Insomnia
After two days, staying in hiding became boring for James. While he was exciting to overhear from the Hogsmeade travelers that his injury and "escape" from the Hogwarts infirmary had become the cause of local gossip, he was really beginning to miss his friends. The constant itch to go back to Hogwarts made him restless, never able to go to sleep for want of something to do. He was always moving, darting from place to place hoping to remain unseen. Everyone knew that you couldn't remain a missing person if someone saw you.
When he did allow himself to step into the sunlight, he made certain to change into the form of a deer, moving more gracefully than he'd ever done as a human. It was interesting to observe people from this perspective. As an animagus, nobody knew that he belonged to the Potter family, or cared about what implications his name carried. Still, every now and again while he walked leisurely through the grass, people would stop to look at the majestic deer, pointing out his antlers and gasping. When this happened, James would stay put, but stand himself up to his full height in animal form, looking regal and proud, feeling his inner human ego swelling.
As much fun as that all was, it was time to go back. He had promised his friends he would return to Hogwarts with them on the 20th. James was not about to let a full moon go by without helping Remus. He'd always seen himself as both friend and protector of the werewolf, wanting to shield him from harm, including that induced by the full moon, because he knew that Remus was too gentle of nature to do it himself. Remus had always protested about how their group didn't have to accompany him, and he was fine on his own, but James would hear none of it. Seeing the deep scratches across Remus' face made him feel worse than any hex, and he'd insisted that the other Marauders become illegal animagi. Enough people hurt Remus already, he couldn't allow him to hurt himself.
As night fell, the human James jogged briskly to the Shrieking Shack, his unhealed wound throbbing at his side. Once inside the dusty, abandoned house, he stepped across the floor to stand in front of a window, his footsteps sounding loud and hollow beneath him. Glancing through the broken glass, he looked up at the partially cloud covered moon. Remus would arrive in a few minutes, and James would be ready to help him, whether he liked it or not.
Continued here.
When he did allow himself to step into the sunlight, he made certain to change into the form of a deer, moving more gracefully than he'd ever done as a human. It was interesting to observe people from this perspective. As an animagus, nobody knew that he belonged to the Potter family, or cared about what implications his name carried. Still, every now and again while he walked leisurely through the grass, people would stop to look at the majestic deer, pointing out his antlers and gasping. When this happened, James would stay put, but stand himself up to his full height in animal form, looking regal and proud, feeling his inner human ego swelling.
As much fun as that all was, it was time to go back. He had promised his friends he would return to Hogwarts with them on the 20th. James was not about to let a full moon go by without helping Remus. He'd always seen himself as both friend and protector of the werewolf, wanting to shield him from harm, including that induced by the full moon, because he knew that Remus was too gentle of nature to do it himself. Remus had always protested about how their group didn't have to accompany him, and he was fine on his own, but James would hear none of it. Seeing the deep scratches across Remus' face made him feel worse than any hex, and he'd insisted that the other Marauders become illegal animagi. Enough people hurt Remus already, he couldn't allow him to hurt himself.
As night fell, the human James jogged briskly to the Shrieking Shack, his unhealed wound throbbing at his side. Once inside the dusty, abandoned house, he stepped across the floor to stand in front of a window, his footsteps sounding loud and hollow beneath him. Glancing through the broken glass, he looked up at the partially cloud covered moon. Remus would arrive in a few minutes, and James would be ready to help him, whether he liked it or not.
Continued here.