind you what is happening in two evenings."

"Besides the full moon?"

Peter nodded, tucking the parchment into the pocket of his robes, and leaning back. "Besides the full moon."

James threw the snitch at Sirius, forcing his friend to duck out of the way. "You idiot, we graduate in two days. And you know it's an evening celebration."

Sirius' brow furrowed, and he groaned. "Didn't realize that graduation was on the full moon. That explains it, then, doesn't it?" He glanced over at his two friends. When they didn't answer, he continued, leaning forward. "You know... about why Remus isn't here. Why he's been disappearing for the past few days."

Peter looked confused. "I don't get it. How did we go from graduation to Moony?"

James sighed, and patted the smaller boy on the back comfortingly. "You're a great friend, Wormtail... but thinking isn't really your strong point, is it?"

Peter blinked at him. "What?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, and said in a very slow, low voice. "Remus... is... a... werewolf. Graduation is on the full moon. Think about it."

"So?"

Sirius threw up his hands and made a small sound of disgust.

"He can't go," James said softly, the teasing finally gone from his hazel eyes. "The scholar of our group, who's been more excited than any of us to be able to even go to this school won't be able to walk at graduation, because he'll be indisposed during the ceremony."

The blonde boy's eyes widened. "Oh, no!"

Sirius' face was in his hands as he muttered, "Oh, now he gets it." He pointed to Peter. "That is forgetting to its highest extent. I don't do that."

"Red alert," James suddenly muttered. "Moony's coming."

They all turned toward the school in time to see their pale, thin friend looking for them. Sirius stuck his hand in the air and began frantically waving. "Hey, Moony! We're over here!"

Remus spotted them instantly, his senses overactive due to his upcoming change. The boy trotted over, carrying an armload of books. He flopped onto the grass, next to Sirius, dumping his books onto the ground beside him. He tiredly ran his hand over his pale face. "What did I miss?"

James shrugged. "Nothing much. Just trying to make Padfoot keep his shirt on."

"But it's hot."

Remus smiled faintly, but didn't respond.

The teasing faded from Sirius' grey eyes as he watched his friend. "Moony, is something wrong? You look like hell."

"Sirius."

"Well, he does."

Remus chuckled. "I always look like hell this close to an attack."

Sirius smirked and shook his head. "No, you look a little more like purgatory before an attack. You usually don't look like hell until after one..." He eyed his friend. "But seriously. Are you okay?"

Remus nodded and sighed. "Yeah." He looked around to see all three of his closest friends watching him with concern. A tired smile lit onto his face. "You know, don't you? I mean... you already know what's bothering me..."

James nodded. "Graduation?"

"Yeah," Remus said softly. "I just came from talking with Dumbledore. He and I have been trying to work out something, so I could go, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen."

"What?" Sirius growled. "But it's Dumbledore's school He can change things if he wants to."

"No, he can't," Remus replied. "He's tried to at least push it until the following morning, but he can't. He has a lot of power over this school, but when it comes to major traditions like graduation, it's the Council that has the final say, and it has to be an unanimous vote."

"Brutus Malfoy, again?" James growled, his eyes flashing. "You know, I'm really starting to hate that guy more and more."

Remus looked down at the grass, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. "It isn't Malfoy. Apparently, he doesn't care when it is as long as we stop bugging them about it."

There was a long silence before Peter finally said, "Well, if it isn't Malfoy stopping things, then who?"

Remus wouldn't answer.

"It's my dad, isn't it?" Sirius said quietly. "He's on the Council, and he's obsessive about tradition. It's got to be him." The usually cheerful Gryffindor's eyes were pained and guilty looking.

Remus looked up at his friend, startled. "It isn't your fault, Sirius. You aren't your father."

Sirius looked away, unwilling to allow his friends to see his frustration.

"Remus is right," James added. "The Blacks are a bunch of gits. Every last one of them... except for you, of course." He grinned and threw an arm around Sirius, who tried unsuccessfully to brush him off. "You broke from them, Sirius. And if Castor Black wants to act up now, you do not have to feel any responsibility for his actions."

Sirius didn't answer, but he finally relaxed in James' grip, and turned back to look at his friends.

Peter grinned at him. "If it'll make you feel better, we could come up with a wicked prank to play on their seats during graduation. Like a leg-lock, so they get trampled at the end."

James snickered.

Sirius' eyes darkened. "Personally, I'd use an Unforgivable on him, if it wouldn't turn me into one of them."

They fell into an uneasy silence.

He looked toward Remus, finally saying softly. "I know it doesn't help anything. But I'm sorry about him."

Remus shook his head, and leaned forward, putting a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Don't be, Padfoot." He smiled warmly. "It's just a stupid ceremony. I can miss it. And I'd rather miss it than have you upset over this. Honestly." He looked around at the other two boys. "That goes for all of you. It's okay. I'll be fine."

James narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Are you sure?"

Remus laughed. "Of course I am. Now, do you think maybe after graduation, we'll be able to squeeze in one more run?"

Sirius' face finally lit up again. "Of course we can. I'd rather another run than going to that stupid party anyway. Count me in!"

"Right."

"Definitely."

The three friends were chatting once more, as though nothing had happened.

And no one noticed that the darkness hadn't gone out of Sirius' eyes.