Hero of the Story || James Potter x Hermione Granger Fanfiction

9 | we'll tell our stories on these walls

ix.

we'll tell our stories on these walls

(North by Sleeping at Last)

__________

November 19, 1975

James crumpled messily onto the grimy floor of the Shrieking Shack, too tired to reach the couch. Despite the obvious exhaustion, a wide grin grew on his face as he lifted his head and gazed at his other friends. Remus – now back in human form - was curled up tightly on the bed they had snuck inside the Shrieking Shack. It was a luxurious bed, bearing the Potter seal, and was 'borrowed' from the Potter Manor when Sirius had spent the summer at his house.

Peter was sprawled spread-eagle on the floor, but very much awake. Sirius, still in his Animagus form, started bounding towards Peter and proceeded to slobber over his face.

"Geroff, Sirius!" he cried, tiredly pushing him away and wiping his face with disgust in his blue eyes. James snickered when Sirius changed back into his human form and barked a laugh, reaching out for Peter to try and lick his face once more. Peter protested, a mixture of humour and disgust on his face, and shied away from Sirius' assault.

"We've actually done it, mates," James declared, slowly sitting up from the dirty floor. "We've actually become Animagi."

Both Sirius and Peter paused in their horsing around to beam brightly at James. They had been working their very best to achieve this, after all. Even Peter, who doubted his skills, was able to change into a fully-formed Animagus.

James' eyes landed on Remus and although he never partook in the transformation, he seemed the happiest of them all. Remus voiced out his doubts about their little project; he'd read about the gruelling steps on how to become an Animagi and it was a huge waste of time. But the other three had persisted, explaining to him that he shouldn't be alone during his transformations, and the only way to achieve that without anyone getting hurt, was for them to become Animagi. Remus had watched them as they had failed and failed, assuring them that he wouldn't be hurt if they all decided to give up.

But James couldn't give up. Not when it brought out a certain life in Remus' golden eyes every time they excitedly talked about the progress in their potions.

In his stag form last night, he'd observed Remus in his werewolf form. The other three waited with bated breath, testing out their theory that Remus wouldn't hurt them when they were animals, and James only managed to properly breathe when Remus merely playfully chased Sirius in his dog form. Peter, the smallest of them all, decided to perch on James' antlers all throughout the night as they happily perused the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest and some parts of Hogsmeade.

"I had so much fun last night," Remus confessed, his voice barely heard in the small dingy room of the Shrieking Shack. But the three heard him perfectly, for their beams almost stretched far and wide like the horizon.

"How could you know, wanker?" Sirius playfully asked, throwing him a smirk. "You're too busy being all... all... moony last night."

"Moony?" James echoed, knitting his eyebrows in confusion.

Sirius snorted out a laugh. "You know how he gets when it's the full moon and he's in his werewolf form," he pointed out.

"I don't think you're using the word right, Sirius," Peter said with a laugh.

The Black heir snickered and blearily rubbed his eyes. "'Moony' has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" he offered. He comically stood up and brandished his wand, clambering towards Remus. The werewolf, too tired and sore all over to move, was only able to manage to glare at Sirius when the other wizard started tapping his wand on his shoulders.