Behind the smiles

The Switch II

Remus Lupin, who had woken up feeling...not like he expected, stood beside James (who was...well, him) and Peter (who was--Sirius). He had woken up expecting to feel like he normally did two days before the full moon: queasy, sick, and light-headed. No. Today, he had woken up with untidy black hair, a lack of vision, and a relatively strong feeling. He felt terrified at first, but then things started to make sense.

When he walked over and looked at...himself, who he discovered was JAMES POTTER, beside Peter who was SIRIUS BLACK, he felt slightly overwhelmed. As he walked, he felt taller, stronger, and more coordinated. It was disorienting, and as he looked in his eyes, he understood.

James was in his body. It made sense, seeing as Sirius was in Peter's. And since it was two days before the full moon, James was probably feeling...bad. This was bad. Oh Merlin....

"Okay James, lie down for now. Full moon's in two days, and you probably feel like throwing up."

James (who was him) did so, dropping down a bit. Sirius (who looked like Peter), beside him was about to say something, but Sirius.....or, if his guess was right, Peter (who would look like Sirius) woke up and proceeded to go through the same disorienting mind-frame they all had.

"WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?"

Sirius went over to Peter (who looked like him) to explain. Remus decided to stay with James.

"James, look, you have to get up slowly. Take deep breaths, and don't open your eyes yet."

It was weird, coaching someone else to go through the same process he went through whenever it was this close to full moon to wake up.

A thought haunted the back of his mind, sending shivers up his spine. This...switch, this weird thing that messed all of them up, what if it lasted until the FULL MOON? Would he...would James.... would James in his body...or him in James' body...have to go through THAT?

Frowning, he pushed the thoughts away, focusing on the whispers coming from across the room, both in Peter and Sirius' voices, yet both sounding off. Peter's voice swearing, and Sirius' voice sounding afraid.

"Okay now, James, sit up. SLOWLY."

He watched as he...James, struggled sitting up, looking pale and tired. Did he really look that awful?

"Alright, deep breaths, now stand up---No! Not that fast! Alright."

James (in his body) was now standing up beside him, looking less faint, yet still clinging onto the bedpost.

"Remus, do you always feel....?"

"Well, yes I do, but you'll be fine. I'm sorry, I guess, but."

"Don't do that. Don't apologize! You're ruining my image." James tried to crack a smile, a Potter smirk.

Remus decided it didn't look right on his face.

He looked over to where Sirius and Peter were.

Sirius' body was slouched, his hair was a mess, and he had a terrified look in his eyes."

"I'm Peter and...well.. t-this is... d-does anyone r-emember what happened l-last night?"

James, beside him, laughed. It sounded like a mimic of James' laugh, since it came out in Remus' voice.

"Sorry, mate, I can't take you seriously....you're SIRIUS, Peter!"

Sirius (in Peter's body) frowned. Peter (in Sirius' body) looked even more terrified. Remus, felt really tired at the moment. It was a bit funny, seeing the scared look on SIRIUS' face, and the death-glare coming from PETER's. The guffawing laughs coming from his body however, were starting to get on his nerves.

"Okay. So...who's who?"

"Well, Remus, you're James, James is you, Peter is me, and I'm him." Peter's voice rang with an air of confidence. This was definitely Sirius speaking. Remus still felt a bit confused.

"So what do we do?" James spoke up, weakly, but with a certain kind of confidence as well. Remus knew he wouldn't talk like that. He never did.

"I guess we tell someone?"

"No, Peter, what would we tell them?"

Remus frowned slightly. "The truth. We tell someone, Dumbledore, maybe...but, how did this all happen in the first place anyway?"

He was met with the guilt in his own eyes...well, James' guilt, in his eyes...well....THIS WAS CONFUSING! Peter and Sirius looked guilty as well.

"What happened?"

"Well, Ja-Remus....James, Peter, and I, we were checking out this book we 'borrowed' from the restricted section. There was some weird dust on it and it was covered in weird runes and stuff. Then...well, I don't really remember." Sirius (as Peter, looked at James and Peter.

"Don't look at me mate, I-" James coughed a bit. "I don't remember either."

Peter nodded (uncharacteristically, in Sirius' body). "Me too."

"Alright then, that settles it. We should tell someone."

"Sh-shouldn't we....get, well, dressed first? We're in our n-night clothes." Peter (as Sirius) stuttered.

"Good Merlin..."