Clair de Lune

All three boys crowd under James' prized Invisibility Cloak.

"Peter you're stepping on my toes!" James whispers.

It was difficult, trying to move about together without making noise. They managed well enough, but they clearly needed some practice.

"All for one and one for all," James reminds his mates. "Now... If I were Remus where would I be?"

James suspects there is a logical explanation. Remus didn't like breaking rules. "Hospital wing?"

"Fine. Sleep all night while Remus is missing. Peter and I'll have a look without you." James jabs Sirius on the side.

James rolled over in bed as the pillow Peter threw collided with his rump. "What?" he said sleepily. "Remus's still missing?"

He sat up in bed and tore the blankets off.

"Sirius, wake up, tosser," James ran across the room to Sirius's bed, tore the curtains open and shook him.

"Peter, grab my cloak will you? It's under my bed."

James was next. The hat barely has time to touch his head before shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!"

James beams, feeling very self satisfied.

...

Besides, any minute now, those dung bombs he'd planted ought to be going off.

James jumped into the seat next to Sirius. "This is brilliant! We're all together!"

---

After James was sorted it was Alice's turn and she was sorted Gryffindor as well.

Next it's Peter's turn. The hat is placed on his head and right away it starts analyzing him. Definitely not a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw. That leaves Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Not Slytherin! he hopes desperately. I want to be with James!

No, not Slytherin for you.... says the hat. You're too soft for Slytherin.

Soft! I'm not!

"Gryffindor!" the hat bellows.

Peter couldn't help feeling a bit cheated. What? Am I only Gryffindor because I don't fit anywhere else?

He didn't mind, though. He was happy to be in the house James was supposed to join. Besides, Black and the Swot weren't half bad either.

He sat down on the other side of Remus and smiled big.

A few more names were called, two girls and a boy: a slytherin, a ravenclaw, and the boy Frank Longbottom was sorted Gryffindor.

"Remus Lupin," Professor McGonnagal called from her list.

Remus quietly moved past the remaining first years.

When the professor lifted the hat off the chair, he sat down. He glanced up as she dropped it on his head.

The hat was quiet for awhile.

You're very studious and Ravenclaw would suit you, but Ravenclaws are far too clever, they'd figure out what you are.

Remus flinched.

Hufflepuff would suit you very well, tempting... tempting... But I am seeing something more, something deeper.

Deeper? Remus thought nervously.

A just and noble heart, chivalrous to a fault. You are Gryffindor at your core.

Before Remus could ask anything else, the hat bellows, "Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor's applaud their new member and Remus shyly runs over to the table and sits down near Sirius. He smiles, a bit startled. Really, Gryffindor was the last place he expected to be.

"Lily Evans!" McGonagall calls.

Lily gets up from her place on the floor, moving carefully up to the stool. She sits on it, and McGonagall puts the Sorting Hat on her head.

Hmmm... Very bright, very bright indeed. You'd make an excellent Ravenclaw, my dear... and yet... such courage.

"I don't mind either way, really," Lily whispers to the Hat.

"GRYFFINDOR!!" the Hat shouts, and Lily hops off the stool to go and sit with her new dorm mates.

She sits a few seats over from Sirius, nods to him, and then waits for Alice, Severus, and Remus to get Sorted.

James clapped excitedly and waved at Sirius. They were going to be in the same house! (Of course he hadn't been sorted yet, but that was beside the point.)

I knew Sirius was better than Slytherin!

Really, James couldn't be more pleased.

He looked up with interest when the Professor called for Lily Evans. It was that pretty red head.

Girls were so annoying... but... he really did love her hair.

After progressing past the usual welcome speeches. The sorting had begins to sing it's song.

Remus is far too twitchy and nervous to fully appreciate the song (as is Peter, although Peter is a bit more distracted with his hunger and the promise of a feast).

The song concludes to scattered applause and Professor McGonagall pulls out her list of names and begins to read. So and so Abbot was sorted Hufflepuff, and then she calls off "Sirius Black".

Lily frowns and shoves her things into her robes pockets (she had gotten dressed ahead of time so she wouldn't have to change later), then follows the black head of hair.

"That's the same boy who dropped his glasses earlier," she says aloud, then unceremoniously opens the compartment door where James, Peter, Remus, and Sirius are sitting.

She turns to James with a raised eyebrow and a glare, just like her mum does when she's mad at her da. "You pranked a chocolate frog that my friend Severus opened, and now he's going to be miserable all day. I think you ought to apologize," she states clearly, lightening up on the glare a bit. He is an eleven-year-old boy, after all.

"Ha!" shouts Sirius with glee. "See? You are a girl!"

The rest of what Remus and Peter is irrelevant.

"My name is Remus Lupin," he replies, and sets his book to the side (it's all wet too).

"Fair enough," James blushes.

"So, swat, what's your name?

Remus looks between James and Sirius, bites his lip, and says. "Yes, I'm sorry. You did. But I wouldn't worry, James. Your friend probably screams like a girl too. As do I, and... Peter?"

The blonde boy nods.

"Peter."

"Aggggghhhhhhhh! My hair! My hair!"

Water dumps all over James. "Aghhh!" He reaches up to pat his head. Oh... "Pheeeeew... Thanks, mate. I'd rather be wet than on fire."

He sits back up on the chair and glares at Sirius. "Not a girl..."

"And Peter, do us all a favor and put the wand away."

Remus does not find Sirius's behavior so amusing. In fact, it hits a little too close to home. He tries to ignore the other boys, but suddenly James's head is on fire.

Remus gasps and pulls his wand from his pocket. "Aguamenti!"

Water spills from the wand, drenching James. But at least his hair is only slightly singed and he isn't burned.

James shrieks, sounding less than masculine. "Get off! Get off! You win!"

He looks over at Peter. "Peter, help!"

"Me?" Remus asks. "I'm okay. Never better."

He carefully wrestles his book back from James and hides behind it.

This was a very bad idea. Still on the train, and people already notice...

Peter laughs at James and Sirius. "No, if he were like a dog, he'd be LICKING you too."

He looks back at the other boy, and for the first time, Peter notices that the other boy is very pale and looks tired.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"HA!" James bursts into a fit of boyish giggles and tries to wrestle Sirius off of him. "Sirius, sometimes, you are like a big dumb dog."