Dumbledore was working on something with Professor Slughorn. Something new and revolutionary and possibly even dangerous. But Dumbledore was willing to take the risks. After all, he was quite obsessed with being a master of death.

"Alright, Albus. Here it is, the de-aging potion. I changed up the ingredients a bit, and I think it might just be close. A few more trials and we might just have it!" Exclaimed Horace Slughorn.

Albus Dumbledore took it in his hand and held it up to the light, watching it filter through the mostly clear substance. Dumbledore grinned warmly.

"As always, thank you for your help, Horace, it is much appreciated."

Dumbledore left the Potions' Master's study and made his way up to the Great Hall where his students were just gathering for dinner. On his way to the staff table, he walked alongside the Gryffindor house table where the infamous pranksters, the 'Marauders' were sitting. Peter and James were facing him, while Sirius and Remus had their backs to. Dumbledore smiled. He'd miss the troublemakers when they graduate in the Spring.

He rested a warm hand on Remus, startling the seventeen-year-old.

"Oh! Hello, sir."

"And hello to you too, Mr. Lupin. Good day to the lot of you."

The four boys and Lily Evans smiled and nodded and he continued on his way to take his place at the staff table.

It wasn't until much later that he realized that he had misplaced the potion.

=-=-=-=-=-=

Once in the Seventh Year's dormitory after dinner, Remus pondered the vial of potion quietly. Dumbledore had given it to him, but what for? Remus trusted Dumbledore and knew that whatever it was would benefit him in someway. But wasn't it strange that he hadn't said anything about it?

"Hey, what's up?" Sirius asked, coming over to stand by Remus and interlacing their fingers between them.

Remus looked up, meeting Sirius's eyes. He shrugged, showing Sirius the vial.

"Dumbledore gave it to me," he explained. "What do you think it is?" He asked.

Sirius pondered it, taking it in his own hands and watching the way the light of the moon from the window danced in it.

"Perhaps it's something pertaining to your furry little problem?" Sirius suggested as James and Peter came over to join in their conversation. "Perhaps that's why Dumbledore didn't say anything?"

Remus thought about it, nodding. "Makes sense," he reasoned.

"Ooh, drink it! See what it does!" Peter suggested enthusiastically. Remus pushed off from where he was leaning on the bedpost of his bed and uncorked the vial sharing a shy grin with his best friends.

Remus drank the potion without further ado. It wasn't until after it was burning down his throat that the rational side of his brain reasoned that this was a terrible idea.

He gagged terribly at the taste, hand shooting out to grab ahold of the bedpost. Sirius's face paled in slight panic and he reached out to steady his boyfriend.

Remus felt weird. His body had gone numb and his head was spinning. His hand slipped from the bedpost and he tumbled to the ground, too fast for Sirius to catch him.

"Remus? Remus are you okay? What's happening?" James asked in a panic.

Remus didn't answer. "I dunno. I dunno what to do!" Sirius fretted going to the pile of clothes on the floor.

The pile of clothes on the floor. Sirius let out a terrified shriek and backed away quickly, tears already forming in his eyes before his brain caught up to the fact that his Moony should be in those clothes and he wasn't, he was gone, and he never should've taken that potion, and-

But then his head really did poke out of the hole of his sweater. Sirius was mid breath of relief when he realized that Remus's head was much too small, and the rest of the clothes were completely unfilled with his tall body.

"Remus?" Peter asked tentatively, inching forward. Sirius was determined to be the first person to reach this tiny Moony, there was no way Peter Pettigrew was going to beat him, so he paced there faster and knelt down before him.

"Siwius?" Remus asked, wide eyed. His voice was much higher and younger sounding.

Sirius got a really good look at his face. It was more babyish, with fuller cheeks and more freckles. The scar was gone. His eyes were the brightest amber Sirius had ever seen them.

He was tiny. Sirius reaches out to pick him up under the armpits and Remus naturally lifted up his arms. When Sirius got a feel to where Remus's tiny little body actually was, he lifted him up and stood, setting Remus on his hip.

Remus looked around in surprise, taking in his new vantage point. James and Peter stood by watching in silence, mouths hanging open.

Remus was absolutely drowning in the sweater, and his little head full of light brown curls was standing up slightly from the static.

"We need to go to Dumbledore," Sirius said. "Immediately."

James and Peter snapped out of their daze and scrambled around the room, grabbing their wands and then following Sirius out of the dorm. As they neared Dumbledore's office, Remus clung to Sirius's neck tighter.

