The Very First Night
'I feel sick.' Peter said before belching into his hand and wiping it on his trousers . Remus frowned.
'All those chocolate frogs mate , do your parents put you on a ban over the summer or something ?' Sirius quipped. The four of them were sat in their dorm that evening . Remus' things still lay unpacked in their room , the elves must have put them there this morning .
James popped a peppermint toad into his mouth ,' I want to try for quidditch captain this year .'
The sun had began to set behind the wrought-iron windows , Remus gazed directly at the sun before turning back to his friends .
'Again ?!' Sirius replied .
'You've been trying since first year .' Peter said , his face slowly turning a paler ,more pastel shade of green .
'Nonsense . ' James said ,' It was because -'
'I wasn't old enough last year .' the other three boys chimed in chorus .
James threw a peppermint toad at each boy , Sirius successfully caught his in his mouth .
'Show off.' Peter rolled his eyes .
'Oh go to bed Pete if you're going to be like this .' Sirius retorted, though he smiled at his friend with sarcastic glee .
'He looks like he needs a trip to the toilet first .' Remus said with a grin as he looked away from the window .
'What a great start we have all gotten off to . Remus has had a shit time last night and now I'm going to be sick .' Peter belched once more before running to the bathroom they shared with the other fifth year boys .
James laughed from his bed and shouted down the small corridor ,' I don't think those are quite on the same level Pete .'
Fifteen minutes later Peter Pettigrew returned with a shamed look on his face ,'Frank had to hold my hair back .'
Remus pressed his lips together with a smile and Sirius choked back a laugh .Pete slowly began to comb his shoulder-length hair as he got back onto his four-poster bed .
' Poor Longbottom.' James sighed with a smile.
'Poor him ? More like poor me !' Peter replied .
'You brought it on yourself mate .' Sirius laughed ,' You already know we can't go to Poppy in the hospital wing anymore for treatment , she always thinks we are trying to trick her .'
James' eyes widened and he pointed his finger at Sirius ,' It's literally your fault Madame Pomphrey doesn't trust us anymore ! You were the one who tried to fake a broken arm so she would give you the medicine that apparently makes people feel good .'
'Oh my Merlin .' Sirius laughed ,'Moony, back me up here ,you understood that I had to overexaggerate how bad it was when Poppy pulled out the Skelegrow medicine . It's absolutely rank . '
Remus looked up at the boy ,' Sirius , with all the respect in the world , your arm wasn't even broken .'
Sirius fanned his hand on his forehead , then swooning onto his plush crimson covers ,' How dare you not take my side ! Moony I thought you would love me forever !'
'Oh whatever Sirius .' Remus said as he picked up a book and buried his head in it . He placed his hands on his warm cheeks and looked down at the various scrawls of think inky script on the page , not taking in the words or looking up again until he felt his face cool . The sun burned through the window on his face despite the late hour .
This has been a particularly bad full moon . It's been over twenty-four hours and I'm feeling a fever on the horizon .
'- you alright there Remus ?' Pete asked as he moved to sit upon Remus bed .
James' bed was always closest to the door . That had been agreed on the group's first night when they had all arm-wrestled each other and James had come out the winner . Remus thought Sirius was probably stronger than James now ,he could tell simply by having a quick glance at Sirius' arms which had developed more muscle over the summer . James however had always kept a stealthier frame as he had constantly told his group that he believed it made him ride faster on a broom . Remus knew that to be complete nonsense , but James claimed to know everything about quidditch and would not take no for an answer .
'It makes you more streamlined .' Remus recalled James saying to them in first year ,' so you move faster .'
'You do realise that its the broom that is moving and not you .' Peter said .
Sirius said ,'Gonna have to disagree with you on that one Pete . I remember some science lesson my tutor taught me in the summer about this , and that don't sound right .'
'Science doesn't matter .' James had replied and Remus had discretely cringed at the words ,' It's what I believe that matters more . If I think it makes me move faster on a broom , then it probably does .'
The four of them stood there like headless chickens for a brief moment ,then nodded in agreement .
James' bed was closest to the door , so no matter what James would always be the leader , and that was that .
Sirius' bed was next to his , as the pair had already formed a friendship on the train before Remus and Peter had eventually joined them . Sirius had walked into the dorm , declared the bed his , and that was that .
Remus and Pete had been more difficult . Though Remus had joined the party third , he preferred to keep the bed furthest away from the door , and closest to the window . This meant when the sun rose through the window like a flower beginning to grow in the midst of spring , Remus too would rise first . They had all agreed that because Pete had lost his luggage on the first day at Hogwarts , he was too unreliable to count on making sure everyone wasn't late each morning . So Remus claimed the furthest bed as his . Remus had also asked for the furthest bed because he had decided ,that even at the mere age of eleven , he would not let his condition get in the way of the group's friendship . He loved them dearly and silently refused to ever be a burden upon their shoulders .
And that was that. The mere thought of having friends still filled Remus with an overwhelming thankfulness , an incandescence so bright that he felt like the dazzling sun outside ,still setting yet still streaming bright through his window .
'Peter , I've never been better .'