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:::Beginning Author's Note:::

HAPPY ENDING GUARANTEED

Story Set-Up: This story begins in their 5th year when the boys are about to complete the Animagus transformation. It is meant as a canon-loyal love story set against the backdrop and danger of the First Wizarding War.

The Shmex: If you're not interested in reading the Marauder part of this story whatsoever, then here are the places to look for the steam: Chapters 3, 6, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 27, 28, 29 and 30. You're welcome, all you smut lovers ;P

Titles: The story title has no significance, just needed something to fill the slot. The chapter titles are the ones that really matter.

Disclaimer: It is I, J. K. Rowling, I totally wrote Harry Potter and I'm a kuhzillionaire. HA! syke.

:::Silver and Bullets:::

"So…what do we tell people if you die?"

Remus wasn't so sure about this anymore. It was October, fifth year. The four of them were huddled in the library pouring over their stolen Restricted book that held the last remaining potion that would complete the Animagus transformation.

And James had just volunteered to go first.

"It says here," James said, frowning at the fading type, "that the last known person to have died was Boris the Batty in 1836 when he decided to add honey to the potion to make it less sour…"

Sirius snatched the book away from him and shoved his nose in it, leaning back in his chair.

"Uhg, what is this, dried vomit?"

"And how much longer is it going to take to brew?" Peter whined. "We've been at it all summer."

"You mean, James and I have been at it all summer," Sirius' voice wafted from somewhere behind the book.

James laughed and shoved Peter in the shoulder.

Remus grinned at the two of them as he glanced around the library.

"Pince patrol is a negative for now," he noted. "So… have you thought of what animals you want to be?"

"Lion," said James immediately.

Sirius snorted and threw the book aside. "You sure are a daddy's boy…"

"Oh, and what, you're going to be a mommy's boy and become a snake are you?" he snapped.

"Nah… I think it'd be cool to be something that fly's…you know really have some freedom, just go wherever you feel like it any time you want."

He trailed off, staring dreamily out the window into the silver autumn skyline.

Remus looked around at them all as they sat daydreaming about their future Animagus'. James had grown almost a foot over the summer and was catching up to Sirius, whose hair was getting too long for McGonagall to keep quiet much longer. Remus stared at them for a second before looking at Peter, who hadn't grown much and was still as twitchy and nervous as ever. If anything was going to go wrong in the process— it would happen to Peter.

"Don't worry."

Remus looked around. Sirius had been watching him.

"We're not gonna let anything happen to Petey here," he threw an arm around the blonde's shoulders and grinned. "He's safe in our hands."

"Yeah…," Remus said, starting to smile, "but what if he…turns into a fish or something…"

Everyone burst out laughing except for Peter, who looked genuinely worried now.

"I did hear that your Patronus would be the same as your Animagus," James said after a while. "Almost always anyway."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Well then how long would it take to learn a Patronus?"

"Longer than it's gonna take to finish the potion," Remus quipped. "Corporeal Patronus' are a right pain in the arse."

"Damn… I'd like to just have a heads up, you know?" Sirius sighed.

James picked up the book and flicked through it again.

"Pince patrol," he muttered absentmindedly.

The other three looked around.

"Shit!" Peter hissed, spotting the Librarian coming around the far corner of the History section with her head hidden behind a large stack of books.

There was sudden rush as the legs of four wooden chairs scraped across the stone floor, and several things happened all at once: James slammed the book together, Sirius stood up grabbing both their bags, Peter overturned his ink bottle in his haste to snatch it up along with his essay, Remus swung his messenger bag over his head and pushed Sirius down the Transfiguration isle to escape, and James and Peter went the opposite way to the Restricted section to return the book.

They crept along the F through K listings, breaking into a run towards the door when they heard Madam Pince exclaiming over the spilled ink.

Sirius burst out laughing in the clear corridor. Remus had to pull him, doubled over laughing and "shhh"ing, until they had rounded the far corner to wait for the other two.

"You think they made it?" he panted, completely winded.

"Oh, sure," Sirius sighed, peaking around the corner. He turned back to Remus and grinned at him, letting his breathing return to normal before leaning against the wall and folding his arms.

"You know I'm really gonna miss this," he said after a while.

"Miss what?" said Remus, hopping up to sit on the ledge of a large window. There was snow falling outside now and he leaned his back against the glass, feeling the freezing cold seep through his robes.

"Sneaking around like this… it's almost all over."

Remus stared at him. He knew exactly what he was talking about.

Sirius, James, and Peter had been plotting this transformation since they were in second year. Three years of planning, plotting, sneaking, and brewing of potions, practicing the various stages of spells… for Sirius it had all been great fun. His mischievous nature was born for this kind of thing. They had had three years of a brilliant secret, something totally illegal hidden from the teachers and preformed right under Albus Dumbledore's nose. It had become so much a part of their lives at Hogwarts…

What would they do now? Three years of madness and exhilaration… it was almost all over.

"You'll find something else to sneak out for," Remus said because Sirius' face had lost all its laughter now. "You'll be out at least once a month with me anyway."

Sirius peaked around the corner again before speaking.

"You sound pretty optimistic about it now."

"Now?" Remus said, leaning away from the cold glass and more against the side of the castle wall.

"Well….I've just noticed you haven't seemed too happy about it lately…"

Remus looked up and caught him studying his face closely for signs of reaction.

"I…I just…," he started defensively, but couldn't think of what to say. "It's just that…."

Those damn grey eyes were singeing his skin.

He was feeling extremely uncomfortable and knew he must be blushing from the heat in his cheeks. He just wished Sirius would look away.

"What is it? You can tell me," Sirius was grinning mischievously as if it would be hilarious and nothing at all to be concerned about.

Remus stared at his knees, swinging his feet back and forth off the window sill. He shook his head, gnawing on his lower lip.

"Is it 'cos you're afraid something'll go wrong?" Sirius crooned, hopping up to sit next to Remus.

"No."

"Is it 'cos you're afraid of Peter turning into a fish?"

"….No."

"Look, mate, whatever it is you know you can tell me right?" said Sirius impatiently.

Remus looked up and stared at the opposite wall. Fine. He took a huge inhaling breath, opened his mouth and—

"OY!"

They started.

James and Peter materialized as they whipped the cloak off mid-run and came to halt in front of them, panting.

"You still have it?" Remus exclaimed, staring at the large book in Peters arms.

"Yeah, Pince was in the way so we gave up and booked it..." Peter trailed off clutching a stitch in his side.

"Sort of literally and figuratively…" James panted.

Remus and Sirius snorted. James began rambling about Pince shrieking to the other students over the spilled ink and that she went storming around the Restricted section in a fit, but Sirius glanced sideways at Remus, not paying much attention.

"Look, tell me tonight when they've all gone to bed," he muttered quietly. "I'll come visit you."

Remus caught his eye as James stopped talking.

"What are you two on about?" he blurted out rudely.

"About how you two are such cissys you couldn't get past a lousy librarian," Sirius snapped, and both he and Remus hopped off the window sill to head toward the common room with the other two trailing behind.

"Yeah, how are you supposed to get past the Whomping Willow? I'm not sure I trust you now…" Remus called over his shoulder.

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