The First Time Around

The First Time Around
Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/38110864.
Rating: Explicit
Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Categories: F/M, Gen
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Relationship: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Characters: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Lily Evans Potter, Peter
Pettigrew, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore,
Harry Potter
Additional Tags: Friendship, Family, Family Feels, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Past
Abuse, Child Abuse, Idiots in Love, Falling In Love
Language: English
Series: Part 1 of The Kismet Trilogy
Stats: Published: 2022-04-02 Completed: 2023-01-04 Words: 127,609
Chapters: 69/69
The First Time Around
by Breanie
Summary
Part 1 of Kismet Trilogy: Told in snippets and chronological moments during the lives of the
Marauders: From how they first met, to how James and Lily fell in love, to how Peter
betrayed them. It ends with Sirius going to Azkaban. This story is told chronologically, but
each chapter is essentially a standalone moment in the lives of the Marauders and of James
and Lily’s relationship. (1965-1981).
The One Where Muggles Are Filth
Author's Note:
As those of you who follow me on Tumblr are aware — I have some exciting news to share!
The World of ASC will continue on with a trilogy in which I am calling the KISMET
TRILOGY.
After talking to SeriouslySam about an idea I had — which turned into multiple ideas after
idea bouncing with Sam — she helped me decide how to make my wonderful world of ASC
into a trilogy which I am calling the Kismet Trilogy. It will be posted in 3 parts.
1. The First Time Around (1965-1981):

Told in snippets and short stories of moments in the lives of the Marauders, from how they
first met, to how James and Lily fell in love, to how Peter betrayed them. It will end with
Sirius going to Azkaban. Many of these memories you will have already read pieces of in
ASC; some of them have been expanded to be more, and some of them will be brand new. The
story will be told chronologically, but each chapter is essentially a standalone moment in the
lives of the Marauders and Jily.
2. A Second Chance (1985-1998):

The story that you've all come to love. The story of Sirius only spending 4 years in prison
before he is finally given a trial and able to raise Harry with Remus the way that he should
have. It is the story of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin as they learn what it means to be a
father/brother/guardian to Harry while finding love themselves and the story of Harry Potter,
a young boy with a loving home who learns about the Marauders from the two men who
should have raised him as he grows into the man who will lead the war against Voldemort.
Slow burn Hinny. It is in 10 parts and part 10 will pick up in the aftermath.
3. Third Time's the Charm (1998-?):

Will pick up where ASC leaves off and continue into the future of the world and characters
you've all come to love with epilogues.
Why now you ask? Well, I have Marauder memories that I wrote before I started ASC and
want to use and sadly, they just don't all fit into my story as memories.
I have ideas on things that I want to do with the future of my living characters in ASC and
starting a new story might be the best way to do that.
And finally, because I am really excited to tell you that my world is NOT ending in the near
future and I will provide you with more Hinny goodness and other couples to come.
I am calling the trilogy Kismet which means fate/destiny; a predetermined or unavoidable

destiny; the property of being lucky; the, usually unfortunate, way of the world. I think it
sums up what I want to do and what I have done so far in ASC and I am excited to share this
news with you all!
Chapter One — The One Where Muggles are Filth — starts in the year 1965 and is from the
POV of Sirius Black.
I think it will allow those people who love Jily/Marauder to read a new story and for those
who love my ASC world, it will connect back to it. As well as for those interested, it will also
provide more background on our loveable Marauders and Jily.
If all goes to plan, every weekend I will drop 2 chapters. One from The First Time Around
(TFTA) and one from A Second Chance (ASC).
Thank you in advance! I hope you like it!
My posting schedule: Weekly.
Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing
for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER ONE:
The One Where Muggles Are Filth
August 1965…
Sirius Black was six years old the first time that he remembered his father telling him
that Muggles were beneath him. He was outside in Claremont Square, playing in the street
with the little boy from Number Nine. His name was Robbie and he taught Sirius how to play
football. Sirius kicked the ball with glee, his cheeks spread in a grin as the boys from Number
Four and Number Fourteen came to join in.
Orion Black came home to find his son in the street with the Muggles and his eyes narrowed.
"Sirius! Inside! Now!"
Sirius hastily told his new friends goodbye before following his father through the entrance to
Number Twelve; his new friends didn't notice the way that the house seemed to spring up
between Numbers Eleven and Thirteen. The door had barely closed behind him before
Orion's grey eyes, so like Sirius' own, stared him down.
"That boy is a Muggle, Sirius."
"I know, Father," he said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "He said that he's going to show
me how to play football. I don't know what it is, but it sounds brilliant! We'd only just
started!"
"He's a Muggle, Sirius. We do not associate with such filth."
Sirius' brow furrowed. "He wasn't dirty."

Orion gestured for his son to follow him into the living room and told him to sit down.
"Sirius, we're wizards. Do you know what that means?"
"We have magic," Sirius said.
"Yes, and Muggles cannot do magic."
"They can still do other wicked stuff. Like those cars, Father — I want to drive a car!"
Orion glared at him. "You will never do such a thing! Muggle inventions and Muggles
themselves are disgustingly low creatures. They are not worthy to lick the mud from your
boots — do you understand me?"
"Muggles are bad," Sirius surmised.
"Very bad. We are so much better than them. We do not associate with them. Muggles are
filth, Sirius. We would no longer associate with them as we would the bugs under our feet.
We do not play with them or speak to them at all if avoidable. Am I clear?"
Sirius nodded, his eyes downcast. "Yes, Father. But, Father, can Regulus come outside with
me tomorrow to meet Robbie so that he can show us what football is?"
The slap sent him reeling.
He fell off of the chesterfield, holding his cheek, his eyes wide as he stared up at his father.
His eyes watered and Orion raised his hand again.
"That boy is beneath you, Sirius, and you will not learn how to play a stupid bloody Muggle
sport from him, nor play said sport, nor subject your younger brother to that disgusting and
foul creature. Have I made myself clear?"
"But why? He was so nice," Sirius asked, not fully understanding why his father hated
Robbie so much.
The second slap jogged his tear-ducts and they ran down his face.
"Blacks don't cry," Orion said sternly. "Pull yourself together. Now get upstairs to your room
and think about what I told you. What are Muggles, Sirius?"
"Muggles are filth," he repeated, his eyes on his toes.
"Look at me when you say it."
Sirius' grey eyes looked up at his father, his hands behind his back as he held his head high.
"Muggles are filth."
Orion stared at him a moment before he nodded. "Go to your room. At dinner you will tell
me again what Muggles truly are."
Sirius scrambled to his feet, sucking back his tears as Orion watched him. "Yes, Father."
"I'm only doing this for your own good, Sirius," he said quietly. "I don't want to hit my son."
"I'm sorry, Father."
Orion nodded. "Go on now, upstairs, and think about what you've done. If I have to punish
you again, it will be with my wand, and I can promise you, it will make that slap look like
child's play."
Sirius ran upstairs to his room, closing the door behind him. He wiped the tears from his
cheeks before he moved to the window to look outside at his new friends playing in the
street. He could hear their laughter and his heart clenched.
Muggles were filth, he repeated. And they were beneath them.
He wouldn't forget those words again.
End Author's Notes:
Thank you for reading and please review!

The One With the Muggle and the Witch
Author's Note:
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the scene by JKR, but I did tweak it to suit my needs.
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Sara: Thank you! I did want to give a bit of chills, to
show how even at an early age the Blacks were trying to stamp the kindness out of Sirius, to
make him believe what they believed. Thank you! To Millie15128: Thank you! Yes, that was
a typo, which I fixed. Thank you so much! To CherrySara: I understand that the excitement
for chapter 321 of ASC took precedence, but thanks for reading! Yes, we saw a snippet of this
in ASC from Sirius' memory — a lot of these chapters will be like that, though a lot of them
will be new as well. Thank you! To MarinePotterfan: Well, I didn't want to reveal the title of
the third story, but yes, that's what I was going to call it — Third Time's the Charm — so I
revealed the name on tumblr since apparently it was guessed already. To Speedyconzalis:
Thank you! I love that you want to show my story to your friends, thanks for being a part of
ASC for almost two years!
To wolfjinx15475: Yes, I think reading them in chronological order will bring more
emotions to the surface (I hope). Thank you! To Whatfunny: Thank you! To tim2604:
Nope, not the most pleasant memory, but I am posting in chronological order and this was
the earliest memory. Poor Sirius indeed, he deserved better. Yes, the chapters will be told
from the POVs of Sirius, Remus, Lily, James, Peter, and Snape. Thank you! To scrappy8:
Thank you! To Shivani: Thank you! I'm so glad you're excited! To alix33: Agreed. Thank
you! To Griffind00r: He is a horrible and vile man, trying to brainwash his son! Sirius was
just too stubborn! Thank you! To the frozen flame: Thank you! Yes, it will get worse for
poor Sirius. To Nuno Neves: Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Thank you! Yes, there are
similarities here between when Harry was five, they are both so sweet and precious and just
not realizing how horribly they are being treated. Yes, I did do it on purpose to contrast them.
Sirius is already showing a bit of rebellion and an interest in Muggle mechanics. Thank you
so much for such a beautiful review!
To cath: Thank you! I am going to take that as a compliment! To Ellieoryan7447: Sirius

definitely doesn't see why he has to treat people differently, he is a natural born gem! And he
is a little star already! Thank you! To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! To TiffanyToms:
I know! Poor baby Sirius, he deserves better! Thank you! To Susanne_BK: Thank you so
much for saying this is the best news you've heard in ages. I hope you enjoy it! Thank you!
To CorbanD17: Thank you so much for the vote of confidence! Thank you! To Bellmel:
Sorry to make your heart ache, poor little Sirius and his sweet childish innocence. He
definitely deserves a big hug! It's not a dangerous story to read… just full of emotion indeed!
Thank you!
Reminder — this story is full of snippets and time jumps.

CHAPTER TWO:
The One With the Muggle and the Witch
July 1970…
The nearly deserted playground was grim looking in the low evening light. A single huge
chimney dominated the distant skyline. Two girls were swinging backward and forward, and
Severus Snape watched them with interest. He was a skinny boy, no older than nine or ten,
and gazed at them from behind a clump of bushes. His black hair was overlong and his
clothes were so mismatched that it looked deliberate: Too short jeans, a shabby, overlarge
coat that might have belonged to a grown man, and an odd smock-like shirt. He was small,
sallow, and stringy for his age.
It wasn't the first time that he had come across the Evans sisters, Petunia and Lily, but it was
the first time he'd watched them for such a length of time. He'd suspected for a while now
that Lily was like him: Magical. But he was positive that today had finally proven it. There
was undisguised greed in his thin face as he watched the small redhead swing higher and
higher than her sister.
"Lily, don't do it!" Petunia shrieked.
But Lily let go of the swing at the very height of its arc and flew into the air. She had quite
literally flown and launched herself skyward with a great shout of laughter; her long red hair
blowing behind her in the wind. Instead of crumpling on the playground asphalt, she soared
like a trapeze artist through the air, staying up far too long and landing far too lightly.
"Mummy told you not to!" Petunia shrieked again.
She stopped her swing by dragging the heels of her sandals on the ground, making a
crunching, grinding sound, then leapt up, hands on her hips.
"Mummy said that you weren't allowed, Lily!"
"But I'm fine, Petunia," Lily said, still giggling. "Tuney, look at this. Watch what I can do."
Petunia glanced around nervously at the deserted playground before moving closer to her
sister. Lily had picked up a fallen flower from the bush behind where the boy lurked. Petunia
advanced, evidently torn between curiosity and disapproval. Lily waited until Petunia was
near enough to have a clear view, then held out her palm. The flower sat there, opening and
closing its petals, like some bizarre, many-lipped oyster.
"Stop it!" Petunia shrieked.

"It's not hurting you," Lily said, but she closed her hand on the blossom and threw it back to
the ground.
"It's not right," Petunia said, but her eyes had followed the flower's flight to the ground and
lingered upon it in silent amazement. "How do you do it?" she added, and there was definite
longing in her voice.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Snape called out, no longer able to contain himself.
He jumped out from behind the bushes as the girls looked around for the voice.
Petunia shrieked and ran backward toward the swings, but Lily, though clearly startled,
remained where she was. A dull flush of colour mounted Snape's sallow cheeks as he looked
at Lily. Maybe jumping out at them hadn't been the best idea after all.
"What's obvious?" Lily asked, her beautiful, almond-shaped emerald green eyes pierced in
his direction.
Snape tried to hide his nervous excitement at the thought of finally talking to the girl. With a
glance at the distant Petunia, now hovering beside the swings, he lowered his voice. "I
know what you are."
"What do you mean?" Lily asked, looking startled. "I'm a girl."
"Yes, but you're also… you're a witch," he whispered.
Lily looked affronted. "I am not! That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!"
She turned, nose in the air, and marched off toward her sister.
"No!" Snape exclaimed, his cheeks flushing even darker. "I-I didn't mean it like that."
The sisters considered him, united in disapproval, both holding on to one of the swing poles,
as though it was a safe place.
"You are," he said to Lily. "You are a witch. I've been watching you for a while. But there's
nothing wrong with that. My mum's one, and I'm a wizard."
Petunia's laugh was like cold water.
"Wizard!" she shrieked, her courage returned now that she had recovered from the shock of
his unexpected appearance. "I know who you are. You're that Snape boy! They live down
Spinner's End by the river," she told Lily, and it was evident from her tone that she
considered the address a poor recommendation. "Why have you been spying on us?"
"Haven't been spying," Snape said, hot and uncomfortable and dirty-haired in the bright
sunlight. "Wouldn't spy on you, anyway. You're a Muggle," he added spitefully. "No one
cares about Muggles."
Though Petunia evidently did not understand the word, she could hardly mistake the tone.
"Lily, come on, we're leaving!" she said, shrilly.
Lily obeyed her sister at once, glaring at Snape as she left. He stood watching them as they
marched through the playground gate, leaving Snape standing there in bitter disappointment
as the Muggle left with the Witch and left him once more alone.
The One Where There's No Hogwash
Author's Note:
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the scene from JKR, but I tweaked it a bit to fit.
In honour of hitting over 1000 followers on Tumblr, I am posting a bonus chapter! Chapter
four will still be posted this weekend as well! Thanks for all the support!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To alix33: Petunia definitely continued to make terrible

shrieking sounds her whole life lol. Thank you! To CherrySara: Yes, all of the snippets
posted here are longer versions of what appeared in ASC (for the most part). Yes, it was from
Snape's POV before as well because Snape gave the memory to Sirius. I agree, Snape was a
bit creepy! Thank you! To joss.518: Thank you! I'm so glad people are excited for The First
Time Around. We won't see too much Jily for a while as obviously they are not dating yet lol,
but yes, I am excited to share some of that! I could never do two stories at once, I agree!
Thankfully 80% of The First Time Around is already completed due to me having written it in
chunks for memories of ASC and it only needed a few tweaks, Thank you! To Sara: I agree,
the fact that Snape was already anti-Muggle on some level at this point does say a lot. Thank
you very much! To notthatchhavi: It's true, both Snape and Sirius were taught negativity
about Muggles, it's interesting how Sirius grew out of his. Yes, Sirius definitely grew up to be
the better man by far. Thank you! Thanks for the second review! I did want to show the
comparisons between them!
To scrappy8: Thank you! To Cath: Thank you very much! I agree, that is the incredible
artwork of blvnk — one of my favourites she's done of the Marauders. I don't know how to
post a cover on Ao3 lol. Thank you! To Griffind00r: I do often sympathize with Petunia as a
child. It probably was very hard for her to grow up and watch her sister have these powers,
but I don't think it justifies any of her choices in her life. Like Snape, she chose the wrong
path. It's very interesting to see how that started. Thank you! To Sam: Yup, creepy Snape
and Petunia. Yes, Lily was, but in her defence, they weren't shit people yet. Thank you! To
ravenclaw_rockchick: Thanks for wanting to leave kudos again! I appreciate it! Thank you
liking how I take a well known scene and make it my own to flow with the story, that is what I
was trying to do. I'm excited to share more moments between the Marauders and Lily along
with some James and Lily moments that Harry wouldn't know about because they were
private. Thank you!
To Bellmel: Snape is a creepy turd! LOL! Thank you! I'm really glad you said that you have
a sliver of sympathy for Snape in this scene. He is a lonely boy who has inherited horrid
prejudices and he's trying to make a friend who he sees is like him and it's a struggle. It find
it interesting that he's alone in the end, almost poetic. Thank you! To marauders_mowopapr:
Thanks for being excited about The First Time Around only two chapters in! I admit, chapter
four is my first non-ASC moment and I'm excited to share it. Yes, you will suffer, but you'll be
happy about it. Ron's wise words of the day lol. Thank you!

CHAPTER THREE:
The One Where There's No Hogwash
September 1970…
Lily Evans sat cross legged on the ground in a small thicket of trees. The sunlit river
glittered through their trunks. The shadows cast by the trees made a basin of cool green
shade. Severus sat across from her. He had removed his coat now; his odd smock looked less
peculiar in the half light than it did on the first day she'd met him.
"I knew that you believed me."
Lily stared at him a moment. "I didn't say that. It's just… you keep saying I'm a witch and…
it doesn't sound right. Witches are supposed to be green and evil and scary. When someone
throws water on me, I don't melt."
Snape rolled his eyes. "That's what Muggles want you to think, but that's not true at all. Can't
you feel your magic?"
Lily frowned. She held her hand out over the grass, watching the blades grow to reach her.
"But if I'm not a witch, how else can I make stuff happen like that? Have I gone mad?"
"No, you haven't gone mad. It's because you are a witch, Lily," Severus insisted. "And I'm a
wizard. We're special, Lily. I don't know why you don't believe me."
Lily's bright green eyes looked uncertain. "How come Tuney can't do it?"
Severus shrugged. "Not everyone can."
Lily bit her lip. "Severus… I don't know if I want to go away to school. Daddy says that
boarding schools are very expensive and a magic school…"
"If you don't go, though, and you get caught doing magic, the Ministry will come after you,"
Snape said quickly, his voice rising a bit.
"The Ministry?"
"Of Magic," Severus said, puffing out his chest, "and the Ministry can punish you if you do
magic outside school, you get letters."
"But I have done magic outside school!" Lily exclaimed, her eyes widening in alarm. "I
haven't gotten any letters from a Ministry of Magic!"
"We're all right. We haven't got wands yet. They let you off when you're a kid and you can't
help it. But once you're eleven"— he nodded importantly— "and they start training you, then
you've got to be careful."
Lily picked up a fallen twig and twirled it in the air. "A wand?"
Severus nodded. "A magic wand. You'll see, Lily. It's going to be amazing. You'll meet all
sorts of others like you and me, but you have to be eleven to go."
Lily dropped the twig and leaned towards him. "It is real, isn't it? It's not a joke? Petunia says
that you're lying to me. Petunia says that there isn't a Hogwarts. It is real, isn't it?"
"It's real for us," Severus said. "Not for her. But we'll get the letter next summer, you and
me."
"Really?" Lily whispered.
"Definitely," Severus said, and even with his poorly cut hair and his odd clothes, he struck an
oddly impressive figure sprawled in front of her, brimful of confidence in his destiny.
"And will it really come by owl?" Lily whispered.
"Normally," Severus said. "But you're Muggleborn, so someone from the school will have to
come and explain it to your parents."
"Does it make a difference, being Muggleborn?"
Severus hesitated. His black eyes, eager in the greenish gloom, moved over the pale face, the
dark red hair. "No," he said. "It doesn't make any difference."
"Good," Lily said, relaxing.
"You've got loads of magic already," Severus said. "I saw that. All the time I was watching
you…"
His voice trailed away; she wasn't listening, but had stretched out on the leafy ground and
was looking up at the canopy of leaves overhead. He watched her as greedily as he had
watched her in the playground.
"How are things at your house?" Lily asked.
A little crease appeared between his eyes.
"Fine," he said.
"They're not arguing anymore?"
"Oh yes, they're arguing," Severus said. He picked up a fistful of leaves and began tearing
them apart, apparently unaware of what he was doing. "But it won't be that long and I'll be
gone. One more year."
"Doesn't your dad like magic?"
"He doesn't like anything, much," Severus admitted. "He hates that I have it, like my mum.
It's best to stay out of his way."
"Severus?"
A little smile twisted Severus's mouth when she said his name.
"Yeah?"
"Tell me about the Dementors again."
"What d'you want to know about them for?" Snape asked, his lips twitching.
"Because you told me that if I use magic outside of school —"
"They wouldn't give you to the Dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really
bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You're not going to end up in Azkaban,
you're too —"
He turned red again and shredded more leaves. Then a small rustling noise behind them made
them turn: Petunia, hiding behind a tree, had lost her footing.
"Tuney!" Lily said, surprise and welcome in her voice, but Severus had jumped to his feet.
"Who's spying now?" he shouted. "What d'you want?"
Petunia was breathless, alarmed at being caught. "What is that you're wearing, anyway?" she
said, pointing at Severus's chest. "Your mum's blouse?"
Snape's eyes narrowed. There was a loud crack and suddenly a branch fell right over
Petunia's head.
Lily screamed.
The branch caught Petunia on the shoulder, and she staggered backward and burst into tears.
"Tuney!"
But Petunia was already running away.
Lily rounded on Severus. "Did you make that happen?"
"No."
He looked both defiant and scared.
"You did!" she was backing away from him. "You did! You hurt her!"
"No — no, I didn't!" Snape insisted.

Lily sent him one last burning look before she ran from the little thicket, off after her sister,
leaving Severus looking miserable and confused. She grabbed her sister's hand just outside of
their house.
"Tuney — wait!"
Petunia huffed. "He's filling your head with nonsense, Lily! Magic isn't real! You won't be
going off to some magical boarding school called something stupid like Hogwash next year!
You'll be here, in the real world of Cokeworth, with me."
Lily watched her sister turn and storm into the house and she bit her lip before she reached
for the wilting tulip in the front garden. One touch of her finger brought it back to full bloom
and she couldn't help the smile from spreading across her face.
Magic was definitely real and she knew it. She looked behind her towards the playground in
the distance and thought that there was no way Severus had made it all up. He couldn't
have…
Magic just had to be real.
End Author's Notes:
Thanks for reading and please review!

The One Where There's A Monster
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Moony The Sheep: Thank you! I wanted to show a bit of
how Lily and Petunia felt after the incident. To ellyann13: I do feel bad for Petunia here,
she is afraid it's real and she can't seem to process what that means for her or for Lily. Thank
you! To Shivani: Snape is creepy and weird lol. I think Snape believed his own words there,
or wanted to, which is sadder. Thank you! To Avipotter: Thank you! We will see more of
Snape and Lily, but no too much of Petunia anytime soon. Thank you! To CherrySara:
You're welcome for the bonus chapter! Thank you! Petunia was a bit insufferable, but Snape
was also still a bit creepy and not creepy at the same time. Such a dilemma! Thank you! To
darkhk: Yes, it will be 69 chapters and end in 1981. It will be snippets and time jumps. Each
chapter is essentially a standalone moment. Thank you!
To alix33: You think something worse than a branch should have fallen on Petunia? Seems
fair, but right now she's only a girl. Thank you! To Guest: I plan to continue this story… To
Sam: I thought it makes sense, most witch references for her would be The Wizard of Oz,
LOL. I accept your hate of Snape and Petunia! Thank you! To Sara: Lily is very powerful
from the start. Her ability to control her magic is part of what I think makes Harry be so
powerful. Thank you! To Griffind00r: Snape was rather vulnerable and unreserved in his
early years and you can see he's not sure where he wants to cross the line. I can't imagine a
world where Snape and Sirius are best friends LOL. Thank you! To notthatchhavi: Thank
you! To Slaidback: Thank you very much!
To CorbanD17: Thank you! To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! Yes, James will be

stupid in love with Lily… not quite yet, but we'll get there. Promise. To Bellmel: Snape is
quite excited to be going to this school with Lily, to showing her this new and exciting world.
Petunia is being a bitch and I think Snape is trying to cling to Lily a little, to not lose this new
and probably only friend he has. Thank you!
CHAPTER FOUR:
The One Where There's A Monster
March 1971…
Remus Lupin knew that he was different. He had always known that there was something
different about him, but he hadn't really understood what until just before his sixth birthday,
when he woke up after the full moon with a broken bed post and claw marks all over the
walls.
He banged on the door, crying for his parents to unlock it, and when the door finally opened,
the sight of his mum caused him to throw himself into her arms.
"Mummy! There's a monster!"
"A monster?" Hope Lupin asked.
"Look, what he did to my room!" Remus exclaimed. "Can you check under the bed?"
Tears welled up in Hope's eyes. She snuggled him close, kissing his temple as she stroked his
hair and diligently told him that there was no monster under his bed.
Or in his closet.
There was no monster anywhere, she insisted, because Remus had done it.
He was the monster.
They'd cried together curled up in his parents' bed as Hope tried to explain to him what had
been going on for the last year, and why they had to lock him in his room a few nights a
month. There were three nights of the moon cycle that caused the werewolf to emerge: The
night before, the night of, and the night after the full moon. Each night, the werewolf would
force himself out of Remus' body and try to destroy everything and everyone in sight.
"But that's not you, love," Hope insisted. "You're our baby boy and we love you. We'll always
love you. No matter what."
But Remus had known there was more to it than that.
It meant that he didn't have any friends.
It meant that he had to stay home and be homeschooled by Hope.
It meant that he learned to love books and learning as an escape from his own reality.
It meant that he would never have a normal life.
Or it did until one day, a week before his eleventh birthday, the most unusual looking man he
had ever seen arrived on their doorstep.
Remus stood on his toes to get a peek at the tall man standing on their doorstep as Lyall and
Hope tried to block his entrance, but five minutes later, the man was sitting at the fireside,
eating crumpets and playing Gobstones with Remus.
He had a long white beard, longer than anyone Remus had ever seen, with a long moustache.
He wore a funny looking black cape over dark purple pinstriped trousers with a matching
purple jacket over a white shirt with black stars all over it. His glasses were shaped like a
half-moon and they sat on the edge of his long nose and did nothing to diminish the intensity
of his rather blue eyes. His name was Albus Dumbledore and he was the Headmaster of
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Remus knew what that was. His father had attended school there to learn magic. He was a
wizard, but his mother was a Muggle. His father promised he would teach him magic and get
him a wand because Remus knew he could never go to school with the other kids. Lyall had
explained that to him, saying it was much too dangerous for him to be around them.
It was why Remus really didn't understand why Dumbledore was here. He watched him
carefully as he listened to Dumbledore speak.
"I understand your fear," Dumbledore assured them. "Fenrir Greyback has been boasting
about what he's done for years. I know that this isn't Remus' fault and I don't believe that he
should suffer because of it. I see no reason why he can't attend school come September with
his peers."
"Really?" Hope exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Do you really think he could?"
"No," Lyall said, sharply. "He's a fool! How is he supposed to share a dormitory with other
boys? How will they be protected from him?"
"I've arranged a safe place for Remus to go during the moon, Mr Lupin. It's in Hogsmeade
and there's a secret entrance from the school grounds. He can go there to transform safely and
stay the night. He will return to the school in the morning," Dumbledore explained. "The
school matron will check him over and make sure he hasn't hurt himself before letting him
return to his classes for the day."
Lyall scoffed. "He's exhausted the next day. He spends the whole night running around like a
wild animal! He scratches and claws himself, the walls, the furniture. He howls and shrieks
the whole night. How do you expect him to keep this a secret when he's falling asleep in
class?"
"We will take precautions, Mr Lupin," Dumbledore assured him. "The professors will be
aware of his condition, but we will not broadcast it to the students. I don't want to cause panic
nor do I want to make any of the students uncomfortable. I think it's best that we keep Remus'
condition a secret while he's there."
"And this safe place?" Lyall prompted. "How can you guarantee that he will be safe there?
That he won't escape and hurt someone?"
"It's a house in Hogsmeade, not on the beaten path," Dumbledore said. "It will be guarded by
many spells to prevent him escaping and reached only by an underground passage from the
Hogwarts grounds."
"Please, Dad," Remus said, his eyes on his parents. "I want to go."
Hope reached over to squeeze her husband's hand. "I want him to go, too, Lyall. It will be so
good for him to get to make friends, to learn how to control his magic."
Lyall closed his eyes. "Hope, if people find out that there's a werewolf attending
Hogwarts…"
"They won't," Dumbledore insisted. "He will be safe. I assure you."
Remus snuck another hopeful look at his parents. His father's eyes met his for a long moment
before Lyall nodded curtly.
"Okay."
"Excellent!" Dumbledore exclaimed, standing up. "Well, I thank you for your hospitality and
for that scrumptious crumpet, Mrs Lupin. Remus, your letter will arrive in the summer. I look
forward to seeing you at the feast on the first of September."
When the door closed behind him, Remus grinned at his parents.
"I can go to Hogwarts? Really?"
"Yes," Lyall said. "You can go to Hogwarts."
Remus rushed across the room to hug his parents tight and thought it was the happiest day of
his young life.
End Author's Notes:
I know I already answered this in ASC, but I always liked the Whedon myth about werewolves
where it covers 3 days a month: Day before, day of, and day after the full moon. This is how I
explain Remus' lycanthropy as the first werewolf I remember from my childhood was Oz.

The One Where James Gets His Letter
Author's Note:
I apologize for the delay. Due to personal reasons, I could not post on time.
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Bellmel: Thank you! I'm glad that you can excuse the
pain I brought forward considering the circumstances lol. Remus was hopeful and delighted
and so is Hope. To CorbanD17: Thank you! I don't really have any writing tips except write
what drives you. Don't worry if it's not in order or what you are supposed to be writing, just
write what comes out. You can fit it together later. As to the chapters in TFTA, some will be
longer, but most will be short and sweet. Thank you. To marauders_mowopapr: I know. I
just want to give Remus a hug. Thank you! To Sara: I'm sorry that I made you want to cry,
but thank you! I just thought poor little Remus, he was so young and he wouldn't have
understood. I think it would have confused him until he could truly grasp it. It was the
happiest day for him to learn he could go to Hogwarts and maybe make friends. Thank you!
To CherrySara: Thank you very much! I always wondered how Remus' parents told him
about his condition as well, thank you. To alix33: Pinstripes are just great I guess lol. I'm
sure Dumbledore had more than one crumpet. Thank you!
To wolfjinx15475: I also have a soft spot for Remus and him realizing he's the monster… it
just broke my heart. Thank you! To notthatchhavi: No, he didn't know. He was too little to
understand. I think Hope was definitely more supportive than Lyall. I think it took Lyall a lot
longer to come around because he blamed himself for it. I think both of his parents would
have been very proud of him. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Remus is one of the nicest
people ever! Thank you! I agree, Hope was a great mum and she only saw her baby and
nothing more. Thank you! To joss.518: Thank you! We will see a bit more of Hope and Lyall
along the way. To darkhk: Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To Nuno Neves: Remus
definitely deserves the best, thank you! To saucyswimmer: I think Remus' love of learning
definitely came from the books he could and did escape into. Locking him in his room was so
sad. Thank you! To Gryffind00r: Sorry/not sorry for breaking your heart! Baby Remus
needed to be seen! I totally agree that Hope was the one who was fiercely protective and told
him that he could be whatever he wanted. She was the best! Thank you! To Shivani: Remus
is a very kind soul! It's so sad because he did feel all of those things, thank you!
CHAPTER FIVE:
The One Where James Gets His Letter
June 1971…
James Potter hopped up onto the railing, his hands high in the air as he slid down to the
bottom of the bannister. He dove off and did an impressive somersault before he landed on
his feet in the front entrance hall. He'd barely found his footing before his mother's voice
made him wince.
"James Fleamont Potter! What did I say about sliding down the bannisters?"
"To only do it when you're not home?" he asked hopefully.
Euphemia Potter stood in the doorway of the living room with her hands on her hips. "No."
James grinned. "But you have to admit, it was impressive."
Euphemia rolled her eyes before she pulled him close for a hug. "Brat."
"Can I go flying?"
"After," Euphemia said. "Your father has something for you."
James followed his mother into the living room to where his father was reading the paper by
the fireplace. "Morning, Dad."
Fleamont folded his paper to smile at his only son. "Good morning, James. Sit down."
James plopped onto the sofa, his fidgeting legs stretching out across the cushions. "Can I go
flying?"
"After," Fleamont said.
"Then can we go to London and look at some more records?"
"James."
"Sorry," he said, turning his attention to his father. "Wotcher, Dad."
Fleamont reached over to the little table next to him and picked up a letter. "Something
arrived for you today."
James bolted upright, his eyes wide. "My Hogwarts letter?"
Fleamont passed him the envelope as Euphemia moved to sit on the arm of her husband's
chair, smiling when he wrapped his arm around her waist.
James ripped open the envelope with glee, his hazel eyes wide in excitement. "It came! I'm
going!"
"Of course you are, darling," Euphemia assured him.

James leapt to his feet and threw himself at his parents, grinning from ear to ear. "Now we
have to go to London to celebrate! Records and racing brooms?"
Fleamont chuckled. "Perhaps a spot of breakfast first? What do you say, Fee?"
"I say breakfast and then a trip to Diagon Alley and maybe Apricity Lane," Euphemia said.
"And Monty, James does not need a new broom."
Fleamont winked at James when Euphemia stood up. "I'm sure that we can find something
else to celebrate this great news."
"A new guitar?" James asked, bouncing on his feet.
"Jamie, you can have a new guitar when you show me what you've learned on the old one."
James grinned. "Don't worry, Mum. I'll wow you with my rendition of 'While My Guitar
Gently Weeps.' It will be so amazing, you'll cry!"
Euphemia snorted. "We'll see."
Fleamont chuckled as he stood up. "Breakfast first and then we'll see." When Euphemia only
gave him a look, his lips curved. "He's your son."
"Hmm, until he's yours."
Fleamont kissed her as James made a gagging noise in the background. "Our boy's going to
Hogwarts, Fee."
"Whoo!" James shouted, running out of the living room.
"James! Don't run!" Euphemia exclaimed. "And don't slide down the bannister!"
Fleamont's lips curved. "It's going to be very quiet around here."
But James didn't hear him, he was too busy screaming his exciting news at the house elves.
He was going to Hogwarts and he couldn't wait.

The One With the Reigning Champion
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Ellieoryan7447: Little James is so hyper! He is a bundle

of energy! Thank you! I think Fee and Monty were amazing parents who definitely spoiled
their only boy rotten! Thank you! To darkhk: I have seen the Prince cover, it's pretty
awesome! Thank you! To Shivani: James is definitely a ball of energy and he's very excited
to be going to Hogwarts! Thank you! To alix33: Thank you! To Griffind00r: Fee and
Monty definitely missed his boundless energy when he left the house. He is kind of like a little
puppy, isn't he? Thank you! To wolfjinx15475: Thank you! I do think James Sirius took after
his grandpa a lot, so it makes sense that you would see that energy in blvnk's drawings.
Definitely more Beatles references lol. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Thank you! I
thought we needed some wholesome to balance out the angst. Thanks for liking my Fee and
Monty. LMAO, you think little James is Harry high on drugs? I mean, he is very excitable lol.
Thank you!
To scrappy8: James is so bad? LOL. Thank you! To ellyann13: James is definitely spoiled,
but he knows it. Thank you! To Sara: Thanks for the support. It does contrast the difference
between James and Remus' letters. Thanks for loving Fee and Monty! To CherrySara:
Sorry, we will not be seeing Sirius, Peter, or Lily get their letters. But we will see more of
them soon! Thank you! To CorbanD17: Thank you! Still a bit before some Jily, but there will
be some! To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! I'm glad you're already in love with my
James Potter, he is very fun to write. James would definitely have loved Harry in the
treehouse like him with the bannisters lol. Thank you!
CHAPTER SIX:
The One With the Reigning Champion
1st September 1971…
Remus stood on the platform of nine and three quarters with his mother's arm draped
around his shoulders. His hands were nervously in his pockets as he stared up at the scarlet
steam engine before him.
"There's no need to be nervous, Rem. Professor Dumbledore has promised that every
precaution will be taken. You will be safe."
"It's not my safety that's a priority, Mum," Remus said softly, his eyes still on the train.
Hope kissed her son's cheek. "Every precaution will be taken, Remus. You can't worry about
it. And you have a few weeks to get settled into your dormitory and make friends and enjoy
your classes before you truly have to worry about it."
Remus scratched the small crescent shaped scar above his left eyebrow. He had somehow
done it to himself a few years ago and it was hardly the only scar that was self inflicted. He
felt his mother squeeze his shoulders tight and he smiled at her. He knew how worried she
was about him going off to Hogwarts and the last thing that he wanted was to give her
something else to worry over when it came to him.
"You're right, Mum." He kissed her cheek. "It's going to be grand. Don't worry."
She beamed at him, hugging him tightly again. "You write home at the end of the week and
tell us everything! I want every last detail of your first week, okay?"
Lyall pulled his son close for a hug. "Don't think about hiding your secret so much; just be
yourself and make friends. No one will know about your secret. Have a grand time. Play a
few pranks."
"Lyall!"
"What? You're the instigator of that, Hope!" he said with a laugh as Remus grinned at his
parents.
"We love you! Don't forget to write!"
He smiled at his mother. "I won't. I promise. I'll see you at Christmas?"
At her nod, he let her hug him once more before he headed towards the train with his trunk in
tow as his parents waved madly behind him.
He found a compartment to himself and settled himself into the corner by the window,
watching the platform as it filled with students and parents and younger siblings all there to
send everyone off. He closed his eyes, turning his head away from the window. Starting
school with the secret that he was holding was incredibly terrifying to him. He reached into
his book bag and tugged out the novel that he was reading. A wonderful work of Muggle
fiction called Sherlock Holmes and settled himself for a quiet train ride.
It was ten minutes later as Watson was demanding of his friend how he had possibly come to
his conclusions that the compartment door slid open and a small slightly chubby boy stood
there, dirty blonde hair and watery blue eyes. He was holding a cage with a brown owl as he
looked into the compartment.
"M-may I sit in here? Everywhere else is full."
Remus gestured to the empty bench. "Of course!"

The boy sat down, carefully placing the owl cage on the bench. He shifted uncomfortably for
a moment and then he simply leaned back and closed his eyes as the train began to move.
Remus turned back to his book. He read two more pages before he realized the boy was
staring at him. He lifted his head and looked over at him. "Nervous?"
The boy nodded, folding his hands in his lap. "M-my mum says I shouldn't be. I'm Peter."
"Remus," he said, feeling bad for the boy. He looked even more alone and isolated than
Remus felt. "I'm a little nervous too. I don't know anybody."
Peter nodded, smiling in relief. "Me neither." He reached into his pocket pulling out the deck
of cards there. "Do you like Exploding Snap?"
Remus closed his book and smiled. "I love it. In fact, I'm reigning champion."
Peter laughed as he tugged the cards out of the bag. "Well, Champion, prepare to be
dethroned."
Remus grinned back at him. "Bring it."
It took ten minutes for the cards to explode and Peter jumped as his eyebrow was singed off,
making Remus laugh.
"And I still hold champion!" he declared, standing up and taking a bow.
Peter grinned at him as he cleaned up his cards. "You're really good. Well played."
Remus nodded and leaned back in his seat. "So Peter, tell me something about yourself."
"Like what?" he asked, putting the slightly burnt cards back into their holder.
Remus held up the book that he had been reading. "Do you like to read?"
Peter shook his head. "Definitely not. Mum always tried to instil a love of literature in me,
but mostly I got bored. I like animals though and plants and Arthimancy, which I'm a little
sad we can't take until third year. I'm kind of pumped to see what kind of neat things we'll get
to do in Herbology though. And this is Owl."
Remus' scared eyebrow rose in amusement. "You named your owl, Owl?"
Peter grinned. "I did. Mum tried to get me to change it, but it stuck and now it's all he will
answer to. I like it. It's original."
"Yes, it is," Remus said, biting back a laugh. "Well, I like to read. I read a lot actually. I like
getting to disappear for awhile and become someone else, you know? It's rather liberating
and exciting," he explained, crossing his feet. "Muggle stories especially."
"Are you Muggleborn?" Peter asked, his watery eyes staring at Remus in surprise. "I mean,
how else do you know about Muggle stories?"
Remus laughed. "No, but my mum's a Muggle. My dad's a half-blood. Mum loves stories and
she was always sharing them with me from the time I was a baby. Dad worked in the
Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."
Peter nodded, grinning. "That's aces! That's where I think I'd want to work, at the Ministry I
mean. Dad's job is terribly boring. He's in the Department of Magical Transportation. He runs
the testing for Apparition though, so that's pretty wicked. My mum works at a flower shop in
Diagon Alley."
"My mum used to work in an insurance office, you know, in the Muggle world. She said that
she might go back now that I'm in Hogwarts and not home for her to take care of."
"How do you live between the two worlds, mate? Like with your mum knowing all about
magic and stuff?" Peter asked, leaning forward in curiosity.
Remus shrugged. "It's not hard. Mum tells the Muggles that Dad works in M15 so his work is
always classified. That's like the Muggle version of the Department of Mysteries so Dad
never has to explain his job. Even my grandparents don't know that Dad's a wizard. Your
parents are both a witch and wizard then?"
"Yeah. Mum's a pureblood, comes from a long line of witches and wizards, but my Dad's a
half-blood too, so they were pretty certain I'd be magical. Mum says that I'm going to be in
Hufflepuff like my Dad was, but I don't know, I feel like that's not where I belong, you know?
Do you know what house you'll belong to?" Peter asked him, stretching his legs out on the
bench.
Remus shook his head. "No. Dad wouldn't give me any clue as to how they pick the house
either. He just said that it was like a test of the mind. He was in Gryffindor though."
Peter smiled. "The House of the Brave. That's Dumbledore's house, you know? Dad always
told me stories about how Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald. He could have been Minister
of Magic and instead he's all about running a school. He must be weird."
"Actually, he's really nice," Remus told him honestly. It was Dumbledore after all who had
come to visit him and to personally assure him that he would be allowed the finest magical
education that he could provide him. "I met him. My parents had questions about Hogwarts
and well, I guess he was more than willing to answer them."
"Wow," Peter said, grinning widely. "That's wicked, mate!" He crossed his arms in front of
him. "Be brilliant if we were in the same house. It'd be nice to know someone right away."
Remus smiled back. He had to agree with Peter's assessment. "Yeah, that would be pretty
great. Hey, how do you feel about wizard's chess?"
Peter grinned. "I am the reigning champion of that. No one's ever beaten me."
Remus stood up and reached for his trunk. "Well, it's about time someone did."
And for the first time in his life, Remus felt like he was making a friend and he couldn't keep
the smile off of his face.
End Author's Notes:
For anyone interested, book mentioned above is The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by
Arthur Conan Doyle.

