James was quiet for a long moment, and then he sighed heavily, reaching up to rub one aching and scraped-up hand over his face, knocking his glasses askew in the process.
"You shouldn't've asked him," he said at last, quietly. In some ways, it was a relief, to know she knew the most dangerous secret the Marauders had. It was terrifying, and it put them all in danger, but at least he could stop trying. And she wasn't wrong. "I mean, when we found out... It took all three of us to calm him down, you know. He was so bloody sure he was going to get kicked out, or worse. And it's been an uphill fight to get him to let us help, even when he knows we know." He cleared his throat, limping over to the nearest chair and dropping heavily into it. He looked exhausted. "You know if anyone else puts two and two together, he will. Get kicked out. And he's stuffed if that happens, 'cause he won't let me pay for him, I've offered, and even if nobody comes after him, he's..." He wrinkled his nose, closed his eyes. "There's not exactly a lot of prospects for people with his brand of furry little problem, you know."
Even now, it was hard to actually say the words. Werewolf. Lycanthropy. They were words he and his friends had spent years edging around, and old habits died hard.
"You need to tell Dumbledore you know," he said, after a moment more, opening his eyes and looking at her. "He'll want you to take an Unbreakable Vow. You need to, okay? For Moony's sake. And don't tell Moony you know. Not yet. Please?"
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2021-08-26 07:24 pm (UTC)"You shouldn't've asked him," he said at last, quietly. In some ways, it was a relief, to know she knew the most dangerous secret the Marauders had. It was terrifying, and it put them all in danger, but at least he could stop trying. And she wasn't wrong. "I mean, when we found out... It took all three of us to calm him down, you know. He was so bloody sure he was going to get kicked out, or worse. And it's been an uphill fight to get him to let us help, even when he knows we know." He cleared his throat, limping over to the nearest chair and dropping heavily into it. He looked exhausted. "You know if anyone else puts two and two together, he will. Get kicked out. And he's stuffed if that happens, 'cause he won't let me pay for him, I've offered, and even if nobody comes after him, he's..." He wrinkled his nose, closed his eyes. "There's not exactly a lot of prospects for people with his brand of furry little problem, you know."
Even now, it was hard to actually say the words. Werewolf. Lycanthropy. They were words he and his friends had spent years edging around, and old habits died hard.
"You need to tell Dumbledore you know," he said, after a moment more, opening his eyes and looking at her. "He'll want you to take an Unbreakable Vow. You need to, okay? For Moony's sake. And don't tell Moony you know. Not yet. Please?"