“This prank has got to work Prongs!”
“I KNOOOOOWWW”
“Maybe we should get Moony”
“Shut up Wormy”
“But Padfoot—“
“No I said shut up”
With that Sirius and James resumed practicing the incarnation before proceeding to test out their new spell on Peter. Who currently seemed quite worried at their mischievous plan. Sirius wasn’t going to deny that it was mischievous and perhaps evil, but neither was James frankly. They both knew that this would be a bloody good prank to pull on the Slytherin’s if they could get it just right.
Modifying spells was not that easy you know, it took time! And creating spells was just the same. Usually they got Moony to do it, but as always he was presumably curled away in a corner of the Hogwarts Library reading yet another book or studying with Evans, or busy with the study group he hosted almost everyday after lessons. At least it didn’t get to much in the way of the Marauders pranking expeditions.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t get Moony?” Peter asked nervously
“YES” Sirius and James yelled in unison. Then proceeded to look at each other straight face.. before bursting out into a fit of giggles.
Peter just stared blankly at his best friends, until they finally stopped wheezing.
“Alright” James said, after recovering “lest test this out shall we?”
“Most definitely” Sirius agreed
“Fine, get it over with” Peter mumbled already accepting his fate.
James and Sirius grabbed their wands, which had fallen to the floor when they were laughing, and pointedly pointed them in Peter’s direction. Just before the boys cast the spell, when Sirius and James opened their mouth to speak the incarnation.
Peter squeaked and transformed into a rat. Very melodramatic.
“Oh come on Wormy, it’s all for a good cause, no need to hide” Sirius tried to reason, to his now tiny rat friend.
Peter seemed to take this in good nature, and where the once was a rat, is now standing Peter Pettigrew, the smallest marauder.
“But-“
“No but’s mate” James said walking over to slung an arm over the smaller boys shoulders “it’s all for a greater cause remember?” Peter nodded “attacking the Slytherin’s” Sirius yelled jumping up to tackle his friends to the ground.
“Ow!” They groaned, as their bodies collided with the floor of their dorm.
“What?” Sirius questioned.
“You git” James stated pushing Sirius off of him.
“Tosser”
“Bast-“
“Guys” Peter interrupted “are you going to finish the spell or-“
“YEH!” They both shouted in unison, making Peter regret mentioning the spell again.
“Hey it’ll be alright Pete” James said with a smirk “we can reverse it if anything goes wrong”
“Well hurry up, otherwise I’m going to dinner without you two gits” Peter mentioned. This seemed to be a wake up call for both James and Sirius, as they looked at each other then looked at themselves, then looked at Peter.
“Second thought, we’ll finish it after dinner, i dont know about you lot but i’m starving” James stated simply. Sirius nodded in reply looking down at his stomach again.
“Plus lets swing by the library to get Moony”
“Ooooo, you think Evans will be there”
Peter and Sirius groaned. James shot them a glare.
“Letssss gooooo” Sirius yelled running out of the dorm, and into the common room. With James and Peter close on his tail.
***
Once they’d retrieved a very hesitant Remus from the library, they proceeded to the great hall for dinner.
James as usual tried to sit as close to Evans as possible without getting hexed. Which always ended well, because of course it did. Peter sat next to James, who was having a very heated discussion with Mary as to why Marlene was looking over at the Slytherin table dazedly, he did not look like he wanted to discuss this, but allowed Mary to continue her rant, until Marlene snapped out of her daze and immediately stopped and changed the conversation. Alice and Frank as always were right at each other’s sides talking to some of the seventh year Gryffindors. Which left Sirius himself and his boyfriend, Remus to sit next to each other.
“How’d the spell go?” Remus questioned gathering food onto his plate.
“Good, good” Sirius said getting lost in Remus’ hazel eyes when he turned to look at him.
Remus just raised an eyebrow, in Sirius’ direction, as if to say ‘what else do you have to tell me?’.
So Sirius lent in and whispered in Remus’ ear “I love you”. Even after them being together for several months, Sirius could still make Remus blush a furious scarlet. So Sirius just gently kissed him on the cheek before turning to look at Remus again with a smirk on his face.
They heard James make a grimacing noise from the opposite side of the table before they returned to stuffing their faces with food.
***
Once they returned to the dorm, everyone was full. Peter collapsed onto his bed groaning about eating to much desert. Remus rolled his eyes, whilst packing his school books away and cleaning up his trunk. Sirius decided to lie down on Remus bed, earning him an eye roll as well. But James was dazedly walking around murmuring “Evans” and “oh Evans”, among other variations. Then it hit Sirius.
“We forgot to test out the spell” Peter groaned and said something which sounded like ‘nope’ but it was muffled by his pillow. James snapped out of his daze and shouted “YES!” Remus just shook his head and mumbled “idiots”.
“Oh come on lets test it” James said, Sirius beamed “Wormy!”
“Arghhh” Peter groaned again, but stood up regardless and walked over to stand in front of Sirius and James. Remus must’ve walked into the bathroom since he was no where to be seen.
“Ok Padfoot, ready?”
“Always Prongs”
They both proceeded to grip their wands tight and point them at Peter. Peter closed his eyes instantly, sensing both wands pointed at him. So Sirius and James started to murmur the incarnation under their breathes.