The One Where Lily Meets James
Author's Note:
I have a very busy week ahead of me and won't have time to post this weekend, so in lieu of
waiting a week, I am instead posting early! Hope you enjoy the chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the scene from JKR, just tweaked it a bit.
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To alix33: Even little eleven-year-old Peter creeps you out?
But he's so sweet. Thank you! To Tonirae: Thank you! I like the idea of Peter being Remus'
first friend too. It really shows how much it hurt Remus when he was ultimately betrayed. To
LHNB: Thank you! We will definitely see more of little Remus! To scrappy8: Thank you!
To ellyann13: Yes, two lonely frightened boys. It's sad that their friendship ends in betrayal.
Thank you! To Sara: Thank you! Remus is very mature for his age, which has a lot to do
with how he was raised and the trauma he's suffered in his life. Peter was very sweet in the
beginning. They loved him which makes the betrayal that much worse. Thank you! To
wolfjinx15474: I agree, it does make the betrayal hurt more. Well, as we will see, Peter was
coerced into turning, but yes, we will see more of it. He was a Marauder and I wanted to
include that. Thank you!
To EnigmaticEmperor: Thank you. Little Remus is so cute and mature! He's reigning
champion for himself LOL. I think magical parents like to let kids experience the wonder of
Hogwarts in every way possible. Thank you! To darkhk: Thank you! I like that as well as
that they each found a friend before blending together to become the Marauders we know
and love. To marauders_mowopapr: Complicated feelings about Peter are acceptable. I
love showing Remus having parents who love him, he deserves that. He deserves the world!
Thank you! To PurpleLotus: Thank you! I'm glad that you still see the excitement and
possibilities of a new friendship blooming, despite the darkness we know will come. Thank
you!
CHAPTER SEVEN:
The One Where Lily Meets James

Severus Snape was standing nearby watching out for Lily with his dark intense
eyes. His greasy black hair was in his eyes and he was holding onto his trolley so tightly that
his knuckles had whitened in their grip. His mother Eileen, a rather plain looking woman,
stood behind him with a severe look on her face.
He didn't see his friend anywhere, but his eyes fell on a small scrawny boy standing nearby
with his parents. He had black hair sticking up in every which direction and round glasses.
He was practically bouncing up and down on his feet.
"Look Mum! There it is!" James called out, turning Snape's attention away from the platform
where he had been looking for his friend Lily.
Euphemia shook her head in amusement. She couldn't contain the ball of excitement that was
her eleven-year-old-son. "James, come here!" she insisted, attempting to tame his messy hair.
"You could have at least combed your hair this morning!"
James maneuvered out of her grip, grinning broadly. "Nah, looks better this way! Don't you
think so, Dad?"
Fleamont only grinned widely, hands in his pockets as he danced on the heels of his feet.
"You'll change your mind when you get older. Leave him, Fee, he's fine. Another strong
Gryffindor!"
"Monty! You don't know that he's going to be in Gryffindor! He's a smart young man, maybe
Ravenclaw is his house," Euphemia insisted, shooting her husband a look of despair.
Fleamont winked at his son. "Gryffindor," he whispered making James laugh. "Got to make
your granddad proud."
James laughed when his mum elbowed his dad playfully in the ribs. "The hat always knows
what's best, James; don't listen to your father."
Fleamont winked again. "Little secret, Jamie, the hat takes your opinion into count, but any
house would make me proud if it's what you wanted."
Euphemia was picking lint and dog hair off of the back of James' shirt. "Jamie! How did you
get so dirty already, we just left the house?"
"Mum," he said in exasperation, wiggling out from her grasp. When she only stared at him,
he sighed and wrapped his arms around her. "I'll be fine, Mum! I'll make friends and study
hard and play lots and lots of Quidditch."
Euphemia hugged her son close, kissing his cheeks. "What am I going to do without you
hanging around the house all of the time?" She kissed his forehead. "I love you, my darling
boy."
James blushed in embarrassment and moved to hug his dad. "I love you too, Mum! Geez —
it's not like you're never going to see me again!"
Fleamont laughed and hugged his son close. "Behave yourself." He kissed his son's cheek
and then held him close for a moment.
"There's your friend Lily, Severus," Mrs Snape said, tearing Snape's rather jealous gaze from
the boy hugging his father to watch Lily with her parents and sister.
He moved closer so that he could hear what she was saying. He watched as Lily bit her
bottom lip and squeezed her father's hand tightly. The big red steam engine bearing the words
'Hogwarts Express' flashed before them.
"I see Severus over there, Lily. He's not worried about going off on the train," Deacon Evans
said, pointing over to where Snape was hovering, eavesdropping on the conversation with her
family.
Lily smiled up at her father. "I know, Dad. I see him."
Deacon knelt down in front of his daughter, gently tucking her long red hair behind her ears.
"Are you nervous, sweetie?"
She nodded, stealing a glance at her big sister of three years, Petunia, who was standing next
to their mother, arms crossed in annoyance in front of her. Her mother, Cecilia, caught her
glance and smiled warmly at her and Lily swallowed carefully. "Tuney is still cross with me."
Deacon glanced back at his eldest daughter and sighed. "Petunia is a very stubborn young
girl, like someone else that I know," he added, making Lily blush. "But today is about you,
Lily, not Petunia. You have been given a wonderful gift. Something that no one else in this
family has ever before been given. The gift of magic." He kissed her forehead, smiling when
she threw her arms around his neck to hug him tightly. "I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you, Daddy," she whispered, her face buried in his shoulder.
When he stood up, patting her gently on the head, she turned to run into her mum's arms.
Cecilia hugged her close and kissed the top of her head.
"Now, you be a good girl, Lily. Study hard and practice your skills."
"I will, Mum, I promise."
Cecilia smiled and gently ran a finger down her daughter's cheek. "And don't forget to have
fun, too." She tapped Lily's nose, making her smile.
"I will."
"I love you, Lily," Cecilia said, kissing her cheek.
"I love you, Mum."
Lily turned towards her sister. Petunia's arms were still crossed in front of her and she had a
snooty look on her face like something smelt terrible nearby. Lily simply wrapped her arms
around her sister's waist, hugging her tightly.
"I'm going to miss you so much, Tuney!"
Petunia snorted, attempting to push her sister off, but Lily only hugged her tighter making
Snape snort as Petunia continued to attempt to disentangle herself. "Honestly, Lily! Let go!"
Lily pulled back and looked up at her sister. "Aren't you even a little sad that you won't see
me until Christmas?"
"No."
"I'm sorry, Tuney, I'm sorry! Listen —" She caught her sister's hand when she pushed her
away and held tight onto it even though Petunia tried to pull it from her grasp. "Maybe once
I'm there — no listen, Tuney! Maybe once I'm there, I'll be able to go to Professor
Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!"
"I don't — want — to — go!" Petunia said, and she dragged her hand back out of her sister's
grasp. "You think that I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a — a —" Her pale
eyes roved over the platform, over the cats mewling in their owner's arms, over the owls
fluttering and hooting at each other's cages, over the students, some already in their long,
black robes, loading trunks on to the scarlet steam engine or else greeting one another with
glad cries after a summer apart. "You think that I want to be a — a freak?"
Lily's eyes filled with tears as Petunia succeeded in tugging her hand away. "I'm not a freak.
That's a horrible thing to say."
"That's where you're going," Petunia said with relish. "A special school for freaks. You and
that Snape boy… weirdos, that's what you two are. It's good you're being separated from
normal people. It's for our safety."
Lily glanced towards her parents, who were looking around the platform with an air of
wholehearted enjoyment, drinking in the scene. Then she looked back at her sister, and her
voice was low and fierce.
"You didn't think that it was such a freak's school when you wrote to the Headmaster and
begged him to take you!"
Petunia turned scarlet. "Beg? I didn't beg!"
"I saw his reply. It was very kind."
"You shouldn't have read —" Petunia whispered. "That was my private — how could you
—?"
Lily gave herself away by half glancing towards where Severus stood nearby.
Petunia gasped. "That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!"
"No — not sneaking!" Now Lily was on the defensive. "Severus saw the envelope and he
couldn't believe a Muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that's all! He says there must be
wizards working undercover in the postal service who take care of —"
"— Apparently wizards poke their noses in everywhere!" Petunia said, now as pale as she
had been flushed. "Freak!" she spat at her sister and she flounced off to where her parents
stood.
Lily moved over as well to hug her parents one last time, promising to write home every
week and her heart breaking a little as her big sister pointedly ignored her. She grabbed her
trolley. She waved goodbye and made her way over to Snape, narrowly escaping a scrawny
dark-haired boy with glasses who almost crashed into her trolley in his attempt to get onto the
train.
"Sorry!" he called out, stopping to smile at her.
Lily smiled back, trying not to let him see the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. His grin
lit up his whole face and it was impossible not to smile back at him. "It's all right; no harm
done."
The boy grinned widely at her, adjusting his glasses. "I'm just excited to get on the train. I'm
James."
"Lily," she said, accepting his hand. "Have you been to Hogwarts before?"
He nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet as if he has too much energy to stand still. "Once
with my mum, but it was in the summer and no students were there. I'm a first year. I can't
wait to be sorted into Gryffindor and to watch some Quidditch games! It's going to be the
best year ever! Are you a first year, too?"
Lily found it was impossible not to smile back at him. "Yes. What's Quidditch?"
"Only the best sport in the whole world! You'll see! Come on; you can sit with me if you'd
like!" he told her.
Lily pointed to where Snape was standing by awkwardly watching them. "My friend is
waiting for me."
"He can come too," James told her, waving at Snape.
Snape merely glowered at him and James shrugged, turning back to Lily.
"Well, if you can't find a compartment, I'll save you a seat."
"Thanks, James."
He waved goodbye and carefully lugged his trunk up the steps to the train with the help of an
older boy. Lily headed over to Snape.
"That was James. He's a first year, too. He told me about Gryffindor, another house."
"Slytherin is the only house that matters, Lily," Snape told her shortly. "Trust me, you don't
want to be in any other house."
"You don't even know if you will be in Slytherin House yet, Sev!"
He shrugged, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "I just know. What did Petunia say to you to
make you so upset?"
Lily shrugged as the tears threatened her eyes again. "I know you could hear her, Sev! She
hates me and it's your fault! You snooped and found that letter from Dumbledore."
Snape's mouth opened in surprise. "It's not my fault that she left it lying open in her rubbish
bin like that. And you don't need her, Lily!"
"She's my sister!"
"She's only a —" He caught himself quickly; Lily, too busy trying to wipe her eyes without
being noticed, did not hear him. "Come on; let's go find a compartment."
Lily gripped the handle of her trunk a little tighter and led the way onto the scarlet steam
engine, trying to stop her unshed tears from blurring her eyes.
End Author's Notes:
I made up the names Deacon and Cecilia for Lily's parents which I think I first used in the
James/Lily fanfiction, Crazy Little Thing Called Love .

The One Where Sirius Meets James
Author's Note:
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the scene by JKR, but I did tweak it a bit.
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To scrappy8: I agree, Lily doesn't deserve how mean Petunia
is. Thank you! To alix33: Yes, the Potters have a dog. Petunia definitely is a pain in the ass.
Thank you! To ellyann13: Yup, Snape is already jealous of James and already is showing
some true Slytherin colours. Thank you! To Sara: I definitely believe James was genuinely
nice to everyone he met, but once Snape shows his colours, he's like well, this guy's a dick lol.
Thank you very much! To Nuno Neves: Thank you very much! I really hope you like this and
what comes afterwards! To Slaidback: Thank you! To Shivani: I love James just jumping in
excitement! Yes! James made Lily smile and we see that instant connection. Snape is
definitely a douche. Thank you! To ascfan: Thanks for thinking the little Marauders are so
cute. You're welcome for a new fanfic to read. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: I love
sweet and excitable James who is definitely always trying to make Lily smile (even from the
get-go). I think Petunia was just plain mean. Snape definitely had the possessiveness from a
young age. Lily was too kind and I agree, Harry gets it from her. Thank you! To CorbanD17:
Thank you very much and your stories are looking good! Keep writing!
CHAPTER EIGHT:
The One Where Sirius Meets James
Sirius stood on the platform looking at the Hogwarts Express wistfully. He had been
dreaming of coming to school for years now. A chance to leave the nest and get out of the
house of his mad parents. A chance to have a bit of an adventure.
"Sirius, are you even listening to me?" Walburga Black demanded, her hands on her hips.
Sirius rolled his eyes before he turned to look at his mother. Her long black hair was pinned
up in a tight bun and her grey eyes were glaring at him in annoyance The fact that she was
incredibly beautiful somehow made the ugly look on her face harder to witness.
"Yes. Behave. Be a good Slytherin. Stay out of trouble or you'll bring me straight home. Did I
miss anything?"
Walburga's eyes narrowed. "Don't get smart with me, boy!"
Sirius took a slow breath in and out. "Yes, Mum."
Walburga stared at him for a moment. "I expect you to do your best, Sirius. To bring fame to
the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black as a loyal Slytherin, and first born son of Orion
Black, you are going to do what's best for this family. Stay out of trouble and away from
anyone who is beneath you. Make friends with the right sort of people. Remember, you are a
Black. There is no higher honour."
Sirius merely nodded, looking longingly at the steam engine up ahead. "I will, Mum."
Walburga nodded, seemingly satisfied with his response. "Good. I expect a letter by the end
of the week telling me all about Slytherin and about some of the friends you've made and the
good families that they come from. Toujours Pur, understood."
"Yes, Mum."
"We'll see you at Christmas."
Sirius nodded, grabbing his trunk and hurrying off. He jumped up onto the train, dragging his
trunk up without help and moving to find a compartment to sit in. He opened the door to one,
seeing a scrawny boy with glasses and messy hair stretched out across the bench. He knocked
lightly on the doorjamb to get his attention.
"Got room in here for one more or are you keeping the whole place to yourself?"
The boy grinned at him and gestured for him to come inside. He dragged his trunk with him
and between the two of them they shoved his trunk up onto the rack before he sat down next
to the boy, stretching his legs out across the same bench so that they were facing each other.
"I can see why you were stretched out; much more comfortable, mate."
The boy leaned forward, extending his hand. "I'm James."
"Sirius," he said, dragging his fingers through his slightly shaggy dark black hair. He
wondered if James was someone his mother would deem socially acceptable for him to be
talking to, he thought. "So James, you a first year?"
"Definitely. I can't wait to start learning real magic! Seems like every time I want to do
something Mum and Dad are always telling me to wait until I'm old enough. Other than
Quidditch. I love Quidditch! I could spend the rest of my life on a broomstick!"
Sirius' mouth twitched in amusement. "Flying is pretty great. You going to play on your
house team?"
James nodded eagerly. "You bet! I'm a pretty great Chaser. It totally sucks that you have to be
a second year to play! What position do you play?"
Sirius shrugged, scratching his chin. He usually only played with Regulus so it was hard to
really know what position he liked. "Keeper usually, but I don't want to play on the school
team. I'll just watch."
"You don't like to play Quidditch?" James exclaimed, his mouth open in alarm. "That's
practically blasphemy!"
Sirius laughed, crossing his arms in front of him. The boy was radiating excitement at the
mentioning of anything to do with Quidditch. James immediately began to tell him about his
favourite teams (Puddlemere and Holyhead) and all about his new broomstick (the Nimbus
1000) and its many perks. Their Quidditch discussion was interrupted when the compartment
door slid open and they both looked up at the redhead who was standing there.
"Hi, Lily!" James exclaimed. "Come on in!"
The girl had long red hair, tucked behind her ears and bright green eyes that were brimming
with tears as she hastily tried to wipe them away. "Th-thanks."
"Are you all right?" Sirius asked her, his eyebrow rising in question.
Why would she be crying? Maybe she was scared to leave home, he thought. He was sure
that not everyone was as happy to get away from their family as he was.
She nodded. "Fine."
"This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!" A short boy with greasy black hair exclaimed, coming
into the compartment behind Lily.
Lily nodded, mopping her eyes, but in spite of herself, she half smiled.
"You'd better be in Slytherin," the greasy-haired boy said.
James looked up quickly and winced. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave,
wouldn't you?" he asked Sirius, who was still lounging next to him on the seat.
Sirius smiled half-heartedly at them. Slytherin always had a bad reputation because of the
desire of Salazar Slytherin for it to be a pure house; one of purebloods only. His own family
motto, he thought; toujours pur, always pure.
"My whole family has been in that house for centuries."
"Blimey!" James exclaimed, eyes wide. "And I thought you seemed all right!"
Sirius grinned. He liked the boy immensely and he hoped that he wasn't going to be judged
on his family before he got the chance to show him who he really was. "Maybe I'll break the
tradition. Where are you heading if you've got the choice?"
James lifted an invisible sword. "'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad!"
The greasy-haired boy made a small, disparaging noise making James turn to him. "Got a
problem with that?"
"No," he said, sneering at him. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy —"
" — Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius interrupted, annoyed at the
rudeness of the boy. James was the first potential friend he had ever really had and he wasn't
going to let some little snot disrespect him.
James roared with laughter making Sirius grin. At least he was entertaining the potential
friend, he thought.
Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike. "Come on, Severus,
let's find another compartment."
"Ooooo…" James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice and James tried to trip Snape as they
passed.
"See ya, Snivellus!" Sirius called out as they opened the compartment door. The door
slammed behind them and Sirius turned to grin at James. "What an unpleasant git! The
redhead seemed nice though, do you know her?"
James shook his head. "Nah, just bumped into her on the platform. She seemed nice enough.
Rotten taste in friends, though. Sirius, has your whole family really been in Slytherin?"
Sirius nodded, his eyes befitting his name as the train began to move. "Yeah, Mum told me
that I must continue the family tradition."
"Gryffindor is a much better house, though! It's for the brave and the courageous and it's a
lion instead of a snake, which is clearly the superior animal!" James told him, grinning. "We
just have to be in the same house!"
Sirius shrugged good naturally. "We've each got our own paths to take and my mum seems to
think mine is to follow in the family tradition which starts with becoming a Slytherin."
"My dad told me that the hat takes your opinion into the equation," James told him with a
grin. "If you want to be in Slytherin, you can be, but if you'd rather be in Hufflepuff or say in
Gryffindor like me then tell the hat. I guess it's supposed to listen to your desires."
Sirius stared at James in surprise. "Really?"
"My dad doesn't lie."
"Wow, I didn't know it gave you an option. As my dear mum always tells me, the Most
Ancient and Noble House of Black is born and bred in Slytherin House, but maybe I'll be the
one to break that tradition."
"You're a Black? You must know my uncle Charlie and Aunt Dory!"
Sirius nodded. "Charlus Potter yeah, does that mean… didn't your dad invent that hair potion
back in the twenties? Isn't he like super old?"
James shrugged, smiling. "Not super old, but yeah, definitely older. Mum thought that they
weren't meant to have children because they tried for so long and nothing, but then there was
me. Mum was fifty-eight when she had me."
"Bloody hell," Sirius said. "So, you're an only child then?"
James nodded, placing his hands behind his head. "Yup. You?"
"Little brother, Regulus. He's nine. Kind of a pain in the arse, mostly."
James laughed. He had always wanted a brother. "I think it'd be great to have a brother. It's
kind of lonely when you only have your parents to play with. Hey, do you like music?"
Sirius wrinkled his nose. "It has its moments. I like the orchestra crescendos and stuff, I
guess."
James stared at him for a moment. "Well, classical is great for, you know, balls and stuff, but
I mean like rock and roll music?"
Sirius shook his head. "I don't know what that is."
"The Beatles, man? Are you serious?"
"Yeah, I am Sirius, but I don't know what the Beatles are outside of an insect?"
James rolled his eyes at the lame joke and jumped up to get into his trunk and find his
wireless record player. "Ha, ha! Mate, you're going to love them! Just you wait!"
The One With the Sorting
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To darkhk: Yes, it really is lol. Thank you! To alix33:
Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To ellyann13: Thank you! Yes, we see the beginning
of Sirius' love of Muggle music and the beginning of the Marauder friendship as well as Jily.
To Sara: Thank you! Yes, Sirius and James definitely bonded instantly! To A Huge Fan:
Thank you very much for saying it's wholesome and sweet! I'm so glad you're enjoying them!
To EnigmaticEmperor: Yes, a bit of a James streak did happen. Sirius is very observant, I
think he has to be because of the environment he came from. Yes, Sirius and James became
instant friends while Remus met Peter. Thank you! To Fanfictionlover: Thank you for
saying you know this will be as good as ASC (I don't know about that, but I will certainly
try). I am looking forward to sharing some of the Jily moments along with her friendship with
Sirius and Snape. Thank you! To ascfan: James would definitely have loved having a
sibling! Thank you for saying you're loving my little Marauders!
To Griffind00r: Thank you! I love James introducing Sirius to the Beatles as well and
showing how much music came to mean to Sirius. It really does show the influence James
had on him from the very beginning. Thank you! To MinervaMcGee: Thank you! I love their
banter as well! To CorbanD17: Thank you! Still a bit away from the lake incident, but we'll
see more of Lily/Snape's friendship in the future. To PurpleLotus: Thank you! To Jily6514:
Only other Jily story I have is "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" which I wrote eight or nine
years ago and I don't consider my best lol. Though I did take a few ideas/thoughts from there
and turn them into ASC. Thank you very much!
CHAPTER NINE:
The One With the Sorting
As the train slowed and they arrived at the Hogsmeade station, Sirius followed the girl,
Lily, and her friend with the greasy hair off of the train. They approached the rowboats
provided by the huge hairy man with the booming voice. He was pretty sure that he had said
his name was Hagrid and he had immediately brought a smile to Sirius' face. He found
himself in a boat with three girls that he didn't recognize, having lost sight of James amongst
the commotion of disembarking, but he soon learned that the girls were called Mary, Dory,
and Hestia. Then they were moving towards the castle propelled by magic across the
glistening Black Lake.
He followed them into the Great Hall, looking around eagerly. His eyes stopped as they fell
upon a tall, slender woman with dark brown hair pulled tight in a bun, square glasses on the
end of her nose. She wore a dark green velvet dress buttoned at the neck and a black cloak.
She was staring down at all of them rather sternly, but he caught the sparkle in her eye that
immediately made him smile. To his surprise, she smiled back at him before resuming her
stern face as she looked at the upcoming students.
"Good evening. I am Professor McGonagall. I am Head of Gryffindor House, Deputy

Headmistress as well as the Transfiguration teacher. I welcome you all to Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry. I hope to see some of you in my own house and I look forward to
being your teacher. You will soon follow me into the Great Hall where you will be sorted into
your houses. Each house has its own unique history and background where you will discover
new friends and a wonderful sense of House Pride. The four houses are Gryffindor,
Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Please note that you can earn your house points based
on good behaviour and your studies or for any other reason a teacher deems appropriate. Any
rule breaking will result in a loss of points. At the end of the term, the house with the most
points will be awarded the House Cup in a grand feast and celebration." Her eyes moved over
the nervous fidgeting of the students before her gaze landed on Sirius again.
He simply grinned at her. There was something about her that made him smile. He had a
feeling that she wasn't quite as stern as she was letting on, yet he had a strong sense that she
wasn't one to be trifled with either.
"Now follow me," she announced before leading the students into the Great Hall.
Sirius' eyes widened as they stepped into the magnificent hall. The ceiling had been
enchanted to look like the night sky outside and was covered in floating candles. There were
four very long tables across the hall, full of students, and one large table across the front of
the hall full of the professors. They walked up the middle of the hall, stopping in a crowd
around Professor McGonagall where a dirty old hat sat on a stool.
To his surprise, it began to sing. As he listened to it outline the qualities of the four houses his
mind immediately went to Slytherin once more. Was it really where he wanted to be?
Slytherin: The house for the cunning, the house of the purebloods, the house that held his
entire family. Slytherin: Where you could use your intelligence to step up in the world. It
wasn't a bad house, but was he cunning enough?
He didn't think so.
Ravenclaw: Where wit and intelligence were prized. They loved to learn, to answer riddles,
and to philosophize life. Was that him?
He wasn't sure.
Gryffindor: For the brave and the courageous; those who were chivalrous to others.
He definitely wasn't very brave, he thought.
Hufflepuff: For the hard workers. The ones dedicated to fairness, acceptance, and loyalty.
That one sounded nice.
But since he had never seen fairness in his life that might not be the house for him either.
Sirius stared at the hat and swallowed.
Slytherin was his family house. The house that everyone expected him to be placed in; to
succeed in. But he knew that it wasn't the place for him. In fact, not one of the four houses
that the hat had sung about sounded like a place where he could belong. His eyes found
James who was pointing to the hat in excitement. Was James' father right? Would the hat
really take his thoughts into account? He looked up at Professor McGonagall again, not
listening to her words. Having her as head of his house would be kind of nice, wouldn't it?
But everyone in the Black family went to Slytherin.
His palms began to sweat and he placed them in his pockets as he worried his bottom lip.
Professor McGonagall unrolled the parchment in her hands and began to read names aloud:
"Anderson, Sarah!"
A small girl with curly brown hair hopped up onto the stool. The hat was placed on her head
and there was silence in the hall and then —
"Ravenclaw!"
"Avery, Lionel!"
"Slytherin!"
"Black, Sirius!"
Sirius stepped forward, his eyes on his feet as he moved towards the stool. His palms were
sweating profusely and he closed his eyes as the hat fell over them. He jumped when the hat
spoke in his ear.
"Hmm, difficult. You want to prove yourself, but you don't want to be like the rest of your
family. Lots of wit here, intelligence to be sure, loyalty... but where to put you?"
Not Slytherin, Sirius thought, I don't want to be like my family.
"Slytherin is not the house for you, of this I am sure, but with your courage, better be —
GRYFFINDOR!"
The last word was yelled out to the whole hall and Sirius couldn't stop the huge grin from
plastering across his face as he made to take his seat. He was slapped on the back by a few
Gryffindor students as he took his seat at the table feeling immensely relieved and terrified at
the same time. His parents were not going to be pleased that he had chosen a different house
than Slytherin. His eyes met James' who was grinning widely at him and giving him two
thumbs up.
He listened to the names of the other students with half an ear: Brown, Burbage, Campbell,
Carrow and Carrow, Casey, Chang, Davies, Diggory… and then he perked up when he heard,
Evans, Lily. He watched the sweet little redhead from the train take her seat up on the stool
nervously and the hat fell over her face. It took less than five seconds for the hat to call out
Gryffindor and she hurried forward to sit next to him.
"Hi, looks like we're to be housemates!" she exclaimed, grinning widely at him.
He grinned back, a huge smile on his face. "It looks like. Your friend Snivellus will be
disappointed."
Lily's smile faded. "It's Severus. No need to be so rude," she said, turning away from him.
He shrugged and turned back to the hat as more names were called: Fawley, Fields, Flint,
Fortescue, Gudgeon, Jones, then Kane, Deanna was also made a Gryffindor. She sat down
across from Sirius with a big grin on her face.
"Gryffindors, eh? Fantastic!"
Sirius grinned and turned back to the hat as McGonagall called out Kendrick, Lestrange, Li,
and then Lupin, Remus was the next Gryffindor chosen.
Sirius watched the boy with the crescent shaped scar over his eyebrow head over to the
cheering Gryffindor table. He took a seat next to Lily and smiled. He had dark golden brown
hair and golden brown eyes.
Sirius smiled at him. "Hi! I'm Sirius, this is Lily."
"Remus," he said smiling kindly. "Nice to meet you. That was more nerve wracking than I
expected."
Sirius nodded in understanding, turning his attention back. His eyes were on James who was
still practically bouncing on his feet. He wondered if the energetic boy ever stood still. He
hoped that he was in Gryffindor. He had never met anyone so full of life and energy as the
scrawny boy or who was more determined to be sorted into the house he desired.
Professor McGonagall continued to call out names: Mason and then McDonald, Mary and
McKinnon, Marlene and Meadows, Dorcas were all made Gryffindors as Sirius moved down
the bench to make room for the three new girls. Monroe went to Hufflepuff then Nott went to
Slytherin, and then Parkinson before Pettigrew, Peter became the seventh Gryffindor chosen.
Sirius cheered as Peter took his seat with them and then Potter, James was called forth.
"Gryffindor!" The hat called out and Sirius found himself clapping the loudest, grinning
widely as James took his seat with them.
"You were right, mate!"

James grinned widely. "I told you it was my house!"
The names continued with the Ps, putting two twin boys named Prewett into Ravenclaw
before Rosier, Rowle, Sampson, and Scamander were sorted. Shacklebolt, Kingsley was also
made a Gryffindor; Shafiq, and then Snape, Severus.
Sirius watched as Lily stood up on the bench to watch her friend try the hat on.
"Slytherin!"
Lily sat down, her eyes sad. "We've been separated into different houses!"
Sirius put his arm around her in reassurance. She looked absolutely crushed. "It's okay, Lily.
It doesn't mean you'll never see him. We'll still have classes together and whatnot. I'm sure
you guys will still be friends."
She nodded, stealing a glance at Snape who wasn't even looking in her direction.
Now that all of the people were sorted, his stomach was starting to grumble and he wondered
how much longer the food would be. He listened with half an ear as Spinnet, Vance, Wilkes,
and then finally Zabini and Zusack were sorted.
Then the man at the front of the Great Hall in dark pink robes with purple moons on them
stood up. His long white beard was tucked into his belt as he smiled at the room.
"Good evening to all. For those new students, I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, the
Headmaster of this school. I welcome you all to a wonderful year where I'm sure we will
have much fun and learn a lot. I have a few important announcements to make. Quidditch
tryouts for the house teams will be two weeks from today. There will be notices in your house
common rooms. Only second years and above are eligible to play on the school teams. There
is to be no magic used in the corridors. And the Forbidden Forest is of course, forbidden.
New this year, Hagrid has planted a large tree out in the grounds called the Whomping
Willow. I advise caution to all students approaching it as it is very solitary and doesn't like
anyone to be near it. The tree will strike out if you approach it. Now, tuck in."
He raised his hands and food immediately appeared on all of the tables.
Sirius watched as Lily's eyes widened in wonder.
"Wow!"
He laughed and helped himself to some food. He couldn't stop smiling.
End Author's Notes:
Here is the Students from the Marauder generation. Last names present are from JKR's list
and a few original characters who come up later in ASC.
GRYFFINDOR:
Sirius Black
Lily Evans
Hestia Jones
Deanna Kane (original character)
Remus Lupin
Alice Mason
Mary McDonald
Marlene McKinnon
Dorcas Meadows
Peter Pettigrew
James Potter
Kingsley Shacklebolt
RAVENCLAW:
Sarah Anderson (first name by me)
Robert Brown (first name by me)
Marsali Campbell (first name by me)
David Casey (original character)
Bertrand Davies (first name by me)
Simon Fawley (first name by me)
Katerina Kendrick (first name by me)
Ji Li (first name by me)
Gideon Prewett
Fabian Prewett
Emmeline Vance
Henry Wilkes (first name by me)
HUFFLEPUFF:
Christian Burbage (first name by me)
Hu Chang (first name by me)
Amos Diggory
Calypso Fields (original character)
Florean Fortescue
Grace Gudgeon (first name by me)
Nathaniel Monroe (first name by me)
Delta Sahni (original character)
Thomas Scamander (first name by me)
Erin Spinnet (first name by me)
Jonathan Zusack (first name by me)
SLYTHERIN:
Lionel Avery (first name by me)
Alecto Carrow
Amycus Carrow
Caroline Collins (original character)
Athena Cross (original character)
Magnus Flint (first name by me)
Rabastan Lestrange
Theolonius Nott (first name by me)
Cornelius Parkinson (first name by me)
Evan Rosier
Adam Rowle (first name by me)
Christopher Sampson (first name by me)
Zain Shafiq (first name by me)
Severus Snape
Giovanni Zabini (first name by me)

The One With Kismet
Author's Note:
Part of the reason why I chose the word "Kismet" to be the name of the trilogy was because I
used the word in this scene and thought it was fated to be!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Nuno Neves: Aww, thank you! I love that you felt
nostalgic reading it here! To ellyann13: Yes, I made Christian Burbage a brother of Charity
Burbage. Thomas is a descendant of Theseus, but no, he's not Rolf's father. Theolonius Nott
was murdered. You will learn more about him later — he was the half-brother of Thaddeus
Nott. Giovanni was the brother of Antonio Zabini — again more will come about him later.
Caroline Collins is Hannah Abbott's mother, yes. Thank you! To Sara: Thank you! I love
that this scene gave everyone nostalgia! Yes, most of these chapters I believe are from Sirius'
POV. I love McGonagall so it's fun to show her being an important part of Sirius' life, even
from the beginning when he didn't know it yet. Thank you! To ascfan: Thank you! Yes, I
think Sirius wasn't molded into shape by his parents and by him being accepted into
Gryffindor, it was that first step he needed to move out of their shadow. Thank you!
To CherrySara: Well, not all of them were no. The ones of Remus getting his letter, James
getting his letter, and the one of the Lily ones were new or expanded on. Yes, Deanna Kane is
Sebastian's aunt. Theolonius Nott is Theo's uncle (deceased). We will learn more about him
in ASC. Thank you! To alix33: I think McGonagall likes to wear dark green, doesn't mean it
was the same dress. Green is in the McGonagall tartan as well, so she might just like it for
familial reasons. Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To wolfjinx15475: Thank you!
Minnie did kind of influence him without him realizing it! To the frozen flame: Yes, Ciara's
dad went to school with the Marauders (just because). Plus he's a wizard not a fae. Thanks
for loving the general buzz of excitement! To CorbanD17: Thank you! I don't know what
Senior Checkout is but sounds interesting. Have fun! To Bellmel: I loved McGonagall
having her stern look but with a sparkle in her eye! Sirius definitely gets her. It's true, I think
Lily was a bit lonely and worried, especially when Snape goes to Slytherin. Thank you!
CHAPTER TEN:
The One With Kismet

After the feast, Sirius hurried up the stairs to his dormitory with the other boys on his
heels. He stepped into the spacious room, smiling at the five beds there. Their trunks had
already been placed at the end of each bed and he was pleased to find himself on the far right
hand side. Next to him was James by the window, then on the other side was Peter, then
Remus, and then on the far left next to the door to the bath was Kingsley.
James hurried forward and jumped onto his bed. "This is great!"
Peter laughed, jumping onto his own bed. "Definitely! It's so brill that we all got placed into
Gryffindor! And I met Remus on the train first and you met Sirius!"
James nodded eagerly. "Exactly, Pete! Kismet!"
Sirius chuckled as he took a seat on his bed. "I for one am glad to be in Gryffindor, though I
know my parents won't be pleased. Do you think they'd notice if I didn't write home to tell
them?"
Remus snorted from the doorway. "If they're anything like mine they most definitely would.
I'm almost tempted to start writing home now just so I won't get nagged."
James laughed. "I promised my mum I'd write by the end of the week, I think that's soon
enough. By then I'll have way more to say anyway!"
Sirius stretched out on his bed, tucking his arms behind his head. "Do you think classes will
be hard?"
James shook his head. "Nah, I think we'll be fine. We find out our schedules at breakfast
tomorrow, that prefect Cross told me. Hey, why do you think the Forbidden Forest is you
know, forbidden?"
Sirius' eyebrow rose slightly. "Isn't there supposed to be dark creatures in there?"
Peter scratched his head. "Centaurs and unicorns and stuff, but also I heard there's an entire
army of giant spiders and werewolves."
James laughed. "Giant spiders? No way that's true!" He glanced out the window of the tower.
"Probably werewolves though and maybe vampires. I think I want to explore it one day."
Sirius sat up, eyeing James suspiciously. "You're pulling our leg."
"No really! I bet it's really brilliant in there. Probably scary too. Don't you wanna?" he asked,
turning to look at them with his eyes dancing in excitement.
"I think before we go wandering off to explore forbidden areas of the school grounds we
should first figure out where our classes are and maybe how to find our way in the castle
itself," Kingsley suggested, shaking his head at them with a smile. "Save the adventures for a
while," he said as he made his way into the bath.
James grinned widely when the door closed. "I suppose he's right. And what's with this tree?
If it's so dangerous to approach it, why even plant it on the school grounds in the first place?
Doesn't anyone else find that strange?"
Peter nodded. "Yeah, that's weird. It must have some important herbological quality or
something."
"I'm knackered from all of that food," Sirius said, yawning loudly. "I'm heading to bed."
He pulled off his shirt and James' eyes fell on the long white scars that crisscrossed on his
back.
"Sirius, what the hell happened to your back?"
"Huh?" Sirius asked, pulling his shirt back up. "Oh, nothing."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," James said quickly. He knew that he had a terrible habit of just
blabbing out whatever he was thinking.
Sirius shook his head. "No, it's okay. It's just that they're old. Don't even remember how I got
them. Goodnight."
He closed the bed curtains around him and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep and not
thinking about the curiosity of his roommates.
The One With the Separation of Houses
Author's Note:
Here is my second post of The First Time Around for the week! I hope you enjoy it!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To ellyann13: No, I don't think that there are separate train
cars, but I think the older students leave the ones at the front of the train for the new students.
Well, they just met, so yes, Remus is a bit quiet. Sirius isn't going to tell them about his life,
they only just met. Thank you! To A Huge Fan: Thank you! I agree, fate, destiny, and
prophecy are all such big themes and we'll see that theme carry on into the third portion.
Thank you so much! To Sara: Yes, a callback to Sirius' scars, but Sirius isn't ready to share
those with anyone or talk about how or why he got them. Thank you! To CorbanD17: Senior
Checkout sounds weird. Definitely an American thing lol. But good for you. Thanks! To
Bellmel: They are so excited and thrilled about what they might discover! James is clearly
dying for adventure and he has no idea just how much adventure he might find! Poor Remus,
though, he would be anxious and to have them mention both the Willow and werewolves, he
was definitely quiet for a reason! Thank you!
CHAPTER ELEVEN:
The One With the Separation of Houses
2nd September 1971…
Sirius made his way into the Gryffindor common room with James, Remus, Peter, and
Kingsley. He moved to stand next to Lily, Dorcas, Deanna, Marlene, and Mary, listening in
on their conversation.
Dorcas Meadows smiled warmly as she spoke to Lily while she adjusted the girl's tie. "Of
course, my Dad is terrible at it and I've been fixing his tie for him for the last six years. He's
going to be completely helpless while I'm at school."
The prefect from the night before, a boy named Aidan Cross was leaning against the wall
waiting for them as they settled into the common room.
"Good morning, first years!" he said giving them a bright smile. His blond hair was a little
long and tied back with a leather thong and his grey eyes twinkled at them. "I'll show you to
the Great Hall and Professor McGonagall will give all of you maps as well as your
schedules."
Sirius followed the other Gryffindor first years out of the portrait hole and through the castle
into the Great Hall. It looked a lot less menacing than it had last night. The ceiling today
looked fairly normal, but Lily gasped in surprise when owls began to fly down around them
and she jumped back in alarm, bumping into James.
James laughed and grabbed her arm to steady her. "Whoa there, Evans, just the post!"
"The post?"
James nodded, grinning widely at her. "Yeah." He plopped himself down onto the bench and
helped himself to some breakfast as Lily took a seat next to him at the Gryffindor table.
"Owls?"
James nodded, munching on some bacon. "Don't your mum and dad use owls?"
Lily shook her head as Sirius sat down on the other side of James. "No, my parents aren't
magical at all. They use the postman. I knew owls delivered messages, but to see so many at
once is quite the spectacle."
"You're Muggleborn?" Sirius asked in surprise, reaching for a glass of orange juice.
His father's voice reiterating that Muggles are filth rang in his head as he stared at Lily.
James' face lit up. "Brilliant! This berk had never even heard of The Beatles! Evans, you've
got to tell him how brilliant they are! And Elvis! Not to mention The Rolling Stones and The
Animals! This git thinks that I'm making it all up!"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "I didn't say that you were making it up, it's just that I never have heard
Muggle music before yesterday when you played it for me on the train."
"His family is hardcore purebloods, which means his knowledge of Muggles is let's just say
sadly lacking," James told her, grinning. "Seriously though, how wicked are The Beatles?"
Lily laughed at the excitement. "The Beatles are brill. I have a poster of Paul in my bedroom
at home."
"See, Sirius? I told you! Really, though, what's your favourite album? Ouch!" he exclaimed
as the white owl in front of him nipped his fingers. "Sorry, Plato! I didn't see you!" He
reached for a bit of his toast and tugged a piece off to give the owl as he unrolled the
parchment, his ears burning red. "I told her that I'd write at the end of the week."
Sirius grinned as he looked over. "Aw, does your mummy miss you already, Potter?"
James ignored him as he read the letter aloud.
Dear Jamie,
Dad and I hope you have a wonderful first day of classes. We sent Plato just to say hi and to
make you think of us at home. Write by the weekend and send Poseidon with a letter; we want
to know everything.
We love you!
Love,
Mum and Dad
"She's mental," James muttered, folding up the parchment his ears still burning.
"I think it's nice," Lily told him as she added a generous dollop of cream to her oatmeal and
berries. "And for the record, I love Abbey Road, but also Revolver, Rubber
Soul, and Help. Oh, and most definitely Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, but honestly,
I love all of them."
James' smile widened. "Lily Evans, I think that we just became best friends."
"Lily?" a voice said from behind them and they both turned to where Snape stood there, his
hands in his pockets awkwardly.
"Snivellus, right?" Sirius said with a smirk. "I see the green and silver work for you."
Lily glared at him. "His name is Severus."
James put his hands up in mock surrender. "Ooh, how terribly rude of us. I'd apologize,
Snivellus, but I can already tell that you're a git."
Lily smacked him in the arm, her green eyes blazing. "I think I know who the prat is, James
Potter!" She turned around fully and smiled at her friend. "How's Slytherin, Sev? Is it
everything that you hoped for?"
He nodded, glaring at the boys who were talking amongst themselves now. "Can we talk?"
Lily grabbed an apple. "What's going on?"
Severus shrugged, his hands still in his pockets as he continued to glare at James and Sirius
who were clearly eavesdropping. "We're still friends, right?"
Lily looked at him in bewilderment. "Of course we're still friends! Why would you think
otherwise?"
Snape looked back at the Slytherin table and then around the Great Hall where all of the
students were eating breakfast merrily. "We've been separated by our houses, Lily. Everything
is going to change."
Lily laughed at his pained expression. She had no idea how being in different dormitories
was going to affect anything. "You're being ridiculous! Just because we're in different parts of
the castle doesn't mean that we still can't be friends and that we won't still see each other.
We're still going to have classes together and we can study together and see each other
outside of class."
He twisted his hands in front of him, sneaking a look at her through his greasy hair.
"Gryffindor and Slytherin are supposed to be enemies."
"Frenemies then, at least in our case," she said, making him smile. "Why are they enemies?"
"Not enemies exactly," Snape said carefully. "But we have to be careful. Some people might
not like it if I hang out with you."
Lily's eyebrow rose at that. "Who are these people and why do you care what they think?"
"Lily," Snape said in exasperation. "The magical world is different. Petunia thinks that we're
freaks because we have magical powers, but in this world, it's you who's different."
"Me?" she asked in surprise, crossing her arms in front of her. "How am I different?"
Snape looked uncomfortable and he shuffled his feet as he spoke. "Because you're
Muggleborn and well, some people, purebloods namely, find that… repulsive. I just wanted
to give you a warning incase someone says something to you that is, you know, rude."
"You're not a pureblood, are you?" she asked him, not liking the way the word rolled off of
her tongue.
Snape shook his head. "No, I'm not, I'm a half-blood, but that's still a lot better than someone
who comes from a non magical background."
"Are you saying that you're embarrassed to be my friend now? You told me that it didn't
matter if I was Muggleborn!"
"Oi!" James said, turning around in his seat. "Evans, is this git giving you grief?"
"Potter, go away," she said, not even turning to look at him, her eyes on Snape. "Well, are
you?"
"No! No! I would never!" he mumbled, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "I just… I just
wanted you to know."
Lily stared at him for a moment. "All right, now I know. So, what now?"
Snape gave her a small smile. "Now, we stay friends, no matter what."
"I still don't really see why this changes anything, Sev, but if it makes you feel better that I
know, then all right."
He nodded. "Hopefully we'll have our first class together."
Lily smiled as she watched him head back to his own house table. She looked over at the two
boys as James spoke next to her.
"Honestly, mate, you have to hear The White Album, I'll play it later for you."
Sirius merely grinned at him and turned his attention to Lily. "So, Lily, how do you know that
greasy-haired git?" he asked, brushing his black hair out of his eyes.
"He's not a greasy-haired git and his name is Severus Snape!" she exclaimed, taking a
spoonful of her oatmeal. "He lives near me."
"So, you knew him before yesterday?" James asked as he cleaned his plate.
Lily nodded. "We met at the park. He saw me do magic and he told me that I was a witch. I
had no idea, being Muggleborn and all, and then he told me all about Hogwarts and how I
would get a letter. I thought that he was making up stories, but then the letter really came."
"I always wondered how Muggleborns find out? I mean, do they think the letter's a prank?"
Sirius asked, looking at James for confirmation. "I mean, really? How do they find out?"
"Professor Dumbledore came to my house," Lily told them as she finished her oatmeal. "He
spoke to me and my parents and told us all about the school."
"Brilliant," James said, grinning widely. "I've just been bugging my parents for years about
why I couldn't come to Hogwarts yet."
Sirius laughed, snagging some more bacon and looking around to see if anyone noticed him
taking seconds before he popped it into his mouth. "My parents just argued whether
Hogwarts was the better choice for me over Durmstrang."
James looked offended. "How could they even consider! Durmstrang doesn't even compare!"
Sirius shrugged. "They have their reasons. But they decided Hogwarts was the better choice
because our family has always been Slytherins." He grinned. "Bet I get a Howler when Mum
finds out that I'm in Gryffindor."
"What's a Howler?" Lily asked, her eyes on Sirius. "And there are other magic schools?"
James nodded, smiling at her. "Oh yeah, there are schools all over the world. But Hogwarts is
by far the best one. And a Howler is not something you want, trust me! It's a letter that's
bright red and it screams at you."
Sirius sighed. "I better write home and break the news."
"You can use Poseidon if you want."
"Thanks mate, but I have an owl."
"Miss Evans?"
Lily turned at the sound of her name and smiled at Professor McGonagall. "Good morning,
Professor."
"Good morning, here is your schedule and a map of the school. Your first class this morning
is with me. I look forward to seeing you all."
McGonagall passed out the rest of the timetables to the first years, reacquainting herself with
names and faces.
Lily looked at the map of the school in interest. She ignored James and Sirius, who were now
bickering over whether or not Sirius should write home tonight or wait until the end of the
week, and turned to Marlene.
"Want to walk to Transfiguration with me, Marlene?"
"Gladly," Marlene said with a smile. "We can try not to get lost together."
Lily thought it sounded perfect and wondered if Severus had merely been overreacting about
everything being different. It made her wonder what other things her friend had failed to tell
her about the magical world.
The One With the Howler
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To PurpleLotus: Thank you! To CorbanD17: Thank you! I

think Snape used the spell on James in sixth year. To scrappy8: Thank you! To ellyann13:
No, Hedwig is not a descendant of Plato. Yes, I headcanon that James and Lily totally hit it
off early on before Lily realized how annoying James was lol. Snape is lying to himself as
much as Lily here. Thank you! To alix33: Thank you! To CherrySara: It is a bit of an
extended version, yes. Thank you! To ascfan: Not too long lol. Thank you! To Slaidback:
Thank you very much! Yes, these are moments/snippets, some are back to back, some have
huge time jumps. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: I think Lily was friends and friendly
with the Marauders and with James, but I also think they drifted apart later when James
started acting like a prat. Thank you!
CHAPTER TWELVE:
The One With The Howler
3rd September 1971…
It was Sirius' third day at Hogwarts when a red envelope came soaring into the Great
Hall and landed right on his plate. Sirius gulped audibly at it.
"Guess Mum got my letter," he said with a grimace.
James' mouth opened in horror. "You better open it, mate. Get it over with."
Peter nodded, his eyes on the red envelope. "It's even worse when you ignore it. My dad
ignored one from his mum once, it was terrible!"
The edges of the envelope were steaming with rage and he carefully opened the flap, trying
not to burn his fingers, his hands immediately covering his ears as his mother's angry screams
filled the Great Hall.
"SIRIUS ORION BLACK! HOW DARE YOU DEFY THE HOME OF YOUR
ANCESTORS! HOW DARE YOU BECOME A GRYFFINDOR OVER A SLYTHERIN!
YOUR FATHER AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO ASHAMED OF YOU! I DEMAND
THAT YOU SWITCH TO SLYTHERIN HOUSE IMMEDIATELY SO AS NOT TO RISK
FURTHER DISHONOUR UPON THE MOST ANCIENT AND NOBLE HOUSE OF
BLACK! AND HOW DARE YOU PUT ITCHING POWDER IN ALL OF YOUR
BROTHER'S BOXER SHORTS! HE'S BEEN SCRATCHING HIMSELF FOR DAYS!
THAT IS INAPPROPRIATE! AND I KNOW IT WAS YOU WHO REMOVED MY
SHAMPOO AND CHANGED IT TO GREEN HAIR DYE! SIRIUS BLACK, YOU WILL
BE PUNISHED WHEN YOU GET HOME! AS FOR POTTER — DO NOT ASSOCIATE
WITH THAT BLOOD TRAITOR! YOU ARE A BLACK! ACT LIKE ONE! TOUJOURS
PUR!"
The letter exploded in a poof and Sirius merely laughed nervously as people around him
began to chuckle at him. He ran his fingers through his hair and smiled in apology.
"Sorry everyone; my mum is right ray of sunshine, isn't she?"
James grinned and slapped him on the back. "You put itching powder in your brother's
drawers and dyed your mum's hair green?"
Sirius grinned sheepishly, his eyes dancing in suppressed laughter. "Thought they needed a
little something to remember me by."
James roared with laughter as his eyes met Remus'. "What are you looking at me like that for,
Remus? Sirius isn't actually going to stop being my friend, are you?" he asked, suddenly
looking at Sirius in worry.
Sirius shook his head. "No, of course not. She doesn't know what I do at school and she
doesn't need to know."
"Mr Black?" Professor McGonagall said from behind them.
Sirius turned to grin at her. "That's me."
Professor McGonagall only pursed her lips together. "Come with me please."
Sirius shrugged, standing up and followed her out of the Great Hall. She led him down the
corridor and up the stairs to a great gargoyle statue.
"Caramel toffee," she said and the statue sprang apart revealing a winding staircase.
Sirius followed her up the stairs and he found himself in a large oval office full of twirling
objects, hundreds of books, and a beautiful red phoenix that perched over the grand desk
where Dumbledore was sitting. He winced audibly when he saw his mother standing by the
desk.
"Er, hallo, Mum."
Walburga Black spun on her heel and glared at him. Her dark hair was swept up in a high bun
and her grey eyes were narrowed in Sirius' direction. If she didn't always look murderous, she
might actually have been attractive.
"There's my traitorous son!"
Professor McGonagall put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly in reassurance. "Being
chosen to be in Gryffindor, Lady Falmouth, is not a treasonous offence."
Professor Dumbledore stood up as well, folding his hands in front of him. "Now my dear,
Walburga, you cannot come barging into the school demanding that I remove your son from
such a noble house. The Sorting Hat always places our students where they belong. You
know this."
"He did something to that hat just to spite me! He belongs in Slytherin!" she demanded, her
hands on her hips. "All Blacks belong in Slytherin!"
"Sirius," Dumbledore said kindly, a smile on his face. "Did you trick the hat?"
"No," Sirius said quickly, his eyes on his mother's enraged glare. "James Potter told me that
the hat would listen to my own thoughts and that… that if I didn't want to be in Slytherin…"
he trailed off and the last words came out so quietly that only McGonagall heard them. "I
could choose not to be."
"You stay away from that Potter boy, Sirius Black! His parents are filthy blood traitors,
consorting with disgusting filth, like Muggles and Mudbloods, and he's obviously already
putting terrible thoughts in your head! You are the future Viscount of Falmouth and I
will not have you throwing away your life with such riff-raff!"
"Walburga! I dislike that kind of talk in my school!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "Mr Black, did
you ask the hat not to put you in Slytherin?"
Sirius nodded, his eyes on Dumbledore. "The hat told me that I didn't belong in Slytherin."
Walburga looked horrified at his statement, taking an automatic step away from him as if he
had some contagion. "Obviously I didn't do enough to distil the importance of the Black
lineage in you, boy!"
McGonagall's hand was on still on his shoulder and Sirius felt very reassured by it. "Sirius is
in Gryffindor House and I couldn't be more proud to have him in my house."
His mother only glared at McGonagall. "Can I have a few moments alone with my son?"
Dumbledore nodded, gesturing for McGonagall to follow him out. "Of course. Minerva, shall
we go have some breakfast?"
Sirius simply gulped as the door to Dumbledore's office closed behind them and he turned to
stare at his mother. "Why did you bother sending me a Howler if you were just going to show
up and make a scene anyway?"
His neck hurt from the impact of the slap and he carefully licked the blood from his lip.
"Don't question me, Sirius," she said coldly.

