Grim Tales

Authors Rant:
Come on guys... This many reviews kind of sucks. Thanks to those who have followed the story, this isn't directed at you. But I'm kind of bummed to have this many hits and so few reviews. Do you love the story? Hate it? Maybe you just don't care enough to tell me how you feel. I know theres no smex yet... but there will be if I keep writing!!! -begs- REVIEW!!! PLEASE!!!

End Rant

I own nothing no characters. I gain nothing from writing this.

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"No, no! James, concentrate!” Remus barked, tension high and patience thinning. They’d been sneaking up to the Astronomy tower every night for a week now, and the spells still weren’t anywhere near perfect. James had just blown himself back into the wall for the third time in a row.

Sirius ran an aggravated hand through his hair. “What are you so bloody distracted by, Potter? We‘ve got two weeks to get these things right or Mooney has to go through the full moon alone! Again!!” Though he himself was no close to transforming, he felt that his best friend wasn’t trying hard enough. James pushed himself off the ground and grumbled a few unpleasant words before turning to Sirius expectantly.

The raven-haired male cleared his throat and spread his arms. He took a deep breath and pointed his wand at himself, a very odd feeling all on its own. He said the complicated spell, concentrating on the outcome and fully expecting to be thrown back just as James had been.

BAM! Sirius hit on his hands and feet in the middle of the floor, eye to eye with Lupin’s crotch. Quickly he turned his head away, making himself dizzy. When he put his hand to his head to steady himself, his first reaction was to wonder how long it had been since he had trimmed his nails, and then he saw the arm that crossed his vision… It was covered in thick, black… fur!

“You did tit! Sirius, you dog, you‘re a dog! A bloody huge one!” Sirius looked up at James and smiled, or at least he thought he was smiling. Lupin let out a whoop of excitement and knelt to hug Sirius, something the latter never would have allowed had he been human. But being a dog the nails scratching behind his ears, the hand buried in this mane of thick, black hair was comforting. It was as if Lupin knew, really knew… what he wanted.

“Alright, Sirius,” James said, smiling, but then his smile faltered… “You… can change back, right?” James looked to Lupin, who opened the strange, green book and began to read. Sirius’ tail had stopped wagging in triumph. If a dog could be said to look nervous, ears pinned back and eyes narrowed, then Sirius looked nervous.

Peter, James, and Sirius all stared at Lupin as his steel-grey eyes flew across the text of the book. Sirius felt like whimpering, but refrained, just barely. James put a hand in his best friend’s hair and chewed on his bottom lip nervously. From time to time Mooney would open his mouth as though about to remedy the situation, but each time he would shake his head and return to perusing the text. “Here!” he finally roared triumphantly. “One must concentrate on their physical body as it is without transformation. One must also have a strong will to become human again.”

“Well, that‘s alright then! Come on, Black, turn back!” James said, looking utterly relieved. Remus looked relieved as well, but slightly less so, as if wondering if it could really be so simple as James put ti. Sirius sat in his new form, nodded, and closed his eyes. The very air seemed to hold it’s breath in anticipation, even the owls, generally heard easily from the owlery from the Astronomy tower, were silent. A moment passed, everyone was still, another moment passed, Peter began to fidget. James tried scrunching his own eyes closed and opening them. Sirius the dog still sat before them, immobile, eyes shut tight, breathing labored. Another long moment and Remus re-opened the book, looking for anything he might have missed, any key or clue, perhaps an incantation.