That’s when all hell went loose.
Peter opened his right eye slowly, not noticing anything yet, but when he saw both Sirius and James murmuring the spell, he flinched, getting cold feet and well, you can probably guess, transformed into a rat, just as the spell had been cast from their wands, which hit REMUS!
It seemed as if it was going in slow motion, as the spell left Sirius’ and James’ wands, Peter transformed into a rat and the door to the bathroom opened, with a slightly startled Remus looking at all of them, seeming to register what they were doing. But there was nothing they could do, the blue light from their wands bounded and hit Remus straight in the chest, before white smoke engulfed his boyfriend.
“REMUS!” Sirius shouted. Oh no, this was bad, this was really bad.
“Moony?” James questioned, slowly walking over to where they had just seen their friend. With Peter walking slowly behind him. Sirius glared daggers at him.
They heard coughing as they were close enough to wave the fog away with their hands.
Sirius blinked rapidly when he saw a small! figure sitting on the floor.
“Remus?” James asked this time very serous and confused, crouching down now.
But the boy that looked up was not a 16 year old Remus but a young Remus.
“Who are you?” The small boy asked
“Eh, James Potter, that’s Sirius Black and this is Peter Pettigrew” James stated simply “an you are?”
“Remus… Lupin” Remus said.
James looked up at Sirius and was instantly worried, because this small boy was Remus, his Remus.
“How old are you?” James asked
“Uh.. I’m five, where’s my mum?” Small Remus asked
Shit. Shit. Shit. Sirius thought, he’d just turned his boyfriend into a five year old.
“Sirius” James hissed “what are we to do?”
“How am i supposed to know?” Sirius questioned
Then there was a giggle from the boy- from Remus- in front of them.
“What?” Sirius asked getting down to the level of his now young boyfriend.
“Your funny” Little Remus laughed. It seems even if Remus is younger he still knows what Sirius needs, because that laugh relaxed him instantly.
And then he yawned. “Im tired” little Remus stated.
“Hey mate” James said “just come over here and hopeful, you can sleep alright Moony”
“Moony? Who’s Moony?” Little Remus questioned standing up, but at that slow movement he yelped.
“Moony, your Moony” Peter said, not actually helping because, he’s the one who caused this one his boyfriend. Ok fine, technically Sirius and James cast the spell but.. he was still going to blame Peter.
“Oh.. umm why’s that?” Young Remus questioned.
“Because of your furry little problem of course” Peter stated mattarfactly.
Sirius shot a glare at him, sending wild gestures to the now 5 year old. Peter just stared on dumbfounded. James walked over to Peter and whacked him on the back of his head.
“Oi, that hurt!” Peter yelped
“Sorry, but in case you didn’t get the memo, Moons here,” James gestures towards the child standing on the floor of the dormitory blinking widely, in an attempt to keep himself awake. “Is not the Moony we know.” James put it plainly. Peter nodded in return rubbing the back of his head, where James hit him.
Upon hearing a small yawn from Remus, all three of the Marauders returned there gaze, it was upon this moment that Sirius noticed that his boyfriend didn’t possess any of the scars he’d grown to help Remus love, well he loved them, and Remus loved him, so he counts it as a win. Titling his head in one resembling a confused puppy, Sirius turned his gaze to James who appeared to be looking over young Remus in much the same state.
“You don’t have any scars, do you?” James questioned, locking eyes with the young boy, blinking confusedly now.
Remus shook his head, before mumbling a small “no, I don’t”
Then it suddenly clicked.
Remus was five. Remus was five the year he turned into a werewolf. What if-
“Alright bud, lets get you to bed.” James said, reaching down to hold Remus’ hand to walk him over to his bed. To Sirius’ surprise he went willingly with James, leaving Sirius crouching on the floor.
“Sirius, you coming,”
Oh.
“Yeah, sorry.”
He walked over to Remus’ bed, where the young boy sat, he wasn’t laying down and James looked tired in his mother hen frenzy, not to mention it was probably close to 2am now.
“What’s up Moons?”
Remus wrinkled his little nose at the use of the nickname. Whilst James sat down on the bed.
“You going to sleep?”
Remus turned his gaze to James then, shacking his head. “I shouldn’t trust strangers.”
Man, that stung.
“Oh but darling, we’re not strangers, we’re your best friends, from the future.” Sirius supplied cheerfully.
The glee in Remus’ young hazel eyes was everything to Sirius in that moment, he never thought Remus had a look so perfect.
“Friends? Really?”
“Yes!” Prongs exclaimed. “I’m Prongs, and that’s Padfoot, and the old lump over there is Wormtail.” James gestured towards the sleeping form of Peter.
“And your Moony.” Sirius poked Remus’ small chest, and he let out a cute little giggle which soon got consumed by yawn, one James reciprocated immediately. Sirius sent James a look, saying go to sleep I’ll make sure this little rascal does to. Which Prongs returned with a grateful nod.
“Alrighty, it’s just the two of us now, and you look exhausted.”
Moony nodded, before laying his head on the pillow below him.
“Good boy, I’ll be here if you need anything alright.”
Moony nodded again, finally letting his eyes shut.
Sirius was left to tuck in the younger version of his boyfriend and pray to merlin for a way to reverse this spell.