"Yes, Mum."
Walburga stared at him for a moment. She cast a quick privacy charm around them, blocking
the two of them out from the prying eyes and ears of the portraits in the room.
"I've never been so ashamed as when your letter arrived and you told us that you had been
placed into Gryffindor — and with a Potter at that!"
"He's a pureblood!"
"Who consorts with Muggles! Euphemia Potter is well known for working with Muggle
charities and foundations and it's disgusting! His grandfather wanted to help the Muggles
in their war! You are not to talk to that boy, Sirius, do you understand me?" When he didn't
answer, she slapped him again. "Do you understand me?"
"He's my roommate! I can't promise that I won't talk to him!"
Walburga's eyes hardened. "I've had enough of your smart arse remarks, young man. And
those pranks you pulled before you left the house were immature and childish! You better beg
for forgiveness because when you come home for Christmas, I can promise — you will be
punished accordingly."
"It was just a joke," he said, his heart pounding in his chest when her wand turned on him.
"Imperio!" she said and he felt the familiar feeling of being completely relaxed, the tension
leaving his body. "Beg for my forgiveness, Sirius."
He felt his body bend as he fell to his knees. Why did she want him to beg? Oh, right,
because he had pranked his little brother. But did he have to beg? As the thought drifted
through his mind, the spell lifted and he stood up; she backhanded him so hard with a wave
of her wand that he fell back to the ground.
"I had hoped that you would have stopped fighting that by now," she told him as he climbed
back to his feet. Her eyes moved to the closed door of Dumbledore's office before her wand
turned on him again. "Crucio!"
Sirius bit his tongue so hard it bled as the pain hit him, but he knew better than to scream. It
felt like his insides were tearing apart as he tried to fight his body to be still. It only lasted
about thirty seconds, but it felt like eons and tears were in his eyes when she dropped her
wand.
"Beg for my forgiveness," she said again, her voice cold.
Sirius caught his breath as he kneeled in front of her, blood dripping out of the corner of his
mouth. "I'm sorry, Mum. I'm sorry that I pranked you and Regulus. I'm sorry that I
dishonoured the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. I'm sorry that I'm a Gryffindor.
Please, please, forgive me," he begged, his eyes on the floor.
Walburga took his chin in her hand and forced him to his feet. "That's better. You need to
learn to respect your elders, Sirius. And remember what I said about the Potter family. Make
friends with the noble families that are part of Slytherin House and trust me, I will know. Your
cousin Narcissa will be reporting back to me and don't think that she won't tell me exactly
what you are up to. Understood?"
Sirius nodded, tears in his eyes. "Yes, Mum."
She pulled him to her for a brief hug. "I don't like to punish you, Sirius. Why do you make
me?" When he didn't respond, she pulled away. "Go finish up your breakfast."
With one last glance at his mother, he hurried down the stairs and out of Dumbledore's office,
his breathing hard. He stepped into one of the alcoves and leaned against the wall, his eyes
closed. He could still taste blood in his mouth and he winced as he realized that he had bitten
his tongue hard enough that it was still bleeding.
He hastily wiped the blood from his lip and moved out of the alcove, almost knocking Lily to
the ground. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her.
"Bloody hell! I'm sorry, Evans!" he said, grabbing her book bag and putting it over her
shoulder with a small smile.
"It's all right," she said, smiling back at him. She frowned as she looked up at him. "Sirius,
your lip is bleeding."
"Yeah," he said, licking the blood off. "I bit my tongue."
Lily stared at him for a moment. "You have the beginning of a fat lip."
"I er, I bit my lip too."
Her green eyes only stared into his. "You know, what your mum said in that Howler… you're
not a disgrace. I think that she was just disappointed that you aren't following in the family
footsteps."
He snorted. Disappointed was not the word he'd use.
"Yeah, maybe. Listen, if you see James, tell him that I'll see him at lunch."
"Aren't you coming to class?" she called out after him, but Sirius ignored her and made his
way down the hall and up to the Gryffindor common room. He barely made it to his own bed
before he fell into it, finally letting the tears fall as he clutched his pillow in his arms and
sobbed.
~ TFTA ~
When Sirius went down for lunch a few hours later, he took a seat at the table a few
seats away from James, Remus, and Peter. He reached for a chunk of bread to dip into his
stew and looked up in surprise when Lily sat next to him.
"Er, hi Lily."
"Sirius, are you all right?" she asked him, placing her hand on his arm.
He forced a grin onto his face. "Of course."
"You skipped Potions."
"I just had a bit of a headache; needed a nap."
She stared at him for a moment. "Why aren't you sitting with James, Remus, and Peter?"
"Felt like sitting here," he said stubbornly as he buttered his bread. When she only continued
to stare at him with her green eyes intently on him, he put his knife down. "What?"
"I don't know," she told him honestly. "But something changed about you. Are you sure that
you're all right? I'm a really great listener, you know."
He gave her a small smile. "You wouldn't understand."
"Doesn't mean that I can't listen."
He only continued to butter his bread, staring at his plate. He could imagine his mum's face if
she found him talking to a Muggleborn. His father's voice telling him how her blood was
unclean. He had enough trouble on his plate, he didn't need to add any more.
"Thanks, but I'm fine."
Lily squeezed his arm gently. "Offer's always open."
Then she turned to smile at Mary who sat down across from her.
Sirius ate his bread quickly, dipping it into his beef stew as his eyes moved to the Slytherin
table where his cousin Narcissa, a fifth year, was watching him with her cool eyes. He
swallowed.
Yeah, he didn't need to add to his troubles. Talking to a Muggleborn was the very last thing
he should be doing. He hissed when the stew hit his fat lip and thought that it wasn't only Lily
he needed to stay away from. It was the only way he was going to survive here.
And for the first time since he'd arrived at Hogwarts, sadness washed over.
It was going to be a long year.

The One With Mudbloods and Fistfight
Author's Note:
I just wanted to say that reviews are what make fanfic authors want to share our work. We do
this for free.
No one pays us.
We write for ourselves and we choose to share it with the world.
Reviews are what fuel us.
Reviews are what bring us joy.
Reviews are what tell us that something made people happy or sad or angry or all three.
Reviews are the thing that tells us our stories are worth sharing and not keeping to ourselves.
They can be long and amazingly detailed. They can be short and sweet. Even a review like
the infamous scrappy8 leaves "great chapter" can bring a smile to an author's face. Even
just leaving the word "kudos again" when Ao3 won't let you click it a second time can make
an author smile. It doesn't have to be much, but please, drop a review to the stories you love
and show your appreciation for fanfic authors because without it, we wither away and stop
posting because we become defeated and saddened. As a huge fan of Seriously Sam 's story
Legerdemain, I am devastated by her lack of wanting to continue the story due to the lack of
response she's been getting. I don't want to see my favourite authors lose interest in doing
something that they are so amazing at and I hope that my readers don't want to see me do the
same.
If you love something, please let the author know.
Show us that you care and show us that you appreciate what we do. I know I sure as hell
appreciate every single person who takes the time to leave me a review or comment, no
matter how big or small.
THANK YOU!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Susanne_BK: Thank you for saying this chapter hits
harder than the bit did in ASC. Thank you for saying that I wrote "it perfectly, drew you in,
and left you in tears." That's very kind! Thank you. To CorbanD17: Thank you! To Bellmel:
Yes, he was only an eleven-year-old-boy and his mother is an awful person! Thanks for
loving the budding friendship between Sirius and Lily, I enjoyed writing it. Thank you! To
darkhk: I know, poor Sirius. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor:
Walburga is very scary and manipulative. I loved showing how she can torture her son one
moment and then hug him the next. I think it really explains her character. McGonagall's
presence did already reassure Sirius and they aren't even close yet. Thank you! To ascfan:
No, Dumbledore and McGonagall did not see the abuse. Sirius is a lot braver than he looks.
Thank you! To alix33: Poor Sirius, indeed. To scrappy8: Lily is very nice in offering to
listen to Sirius. I think Harry gets his good heart from her. Thank you! To Shivani: Yes,
Sirius did leave with a bang lol. Thank you! To ellyann13: Thanks for saying young Lily is
sweet. Walburga might know that logically, but she wants her son in Slytherin. Thank you!
CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
The One With Mudbloods and Fistfights
14th September 1971…
They were leaving the greenhouses after a grimy Herbology class, in which they were all
desperately anxious to wash up, when Snape, Rosier, and Avery surrounded Lily and
Mary. The girls were walking in front of Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter on their way back
to the castle.
"Was kind of nice to work with our hands a bit, wasn't it?" Avery asked, eyeing the girls. "A
little gardening work the good old fashioned Muggle way."
Lily shrugged. "It was kind of nice, yes, but I do want to clean up now. Even my neck has dirt
on it from those bouncing bulbs."
Mary nodded sympathetically. "One of them bounced right over my head!"
Lily giggled as she remembered how it had jumped over Mary's head and landed on Peter
who had let out a rather high-pitched shriek. "That was hilarious! Peter's scream was so
high!"
Rosier sneered at her. "You shouldn't have laughed at him."
"Even he thought it was funny," Mary said, smiling at him. "Everyone was laughing. Potter
told him to calm his tits as it was just a plant!"
"But some of us aren't beneath him," Rosier said with menace, spitting on the ground in front
of them.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lily demanded, stopping in her tracks.
Avery smirked at them. "It means that filthy little Mudbloods like you two have no right to
laugh at your superiors."
"Don't call her that, Avery," Snape said, softly.
"You know that's what she is, Severus. Honestly, I don't even know how you can stand the
stink of her."
"What did you just say to me?" Lily demanded, her neck flushing.
She had never heard the term before, but the derogatory way that he had sneered it, she knew
that it wasn't good.
"I said that you're a filthy little Mudblood who should show her superiors — her betters —
some bloody respect!" Avery spat.
"You apologize to Evans and McDonald," James demanded from behind them, his eyes dark
in outrage.
Avery snorted and looked at Rosier who only laughed. "Why should I? It's what they are,
Potter! Filthy — little — Mudbloods."
James' fist plowed into Avery's face without warning. Lily gasped in shock as the boys fell on
each other, fists pounding. When Rosier kicked James in the ribs, Sirius jumped forward and
punched him in the face as Professor Sprout hurried over shouting, using her wand to
separate the four of them.
"Muggle duelling! What on earth are you boys doing? Detention all of you and ten points
each from Gryffindor and Slytherin!" she shouted as James wiped blood from the corner of
his mouth.
Avery and Rosier scrambled to their feet, glaring at James and Sirius before they marched
ahead, pulling Snape with them, who turned and mouthed an apology to Lily as he was pulled
away.
"Worth the loss of points," James muttered as he helped Sirius to his feet. "Tossers. Thanks
for coming to my aid, mate."
Sirius nodded as he dusted the dirt off of his clothes. "Of course, not a fair fight when
someone kicks you in the ribs," he said, poking James where he was tender and watching him
wince. "You going to live?"
"Think so," he said with a grin. He turned to Lily and Mary and his expression sobered. "I'm
so sorry that you girls had to hear that. Avery and Rosier should be given more than just
detention. That was bloody uncalled for."
Mary nodded, her eyes wide. "Thank you for coming to our aid like that, it was really noble
of you, James."
James draped his arms around each of their shoulders. "Chivalry is alive and well!"
Then he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and attempted to wipe the blood from his lip.
Lily took pity on him and reached out to help him, her eyes on his bloody lip as she spoke.
"James, I know what he said was bad, but I'm afraid that I didn't understand it."
James froze slightly, his hand covering hers over his lip. "It's… it's a really foul name for
someone like you and Mary, someone who comes from a non magical background. It
basically means 'dirty blood' which is complete bollocks. It doesn't matter where you come
from, it matters that you are witches — both of you — and most importantly, Gryffindors,
and we stick together."
"Here, here," Remus called out, smiling at his friend. "Well said, James!"
Mary stood on her toes and kissed Sirius' cheek and then James'. "And they say that chivalry
is dead. Thanks boys." She took Lily's arm and tugged her towards her. "Come on; let's go get
a quick shower in before dinner."
Lily nodded, her green eyes on James and Sirius. "Yes, thank you; both of you."
She couldn't help but steal a glance back at them as they headed back to the castle and
wondered why two boys she barely knew defended her while her best friend had merely
stood idly by and done nothing.
~ TFTA ~
Twenty minutes later, James was still ranting about what complete arses the Slytherins
were.
"Can you believe Avery and Rosier?" James demanded as he ran the towel over his wet hair.
Remus shrugged. "They're tossers. I'm glad that you stepped up, James. I was moving
towards them myself."
James tossed his towel at the hamper. "Disgusting is what it was! I don't get how people can
use language like that. Lily and Mary are both so nice! I never even would have known that
they were Muggleborn if they hadn't told us. Why does it even matter?"
"Some people are just better human beings than others," Remus said as he buttoned his
trousers.
Peter shook his head, combing his wet hair. "I don't believe that. You two were really brave
though, punching those blokes."
"It felt good," James admitted, opening and closing his fist. "I've never punched anyone
before, but they deserved it."
Sirius nodded. "Next time tuck you thumb in, it won't hurt as much." He tugged his shirt over
his head and he found James staring at his back again. "Jealous of my battle scars, Potter?"
James caught himself staring and shook his head. "Nah, just wondering why you tried to
make yourself uglier. You'd already scare a troll as it is."
Sirius laughed and threw his wet towel at James. "Piss off, Potter!"
James laughed, catching the towel before it hit him in the face. "I'm starving! I could eat a
whole hippogriff to myself right now!"
Remus nodded, standing up. "We should head down to dinner."
"I'll meet you down there," Sirius said, reaching for his comb.
"I'll wait with you," James told him, plopping himself on his bed as he tugged socks onto his
feet.
Remus and Peter headed out and James watched Sirius for a moment.
"Are you all right, mate?"
Sirius continued to comb his hair, not looking at James. "Yeah, why?"
James shrugged. Ever since the Howler had arrived he had noticed a definite change in his
friend. He seemed a bit withdrawn and he didn't joke around with them as much anymore.
Half the time he didn't even sit with them at meals. He knew that he'd only been at school
two weeks, but he'd felt a kindred spirit in Sirius from the moment he met him. He hated
seeing him look so down.
"Dunno, you've just been acting strange."
Sirius turned to look at him, his grey eyes carefully blank. "Look, Potter, the truth is, I don't
really know if I want to be friends with you blokes."
James' eyes widened in surprise. That was the last thing that he had been expecting. "What?
Are you kidding?"
"I'm a Black, Potter. I can't be friends with someone like you. Someone who comes from a
family of blood traitors. You're not even listed on the Sacred Twenty-Eight! Lupin's mother's
a filthy Muggle for Merlin's sake, even speaking to him is basically a crime in my family!
Peter's okay, but a whiny little bitch. Don't even get me started on Shacklebolt, not that he
really hangs out with us anyway, but I think that it would be for the best if we were just
roommates and nothing more, okay?"
James simply stared at him, his eyes hurt. "Are you bloody serious right now?"
"Sirius Black, yes."
James' mouth twitched slightly at the joke. "You're really going to make a joke after saying
that?" When Sirius didn't respond, James' eyes narrowed. "Seriously, mate, you're just going
to decide that we can't be friends, what the hell is wrong with you? You defended Evans and
McDonald today! You didn't even hesitate to jump in and assist me and then you go on and
call Remus' mum filthy! What's wrong with you?"
"I didn't like seeing two against one," Sirius said.
"You're lying," James told him.

Sirius shrugged, keeping his eyes downcast. "I don't need you so… just leave me alone. It's
what's best. For both of us."
He grabbed his wand and stormed out of the room as James stared after him in shock, not
even really sure what had just happened. James adjusted his crooked glasses and was
surprised that he felt the urge to cry. He had thought he'd found the perfect best mate; a
kindred spirit, a brother.
What the hell had just happened?
James grabbed his wand from his bed and shoved it into his robes before he trudged down to
dinner, no longer feeling so elated at his victory over Slytherin. Instead, he felt rather
heartbroken and defeated. And for the first time that he could remember, a lack of words. He
sat down between Remus and Peter, his eyes on Sirius, who sat at the opposite end of the
table, and wondered what he'd done to lose his first real friend.
The One Where We All Bleed Red
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To darkhk: Thank you and ha, yes I suppose that's fair. To
joss.518: I know, poor James. Thank you! To Cath: It will be. Thank you! To Cassiopeia
Anastasia Black: Thank you! To scrappy8: I know, poor James thinks he did something to
lose his friend. Thank you! To alix33: Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Thanks for
saying it holds more weight here. No, Sirius isn't good at lying to James because he already
feels a connection there. I agree, Sirius is James' first real friend. As an only child, he never
really had a lot of other kids to play with. Ha, thanks for that and no, I was careful not to
spoil anything lol. The Europe trip is one of the things I haven't written yet (only small
snippets) so I hope it will be! Thank you! To ascfan: Thank you! I do think evil isn't born,
it's made for the most part, but good point. Thank you. To ellyann13: Yes, Sirius definitely
learned how to punch from watching his father's technique. There's nothing wrong with
Shacklebolt. Thank you. To Shivani: I'm glad the Sirius joke never gets old. Thank you! To
A Huge Fan: Thank you! I like to show that James was clearly against bigotry from the
beginning. He was raised by good people. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you! To
CherrySara: Thank you!
To CorbanD17: Thank you! To mystic magic 88 (klewellan): Thank you very much for
your kind words in saying that you have "treasured every word, sentence and paragraph.
Appreciated every comma period and question mark. Savoured every new character creation
and delighted in the amazing depth touches or detailed sculpting you added to the ones we
know. Reading has a been a joy every single time." Wow! This made me smile so much!
Thank you very much for such beautiful words! Thank you very much and I will definitely
look back at this one as something to smile and appreciate. To SingingSword: Thanks for
loving my world of ASC! To PurpleLotus: They really are two kindred spirits, aren't they?
Thank you! To BleedRedandGold: It does tug at your heart even when you know. Thank
you! To Bellmel: Thank you! I agree, Lily hearing the word for the first time and not
understanding what it will mean for her future is something! Yes, Lily wiping away the blood
from James' face, definitely won't be the last time. Yes, bittersweet and yes, heartbreaking for
James and Sirius. Thank you!
CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
The One Where We All Bleed Red
18th September 1971…
Sirius was lying in his bed. The thick red bed curtains closed around him (to avoid seeing
his roommates), were rudely pulled open by James, who then proceeded to plop himself onto
the end of the bed.
"Hiding, mate?"
"No," Sirius said, shoving him off the bed. "Get lost!"
James merely sat back down, crossing his arms in front of him. "No. I'm bored."
"Well, go and find Remus or Peter or Kingsley. I'm busy."
"Brooding? Doesn't sound like too much fun." James said simply, leaning his back against
one of the posts. "So, other than suddenly deciding to be a stuck up little bitch, why can't we
be friends?"
"I don't like you, Potter."
James snorted. "Now that's a lie if I ever heard one, Black. I'm amazing. Everyone loves me."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Right, you keep on thinking that."
James simply stared at him. Sirius was pointedly not looking at him, his arms crossed in front
of his chest rather defensively and he could see that he was trying to not show how annoyed
he was.
"Is it because of the nightmare that you had last night?" James asked.
He had heard his friend thrashing around in his sleep muttering no under his breath and
apologizing, but when James had woken him and asked if he was all right, he had muttered
fine and rolled over.
"You're a nosy berk, do you know that? It's not your business what I dream about!"
He shrugged good naturally. "Sometimes talking about bad dreams helps. I had a nightmare
once where this huge dragon came crashing through the roof of our house and set everything
on fire. It was terrifying! I woke up in tears and after I told my mum and dad about it I felt
better."
"We're not going to hold hands and plait each other's fucking hair, Potter. I told you, we're not
friends. Go away!" Sirius demanded, kicking his leg out at James again.
James ignored him and stretched his long legs out across Sirius' bed so that his feet could butt
him in the ribs repeatedly. "No. Not until you tell me why."
"BECAUSE MY MUM SAID SO, OKAY?" Sirius shouted, climbing off of his bed and
moving to brood out the window.
James stayed where he was, watching his friend's back. Sirius' mother had told him…
suddenly everything made sense and James bored his eyes into Sirius' back.
"Because I'm a blood traitor, is that it? We all bleed red, you know."
Sirius only nodded, his eyes closed. "Look, James, it's better this way. For everyone."
"Not for you," James said stubbornly, climbing to his feet. "You're bloody miserable! What's
the worse thing your mum is going to do if you decide to be friends with me? Come on,
Sirius!"
Sirius only continued to stare out the window. "My cousin Narcissa is a fifth year Slytherin.
She'll spy on me and tell my parents. They will know."
"I spent all of last summer being grounded," James said with a smile. "Not playing Quidditch
totally sucked, but overall it wasn't so bad. Plus, we can find in-clandestine ways to
communicate."
"James," Sirius said, opening his eyes. "No."
"You really just do whatever the hell your mother wants you to, huh?" James said in
disappointment. "Well, I'll have you know that I'm a great friend and you're going to miss out
on that if you do this."
Sirius closed his eyes again and bit his bottom lip, wincing as it was still tender. "I don't want
to be friends with you, Potter."
James let out a huff of breath. "Fine. Sit up and here and brood all alone then, you bloody
wanker!"
Sirius heard the door slam closed behind him and he winced. It was for the best, he thought.
It had to be.
The One With the Literary Friend
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To scrappy8: Thank you! I know, poor Sirius, he is very
confused. To alix33: Thank you! Well, Sirius thinks Narcissa is a tattletale, but we will see.
To CherrySara: Thank you! To darkhk: Sirius definitely deserves all of the hugs! Thank
you! To ellyann13: It would be entertaining if all of the boys plaited each other's hair lol,
but no. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: James definitely never gives up and he is
definitely the Ron to Harry equivalent. James' dream about the dragon was actually a
nightmare I had as a kid. I still remember it vividly too. I love confident James! Thank you!
To ascfan: I love confident James too and yes, such cute little marauders. Thank you! To
Slaidback: Thank you for loving how this story is painting the picture of my ASC characters.
To CorbanD17: Thank you! To abhinav_16_india: Thank you! I completely agree about

the power of the statement "we all bleed red." I'm so sorry that you are being bullied at
school especially because it has to do with race. Be proud of who you are and where you
came from and I give you props for deciding it makes you stronger. Thanks for loving ASC
and now for loving TFTA, it means a lot to me. Thank you! To PurpleLotus: I know, poor
Sirius, he is hurting and confused. Thank you! To BleedRedandGold: Sorry to make you
cry! Thank you! To Bellmel: James will not give up on Sirius, no. He is both endearing and
annoying and Sirius doesn't know that yet. Sirius is still caught under the influence of his
mum and his family and he totally does need a hug! I love how you said James is all "why
win someone over with kindness when you can annoy the shit out of them instead?" LOL, it is
the perfect strategy for Sirius. Thank you!
CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
The One With The Literary Friend
September 1971…
It was the evening after James and Sirius had apparently stopped talking to one
another. Sirius had distanced himself more and more from all of his roommates. He even got
into a shouting match with James and caused James to spend the majority of the next day
ranting about what a complete git Sirius had been.
Remus took a seat in the Gryffindor common room, the heat of the fire making him tug off
his jumper, as James' dark grey owl flew in through the open window and perched on his
hand.
"Kinda late for a letter, isn't it?" Remus asked as he watched his friend close the window.
James shrugged. "It's not for me. I let Evans borrow my owl to send a letter home. She's
never sent anything by owl post before and when I ran into her up in the Owlery, I offered
Poseidon to her when she asked how to use the school ones."
His gaze searched for the small redhead who was curled up under a blanket on the carpet by
the fireplace reading Little Women.
"Evans!"
Lily jolted at the sound of her surname, eyes searching until she found James grinning at her.
She stood up and moved over to sit on the chesterfield next to Remus.
"What's going on?"
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," James told her with a grin as he sat on the other side of
her. "Poseidon brought you a letter."
"Oh!" Lily exclaimed, smiling as the owl held his leg out for her to take the letter off. "Thank
you! I was beginning to think that they couldn't figure out how to send it back."
"I told him to stay there with your family until they wrote you a letter," he told her, tugging
some owl treats out from his pocket and holding them out for Poseidon who nipped them
from his hand happily.
Lily opened the envelope eagerly and began to read aloud:
Dear Lily,
It sounds like Hogwarts is going to be a lot of fun. The owl is beautiful and when it flew
through the kitchen window and landed on the table, Petunia screamed so loudly that your
mother knocked over the jug of milk. Let's just say that Gatsby was very pleased with himself
as he lapped it all up.
Your classes all sound very interesting. Transfiguring objects into different things, making
items float and fly, brewing potions — I hope that you're not huddled over a cauldron
spouting 'double, double toil and trouble' as we both know how well that turned out for the
protagonist. Defence Against the Dark Arts sounds particularly interesting to me, but also
makes me worry about you having to defend yourself from dangerous spells and curses.
Astronomy sounds amazing, you know how much I always loved learning about the stars and
constellations. Herbology sounds a bit like medicine. History of magic sounds like it would
be the most interesting though, I'd want to know everything about how the magical world
came to be and how it was kept a secret from non magical people like your mum and I. But
that's probably the history teacher in me. You'll have to let me know how that goes.
Your roommates sound very nice! I'm very happy that you have made new friends. I'm sorry
that you and Severus aren't in the same house, but that shouldn't worry you, Roger McGill
and I were best mates and then we were in separate houses. We even competed against each
other on our house teams in football. And we're still friends to this day!
As for those flying lessons, the idea of you flying around on a broomstick is pretty hilarious to
my young daughter who hates heights. Try to relax, sweetheart, and you will be fine. It
sounds rather brilliant to me and don't look down, first rule. For someone who loves to climb
trees, I can't fathom how heights scare you. You are a complete mystery to me, Lily.
Write back as soon as you can. We miss you and we love you.
Love,
Dad and Mum and Petunia
xoxo
Lily smiled up at James when she finished reading the letter. "My sister screamed so loud that
my mother knocked the milk jug over. I wish I would have seen it."
James laughed, watching as Poseidon flew off. "Sounds like it was worth it then."
Lily nodded, smiling as she closed the letter and tucked it back into the envelope.
James stood up, stretching so hard that his shirt rode up, and he ruffled his hair. His eyes
followed Sirius as he came into the common room and headed straight up the stairs not
looking at anyone.
"Did you three have a falling out?" Lily asked him as she watched James stare after the boy
in sadness.
Remus shrugged. "He's not talking to any of us."
James ruffled his hair again, sitting back on the sofa. "I don't know. He says that we can't be
friends anymore. None of us, Remus and Peter included, and he's been ignoring us all, ever
since he blew up at me. Ever since he got that Howler from his mum he's been acting weird."
Lily looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think that he desperately needs a friend."
"So do I, but he won't let me in," James replied.
Lily's eyes met his. "Well, as someone whose honour was defended the other day by the two
of you, I think that you know how to be his friend."
James grinned at her. "Yeah, I'll get through to him. Thanks, Evans!" He jumped to his feet
and hurried up the stairs to the boys dormitories.
Remus watched him go, his golden eyes wistful. "I hope James gets through to him, he's been
acting like a right git."
"Don't you want to go up and help?" Lily asked.
Remus shook his head. "No. I don't want to give him the impression that we're ganging up on
him and James seems to be taking Sirius' abandonment a lot more personally. I'll let those
two work it out. I don't really know Sirius that well anyway. Or anyone for that matter." He
shifted and a book fell out of his cloak pocket.
"Are you reading The Great Gatsby?" Lily asked in surprise, her eyes on the book.
Remus tugged the book fully out of his cloak and smiled at her. "Yeah, my mum sent it the
other day. Have you read it?"
Lily nodded, a big smile on her face. "I have. Dad loves it. He even named our cat Gatsby."
Remus chuckled, rubbing his hands together as he leaned back against the sofa. "Nick just
met the mysterious Gatsby. Do you read a lot?" he asked her, gesturing to the book in her
hands.
"As much as I can," she told him honestly. "I'm a bit of a bookworm sometimes."
Remus' smile widened. "Excellent. I could use another literary friend. James reads a little, but
he has too much energy to sit and read. I love a good story."
Lily handed him the book she was reading, her green eyes dancing in the firelight. "Have you
ever read Alcott?"
Remus shook his head, flipping the book over to read the description. "Is it good?"
"Oh, it's wonderful! It's all about friendship and love and it's really good."
"Maybe I can borrow it when you're done?" Remus asked, smiling at her. "Be nice to trade
books. The library, I noticed, doesn't have too big of a reading selection for fiction."
Lily nodded eagerly, smiling at him. "Ooh, yes, let's! I'd love that!"
Remus smiled warmly at her, stretching his legs out in front of him. "Sounds like a plan."
Remus glanced back towards the staircase leading to the boys' dormitories and thought that it
would be nice to have a literary friend, especially because he still wasn't sure what to think of
his roommates and Sirius' progressively worsening mood.
End Author's Notes:
A few more book recommendations here:
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

The One With A True Gryffindor
Author's Note:
To my Canadian friends — 🇨🇦Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To scrappy8: Thank you! To ellyann13: Yes, Lily and
Remus. Why would James ruin their friendship? I don't see nor understand that happening at
all. I think there are lots of amazing books in the magical world to read. Thank you. To
darkhk: Some of the classics are boring, but some of them are amazing! Like Gatsby, Pride
and Prejudice, The Count of Monte Cristo (some of my personal favourites). Thank you! To
ascfan: James is pretty stubborn and Sirius is about to find that out! To alix33: I love the
Great Gatsby so I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it. Thank you! To CherrySara: Thank you! Don't
worry, James and Sirius will make up soon! To Slaidback: Thank you! To Shivani: Ooh,
Little Women is another fantastic book! Yes, I know you follow my bookstagram account and
I love a good book ( brie_reads for anyone interested). Thanks for being excited about Lily
and Remus' friendship! To EnigmaticEmperor: They are starting to settle down and make
friends. Yes, Lily is the one who Sirius talks to first. I do love to add some Shakespeare in
there (that's another author I'm fond of). I liked making Mr Evans a historian and having him
act like I would lol! For example, there is no doubt in my mind that he read all of her history
textbooks cover to cover LOL. Thank you!
To CorbanD17: Thank you! To BleedRedandGold: Thank you for reading! To

MerryMagicalMenagerie: Thank you! I love the idea of Remus and Lily being book buddies
and its my personal head canon that it was totally a thing that brought them together! Thank
you! To Bellmel: Yes, a literary friend! It's what I'm going to start calling you! Thank you.
I've always thought that Lily would have developed a friendship with the Marauders, at least
individually. I do love her and Sirius being close, but I think she and Remus were close as
well, especially later on when they were prefects together. Remus is so wonderful and
deserves to make great friends, but yes, a friendship with Lily who loves to read like he does,
provides him with that intellect and like-minded person to bond with. I love that closeness
that allows both of them to bring in that love of Muggle books from another world into the
magical one. I'm sure we will see more of them together! Thank you!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
The One With A True Gryffindor
3rd October 1971…
Sirius kicked the stones under his feet, tossing one into the Black Lake, his hands in his
pockets as a gust of cool wind blew off the water. He turned at the sound of his name and
saw Lily walking towards him.
Unlike Remus and Peter who had taken him at his word and stopped talking to him since his
argument with James, Lily had kept pestering him and James continued to annoy him. It was
like James Potter thought he could annoy him into being his friend and the fact that it only
made him more endearing, made it a lot harder to keep ignoring him, but Sirius was doing his
best. Lily on the other hand, kept asking him if he was all right and reminding him that she
was a good listener. Every time he had tried to push her away, she only ignored him and
continued to be incredibly nice.
He had no idea why.
And it was driving him mad because he couldn't understand why she kept being nice to him
when he was making a conscious effort to not be nice back.
"Sirius!" she called again, waving at him. "Professor McGonagall is looking for you!"
"Thanks," he said, picking up his book bag and heading towards the castle, ignoring her when
she called out after him.
It took him ten minutes to find her office, kicking his feet as he went, and when he knocked,
her brisk 'come in' led him inside. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw his cousin
Narcissa Black sitting in front of her desk.
"Evans said that you wanted to see me, Professor?" he asked, his eyes moving from her to
Narcissa, her golden blonde hair in a long braid down her back.
"Yes, Mr Black, sit down."
Sirius took a seat next to his cousin, looking perplexed when McGonagall offered him a
biscuit. "Is everything all right?" he asked.
He couldn't fathom why he and Narcissa were both in here. He wasn't even sure if he'd
spoken to his cousin since he'd arrived at the school.
"Miss Black came to talk to me, Sirius. It seems that she's a bit concerned about your well-
being here at Hogwarts. She says that you don't have any friends and that you spend all of
your time alone," McGonagall said kindly, her eyes on his. "Is this true?"
Sirius looked at Narcissa in surprise. "Why?"
Narcissa shrugged. "Auntie Wally's a bit extreme in her views, Sirius. I think that you're
taking her words too literally."
Sirius glared at her. "How can I take them too literally when she told me that you would spy
on me and tell her if I did anything that she disapproved of?"
Narcissa sighed. "I'm in fifth year. I don't have time to be spying on you, Sirius, and frankly, I
don't really care what you do."
He cheered up a bit at her words. "Wait — you don't?"
"You were placed in Gryffindor for a reason. Be friends with whomever you want. I won't say
a word to your mum. I swear." She stood up and nodded at McGonagall. "Look out for him,
Professor."
Sirius watched her close the door behind her and he reached for another biscuit, eating
quietly. "Er, all right then. Thanks for the biscuit, Professor."
He started to stand but McGonagall shook her head. "Not yet, Mr Black Sit down." She
folded her hands in front of her and just looked at him for a moment as sat. When he started
to shift uncomfortably she sighed. "Sirius, did your mother tell you that you were not to be
friends with James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew?"
Sirius only nodded, his grey eyes on hers. "They aren't worthy of the Black family name."
McGonagall muttered under her breath as she spoke. "You defended Miss Evans and Miss
McDonald when they were bullied by Mr Avery and Mr Rosier. You jumped in to help Mr
Potter as he defended them. You chose to not be in Slytherin despite your mother's insistence
that it was where you belong. That sounds like bravery to me, Mr Black; like a true
Gryffindor, actually."
He managed a small smile at her words and brushed his hair out of his eyes before he
carefully masked it. "She'll know, Professor. If she finds out that I defended a Muggleborn
she'll know and —"
"And she'll what, Mr Black?" McGonagall asked carefully, her eyes on his. The fear in his
eyes before he quickly masked it, alarmed her.
"I'm already in trouble with her. I don't want to be in any more."
"Everyone gets in trouble now and again. I daresay it makes life a little bit more fun, does it
not? I seem to recall a Howler a few weeks ago that told of a few pranks you played at home
before coming to school."
Sirius' lips twitched. "She hates it when I pull pranks, but it's fun, and it's not like they hurt
anyone. They just made me laugh. But Mum gets so mad and I know that she's going to have
Dad curse — I mean, ground me, for the entire holiday."
McGonagall noticed his slip up and her voice was soft when she spoke. "Does your father
hurt you, Sirius?"
Sirius shrugged, offering her a smile. "No, of course not. Just, you know, regular discipline
when I misbehave, which I do — a lot."
"Sirius, you know that there's a big difference between discipline and discipline that is
harmful, right?"
Sirius thought of the scars on his back and shook his head. "I know, Professor. I'm fine,
really."
McGonagall watched him for a moment. She hesitated before she spoke, choosing her words
carefully. "You and James Potter are a lot alike, Mr Black. The way that you were joking and
laughing with each other that first week, I could tell that you were going to be great friends.
As for Mr Lupin and Mr Pettigrew, you all seemed to hit it off very well. Miss Evans always
has a smile for you and I've been watching you push them all away. I'd hate to see you lose
out on such wonderful friendships because your mother thinks that they aren't worthy of you.
Anyone brave enough to be chosen for Gryffindor should know how wonderful any friend
they could make in the same house would be."
"Even… even if that was true," Sirius told her, taking another biscuit when she offered it.
"They hate me now." His grey eyes were full of sadness and she smiled warmly at him as his
hair fell into his eyes.
"No, they don't." She stood up, coming around the desk to sit in the chair next to him. "I
know that sometimes going against your parents is a very hard choice to make. But making
your own choices are very important as well. You have to do what you believe in, Sirius. If
you truly do not want to be friends with those boys, then don't. But if you are only pushing
them away because your mother insists on it, I think that you should reconsider."
She surprised him then by gently brushing his dark hair away from his face, her eyes kind.
"And if you ever need to talk about anything, my door is always open. Always. Now, go on,
you'll miss lunch."
Sirius got to his feet and grabbed his bag, giving her a grateful smile before he hurried from
the office, feeling like a huge weight had just been lifted from his chest. He ran down the
corridor, his grin widening when he spotted Lily Evans up ahead, talking to Snape.
He grabbed her, tugging her to him with one arm. "Evans!"
Lily laughed, leaning into him as he squeezed her arm tightly. "Sirius, what are you doing?"
she exclaimed as he let her go and continued to grin widely at her. "It's nice to see you
smiling again."
"I'm sorry that I've been a great prat lately, all moody and whatnot. You were really nice to
me and I didn't deserve it." he told her honestly.
Snape crossed his arms in front of his chest, glowering at the two of them. "I'm going to go to
lunch, Lily."
"Oh, okay — bye, Sev!" she said, turning back to Sirius. "It really is nice to see you smiling
again. Did you make up with James, Remus, and Peter?"
He shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets. "No. I want to, though — do you
think that they'll forgive me for being such a huge prat?"
Lily shrugged, gesturing for him to sit on the bench with her. "I don't know. I guess it
depends on how much of a prat you were."
Sirius smiled at her, his grey eyes watching her from under his long lashes. "I've been
thinking a lot about what you said about listening and… I mean, if you'd still… I mean, you
know…"
He blushed and shifted uncomfortably on the bench.
Lily reached out to touch his arm. "I'd love to listen to anything you want to tell me, Sirius."
Sirius felt a little lighter hearing those words. "Well, I don't want to burden you with my poor
little rich boy problems."
"Burden away," Lily told him, crossing her legs. "I have nothing more important to do than
listen to someone who needs to talk."
He watched her for a moment. He wasn't sure exactly why the sight of her had excited him so
much. But after leaving McGonagall's office, he had seen her and he remembered how nice
she had been to him, offering to let him talk, making sure that he was all right. She had to be
the nicest person that he had ever met and he realized that he wanted to be friends with her —
a Muggleborn witch. Maybe it was partly to annoy his mother, he thought, but it was also
because of her.
Lily made him want to be her friend.
"When I got that howler at the beginning of term," he began, watching her green eyes focus
on him in interest. "My mum came to the school to talk to Dumbledore. She wanted me to be
removed from Gryffindor and be put into Slytherin immediately. My whole family has
always been in Slytherin. It's the house of the Black family. We argued and Dumbledore told
her that the hat always places the students where they belong. She was furious. She hit me
which is why my mouth was bleeding," he told her as her eyes widened in shock. Her hand
grasped his and he felt reassured by it. "But she told me that I couldn't be friends with James,
Remus, and Peter because… because they're not worthy of the Ancient and Most Noble
House of Black. When I argued with her she used Cruc — I mean, she er, yelled at me and
well… that almost always has the desired effect she wants. So, I gave in. And I pushed
everyone away. I-I did what she wanted."
He was quiet for a moment. He had slipped up there a bit, but since Lily was Muggleborn, he
didn't have to worry about her understanding what he had been about to say.
"That's why I pushed everyone away, but I don't want to do that anymore. So um… yeah,
tanks for listening, Lily. I hope that we can be friends."
Lily smiled warmly at him. "We are friends, silly." She leaned in kissed his cheek, surprising
him. "And if you ever need to talk, I'm always here to listen."
He smiled. "Erm, thanks. I have to go find James, Remus, and Peter and make it up to them.
I'll see you around?"
She nodded as he hurried off and soon Sirius plopped onto the bench next to Peter in the
Great Hall and smiled at the three first year Gryffindor boys. "Hi, Pete."
Peter turned to look at him in surprise, his mouth full of mashed potato. "Sirius!"
"Has anyone ever told you to eat with your mouth closed?" he asked, flicking Peter's cheek as
mashed potato dribbled down his chin.
Peter grimaced and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Only every day."
"So, what are you three doing this afternoon?" Sirius asked, watching them.
Peter looked nervously at James and Remus. "We're going down to the lake to enjoy the sun
while it's still kind of warm out. I'd invite you, but I wouldn't want our unworthiness to rub
off on you."
James snorted at that and looked at Remus. "Remus isn't feeling too great, Pete, so he says
that he's going to see Madam Pomfrey after lunch so, it's just you and me."
"What's wrong, Remus?" Sirius asked, his eyebrow furrowing. Now that he looked over at
him, he had to admit, he did look a bit peaky. His face was pale and clammy looking.
"Why do you care? It's not like we're friends or anything," James spat, getting to his feet.
"Come on, Remus! Pete and I will go with you to the hospital wing."
Sirius watched them head off and he sighed. He definitely had a lot to make up for.
~ TFTA ~
Fifteen minutes later, he found James and Peter by the lake. They were skipping stones
across the water as James carefully instructed Peter how to do it.
Sirius shoved his hands into his pockets as he approached them.
"Nice one!" he called out as James' stone skipped eight times before plunking beneath the
surface of the Black Lake.
James only looked at him. "What do you want, Sirius?"
Sirius moved closer to them, his eyes on the lake. "I want to be friends, if you guys will have
me."
Peter grinned at this and punched him lightly in the arm. "That's all we wanted to begin with
until you decided to be a great prat!"
"He's too good to hang out with the likes of us, Pete," James said, whipping another stone and
watching it skip six times before sinking.
"I'm not," Sirius said, desperately. "I'm a huge git and I know that I don't deserve to have you
guys as friends. I get it if you don't want to talk to me anymore. But I-I hope you'll change
your mind."
"And why should we?" James demanded, turning to stare at Sirius, his hazel eyes flashing in
anger. "You pushed us away!"
Sirius kicked at the stones by his feet as he spoke. "Because I let my mum bully me into
thinking that I can't be friends with you blokes and I… I don't want to let her bully me
anymore."
James was quiet for a moment. "I'm glad that you came to your senses."
Sirius looked up quickly, his grey eyes hopeful. "Really?"
James smiled at him and hit him in the arm. "We like this tosser, right Pete?"
Peter nodded, smiling back. "Yeah, we do."
Sirius smiled at them. "I was hoping that you guys would say that because I've been thinking
of pulling a prank in the common room and I could really use some help with it."
James' arm draped over Sirius' shoulders. "Oh, I'm definitely in. What did you have in mind,
mate?"
And when Sirius looked into James' bright hazel eyes, he thought McGonagall might have
been right. He was a true Gryffindor and James Potter was the exact kind of friend he wanted.
The One With the Snob and the Quirky One
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To scrappy8: Thank you! I like the idea of Sirius talking to
Lily as well. Thank you! To ellyann13: Lily is incredibly nice, I agree. I think Narcissa just
wanted to live her own life and not spy on her cousin. McGonagall is aware of Sirius a little
more and yes, she does plan to look out for him a little bit more. Sirius is doing what he can
to start to mend those fences and yes, a prank is the first start to that! Thank you! To ascfan:
Thank you! I like knowing it warmed your heart and don't worry, McGonagall is keeping her
eye on him. Thank you! To CherrySara: Thank you! I think Narcissa was a little kinder right
from the start, yes. But she has her moments as well. Thank you! To Slaidback: Yes, the boys
are back in town and reunited! Thank you! To Shivani: Yes, it was in ASC, thank you very
much! To EnigmaticEmperor: I never saw Lily and Sirius as picking sides. I like to think
that Lily was friends with Sirius and Remus throughout most of Hogwarts, she just chose to
avoid James quite a bit lol. Yes, I love the idea of McGonagall being a bit motherly to Sirius,
thank you! James definitely can't stay cross with Sirius, he was too excited to make a new
friend! Thank you! To CorbanD17: Thank you!
To Bellmel: Sirius is happy! Thanks for adoring my McGonagall. I totally agree that "she has
the strict boundaries he needs, but she appreciates and respects the need for rule breaking at
times too." As to her line about getting in trouble — I think she might have regretted telling
Sirius this by his seventh year LOL. But she is adorable and yes, I love her biscuits! Yes, I
love Remus and Lily being friends and ha, so much animosity towards Peter! He's eleven and
completely innocent… for now 😉! Thanks for saying your heart swelled up when Sirius side-
hugged Lily! I love the idea of him not being comfortable with hugs and yet he takes them
sometimes or gives them without a thought because he craves attention. Yes, offering up a
prank was the perfect olive branch! Thank you as always for such a beautiful review!
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
The One With the Snob and the Quirky One
8th October 1971…
Lily sat in the library across from Severus. She was chewing on the end of her pen, her
three-ring notebook opened in front of her as she carefully re-copied her history of magic
notes from the day before; colour coding them in different coloured inks as she went. She
hesitated when she felt someone staring at her and she looked up into Severus' amused face.
"What?"
"That's ridiculous, you do know that, right?" he asked her, nodding at the notebook.
"Why?"
Severus rolled his eyes. "You're just re-writing the same notes that you made in class today.
What a complete waste of time."
"It is not," she insisted, smiling down at her perfectly organized and colour-coded notes. "It
helps me focus on what I learned for the day and to organize my notes a little easier to study
from. Besides, it's so much more organized in this than on bits of parchment everywhere."
Severus only grinned at her. "You're quirky."
Lily laughed and stretched her arms up over her head. "I accept that." She glanced over at the
clock and sighed. "It's almost curfew, we should pack up before Madam Pince comes in and
tosses us out."
Severus nodded and began to pack up his own homework. "So, what did Black want earlier?"
"Hmm?" Lily asked, bending down to pick up the book that she knocked onto the floor.
"Black. He came over earlier and the two of you sort of hugged like you hadn't seen each
other in weeks. I thought that we agreed he's a prat."
"He is," Lily said, standing back up. "I mean, he can be. He… I don't know, Sev, he seems
kind of lonely lately. I think he needed a hug, even that side one he was trying not to make
into a hug."
"So what, you're friends now?" Severus demanded rather suspiciously.
Lily sighed. She knew that Severus was a little protective of her — maybe a little too much.
He seemed to be having a hard time adjusting to her having friends other than him.
"Yes, I think we are. I… well, I hope to be."
"He calls me Snivellus," he said, bitterly.
Lily's brow furrowed at that. "I've asked him to stop, but it would go a long way if you
stopped being such an ogre to everyone."
"I'm not an ogre," Severus exclaimed, grabbing his book bag as they stood up.
"You are a little bit. You barely even talk to Mary or Marlene or Dory or Deanna or King
when they study with us. Whenever one of them tries to bring you into the conversation, you
practically glower at them until they stop speaking to you."
"They're insipid bores!"
"No, they're not," Lily insisted as they left the library. "You, Severus Snape, are a snob."
He snorted at her words. "Okay, maybe a little." When she smiled at him, he grinned back at
her. "I miss when it was just you and me, you know? Now it's like we're both being pulled in
different directions. Avery and Rosier think I'm stupid to still be friends with you and you're
making all of these new friends. I just miss the way it was before we came here."
"Sev, just because the two of us are making new friends doesn't mean that we can't make
room for each other," Lily said. "And I'm not overly fond of your new friends. They call me a
Mudblood which is way worse than a silly play on your first name, Severus."
"I know and I'm so sorry about that!" Severus exclaimed, his eyes sad. "I've explained to
them how great you are, but they are very set in their ways. I-I told them never to say that
again to you."
Lily bit her bottom lip, remembering how James and Sirius had defended her. "It would have
been nice if you could have done something in the moment, Sev."
"What? Did you want me to punch them like Potter did in September? I'd never stoop to
something so utterly neanderthal."
"I didn't think it was neanderthal," Lily told him, looking at him from beneath her eyelashes.
"I thought that they were very brave. And James Potter is the one who told me what that
word meant. Not you. You could have given me a heads up, Sev."
"Lily, that was weeks ago! Why are you going on about it now?"
"It's been on my mind and frankly, I'm still upset about it!" Lily admitted.
Not only was the word hurtful, but she didn't understand how Severus of all people hadn't
defended her in the moment.
"It won't happen again, Lily. I swear it! I won't let them hurt you." Severus desperately
insisted, stopping to touch her arm. "I won't!"
His eyes were full of desperation and hope and she sighed. She knew that he hadn't meant to
hurt her, but when he hadn't defended her, it had hurt her. The fact that he was trying to make
up for it meant a great deal to her.
"Thanks, Sev."
They walked in companionable silence for a moment and then Lily stopped suddenly, turning
to look at him.
"Severus, you know lots of stuff about magic and… I know it's only October, so we haven't
learnt that much yet — but I heard something today and I didn't understand what it meant."
Her friend looked at her questioningly. "What did you hear?"

