Silverbell

Remus worked quietly at his desk as he copied down notes from his 'History of Magic' textbook. Sitting on the other side of the room Sirius worked with a paper and pencil just as quietly. The two of them were alone in the boy's dorm, James was practicing for the Quidditch match next week, and Peter was skulking around somewhere. Sirius chewed his lower lip as he erased something, then he blew away the little pink pieces of residue. It was nice just the two of them, in the nice quiet dorms. It had been a few weeks since Remus had told his closest friends about his secret, his little monthly problem, and a week since the other three decided to become Animagi. Sirius' idea James' transmogrification knowledge and skill.Peter was terrified, who wouldn't have been? James was quiet for a while, a long while just sitting on the sofa, staring. At first Sirius had thought it was a joke and laughed manically, until he met Remus's misty eyes,

"Oh," He'd said. "Oh!"

"Yeah." Remus said hanging his head.

"Oh." Sirius said stupidly. Remus visibly retreated within himself.

"Pl-please, don't tell anyone, e-even if you hate me, even if you never speak to me ever again!" Remus pleaded in a small voice. "Please..."

"You're a Werewolf?" Sirius asked trying out the new word, well it wasn't exatly a new word but it was a new phrase and the word itself had a new meaning now that it was Remus, a dear friend who he was talking about.

"Yes..." Remus whispered grievously.

"Like a full moon, transforming, murdering, wolfy, Werewolf?" Sirius spelled it out as clearly as he could, looking down at his hands which were clasp tightly together in his lap.

"Um-Yes?" Remus said unsure of what to say, what was the definition of 'wolfy?'

"Like seriously?" The dark haired boy asked leaning forward. "Like every full moon?" He asked seemingly excited.

Remus nodded cautiously. "I have to see it." Sirius declared standing.

"No!" Remus shouted standing as well.

"Sh! You'll wake everyone!" Peter whined.

"I'm seeing it whether you like it or not." Sirius informed his friend.

"No, you're not!" Remus said threw clenched teeth. "Look you three are the only real friends I've ever, and I mean ever had. You're the only people I've ever trusted with my secret before, please, I-I don't know what I was thinking telling you!" He said exasperated. "You," He said pointing to Peter who flinched, "You're terrified. You," He said motioning to James. "You're speechless, and you're completely out of you're mind!" He said returning his attention to the boy standing across from him.

"Well what'd you excerpt? My family is mad you know, the whole family, what made you think I wasn't?" Sirius asked a bemused smile playing across his lips.

Remus glowered at Sirius he was insane! Everyone turned when James cleared his throat. "So-ah," He started weakly. "Do-ah, do any of the-ah teachers know?" He asked trying very hard to lighten his tone. James squeezed his eyes tightly shut, he knew how stupid he'd sounded just then. Remus was always the voice of reason of the Marauders and now it appeared James had to be, boy did he feel out of place.

"Yes, well at least Dumbledor does." Remus responded his heart-rate decreasing slightly as they seemed to accept him.

"Oh." James said dumbly.

"Ha-have you killed anyone?" Peter whispered weakly before a wide eyed expression flooded his face telling all that he had not intended for this question to be said aloud.

"No," Remus said before turning to Sirius. "Nor will I allow you to put yourself in the position to where I might kill you, or worse!" Remus said his teeth clenched tightly.

"Worse? Like what disgracing the family tree?" Sirius chuckled patting Remus' cheek. "That would be wonderful!" He said spinning on his heal. Remus looked at his friend squarely he knew he only half meant what he said, he'd seen the way Sirius cried when he thought he was alone after his mother had burnt his portrait from the family tree.

"Be serious!" Remus demanded.

"But I am Sirius!" The other boy said smugly.

"Hey, fellas let's calm down!" James said laughing as he stepped between Remus and Sirius who looked as though they might go to blows.

Sirius chuckled from seat where he worked in silence. He just loved to piss Remus off, and he was so panicked when he finally came clean he had to do something! "What's so funny?" Remus asked without looking up.

"Oh, nothing." Sirius responded with a practiced absent tone, a necessary defense mechanism for life in the Black house, even though he was living with the Potter now it was still habit.

"Hey Bookworm!" James shouted coming into the room shoving Remus's face farther into his book as he passed by. Remus grumbled something under his breath. "What you got there?" He asked leaning to see Sirius' work. Clutching the paper to his chest he turned away. After James retreated Sirius leaned over the side of his and put his latest work into the shoebox under his bed, smiling at the nearly finished sketch, of Remus his favorite subject... for now.

Sitting up with a hoarse scream which mingled violently with all the others echoing trough out dark, dank halls filled with nothing but anguish Sirius look around himself wide eyed like a caged wild animal. He laughed that's what he was, that's exactly what he was a caged wild animal, it was so funny! Suddenly he grew frightened, what was going on where was he? "Remus?" He called. "Remus!" Sitting on his well worn cot which would soon be a rag and a frame he rubbed his eyes. His mind was a fog but a few things began to drift out, he knew where he was, he was in Hell, he knew what was going on, he'd been framed, and he knew where Remus was, Remus was free. Oh how he hated that man, and oh how he loved him!