chapter title: "get it on" by t.rex 

Over the next few weeks, the Marauders spent their time between classes, revision and homework in the library and the common room, possibly planting a few dungbombs (mainly James and Sirius'doing) and practising in the Room of Requirement.

By the time the next moon was mere days away, Remus was exhausted. After a long day of lessons, McGonagall giving them all detention for what was mainly James' fault for using an engorgement charm on his beetle rather than turning it into a marble, and letting it wreak havoc in the transfiguration classroom, band practise, revising for their upcoming OWL's and barely having a second to himself, Remus was grateful for the comfort of the sagging armchair next to the fireplace in the common room.

"Alright, Moony?" Came James' voice as he plonked himself down in the chair across from him.

Remus hummed in response as he took a sip of his large steaming mug of tea that he'd swiped from the kitchens, and opened his book to the page he'd last left it.

"Full moon soon." James said, lowering his voice. Remus nodded, not looking up from his book.

"You sure you're okay, Moony?" James asked again. 

Sensing his friends worry, Remus looked up and gave James his best reassuring smile. "Yeah, fine." He assured him. "Just tired that's all."

James nodded, watching him carefully before turning his attention across the room. 

"Do you think Lily would come and watch quidditch practise tomorrow if I asked her?" James asked wistfully.

Remus raised an eyebrow as he followed James' gaze across the room to where Lily was sitting with Mary laughing over something her friend was showing her.

"Do you want me to give you an honest answer or would you prefer to ignore my advice and go over and make a fool over yourself anyway?" Remus questioned.

James sighed as he turned his gaze back to Remus. He didn't have time to answer, however, as Sirius burst through the portrait hole, grinning wildly, with Peter in tow looking slightly confused.

"What's up Pads?" James asked as Sirius rushed past them and up the stairs to their dormitory.

"No idea." Peter answered for him as he joined James and Remus beside the fire. "Said he had a "great idea" or something."

Remus groaned. If Sirius Black had a self proclaimed "good idea", it usually ended up with disastrous consequences or with the four of them in yet another detention.

He didn't have time to speculate though, as Sirius came running back down the stairs a second later.

"I've got an idea!" He said, excitedly.

"We heard." James responded, gesturing to Peter.

Sirius ignored him and hastily made his way over to the record player in the corner of the common room. He wasn't sure who had put it there, probably some of the older students who had tampered with it to make sure it would work, as products of muggle invention didn't work at Hogwarts. It had taken him and Sirius weeks to get Sirius' record player working up in their dormitory. It was only then that Remus noticed that Sirius was clutching a T. Rex record, and he suddenly realised what Sirius' "great idea" might be.

He watched as his friend lowered the needle onto the record and the familiar bass and piano melody sounded from the speakers.

"For our next song!" Sirius explained a little breathlessly as he turned to look at them, his grey eyes wild and his hair tousled from running up and down the stairs.

Remus felt a grin beginning to form on his face as Get It On joined the steady stream of chatter in the common room.

"This is awesome!" James said excitedly as he bobbed his head along to the music.

Remus rolled his eyes. "You have no idea what this is, do you?" Remus asked. Sometimes he was very disappointed in James and Peter's lack of knowledge of muggle music. Because seriously, they were missing out.

James shook his head but got up to dance badly along to the music anyway.

Sirius threw his head back with a laugh, his glossy black curls falling over his shoulders as Remus kept grinning, watching James make a fool of himself. 

Peter looked a little confused but was laughing all the same.

"This is T.REX!" Remus said loudly after Sirius turned the volume up and joined in with James' dancing. He was a significantly better dancer than James, carrying himself with an air of grace that Remus couldn't help but be mesmerised at. He was so busy watching Sirius that he didn't notice Peter get up and join them with a funny little jig.

"Come on, Moony!" Sirius laughed, whirling around as he grabbed Remus' hand and pulled him up from his seat.

Remus suddenly forgot how exhausted he was as Sirius held onto his hands, the two of them jumping up and down in time to the beat along with James and Peter, Sirius' hair flopping about his face as he moved, his eyes bright with joy and his hands still firmly clasping Remus'.

Well, you're dirty and sweet
Clad in black, don't look back and I love you
You're dirty and sweet, oh yeah

Remus suddenly felt very warm, blushing bright red as Sirius let go of one of his hands to twirl him around expertly. He was so surprised he almost stumbled, but Sirius caught his hand again with surprising skill, and they continued jumping up and down, laughing and ignoring the amused looks they got from the rest of Gryffindor house.

Well, you dance when you walk
So let's dance, take a chance, understand me

Get it on, bang a gong, get it on
Get it on, bang a gong, get it on

Once the song had finished, the four of them flopped back down on the seats around the fireplace, chests heaving, faces flushed.

Sirius went and removed the record from the record player and turned back to them with a grin.

"So? What do you think?"

"Oh absolutely!"

"It's bloody brilliant!"

"Fuck yeah."

Remus would always remember the best days of his life as those moments where his friends somehow made him forget entirely about being a werewolf. In those moments, nothing else mattered.

***

Two days later, Remus awoke to find himself under the crisp white sheets of a hospital wing bed the morning after the full moon, blinking his eyes sleepily as the room came into focus.

Peter was sat in a chair across from him, his head thrown back and his mouth wide open, snoring softly. James was seated beside him, his head resting on Remus' duvet, his eyes closed and his glasses askew. Sirius sat beside Remus' head, his long legs stretched out across the floor in front of him and his head drooped over his lap, his hair falling over his face.

Remus couldn't help but feel guilty as he looked at his exhausted, sleep deprived friends. He was eternally grateful for all they had done for him to become animagi, but he couldn't help but feel at fault when he saw them like this. He knew from past experiences though that no amount of arguing or persuasion would encourage them to go to their dorms and sleep rather than staying up all night, wandering the grounds in their strange, unlikely pack on the night of the full moon.

"Moony?" Came a sleepy voice from his right. Remus turned to look at Sirius who was sitting up, rubbing his eyes. "You're awake!"

Remus smiled sleepily at Sirius before nodding and closing his eyes again.

"How are you feeling?" Sirius asked as he pressed his cool hand to Remus' forehead.

"Good. I'm good." He responded, the smile falling from his face a little as Sirius' fingers left his forehead.

"Here, some water." Sirius picked up the glass of water from the bedside table as Remus opened his eyes again and took it gratefully.

"I'll go get Madam Pomfrey." Sirius informed him as he swiftly got up from his seat and disappeared behind the curtains surrounding Remus' bed, shaking James' shoulder as he went, muttering; "he's awake."

James lifted his head from Remus' duvet to give Remus a sleepy smile. 

"Alright, Moons?" He asked with a grin.

It wasn't until after Madam Pomfrey had patched him up properly and ensured him he was well enough to go to his lessons that Remus caught sight of himself in the small mirror on his bedside table, finally noticing the long, thin, red scar that now decorated his face, narrowly missing his eye and running diagonally down to his jaw.