"Cruc… I don't know the rest of the word, he — it got cut off. It just sounded terrible, but I
have no idea what it is. Do you have any idea?"
Severus' eyes widened. He looked at Lily in alarm before tugging her into an empty
classroom and closing the door. "Crucio?" When she nodded he stared at her in horror.
"Where in Merlin did you hear that word?"
"Around. What does it mean? Is it awful?"
Severus nodded, his dark eyes on hers. "More awful than you can possibly imagine, Lily. It's
one of the Unforgivable Curses."
"What are those?" Lily asked, looking at her friend in worry. Severus looked terrified, a
greedy look in his eyes upon hearing it.
"They're terrible curses," he told her, setting his bag down on the desk and pushing his
greasy hair out of his eyes. "There are three of them and using any one of them on a living
person automatically gets you sent to Azkaban Prison for the rest of your life."
Lily's hand flew her to mouth as she gasped. "What… what does it do?"
Severus looked into her wide horrified eyes. "The one you mentioned, it's called the
Cruciatus Curse, and it's the torture curse, Lily."
"Torture?" she whispered, her green eyes widening. "Torture how?"
"My mum told me that its pain unlike anything that you can imagine," Severus said. "It bends
your body in ways that it shouldn't — from the inside too, so it's like your organs are
straining to push through your skin. It's supposed to be awful! You can die from it if you are
under for too long or worse, you can be driven insane. The key to it though, you have to
really want to cause that person incredible pain for it to even work at all. It's that horrible! If
you don't want to hurt the person, the curse won't even work!"
Both of Lily's hands were covering her mouth now as tears rolled down her cheeks. She
wiped at them quickly and grabbed her book bag. "Who would ever use such a terrible
curse?"
Severus followed her back out into the hall and shrugged. "I've heard it's used to get
information out of people. My mum said that it's rumoured that some of the older pureblood
families use it as severe punishment, but I think that's utter rubbish myself."
Lily nodded, trying not to let the tears fall as they got to the end of the corridor that signalled
her saying goodnight. "Thanks for telling me, Severus. I was just… curious."
Severus' brow furrowed as he watched her wipe a tear away. "Are you all right, Lily? I didn't
mean to upset you."
"No! No, you didn't. It's just so horrible, like you said." She managed a tight smile.
"Goodnight, Sev."
"Goodnight," he said, turning and heading towards the stairs that led down to the Slytherin
common room.
Lily turned to head to Gryffindor, determined to have a word with Sirius about what he'd led
slip.
There was no way she had heard him correctly. He had to have meant something else, right?
The One With Blood Brothers
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To ellyann13: Yes, Snape really doesn't think things through
when he talks. Thank you! To darkhk: Lily will know parts of it, but otherwise no, James
will be the first to know the majority. Sirius doesn't think to tell adults. Thank you! To alix33:
Thank you. To saucyswimmer: It was so nice to see your name pop up on my reviews
again! I completely agree, James and Lily would definitely have been exactly like Monty and
Fee the first time they dropped Harry off at King's Cross! Thanks for loving my James and
his "sweet, carefree, boisterous, and bold little boy nature." Remus is very selfless and self-
depreciating. Thank you for loving "the imagery and repetition of Remus in an empty
compartment, leaning his head against the window with his eyes closed." I do think it was
how he felt he was going to be, not knowing how his life will change when he meets his
friends. Thanks for loving the farewell scenes between Lily and James and their parents. Your
heart breaks for Snape? Yes, it is obvious he craves the love and attention and affection that
the Potters and the Evans are giving to their children. Thank you for loving my little details! I
love James being the one to introduce Sirius to different genres of music! Classical music is
just as awesome, I do agree! It depends on my mood. I do love McGonagall and showing her
support for Sirius right from the beginning. Thanks for noticing my parallel of him and Harry
saying "not Slytherin" when the hat is placed on his head. Yes, Deanna Kane LOL. Poor
Remus, he is worried his new roommates might find out his secret and yes, Sirius doesn't
know what to say about his scars. Thanks for catching up!
To scrappy8: Thank you! Yes, Severus is a snob. To A Huge Fan: Thank you for loving the
intricacies of The First Time Around. I do enjoy showing parallels between James and Sirius
and Harry and Ron so thank you for picking up on those! To ascfan: Lily is so sweet and
innocent. Thank you for your support and kind reviews! To EnigmaticEmperor: I wanted to
show more insight into the relationship between Lily and Snape and yes, I do think it was a
good friendship at the beginning, but you can already see the little tears in the fabric. Sirius
is definitely not as careful as he thinks he is. Thank you! To Slaidback: Happy Belated
Birthday! Yes, my beta is busy and I am overwhelming her I think (so I have to do what she
says so she doesn't abandon me 😉). Thanks for wanting to reread! Thank you!
To PurpleLotus: Thank you! To Bellmel: Yes, Lily definitely hasn't had the wonderful
introduction into the world of magic that she quite expected. There has been lots of good, but
she's also delving into the darker side and learning about horrible curses, prejudice, and
seeing her friend pulling away from her a bit. It's a lot for her to process. But she's a strong
girl and she will get through it all. Thank you! To CherrySara: Thank you and yes, there are
a few of the chapters in this story that have already been given as shorter versions in ASC. I
explained that in chapter one. Thank you. To Shivani: Thank you! Yes, the next chapter is
what you think it is lol. I do agree that Snape is a bit of a snob! Thank you!

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
The One With Blood Brothers
8th October 1971…
Sirius was standing by his bed in nothing but his trousers as he searched for his
pyjamas. His back was to the door as he yelled out 'come in' to whoever was banging on it.
He heard the door open followed by a sharp gasp. When turned around, he saw Lily gaping at
the light white scars on his back.
"Lily, what are you doing up here?" he asked in surprise, tugging his pyjama top over his
head.
She rushed towards him, tears in her eyes, and hugged him tightly.
Sirius awkwardly put his arms around her and held her tightly. "We're back to hugging, I'm
okay with this," he told her. When she didn't let him go, he cleared his throat. "Erm, I think
that's long enough now. Long hugs make me nervous."
James came out of the bath and looked at Lily and Sirius in surprise. "Hi, Evans, what'cha
doing here?"
Sirius shrugged, using his thumb to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Evans, really, what's going
on? Are you okay? Why are you blubbering all over me?"
Lily frowned. "I'm not blubbering! I just… I just wanted to say that you are the bravest
person that I know."
Sirius' brow furrowed in confusion. "Did you hit your head or something? I haven't done
anything to earn that compliment!"
James slapped his friend's shoulder. "Take any compliment you can get, Black. You need
them."
Lily let go of Sirius, her eyes on James. "Potter, can I have a moment alone with Sirius?"
James lifted an eyebrow, his eyes darting between the two of them for a moment. "Yeah, of
course. I was going to shower anyway." He grabbed his toiletries and headed back into the
bath and Lily turned back to Sirius.
"What you told me today, about your mother and what she desires of you to be. You are
NOTHING like her, Sirius Black."
He smiled at her, taking a seat on his bed and running his hands through his hair. "Uh, all
right."
"I would never betray your confidence, Sirius, in what you told me today. I don't know if
James knows or anyone else?" When he shook his head in response, she nodded. "I know
what the word 'crucio' means." Tears filled her eyes again. "Your mum — she… she doesn't
actually use that on you, does she?"
Sirius hesitated. She was crying again. "Lily, stop crying. Are you all right?"
"Oh, Sirius," she said, hugging him tightly again. He wanted to protest the hug, but it felt
rather nice, he thought. "The torture curse. Please tell me that I'm wrong. It's not a torture
curse, is it?"
Sirius only nodded, carefully disentangling himself from her arms. "It is."
"And she uses it on you?" Lily replied in disbelief.
"Lily, it's discipline for when I've misbehaved. All families do it. You just don't understand
because you come from Muggles."
Lily shook her head, taking his hand in hers and holding it close to her heart. "No, I don't
understand it and I refuse to believe that all magical families do it! I bet if you told James,
Remus, and Peter that they wouldn't understand it either."
"James is from a pureblood family — trust me, Evans — his parents have used it on him
when he misbehaves. I bet it's happened loads of times. It's called discipline."
"Are the scars on your back discipline, too?"
Sirius shrugged then, tugging his hand free from her. "My father has a heavy hand with a belt
curse, so what? When you misbehave, you are disciplined. It's normal."
"You ask James right now if that's normal!" she demanded, her voice quaking in anger.
"He's in the shower."
"Right now, Sirius, or I'm not leaving!" she insisted her green eyes blazing as she crossed her
arms in front of her chest. "I may be from a Muggle household, but I'm telling you that you
are wrong!"
He sighed and rolled his eyes. He wasn't sure what it was about this redhead, but she was
driving him nuts and yet he was oddly touched by her at the same time.
"Fine, but you're the one who's going to look foolish."
He headed into the bathroom and yelled for James.
James came out a few minutes later in his pyjama pants, using a towel to dry his hair. "What's
the matter? Can't a bloke finish his shower in peace?" He grabbed a shirt and pulled it on as
he scrubbed his hair dry.
Lily put her hands on her hips and glared at Sirius. "Ask Potter — now."
Sirius rolled his eyes before he turned to James. "She's convinced that I'm lying to her, but I
told her that she just doesn't understand coming from a Muggle household."
"Understand what?" James asked, plopping himself onto his bed.
"Discipline for when you're bad."
James grinned at that and scratched his chin. "According to my mum, I'm always naughty."
Sirius snorted. "I believe that."
James tossed his towel onto his bed. "What do you mean about discipline?"
"If you get into trouble, what do your parents do to punish you?" Sirius asked, giving Lily an
'I told you so' look. He felt like this was a pointless conversation, but if it got Lily off of his
back, he would do it.
James wrinkled his nose as he looked thoughtful for a moment. "Let's see, um… this summer
I was grounded from flying and banned from going to Zonko's before Dad took my Nimbus
1000 away for two whole weeks — and that was pure torture! At least when I was only
grounded from flying I could still clean the broomstick and polish it and whatnot, you
know?"
Lily smirked, crossing her arms in front of her. "Oh, really? He took away your broomstick,
how interesting — I told you that it wasn't normal, Sirius Black!"
Sirius looked at James in confusion. "That's how your parents punish you? Come on, mate;
you don't have to sugarcoat it! What if you do something they completely disapprove of?"
James shrugged. "Well, a few years ago I switched all of the sugar to salt and vice versa and
my granddad came over and put salt in his tea," he said with a laugh. "Oh, Merlin, he was so
furious! He picked me up by the scruff of my shirt and threw me into my bedroom and
locked me in there for two hours; threatened to make me eat treacle tart, my favourite
pleasurable treat, made with salt instead of sugar. My Gran told him that he was overreacting
and let me out after two hours. Granddad takes his tea very seriously."
Sirius looked pale, falling slowly to sit on his bed. "But, but… that's the worse punishment
you've ever gotten?"
"Mostly, yeah," James said, thinking it over. "When I was six, Dad and I were in Glasgow
and I wandered off. When he found me, he was so angry that he was purple in the face. He
grabbed me and shook me so hard that my neck hurt and then he swatted my arse, but then he
you know, smothered me in that whole — 'he was so worried that I was going to be
kidnapped and killed' and the whole 'I'm so happy you're all right' version of parent panic.
Why? What is Evans so upset and blubbery about?"
Sirius looked at his hands, surprised to find them shaking. "You're parents have
never… forced you to confess?"
"Forced me to confess — what? I'm an only child, there's only so many things that I can
blame on the dog," James said with a laugh. "After a while, Mum just started off the
conversation with, 'Jamie, we both know that Duchess has been with me all morning, so, who
is responsible for this?' She got wise to my ways, mate."
"Your dog is named Duchess?"
James frowned. "My mum named her. She had her before I was born. She's a King Charles
spaniel, you know?"
Sirius wanted to tease him, but Lily touched his arm.
"You need to tell him," Lily said. He was surprised when she leaned in and pecked his cheek.
"I'll see you in the morning."
Sirius watched her go as James came over to sit on his friend's bed.
"Mate, really, what was Evans on about? Is everything all right?"
Sirius hesitated, still staring at his hands, surprised to see them shaking. "You… that first
night, you asked me about my back?" At James nod, he closed his eyes. "I put my mum's
favourite pearl necklace on one of the mounted house elf heads in the hall and Dad belted me
for it. He made this long leather belt appear from his wand and he hit me so hard that…
chunks of my skin flew off. I vomited. It wasn't the only time."
James put his arm around his friend's shoulders, but he didn't say anything.
"Today, I was telling Lily that my mum made me promise to stop being friends with you
blokes because you aren't worthy of the Black family name, and how my cousin Narcissa
helped me realize that I chose to be in Gryffindor so I can choose my own friends and my
mum can't stop me," he said, sneaking a look at James who was watched him with hazel eyes
full of sadness. "My dad can get bad when he's angry, but my mum is the real… when she
came to the school to demand that Dumbledore remove me from Gryffindor House, she was
even angrier when I fought off the Imperius. I've been able to throw it off for almost a year
now and it infuriates her that she can't control me so she…" he closed his eyes as he trailed
off. "She uses the Cruciatus."
James gasped, but he didn't speak.
"I mentioned it in passing, by accident, to Lily, and she found out what it was and well, that's
how this… my mother told me that everyone uses it on their kids. That… that it was the
marking of a true Black if I didn't scream," Sirius admitted. "Your parents never…?"
"No," James said softly, gently rubbing his friend's shoulder. "No, mate, they would never.
I'm so sorry."
He shrugged. "Nothing to be sorry about, mate. Like I said, I thought it was normal."
James squeezed Sirius' shoulder lightly. He didn't speak for a few minutes and when he did
his voice was soft, barely above a whisper. "I'm glad that Evans was there to listen, but you
can always talk to me. Always."
He gave him a bright smile and grabbed his wand, cutting himself across his palm.
"With this, I declare us blood brothers. Always to be there for each other no matter what."
He held his hand out and Sirius stared at him.
Then Sirius used his own wand to cut his hand and they slapped palms, their blood mingling.
"Always."
Sirius smiled at James as his blood mixed with his, and for the first time in eleven years he
felt like he was truly home.
End Author's Notes:
I don't know if I ever said it in ASC, but one of my favourite trilogies is written by the
romance author Nora Roberts called the Sign of Seven Trilogy. It's where three best friends
(Caleb, Fox, and Gage) make a blood pact when they are ten or eleven years old and
unknowingly unleash hell on their small town every seven years. I love the idea of those boys
doing that to show this true friendship between them (minus the unleashing hell part) and it
was part of the reason why I loved having James and Sirius do it here. Here is the trilogy for
anyone interested.
Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts

The Hollow by Nora Roberts
The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts

The One With the Christmas Tradition
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To darkhk: Aw, thanks! It's nice to be back! To scrappy8:
Thank you! Yes, it was so nice to see James and Sirius bond again! To alix33: Thank you!
To ellyann13: Not even remotely close, no. Dumbledore and Grindelwald made a magical
blood pact. This is two boys making a promise to each other and mixing the blood on their
palms. Not the same at all. Thank you! To ascfan: Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you!
To EnigmaticEmperor: I love James just listening to Sirius as well. He knew his friend
needed that. They are totally platonic soulmates! I completely agree that Lily was the one to
try to comfort her friends and make them feel better and put them first, just like Harry. Thank
you! To CorbanD17: Thank you! To Sets: Thank you! I think you'll have to wait and see
about those scenes! But I'm glad you're enjoying it!
CHAPTER NINETEEN:
The One With the Christmas Tradition
December 1971…
Remus was so excited to go home and to see his mum and dad. It had been a great four
months and he loved Hogwarts, but he missed home. James had been just as excited to go
home for Christmas, though Sirius had looked less than thrilled at the idea. Remus heard
James invite him home with him, but Sirius had made up an excuse as to why he couldn't. At
least Remus thought it was an excuse as Sirius certainly didn't look happy at the prospect of
it. After all, who had a Christmas ball to attend?
Now, it was the night before the train was going to leave. Despite his uncertainty over Sirius'
claims about the ball he was going home for, Remus was looking forward to seeing his own
family. It was why he was sitting in the common room now, the Charles Dickens book in his
hand.
"Remus, it's after two in the morning," a voice said, startling him from his thoughts. He
turned to look over at the pretty redhead with the big almond-shaped emerald green eyes.
"Lily, you scared me," he said, marking his place in the book.
Lily came around to sit on the sofa next to him. "What are you still doing up?" She lifted the
blanket up that he had on his lap and joined him under the covers.
"I could ask you the same question, Miss Evans?"
She laughed and tucked her long red hair behind her ear. "I couldn't sleep. I'm excited to go
home for the holiday."
"Me too," he told her. He held up the book in his hand. "I thought that I'd get a head start on a
family tradition. Mum and I read it every Christmas Eve."
Lily's eyes widened in surprise. "We do too! Tuney mumbles about it; says that it's the same
old story every year, but Daddy and I love it!" she admitted, smiling widely. "We sit by the
fire, all cozy with hot chocolate while Daddy reads it. It's a wonderful tradition."
Remus nodded, smiling back at her. "I agree. Mum and I take turns reading it now and Dad
just listens to us, a smile on his face and cigar in his hand. We usually have hot cocoa too and
sometimes chocolate biscuits."
Lily took the book from him and opened it with a smile. "You're already up to the Ghost of
Christmas Present," she said, her eyes moving over the print. "Will you read it to me?"
Remus smiled as he accepted the book back from her. "I'd like that."
And as his voice told the tale of the second ghost to visit Scrooge, Lily smiled contentedly,
her head back against the sofa as she listened.
Remus had no idea that this would become the beginning of a new tradition that the two of
them would share every year on their last night at Hogwarts before the Christmas holiday.
Just the two of them by the fire, reading late into the night.
But Remus loved every minute of it.
End Author's Notes:
Another one of the favourite books: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Not only do I
love the story, but I love watching A Muppet Christmas Carol every year (which is my
favourite variation lol).

The One With the Birthday Cape
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To A Huge Fan: Thank you! I love the idea of Remus and
Lily bonding over a love of stories and sharing in these little secrets over fictional worlds.
Thank you! To Sets: Aw, I love your squealing. Thank you! To ellyann13: Yes, short and
sweet! It's the middle of the night, so no, they didn't go invite others to join them. Thank you!
To ascfan: I love mini Marauders! Thank you! I would LOVE to see a fan art of Remus
reading A Christmas Carol to Lily! Thank you! To alix33: I love A Christmas Carol so I'm
sorry you don't. I read it every year. Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To Bellmel:
Aww, thanks for saying this is one of your favourite chapters by far! I love showing bits of
Remus having a wonderful home life. He definitely deserves it. Lily is wonderful friend and
she has different sides she shows to different people. I love them sharing in this little tradition
between them. Thank you!
To: EnigmaticEmperor: Yes, the Blacks of course lol. And yes, Remus does think the party
is a fake excuse lol. A Christmas Ball is a bit out of his element. Yes, Remus and Sirius will
later pass on this Evans family tradition to Harry. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you! To
Shivani: Thank you!
CHAPTER TWENTY:
The One With the Birthday Cape
3rd November 1972…
Sirius frowned when the bright red swatch of material hit him in the face. He blinked
awake, trying to tug it away from his face and when he did, he found James sitting on the
edge of his bed grinning widely at him.
"Watching people sleep is creepy. Go away."
"Wasn't watching you sleep. I was watching you wake up," James corrected.
Sirius frowned. "Not better. In fact, I think that's even creepier. Go away, James."
"Put that on!"

Sirius examined the red material again and realized that it was a cape. "Why would I do
that?"
"Because it's your birthday," James said. "Happy Birthday, Sirius! Put on the Potter Birthday
cape! It's tradition!"
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a Potter."
James scoffed. "Blood brothers, remember? Put on the bloody cape!"
Blood brothers… sometimes it still boggled his mind that he and James had made that pact
over a year ago. He couldn't imagine a cooler best mate. He looked at the cape again,
suddenly remembering that James had worn this on his twelfth birthday last year, declaring it
his official birthday cape. Suddenly he was grinning so widely that it almost hurt his face.
James was giving him the Potter Birthday Cape to wear. He slipped it over his shoulders and
James beamed at him.
When Sirius marched into Transfiguration class an hour later, he was wearing the bright red
Potter Birthday Cape overtop his uniform.
"Mr Black," McGonagall said sharply. "That cape is not part of your uniform and I need you
to remove it."
Sirius' face fell.
"Professor, he can't take it off!" James exclaimed. "Today's his thirteenth birthday and that is
the Potter Birthday Cape. It's mandatory to be worn by all Potters on such occasions."
"He is not a Potter," McGonagall said sharply.
Sirius slowly took the cape off, shrugging as if it didn't bother him. But hearing McGonagall
say those words had made him realize it was ridiculous that he often wished he was. He was
a Black and he would never be anything more than that.
James whispered to him. "Don't worry, mate, you can wear it after class."
"No, it's stupid and childish. I don't want to wear it," Sirius insisted.
James frowned, but refused to take the cape back from him.
When class ended, McGonagall called Sirius forward.
He had the cape draped over his arm and his bag on his shoulder as he made his way to the
front of the class.
"Mr Potter, Mr Lupin, Mr Pettigrew, hurry off now, Mr Black will be more than safe in my
company."
Sirius kept his eyes on the wall behind McGonagall, not daring to look back at his friends.
When they'd left the classroom, McGonagall used her wand to close the door.
"Happy Birthday, Sirius," she said kindly.
"Thanks. It's just a day."
She stared at him a moment. "It's more than just a day. A birthday is a fun day for you to
celebrate."
He shrugged indifferently. "Sure."
"Why did Mr Potter give you that cape?"
"He said that it's a birthday cape and that in his family you wear it to celebrate your birthday
and to know that today is your special day. It's childish, I know, but I was just humouring
him."
McGonagall stared at him. "That is a nice tradition. What do you do for your birthday
normally?"
"The usual," he said stiffly. "Fancy party full of my parents' friends, ballroom dancing, and
sometimes a flan."
"A birthday flan?"
Sirius gave her a confused look. "No, just a flan."
McGonagall took the cape from him and carefully draped it over his shoulders, taking longer
than necessary to tie it around his neck. "This looks like a much better tradition, doesn't it?
It's even Gryffindor red," she said, smoothing the cape over his shoulders to get out the
wrinkles.
Sirius' lips curved a little. "It's childish."
"You're only thirteen once, Sirius. Don't take this cape off today. Wear it proudly. Can you do
that for me?"
He smiled. "Yes, Ma'am."
"And Sirius?" When he looked into her eyes, she gave him a rare smile. "Happy Birthday."
Sirius grabbed his books and hurried down into the great hall to meet his friends.
"Excellent!" James said, high-fiving him as he sat down. "You have the cape back on!"
"McGonagall said that I can wear it all day," Sirius told them. "In fact, she told me not to take
it off."
Remus frowned. "That seems like a rather un-McGonagall thing to do. Do you think it's
really her?"
Sirius grinned. "It was definitely her. I even got one of her rare smiles."
They dug into their lunch, chatting about their plans to celebrate Sirius' birthday. James
suggested setting off fireworks in the great hall during dinner, which Remus promptly vetoed,
claiming that they would have detention for the rest of the year. Remus suggested charming
balloon animals to follow him around all day and James immediately made a giraffe and a
hippo with his wand. They were laughing when a large cake appeared on the table in front of
Sirius.
It was two tiered and chocolate with rainbow sprinkles on top of chocolate frosting. In
Gryffindor red it said 'Happy Birthday Sirius' and thirteen candles sat on the top in red and
gold.
"Wow!" Sirius exclaimed, grinning at his friends. "You had the elves make me a birthday
cake! I've never had a real birthday cake!"
James shook his head. "Wasn't me. You?"
Remus shook his head as well. "No. Pete?"
"Nope."
James frowned. "My mum sent you that basket of goodies this morning, so it wasn't her or
she would have put it in a note. I know you don't know her, but I told her she had to send you
a present anyway."
"It was nice of her," Sirius said. "You didn't have to do that, Jamie."
James shrugged. "Mum gives the best presents. Hey, Evans, did you make Sirius a birthday
cake?"
Lily looked at James coolly from across the table. "Do I look like I baked a cake?"
James shrugged. "You could have."
"No, it's not from me. Happy Birthday, Sirius!"
James urged Lily to stand with him and he waved his hands together as he began to sing and
everyone soon joined in.
"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, dear Sirius! Happy
Birthday to you!"
Sirius grinned widely and blew out the candles as Remus led everyone in a round of: "For
he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, and so say
all of us!"
Everyone applauded as Sirius eagerly cut into the birthday cake. "Wow! It's buttercream
inside!"
"Is that a big deal?" Remus asked. "Personally, I think more chocolate is always the answer."
Sirius elbowed him lightly, but he looked over at the head table and nodded at McGonagall.
She raised her glass to him and winked.
Sirius turned back to his friends with a huge grin on his face. "Who wants cake?"
The One With the Wolf
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To CorbanD17: Yes, I did have a variation of the birthday
cape in ASC. Thank you. To Bellmel: I love that your heart swelled! James totally has
already adopted Sirius as a Potter, hands down. Having McGonagall change her mind about
the cape, I think says a lot about her character and what she knows is important. No trust on
the sweet chapters lol. Thank you! To PurpleLotus: Thank you! To alix33: McGonagall
changed her mind because she knew Sirius needed her too. She's a softie sometimes. She
definitely asked the elves to make him a birthday cake. Thank you! To A Huge Fan: Thank
you! I like showing the overlap with ASC. Thanks for loving the birthday cape tradition.
Thank you. To Nuno Neves: Yes, it was the first birthday Sirius really enjoyed and felt like
was his own. Thank you. To scrappy8: It was a nice gesture from both James and
McGonagall. Thank you! To ascfan: Thank you! To darkhk: Thank you! To ellyann13:
Yes, some of them are sprinkled throughout ASC in parts or mentioned more than once.
Sorry, I do not have a list though of where. Thank you. To EnigmaticEmperor: Thanks for
loving my bond between Sirius and McGonagall. Yes, Harry has worn his every year on his
birthday since Sirius first presented it to him. Thanks for laughing at my birthday flan
comment. I thought it was funny. To Slaidback: Thank you, I agree. McGonagall is
definitely amazing. To Shivani: Thank you! To CherrySara: I'm sorry to hear you are not
enjoying this story, thanks for leaving me a review. Thank you.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:
The One With the Wolf
23rd November 1972…
Remus was studying in the library with Lily when Peter approached him. He was too
focused on his work and barely registered his friend until he called his name a second time.
"Rem? Can we talk to you for a minute?" Peter asked, taking a seat at the large table in the
library where his friend sat, with books strewn around him.
Lily was revising next to him. She looked up at Peter, her eyes unfocused for a moment as if
she was still very much lost in the History of Magic text that she was trying unsuccessfully to
memorize.
"Hi, Peter."
"Hey, Lily," he turned back to Remus. "So, can we talk?"
"Of course, Pete, what's going on?"
Peter shook his head. "No, privately."
Remus looked up from his Transfiguration homework. "I still have thirty minutes before
curfew, Pete, can't it wait?"
"Please, Remus."
Remus sighed and began to pack up his stuff. "Sorry, Lily."
She waved him off, yawning as she stared at the pages blankly. "Bye."
Remus chuckled at Lily's struggle before he followed his friend out of the library. To his
surprise, he didn't lead him to the dorm, but instead behind a mirror on the fourth floor.
Remus gasped in surprise to find himself in a large cavern that seemed to lead out of the
school before he grinned at James and Sirius.
"Did you guys find this?"
"I did," Peter said with a grin, dropping his own book bag on the ground. "It leads to
Hogsmeade."
"Brilliant," Remus said, smiling at his friends. "Is this what you wanted me here for?"
James sighed, dragging his fingers through his hair. "Partly. We did want to show you Pete's
new discovery, but also we want to talk to you. Rem, we wanted to talk to you about how
you've been feeling lately."
"I'm fine," he insisted, scratching his nose. "A little tired I suppose. I have been studying
extra hard lately."
"To make up for the school you've missed," James supplied. "Yeah, we get it. That's what we
want to talk to you about — missing school."
Remus shifted uncomfortably. "Look, my parents need me home quite often. My

grandmother is a handful and her memory loss is getting quite severe."
"Your grandmother died last year, Remus," Sirius pointed out. "Or that's what you told us."
"No, this is my other grandmother," Remus said.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "She died over the summer."
Remus opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. He hadn't realized that he had
used the same lies, but obviously his friends had been paying closer attention than he had
realized.
"The scars on Sirius' back, we know those are from his insane mother and father. But you
seem to collect more scars on a regular basis," James said, gesturing to Remus' eyebrow,
neck, and then encircling his chest and back with his finger.
"Not to mention that you seem to keep gaining and losing weight with an incredible
frequency that seems to always correlate when you have to mysteriously leave the castle,"
Sirius added, leaning back against the wall of the cavern, arms crossed in front of him and
one leg up, foot against the wall.
"Plus I saw Madam Pomfrey hide you in a cloak and hurry you across the castle grounds the
other night," Peter said. "My dad works for the Department of Magical Transportation,
Remus. If you needed to go home, that is the last way you would be getting there."
James stared at his friend's large slightly panicked golden eyes now. "The new scar on your
neck still looks fresh, like you were scratched by a wild animal."
"It's only the end of November, mate, and you've already been out sick nine days!" Sirius
exclaimed. "And it's been almost the same days each month!"
Peter slid down to the ground of the cavern, stretching his legs out in front of him. "We're just
worried about you, Remus."
"Don't be," he said quickly. "It's nothing to be concerned about. I appreciate the fact that
you're worrying about me, but I'm fine. Honest."
"When you came to stay with me that last week of summer, Rem, even Mum was worried.
She said that you looked much too peaky!"
Remus smiled at James. "Your mother is the nicest person that I have ever met. But in
August, I came down with one of those terrible summer colds and I was just coming off of
the end of it when Pete and I came to stay with you."
Sirius glowered a little. Remus knew that he was still upset that he hadn't been able to go. His
parents had absolutely refused to let him go visit his "blood traitor" friend.
"You blokes are worried for nothing."
"What about the fact that last night at dinner, the house elves had a special plate of food
prepared for you which was a steak and kidney pie with the steak made rare?" Sirius asked,
eyeing Remus carefully.
Remus chuckled now. "Siri, I just like my steak rare and asked the house elves if they
wouldn't mind preparing me my steak as so. Jamie does that ALL the time with his requests
of treacle tart at every meal — including breakfast!"
James grinned. "It was probably a bad thing when Siri and I discovered how to get into the
kitchens last year."
Peter laughed, scratching his cheek. "But worth it."
"Look, I think you blokes are grand for worrying about me, but I'm fine, really! Can we just
go back to Gryffindor Tower now?" Remus asked, gesturing for them to follow him.
"Only if you answer a few more questions," Sirius insisted.
Remus sighed and unbuttoned his cardigan. "Fine."
James nodded at the fact that he was unbuttoning his jumper. "You rarely get cold."
Remus shrugged. "I'm hot-blooded. Dad's like that too; poor Mum is under three blankets and
by the fire and Dad and I are just fine in a tee-shirt."
Sirius looked skeptical before he spoke. "Two weeks ago in Potions, Bertrand Davies' potion
exploded, and when he jumped back in shock, he fell into the shelving unit and the whole
thing came crashing down — until you grabbed it and held it in place, pushing it back to the
wall."
"So?"
"So, that shelf was full of ingredients and textbooks and weighs a ton! You have to have
super strength to hold it in place and put it back the way you did."
"I hardly have super strength, Sirius," Remus said with a laugh.
James' eyebrow rose. "You are freakishly strong, Lupin, you must admit."
Remus shrugged, a small smile on his face. "Okay, so I'm a little strong, is there something
wrong with that?"
"No, it's just weird," James said, his eyes moving over his friend's rather skinny arms and
long legs. "Considering how skinny you are."
"And pale!" Sirius added.
"Sirius, you're paler than me!" Remus exclaimed, rolling his eyes now.
"Every single time you have to leave for some family thing, the day before you have a
headache and you move slower like your muscles and joints hurt!" James exclaimed, trying
to make his friend take him seriously.
Remus simply stared at his friends. He couldn't believe how much they noticed about him.
"Just spit out what you blokes are trying to say!"
"You're eyes are the colour of golden whisky, but when the moonlight hits them they turn
almost a feral amber," Sirius said softly.
"You always have nightmares after you come back to school," James added.
Remus paled now. He thought about how last night he had dreamed he had transformed in the
middle of Defence Against the Dark Arts class and Professor Kincade had instructed the
whole class to kill him. He had woken in a cold sweat to James standing over him, looking
concerned. He remembered how James had simply crawled into bed with him and started
rambling on about some crazy dream he had where his broom was stolen by a centaur. The
three of them were always doing stuff like that, Remus thought. Every time he had a bad
dream, it was like they took it in turns. James, Sirius, Peter… one of them would simply be
there.
They never asked him to talk about it.
They never questioned it.
Now it was November of second year — and they were questioning it.
He closed his eyes and let out a slow sigh. "Everyone has nightmares. Sirius has nightmares
almost as much as me."
"Um, rude!" Sirius said, making James laugh.
Peter spoke up then. "And Sirius said the other day, the one that really made us worry, Rem,
those days that you leave always correspond with the lunar cycle. It was a full moon."
Remus' fists clenched tightly at his sides and he grabbed his bag, turning to leave. Sirius
grabbed his arm and Remus shoved him back, the strength surging through him. Sirius
stumbled and James grabbed him.
"I'm fine!" Remus exclaimed.
James grabbed Remus' arm now, but to Remus' surprise he simply pulled him into a hug.
Sirius wrapped his arms around both Remus and James and Peter hugged Remus from the
back.
"You're not fine, Rem. You're not. And lying to us all of the time can't be easy," James said,
his voice low by his ear. "You're our best mate and we love you."
"We really do, mate. Not to mention that you are the genuine to our genius!" Sirius supplied,
with a smile and Remus chuckled into his shoulder.
"And we don't care if you howl at the moon," Peter added from behind.
Remus froze in their grasp and the three of them held him tighter.
"We know, Rem," James whispered.
Remus shook his head. "You — can't!"
Sirius pulled back and gripped Remus' face between his hands, holding him still. "We've
known since the end of last year. Well, we suspected at the end of last year, but we confirmed
it this year."
Remus pulled away from Sirius' grasp, but then James' hands replaced Sirius' on his face.
"Let me go!"
"No," James said. "You're our best mate and we don't care that you're a werewolf."
The tears spilled down Remus' face before he could stop them and the sob that slipped out
was so loud that he startled himself. His three friends engulfed him in a hug again and he
clung to them, crying. When he finally managed to control himself, he pushed them away.
"How did you know?"
"From all of the signs listed above, Rem," James said.
He pulled Remus down to the floor of the cavern and the three of them sat around him, a
solid unit, each holding him. James held his left arm, Peter his right, and Sirius his ankles.
"Right after exams last year, Sirius mentioned how it was kind of strange that you always
seemed to have to leave suddenly around the full moon. Then after exams, the full moon
came and you left early to go home. Over the summer, you looked peaky, according to my
mum, and I remembered that the full moon was three days before you came over," James
explained.
Sirius smiled, squeezing Remus' ankle gently. "We started looking closer at you for more
signs and sure enough, end of September, the full moon, you had to go home because your
dad was sick."
"Then when the October moon cycle came around, that's when we noticed the new scars and
we started researching in the library," Peter said. "James said werewolf right away, but I told
him you couldn't be because werewolves are vicious and dangerous creatures and you…
you're nothing like that."
The tears spilled down his cheeks again and he wiped them away hurriedly.
"After my birthday, we kept a close eye on you," Sirius said, watching his friend. "We
watched for all the signs. Your strength, the headache and slow movements — and when sure
enough right before the full moon, you went 'home:' We knew."
"We snuck under my invisibility cloak and we followed you to the hospital wing. We
followed and watched as Madam Pomfrey bundled you under this large cloak and led you
across the grounds to the Whomping Willow tree. She immobilized the tree with her wand,
hit something on the trunk and the two of you disappeared beneath it. Fifteen minutes later,
she came out alone," James explained.
The tears streamed down his cheeks now and he tried to break free from his friends but they
tackled him, lying on top of his body to hold him in place.
"I'm sorry that I lied to you!" he exclaimed, struggling beneath them. "I'm a monster!
Dumbledore knows. He planted the tree for me so that I could get away from people to keep
them safe! I'll… I'll see if I can get a new room. Get — off — me!"
"A new room?" Sirius asked in confusion. "Why would you need a new room? Is that what's
beneath the Willow? Wicked!"
James glared at Sirius and turned back to Remus. "We still want you to be in our dorm,
Rem."
Remus stared into James' hazel eyes. "What? You want to room with a disgusting, vicious
monster?"
James looked shocked. "Remus! How dare you say something so rude about Pete! You know
how sensitive he is about his anger issues!"
Peter shrugged good naturally. "Don't make me cross. I'll turn into a big green killing
machine."
Sirius laughed. "Hulk reference, nice," he said, grinning at Peter. "Which we would never
know about if you hadn't shown us your Muggle comic book collection, Rem."
Remus stared at the three of them. They were just joking around as usual. As if a huge
bombshell hadn't just been dropped.
"What the fuck is wrong with you three?" Remus exploded, pushing them away and climbing
to his feet, his eyes flashing in anger. "You just found out that I'm a bloody werewolf! Do you
have any idea how dangerous I am? I'm a fucking monster!"
"You just look like Rem," Sirius said simply.
Remus' anger deflated instantly. "You… you don't care?"
James grinned at him. "We already know how great you are and funny and smart and
seriously mate, a right genius at pranks, but now we know your secret too. So you can be
dangerous sometimes. You're a werewolf. So bloody what?"
"But… but, I'm diseased!" he spluttered.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Are you planning on biting any of us in our sleep?"
"What?" Remus said in confusion. "No, why would I —"
"Exactly," Sirius said, grinning at Peter. "Didn't Jamie just say that he was smart?"
Peter shrugged. "Maybe he lost a few brain cells when we tackled him to the ground."
James pulled Remus back to the cavern floor and the four of them huddled together. "And for
the record, Rem, we don't think that you're a monster. You're just Remus. Our best mate."
Sirius suddenly cackled, holding his hand over his mouth in surprise. "Merlin! Rem, I just
realized!"
"Realized what?" Remus asked carefully. He was still in complete shock over the three of
them just accepting him as if he was normal.
"Your name… mate, you were meant to be a wolf."
"What?"
"Remus Lupin, the werewolf! Mate, your name practically means Wolf John Wolf!" he said
as he laughed.
Peter grinned, laughter escaping him. "Merlin! Sirius, you're right!"
Remus simply stared at them as they all busted into laughter. "My name is Wolf John Wolf
and I howl at the moon," he repeated, grinning widely. "Son of a bitch."
"Excuse you, that's my nom de guerre," Sirius corrected, making them all laugh.
James' eyes turned serious as he draped his arm around his friend's shoulders. "Hey Rem, are
you, I mean, when you, you know, transform and whatnot, are you always alone?"
"Of course I'm bloody alone!" Remus exclaimed, eyes wide in shock. "I would hurt someone,
Jamie! I'd probably kill them! I don't even… I wouldn't even remember it!"
James nodded. "But only people, right?"
Remus looked bewildered. "What? What are you on about?"
A small half-smile formed on Sirius' face as he looked at James. "James, you really are
bloody brilliant!"
Peter looked between the three of them completely confused.
James smiled at Remus. "Werewolves don't bite animals."
"What are you on about, Jamie?" Remus said in exasperation. "I turn into a fucking wolf! I
can rip the throat out of any animal if I so choose to!"
"No," he said grinning widely. "I mean, if you bit an animal, say a rabbit for instance, they
wouldn't turn into a rabbit-wolf hybrid."
"Well, obviously not," Remus said carefully, wondering why his friend was asking such a
stupid question. "I mean, the rabbit would probably be dead, but no it wouldn't become a
werewolf."
"Animals are safe."
Peter still looked confused. "So, Remus can be around other animals when he's changed into
a werewolf, so what?"
Sirius slapped Peter on the back, squeezing his shoulder. "Exactly what James is saying,
Pete." He grinned at Remus. "If we were all animals you wouldn't have to be alone."
James nodded. "Precisely."
Remus didn't know what to say. The three of them were grinning at him widely with love and
admiration and he had never felt so good about himself in his entire life. "You… you want to
be animals so that I won't be alone?"
James grinned. "Yes. We'll learn how to become Animagi."
"Sounds great! James, do you know if we get to pick our animal? I think I'd want to be
something bloody fantastic like a mother fucking dragon!"
"Sirius, be realistic! How could we hang out with Remus in secret if you were a dragon?"
James said, rolling his eyes. "That would be brilliant though!"
Peter grinned. "And you don't get to choose, Sirius. My Uncle Don is an Animagus and he's a
raven. He said that flying is the best thing."
"Aces!" Sirius exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure that there's an old book on Animagus
transformations in my father's study. I'll find it when I go home for Yule."
James slapped his hands together with a grin. "Excellent! I can't wait to get started."
"You… you'd really do that for me?" Remus asked in shock, staring at them with wide eyes.
"It's supposed to be incredibly difficult and painful to become an Animagus. It can take
years! You didn't think this through," he insisted, his hands going up to his hair and making it
stand on end as he looked even more frazzled.
Sirius and James simply smiled as Sirius spoke. "It's for you, Rem, we don't have to think
about it."
James turned to grin at Sirius. "Maybe you could be a griffin, those are pretty majestic!"
Peter laughed. "Also hard to keep quiet about on the school grounds. I'd like to be a giraffe."
"You just want to be taller, midget," Sirius said as he opened up James' invisibility cloak and
wrapped it around the four of them. As the oldest at thirteen, he was also the tallest of the
four of them.
Peter sighed. "Yeah, more height would be great."
"We're only twelve, Pete, be patient," James said on a laugh. "Oooh, how great would it be to
be a lion or a giant bear?"
"Wicked," Peter said, tugging Remus under the cloak. "Come on, Remus, we have to get back
to the dorm, it's way past curfew."
Remus moved under the cloak with his friends.