Sirius patted his back. "Hey, it's all right, Moons. We'll figure this out."

Remus nodded into his neck.

James gave the password and the four of them entered the office, climbing the stairs to the door. Sirius knocked.

"Come in," Dumbledore said sounding distressed. The boys entered the office and watched as Dumbledore, with his back to them, overturned items on his desk. He was looking for something.

Sirius cleared his throat and Dumbledore turned around to finally greet them.

"Ah yes, the Marauders! Now how can I help you boys..." he slowly trailed off at the end at the sight of a miniature Remus in Sirius's arms.

His blue eyes widened dramatically. "Oh. Well it looks as if I've found it."

"Found what?" Sirius asked angrily, turning away from him, subconsciously shielding Remus.

"Simply a potion that Professor Slughorn and I have been working on. It seems it has fallen into the wrong hands."

"The wrong hands?" Sirius argued. "You gave it to him!"

Dumbledore's eyebrows furrowed. "I would never intentionally give such a dangerous potion deliberately to a student when it was still in the development stages."

"Dangerous?" James asked, worry seeping into his tone.

Dumbledore regarded him thoughtfully and carefully ignored his question.

"Well it seems that Remus drank a de-aging potion and has been restored to his five-year-old self."

"Good Godric," James breathed.

Dumbledore nodded and pursed his lips. "We'll have to keep an eye on him and see how the potion affects him in ways beside his age. Side effects and the lot."

"How long will he be like this?" Peter asked nervously.

"I suppose until Horace is able to make an antidote. If the lot of you would just wait around for a few more minutes I will floo Lyall Lupin and see what he wants to do about the situation and if he will take Remus out of school until an antidote can be made."

The other boys began to protest but Dumbledore had already walked away.

A few minutes later he returned with Lyall Lupin, fresh out of the floo. Sirius set Remus on the ground, who tried to run over to his father, only to trip on the sweater. He was determined though, so he got back up and made his way more carefully.

Lyall was about to ask Dumbledore a question, probably why he was needed at the school, when he saw Remus coming toward him. He froze as Remus hugged is legs and his lips trembled.

Lyall was thinking that this was what Remus looked like before he was bitten. Before Lyall lost his son. All fresh, no scars. Just a regular boy. Lyall started to cry.

Little Remus looked up at his father, frowning. "Daddy, why are you crying?"

Lyall's face screwed up in sadness and he turned to Dumbledore and gently detached Remus from his legs, giving him a little push away from him.

"I need to go, Albus. You can figure it out, I'm sure?"

"Lyall-" Dumbledore tried to say, but Lyall had already retreated back through the fireplace.

Poor Remus stood there, shoulders slumped, hurt by how his father had pushed him away. He turned around, seeking out Sirius, who lowered himself to his knees and held out his arms.

Remus shuffled over, using his sweater covered fists to wipe away his tears. He went over to Sirius and into his arms, wrapping his little arms around Sirius's neck. Sirius stood with his little body in his arms and rocked him around.

His mind was elsewhere. It was crazy to think that this little five-year-old was his Remus. Sure, he was adorable, but it was crazy. Sirius didn't know how to care for a five year old.

He wasn't sure if the Remus he was holding was the Remus he knew?

James came up to Sirius. He could always tell when Sirius was upset.

"Let's sleep on it," he suggested. We'll figure it out in the morning."

Sirius nodded, shifting the child on his hip whose head was resting on his shoulder.

The four boys left Dumbledore's office and made their way through the castle and into the Gryffindor common room. Everyone had gone to bed at that point, so there were no questions to answer.

When they entered the safety and comfort of their dormitory, the boys began to get ready for bed. Sirius shrunk some of Remus's pajamas for him to wear.

Sirius crouched to be eye level with Remus, who was rubbing his eyes tiredly with his little fists.

"Do you wanna sleep in your own bed tonight?" Sirius asked, though it pained him to do so. It was true, they'd been sleeping in the same bed at Hogwarts for years.

Remus shook his head and made grabby hands at Sirius, so Sirius picked him up and sat him down on the bed they shared before crawling in himself.

Remus immediately curled up into Sirius's chest and fell asleep. Sirius chuckled at the sight of him, all little and adorable and warm and cozy.

Sirius tried to put his worries aside. Remus would be okay. He would be. They'd figure it out tomorrow.