Remus took a moment to adjust to the sight of a many-antlered stag shuffling nervously in the dorm room before quickly closing the door behind him.

"James," he said in a soothing voice, taking a slow step forward with his hands spread non-threateningly. "James, it's Remus."

The stag pranced back a step with bulging eyes, and looked perilously close to rearing. Remus stopped, having no desire to explain hoofprints on his face to Pomfrey.

Like he'd had to explain rat claw scratches up his arm last week.

"James, it's only exams. You've done them before. You'll do fine, James."

The repetition of James name was the important bit, Remus had learned through experiance with Sirius and Peter, and the soothing voice. When the three of them had been coming up with this brilliant plan to 'help' him, apparently they had missed the footnote that mentioned animagi reverting to animal form without trying when panicked.

"That's right, James," Remus crooned. The stag had calmed a little, and Remus felt safe approaching slowly. The stag struck a paw against the floor, making Remus startle, but lowered its head when Remus reached up to scratch the bony ridge of his brow. "You like that, James, don't you? Good James."

Remus reached up with the other hand and stroked Prong's ears. The stag's eyes drooped, then closed, then his neck lowered until Remus' hands were only at waist height.

And then eventually it was dark hair underneath between his fingers instead of coarse fur, James' slumped on the floor against Remus' legs, his cheek resting against Remus' hip.

"Good James," Remus repeated, flexing his fingers to rid them of the tickle of magic. He tugged James gently to his feet. "Nap now, James."

"But..." James voice wavered, his eyes already falling shut behind thick glasses.

"Exams later," Remus said firmly, sitting James down on his bed and lifting the covers to urge him underneath. "Sleep now."

Remus tried to move away, but James hand closed around his wrist and pulled him close.

"Stay," James murmured. He tugged on Remus' wrist harder, brow crinkling when Remus didn't comply immediately. Remus sighed, thinking of the ten feet or so of parchment that was due for various classes in the next few days, but let himself be pulled underneath James' covers. He could just crawl in for a few minutes, until James fell asleep, then get back up and do work. Yes.

"Good James," Remus yawned. His plans for escape faded away as James curled up against his chest and tangled their limbs together clumsily, and he let his own eyes drift shut.

He hoped James was human when he woke up.