His friends.
They accepted him.
He had never felt more like a normal boy in his entire life.
And he couldn't stop smiling at that feeling inside of him.

The One With the Brothers Black
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To CorbanD17: Thank you! To PurpleLotus: Thank you!

To Bellmel: Remus really is an eternal pessimist, I don't think he can help himself. Those
boys are his everything and the way they support him says so much about their friendship and
the makeshift family they create between them. Yes, thanks for loving the secret jokes, Peter
does grow taller, but still stays the shortest of the bunch! Thank you! To darkhk: Well, it was
literally the first sentence of the chapter lol. Second year, November of 1972. Thank you! To
A Huge Fan: Yes, it's one of my favourite scenes I've ever written so I really wanted to make
sure it was put into The First Time Around. Thank you! To ellyann13: Well said. Thank you!
To scrappy8: Remus deserves the world. Thank you! To alix33: I do love punny lines so
thank you! To Sets: Happy Belated Birthday! Thank you! To Slaidback: I completely agree.
Platonic love is so important and I love showing it here. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor:
I love the Marauders' friendship as well and I agree, they are twelve which is that borderline
between wanting to be grownup and still being a kid. It's that childish innocence that allows
them to love Remus so completely and to want to be an Animagus just the same. I totally
think James was the mother hen of the group and that the boys would take it upon themselves
to make sure none of them were ever alone when they had a nightmare. Platonic love for the
win. Thank you! To Shivani: Thank you very much! It's one of my favourite moments from
ASC and I felt it was so important to add it in here. Thank you!
DISCLAIMER: Love the song "Stand" by Rascal Flatts and used part of the lyrics here.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:
The One With the Brothers Black
June 1973…
Sirius was thirteen when he and his brother were separated.
It was the end of his second year at Hogwarts and he had gotten into a fight with a few
Slytherins when they had called him a 'Mudblood loving tosser.' He'd been talking to Lily
Evans out by the lake and Avery, Rosier, and Snape had wandered over, taunting Lily about
being Muggleborn and Sirius had snapped. He'd punched Rosier in the face and jinxed Avery.
Evans had begged him to stop, but he hadn't been able to. Her friend Snape had done nothing
to stop his friends from insulting her, and it had infuriated him. He'd gotten detention and the
next morning a Howler had arrived from his mum.
"SIRIUS ORION BLACK, HOW DARE YOU DEFILE YOUR ANCESTORS! HOW
DARE YOU SPEAK TO AND OR CORRESPOND WITH THOSE WHO ARE BENEATH
YOU! YOU ARE GROUNDED FOR THE ENTIRE SUMMER HOLIDAY!"
The letter had burned up at the table and Sirius had looked over at James with an indifferent
shrug. "Looks like I won't be able to come by again this summer."
He tried to look amused, but the sadness in his eyes made James put his arm around his
shoulder.
"Don't worry, mate. We'll jailbreak you if necessary."
"No, don't. It's better if you do nothing."
James frowned. "Do you think that they'll really hold you hostage all summer?"
Sirius had only shrugged.
To be honest, he wouldn't be surprised if his mother attempted to brainwash him into thinking
like her. Now that he was strong enough to fight off the Imperius Curse, he had made her life
a little more difficult. Of course, she could always chain him up in the basement again like
she had last summer.
He shuddered at the thought.
But when he had arrived home for the summer holiday, that was exactly what had happened
again. Not right away, he had first been banished to his bedroom, but when he had received a
letter from Lily Evans asking about his summer holiday, his mother hadn't been pleased with
his correspondence. He had then spent almost a month chained to the wall in the boiler room
of his family home. His mother had claimed that he had needed to be taught a lesson and that
being locked up was the only way that the lesson was going to be learned properly. His wrists
and ankles were rubbed raw from the chains.
Kreacher, the family house elf, had brought him food twice a day while sneering at him.
Regulus had snuck down to see him after the second week.
"Siri?"
"Hey, Reggie, I'm okay," he told him, trying to smile at his eleven-year-old-brother in
reassurance.
His father had belted him so hard that his back was still bleeding a little, but he kept it hidden
from his brother. He had never wanted his little brother to see the pain that his parents had
bestowed upon him. It was his job to protect him. Always.
"Siri, why do you have to make them so angry? Why can't you just… do what they want?"
Sirius attempted to smile. "I want them to understand that I'm my own person, Reg, and I
don't want to be like them. They're cruel and they're horribly set in their ways and I'm not
going to stop being friends with people just because of their blood. We all bleed red, Regulus.
It's all red."
Regulus only stared at him, his bottom lip quivering. "What if… what if I'm not put into
Slytherin House either?"
Regulus would be starting Hogwarts that September and Sirius was both simultaneously
excited and terrified for his baby brother.
"It would be better if you weren't. I could protect you better. But the hat gives you a choice,
Reg. I chose to be something different."
"Is Slytherin House bad?"
"No!" Sirius insisted, wincing at the muscle spasms in his arms and legs from a combination
of the chained position he was stuck in and from the Cruciatus Curse, courtesy of his father
only two hours earlier. "None of the houses are bad, none of them. It's just… our entire
family has been in Slytherin, and the pressure in that house to do what the pureblood mantra
is and does — that's a lot and I don't need that. I love Gryffindor, not because of the house,
but because of the people in it."
Regulus stared at him, his eyes wide. "If I'm not sorted into Slytherin, this could be me next
summer."
Sirius shook his head. "No, Reg, I won't let them do this to you. I promise."
Regulus was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "If you kept quiet, Mother and Father
wouldn't… hurt you."
"My friend Lily wrote me a letter, Reg. Mother intercepted it. She claimed that the name
Evans sounded too common and too simple to possibly be anyone worth my time; that it
wasn't a name on the Sacred Twenty-Eight. When I told her that she was Muggleborn, she
sneered as if she had known the entire time."
"You should have denied it."
Sirius shrugged. He knew better than to bother. "Reg, they know every pureblood in the
fucking sacred twenty-eight. I couldn't have denied it if I wanted to. I told her we were
friends and well, here we are. You do what you need to do, Reg, but I promise, if you decide
that you don't want to be in Slytherin — don't let our parents force you. I'll protect you. I
promise."
Regulus stared at him for a moment, then he turned and hurried up the stairs. Sirius had
simply hung his head and tried not to scream from the pain. The day before the Hogwarts
Express left for his third year, his mother had used the Cruciatus Curse on him again, making
him promise to stop befriending Mudblood scum and to make more of an effort to be nice to
the Slytherins.
He said that he would, but only to make the pain stop…
~ TFTA ~
September 1973…
When Sirius boarded the Hogwarts Express and Lily ran towards him to give him a
friendly hug hello, he considered his parents' words. Muggles are filth, Orion had
taunted. Mudbloods with their traitorous ways, Walburga had spat.
He closed his eyes, trying to block out the sound of his parents' angry voices. The sight of his
little brother's eyes narrowing when Sirius introduced him to Lily, made him frown.
Regulus was sitting next to him in the compartment and when Lily wished him luck on the
Sorting, he turned to Sirius. "She's the Mudblood?"
"No, she's Lily," Sirius corrected. "We don't use that term, Reg. I told you. Mother and Father
are wrong."
Regulus only turned to stare out the window of the train.
James, Remus, and Peter welcomed Regulus and the five of them spent the whole train ride
talking about Hogwarts. By the time they arrived at the school, Sirius could see the nerves in
his little brother's eyes.
"Don't worry, Reg," he said. "Hagrid will take you across the lake and I'll see you inside of
the Great Hall. Remember, the hat gives you a choice."
He squeezed his brother's shoulder and followed his friends off of the train to find a carriage.
When McGonagall finally called Regulus' name and the Sorting Hat called out Slytherin,
Sirius felt his heart break. On some level he had known that it was the first step his brother
was taking away from him. He'd excused himself from his friends, claiming that he needed to
use the loo, leaning against the stone wall outside of the Great Hall to catch his breath.
Professor McGonagall found him there a few minutes later, rubbing his raw wrists and
gasping for air amidst a small panic attack. She had wrapped her arm around him, tugging
him into a nearby empty classroom and pushed him into a chair.
"Head between your knees, Black. Breathe," she instructed, a gentle hand running up and
down his back, gently guiding him back to his normal rhythms of breath.
"Mr Black, it's quite all right to be upset that your brother was put into a different house. Not
all siblings are put together," she said kindly.
Sirius ran his hands through his shaggy hair as he sat up and nodded. His face was flushed in
embarrassment. "I know, Professor."
McGonagall's eyes were on the marks on his wrist. "What are those, Mr Black?"
Sirius shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Nothing to worry about, Professor. I
spent some time paying for my sins this summer is all. Punishment is what I deserve most,
isn't it?"
Her nostrils flared angrily. "Those wrists are rubbed raw. You should go to the hospital wing
to get Madam Pomfrey to take a look. They look quite painful."
Sirius only smiled at her. "I'll be fine, but thanks, McG."
McGonagall didn't comment as she took a seat next to him in one of the desks. She tapped
her fingers on the desk for a moment as if unsure on how to proceed.
"Black, you know that as your Head of House, I'm a lot more than just your Transfiguration
professor?" When he nodded, she continued. "I'm here as an advisor… a friend and a
confidant if ever you need anything. Even if it's only to talk."
"Talk about what, Professor?"
"Anything you want. Homework, classes, your parents, your brother, your friends, your home
life… I am here for you."
"I don't have anything to talk about. My brother… he's a Slytherin, he's the golden hero of the
Black Family now. I'm just the loser of the fight who keeps getting tossed back in and
refusing to… toujours pur — that's what my mother says."
"And you don't believe those words, do you, Mr Black?"
Sirius' eyes stayed on hers for a long moment and then he shook his head. "No, I don't. I don't
know where my life is going to take me, but I do know that it's not going to be the direction
that my family wants it to go and sometimes…" he trailed off for a moment. "Sometimes, I
don't think that I'm going to get away. That I'm not strong enough to make my own
decisions."
McGonagall reached out to touch his arm. "You are very brave, Sirius, and that's only one of
the many reasons why the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor. You are a lot stronger than you
believe yourself to be. You may feel alone and helpless, like you've lost your fight — but you
haven't. You have friends. You have a family here and you'll be all right. My grandmother
used to always tell me to just keeping standing and I always think back to it as being the best
advice that I was ever given."
He nodded, oddly touched by her words. He did have a family here. He had James and Peter
and Remus and Lily and Marlene and Dorcas and Mary. And he was beginning to see that if
he wanted, he had McGonagall too.
McGonagall smiled at him. "You stand for yourself and for those you love, Sirius. Nothing in
the world is more important because when push comes to shove, you taste what you're made
of. You might bend until you break because it's all you can take. When you're on your knees,
you look up, and decide you've had enough. You get upset, you get strong, but wipe your
hands, shake it off — and you stand. You just stand and you keep holding on. Every time you
fall down you get back up, and one more small piece of you starts to fall into place. You
stand. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
He did understand. No matter how many times his parents beat him down, physically,
verbally, and emotionally into submission, he kept standing back up; he kept choosing his
own path.
"Yes, Professor."
"So you stand," she told him with a smile. "Life's like a novel that has the end ripped out.
We're not supposed to know where it's going to take us or what's going to happen along the
way. But those we keep with us and those we choose to spend our lives with; they make the
difference. Family isn't always blood." She held her hand out to him and when he took it she
tugged him to his feet. "Now let's go enjoy that feast while we can."
Sirius smiled at her. "Thanks, Professor."
McGonagall only nodded. "My door is always open, Sirius. No matter how big or small."
Family wasn't always blood, he thought. And McGonagall always managed to remind him of
that. He pulled her into a hug, surprising her, but she returned it in kind.
"Mr Black, I think that it's time we head back to the feast, is it not?"
He only grinned at her. "It is. Thank you."
McGonagall squeezed his shoulder and when he followed her back out into the Great Hall, he
felt a little bit lighter.
End Author's Notes:
Here are some of the lyrics to Stand by Rascal Flatts that I used in this scene:
Life's like a novel with the end ripped out

The edge of a canyon with only one way down
Take what you're given before it's gone
And start holdin' on, keep holdin' on
'Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend till you break
'Cause it's all you can take
On your knees, you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, yeah, then you stand
Every time you get up
And get back in the race
One more small piece of you
Starts to fall into place
Just a beautiful song.

The One Where Sirius Meets The Potters
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To alix33: Very graphic, but deserved. Thank you. To
darkhk: You love me for it. Thank you. To scrappy8: Thank you! To ellyan13: Well said.
They both chose their battles. Thank you. To Sets: Thank you! It's one of my most proud of
lines. Snape doesn't stand up for her and I think it does set a precedent to how their
friendship is played out from then on out. Thank you! To Slaidback: He definitely had a
panic attack and it's no wonder. Thank you. To EnimaticEmperor: Walburga and Orion
were definitely awful parents. I love Sirius trying to protect his brother and I agree, he loved
him. Sirius did take her words to heart and he took McGonagall to heart. They share a
special bond. Thank you! To ascfan: We all should be furious. Poor Sirius. Thank you! To
Shivani: Sirius is very brave. But he's trying to put a brave face on for his little brother.
Thank you! To CorbanD17: Thank you! To Bellmel: It does show how much strength Sirius
has and how different he and Peter are. I really love him and Lily being friends. Yes, the
jailbreak is totally Chamber of Secrets vibes, thanks for noticing! Sirius and McGonagall are
the best. Thank you!
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:
The One Where Sirius Meets The Potters
December 1973…
Sirius shoved his hands into the pockets of his black jeans. They had holes in the knees
over his black army boots with the laces untied. He wore a white tee shirt under his open
leather jacket with a Gryffindor scarf around his neck. He'd bought the jacket himself in
London only last week and his mother had thrown a fit. She claimed that her son was dressed
like a hooligan and looked almost as bad as those 'filthy Muggles.'
It made Sirius love the jacket that much more.
He had a small knapsack over his shoulder as he stood there in the snow, staring up at the
house in Somerset as if he was still unsure.
The Knight Bus left and Sirius stood there a moment longer before he double checked the
address in his pocket. The large stone home was covered in snow and looked inviting. As he
carefully trudged up the long drive, he felt the warding pressing against him. He knocked on
the front door. It was only a moment before a small slim woman with dark reddish brown
hair, streaked in silver, pulled it open. Her hair was pulled back in a braided bun, but her
fringe covered the side of her forehead in tight curls. She smiled warmly at the sight of him.
"Hallo, dear, Happy Christmas. May we help you with something?"
Sirius swallowed. "Er, is this James Potter's house?"
The woman's smile widened. "It most certainly is and you would be?"
"Um, Sirius Black? We're friends at school."
"Oh! Sirius, lovely to finally meet you, do come in, dear!"
She tugged him inside the large entranceway. The big medieval style hall was full of old art
and tapestries and the warmth immediately engulfed him.
"We were so disappointed that you couldn't join us again this summer! Jamie talks of you so
often, I feel like I already know you. Welcome to Clevedon Court, dear. You can put your
boots and jacket there. Rosa!"
A tiny elf appeared and Euphemia smiled warmly.
"Rosa, dear, set him up in Jamie's room, we have a guest."
The elf nodded, taking Sirius' bag as Euphemia smiled warmly at him.
"I'm Euphemia Potter, but everyone calls me Fee. Come on in, love, Jamie's in the living
room."
Sirius followed her through the large hall with the massive Christmas tree that stood close to
twenty feet tall and dancing in fairy lights and into a large living room. James was sprawled
out across the sofa tossing a Quaffle up into the air and then catching it.
"Jamie, love, your friend Sirius has come by. You should have told me that he was coming, I
would have set a spot for him for dinner," she scolded.
"Didn't know," James said, jumping to his feet. "Hey, mate."
"Hey."
Euphemia beamed at the two of them. "Well, I'll go let Darby know that we have another for
dinner."
Sirius shoved his hands into his pockets, rocking on the balls of his feet. "Um, sorry for just
showing up."
"Nah, it's cool," James told him, his eyes on his friend. "Are you staying the rest of the
holiday?"
Sirius shook his head. "No… I don't want to impose. I just… I had to get out of that house for
a bit."
James nodded. "You won't be imposing. Mum will be thrilled if you stay the whole holiday.
She loves guests."
He shrugged. "Wicked house."
"Thanks. Come on and sit. Mum will bring snacks in a moment."
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "But we didn't ask for anything."
James chuckled. "Trust me."
They settled on the sofa and James urged Sirius to stretch out with him so that their legs were
both side by side across from each other, the same way that they had first sat on the school
train. James tossed him the Quaffle and Sirius caught it with a grin, tossing it back towards
him. Euphemia came into the living room a moment later with a tea tray full of tea and
biscuits.
"I brought you boys a little snack," she said as James smirked at his friend.
"Told you. Hey, Mum, Sirius is going to stay for the whole holiday, all right?"
"Oh, wonderful! I love having guests," she exclaimed brightly. "You boys eat up and then you
can head outside. The snow looks just perfect for building a large fort."
James grinned as his mum left the room and he turned to his friend. "See, it's completely
fine." He reached for a biscuit, eyeing his friend carefully for a moment. "So, want to talk
about it?"
Sirius shook his head as he shoved a biscuit in his mouth. "Not really."
"What did your folks say when you told them that you were coming here?"
"Didn't," he said simply, lifting the cup of tea to his lips and drinking deeply. "I told Reg and
then I snuck out at dawn this morning."
James' eyebrow rose. "That might have made it worse."
He shrugged as he helped himself to a second biscuit. "I couldn't stay there a moment longer,
Jamie."
James only nodded. "All right. You're welcome here as long as you want, Siri."
Sirius' eyes met his and he nodded slowly as Euphemia came back into the room with
Fleamont, who was polishing his glasses on his sleeve as he walked.
"Sirius, this is Monty. Monty, Sirius Black. Sirius will be staying the rest of the holiday with
us, isn't that wonderful?"
Fleamont smiled warmly at his wife. "Wonderful. James, why don't you boys head upstairs
and get some warm clothes on. I think that it's high time we build a massive snow fort, what
do you say?"
James grinned and jumped to his feet. "I'm in."
He gestured for Sirius to follow him, raising an eyebrow when Sirius stole another biscuit
before he did so.
"Mum will have lunch ready in about two hours if you're hungry."
Sirius nodded as he followed James up the staircase and down the hall to the door that said
James F. Potter on a gold plaque. "What does the F stand for?"
"Er, Franklin."
"Really? Then how did your father get the nickname Monty?"
James blushed. "Okay, fine, it's Fleamont — and if you tell anyone I will kill you in your
sleep."
Sirius busted into laughter as he followed James into his room and grinned at the sight of it.
His walls were covered in Quidditch posters and statistics, posters of The Beatles, of Elvis
Presley, and posters of different guitars, both acoustic and electric, along with posters of
broomstick ads. He was surprised to see photos of himself, Remus, and Peter tacked up as
well. There was a large queen-sized bed in the middle of the room with a desk, two tall
wardrobes, a toy chest, three bookshelves as well as a large closet. A guitar stood against one
wall on a stand and another guitar case sat on top of his trunk. His broom was mounted on the
wall over by his bed. A large cot had already been set up next to the bed.
"You can sleep in the bed if you prefer," James told him. "It's big enough for the two of us to
share or if you want your own room, we have lots of guest rooms, but knowing Mum she put
the cot in here assuming that you'd be more comfortable with me." He plopped onto his bed.
Sirius nodded. "So… Fleamont, eh?"
James rolled his eyes. "It was my grandmother's maiden name and she wanted to pass it down
somehow. She named my dad Fleamont and my mum thought it would be proper to make my
middle name his first. We're not speaking of it ever again. So, stop stalling."
"Stalling?"
"Yeah," James said, his eyes on his friend. "I lied before, tell me what happened."
Sirius let out a slow sigh. "It was nothing."
James only raised an eyebrow. "Obviously it wasn't or you wouldn't have shown up here out
of the blue."
Sirius plopped himself onto the bed with James. "James… my parents were just… Mum is
furious that I'm still hanging around with you and Rem. She claims that Pete is tolerable, but
still not worthy. She says that Gryffindor has dulled my senses and made me forget right from
wrong. They've been praising Reg left and right, which is good, he deserves the praise, but
they do it in a way that belittles me and it was just grating my cheese, Jamie! Like oh, Sirius,
Regulus received an Outstanding on his Potions homework so I don't know how you've
achieved an Outstanding when your work is clearly inferior."
"What the bloody hell does that mean?" James exclaimed, his eyes flashing in anger.
"Obviously it's outstanding if that's the grade you achieved!"
Sirius shrugged. "Also, they somehow learned that I've spent the last month snogging Em,
who is not a pureblood and therefore completely beneath me, and how I'm slumming it."
"Siri, mate, I'm sorry."
"Whatever, I just… I couldn't listen to it anymore and I blew up on my mum last night. I was
so angry that my magic reacted and I blew out all the windows in the upstairs and then I got a
letter from the Ministry warning me about using magic outside of school…"
James goggled at him. "Wow!"
He nodded. "And well, all hell broke loose after that."
"Meaning?"
Sirius moved to close James' bedroom door before he lifted up his shirt. His ribs were littered
in fist sized purple bruises.
James' eyes darkened. "They bloody hit you?"
"Oh, no," Sirius said. "Simply hitting me is too Muggle. Mum added a weight charm to
Father's fists first." He winced as he put his arms down. "I think I broke a rib."
James jumped to his feet. "My Mum will fix you right up."
Sirius blanched. "No! Fuck! You can't tell her!"
James' eyebrow rose. "Siri, you need healing."
"No, can't you just… I mean, isn't there something that you could do?"
James hesitated a moment before he nodded just as a knock sounded on the bedroom door.
"You boys coming down or what?" Fleamont called out.
"Dad, can we build that fort after lunch? Sirius is feeling a bit tired," James called out.
Fleamont pushed the bedroom door open and eyed the two boys for a moment. "Everything
all right in here?"
"Fine," James said quickly. "Siri's just tired. After lunch we'll build the fort, Dad."
Fleamont nodded. "Sure, whenever you'd like, Jamie. If you boys need anything, just ask."
James thanked him as he closed the door and then he called for Rosa. The elf appeared in his
bedroom a moment later, eyes wide.
"How can I help you, Master James?"
"Hi, Rosa. Listen, I need you to get some healing stuff and help me heal my friend Sirius, but
you can't tell Mum or Dad."
Rosa stared at him. "Master James, I is not comfortable lying to the Marquess and
Marchioness, Sir."
"Don't lie, just… don't tell them is all."
Rosa hesitated, but she nodded and disappeared with a loud crack.
Sirius stared at him. "Do you really think that she won't tell them?"
James nodded. "We're fine."
Rosa came back a few moments later with the first aid kit and Sirius carefully tugged his shirt
off. The elf stared at him for a long moment before she moved forward to help give him some
healing salve for the bruises. James looked in the kit, finding the stuff he needed to mix the
potions for Sirius' ribs, and poured the appropriate dose into a cup and passed it over.
Sirius winced as he drank the potion and James stared at the fresh welts on his friend's back.
"Siri… how the bloody hell did this…?"
Sirius shrugged. "It's fine. Just pass me some of that salve."
James' bedroom door flew open and Euphemia stepped in with a tray of sandwiches and her
eyes widened. James moved to block Sirius from view, but it had been too late. Euphemia put
the tray down on the desk and moved carefully towards Sirius. She placed her fingers on his
chin and tilted his head to look up at her.
"Who hurt you, darling?"
"I'm fine," Sirius told her, reaching for his shirt.
James took the shirt from his friend's hand so that Rosa could continue to apply the salve.
"His parents, Mum."
Euphemia's eyes darkened in anger for a moment before she masked it. She took the salve
from Rosa and immediately set about taking over the task. She ordered James which potions
to give him and covered the welts in fresh bandages. Sirius' cheeks were flushed in
embarrassment as he pulled his shirt over his head and murmured a thanks under his breath.
Euphemia reached out and gently brushed his hair behind his ear. "Your parents are Orion
and Walburga, dear?"
Sirius nodded. "I'm fine, Mrs Potter, honest." His eyes widened in surprise when she leaned
in and kissed his cheek tenderly.
"It's Fee, dear. You are always welcome here, Sirius. I don't care for how long you stay or
what time you show up. Our home will always be your home." She kissed his forehead and
tugged James to her to hug him tightly and kiss his cheeks. "You make Sirius rest and eat
those sandwiches I brought up. I'll have Monty whip up another healing potion for him to
take after dinner."
Then she was gone and Sirius was staring at James, his eyes wide.
"What just happened?"
James grinned. "I think Mum just adopted you. Here, have a bacon sandwich," he said,
tossing one at Sirius.
Sirius caught it, staring at James in wonder. "Your parents are brilliant."
James grinned back at him. "I know."

The One Where Sirius Gets Out of Detention
Author's Note:
I am deeply saddened about the passing of the beloved Queen Elizabeth II yesterday. 🇨🇦
Canada🇨🇦 has always had a wonderful relationship with her and Her Majesty, Queen
Elizabeth, who visited our country more than any other (22 times is what they said on the
news). It's her face on our twenty dollar bills and it's her face on our quarters. I cannot
imagine a world where there isn't a queen on the British throne and the thought of having a
king seems very weird to say. I remember coming home from elementary school and
mourning the loss of Princess Diana with my mum, but this… even knowing she was getting
older, I think a lot of people believed her to be immortal in some way. Almost no one even
remembers a time when she wasn't the Queen. She was a wonderful icon for people all over
the world, even people not part of the British Commonwealth. The world will be a very
different place without her. Rest in peace, Your Majesty.
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To darkhk: Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! James'
parents are awesome! To ellyann13: LOL, what a hilarious letter. I very much agree! Thank
you! To Sets: I know, Fee and Monty were the best and Sirius was lucky to have them. Thank
you! To alix33: Thank you! To ascfan: Sirius was very lucky to have the Potters, thank
you! To Slaidback: Abuse of any kind makes me upset, so thank you. I agree. To
EnigmaticEmperor: James and Sirius are platonic soulmates (just like Harry and Ron). I
love Fee and Monty being so welcoming to Sirius' friends without question! I loved Sirius
trying to protect Regulus, no matter what. Sirius deserves so much love! I love James just
understanding. He's an amazing friend! Thank you! To Bellmel: I agree, it is a huge moment
and Euphemia doesn't even realize how huge it is for her to welcome him into their home. I
love Fee and Monty just being so happy and so willing to welcome and take care of anyone
who means anything to their son. Sirius has found a new family and he hasn't even realized
how much yet. Thank you!
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:
The One Where Sirius Gets Out of Detention
November 1974…
Sirius let himself into McGonagall's classroom to serve detention, whistling as he

went. It was only a week after his fifteenth birthday and he had to serve detention for
swearing in class. In reality, it had been Remus who had sworn aloud and then promptly
blamed it on him, and McGonagall, assuming that it was actually Sirius, gave him the
detention.
But Sirius didn't mind, he enjoyed his detentions with McGonagall.
He made himself comfortable at his usual desk and stretched his long legs out, his hands
behind his head. He tipped the chair back to balance on the two back legs to wait for her
when he heard a muffled sob. He frowned and stood up when he heard it again. He looked
around the classroom, trying to determine where it was coming from and realized, with
horror, that it was coming from McGonagall's office. Sirius moved to the partly open door,
not even waiting for her to respond, and pushed it open.
His eyes widened in shock when he saw her sitting in her desk chair, a crumpled
handkerchief in one hand, her other on her forehead, as she sobbed over a photo of her young
self next to a tall dark-haired handsome man. Tears rolled down her cheeks like rain on a
windowpane and Sirius simply moved around the desk, crouched down in front of her and
wrapped his arms around her to pull her tightly into his embrace.
This woman, this strong amazing woman, who he admired more than anyone else in the
world, was crying — and it terrified him.
McGonagall didn't cry.
McGonagall was strong and stern and warrior-like.
But he wrapped his arms tightly around the vibrant forty-year-old-woman and urged her to
bury her face in his shoulder and let it out.
He rubbed a hand up and down her back, mumbling nonsense reassurances in her ear. She
didn't even protest, but merely clung to him, her fingers fisting in the back of his jumper as
her body quaked in sobs.
"Shh, don't cry, Minnie, don't cry," he said softly, kissing her cheek. "It's all right. Everything
will be all right, I promise," he soothed.
McGonagall clung to him for almost fifteen minutes, the sobs wracking her body as she
trembled and cried. Normally Sirius shied away from a hug that lasted more than ten seconds,
but he didn't let McGonagall go as she continued to cry. He couldn't. The sight of the woman
he admired most falling apart terrified him, and he wanted to do everything he could to make
her feel better.
When she had nothing left, she let out a small sigh, and then jolted when she realized that it
was Sirius Black who was comforting her. She extricated herself carefully from his arms and
stood up, moving to look out her office window as she mopped at her eyes with her
handkerchief.
Sirius only sat on the edge of her desk, his arms crossed in front of him. He didn't speak.
"I'm terribly sorry, Sirius. That's not what I had in mind for your detention. You shouldn't
have seen that," she said, her face looking more like the McGonagall that he admired.
He shrugged. "I've got strong shoulders." He stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"You've said it to me enough times: Do you need to talk, Minnie?"
McGonagall's eyes softened and a stray tear slipped out. "It's nothing to concern yourself
with, Black. I'll be fine. Why don't you start washing the board in my classroom? Without
magic, of course. I'll only be another moment."
Sirius only nodded, but he didn't move. "I don't like to see you sad."
She smiled kindly at him. "And I appreciate that kind sentiment, but please, the blackboards,
go on… I'll be out in a minute."
Sirius only continued to stare at her. He didn't say anything nor did he look away. After
almost a minute, McGonagall sighed.
"A man I loved very much once was killed along with his wife and children," she said softly,
tears welling up in her eyes once more. "He was a Muggle, as was his family and… it was a
random attack by Voldemort's Death Eaters and they couldn't have known that I had…"
Sirius moved to hug her again and gently pat her back. "I'm so sorry, Professor."
"We were engaged, you know?" McGonagall said now, the tears still streaming down her
cheeks. "But I couldn't marry Dougal. He didn't even know that I was a witch and… I didn't
want to turn his life upside down. I wanted to work at the Ministry of Magic. I wanted to
work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and do some good in the world. So, I
broke it off… and he tried to win me back, not understanding why, as I never could bring
myself to tell him the truth even after we were engaged… and he fell in love with another
woman years later and had a family and now…" She blinked back her tears, her hands on
Sirius' back as he hugged her. "If I had married him, I could have protected him, and he might
still be alive."
"No," Sirius said sternly, his eyes on hers. "No, you can't think about the what ifs. This isn't
your fault. It's this sodding war and the Death Eaters and bloody Voldemort and you can't let
this get to you. You're the strongest and the most amazing woman that I know. Minerva
McGonagall is a badarse," — she snorted — "and everyone knows it. Don't let them put you
down. Don't let them win."
McGonagall smiled sweetly at him and then she kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Sirius." She
patted his cheek gently. "Go on then. No detention this time, but you will learn to watch your
mouth in my class."
Sirius smirked at her. "I will, I promise."
He turned to go, but she called his name and he turned to smile at her.
"Thank you."
He only smiled and nodded at her before he turned and headed back to his dorm.
The One With Some of the Many Attempts of James Potter
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Bellmel: Thank you! The mother/son relationship

between Sirius and McGonagall has been one of my favourite things to write so I am so
happy you're enjoying it. I love the idea of Remus totally swearing a lot and Sirius always
getting blamed. Such a fun head canon I have. Thank you! To Sets: Yes, I think McGonagall
did start to realize that Sirius was definitely more than one of her favourite students in this
moment. I love their mother/son vibe very much! Thank you! To ellyann13: Thank you. To
alix33: Thank you. To Slaidback: You're welcome and thank you! To A Huge Fan: I love
Minnie helping Sirius overcome his family and then him turning around to help her! Thank
you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Absolutely lol. McGonagall did have a tough choice and
playing that what if game never helps. Thank you! To ascfan: McGonagall is definitely very
strong! Thank you!
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:
The One With Some of the Many
Attempts of James Potter
February 1974…
The first time it happened it was in third year. Unbeknownst to Lily, James had been
agonizing over it for almost two weeks. Lily had just turned fourteen and had no idea that
James Potter had become convinced that she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen in his
entire life. The only thing she had noticed was that he kept staring at her hair. She was
starting to wonder if she had something wrong with it.
Sirius had caught him staring at her twice now and promptly made a point about it, but
whatever James had said in response only made the back of his neck flush. Lily found it
rather strange. Which was why she was rather surprised to come down the stairs of the girls'
dormitory the day of the big Quidditch match, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, and find James
Potter pacing in front of the bottom step.
"May I help you, Potter?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

James' head shot up so fast, it was almost comical. She watched him rub his palms down the
side of his Quidditch kit before he licked his lips. "Hi, Evans, how's it going?"
"All right, I guess," she said, wondering why he was pacing back and forth. "Aren't you
supposed to be at Quidditch? It's all anyone's been talking about for days. The big game and
all that."
He nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going, but um… I was uh… I was just wondering…"
Lily raised her eyebrow again. "Wondering what?"
James cleared his throat, his eyes meeting those green ones as his hand went to his hair.
"WouldyougotoHogsmeadewithme?"
"I'm sorry, what?" she asked, looking at him in bewilderment.
"Would you… go to Hogsmeade… with me?" James asked carefully, his hazel eyes searching
hers.
Lily stared at him, her eyes wide in surprise.
James Potter was asking her out?
He wasn't serious — was he?
Why her?
He cleared his throat again. "We like the same music and you're smart and beautiful and…
we'll have fun, Evans. What do you say… Lily?"
Shocked couldn't even begin to describe her feelings right now. No one had ever asked her
out before. And James Potter of all people… all he did was play pranks on others and cause
mischief. This had to be a mistake.
Before she could muster up a response, a blonde fourth year came bouncing over to them and
wrapped her arms around James.
"James, you're going to be late, pookie!"
The blonde kissed his cheek.
Lily was too angry to watch him swat her away. Of course it was all a prank. That's all James
Potter ever did was play tricks on everyone. His boisterous laughter always echoed around
the castle like that song one couldn't get out of their head. He nitpicked at people, mocked
them, and the most annoying thing was how he mocked Severus. Of course he would narrow
in on her now.
This was much worse than when he'd dipped the ends of her hair in ink in first year.
Or when he'd started a food fight by covering her face in pudding.

Or even when he'd claimed her eyes were as bright as freshly mown grass before exploding a
pudding between them.
No, this was low, even for him.
"No, Potter," she spat, her eyes narrowing. "I will never go to Hogsmeade with you!"
Lily huffed before she stormed off angrily, leaving him staring after her with his mouth
hanging open in surprise.
~ TFTA ~
May 1974…
The second time it happened was a few months later.
They were both fourteen now. Lily was anxiously trying to study in the Three Broomsticks
since her friends had insisted she come out with them. Lily didn't usually study so hard, but it
was for Transfiguration and Merlin knew she needed all the help she could get in that class.
She desperately needed the extra study time.
"Hey, Evans, how's the studying going?"
"What do you want, Potter?" she demanded, trying not to growl at him.
It bothered her that she had considered saying yes to him when he'd first asked her out a few
months back. That fraction of a second where she'd considered it, made her heart patter in her
chest. He'd proved her choice right as since then, he'd had at least two girlfriends. He was
definitely not who she thought he was.
"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could spend the rest of the afternoon together? You
know, on a date?" he asked, his eyes hopeful.
Lily glared at him. Only four days ago he had been making out with Arlene Sims in the
common room. "No."
Then she had gathered up her things and walked out.
~ TFTA ~
September 1974-1976…
It had persisted.
Fourth year had been continual, almost on a weekly basis.
James asked her out during breakfast.
"Morning, Evans! Have some bacon and a date with me?"
"Yes to the bacon. No to you," she shot back.

He asked her out during class.
"Hey, Evans!"
"Yes, Potter?" Lily asked, eyeing him apprehensively.
"I bet Flitwick five Galleons that I could charm you into a date? What do you say?"
"Pay Flitwick."
James asked her out in the common room.
"Hey, Evans. Want to come sit with me by the fire? We can talk about how we're going to
spend our first date together on Saturday."
"No."
But nothing seemed to be more persistent than when he yelled at her from across the room.
"Hey, Evans! Wanna go out with me this weekend?"
"Only in my worst nightmares."
Potter grinned. "So, I'm in your dreams now? What are you wearing?"
Her rude hand gesture only made him laugh louder.
By now she was beginning to wonder if Potter thought it was a game. She was the only girl
who had yet to turn him down.
Fifth year had been even worse. Of course it didn't help that she had walked in on him one
night in the common room playing the guitar. She had stood there on the bottom step leading
to the girls' dormitories, staring in awe.
James Potter looked damn right sexy playing a guitar. It should actually be a crime.
"Evans!" James said brightly, moving towards her and putting his guitar down. "Here let me
get those for you!"
He immediately shuffled her books into his arms. "Someone as beautiful as you should have
servants to carry books for you. I can lend you my house elf."
Lily rolled her eyes, tugging the books out of his arms. "No thanks. Go away, Potter."
James' hand immediately went to his hair, making it stick up even more. She hated when he
did it because it somehow made his arrogance look charming and it most certainly didn't
make her admit that he was ridiculously attractive.
"It's Hogsmeade on Saturday."
"I'm aware and so proud that you can tell the days of the week."
"So," James continued, nibbling on his lip. "You, me, a tall glass of butterbeer, two straws —
what do you say?"
"No."
James pouted. "If I buy the butterbeer?"
"Still no."
"Evansssss, why won't you go out with me? I'm a nice bloke and I'm the best snog you'll ever
have!"
Lily rolled her eyes. "When you learn to ask a girl out with some finesse, Potter, maybe I'll
take you seriously! Go sit with your delinquent friends and leave me alone!"
Sirius frowned. "Uncalled for, Evans! I am an innocent bystander in Jamie's failed attempts.
He wanted to use the poem he wrote, but Rem and I talked him out of it."
Lily blushed. A poem? This was beyond madness. She didn't know what she had done to
warrant this torture from James Potter.
"Please tell me that's a lie."
James grinned. "Of course not! Let me recite for you!" He cleared his throat before sweeping
his hand in front of him dramatically. "Lily, my flower, the bloom in my heart; please go on a
date with me, I'll even bring treacle tart!"
Lily rolled her eyes, biting the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from laughing. "I am not
going out with you, Potter! Merlin, you might be worse at poetry than you are at romance.
Mary, I'm heading to the library to get some work done, want to come?"
"I can also bring lilies!" James shouted as the girls moved towards the portrait hole.
Lily turned to stare at James. "Contrary to my name, I don't like lilies, Potter."
The portrait hole closed behind her and James sighed, grinning at Sirius. "I'm growing on
her."
"Like a fungus," Peter said from the floor.
Sirius laughed. "I mean, shouting at her all the time might not be the best way to get her
attention."
Remus merely raised an eyebrow. "You mean when he asked her out for the eighth time last
week and shouted across Charms class that he had more than enough charm to charm his way
into her heart?"
"What about when he asked her if she was magical because he had fallen under her spell?"
Peter added, making Remus groan.
"I forgot about that one! What about when he sent her that singing note in Potions class that
called out: Are you a Snitch? Because you're the finest catch here!"
James shrugged. "So, what are you trying to say? Do you think that I'm going about it
wrong?"
"YES!" The three of them exclaimed together.
James pouted and let out a long sigh. "All right, all right! I'll find another way to ask her out.
Do you know what kind of flowers she likes?"
"Not lilies," Peter supplied.
James glared at his friend. "Noted, Pete." He tapped his chin as if lost in thought. "What if I
send her a different flower every day until I do find out?"
Remus sighed. "Jamie, we love you, but no. Lily Evans is not interested in you. It's time for
you to move on. You know, Madison from Hufflepuff has had her eye on you all year. She'd
let you snog her in Hogsmeade."
James simply grinned, ignoring his friends completely. "I'm going to send her flowers."
When Mary told Lily what she'd overheard, Lily tucked her hair behind her ears and
wondered what she'd done in a past life to be constantly harassed and embarrassed by one
James Potter.
The One With Lily and Snape
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To darkhk: Thank you! To ellyann13: James is definitely

his own worse enemy. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Sad and funny at the same time,
it's true! James wasn't pranking Lily, no, but James definitely is harassing her a bit. She
definitely just says no on reflex Thank you! To Nuno Neves: James is very nice, but he is
annoying to Lily. He will mature eventually, but right now he's just an immature boy. Thank
you! To alix33: Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To Sets: Thanks for liking my zinger
from Peter lol. We will see a bit more of Snape, yes. And more of Lily's relationship with
James, Sirius, and Remus. Thank you! To Slaidback: You're welcome! And thank you! To
ascfan: Thank you! To Bellmel: You are almost always the only person who leaves me a
review for this story on Ao3. Thank you so much for taking the time. Yes, that blonde fourth
year! He was so nervous and adorable and that blonde made Lily second guess his intentions
and it all went downhill from there! I'm glad you enjoyed her "Pay Flitwick" comment lol. I
love James' persistence and I don't see it as harassment either because he's sweet about it.
Kind of goofy and adorable and Lily's annoyed, but there's no hate there. I think it would be
different if she felt harassed. Right now she sees him more as a pesky fly lol. Thank you!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the scene by JKR, but I did tweak it a bit.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:
The One With Lily and Snape
May 1976…
Lily and Severus were walking across the castle courtyard. Lily was biting her lip to stop
herself from yelling at the boy she'd always considered one of her closest friends. She had
been in the middle of a deep study session for OWLs when she'd saw him sitting with
Mulciber and laughing. She'd suddenly been too angry to keep her thoughts to herself.
"… thought we were supposed to be friends?" Severus was saying, "Best friends?"
"We are, Sev, but I don't like some of the people that you're hanging round with! I'm sorry,
but I detest Avery and Mulciber! Mulciber! What do you see in him, Sev, he's creepy! D'you
know what he tried to do to Mary McDonald the other day?"
Lily had reached a pillar and leaned against it, looking up into the thin, sallow face.
"That was nothing," Severus said. "It was a laugh, that's all —"
"It was dark magic, and if you think that's funny —"
"What about all the stuff Potter and his mates get up to?" Severus demanded. His colour rose
again as he said it, unable, it seemed, to hold in his resentment.
"What's Potter got to do with anything?" Lily asked.
"They sneak out at night! There's something weird about that Lupin. Where does he keep
going?"
"He's ill," Lily said. "They say that he's ill —"
"Every month at the full moon?" Severus said, dryly.
"I know your theory," Lily said, and she sounded cold. "Why are you so obsessed with them
anyway? Why do you care what they're doing at night?"
"I'm just trying to show you that they're not as wonderful as everyone seems to think they
are."
The intensity of his gaze made her blush.
"They don't use dark magic, though," she said as she dropped her voice. "And you're being
really ungrateful. I heard what happened the other night. You went sneaking down that tunnel
by the Whomping Willow, and James Potter saved you from whatever's down there —"
Severus' whole face contorted and he spluttered, "Saved? Saved? You think that he was
playing the Gryffindor hero? He was saving his own neck and his friends' too! You're not
going to — I won't let you —"
"Let me? Let me?" Lily's bright green eyes were slits.
Severus backtracked at once. "I didn't mean — I just don't want to see you made a fool of…
He fancies you, James Potter fancies you!" The words seemed wrenched from him against his
will. "And he's not… everyone thinks… big Quidditch hero —"
Severus' bitterness and dislike were rendering him incoherent, and Lily's eyebrows were
traveling farther and farther up her forehead.
"I know that James Potter's an arrogant toerag," she said. "I don't need you to tell me that. But
Isiah Mulciber's and Lionel Avery's idea of humour is just evil. Evil, Sev. I don't understand
how you can be friends with them. I thought better of you."
Severus' eyes narrowed. "Funny, because they said the same thing about me being friends
with you."
Lily watched him turn and march off and she wiped a stray tear from her eye, not sure how
their friendship had come down to this.
The One Where Remus Has the Last Word
Author's Note:
Wow! 300 reviews on fanfiction site, thank you so much! I really appreciate the love and
support!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the bit by JKR, but I tweaked it a bit.
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To darkhk: I mean, I don't like Snape either so that's fair.
Thank you! To ellyann13: He tried to assault Mary. Agreed. Thank you! To Sets: I agree. I
think he wanted to tell her here, but he's very unsure and very possessive. Thank you! To
alix33: Lily wanted to think he was her friend and she doesn't want to admit she's lost one.
No one likes to lose friends. Even toxic ones (until you realize how much better you are once
they're gone). Thank you! To scrappy8: Yes, it is the beginning of the end of Lily and Snape's
friendship. Thank you! To Nuno Neves: It was an intense moment. Thank you! To ascfan:
Snape does need to make better friends. Thank you! To Slaidback: This review was just a
period, but I'm going to say thank you anyway, even though I have no idea what you were
attempting to say. Thank you. To EnigmaticEmperor: It does say a lot and I agree, "I won't
let you" explains even more. Thank you! To Bellmel: It is sad that Snape is young and easily
influenced. Things are deteriorating between them and Lily is heartbroken over losing the
first friend she made in the magical world. Thank you!
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:
The One Where Remus Has The Last Word
June 1976…
Sirius stepped into the Gryffindor dormitory just as Remus dropped his towel and
reached for his boxers. They were heading home in a week and Sirius was nervous about
returning to his house. He just wanted to drop off his things and spend the summer with the
Potters. He knew that Remus was anxious to spend a few weeks with the Potters as well. He
heard his friend swear and turned around in time to see Remus' penis poking a hole through
his boxers.
"Problem, Moony?"
"Yes," Remus said, growling. "I've repaired these too many times and the holes are getting
worse."
"Just go commando like me," Sirius said. "Much easier access for the witches." He wiggled
his eyebrows suggestively and Remus rolled his eyes.
"I need the extra support, so no, I'm not going commando."
Sirius shrugged, stretching out on his bed. "So cough up some money and buy some new
drawers already. But hurry up, I'm starving and need a full breakfast before we write our
OWLs."
"They never have my size," Remus muttered, blushing. "It's hard to find the right kind…"
"What's hard to find?" James asked, coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped
around his waist, his chest and hair damp from the shower.
"Knickers, apparently," Sirius said. "I told you, just go commando."
"Padfoot, going commando is not an option when you have a big cock," James said, rolling
his eyes.
"Oh, piss off. We all know that Moony's hung, it doesn't mean that he has to have special
knickers," Sirius insisted, rolling his eyes. "We all have pricks and yet we all still manage to
wear clothes to cover ourselves. It's not like you're sporting a giant woodie."
"Well, actually it does," James said. "You have to make sure that you have the right size to
give support and comfort. No one wants their bollocks squished, Sirius."
Remus nodded. "Maybe you'd understand if you were in our club, Padfoot."
Sirius frowned. "What club?"
James winked at Remus as he found his own boxers and pulled them up under his towel.
"The Big Cock Club. Moony and I are founding members."
"Oh, fuck off!" Sirius said, snorting. "That's complete bollocks!"
James raised an eyebrow as he tugged on his trousers. "Are we lying, Moony?"
"No," Remus said, sitting on his bed to put on his socks. "Why would we lie?"
Sirius' eyes darted back and forth between them. "You two are having me on."
"No, we're not," Remus said. "Jamie and I have this club to help each other when we have
issues only blokes with big cocks have."
"Like what?" Sirius demanded, bewildered.

