"Lupin." Remus jumped, startled out of his thinking. He turned to see James, Sirius and Peter, wands out, eyes blazing with anger, confusion and an emotion he couldn't recognized.
It was James who spoke, and his voice was cold. "You thought you could hide it? Honestly, you gotta pretty dense to think that."
"I-I'm sorry." Remus said, holding back tears. He knew it wouldn't last.
Freak!
Monster!
Bloodthirsty werewolf!
"We don't want your sorry." Sirius sneered. Remus flinched, eyes stinging.
But it was the sight of Peter cowering behind James that set the dam loose. His friends were scared of him. Tears rolled down his face, and his breath hitched.
"I'm sorry." He said once more, and stood up and ran.

The silence in the castle was palpable. Without the jokes and pranks of the marauders, the castle was less loud, less warm, and the tension was high. Or at least, it was like that to Remus.
The professors also noticed. How Remus would sit away from the other three. He was always subdued and often absent during meals. His transformation were worse.
The others were also acting differently. Their laughs were too loud, too quiet, always forced. Their grades were slipping and their pranks were more reckless, and more than often, they were caught.
The students and teachers wished for them to be friends again. It just wasn't the same. And that wish was answered by a little girl named Lily Evans.
The said girl had dragged the three into an empty classroom.
"What is the matter with you!" She yelled furiously.
"What?" James said, meeting her eyes and Lily could see the guilt and anguish in them. "Nothing's wrong."
"Oh yeah?" She asked, taking a more gentle approach. "Then why are you all so sad?" She looked Sirius in the eyes. "Why isn't Remus your friend anymore?" She met Peter's gaze. "Why aren't you happy?"
"You don't know what he is." James whispered, voice laced with guilt.
"So you stopped being friends because he was a werewolf?" She bristled. They gaped. "Of course I knew! But he's more than that! He's Remus, he's your friend."
She sighed, her green eyes shining. "He's Remus. He's the one who likes chocolate more than anything. He's the one who would prefer studying over quidditch. He's the one who stayed out in the rain -and got sick afterwards- just to help you, James. He's the one who held you back when Severus provoked you, Sirius, the one who comforted you when your parents sent that howler. Peter, he's the one who stayed up all night to teach you Wingardium Leviosa. He's the one who stood up for you when Malfoy teased you. He's Remus."
They all had tears in their eyes by the end. Guilt brewed in the three boy's stomachs. "Sirius, I thought at least you would understand to not judge one by he's background." Sirius bowed his head, ashamed.
"If you can't accept him, then you don't deserve him." And with that, Lily walked away.

"Sirius?" Sirius could hear Remus' voice as he called for him. Sirius sniffed and said in a small voice, "Go away, Remus."
"No." Remus answered, sitting down beside him and pulling him into a hug. "I refuse to."
"Look at me." Sirius said, letting out a bitter laugh. "I'm a mess."
"You don't have to listen to them. Theyre a bunch of nobodies. If they don't love you, they don't deserve you."
"They're my family."
"You have us now. You're not alone.
Sirius clenched his fist. Remus.....I'm sorry.

"James?" Remus called, finding the said boy under the bleachers. "You okay?"
"Oh, uh, hey Rem." James said, quickly wiping his eyes. "What're you doing here? It's raining."
"Why are you here?" Remus asked gently, his green eyes never leaving hazel ones.
"It's my parents. They're sick. The healers say it's pretty bad."
"Oh James." Remus said sadly, crawling over to the boy's side "they'll be alright. They're strong, they'll pull through."
"How do you know that?"
"I just do."
James trembled, eyes filled with tears. What have I done?

"Come on, Peter, you can do it!" Remus cheered. "Just swish and flick."
"Wingardium leviosa!" The quill howered a for a second, before falling.
"I can't do it." Peter said sadly. "It's no good. I'm pratically a squib."
"Don't say that!" Remus said fiercely. "I know you can do it."
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!" This time, the quill rose steadily, hovering in the air. "You did it!" Remus cried. "I'm so proud of you, Peter."
"Thank you, Remus."
Peter sobbed. We're the monsters, not him.
And so, with a new resolve, the three marauders wiped their tears and headed to the one place they knew Remus was. The library.

"Remus...we're sorry." Remus looked up, not bothering to hide his tear-stained face.
"Don't be. You're right, I am a monster." He replied tiredly.
"No, you aren't. We just read some books and thought we understood. We didn't, not in the slightest."
Remus blinked, eyes stinging. "You don't hate me?"
"We don't. You're our friend." James said, hugging him. Remus flinched but soon relaxed.
Sirius and Peter joined in. "You're our friend." Sirius repeated. Peter added, "And will always be."

From then on, things went back to normal. The pranks ensued, Potter and Black were top in their class and the castle was alive and warm once again. Lily Evans smiled. All was well.