"Like finding the right underwear for starters," James said quickly. "Or how to hide the big
bulge properly with the right charms."
"No one wants their cock so blatantly hanging down their trouser leg for the world to see,"
Remus added.
Sirius snorted. "Well, let me sign up then. If this club is so real, I should be part of it."
Remus frowned. "Padfoot… you're not big enough."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "My cock is plenty big enough for your stupid club, Moony! Ask any
of the witches that I've been with, my cock is bloody fantastic!"
"But it's not twenty centimetres, which is the going rate to join the club," James said, his eyes
twinkling.
"That's fucking unrealistic!" Sirius bellowed.
James shook his head. "It's not unrealistic, Padfoot. It's called the Big Cock Club for a reason.
Moony and I are well over twenty centimetres as you know."
"Yeah, but that's not fucking normal!" Sirius insisted.
"Did we say that we were normal, Rem?" James asked as Remus shook his head. "Nope,
never claimed that we were normal — we're just claiming that we have big cocks."
"I believe I said massive, not big," Remus corrected.
"My apologies," James said. "Our massive cocks."
"Twenty centimetres is not normal!" Sirius repeated.
"Well, out of the three of us in this room, two of us are over that. Only you are way under…"
"Yeah, maybe you're the unusual one, Padfoot," Remus said. "Even King hits the twenty
centimetre mark."
Sirius glared at them. "Fuck both of you! My cock is bloody fan-fucking-tastic! Ask any
witch here — hell ask Gideon! Girls line up to get with me!"
James pulled his shirt over his head. "Absolutely it is, Sirius. But it's not big enough to join
our club."
"Definitely not," Remus agreed.
"Sorry, mate. Better luck next time."
Sirius made a rude hand gesture at both of them as he hopped off his bed. "For the record, I
am not way under normal size… you two are arses!"
He stormed out of the room and James busted into laughter.

Remus grinned at his friend. "Should we tell him that we don't actually have a club?"
James shook his head as he finished doing up his belt. "No way! It's too much fun to piss him
off! I love getting Sirius all worked up over something so ridiculous and asinine!"
Remus pursed his lips. "That is true and he does really hate it when we bring up the fact that
other than Pete, he has the smallest prick in our dorm."
James bit his bottom lip, his eyes twinkling. "Let's hide a measuring tape under his pillow,
tell him that if he learns an engorgement charm maybe he'll measure up to join."
Remus snorted. "Done."
James high-fived him. "Big Cock Club first meeting adjourned."
Remus laughed as he finished getting dressed. "But seriously, I really do need some new
underwear."
James reached into his trunk and pulled out a fresh package. "Bought a few extra pairs last
time I was in Apricity Lane. You can have those, they haven't even been opened."
"Jamie…"
"No, I'm not going to let you pay me for them," James said. "Now hurry up and get dressed!
Three more exams and we're finally OWL free!"
Remus watched James hurry out of the room and he ripped open the package of the new
underwear. He finished getting dressed and then dug out the measuring tape from his trunk
and put it under Sirius' pillow with a grin.
James was right. Some things were totally worth pissing off your friends for.
~ TFTA ~
Sirius found himself in the Great Hall during the OWL examinations. He watched as
James yawned hugely and rumpled up his hair, making it even messier than it had been.
Then, with a glance towards Professor Flitwick, he turned in his seat and grinned at Sirius
who was sitting four seats behind him. He gave James a thumbs-up.
Sirius was lounging in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs. His dark hair fell into
his eyes with a sort of casual elegance James could never have achieved, and a girl sitting
behind him was eyeing him hopefully. And two seats along from this girl was Remus. He
looked rather pale and peaky and was absorbed in the exam: As he reread his answers, he
scratched his chin with the end of his quill, frowning slightly.
Peter was sitting near them and he looked anxious; he was chewing his fingernails, staring
down at his paper, scuffing the ground with his toes. Every now and then he glanced
hopefully at his neighbour's paper. James was now doodling on a bit of scrap parchment. He
had drawn a Snitch and was now tracing the letters 'L.E'.
"Quills down, please!" Professor Flitwick squeaked. "That means you too, Davies! Please
remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!"
Rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms,
knocking him backwards off his feet. Several people laughed. A couple of students at the
front desks got up, took hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows and lifted him back on
to his feet.
"Thank you... thank you," Professor Flitwick panted. "Very well, everybody, you're free to
go!"
James hastily crossed out the 'L.E.' that he had been embellishing, jumped to his feet, stuffed
his quill back into his bag, which he slung over his back, and stood waiting for Sirius to join
him.
Snape was moving between the tables towards the doors to the Entrance Hall, still absorbed
in his own exam paper. Round-shouldered yet angular, he walked in a twitchy manner that
recalled a spider, and his oily hair was jumping about his face.
Remus came to stand with them, scratching his neck where he had a new scar that was
scabbing over from the latest full moon. His whisky coloured eyes looked tired, but alert, and
Sirius knew it was just as much from studying as it was entirely his fault.
His friend had been giving him the cold shoulder for the last two and a half weeks and he
couldn't say he blamed him. They'd finally somewhat made up last night, but Sirius knew that
Remus was still stressing over it. Sirius had done the worst prank imaginable on the last
moon and now… Snape knew his best mate's secret and Sirius blamed himself.
The fact that Remus wasn't talking to him only made it worse.
"You have to apologize," James insisted. "What you did was… it was fucking evil, Siri. Snape
could have bloody died and Moony would never have forgiven himself."
"I did apologize!" Sirius exclaimed. "A hundred times and he just… he said that I didn't
respect him and that…"
James shook his head. "You two have to make up on your own."
Sirius thought last night they had finally made headway.
Sirius had waited in his friend's bed for him and when he came out of the shower, Remus had
only sighed.
"I said I needed time."
"I know," Sirius said, quickly. "I know what you said, but fuck, I hate this, Moony. I wasn't
thinking about you possibly hurting him, you know that! All I was thinking about was seeing
Snape's smug face when he came face to face with a bloody werewolf and pissing himself in
fear. I thought it would be a great laugh and I didn't think… I didn't think about him getting
hurt."
Remus scoffed. "You didn't think that a werewolf would hurt him? Are you fucking stupid,
Padfoot?"
"No," Sirius whispered. "I know that a werewolf would hurt him, but I didn't think YOU could
hurt him."
Remus' eyes softened. "I know you blokes think that I'm some tame wolf you can play around
with, but I'm not, Sirius. I'm a dangerous monster and it's about time you get that through
your skulls."
James came through the curtains to hug Remus tightly from behind. "Nuh-uh! You're our
Moony and you could never be a monster if you tried. I don't believe you have a single mean
bone in your body."
"Not one," Sirius agreed. "I'm the one who's the tosser."
"Definitely," James said, making Sirius hit him.
Remus looked between them. "I appreciate everything you do for me when I transform.
Becoming Animagi and… but this was… if I had hurt Snape… I don't think I could have lived
with myself."
Sirius' grey eyes softened. "Moony, please. I'm so sorry. I never meant to make you feel guilty
like this over something I did."
James put his arms around both of them. "I need you two to be talking again. I can't be a
buffer anymore and if I have to ignore the two of you and hang out with Peter, I will."
"You'd miss us after one day," Remus teased.
Sirius scoffed. "Twenty minutes!"
Remus' golden eyes met his and his lips curved.
"Remus, I really am sorry. More sorry than I can even explain."
"I know," Remus whispered. "I know you are."
Then the three of them hugged each other tightly until Peter had finally come out of the
bathroom and asked what was going on.
Things had been tense, but going back to his dorm last night and finding a measuring tape
under his pillow had helped tell him that he and Remus were going to be okay. Even if the
bloke was a complete tosser. He snuck a look over at Remus and James and for the hundredth
time since yesterday morning thought, Big Cock Club, my arse.
But Sirius was so thankful that his best friend was speaking to him again that he was even
enjoying the ribbing. So as they left their exam, he said the first thing that popped into his
head.
"Did you like question ten, Moony?"
"Loved it," Remus said briskly. "Give five signs that identify the werewolf. Excellent
question."
"D'you think that you managed to get all the signs?" James asked in tones of mock concern,
winking at Sirius.
"Think I did," Remus said seriously, as they joined the crowd thronging around the front
doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. "One: He's sitting on my chair. Two: He's
wearing my clothes. Three: His name's Remus Lupin."
Peter was the only one who didn't laugh. "I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the
tufted tail," he said anxiously, "but I couldn't think what else —"
"How thick are you, Pete?" James asked impatiently. "You run round with a werewolf once a
month —"
"Keep your voice down," Remus implored.
"Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake," Sirius said. "I'll be surprised if I don't get
'Outstanding' on it at least."
"Me too," James agreed. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a struggling Golden
Snitch.
"Where'd you get that?"
"Nicked it," he said casually.
He started playing with the Snitch, allowing it to fly as much as thirty centimetres away
before seizing it again; his reflexes were excellent. Peter watched him in awe.
They stopped in the shade of a beech tree on the edge of the lake and threw themselves down
on the grass. The sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of the lake, on the bank of
which the group of laughing girls who had just left the Great Hall were sitting, with their
shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water.
Remus had pulled out a book and was reading. Sirius stared around at the students milling
over the grass, looking rather haughty and bored. James was still playing with the Snitch,
letting it zoom further and further away, almost escaping, but always grabbing it at the last
second. Peter was watching him with his mouth open. Every time James made a particularly
difficult catch, Peter gasped and applauded.
"Put that away, will you," Sirius said, as James made a fine catch and Peter let out a cheer.
"Before Peter wets himself with excitement."
Peter turned slightly pink, but James grinned.
"If it bothers you," he said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket.
"I'm bored," Sirius whined. "Wish it was the full moon."
"You might," Remus said darkly from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration, if
you're bored you could test me. Here," he said as he held out his book.
But Sirius snorted. "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."
"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," James said quietly. "Look who it is…"
Sirius's head turned. Snape had settled himself on the grass in the dense shadow of a clump of
bushes nearby. He was as deeply immersed in his OWL notes as ever. Sirius became very still
when he saw him, like a dog that had scented a rabbit.
"Excellent," he said softly. "Snivellus."
Sirius knew better than to pick on the Slytherin, but after knowing how much his prank on
him had hurt his friendship with Remus, he was feeling the need for revenge. If Snape could
stop being such a git, he wouldn't have been baited into the prank to begin with.
Snape was on his feet again, and was stowing his notes in his bag. As he left the shadows of
the bushes and set off across the grass, Sirius and James stood up. Remus and Peter remained
sitting: Remus was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a
faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows; Peter was looking from Sirius and
James to Snape with a look of avid anticipation on his face.
"All right, Snivellus?" James called out loudly.
Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack: Dropping his bag, he
plunged his hand inside his robes and his wand was halfway into the air when James shouted,
"Expelliarmus!"
Snape's wand flew three metres into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him.
Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "Impedimenta!" he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who
was knocked off his feet halfway through a dive towards his own fallen wand.
Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had gotten to their feet and were
edging nearer. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained.
Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands raised, James
glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Peter was on his feet
now, watching hungrily, edging around Remus to get a clearer view.
"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" James asked mockingly.
"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," Sirius declared viciously.
"There'll be great grease marks all over it; they won't be able to read a word."
Several people watching laughed.

Peter sniggered shrilly.
Snape was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as
though bound by invisible ropes.
"You — wait," he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing, "You —
wait!"
"Wait for what?" Sirius asked coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on
us?"
Snape let out a stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but with his wand two metres away
nothing happened.
"Wash out your mouth," James said coldly. "Scourgify!"
Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips,
making him gag, choking him…
"Leave him ALONE!" Lily shouted as she marched over.
James and Sirius looked round.
James' free hand immediately jumped to his hair. "All right, Evans?" he said, his tone
suddenly pleasant, deeper, and more mature.
"Leave him alone," Lily repeated; glaring at him in dislike. "What's he done to you?"
"Well," James said, appearing to deliberate the point, "It's more the fact that he exists, if you
know what I mean…"
Many of the surrounding students laughed, Sirius and Peter included, but Remus, still
apparently intent on his book, didn't, and nor did Lily.
"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toe-rag,
James Potter. Leave him alone." she demanded, glancing over at Snape in pity.
"I will if you go out with me, Evans," James said quickly. "Go on… go out with me and I'll
never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."
Behind him, the Impedimenta Jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch towards his
fallen wand, spitting out soap suds as he crawled.
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," Lily
screamed.
There were murmurs of laughter.
Someone yelled out, "Burn, Potter!"

"Bad luck, Prongs," Sirius said briskly, and turned back to Snape. "Oi!"
But it was too late; Snape had directed his wand straight at James; there was a flash of light
and a gash appeared on the side of James' face, spattering his robes with blood. James
whirled around: A second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside down in the air, his
robes falling over his head and his trousers ripping to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of
greying underpants.
Many people in the small crowd cheered; Sirius, James, and Peter roared with laughter.
Lily's furious expression twitched slightly. She disapproved, yes, but that curse Severus had
just used… drawing blood was never part of the Marauder pranking. She pursed her lips,
anger bubbling up again.
"Let him down!"
"Certainly," James said and he jerked his wand upwards; Snape fell into a crumpled heap on
the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but
Sirius said, "Petrificus Totalus!" and Snape keeled over again, rigid as a board.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now.
James and Sirius eyed it warily.
"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," James said earnestly.
"Take the curse off him, then!"
James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and murmured the counter-curse. "There you go,"
he said, as Snape struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus —"
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"
Lily blinked. "Fine," she said coolly. She hardened her expression, "I won't bother you in the
future then and I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."
Laughter followed her remark, but James' hazel eyes were full of anger now as he glared
menacingly at Snape.
"Apologize to Evans!" he roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at him.
"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're as bad
as he is!"
"What?" James yelped. "I'd NEVER call you a — you-know-what!"
"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your
broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone
who annoys you just because you can — I'm surprised that your broomstick can get off the
ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK!"
She turned on her heel and hurried away.
"Evans!" James shouted after her. "Hey, EVANS!"
But she didn't look back.
"What is it with her?" James said, trying and failing to look as though this was a throwaway
question of no real importance to him.
"Reading between the lines, I'd say that she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," Sirius told
him.
"Right," James said, who looked furious now. "Right…"
Remus put his book down. "You two need to stop baiting him."
James turned towards him. "We weren't baiting him."
At Remus' look, James' lips twitched.
"Much. He's a git, Rem."
"He is," Remus agreed. "But after what happened at the Whomping Willow and now today…
Prongs, he drew blood."
James reached up to touch the gash on the side of his face. "I just hate the way he treats her,
Moony. He doesn't defend her and he called her a… some fucking friend! Evans deserves
better."
Sirius shoved his hands into his pockets. "Agreed. What the hell does she see in that greasy
git?"
"Snape was her first magical friend," Remus said. "And maybe she does deserve better, but
after what you two just pulled… from where I'm standing, neither of you is much better than
Snape."
Remus grabbed his books and turned to, leaving James and Sirius staring after him in
surprise.
End Author's Notes:
I had so much fun teasing Sirius with the Big Cock Club. Hope you enjoyed it!

The One Where There's No More Excuses
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Sets: Yes, it was fun to share the origin story of the BCC
lol. Thank you! To ellyann13: Thank you! To scrappy8: I agree, there is never enough
Sirius. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you very much! To ascfan: Thank you! I'm glad
you enjoyed it! To EnigmaticEmperor: Sirius is always hilarious and yes, the origins of the
BCC. James is definitely so sweet. He would give the shirt off of his back to a stranger, of
course he's going to give his new boxers to Remus! Thank you! To Bellmel: Yes, it is a joke
that stands the test of time and it's so fun to show Sirius being teased. I think the Lily and
Snape dynamic is interesting because you can see how they both act differently towards each
other when the other is in need. I think it really brings out Snape's true colours as well.
Thank you for saying the extra context made me really do that Marauder scene justice —
thank you!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the scene by JKR, but I did tweak it a bit.
My posting schedule: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT:
The One Where There's No More Excuses
June 1976…
Lily marched out of the portrait hole in her pyjamas, her arms crossed in front of her
chest. She looked over at where Severus was leaning against the wall, his eyes wide and
apologetic. It was nighttime and she stood in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady at the
entrance to Gryffindor Tower.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm not interested."
"I'm sorry!"
"Save your breath, Severus! I only came out because Mary told me that you were threatening
to sleep out here."
Severus's cheeks flushed. "Lily, I would have done. I never meant to call you Mudblood, it
just —"
"Slipped out?" There was no pity in Lily's voice. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for
years, Severus. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your
precious little Death Eater friends — you see, you don't even try to deny it! You don't even
deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You Know Who, can you?"
He opened his mouth, but closed it again without speaking.
"I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine."
"No — listen, I didn't mean —"
" — to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth 'Mudblood,' Severus. Why
should I be any different?"
He struggled on the verge of speech, but with a contemptuous look she turned and climbed
back through the portrait hole and left him standing out there, without saying another word to
him.
She had no more words left to say and she was tired of his excuses.
The One With Operation Make Evans Fall In Love With Prongs
Author's Note:
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lyrics quoted here, they belong to the Beatles: Don't
Bother Me, I Saw Her Standing There, I'll Cry Instead, I've Just Seen A Face, I'm A Loser, I
Am the Walrus, Act Naturally, Hold Me Tight, Carry That Weight, With A Little Help From
My Friends, Across the Universe, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Something, Eight Days A
Week, Can't Buy Me Love, Because, Let It Be, and Strawberry Fields Forever
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To alix33: Thank you! I agree, Snape deserved everything
Lily said to him and more. To ellyann13: She's a sixteen-year-old-girl and that was her first
magical friend, she wanted to have her say as much as she wanted to give him one more
chance. Thank you! To Bellmel: It is an important turning point for her and for him because
I think he realizes at this moment that he could actually lose her (something I think he was
too egotistical to believe before this). It's true, it does make you wonder. Thank you!
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:
The One With Operation
Make Evans Fall In Love With Prongs
June 1976…
James was lying on the floor in the middle of the fifth year boys' dormitory. Records
were strewn around him as the album With The Beatles was playing on the wireless record
player.
Sirius' eyes met Remus' as they looked at their friend. His eyes were closed and he was
singing along to the record, a cloud of marijuana smoke around his head from the joint
sticking out of his mouth.
"Uh, Prongs?" Sirius asked, lying down next to his friend, plucking the joint from his friend's
mouth and taking a toke, choking a bit as he inhaled. "You all right?"
James' eyes opened and he stared up at his brother. "This song is my life. So go away leave
me alone, don't bother me. I can't believe that she would leave me on my own, it's just not
right when every night I'm all alone."
Remus' eyebrows rose as he sat down on the other side of James and accepted the joint from
Sirius, looking at it in interest before he hesitantly brought it to his lips. He let out a long
breath of smoke, finding it rather soothing despite the fact that he held in the choke.
"First of all, where did you even get this? Secondly, this song is not your life. Thirdly, Lily
didn't leave you on your own because you've never even had her to begin with. What's going
on, Prongs?" Remus asked.
James dragged his fingers through his already messy hair, making it stick up in every which
direction. "We go home tomorrow."
"And?" Sirius prompted.
"I thought it was just… I mean, she's beautiful, right? And she's smart and she's funny and
she's witty and Godric, she has fucking beautiful green eyes but… well she looked at me, and
I, I could see that before too long, I'd fall in love with her."
Remus grinned. "Are you just quoting Beatles lyrics now?"
James grinned sheepishly as he sang in response. "Well, my heart went boom, when I crossed
that room and I held her hand in mi-iine!"
"Jamie, mate, how fucking high are you?" Sirius asked, taking another toke from the joint.
"I've barely had any. You know, two years ago I saw her standing there and I just… I fell in
love with her. I refused to admit it to myself; it was just a fancy, I'd get over it but… when
she told me that she'd rather go out with the giant squid than me… I've got every reason on
earth to be mad, 'cause I just lost the only girl I had, if I could get my way, I'd get myself
locked up today, but I can't, so I'll cry instead."
"Jamie, you never had her, mate," Remus said sympathetically. "Are you really in love with
her?"
James nodded, staring up at the ceiling. "I'm not sure when I fell, Moony, but… she's just
amazing. That hair and that smile, not that she ever directs that smile at me, but when she
does… it lights up the room and her eyes… Merlin, she's just, she's just Evans, mate. She's
fucking fantastic."
Peter came into the room, choking on the marijuana smoke. "What the hell, guys?"
Sirius simply passed the joint over to Peter. "Help! I need somebody! Help! Not just
anybody!"
Remus rolled his eyes. "Are we all speaking in Beatles lyrics now?"
Sirius grinned as Peter stretched out next to him so now the four of them were lying in a
circle in the middle of the dormitory, heads all close together. "If we have to listen to Prongs
moan about his lost love then I vote yes."
"Help me if you can, I'm feeling down; and I do appreciate you being 'round. Help me get my
feet back on the ground; won't you please, please help me?" James sang, closing his eyes.
Sirius walked over to his trunk and rifled through it before pulling out a bottle of
Firewhiskey. "That's exactly why we're here, Jamie." He looked at Peter who was still
examining the joint in his hands. "Put it in your mouth, Pete, and inhale if you want it.
Otherwise pass it back to Prongs."
Peter did as Sirius instructed, coughing loudly as he waved at the smoke. "That's… wow."
Sirius grinned and looked at James. "First things first, Prongs, if we're going to help you, then
you better drink."
James accepted the bottle and took a swig of the liquor. "How is this going to help, Padfoot?"
Sirius sat back down, his back against his bed post. "We're sixteen. We'll be sixth years come
September and you, my friend, are going to get Lily Evans to fall in love with you. Now
drink."
James took another drink, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "How?"
"She thinks that you're a conceited arse, which to be fair, you are. She also thinks that you are
a bully, which again, you are, at least to Snivellus — that stupid git. But she also knows you
as James Potter, Quidditch star, McGonagall's star pupil, and the second best looking guy at
Hogwarts, after me obviously."
"Oh, brother," Remus muttered, taking the bottle from James. "Jamie, don't take his advice."
"I have great advice!"
"I was the first one of us to lose his virginity which makes me the advice giver," Remus said,
smugly, as Sirius made a face at him.
"Big deal, Moony, I shagged Sarah two days after you lost yours to Ji. Besides, in second
year I got a blow job from Deanna Kane," Sirius huffed in annoyance. "Not to mention the
first time I went down on a girl was in fourth year… who knew girls would taste so damn
good down there?"
James rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes you are both the experts and obviously whores to boot so,
shut it."
Peter laughed. "And Jamie and I aren't virgins either," he said with a smirk. "I had sex with
Ruth two months ago."
"And then she dumped you for Florean, hoping to be the ice cream queen, obviously," Sirius
said with a laugh.
Peter glared at him. "Well, James slept with Delta this year and with Eesha!"
"Thanks, Pete, I'm aware of who I've had sex with thanks," James said. "That's what I'm
saying though! I've had girlfriends and snogging partners and why doesn't Evans like me?"
Remus sighed. "Because with those girls you weren't trying to impress them, Prongs, you
were just being yourself. With Evans it's like you don't know how to be yourself."
James sighed at his friends. "You know the moment, it was in third year, all of a sudden it
was like I saw her in an entirely different light. All of a sudden, I'd just seen a face I can't
forget the time or place where we just met she's just the girl for me and I want all the world to
see we've met, mm-mm-mm-m'mm-mm. Had it been another day I might have looked the
other way and I'd have never been aware, but as it is I'll dream of her tonight, di-di-di-
di'n'di."
Peter rolled his eyes. "Can we please stop randomly singing during conversation it's
confusing?"
"I'm expressing my feelings through song, Wormtail!" James moaned, taking the joint again.
"And Robson took pity on me and gave me this joint because he said that I had been publicly
humiliated by the Black Lake yesterday like the loser I am."
"You're not a loser, James," Remus said.
James changed the record to Beatles for Sale, and sang wildly. "I'm a loser. I'm a loser. And
I'm not what I appear to be. Of all the love I have won and have lost, there is one love I
should never have crossed. She was a girl in a million, my friend; I should have known she
would win in the end. I'm a loser; and I lost someone who's near to me. I'm a loser; and I'm
not what I appear to be. Although I laugh and I act like a clown, beneath this mask I am
wearing a frown. My tears are falling like rain from the sky, is it for her or myself that I cry?
I'm a loser!" James pointed at the record player. "This song was written about my life!"
"Don't be so dramatic or I'll start calling you Sirius," Remus said, passing the Firewhiskey to
James.
"Hey! I take offence to that."
"Shut up, drama queen," Peter said with a grin as Sirius shoved him.
"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together," Sirius said. "So, that means
you're all fucking drama queens, too!"
Remus ignored Sirius and Peter's fight. "James, you're not a loser. You just have to learn how
to be yourself. Stop going so out there to get her attention. Lily is a simple girl, James. The
more you put yourself as the centre of attention the more you push her away."
Sirius grinned and slapped James on the back. "He can just be the lonely sad man he is. You
know: I'm the man that's sad and lonely, begging down upon his bended knee. I'll play the
part but won't need rehearsing, all I'll have to do is just act naturally."
"Piss off, Black," James said, shoving his friend. "I'm not sad and lonely. I just… I want
Evans."
Peter wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "He wants to sing to her," he grabbed James' arms,
wrapping them over his shoulders as he sang loudly and off key. "Hold me tight, tell me I'm
the only one and then I might, never be the lonely one."
"Piss off, Wormtail!" James said, struggling out of his friend's arms as he laughed.
"Are you sad because you're on your own?" Sirius said, taking a drink of the
Firewhiskey. "Boy, you gotta carry that weight, carry that weight a long time."
"What weight?" Peter asked, staring at Sirius.
Sirius laughed and reached for the joint again. "Fuck if I know, now I'm just quoting lyrics
because I can. Jamie here needs a little help from his friends."
"With a little help from my friends, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends, keep on
getting high, with a little help from my friends. I need somebody to love." James muttered,
closing his eyes.
"Fuck, we are high," Sirius said, closing his own eyes. "I lost track of the conversation, but
Robson has good fucking weed."
"Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup. They slither while they pass, they
slip away across the universe. Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my opened
mind; possessing and caressing me," James sang softly, turning to pat Peter's arm. "With
every mistake we must surely be learning, still my guitar gently weeps."
Peter grinned at him and took the Firewhiskey. "Now we're getting way too philosophical
here. Let's get back on track. How are we going to get Evans to like Prongs or are we just
going to sit here and sing random lyrics?"
James sighed and a foolish grin appeared on his face. "Something in the way she moves
attracts me like no other lover."
"We know, Jamie, shut up," Sirius muttered, shoving his friend. "We know you love her eight
days a week and all that, but you can't buy her love either, she don't care too much for money.
Love is old, love is new, love is all, love is you… that's fucking deep, man," he said, grinning
widely and his eyes bugged out. "You should fucking sing to her!"
James grinned, sitting up. "She does smile at me whenever I pull my guitar out!"
Remus grinned at his friends. "She has said more than once that James has a beautiful voice
and she does love to listen to him play the guitar. But I think if he just sang to her right now
she would definitely turn him down. He needs to prove himself to be the man that we all
know he is, but who Lily doesn't."
"You are speaking words of wisdom, Rem, let it be," James said, giggling now.
"Show Lily your kind heart and stop being a conceited berk, m'kay?" Remus said, smiling at
his friend. "Then maybe, maybe you'll get lucky and Lily will take you down to her
strawberry field."
Sirius giggled now, grinning. "Moony! Getting kinky! How do you know she has a
strawberry field down there?"
James grinned wickedly. "Bet it's all red and gold and dark browns like her hair. Do you think
she'd let me you know, go down on her like that? I bet it smells like her, like flowers and
coconuts."
Remus slapped James' shoulder. "Prongs, you have to convince her to go out with you first.
Worry about that later."
Peter giggled and burped loudly. "Prongs wants to be in her strawberry field forever."
James shoved him and grinned. "Give me that whiskey and turn up the music. We have some
detailed planning for next year."
Sirius did as he asked and grinned. "To stop you from being a conceited berk? Prongs, that
might take the whole fucking summer."
"Fuck you," James said simply.
Sirius laughed and took another drink. "So, Operation Make Evans Fall in Love with Prongs;
what's step one, Moony?"
Remus grinned. "Do I have to think of everything?"
Peter grinned back. "You are the brains of the operation."
"Nuh-uh," James said stubbornly. "I'm the brains of the operation and I know exactly how to
make Evans fall in love with me."
"Do tell then, Prongs, my boy, do tell!" Sirius exclaimed, stretching his long legs out.
James simply grinned at them. "Watch and learn, boys! By this time next year, Evans will be
mine."
"Ten Galleons says she won't be," Sirius said with a smirk, his eyes on James.
James only glared at him. "You dare to bet against me, Black?"
Sirius grinned. "I dare."
James gave him the finger. "You're on and this time next year, you're going to eat your
words."
The One Where Sirius Gets Kicked Out
Author's Note:
Posting a day early because this weekend is Thanksgiving for those of us in Canada which
means I'm working late and have two dinners to look forward to over the next few days.
So 🇨🇦 Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canucks 🇨🇦and here's an early chapter!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To JilyKavinksy89: Thank you! It's one of my favourite

Marauder memories from ASC as well. It was fun to incorporate it here into this missing
moments story. Thanks for reading! To EnigmaticEmperor: Thank you! I love showing how
much they love and support each other and yes, you can see them starting to grow up a bit as
well, despite the immaturity of picking on Snape only a few days before. Thank you! To
alix33: Thank you! To CorbanD17: James does have good friends, I agree. Thank you!
My posting schedule: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays — but this one is Thursday
because of Thanksgiving.
CHAPTER THIRTY:
The One Where Sirius Gets Kicked Out
June 1976…
When Sirius walked into his house the first day of the summer holiday, he exhaled a
deep sigh when the door closed behind him, engulfing him in the semi-darkness of the
entranceway. The large portrait that his father had gotten of his mother the year before, life-
sized and massive, immediately began to scream at the sight of him.
"YOU DISGUST ME! NO CHILD OF MINE WILL BE A GRYFFINDOR!"
Sirius ignored the portrait much in the way that he had all of last summer when Orion had
hung it in the entranceway. He remembered how his father had merely winked at him.
"Listening to her nag and scream would definitely deter any robbers or assassins from this
place; won't even need the warding."
Regulus had laughed. "Father, don't let Mother hear you saying that!"
Now, Sirius gave the two fingered salute to the portrait as he dragged his trunk up the stairs to
his room. The portrait shrieked again and he could hear Walburga, Orion, and Regulus
chatting about how great Regulus' school year had been, barely acknowledging him. It was
how he liked it best most times. He wondered how long he would have to wait until he could
go see James.
He plopped himself onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling, grinning at the topless blonde
Muggle in denim straddling a 1973 Gilera 125 Strada. James had found the poster for him
last year when he had gone to New York with Fleamont. Sirius had enjoyed using a
permanent sticking charm and placing it on his ceiling just to spite his mother who would
hate it for not only the nudity but the fact that it was Muggle. A Muggle who had great
breasts, he thought, staring up at them.
His door banged open and he merely raised an eyebrow, his arms folded behind his head. "Hi,
Mum, realized that I came home too?"
Walburga Black stood there, hands fisted at her hips and her lips curling into a sneer. "How
many OWLs do you think you will bring home?"
"Couldn't say; won't get my results for a few weeks now, will I?"
"I assume you're doing well in your studies, though Regulus says that you seem to spend a lot
of time in detention. Why am I just hearing about this now? Your Head of House should be
writing to me to inform me when you step out of line. I will be writing to Dumbledore about
McGonagall's absolute incompetence in keeping me informed of your well-being," she
complained, looking around the room in disgust. Her eyes fell on another Muggle poster, this
one was a redhead in a purple bikini leaning against a 1964 BSA Thunderbolt. "And why
must you decorate your walls with those awful Muggle machines?"
"I think they're cool," he told her. "McG doesn't write to you because she knows you don't
care. I always get good grades, I'm sure my examination marks will be the same."
Walburga only stared at him. "Your father and I have been talking about your choices and
your behaviour. In November, you're going to be seventeen."
"Aw, you remembered my birthday? I'm honoured. Of course, it's only June."
She was across the room, her hand slapping his cheek, before he could blink. He sat up on his
bed and grabbed her hand. "I'm not a child anymore, you better think again before you hit
me."
Her eyes widened in fear for a moment before she masked it. "You will be seventeen this
November and as the eldest son and heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, it's
time for you to start to think about your future. The Dark Lord, he's approached your father
and I about helping him build a better world. You should think about how you want to help
him, Sirius. You would bring honour to your family."
"This so called Dark Lord is recruiting henchmen to kill and torture Muggles and
Muggleborns. No thank you."
Walburga's eyes darkened. "He wants to build a world where the pureblood wizard is praised
— is worshipped — and is treated with respect! It's about time that you realize what it means
to be a Black. Your father and I have decided that you will wed Alecto Carrow. She's fifteen
and a member of the sacred twenty-eight. You will marry when she turns sixteen."
Sirius' mouth opened in horror. "Or not."
"No, you will. I am tired of seeing my eldest son make terrible choices. It's bad enough that
you were put into Gryffindor House over Slytherin and are hanging around with a Potter —
blood traitors, the whole family has been for centuries — but to be seen with that half-blood
Lupin and Regulus tells us that the redhead you hugged goodbye at the station is a
Mudblood! You should be ashamed of yourself!"
"Don't call her that!" Sirius exclaimed, his anger rising. "She's an amazing woman and I
would choose her over you any day."
Walburga's eyes narrowed. "You will marry Alecto Carrow."
"No, I won't."
"You will marry her or I will get a message out to the Dark Lord about where this little
redheaded Mudblood of yours lives and we'll see how quickly you change your mind."
Sirius stood up, towering over her and pointing his wand at her heart. He didn't care that he
was underage; he would use it if he had to. "If you touch her, I will kill you."
Walburga's lips curled into a cruel smile. "There's the Black blood in you, my dear
boy. Toujours Pur."
Sirius lowered his wand, a sense of disgust washing over him. He was NOT like his family.
He wouldn't let himself be. "I'm not like you."
"Crucio!"
Sirius collapsed to the ground, biting his lip to keep from screaming as the curse brought him
to his knees. When she lifted her wand, he breathed in relief, catching his breath.
"You will marry Alecto Carrow. You will produce at least two pureblood heirs, preferably
male. You will graduate with honours and join the ranks of the Dark Lord as a proud member
of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black," she demanded, her wand pointed at him.
"And you will abandon all ties with that Potter boy and his traitorous parents once and for all.
Have I made myself clear?"
Sirius wiped blood from his lip, spitting on the ground in front of her. "Screw you."
The curse hit him a second time and he screamed as it coursed through him. He felt like his
insides were on fire, like someone was holding them in the midst of a burning flame and
crushing them with rocks at the same time. His eyes caught movement in the doorway and
his eyes met his brother's who was watching wide-eyed, hidden off to the side. When she
finally let him breathe, he gasped for breath and rolled onto his side.
"It's about time you start showing respect to this family," she demanded, glaring at him with
hatred and contempt. "You are an embarrassment!"
Sirius climbed to his feet, grabbing his bed frame to steady his shaking legs. "Better an
embarrassment than to be like you." When she raised her wand he grabbed it, ripping it from
her hand. "I'm not a child that you can control anymore. The Imperius stopped working on
me when I was twelve and this is the last time that you will ever use the Cruciatus on me, so I
hope that you fucking enjoyed it! I am going to be seventeen in November and I am going to
be in charge of my own future and my own destiny. I will not be marrying a pureblood bitch
just to breed with her. And I will not abandon my friendship with the blood traitor Potter as it
would be a tad hypocritical of me being that I also befriend Muggleborns and purebloods
alike."
"This is your last warning, Sirius! If you want to be part of this family, you will do as I
command!"
Sirius stared at her. "Then I don't want to be part of this family. I haven't been, not really, in a
long time. You trying to make me now is a fucking waste of both of our time."
"You disgust me!"
Sirius merely shrugged. "So, your nagging portrait told me when I walked in the door."
"Get out! Get your stuff and get out of my house! You are no longer welcome here!"
Sirius only stared at her for a moment and then he simply grabbed the trunk that he had
dragged up the stairs and pulled it behind him as his mother screamed at him all the way back
down. He dropped his mother's wand at the foot of the portrait and the last thing he heard was
his mother blasting his name off of the family tapestry as he stepped back out onto the
London street and he never looked back.
He climbed aboard the Knight Bus and was soon stepping back out on the front lawn of
Clevedon Court just as the skies opened up. His lip was still bleeding and his body still
trembling from the aftershocks of the Cruciatus. He stood on the front lawn, the sky crying
above him, soaking him to the bone as he stared up at the house. His fingers curled around
the handle of his trunk as he pulled it behind him in the rain.
The front door opened and Fleamont stepped out onto the front step. He stared at Sirius for a
long moment. His eyes moved to the teen's trunk before they met the dark, turbulent eyes that
were full of unshed tears before he gestured with his head.
"Are you going to stand out there all day, son? I think it's about time that you come home."
Sirius dragged his trunk behind him and stepped up onto the front step. Fleamont simply
tugged him forward and wrapped his arms around him tightly, kissing the side of his head and
Sirius' fingers curled into the back of the blue cotton dress shirt he was wearing and he
started to cry.
Fleamont didn't speak, he simply held him close, his hands patting his back in comfort until
the tears subsided and then he pressed a kiss to Sirius' forehead and smiled. "Get your trunk,
son."
Sirius sniffed his tears back as he pulled the trunk into the house and Euphemia came out of
the living room. She immediately rushed over to him, hugging him close and kissing his
cheeks.
"Oh, welcome home, love!"
Sirius closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in her warm scent as she snuggled him close.
"I… they kicked me out."
Fleamont placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder, squeezing lightly. "They can't have. This was
always your real home, son." He performed a warming charm and a drying charm on Sirius
since the rain had soaked him to the skin. "That's better."
Tears welled up in Sirius' eyes again and Fleamont smiled warmly at him before he turned to
the house elf who had appeared there.
"Rosa, take Master Sirius' trunk up to Jamie's room. Sirius, I'll get you a pain potion to deal
with the aftershocks of that curse."
Sirius' eyes met Fleamont's. "Curse?"
"How many times were you under the Cruciatus?"
Sirius swallowed slowly, his bottom lip trembling under Fleamont's steely look and he knew
better than to lie. "Two."
Euphemia kissed his cheek again. "Get the potion, darling." She smiled as James came down
the stairs. "Jamie, love, Sirius will be living here from now on."
James grinned. "Excellent! Welcome home, mate."
Sirius stared at the three of them in amazement. "You… I can just… move in?"
James laughed. "Well, yeah, pretty sure Mum loves you more than me anyway."
"James, I love all of my boys equally."
James smirked at her. "See? All of her boys, that includes Rem and Pete too. I'm not even her
favourite anymore!"
Euphemia tugged him into her arms, ignoring his protests and covered his face in kisses.
"You will always be my baby boy, Jamie, no matter how many handsome sons I have."
James grinned at her as he struggled out of her grasp. "Love you, too, Mum."
Euphemia tugged Sirius close and reached for James again, holding both boys in her arms
and kissing his cheek in turn. "I love you both very much. Now, Sirius, go see Monty and get
that pain potion. James, that room of yours better be spotless so that Sirius can make room
for his things until I get a bedroom set up for him proper."
Sirius grinned at her. "Fee, I'm fine rooming with James, it's no trouble."
Euphemia kissed his cheek noisily. "My boys — off with you!"
Sirius tenderly kissed her cheek, making her smile before he followed James up the stairs, a
soft smile on his face.
He was home.
The One Where Sirius Talks To Reg
Author's Note:
Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canucks!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To scrappy8: Thank you! Yes, Sirius is finally home! To
Sets: Thank you! Lola is a fun song, but I like my Beatles. To alix33: McGonagall definitely
is, but Walburga doesn't like her so she makes up some lies. I love the Potters welcoming
Sirius home. Thank you! To ellyann13: Poor Regulus indeed. Sirius knows who his real
family is. Thank you! To ascfan: Thank you very much! To A Huge Fan: Yes, I really like
to show the juxtaposition of the two families. Sirius was very brave and I don't think we give
him enough credit for that. Thank you very much! To EnigmaticEmperor: I agree, I do think
Orion loved his sons more than Walburga did, but the bigoted pureblood is still ingrained in
him. Sirius sassing his mother does make me smile — she deserves it and more. I love Fee
and Monty taking him in and knowing and understanding what he's been going through. They
are his real parents. Thank you!
To Bellmel: Walburga is definitely very foul, but I agree, seeing Sirius stand up to her is
pretty glorious. He needed to do that and I think despite the fact that his mother is foul, she
was a little bit proud of him in that moment. Sirius does genuinely care about Lily. He
considers her one of his friends and he knows how important she is to James which
automatically makes her family to him. Yes, Monty meant it as son and welcomed him home. I
love forehead kisses, too! Yes, Alecto is definitely ew lol. Thank you!
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE:
The One Where Sirius Talks to Reg
August 1976…
Sirius stood on the street corner of Claremont Square across from Number Twelve, his
hands shoved in his pockets as he waited for his little brother to step outside. Every
Thursday at three o'clock, without fail, Regulus would head out and walk to the underground
station and take the tube to Diagon Alley. Walburga and Orion had no idea that he used the
Muggle transportation system as they would be beyond furious if they ever found out.
But Regulus had always been fascinated by it.

Sirius had shown him how to use it after his first year at Hogwarts and he loved putting the
coins in the slot and just travelling around on the underground. It was how Sirius knew he
would be heading out that Thursday afternoon, Regulus was anything if not predictable.
He only waited fifteen minutes before he saw his brother's skinny frame slip out the front
door. He waited until he was almost in front of him before he spoke, making the boy jump in
alarm.
"Reg."
Regulus turned, his eyes wide. "Siri, what are you doing here? If Mum or Dad sees you —"
"They won't. They never look out into the street," he said, dragging his fingers through his
hair. "I just… I wanted to make sure that you were okay."
Regulus shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "They're not angry with me."
Sirius nodded and gestured for his brother to keep walking as they spoke. "Did Mum really
blast my name off of the family tree?"
"Yep. There's a big burn mark on the wall and the tapestry."
Sirius nodded as he draped an arm around his brother's shoulders. "Probably looks more
evened out now, you know? The burn marks are probably more spread out now that it's me
and Andy who have both been properly disowned."
Regulus half-smiled. "You shouldn't joke, Siri."
"I'm sorry."
"Where are you staying?" Regulus asked, looking up at Sirius beneath his long lashes.
"With James. His parents are the best and they told me that I can stay there as long as I want."
Regulus nodded. "Mum cried after she blasted your name off of the tapestry."
Sirius looked at his brother in surprise. "She what?" he asked in shock. He couldn't have
imagined his mother had actually been upset to see him go.
"She did. Father told her that angry tears weren't going to stop you from being any more of a
disappointment to them then you already were and that if the Black family name was going to
live up to its reputation of an Ancient and Noble House that I would have to step up into the
role of first son."
Sirius looked sad. "Reg, I'm sorry. I know that by me leaving… I just walked away and left
you with even more responsibility than you want. But I couldn't stay there — you know that."
Regulus nodded, his eyes on the ground. "I told Mum that it was her fault. That she drove
you away."
"Reggie," he said quietly, urging his brother to look up at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to
leave you behind, you know that, right?"
"Mum said that you did. She said that you only care about your blood traitor friends and the
filthy Mudbloods you hang around with. She said that I was the good son, the faithful son,
who wouldn't make stupid decisions and stick my cock into Mudbloods and filthy Muggle
whores like you do."
Sirius snorted at that. His mother had caught him shagging a neighbouring Muggle girl in his
bedroom over the Christmas holiday last year and she had lost her shit. Sirius had had to
smuggle her out quickly for her own safety, before kissing her goodbye and promising to talk
to her later. He had only brought her home with him in the first place to piss off his mother,
and, if he was honest; it had been worth it.
"Reg, do you remember what I told you a few summers ago about blood?"
"Everyone bleeds red."
Sirius nodded. "Exactly. Blood is red, Regulus. Every person bleeds red and that blood looks
the same. It doesn't matter what our parentage is. I'm not any better than James just because
he's what our parents deem a blood traitor despite the fact that he is a pureblood nor is James
any better than Remus, the half-blood, nor is Remus any better than Lily or Mary who are
Muggleborns. It's about who we are as people, not what our bloodline says. I'm sometimes
ashamed that it took me so long to fully grasp that; to understand why our parents are
wrong."
Regulus swallowed slowly as they turned down the street and headed towards the subway
station. "Mum says that the Dark Lord is going to fix the world; to make it better."
Sirius scowled. "This so-called Dark Lord is not going to make the world better. He wants to
rid the world of everyone who isn't a pureblood. He's a genocidal maniac. Look at what's
been happening the last few years, nothing good is going to come out of following
Voldemort. People are dying."
"Mum said that cousin Bella knows him. That he's generous and kind and that he knows how
to make the world better," Regulus continued on as if Sirius hadn't even spoken. "When I
asked why we should trust him, Mum used the Cruciatus on me for daring to question her."
Sirius sighed and hugged his brother. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there to stop her."
Regulus pushed him away, his eyes flashing in anger. "No! You weren't there, Sirius! You left
and now Mum says that I have to marry Alecto Carrow when I turn seventeen! I have to
continue the Black Family line and I have to…" he trailed off, his eyes sad. "I have to follow
cousin Bella and listen to what she tells me. That the Dark Lord will reward all those who
serve him."
"Reg, I'm so sorry," Sirius said desperately. "You don't have to do what Mum tells you. You
can stand up to her. Come with me."
Regulus rounded on him. "I can stand up to her? What, like you did? I will not be punished
by her for disobedience! I will not make YOUR mistakes! I am in Slytherin! I am now the
sole heir to the Black Family Estate and I am the RIGHTFUL son! You are the tosser who
threw all of that away and for what? Your bloody morals?"
Sirius shoved his hands into his pockets. "Aye, I did. And one day, I hope you'll realize that
those morals are the most important thing that I could have thrown it all away for." He
gestured towards the entrance to the tube. "I'll leave you here, but my offer's always open.
Reggie, I will always be your big brother. If you ever need anything, anything at all, even to
just talk, I will always be here for you. Always. Don't forget that."
Regulus simply stared at him and then nodded, turning his back and heading into the station,
leaving Sirius alone on the crowded London street, lost in his thoughts.
The One With McGonagall vs. Walburga
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Bellmel: Regulus is a complicated character. I think he

was very confused and unfortunately when he finally realized his brother was right, it was too
late for him. He had a tragic life. Thank you! To CrimsonDragon1337: He definitely could
have been if he'd made the right choices. Sirius and his friends would have welcomed him
with open arms, but he made his choice. He was an unsung hero. Thank you! To A Huge
Fan: It is sad they never really got to reconcile, but I think it shows that there are regrets in
life for all of us. Sirius definitely helped him question things and I think it was because of
Sirius that Regulus ultimately makes the decision to try to destroy one of Voldemort's
Horcruxes. Thank you! To scrappy8: Yes, he should have. Thank you! To ellyann13: All
very true. Thank you! To alix33: I love that Regulus is secretly fascinated by a few Muggle
things, even if he is allowing his parents to brainwash him to some degree. Thank you. To
Sets: Thank you. The "we all bleed red" line is a very important statement. Thank you. To
ascfan: Thank you! To Shivani: I enjoyed your spam reviews while you caught up so thank
you! Regulus' story is very heartbreaking. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Regulus does
love Sirius and he's very conflicted and he can see that Sirius feels the same which is more
confusing for him. He's always looked up to his big brother and now he's left him with his
parents and you can see how conflicted Regulus is by that. Thank you!
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO:
The One With McGonagall vs. Walburga
August 1976…
Remus walked alongside his mother in Diagon Alley to shop for his school things. He
couldn't believe that he would be entering his sixth year of Hogwarts in two weeks.
"Come along, Rem. If you want to have time to hit the book store in London, we need to
hurry," Hope exclaimed, holding his arm in hers.
"Mum, we have lots of time," Remus told her. "We can stop and get lunch at that place you
love, if you like?"
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT?" a voice echoed across the street.
Remus turned, easily seeing over the crowd with his tall lanky frame. He towered over most
people now, especially his mum, having undergone another growth spurt that put him well
over one hundred and eighty-five centimetres. Hope was convinced that he would gain at
least another ten in the coming year as he was built like her father, lean and tall.
The voice carried; he tugged on his mum's arm to get closer as a crowd was drawing around
them as he realized that the voice belonged to his head of house.
"How dare I? You are unfit to be a mother to a flobberworm let alone an incredible young
man like Sirius! You tossed him out?"
Walburga Black sneered. "He's nothing but a snivelling ungrateful little brat who thinks he's
better than the rest of us! I'd toss him out again! And if you heard how he spoke to me, you'd
be singing a different tune, Minerva!"
McGonagall scoffed. "You're lucky Albus held me back when I learned how you treated him
at home! If you ask me, his life just improved exponentially the moment you kicked him out.
I'd rather live in a shoe box downhill from a dung heap than anywhere near where you were!"
"Are you insulting me?"
McGonagall smirked. "I'd love to insult you, Walburga, but I'm afraid I won't do nearly as
well as nature did."
Walburga Black turned a lovely shade of purple as McGonagall merely narrowed her eyes.
"I hope Regulus realizes what an unfit mother you are as well. Thank Merlin the Potters have
such a big hearts! Good riddance!"
She turned and stormed off as Walburga Black spluttered after her.
"Oh my," Hope said quietly. "That seemed overly harsh. I'm sure that she's not an unfit
mother."
"No, she definitely is," Remus said. "That's Sirius' mum."
Hope's eyes narrowed. "Well, that bitch is lucky I didn't know that or I would have joined in!"
"Mum!"
"When you told me that she chained her son up… I told Lyall to call the magic police and he
said that it was none of my business!"
"They're an old pureblood family, Mum. It's… complicated. Sirius must be living with Jamie
now."
Hope huffed in annoyance. "Well, I hope so!"
Remus put his arm around his mum's shoulders. "Come on, let's finish our shopping. Then
can I go to James' and check on Sirius?"
"Of course," Hope said. "You'll let me know if he's all right?"
"Promise," he said, kissing her cheek.
They headed off to the next shop and Remus couldn't help but wonder what had finally
caused Sirius to leave his home.
The One Where Remus Tells Lily
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To CorbanD17: Yes, Hope definitely wanted to join in lol.
Thank you! To Bellmel: McGonagall is definitely amazing! I loved giving her a chance to
have a very public and verbal dressing down of Walburga (as she deserves). Thanks for
loving the snippets of Hope Lupin that I have provided. Thank you! To A Huge Fan: Thanks
for loving McGonagall and how she comes to Sirius' defence! She definitely has so much
class, intelligence, and poise. Thanks for loving my world. Thank you! To Sets: Thanks for
loving Hope's mindset and I agree, it is reflected in Remus. Thank you! To alix33: Thank
you! To ellyann13: Only Sirius and James have mirrors at this point in the story. Thank you!
To Slaidback: Thanks for popping back around, I like hearing from you! Thank you! To
Shivani: McGonagall is most definitely a queen, thank you! To ascfan: Remus is concerned
and his mum and McGonagall's comments say it all. Thank you!
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE:
The One Where Remus Tells Lily
October 1976…
Remus was watching Lily as they roamed the halls together as prefects. She kept
chewing on her bottom lip as if she wanted to speak, but thought better of it. When she
opened her mouth to say something and then closed it again, Remus sighed.
"Spit it out already."
"What?"
"Whatever it is that you keep trying to say and then not saying," Remus said.
Lily stared for a moment before she gestured for him to follow her into an empty classroom.
"I don't know how."
Remus raised an eyebrow. "You don't know how to what? Talk to me?"
"Say it," she whispered. When he only continued to stare at her, she let out a slow breath. "I
know that Potter and Black are sharing some secret about why Potter saved Snape last year
and I know that you were involved."
"Oh."
Lily frowned. "Severus has this theory and… I don't know, Remus. No one will tell me what
really happened. Why did Potter save him? How did he save him? He hates him, I know that.
Usually I can't get Potter to shut up, but when I so much as mention the incident with
Severus, he shuts down. And Black just tells me that it's Marauder business. He does know
that's not a real thing, right? Like you four aren't some secret group of superheroes, you're
students who play pranks and cause trouble."
Remus snorted. "I'm a prefect, Lily. I would never cause trouble."
She rolled her eyes. "Liar."
Remus' lips twitched slightly before he took her in. Lily had been a good friend to him. She
was kind and polite. She made him laugh and he loved talking about books with her
whenever they could. He loved sharing stories with her and exchanging novels. He loved
using her as a study partner and he loved patrolling with her. She confided in him about how
hard it was with her sister and how they didn't get along much; how Petunia seemed to be
pushing her further and further away and how much it broke her heart. She was one of the
few people that he trusted wholeheartedly.
He swallowed, his heart racing, as he realized what he was about to do. "The secret that
James and Sirius won't share with you is mine."
Lily took his hand in hers. "Remus, it's okay, I don't need to know the secret if it's something
that you're not willing to share. I would never ask that of you."
"I know." He squeezed her fingers gently. "That's why I'm going to tell you. I trust you and
you're one of my closest friends. You deserve to know. I'm… I'm a… w-w-werewolf."
Lily laughed. "Don't be ridiculous."
"I'm not."
Her eyes widened slightly. "That's…"
Remus pulled his hand back and stood up. "I'm diseased, I know."
"No!" Lily grabbed his hand turned him towards her, pulling herself to her feet. "It's just…
hard to believe."
"Why?"
"Because I grew up in a Muggle world and sometimes that stuff still surprises me. I suspected
in third year."
Remus' eyes widened. "What changed your mind?"
Lily shrugged. She pushed her hair back as she spoke. "I don't know. I think I just didn't want
to believe that it was true."
"Well, it is. James… he… jumped in front of me. I almost attacked someone and my claws
ripped into him and he's forgiven me for it."
"Of course he has!" Lily said vehemently. "That was not your fault! The fact that he has stood
by you only proves that. And you think that I won't stand by you," she said, realizing what he
was talking about.
"No," Remus replied. "I trust you with this secret, Lily. I know that you will keep it for me.
It's whether or not you accept me is something else entirely."
Lily stared at him a moment before she took both his hands in hers. "I wouldn't still be
standing here otherwise."
"Thank you," he whispered, his eyes on hers. "I don't… thank you."
"Will you… will you tell me how it happened?" she asked.
He nodded as they sat back down on the ground. "I was four. Dumbledore is an amazing man.
He knew of my condition when I got my letter and he came and spoke to me, promised to
make special arrangements so that I could still come to school. I'll never forget that. James
and Sirius discovered it in second year and approached me about it; they filled Peter in and
all of them still wanted to be my friends. I was shocked. I hadn't expected that kind of loyalty
or decency and I was ashamed because of it. They have been… amazing and I owe them a
lot."
Lily leaned in and kissed his cheek. "You're amazing. I don't know how you endure… I've
read that it's very painful."
"Excruciating. But you get used to it. Lily, that's only part of the secret… Snape was… being
Snape and… he baited Sirius one step too far. He told him where to find me during the full
moon, taunting him that he would find something worth his while. James found out and… he
grabbed Snape just in time. I would have killed him, but James… he saved him and he saw…
Snape knows what I am. That I'm a monster."
Lily smacked his arm. "You are not a monster, Remus Lupin! I don't ever want to hear that
foul word leave your lips again. You have been a great friend to me, Remus. You're
intelligent and bright. You have the best taste in books. You're kind and gentle and are always
striving to help others. A monster wouldn't be any of those things."
Remus blinked back tears as he accepted the hug she offered. "You have been a great friend
to me as well, that's why I'm sharing this with you. I… I trust you, Lily."
"Thank you," she said, kissing his cheek. "Your secret is safe with me."
Remus hugged her tighter, blinking back tears in his eyes and wondered how he'd been lucky
enough to find this amazing little circle of friends who accepted him. It amazed him every
day and he was thankful for it.
For them.
The One Where Sirius Is A Great Friend
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To alix33: Thank you! To ellyann13: Thank you. To

scrappy8: Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Remus definitely
deserves the world and I love writing his friendships. Thank you! To Levs23: Thanks for
trying to review more, I really appreciate them. I think having Lily just accept him says so
much about her personality and shows off how much Harry is like his mother. Thank you! To
Cassiopeia Anastasia Black: Thank you! It's fun to put them in chronological order and add
in the new ones in the middle. To EnigmaticEmperor: Thank you. I agree, it is nice to see
Remus expanding his friend group and showing that he really does trust Lily as much as the
Marauders. To Sets: You are so right! It is the same as Harry saying "we're the same" and I
think it reflects how alike Harry and Lily are in some ways. Thank you! To ascfan: Thank
you! To CorbanD17: Great friends are definitely not to be taken for granted. I think this
chapter shows that. Thank you! To Bellmel: I'm glad Remus sharing his secret with Lily
makes your heart soar. It's the way for two literary friends to grow closer and it does imply a
huge amount of trust and respect between and for each other. Thank you!
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR:
The One Where Sirius Is A Great Friend
October 1976…
When Sirius was paired with Lily for an assignment in Potions at the beginning of sixth
year, James was seething in jealousy. He needed to find reasons to be near Lily if he was
going to convince her to fall in love with him.
And he would convince her.
He knew it.
He just needed to give her more time to get to know him a little better.
Being her partner in her favourite class and the class that he happened to have a famous
father for, was the perfect opportunity for this to happen.
But only if he could be her Potions partner.
"Come on, Padfoot! Trade me partners!"
"No way," Sirius insisted. "Annoying Evans is way too much fun. Plus, she's way better
looking than Pete. I'd much rather ogle her tits."
James swallowed, his eyes widening. His best mate was ogling her… he froze. Merlin, no.
His heart was beating in his chest and he hoped that his voice didn't break when he asked the
next question.
"Are you… are you interested in her?"
"What?" Sirius exclaimed, looking at his friend in surprise. "Prongs, no! Come on; I would
never do that to you!"
"That doesn't answer my question, Sirius," James said carefully, trying to keep the panic from
his voice. "I know that you would never do that to me, but how you feel is something else
entirely."
Sirius shook his head. "Jamie, I don't like Evans that way. She's beautiful, yes, and of course
I've thought about it, but as soon as you made yourself clear in fourth year that you wanted
her — I never thought about it again."
James' lips curved into a smile, relief coursing through his system. "Fuck, you're a really
great friend, Siri."
Sirius laughed. "Damn bloody straight! I'm fucking awesome!"
James snorted and Sirius grinned.
"Let's be honest here, Prongs, she's not my type; besides, she'd never go out with me in a
million years! I would only be in it for the sex. Evans is not the one-night stand kind of bird,
which we both know is the kind that I like best. We also both know that you two would work
out so much better. But she does have some really great tits."
"Yeah, she does." James muttered wistfully before turning his attention back to his friend. "If
she didn't hate my guts, maybe we'd work out. It seems like nothing I ever do is good enough
for her." He sighed and stretched out on his back. "It's like an ache, Siri. Every time I look at
her it's like she takes another piece of my heart and leaves me with nothing. I don't know
what to do to prove that I'm not the bloke she seems to think that I am."
"My guess would be to take Moony's advice and grow up a bit, Prongs. But not too much
okay, because I still need a good prankster buddy from time to time," he said, wiggling his
eyebrows at his friend. "Also maybe stop being so bloody cocky around her; I don't think she
likes that and I think it puts her back up straight away."
James sat up. "If you were to tell her that…"

Sirius snorted. "Jamie, I've been telling her good things about you for years. She ignores me.
This one is all on you."
James sighed. "Fine. All right, so about switching partners…"
Sirius made a rude hand gesture and grabbed his books. "No bloody chance."
James pouted as he watched his best mate walk away towards the woman of his dreams. It
was all right, he would find a way to get her attention in a good way. He just needed to think
on it. When Peter knocked over the bowl of newt eyes with his elbow, he sighed.
Potions had just gotten a lot less exciting.

The One Where Sirius Gets A Bedroom
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To ellyann13: Thank you! To alix33: Thank you! To Nuno
Neves: Sirius is a great friend and yes, he and James definitely have a bromance of the
Marauders Era. Thank you. To EnigmaticEmperor: James will figure out what to do. Thank
you! To Sets: Sirius is totally softening Lily up towards James little by little and by letting
him sit with her, it helps James. Yes, if Zee met Sirius now, they would definitely not work out
lol. The attraction would be there, but it's not their time to meet yet. Thank you! To
Slaidback: Thank you! To ascfan: James is definitely worried about how Lily might react.
Thanks for liking how I'm showing Peter's progression throughout the years. Thank you. To
CorbanD17: Sirius is a great guy! Thank you!
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE:
The One Where Sirius Gets A Bedroom
December 1976…
Sirius knew he would never forget the moment that he stepped off of the train for the
Christmas holiday to find Euphemia engulfing him in her arms, kissing his cheeks and
telling him that she and Monty had the best surprise for him. When they arrived at the
Potters' home in Somerset, James had only grinned at him, gesturing for him to follow his
mother up the stairs. Sirius had stopped in front of James' bedroom, planning to throw his
stuff on his friend's bed, but James had stopped him.
"No, mate, you're not staying with me."
"What?" Sirius asked, confusion clouding his eyes. "But I always sleep in your room."
Euphemia smiled from a few feet away as she pushed open the door next to James'. "Well, if
you really want to stay with James I won't stop you, but the three of us have been working
rather hard on your room."
Sirius stared at her, his eyes wide in shock. His room?

James linked his arm with his and tugged him towards the door. The room was painted a soft
grey. There was a large Queen-sized bed in the centre of the room with a warm quilt on it.
Gryffindor banners hung on the wall with pictures of Sirius and his friends. Muggle posters
of motorcycles and Muggle girls in bikinis, a complete diagram of an engine, music posters
of The Ramones, The Beatles, Queen, and The Rolling Stones. There was a small sitting
room on the other side with his own bathroom and on the door in gold lettering it said: Sirius'
Room.
He was embarrassed to feel himself choking up, but Euphemia wrapped her arms around him
from behind.
"Jamie picked out the posters himself. I thought grey is such a lovely colour like your eyes,
darling, almost stormy." She kissed his cheek. "And both of my sons deserve their own room
full of their own things."
"Fee," he said simply, kissing her cheek. "I never… when you said that I could stay I didn't…
thank you." He looked over at James who was grinning widely at him.
Fleamont was standing next to Sirius' bedroom door, his hands in his pockets as he bounced
on the balls of his feet. "Welcome home, boys. Are you ready to decorate the tree?"
Sirius had never felt more at home in his entire life.

The One Where Sirius Gives Lily A Prongs
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To ellyann13: I think that is accurate. The Potter home is
definitely the better place to be at Christmas. Thank you. To Sets: Yes, the comparison
between Sirius and Harry was intentional. Thank you for noticing! Thank you! To A Huge
Fan: Exactly. The unconditional love that the Potter family shared with Sirius did make it
possible for Sirius to love Harry in ASC, thank you! Thank you for enjoying my character
development and "the emotions the characters display." Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor:
James is an amazing best friend! He wanted to make sure that Sirius' bedroom was truly his.
Fee and Monty are definitely awesome. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you! To alix33:
Thank you! To ascfan: Aww, don't die of cuteness lol. But Thank you! I agree, James'
parents did deserve that bit of attention and showing them welcoming Sirius is lovely. Thank
you! To Susanne_BK: I love the "throws kudos around" lol. That made me laugh. Thank
you! I'm sorry that I made you cry over the chapter though. To CorbanD17: Yes, the Potters
are amazing people. Thank you! To Bellmel: Aww, sorry to make you tear up, but I'm glad
there were smiles too. Monty and Fee are definitely the best people ever. I loved having
Fleamont just bouncing on the balls of his feet while he waits because he was excited to
present Sirius with his room. Sirius deserves all of it and then some. Thank you!
My posting schedule: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX:
The One Where Sirius Gives Lily A Prongs
30th January 1977…
Sirius caught up with Lily in the hall after breakfast, her gift in his hand. He wanted to
give her the present away from the prying eyes of the student body so he'd tucked it into his
robes until she left the Great Hall. After all, he didn't want other witches to think he was
giving out gifts now. It might cause pandemonium.
He wasn't boyfriend material and he didn't give out gifts. It was just that Lily Evans was
different and he had the perfect gift for her. She paused when he called her name, turning and
lifting an eyebrow at him when he waved her down.
"What can I do for you, Black?"

"Happy Seventeenth Birthday, Lily!" Sirius exclaimed.
Lily's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, thank you." She smiled warmly at him, tucking a loose
hair behind her ears. "It's nice to finally be seventeen. I can do magic whenever I want now!"
Sirius grinned at her. "Welcome to the club. Just have to wait on those other slowpokes to
catch up with us." He pulled the gift bag from behind his back. "I got you a little something."
Lily beamed at him. "Oh, Sirius, you didn't have to do that!"
Sirius shrugged but grinned. "I wanted to get you something. You've always been a great
friend to me and a girl deserves something on her seventeenth birthday. Just don't let it get
around that I'm giving out gifts."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Of course not, wouldn't want people to think Sirius Black has a heart."
She moved to sit on the bench in the hall as she accepted the gift bag. She carefully parted the
tissue paper as she tugged out the fluffy white stag plushie.
"Oh, it's so cute!" Lily exclaimed in surprise.
Sirius grinned mischievously. "Stags are rather magnificent creatures, aren't they?"
Lily looked at him quizzically. "I suppose. They are beautiful and strong, not to mention a
great protector for all. Why did you choose a stag, Sirius?"
Sirius' grin widened. "For those reasons obviously. By the way, his name is Prongs."
Lily's eyebrow rose. "Prongs?"
Sirius just grinned. "Keep him close, eh? Maybe sleep with him at night. He's really soft."
"Sure, Sirius, thank you."
Sirius nodded. "There's one more thing in there."
Lily reached back into the bag and pulled out a small box. When she opened it up, there was
a small silver stag charm there. "Oh, it's beautiful!"
"I know how much you love that bracelet that your parents got you for Christmas a few years
ago so, I thought that maybe you'd like to add another charm to it," he explained, shoving his
hands into his pockets.
"I love it, Sirius! It's perfect! Again with the stag, I suppose his name is Prongs as well?"
"Obviously," Sirius said with a grin. "It's a protection sign and I thought the stag was a good
symbol of that."
Lily unhooked her bracelet from her wrist and carefully clipped the stag charm into place.
"It's perfect, thank you." She kissed his cheek just as James came around the corner.
Lily picked up Prongs and tucked the stuffed animal under her arm. "Potter."
James' eyes had widened as he stared at the stuffed animal in her arms. "Stags, Lily?"
"Prongs," Lily said with a smile as James' eyes widened even more. "He was a birthday gift
from Sirius." She smiled at her friend. "Thanks again, Sirius."
"Of course, happy birthday, Lily."
Lily smiled as she said goodbye before she grabbed her things and hurried off around the
corner.
James turned to glare at Sirius. "You gave her a stuffed animal of a stag and told her it was
named Prongs!"
Sirius simply smirked at her. "I figured it was the closest you would ever get to her bed."
"I hate you, Padfoot."
Sirius grinned at him. "Love you too, Prongs." He draped his arm over his friend's shoulders.
"So, how are things coming with Operation Get Evans To Fall In Love With Your Dumb
Arse?"
James made a rude hand gesture in response.
Sirius laughed as James marched off before he hurried to catch up with his friend. "Year's
almost half over and you don't look any closer than you did last year."
"That's not true," James insisted.
"Time will tell," Sirius said. "And I might be a whole lot richer pretty soon."
James rolled his eyes. "Keep telling yourself that. But we both know that if I get a date with
her, I'll be the one who's a whole lot richer."
Sirius gagged. "Ew. That was too lovey-dovey. Kill me now if you're going to go off on a
soliloquy of how gorgeous Evans' hair is and how emerald her green eyes are. I'd rather be
dead than listen to another one of those."
When James only marched off in annoyance, he followed his friend laughing. No,
James was growing on her, and Sirius knew he wasn't the only person who had noticed Lily
taking a second and third look at James when he walked by.
No, he wasn't the only person at all.
He had a feeling that he was definitely going to be paying James in a few months and it was a
bet that Sirius was okay losing.
The One Where the Marauder's Map Can't Insult Lily
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To scrappy8: Thank you! Sirius definitely thought the gifts
were good LOL. To Slaidback: Ha, your "Canadian fanfiction dealer" is my new favourite
phrase ever LMAO! Thank you! As to Harry finding the plushie, the white stag that Harry
had in the cupboard under the stairs belonged to Lily, he bought the other Marauder stuffed
animals. To alix33: Because it was her birthday. Thank you. To EnigmaticEmperor:
Agreed, of course he gave her a stag just to mock James LOL. Thank you! To ellyann13:
Yes, he does. No, Lily hasn't heard the nicknames yet. Thank you. To Sets: I agree, I like
that Lily is really the only witch among their classmates who knows Sirius is kind. Thank you
for saying that Ginny seeing the whole relationship between Sirius and Harry from the
beginning shows not only how close Harry and Ginny are meant to be, but the telling of
Sirius' heart. Well said! Thank you! To A Huge Fan: Hilarious and sweet all at once was
exactly what I was going for! Thank you! I think Harry gets a little of his sass from growing
up with Sirius, but my head canon is that the sass is all Lily's personality coming out in her
son! Thank you! To Nuno Neves: Thank you! I like writing Sirius and Lily moments to
showcase their friendship.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN:
The One Where the Marauder's Map Can't Insult Lily
March 1977…
Sirius was studying the map carefully in an attempt to find Regulus. He wanted to talk to
his brother as he was starting to worry about some of the people he was hanging around with.
Regulus had been growing more and more distant over the last year and it worried him.
The map that he was currently using to try to find him was something that he was extremely
proud of. The idea for the map had started back in fourth year. After finding a few more
secret passages and hidden rooms in the castle, James had made a joke about them upgrading
the map given to the first years.
"A map that warns me before a professor is coming would be nice," Sirius muttered. "I was
only half finished setting the trap for the Slytherins when McGonagall caught me."
Remus raised an eyebrow. "We could make our own. Add the new places we know of and add
a few modifications. I don't think it would be too hard."
"Oooh," James said, hopping up onto the table where Remus was working. "We can use the
Homunculus Charm that Flitwick was talking about. If we did a mass charm on the castle, it
would keep track of every living creature on the castle grounds."
"And then we'd know if anyone was sneaking up on us," Sirius said, his grin widening.
"Brilliant!"
Peter made a face. "It sounds like a lot of work."
"We can use the map that we give to the first years to start," Remus suggested. "It would be a
baseline template to work from."
James pulled the map from his bag. It was crumpled and a bit torn, but he used a quick
refreshing charm on it, making the parchment look as good as new. He held his lip between
his teeth as he began to draw all over it.
"See, we have the kitchens here, that's not on the map. Then there's the secret passage behind
the one-eyed witch. Ooh, and the one behind the mirror that Pete discovered where we kept
our Animagus potion and oh! We have to add the entrance to the Whomping Willow!"
Sirius leaned over James, his smile widening. "We can totally build our own map!"
Peter wrinkled his nose. "What would we use it for?"
"Duh. To help us prank better," Sirius said. "Or to sneak around at night without getting
caught. I could definitely do with less detentions."
James and Remus grinned as they began to discuss how to create it.
It had taken them the better part of two years to finish it and Sirius had to admit, it was
brilliant. They'd decided to call it The Marauders' Map to honour themselves and the hard
work they'd done.
The nicknames had come about soon after they had started hanging out with Remus during
the full moon. Moony had been first, Sirius proudly declaring that it fit Remus to a tee.
"It's like a secret name within a secret, Rem!" he exclaimed. "Because we know you're a
werewolf, it's funny, but no one else will make the connection because they don't know your
secret! See! It's brilliant!"
Remus hadn't quite been convinced.
"Padfoot for Sirius," James said.
Sirius wrinkled his nose. "Isn't that the bogeyman?"

"Technically, yes," James agreed. "But it's also, you know, a play on words because you're a
dog. You have paws which are padded on the feet."
"Uh, Jamie, I think a 'padfoot' is also another word for a footpad who is a criminal who robs
pedestrians," Remus said. "Are we calling Sirius a criminal AND a bogeyman?"
"I LOVE IT!" Sirius declared.
James snorted. "Notice how when it's an insult, he's suddenly a fan?"
Peter grinned. "Padfoot. I like that."
Remus chuckled. "And what about you and Pete, Jamie? You're a stag and he's a rat."
James looked pensive. "Well, Peter's tail does look a bit like a long worm, doesn't it,
Padfoot?"
Sirius grinned widely at the use of his new name. "It does… Wormtail. It's a good play on his
animal and like Moony, no one would know unless they knew, you know?"
"Wormtail," Peter said, saying the name aloud. "Wormtail. I think I like it."
"Excellent!" James said. "Now what about me?"
"Well, you do have those forked pronged thingies on the top of your head?" Peter supplied.
Sirius barked in laughter. "You mean antlers, Wormtail?"
"They don't look like forked prongs," James said, pouting. "They are majestic antlers showing
that I am a beautiful and proud stag."
Remus and Sirius exchanged a look before both saying. "Prongs."
"No!" James whined. "Come on! Prongs aren't even the same as antlers!"
Peter snickered. "I like it."
"Us too," Sirius said. "Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail, and Prongs. It sounds perfect."
"Like it's kismet," Remus agreed. "Isn't that what you said when we all met and ended up as
roommates in Gryffindor, Prongs?"
James sighed. "Ugh, fine. It's kismet. I'm Prongs."
Sirius and Remus high-fived as Peter laughed.
James rolled his eyes, but the four of them had adopted their nicknames as easily as they'd
adopted each other.
Sirius was staring down at the map now, trying to find his brother's dot. When he saw that he
was safely in the Slytherin dorm and by himself, he found himself feeling relieved. He
wished that his brother would stop hanging around with so many of the older students, the
ones who seemed to show support for the rising dark lord. Not for the first time, he wondered
if leaving his brother alone in Grimmauld Place had really been a good idea.
His brooding thoughts were interrupted by Lily and he quickly closed the map down before
she could see it.
Lily was staring at the parchment in his hands. "What are you doing out here, past curfew,
with that old bit of parchment?"
Sirius shrugged. "Er — nothing."
"Wow, that was a genius lie, however can I possibly see through it."
"Sarcasm, Evans — I'm shocked."
Lily rolled her eyes and tugged the parchment away from his grasp and stared down at it,
turning it over in her hands. "Why do you have this?"
"To record my thoughts. I have deep thoughts you know."
Lily chuckled and tapped on the parchment. "Lily Evans, Prefect, demands you reveal your
secrets."
The parchment immediately began to scroll ink across the page in a neat cursive writing
which Lily then read aloud.
"Mr Moony would like to say that Miss Evans is a wonderful Charms student, but still doesn't
have the charm to unlock this secret." She looked up in surprise. "What the…"
Sirius just grinned and nodded at the parchment. "Keep reading…"
Lily did as he asked as the writing changed. "Mr Wormtail would like to say that he's noticed
Miss Evans napping in History of Magic and thinks that she could do better. Mr Padfoot
wants to say that Miss Evans needs to mind her own business and stop harassing innocent
students in the corridors. Mr Prongs would like to add that Miss Evans is insane-ly beautiful
and her eyes shine like emeralds in the dark. Miss Evans would make a fine match for that
James Potter."
Lily blushed scarlet and shoved the parchment back at Sirius. "I don't know what this is —"
Sirius shrugged. "Harmless fun. Look, it even complimented you!"
"Only the one who calls himself Prongs, the other three charmingly insulted me, before I was
told that I would make a good match with Potter? I don't think so!"
Sirius simply grinned. "I know how you can figure out the secret."
Lily's eyebrow rose. "The secret?"

"To this parchment. You're right, it does do something special."
"Oh?"
Sirius shoved the parchment into his pocket and smirked at her, his hands in his pockets. "Go
on a date with Jamie and you'll see."
Lily rolled her eyes and turned to storm off in a huff of annoyance. "Now you're trying to set
me up with him? Merlin!"
Sirius laughed as she stormed off. He couldn't wait to tell James that the map couldn't even
insult Lily on his behalf.
That had to be the ultimate sign of love sickness and he couldn't wait to tease his friend about
it.
The One With Dream On
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Bellmel: Yes, I loved writing the origin story of the map!
The Marauders would 100% admire how Harry uses it. Yeah, didn't give Peter much on the
creation, outside of him having discovered a few of the secret passageways. Sirius' solution to
getting too many detentions is definitely to just get better at sneaking around while pranking
lol. The "notice how when it's an insult" is one of my favourite lines too! Thanks for loving
Sirius and Lily together, it's fun to show them having fun. Yes, sarcastic and sassy Lily! I like
to think it's where Harry gets his sass from. Thank you! To Lyze Arcane Peverell: Thank
you! I like the idea of Peter liking his nickname and of course he's liked by the Marauders.
They were best friends which is why his betrayal is that much more painful. Yes, I googled
what "padfoot" meant and found all sorts of interesting things. Thank you! To
threereasonswhy: Yup! I think because the map was created from a part of his magic, it
picked up on his love for Lily. Yes, lots of Jily to come! I love that my fanfiction is so
addictive! Thank you! To Sets: Thank you and yes, it is interesting, isn't it? Remus, I think
was too heartbroken at the time, but no, McGonagall understands his heart better than most.
Thank you. To alix33: As in a charm to cover a large area (i.e. all of Hogwarts). I'm glad
you liked the origin story of the Marauder's Map and Prongs complimenting Lily. Thank you!
To Jellybean: Aww, thank you for saying you're so happy when I upload and then are like a
three-year-old throwing a tantrum when you have to wait again! I love that everyone is
jumping on the Canadian fanfic dealer train lol. Thank you! To Slaidback: Haha, you're
welcome for the hit! Thank you! To ascfan: Yes, even the map knows. Thank you! To
ellyan13: No, it's the bogeyman because that's what it meant. Prongs is definitely not
majestic enough to suit James lol. I think it insults people because it was made by immature
boys. Thank you! To A Huge Fan: Sirius is definitely the wingman and original Jily shipper.
Thanks for loving my Sirius and James bromance as well as seeing how Lily and Sirius get
along so well as well. Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Thank you! And nope, of course
Prongs can't insult Lily, blasphemy really lol. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Yes, they
were very clever and intelligent and I wanted to showcase that. They were very smart, top of
their class in many things. I do think Lily fancied James a bit earlier, yes, but she didn't want
to admit it until later on. Denial was a big part of Lily's life lol. It was one of the reasons why
I had Remus and Sirius tease Harry over his denial of his feelings for Ginny and calling him
like his mother in that regard. Thank you!
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT:
The One With Dream On
April 1977…
Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter stepped into the Gryffindor common room just as Lily,
Mary, and Marlene were swaying in the centre of the room. The three of them were
belting out the words to a song that Sirius had never heard before.
"Sing with me, sing for the years! Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears! Sing with me, just
for today! Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you awa—ayyyy! Yeah, sing with me,
sing for the year! Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears; sing with me, just for today. Maybe
tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away. Dream on. Dream on. Dream on. Dream until
your dreams come true. Dream on. Dream on. Dream on. Dream on until your dreams come
true. Dream on. Dream on. Dream on. Dream on. Dream on. Dream on. Dream
onnnnnnnnnnn!"
At the final note, Marlene was holding her bottle of butterbeer like a microphone and
practically screeching on the final notes. Dorcas came down the stairs with her fingers in her
ears.
"Good Merlin, I thought I was safe in our room, but clearly I was not."
Marlene made a rude hand gesture and continued to sing.
Lily was singing loudly along with Marlene. If it was possible, she was even worse. She
sang very badly and very off key, but was clearly enjoying herself immensely.
"Yo, Evans!" James called out, moving to the wireless to check it out. "Who is this?"
"Aerosmith," Marlene told him, smiling. "Aren't they brilliant? They're from America."
James looked at the album in interest. "I like this one, I like the beat."
Lily pointed her wand at the record player and played back 'Dream On.' "The words to this
one are just so beautiful," she said, grinning when Mary took her hand and spun her.
"Half my life is books, written pages; live and learn from fools and from sages," Lily sang as
Mary spun her out in a dance. Lily laughed when she found herself in Sirius' arms. "Hi,
Black."
"Hi, Evans," he said with a grin, spinning her out again and then back into his arms, dipping
her and kissing her forehead, making her laugh.
"Didn't know you were such a great dancer," she said with a grin.
Sirius spun her out and in again. "I took lessons."
Then he spun her around and directly into James, her hands landing on his chest to steady
herself. Her fingers trembled against his chest for a moment before James took her hands in
his and led her into the next steps, a huge grin on his face.
"We both did." He spun her in a circle and back into his arms. "They aren't The Beatles, but I
like this Aerosmith."
Lily smiled at him, resigning herself to dance with him. She had to admit, he was good and
she didn't mind James so much when he was calm like this. Not to mention that he smelt
rather good, woodsy and cedar and fresh. She caught herself leaning closer and wrinkled her
nose.
"Mary's brother introduced her to the music over Christmas break. She was anxious to share
it with us. They're pretty great. But I prefer The Beatles too."
James beamed at her. "See, Evans, we're made for each other."
Lily rolled her eyes, ignoring the way her stomach fluttered at his words. She turned back to
look at Sirius. "Why did you spin me into him?"
Marlene laughed. "Oh, poor Lily; being forced to dance with the sexiest bloke in school."
Peter laughed, holding his hand out to Mary who accepted and joined them in their dancing.
"Don't say that, Marly, you know who's going to take immediate offence."
"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed, grabbing Marlene and tugging her into his arms as Peter only
gestured at Sirius as if to say, see. "That privilege belongs to you, McKinnon, being that you
are in MY arms!"
She laughed and looped her arms around his neck. "Oh, my apologies, Black. But who is the
star of the Gryffindor Quidditch team?"
"You?"
She grinned and pat Sirius on the cheek. "Good boy."
James spun Lily out and back up against him as the song changed. "Don't worry McKinnon,
if his ego gets any bigger he won't be able to fit through the portrait hole."
"Is that why you brewed Shrinking Solution in Potions today?" Lily asked him, a smirk on
her lips. "So you could make it up to your dorm without getting your head stuck in the
doorway?"
James chuckled. "Nah, I brewed that so I that I could slip it into the soap kept in the Slytherin
change rooms. You should have seen the look on Rosier's face when he came out after
practice today, hands over his crotch and pale as can be. To be honest, I was surprised his bits
could get any smaller in the first place."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Potter! I am a prefect and will have to punish you for that!"
James grinned at her. "Only if you saw it."

Lily opened her mouth to protest and then she sighed. He was completely right. She hadn't
witnessed it happening nor had she seen the Slytherins take the potion. She smirked up at
him. "How small did they shrink?"
James wiggled his pinky finger. "About half of my pinky finger I imagine; I worked hard on
that potion."
Lily's lips twitched, slightly. "I am not amused."
James wiggled his eyebrows. "Sure you're not, Evans." He dipped her back. "A gentlemen
might take this opportunity to lean in for a kiss. What do you say, Evans?"
"Kiss me and I'll break your nose, Potter," she shot back, heat searing through her.
James tugged her back up and licked his lips. "Might be worth it."
Lily pushed him away, her eyes twinkling at him. "Mary, start the album over. I want to listen
from the beginning while I edit my Potions essay."
"I'll read yours over, Lily," Remus offered, opening his own book bag. "Do you think that you
could look over mine as well?"
"Of course, Remus," she said with a smile, her hips still swaying to the beat of the music as
she took a seat on the chesterfield.
Sirius plopped down next to Lily with a smile. "Can we play some Queen afterwards? I really
like them."
James nodded, moving to tug out his own potions essay. "I vote on The Rolling Stones or
Pink Floyd. Listening to some Dark Side of the Moon sounds great at the moment."
Lily smiled at him. "That can definitely be arranged on one condition."
James' eyebrow rose. "Which is?"
"You read over my Transfiguration essay for me?"
James simply grinned. "Anything for you, Evans."
Lily's cheeks heated and she turned away, refusing to let him see her red cheeks. It was
unfortunate that he was so good looking because his personality could use some work. He
laughed and her stomach fluttered again, making her scowl.
"Traitor," she muttered under her breath and found Sirius grinning at her. "What?"
Sirius winked, his eyes twinkling. "Nothing, Evans. Nothing at all."
Lily absolutely didn't believe him and really didn't want to know what he meant by that.
End Author's Notes:
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lyrics to "Dream On" by Aerosmith.

The One Where Lily Realizes She Fancies James Potter
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To ellyann13: He is slowly making her like him, yes. Thank
you! To threereasonswhy: Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Thank you! Happy to make your
Jily heart soar! To alix33: Yes, listening to music while doing homework just suits them.
Nope, Rosier definitely learned nothing lol. Thank you! To ascfan: Nope, James is definitely
Rick Asterly in that regard, haha. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you and you're very
welcome! To Sets: Yes, Remus most definitely noticed lol. I love having James' friends take
notice before he does. Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To Bellmel: Yes, forehead kiss
lol. I love them dancing and yes with James and with Sirius. They were all happy. Of course
James is going to say "anything for you," he is so head over heels for that girl! Come on, to
dream on? Very sad lol. Poor Peter lol. Thank you!
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE:
The One Where Lily Realizes
She Fancies James
April 1977…
Lily was definitely thinking about James Potter.
She couldn't stop picturing that moment in the common room when they danced together to
Aerosmith.
She couldn't stop thinking about how he went out of his way to help her in Transfiguration.
And Merlin knew she couldn't get the image of him from this afternoon out of her head.
Gryffindor had won against Hufflepuff. The Quidditch team had sailed down to the pitch,
hugging and high-fiving in excitement. Lily had rushed down with Mary and Dorcas to
congratulate Marlene and the rest of the team and James had suddenly pulled his robes off
and tugged his shirt over his head, using the jersey to wipe the sweat from his brow.
Her tongue had licked her lips as her eyes had followed those broad shoulders, down his
toned chest to his well defined abs, to the trail of dark hair that disappeared into his trousers,
to the v lines on his hips… Marlene had slapped her on the back and she'd almost choked on
her own tongue, tearing her eyes away from his sweaty chest and wondering why she was
suddenly so hot.
"I'm sure if you wanted to to lick the sweat from him, he wouldn't mind," Marlene teased.
Lily's face turned red. "Of course I don't want to — Marlene!"
Marlene laughed, tossing back her head of dark hair. "Certainly looked like you wanted a
taste of him and I hate to break it to you, Lily, but he noticed you looking."
If it was possible her face turned even redder.
It wasn't that James Potter wasn't good looking. He was extremely good looking. Everyone
knew that he was good looking. He and Sirius Black were two of the best looking blokes at
Hogwarts. When James had turned seventeen last month, Witch Weekly had immediately
posted photos of him as being one of the most eligible young and upcoming bachelors at
newly seventeen. He had his own little fan club of Quidditch groupies.
And she hated it.
After he'd taunted her about kissing her after their dance, she'd hated that part of her had
wished he had. She wished that he hadn't told her and had just done it. For if he hadn't
warned her, she might have let him.
And she might have even liked it.
The fact that she'd been having some very naughty dreams that left her hot and squirming in
her bed at night and that James Potter was usually the star of them didn't mean anything. He'd
been asking her out for three years now and ever since that dance… he hadn't.
Not once.
It had been a full week now since James had attempted to ask her out and she was wondering
on it. She waited with bated breath for his approach, but it never came. His eyes still followed
her when they were in a room together, but he never mentioned dating. In fact, almost every
time she saw him he was surrounded by his usual group of friends and Quidditch groupies.
He would look over at her, wink and smile, but he never asked her out.
It was unusual.
The fact that she might actually be missing James Potter asking her out was preposterous and
she refused to admit that. It made her sound like some sort of psycho who only wanted what
she couldn't have. It was a relief actually, not to have to consistently turn him down.
It was better this way.
By week two, she had almost convinced herself of it, but by week three, she snapped at
Sirius.
"Why hasn't Potter asked me out?"
Sirius grinned at those words, turning to look at her. "Well, well, well, missing him, are you?"
"No."
Sirius laughed. "Liar."
"I'm not lying. I just… I feel like he's plotting something since he hasn't asked me out. I feel
more on guard and I want to know if I should be watching out or something," she explained,
trying to find a reason why she cared.
"I bet that's why," he murmured thinking his friend was finally doing something right. "He's
been busy. Not to mention that he's snogging Julia Cauldwell at the moment."
"Oh," Lily said, starting to feel incredibly embarrassed over her outburst.
His grin widened. "You're jealous."
Lily's eyes flashed. "I most certainly am not!"
"You most certainly are not what?" James asked, taking a seat behind her in Transfiguration
and gently tucking her hair behind her ear. "You look beautiful today, Evans."
Lily swatted his hand away, suddenly feeling annoyed and bothered again. "Nothing."
Sirius' wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Well, James, I think that Lily here is jealous of the fact
that you are snogging Cauldwell and haven't asked her out in three weeks."
James grinned at his friend and then gently let his fingers play with the tips of her hair. "I'd
rather go out with you, Evans. Want to snog after class?"
Lily glared at him and swatted his hand away again. "No, you pig!"
She turned around in her seat and openly ignored both of them who were laughing now.
James smirked and tapped Lily on the shoulder. When she turned to glare at him he smiled.
"I'm a great kisser."
She let her elbow fall back and smash into his hand, smiling when he swore just as
McGonagall stepped into the room.
"Potter, detention with me tonight!"
"Aw, McG!" he whined.
Lily only bit her bottom lip.
"I'm a great kisser," his voice echoed in her mind and when she snuck a look back at him, her
eyes were on his soft lips and she cursed herself.
There was no way she fancied James Bloody Potter.
No. Bloody. Way.

The One With Truth or Dare
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Bellmel: Lily doesn't deserve the second-hand

embarrassment because it's brilliant? I love that. Lily is definitely very interested in James
and is trying so hard not to admit it. Sirius teasing her about it was too easy to pass up.
Thank you! To abhinav_india_16: It's true, her denial won't last long lol. Yes, James is
definitely playing a bit of hard to get now lol, he just doesn't know it. Thank you! To
scrappy8: Let Lily live in her dream world lol. Thank you! To ellyann13: Oh, yes, James
Potter is definitely going to win that bet. Thank you! To Sets: Oh, Remus is definitely aware
of it, but being in Hogwarts full of hormonal teenagers, he's rather used to that. Sirius is
observant because he's definitely inserting himself to try to see how it will all play out. Thank
you. To Nuno Neves: Lily has realized it, she just doesn't want to admit it lol. Thank you.
To alix33: Lily definitely wants what she can't have and it is a bit shocking to her. Thank
you. To threereasonswhy: Thank you so much. I'm glad that my writing can brighten
someone's day. That's so kind of you to say and I am honoured. Thank you. To Slaidback:
Oh, yes, she does lol. Thank you. To A Huge Fan: Harry 100% gets his stubbornness from
Lily. I totally head canon that. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Yup, that is definitely
something I believe. The two things Lily passed down to him with absolute certainty — her
sass and her stubbornness. Thank you! To ascfan: James definitely isn't lying lol and yup,
poor Lily is stubborn! Thank you!
CHAPTER FORTY:
The One With Truth or Dare
June 1977…
The Gryffindor common room was mostly empty when Lily returned from the library
late that evening, but James, Remus, Peter, and Sirius were lounging on the floor in
front of the fire. She had her last exam of sixth year tomorrow morning and it was
Transfiguration which of course was the one subject she was the worst at. She'd even spent
two hours studying with James after dinner and she still wasn't sure how confident she felt.
She noticed Marlene, Mary, Dorcas, and Deanna were there as well so she tossed her book
bag down and sprawled out on floor on her stomach between her friends.
"I'm going to fail."
"No, you won't," James said, his eyes landing on hers. "You knew everything I quizzed you
on, Evans. You'll do great tomorrow."
Lily stared into his hazel eyes before she buried her face in her arms. Looking into his eyes
gave her too many emotions lately. He hadn't asked her out since April before they'd danced,
and she was starting to wonder if he'd truly given up on her. His snogging of Julia Cauldwell
had ended the day after he'd gotten detention from McGonagall. Lily hadn't failed to notice
that there'd been anyone else since.
Sirius had noticed her noticing and had taken it upon himself to tease her daily.
"Saw you staring at Jamie in class today."
"I wasn't staring," she insisted.
Or when he'd caught her watching him on the pitch during practice.
"I'm here for Marlene," she told him.
Sirius snorted. "So the fact that James is running drills shirtless is doing nothing for you,
Evans?"
Her reddening cheeks had made him grin.
"Come with me."
Lily had let him drag her off, determined to not show him that he was right. But she'd ended
up in the sixth year boys dormitory, sitting on James' bed as Sirius poured Firewhiskey.
And drunk Lily wasn't nearly as good at keeping her feelings at bay.
"He's just so pretty," Lily said. "His hair looks so soft and I like his smile and his kind eyes."
"But I thought you said you weren't looking at him shirtless, Evans?" Sirius teased.
Lily scoffed. "Even a dead witch would look twice at him shirtless. He is too good looking for
his own bloody good! I never disputed that! I just said he's a prat."
"He is," Sirius agreed. "But he's a good bloke, too."
"With such a nice arse," she said, giggling as she hiccuped. "Oops, not supposed to tell you
that."
Sirius chuckled and poured more Firewhiskey. "No, please. Tell me more about my best
mate's arse. You should see what he's packing in his trousers. It's one hell of a wand, hell it's
a bloody broomstick! He's part of the Big Cock Club."
She choked. "That's… that's… I'm not thinking about that."

"Yeah, you are," Sirius teased. "And now you're wondering who else is in this club."
Lily hit him. "I just want… how come stopped asked me out no more?"
"I think that was English," Sirius teased, taking her glass from her. He poured some water
from the jug and urged her to drink it. "Why has he stopped asking you out? Ever think it's
because you keep saying no?"
Lily chugged the water and waited for him to refill her glass, drinking more before she spoke.
"But… if I say yes, he wins."
"How?" Sirius asked, sitting next to her again.
"Because if I say yes, then I'll just be another notch to him."
Sirius frowned. "Evans… James only dates other girls because you say no."
"Nuh-uh."
"Yeah-uh," Sirius insisted. "His notches, as you call them, are because witches keep dumping
him because of you."
Lily's green eyes widened. "Why?"
Sirius shrugged. "Bloke's starry-eyed for you that's why."
Lily frowned. "Then how come he's stopped asking me out!"
Sirius took her hands in his. "Evans, hate to break it to you. But I think you might have to do
the asking."
"No," she insisted. "I couldn't."
Sirius smiled. "Okay, I have a better idea…"
The sight of everyone sitting in the common room suddenly made that idea seem a lot closer
than it was when she agreed to it two days ago. The twinkle in Sirius' eye told her she was
right.
"Can you believe that we go home in one week and then it's seventh year?" Remus asked,
crossing his long legs out in front of him.
"Then we'll be adults, it's pretty crazy," Mary agreed.
Sirius slapped his hands together. "But not yet so, come on, it's late; let's play a game of Truth
or Dare."
"No," everyone said as a whole and Sirius pouted.
"Why not?"
Peter rolled his eyes. "Because it's always the same, Sirius. We'll dare Evans to kiss James,
she'll refuse; Jamie will dare her to kiss him, she'll refuse. Same old story, mate."
"But it will be fun, right, Jamie?" Sirius asked.
James shrugged. "I'm in."
"No," Peter said a second time.
"I think Truth or Dare sounds fun actually," Lily said, biting her bottom lip. "Let's play."
"Ha!" Sirius said triumphantly, sitting up. "Prongs, you start!"
James simply shrugged and leaned back against the brick of the fireplace. "Fine, Marly, truth
or dare?"
The dark haired girl let out a long dramatic sigh. "Fine, dare."
James rubbed his hands together. "I dare you to dare Evans to kiss me. Oof," he said as Sirius
smacked him in the face with a couch cushion hard enough to knock his glasses off.
"Kidding! Marly, I dare you to snog Peter."
She shrugged and tugged Peter, who was spluttering in surprise, towards her by his shirt and
kissed him. When she pulled away, he looked dumbstruck.
Marlene licked her lips. "Sirius, truth or dare."
"Dare," he said, examining his fingernails as if he was bored.
"I dare you to pick truth for once."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Fine, truth."
"Are you really going to buy a motorbike this summer?"
"Definitely. Evans has been helping me do some research in the Muggle world, it's going to
be so bad-arse."
"Mum's not going to like that," James said with a grin.
Sirius shrugged. "She will once I take her out for a spin. Evans, truth or dare?"
"Truth," she said quietly, her heart pounding in her chest.
"What you told me the other day, that still true?"
"Yes," she said, her eyes on his grey ones as she bit her lip nervously.
"So, here's your chance then," Sirius said. "Don't mess it up."
Everyone was staring between the two of them in confusion and Lily let out a slow breath.
"James, truth or dare."
"Dare," he said smartly, his hazel eyes grinning at her.
"I dare you to kiss me."
The entire room was so silent, a pin could have dropped.
James stared at her, his eyes wide in shock. "You — ?" He crawled across the floor, eyes
never leaving hers. "You dared me to kiss you," he whispered, his gaze moving to her lips.
She nodded. "Are you man enough to do it?"
He leaned in and touched his lips to hers softly. She could feel his hesitation and when she
slid her lips over his, his arms moved to her waist, pulling her closer. When he pulled her
against him, she was suddenly very aware of him. The feel of his strong chest against her, the
spicy scent of his cologne, and the purr he made in the back of his throat when he kissed her.
Kissing someone had never felt so right.
His lips left hers, those hazel eyes staring into hers in question and it was only then that she
realized their friends were cheering.
Lily bit her lip. "James?"
"Yeah?" he asked, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?"
James looked absolutely gobsmacked as he stared at her and Sirius grinned from next to his
friend.
"He'd be delighted, Evans."
Lily just grinned at James, grabbed him by the hair, and kissed him again.
Because damn it, he was a bloody amazing kisser.

The One With the Summer of Jily and the Marauder Crest
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To CorbanD17: Aww, thank you! To Bellmel: Yes, they
finally kissed! I'm glad you can't stop grinning about it. I love Lily and Sirius and how she
tells him things and he tells her things; sweetest friendship in my opinion. James totally
would help anyone with Transfiguration if they asked because it's just in him to do so, but
Lily, he would move mountains to help her study LOL. Drunk Lily definitely not as good at
keeping her feelings at bay lol. Yup, Sirius teasing about the Big Cock Club as if he's part of
it lol. He is very cheeky. Thank you! To TripleTheCheese: Thank you! I really love the idea
of Lily being the one to finally make the first move. Thank you! To Redmatter91: LOL, of
course everyone was stunned into silence lol. Thank you! To ellyann13: Thank you. Lily
opened up to Sirius no problem, but getting her to admit the part he already knew, she needed
to have a few drinks in her for that. There is more moments of just James and Lily to come,
yes. Thank you. To Sets: Wow! Thank you for going back and re-reading some of my stuff!
There is some synergy even among the non connected stories just because I hold a lot of the
same head canons. Thanks for reading! Thank you!
To MoD366: Well, James most certainly didn't see the dare coming if that makes you feel
better lol. There's some great Jily fanfiction out there. I highly recommend everything from
TiffanyToms, MollyRaesly, and FloreatCastellum are some of my favourite Jily writers. Thank
you for saying you love how I make them come to life and that I have an amazing skill as a
writer, thank you so much! To alix33: Lily was totally listing everything she kind of loves
about James Potter and doesn't want to admit aloud lol. You're welcome for the chortle.
Thank you. To saucyswimmer: Thank you! To darkhk: Thank you! To Stilly24: Thank you
for saying James, Lily, and Sirius are like your favourite romcom movie characters! Thank
you very much for saying my "knack for story telling makes this whole trilogy absolutely
incredible." Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you! To ascfan: Sirius definitely answered
for a stunned James who was a bit a speechless might I add. Thank you! To Nuno Neves:
We're all glad they finally kissed. There will be more of them as a couple to come, yes. Thank
you!
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE:
The One With The Summer of Jily
And The Marauder Crest
Summer 1977…
From the moment that they had kissed in a game of Truth or Dare, James and Lily were
essentially inseparable. Every time Sirius came to find his friend, Lily had already claimed
him. James pinned her against walls, sat her on desks, hid her in broom cupboards, or
snogged her right in the middle of the Gryffindor common room, but James' lips
were always on hers.
And it was exactly how she wanted it.
Her fingers were always lost in that soft hair, making James' unruly hair stand up even more
than usual. Kissing James Potter was like magic. She had no idea how she'd gone seventeen
years without feeling his hands on her, his lips on hers. She needed his hands on her all of the
time and when they weren't, she physically craved them. It was like no matter how long they
kissed, it wasn't enough. She wanted his hands on her. She wanted his body pressed against
hers. And she wanted him.
More than she was willing to admit.
By the time they got on the train to return home, she realized that she was going to miss him
and they'd only been dating for a week. He was somehow in her system like an addictive
potion and she needed more of him.
But James already had a plan.
The first day she answered the phone in the kitchen and heard his voice, she'd been unable to
stop the huge smile from cracking her face. He told her how he had a pocket full of Muggle
coins and would call her from this number every day. They talked for hours every day until
he finally came to Cokeworth the second week of the summer holiday to see her. Since her
parents were at work, she tugged him inside and snogged his brains out on the sofa. She
never wanted to stop touching him.
Dating James Potter was everything that she'd ever dreamed of and yet so much more than
she'd ever imagined. They went on long walks and for romantic dinners. He took her dancing
in Muggle clubs and she took him to the movies. They went on hikes and he took her to a
Quidditch game.
And every date ended with them kissing like mad.
He met her parents and her sister, the latter who claimed she was unimpressed. She met his
and was engulfed in a warm hug by Fee and Monty, the latter who claimed James' charm
came from his mother. Euphemia had protested and it made her laugh.
Then in July, Lily insisted that James tag along with her and Sirius as they went out and
found his motorbike. It was a 1970 Triumph Bonneville and Sirius thought it was perfect.
When they brought it back to Clevedon Court, Euphemia took one look at it and raised an
eyebrow.
"No."
"Aww, Fee," Sirius whined. "It's perfect! Isn't it beautiful? You can be my first passenger."
"Um, I called dibs already," James insisted, holding up his hand.
Euphemia crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I'd prefer that neither of you climb onto
that death trap, thank you."
But as Sirius started to show her how it worked and what it did, she kissed his cheek and
made him promise to be careful. He'd immediately gotten to work learning what every part of
the engine was called, how it worked, and how it ran. He was in love.
When Sirius' great-uncle had passed away a few months ago, he'd left him everything which
included not only a sizeable fortune, but a bachelor's flat in London as well as a small three
bedroom cottage out in Sidmouth, Devon. Sirius and James had spent a week at the cottage at
the end of last summer helping Alphard Black fix it up a bit, not knowing that the cottage
would one day be left to Sirius. Sirius told Lily that his great-uncle had told him he was a
good boy and to not let Walburga get to him. But Sirius had still been surprised to inherit all
of his assets. He used some of the Galleons that were left to him to buy the motorbike and
was very pleased.
Sirius worked on the bike and Lily spent time with James. When they made plans to meet up
with Remus the third week of the summer, they found him heartbroken. Remus had come
home to find out that his parents had been keeping a secret from him, wanting him to finish
up the school year before telling him the news. His mother was dying of a brain tumour and
now that he knew, he didn't know what to do. Lily had given the boys some time alone with
Remus to help him grieve.
James found her the next day, kissing her outside of her front door. "Hey."
"Hey," Lily said, taking his hand. "How's Remus?"
James shrugged. "As good as can be expected, I guess. He went home this morning."
Lily looked at him for a moment, not sure what he was feeling, so she took his hand. "Come
on, let's go get some ice cream."
James nodded. They walked down the block, disappearing into an alley so that they could
Disapparate. When they arrived in Diagon Alley, James bought her a double scoop of
chocolate and vanilla swirl ice cream before settling himself with a caramel toffee. They sat
outside on the little patio and Lily reached across the table to take his hand.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
James shrugged. "I don't know what to say."
"Do you know Remus' mum?"
James nodded, silently licking his ice cream cone for so long that Lily thought maybe he
wasn't going to answer her. He adjusted his glasses as he finally spoke up.
"A little. She's like the kindest woman in the world. Her name's Hope and she's a Muggle.
She's sweet and smart. She adores Remus and she's the one who taught him how to play the
piano and made him love books. From what Rem says, she's kind of a jokester too and loves
to play pranks," he told her. "Every time she's brought Remus over to my house, she always
tells him to have more fun than he thinks is wise and always to smile big enough to crack his
face. Then she kisses his cheeks and hurries off. He adores her."
"He always tells me about her love for stories. She loves to share books with him," Lily said.
James nodded. "Yeah… I can't imagine, Lily. I mean… a brain tumour is… they tried to
operate, he said, but it's too close to too many things and if they go in, it's guaranteed that
she's going to die. But if they don't… her death is slower. He said it's pushing on different
areas of her brain and it makes her forget things or say things she doesn't mean."
Lily brushed her fingers over his.
"I love him so much," James admitted. "I always wanted siblings and my parents were so old
by the time I came around, it was a miracle they even had me. When I met Sirius and Remus
and Peter, we just… connected. I always say it was like kismet. We were meant to find each
other. They're my brothers. I would do absolutely anything for them. I'd kill for them or bury
a body if they needed me to. I'd do anything and this…"
James pulled his hand away and covered his face with his hands.
"What am I supposed to do, Lily? How can I help him?"
Lily rubbed a hand over his back. "Oh, Jamie, you are helping him. I promise. It might not
seem like much, but just being there for him; letting him vent or cry or whatever he needs,
that's all you can do. Just be there."
He lowered his hands to look over at her. "What if it's not enough?"
Lily took his hand, kissing his fingers softly. "It's enough, James. I promise."
Her lips met his for a soft kiss and James cupped her cheek, his eyes on hers. "Have I
mentioned how amazing you are, Evans?"
She smiled and pecked his lips once more. "Why don't we get out of here and I'll show you
how amazing I think you are?"
James jumped to his feet so fast he topped the chair backward, making her laugh. When he
took her back to Clevedon Court, they curled up in the garden on a lounge chair and snogged
until the sun went down.
Lily thought it was definitely exactly what they both needed.
~ TFTA ~
It had been James' idea, but Sirius' excitement for it had been what pushed the idea
into reality. They were going to get matching tattoos to commemorate their friendship.
Remus was honoured that they wanted to do this.
Sirius had gotten his first tattoo last summer, a few weeks after he'd moved in with the
Potters. He'd gotten a circular moon chart just above his heart. It was charmed to change
daily so that he would always know what the stages of the moon were. Peter had gone with
him and then the two of them had shown up in Wrexham to show Remus, he'd goggled at
them as Sirius took off his shirt to point to the tattoo.
"It's part of my apology, Rem. I never meant to hurt you or to make you think that you can't
trust me," Sirius insisted. "You are my brother. One of my best mates and I will always be
there for you when you need me. No matter what."
Remus hugged him tightly, tears in his eyes at the gesture of solidarity. "Sirius, I appreciate
the gesture but… you know that you will have a moon chart tattooed on you forever, right?"
He grinned. "I'll never not know what day it is again. Besides, it's only my first tattoo. It's
bloody cool and I definitely want to get another one! Can you imagine what my mum will say
when she finds out that the first thing I did after she kicked me out was get a tattoo? It will be
brilliant!"
Remus smiled and told his father he was going out. The three of them met up with James at
Clevedon Court and Sirius showed off his tattoo.
"What do you think, Fee?"
Euphemia kissed Sirius on the cheek. "I think that I like seeing you smile. Now come along,
boys. I have some lunch in the kitchen for you."
Two weeks later, Sirius went back and got the Gryffindor crest inked on his back over his
right shoulder blade. Over Christmas of sixth year, he'd gotten another one in the inside of his
left forearm. The runic symbols for the three words: Family, Friendship, and Marauder. He'd
surrounded them with footprints as a tribute to the map they'd completed. Then before
returning to school, he'd gone back to ink the star charts of Sirius and Orion over the top of
his right shoulder.
News had reached Walburga by then and needless to say, she was not impressed with her
son's new hobby.
It was in sixth year that they'd been discussing getting a group tattoo and when they
completed the map, Remus started to sketch some ideas based on the Hogwarts crest. Each of
the four sections had their four animals represented. Sirius had immediately fallen in love
with it and demanded that they all get that tattoo the summer before seventh year.
Now, they were here to do just that.
"Are we sure that we're doing this?" Peter asked for the twentieth time as they approached the
tattoo parlour in Knockturn Alley. "We have to be positive!"
"Wormtail, you've come with me for all of my tattoos — when am I not positive?"
"Not you, Padfoot!" Peter said, rolling his eyes. "Us other normal three, who have yet to
mark up our beautiful skin with ink."
James' arm came around Peter's shoulder. "I love the idea, Pete! Something great to
memorialize us! And the crest that Moony designed is perfect, don't you agree?"
Peter nodded. "No, I agree."
Sirius grinned widely at the guy behind the counter. "Hey, Larry, I brought some friends with
me this time," he said as he pulled his shirt off. "We all want the same tat."
Larry Lewis had spiky blue hair and fifteen visible piercings. Both of his arms were
completely covered in tattoos in bright, vivid colours. He was the artist who had inked all of
Sirius' tattoos.
"Sounds great, Black! What did you have in mind this time?"
Remus reached into his pocket and pulled out the parchment where he had detailed the
Marauder Crest and the words: I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. "This here."
Larry nodded, eyeing the sketch. "Looks easy enough. How big are we talking and where is it
going?"
Sirius hopped into the chair, bunching his shirt in his hands. "About the size of a pub
napkin?" he suggested, lifting the square off of the glass table and holding it up to his friends
who all nodded in agreement. "Wicked. I'll go first, since I've done this before." Sirius
pointed back to his left shoulder blade, opposite of the Gryffindor crest on his right. "Just
here, Larry."
Larry nodded, getting to work to find his ink pallet and grabbing his wand. James, Remus,
and Peter watched as he muttered a spell and used his wand to burn the ink into Sirius'
shoulder blade. It took thirty minutes as he sealed it over. He added a quick charm over the
tattoo, making each animal move in their area of the crest.
"Done. It looks great, Sirius," Larry told him.
Sirius grinned, jumping to his feet and checking out his back in the mirror. "Yeah, it does.
Great work!" He turned and grinned at his friends. "Who's next?"
James pulled off his tee shirt and hopped up onto the table. "Me. Same spot," he said, lying
on his stomach.
Peter went third.
"Left shoulder blade?" Larry asked, holding his wand in his hand.
Peter shook his head. "No. I want it here," he said pointing to his right forearm. "Here by the
base of the wrist. I want to see it."
James grinned and slapped his friend on the back. "Perfect place, Wormtail!"
Peter grinned, tugging his shirt off so that the artist had better access.
When he was done, the three of them turned to Remus.
He only smiled and pulled his own shirt off. None of them commented on the multiple white
scars. They only smiled at him.
He sat in the chair and smiled at Larry. "On my shoulder please," he said tapping the top of
his left arm, a spot he knew wasn't scarred. "Right at the top."
Sirius grinned widely. "Great choice."
When Remus' tattoo was inked, James pulled a camera from his bag. "Larry, would you
mind?"
Larry grinned at them, accepting the camera. "Not at all."
James and Sirius turned so that their tattoos were visible. Remus stood sideways in between
the two of them, his left shoulder visible, and Peter stood next to James, holding his forearm
out. When the camera flashed, the four of them grinned widely at each other.
"My mum is so going to kill me," Peter said as he looked at the tattoo of the four moving
animals with a grin. "Worth it."
Remus laughed, looking at his shoulder with a big smile. "Definitely worth it."
"Hey, Lar, you got time to do one more quick one for me?" Sirius asked as the three of them
rolled their eyes.
"Sirius! What do you want on your body now?" James asked in bewilderment.
Sirius grinned at them. "'Mischief Managed' right across here, wicked right?" he asked as he
pointed to his collarbone.
James laughed. "It's totally you — do it!"
Sirius sat back in the chair and grinned. "Oh, I plan on it."
The One Where Remus Learns Why
Author's Note:
Well, since today is Sirius Black's birthday (if he were alive in 2022, he would be celebrating
63 today and obviously still hot as fuck). So Happy Birthday, Sirius!
Thank you so much! Over 500 reviews on fanfiction, much appreciated! You guys rock!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Sets: Thank you for loving the tattoo moment with the
four Marauders. I think it showcases their relationship well. Thanks for reading Crazy Little
Thing Called Love! I wrote it eight years ago, so I hope it held up lol. Thank you. To
alix33: Of course Fee and Monty love Lily. You know that they've heard James talking about
her non-stop for 6 years lol. Thank you! To threereasonswhy: Thank you. I love the idea of
the Marauders getting a tattoo to show their friendship and brotherhood. I agree. Remus'
mum doesn't deserve what's happening to her and all we know is that she died, so I figured
an illness like this makes sense. Poor Remus. Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Thank you for
liking my Jily and my Marauder dynamics! They have been fun to write. Thank you! To
ellyann13: Yes, no one is surprised by Petunia here lol. Exactly, James just needs to be there
for his friend. I think Walburga has spies and just knows things about her son's activities.
Thank you. To ascfan: Thank you! To Bellmel: Yes, Jily is official! James is in love and
Sirius is in love with his new motorbike, life is good lol. Remus is definitely dealing with a
lot, coming home for the summer and learning his mother's illness. Lily is definitely falling
fast for James and seeing how much he loves his friends is making it harder not to love more
things about him. Yes, matching tattoos and even Peter. No one believed he would hurt them
in the end. I'm sorry that it makes you want to cry. Thank you for slipping this in at the last
minute. You're the best! Thank you!
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO:
The One Where Remus Learns Why
August 1977…
Three days after getting their tattoos, Remus had shown up in Somerset, tears rolling
down his cheeks. He knocked on the door, trying to stop the tears but unable to contain them.
James opened the door with a big wide smile and Remus emitted a strangled sob out of the
back of his throat.
"Moony!" James exclaimed, throwing his arms around his friend and tugging him into the
house. "What is it? What's happened? Is your mum all right?"
Remus clung to James, the sobs wracking his body. Fleamont came into the entranceway, his
eyebrow raised before moving to wrap his own arms around his son and his friend.
"It's okay, Remus. Come on; let's go take a seat, shall we?" Fleamont suggested, leading
Remus into the living room. "Jamie, go and get Sirius."
James only nodded, turning to find Sirius standing there already. "Padfoot."
Fleamont kept his arms around Remus, until he pulled back, wiping at his eyes in
embarrassment.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Is your mother all right, son?"
Remus nodded. "Yes."
Euphemia came into the living room holding a tray of tea and biscuits. She placed it onto the
table, moving to sit on the other side of Remus and wrapped her arms around him, cradling
his head to her breast as if he were a child.
"How's my boy doing?" she asked as she gently brushed her fingers through his hair, leaning
down to kiss a new scar just below his ear. "Always so brave."
He blushed and hugged her back, letting her cuddle him into her bosom as James and Sirius
moved towards him.
"I'm sorry to just show up like this," Remus began, but James shook his head.
"Don't be daft! What happened?"
Sirius nodded, sitting on the floor at Remus' feet. "Want us to get Peter here?"
Remus shook his head, wiping furiously at his eyes. "No, it's… stupid. I'm making a big deal
out of nothing. I don't want to bother Peter too."
Fleamont shifted over so that his son could sit next to his friend. "I doubt that. Would you
like us to leave you boys alone to talk?"
Remus squeezed his hand gratefully. "It's all right. I know you… you know what I am — a
monster."
Sirius scowled and James's eyes hardened.
"Stop fucking calling yourself a monster, Rem! You are the furthest thing from it!" James
exclaimed as Sirius nodded from the floor beneath them.
Euphemia leaned over and kissed Remus' cheek. "You are a sweet boy — young man," she
corrected, her eyes smiling warmly. "My boys are all young men now."
Remus blushed at her words — my boys. Euphemia and Fleamont treated Sirius, Remus, and
Peter, all like they were their own children and he had never felt so blessed as he did when
they were around. He closed his eyes as he spoke.
"I found out… I know how I…"
"How you what, Moony?" James asked, his eyes on his friend and his arm gently linked
through Remus'.
Sirius reached up and touched Remus' other arm. "You can tell us, Rem."
Remus let out a slow breath. "I know why I was bitten."
Euphemia gasped. "Remus, knowing the why of it doesn't matter! It happened a very long
time ago."
Fleamont reached behind his son and Remus to touch his wife's shoulder, shaking his head.
"He should know, Fee. Why do you think you were bit, Remus?"
Remus swallowed slowly, focusing on the feel of his two best friends as they touched his
arms in reassurance of their presence. "My father… it was Dad. He… he made an enemy of a
werewolf named Fenrir Greyback."
Sirius' eyes widened. "Greyback? That vicious bastard who's following Voldemort and
attacking all of those Muggles?"
"One in the same," Remus muttered.
"How did your dad know him?" James asked, patting Remus' arm gently.
Remus' hands turned into fists as he spoke. "Dad used to work in the Department for the
Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Ironic that his son would turn into a dangerous
creature," he muttered, wincing when James and Sirius both kicked him lightly. "Sorry. But
he… Greyback was questioned over the death of two Muggle children, not surprising, I
know. Dad said that back then the Werewolf Registry wasn't controlled very well because
everyone was so afraid of werewolves that they didn't press trying to find out who they were
because they wanted to make every effort possible to avoid them all together. Greyback
claimed that he was just a Muggle and a vagabond at that, who was shocked to even be in a
room full of wizards in the first place. But my dad, he… he didn't trust him and he thought
that he exhibited specific signs of lycanthropy, specifically in his behaviour. He tried to get
the committee to hold him for twenty-four hours because the full moon was coming up, but
the committee thought that he was innocent and told Dad that he was mad. They laughed at
him."
Euphemia rubbed Remus' back gently, her hand squeezing his. "He was embarrassed."
Remus nodded, swallowing slowly. "He… he got so angry and he yelled out that all
werewolves are 'soulless, evil, and deserving of nothing, but death.'"
"Rem," James said, wrapping his arm across his friend's shoulders. "Rem, he didn't know.
Like you said, no one really knew about werewolves except to be afraid of them. He didn't
know. He didn't mean what he said."
"He did mean it!" Remus insisted, pulling away from his friends and standing up. He dragged
his hands through his wavy hair, his eyes wide. "Soulless evil! That's what he thinks of me!"
"No, he doesn't!" Sirius exclaimed. "Your dad loves you. Whenever I come to visit, he does
nothing but boast about how smart you are, what kinds of things you've learned at school, and
to go on about how happy you are and how happy it makes him. He doesn't think that you are
soulless and he certainly doesn't think that you're evil."
Remus didn't respond. He stood in the middle of the room, both of his hands still clutched in
his hair as he spoke. "Dad was removed from the Ministry. They were going to alter
Greyback's memory so that he wouldn't remember the Ministry of Magic, but he
overpowered them with the help of two accomplices, who had been lying in wait for him, and
he remembered what Dad had said about him and… he told his pack. He found out where we
lived and two months before my fifth birthday, he snuck into my bedroom window and he…
Dad saved my life, but he was too late for…"
Euphemia stood up, wrapping her arms around Remus, ignoring his attempt to get free. "And
your father realized that everything he had ever thought about werewolves was false. You
were still his son. His pride and joy. The clever and lovable child that he knew and admired
and on those frightful periods of the full moon when he was forced to watch you suffer, his
heart broke a little more each time."
"He hates me, Fee. I'm a monster!" Remus murmured into her shoulder and then he began to
cry again, his arms clinging to her as she soothed him.
After a few minutes, when he pulled away, wiping tears from his eyes, Fleamont stood up and
wrapped an arm around his wife. "Remus, I knew your father before you met Jamie. I didn't
know that his son had been bitten by a werewolf, but I did know that Lyall Lupin was
spending his time doing endless research on werewolves, on lycanthropy, and on how to find
a cure for it. He came to me about a potion, something that could take away your pain during
a transformation. Of course, he didn't say those words, only that he was wondering if there
was a way for a werewolf to undergo the transition without the pain. To be honest, I thought
maybe that he had been bitten and was looking for himself, but there's nothing. I gave him a
few healing and painless potions, but he always came back claiming that they hadn't worked.
Then about four years before you went to Hogwarts, he disappeared, and I never heard from
him again. He uprooted your family over and over again, Remus, to keep you safe," Fleamont
insisted.
Remus shook his head, but he didn't speak.
James and Sirius each moved from their spot, taking Remus by the arm and tugging him over
to the couch to sit between them.
"Listen to Mum and Dad, Moony," James said kindly. "Why did your dad decide to tell you
this?"
"I asked him," Remus said simply. "Mum has been… she's speaking kind of incoherently
lately. The cancer is eating away at her brain and sometimes she's not always clear on what
she's saying and she said that… she told me that Greyback had bitten me because of Dad. I
demanded of him what she meant and well, it all came pouring out of him."
"What happened after he had told you?" Sirius asked, his hand squeezing his friend's lightly.
"I told him that I blamed him," Remus admitted, his voice low. "That I could have had a
normal life if he had just kept his mouth shut. We rowed about it. He yelled that he had given
up his life for me; to protect me because of a mistake that he had made. He said that he
regretted it more than anything, but that my being bitten was a wakeup call. He said that it
proved that werewolves could be human-like. 'Human-like,' those were his exact words."
James' eyes widened. "Remus, he didn't mean it like that."
"He loves you," Sirius insisted. "He loves you and he loves your mum. He doesn't think that
you're a monster. He knows that you're not."
Remus only stared at them. "He said that he loved me despite the disease and that my mum
had made him promise to take care of me. He said that with Mum getting sicker, I can't stay
there for the full moon that I need to find someplace to… Dumbledore said that I can go to
the shack."
James nodded, his eyes on his friend. "We'll be there, Rem. I promise."
"Peter too," Sirius said with a smile. "Prongs and I will bring him. He'll want to be there for
you."
Euphemia smiled, leaning down to kiss Remus' cheek. "And if you're not ready to go home
just yet, Monty and I will make up the cot in Jamie's room for you for as long as you'd like it.
You always have a place here with us."
"Thanks, Mrs Potter."
Fleamont snorted. "Remus, for the hundredth time, it's Fee and Monty."
"Or Mum and Dad," James supplied with a wink.
Euphemia kissed her son's cheek. "Jamie, go get the cot ready for Remus. Moony is going to
write a letter to his father letting him know where he is and when he will be going back
home. I think that you both need a cooling off period before you speak again."
Fleamont nodded. "Just remember, Remus. Parents aren't perfect. But your dad loves you
more than you can possibly imagine. The cottage in Wrexham, he and your mother moved
there to keep you safe when you were seven. He made sure that you had a safe place to stay
when you transformed. Don't let his biggest regret and his mistake influence your relationship
with him."
Remus only stared at them, his golden eyes wide. "Thank you."
Euphemia beamed at him. "While Jamie digs out the cot, you two can come help me with
dinner. We'll have steak tonight. Sirius, you can set the table while Remus helps me peel the
potatoes. I'm giving Darby and Rosa the night off so you boys will be helping me cook."
"Yes, Mum," James said as Remus and Sirius agreed.
Remus looked around at two of the three friends he considered brothers, his family, and
wondered how he'd gotten so lucky to have them in his life. Euphemia kissed his forehead
again and warmth spread through him. This was a family and he was thankful every day that
they'd let him be a part of it.
The One Where James Is Head Boy
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To A Huge Fan: Lyall definitely feels immensely guilty, but
he loves his son more than life and carrying the guilt around with him all these years makes it
that much harder. He knows he is to blame for the reason it happened and I can't imagine
how much that eats at him. Fee and Monty are great parents and I love them just adopting all
of James' friends without question. Thank you! To scrappy8: I know, poor Remus! Yes, the
Potters are very special people! Thank you! To ellyann13: Fee and Monty are the best.
Thank you! To threereasonswhy: Poor Remus indeed. Thank you! To alix33: Biscuits as in
cookies, not bread. Lyall is already grieving the loss of his wife and the stress is getting to
him. Thank you. To Sets: Remus has a good family, but seeing the Potters be a second family
to him was exactly what he needed. It does reflect on how Remus and Sirius will later treat
Harry. Goodness, the early fics are really not good lol. Feel free to skip those. Thank you. To
EnigmaticEmperor: Lyall does love him and he definitely didn't let the words out right.
Remus has every right to be upset, but the two of them will work it out. Thank you. To
ascfan: I know, poor Remus. Thank you!
To saucyswimmer: I agree, Remus deserves all of the love and support. Yes, his life does get
harder as will see in ASC. Thank you! To MissKnowItAll: Yes, a lot of the snippets are from
ASC with more detail and some are new. That was the plan. Thank you. To Slaidback: It is
basically an allegory to having a disability or health condition and the way people are
unfairly treated for having such. Thank you. To Emma Janet: It is a complicated situation
for Remus. Lyall didn't understand and when he did, it was too late. Thank you.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE:
The One Where James is Head Boy
August 1977…
Lily Apparated to Somerset, still reeling in the news that she had made Head Girl. She'd
practically screamed in excitement when she'd received the letter which had come fairly late
this year. She wondered if the lateness was a mix of the darkness that seemed to be gripping
the magical community on top of Dumbledore's lack of finding a new Defence Against the
Dark Arts teacher. Rumour was the job was cursed and so far she'd had six different
professors, none of them overly memorable.
She made her way through the gate, the warding already set to allow her in. She'd barely
knocked on the door before James pulled it open and tugged her inside for a long kiss that left
her breathless.
"Hi," she whispered.
James merely kicked the front door closed and pinned her back against it, his hands on her
hips as he leaned in to kiss her again. Lily's hands slid up his back and into that soft hair as he
kissed her slowly, passionately. Desire tore through her and when his hands slid down to cup
her arse, she put her hands on his chest.
"Mmm… I missed you too."
James grinned widely, his grey eyes twinkling at her. "What do I owe this surprise visit? Not
that I'm complaining."
"I have something amazing to tell you."
James slipped his hand in hers and gestured for her to walk around the house with him
through the back garden. "Let's walk. Remus is sleeping inside. He had a row with his dad."
"Oh, no," Lily said, looking up at her boyfriend. "Is he all right?"
James nodded. "Yeah. He will be. Just on top of dealing with his mum's sickness, it was a lot.
They just need some time apart. Mum and Dad are coddling him. So, what's this amazing
news?"
Lily stopped him near the guest house, taking his hands in hers. "I'm Head Girl," she said,
biting her bottom lip to stop herself from shrieking in joy again.
"No surprise there! Congratulations!" James exclaimed. He kissed their joined hands and
grinned widely at her. "I, um, I have some news as well."
"Is Remus Head Boy?" Lily asked, smiling up at him.
James shook his head. "No, actually… I am."
Lily's smile faded as she stared at him for a moment. "Are you joking?"
"No, I'm not."
James reached into his pocket and pulled out the badge to place in her hand. Lily stared open
mouthed down at it.
"Dumbledore chose me."
"But… why?"
"He said that I have great leadership potential, but I see you disagree," James said, hurt
flashing across his face.
"No," Lily said quietly. "I don't disagree. I'm in shock." She handed the badge back to him.
"I'm surprised hat he chose you, not that you don't deserve it, of course. James, you're one of
the strongest and smartest people that I know. Brilliant actually, and everyone likes and
respects you. Or is in awe of you. You've matured a lot over the last year. You're a natural
born leader. You're the leader of your group, the Marauders. Sirius is like the goofy deputy
minster who could easily take over, but is a better follower than a leader. They look to you
and I can see why Dumbledore saw that as a good quality in a Head Boy. I'm just completely
shocked that he trusts you to use it responsibly."
James grinned then. "You don't think that I'm responsible?"
Lily wrapped her arms around his waist and stared up at him, a big smile on her face. "We're
going to have our own private little flat. Do you mean to tell me that you won't take full
advantage of that situation?"
"Lily… you know how much I want you, but I would never take advantage of—"
"I know," she whispered, placing her finger over his lips. "I was just teasing. It was a poor
jest."
His eyes darkened. "I know we haven't been dating that long, just over two months, but fuck,
Lily… I want you all the bloody time."
Lily let him pull her behind the house elves' cottage and pin her against the stone. "Kiss me,
James."
He did.
He kissed her with an inch of her life and she was still clinging to him, begging for more. His
lips moved down her neck and his hands slid under her shirt and she arched towards him,
trying to get closer to his touch. When those lips began to suckle her through her shirt, her
head fell back and her fingers clutched his hair to hold him closer.
"James…"
His hands slid down, over her arse and around. He sucked her nipple through her shirt and
bra and the intensity of the heat from his mouth had desire coursing through her. When his
hand slid under the cotton band of her trousers, she only moved closer to him.
His fingers slipped into her knickers and she whimpered.
Merlin, James Potter had his hand in her knickers.
She had never imagined this would happen. When those fingers began to play with her, she
let out a soft gasp that made him suckle her breast harder. And when they slid into her, she
cried out his name on a shuddering breath.
"Lily," he moaned. "Oh, Godric…"

She bit her lip, her eyes on his as she rode his fingers and when she reached the point of no
return, his name burst from her lips on a desperate pant that made him smile. He kissed her as
she finished, nipping at her lips in quick bites.
"I can't wait to have our own little private dorm, Evans," he teased. "Because I definitely
want to do that again."
Lily's cheeks were flushed as his hand slid out of her shorts. "That was…"
James kissed her cheeks, her nose. "Brilliant? Amazing? James, you're a god, please do go
on…"
Her lips curved. "Lovely, you dork."
James kissed her once more, resting his forehead against hers.
"I'm so proud of you, James," Lily said, her eyes on his. "Really. Head Boy is a great honour
to receive from Dumbledore. You should be very proud."
James smiled. "Do you really mean that?"
"I really mean that. I'm incredibly proud of you."
Sirius called his name in the distance and he sighed, pecking her lips once more.
"Come on. Stay for dinner. We can celebrate together. It will cheer Rem up to have you here
and to know that you are the Head Girl."
"Are you sure?" she asked. "I don't want to intrude?"
"I'm sure," he said, straightening her shirt as they headed out to greet Sirius.
Sirius wiggled his eyebrows at them. "And just what were you two doing back there?"
"Lily's Head Girl."
"Of course she is. Congratulations. Come on, Fee's making Rem play the piano. He'll be
happy to see you."
Lily smiled up at James as he put his arm around her shoulders and led her inside and thought
seventh year was going to be the best year yet.
The One Where Sirius Is Disappointed
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Bellmel: I love showing how besotted James is with Lily
and showing her how much she wants to be with him is a fun plus. Harry does wish he could
say the same thing about non memorable professors LOL. Thank you! To Guest: Thank you.
To alix33: Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: I like to think Lily would be incredibly
supportive as she would understand it. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you! To
ellyann13: James is dealing with Remus that's why he didn't rush off to tell Lily. Thank you.
To threereasonswhy: I love Remus playing the piano, too. Thank you! To Sets: Sorry, I
didn't write the details about Snape's hair appointment lol. Thank you! To ascfan: Lily and
James are definitely growing closer. Thank you!
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR:
The One Where Sirius Is Disappointed
October 1977…
Sirius was sitting in the clocktower courtyard with James, Remus, and Peter when Evan
Rosier marched over, sneering. He insulted Mary McDonald, who Remus was currently
dating, and called her a Mudblood. Sirius stood up, threatened him, and Rosier scoffed.
"Piss off Black, just because your little brother went and signed up for the right side doesn't
mean that I'm going to stop being disgusted by the filth that I see walking around this
school!"
Sirius paled. "What did you just say?"
Rosier sneered. "Ask your little brother where his loyalties lie."
It had taken Sirius ten minutes to find his brother.
"What do you want me to say, Sirius?" Regulus demanded.
"I want you to tell me that it's a lie," Sirius insisted. "Tell me that Rosier is wrong. Tell me
that you're not signing up to become a fucking Death Eater, Reggie! You're only fifteen,
Reg!"
Regulus shrugged. "And what did you do at fifteen, Siri? Were you the good little boy who
always did what he was told?"
Sirius' lip curled. "There's a big difference between refusing to do what someone tells them
and joining a fucking group of psychos who want to destroy the world! Reg… do you really
believe in all that codswallop?"
Regulus stared. "I believe that you walked out on me and that I have a new family now."
Sirius watched him walk away, his mouth open in shock.
He punched a hole through their dormitory wall when he made it back to Gryffindor tower.
James and Remus had held him down as he cried and screamed at his brother's betrayal. At
how it was all his fault that he had chosen to follow Voldemort; how he never should have
left home, but had stayed and let his mother keep torturing him to keep Regulus safe — and
when Peter had come in after detention and heard about what had happened, he had joined
them in the group hug.
"Regulus made his own choice, Padfoot," Peter whispered. "It's not your fault."
But his words rang on deaf ears because Sirius knew that wasn't true. He wasn't disappointed
in his brother, no… he was disappointed in himself for letting it happen.
The One With Jily
Author's Note:
Well, I saw Wakanda Forever last night and I cried like a baby. Absolutely stunning visually
and seriously an amazing film. One of the better Marvel ones that have come out since End
Game. Very well done!
For those of you who celebrated a moment of silence today to honour the men and women
who gave their lives in the First World War and for all of those who have given us the
freedoms we have today since then, on the Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh
Month, We Will Remember Them. Thank you for your service. 🇨🇦
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To scrappy8: Thank you! Yes, Sirius does hold fault over
himself when it comes to his little brother's choices. Thank you! To Sets: It is very telling to
how Harry deals with things himself. Thank you! To alix33: I know, poor Sirius. Thank you!
To ellyann13: Possibly, but blame is hard to explain when you feel it. Thank you. To
darkhk: No one wants Sirius to be sad, but he is. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Sirius
does feel as if he's abandoned Regulus and even though it wasn't his fault, he feels that it is.
Thank you! To threereasonswhy: Sirius was doomed to this fate from the start. The Star
Brothers, lol. Sounds like an interesting fanfic. Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Grief is a
very powerful emotion. Thank you for saying I am successful at writing it into the experiences
of fictional characters. I do try my hardest to do so. Thank you! To Slaidback: "Short, but
like a punch to the solar plexus." Thank you! I consider that a high compliment! To
Bellmel: No, I suppose the title didn't bode well. You're right, it makes sense for Regulus to
feel abandoned and you can see how both boys have suffered because of how Walburga and
Orion treated Sirius. I love James and Remus being there to hold him as he cried and
screamed. He has his brothers to love and comfort him even when his biological brother has
abandoned him. Thank you!
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE:
The One With Jily
November 1977…
James was awoken to the feel of soft lips pressing against his neck. He made a half moan,
half sigh before he turned towards the lips and the smell coconut, flowers, and vanilla. His
lips curved.
"Lily?"
He opened his eyes and saw his girlfriend sitting on the side of his bed in his dormitory. He
blinked at her, only seeing the blurry outline. She seemed to notice because she bent lower to
kiss him.
"Morning, James."
"Good one so far," he said, pulling her down on top of him and making her laugh.
He pinned her beneath him in the big bed, kissing her deeply before he snuggled her into his
arms and rested her cheek against his bare chest. The last few months, having the Head
dormitory to themselves, it had been amazing. They stayed up late, snogging on the sofa,
sometimes even snogging in James' bed, and he relished every moment of being with her.
Kissing Lily was like being in the sunlight and he never wanted to leave the feeling of that
warmth that surrounded him.
"We should stay right here all day," he said, kissing the top of her head.
"In your bed?" she teased.
James nuzzled his nose against her hair. "Most definitely."
Lily smiled, turning so that her chin was resting on his chest, staring up into his eyes. "I
couldn't sleep."
James lifted an eyebrow.
"I couldn't stop thinking about you."
His lips curved. "Oh, really?"
"James… last night you said…"
"Did you think about it?" he whispered, those hazel eyes meeting hers.
"All night," she admitted, her hand sliding down his chest to cup him through his pyjama
bottoms. "I don't want to wait any longer. I want you. I want this. Please, James."
James' eyes met those green ones, as emerald as could be. He'd never seen anyone with such
beautiful green eyes. "Lily…"
The growl that escaped his throat as she turned in his arms made desire rush through him.
Last night, he'd been willing to wait as long as she wanted, but having her here now, in his
arms… he wanted to never stop touching her. He wanted her to clench around his fingers,
around his tongue, and he most definitely wanted to sink deep inside of her where he
belonged.
"Kiss me."
James leaned in and hovered his mouth over hers, deliberately not touching them. Then his
lips moved down her throat, lower and lower until the tip of his tongue brushed along the
edge of the cotton nightshirt she wore and her breath hitched. His grin widened as his hands
slid up the sides of her top, bolding pulling it over her head.
"You're sure?"
"I've never been more sure," she told him. "Kiss me. Please, James."
He did; his hands slipped to her waist and pulled on the string of her cotton pyjama bottoms.
Lily's breath caught before she helped him tug them down and off, tossing them over the side
of the bed. The look in her eyes made him even harder.
Her hands slid up his back as he tapped his fingers along the edge of the pink bra she wore.
He undid the clasp and tugged it off, tossing the bra next to them on the pillow as his name
broke her lips in a soft whisper that made him yearn for her even more.
Then he lowered his mouth and boldly took one of this soft pink peaks between his lips. Her
body exploded. It was the only word that she could think of to describe the sensations
wracking through her. She wore nothing but a small pair of pale pink cotton knickers and it
alarmed and fascinated her at the same time. When his teeth nipped her, she gasped.
"James…"
James brought his hands up to cup her, pleased that she spilled over his hands just enough.
"You're so beautiful."
"I want you to make love to me."
His eyebrow rose. "With."
"What?" she asked, her eyebrows raising up in surprise.
"You want to make love with me, there's a difference."
He bent his head down again to nibble at her breast.
"James," she murmured. "I want…"
He cupped her through the pink cotton and her head rolled back. "I know, love. I'm going to
help with that. I promise."
Lily's eyes met his, already darkened with the first dregs of pleasure. "I'm going to hold you
to that, James Potter."
His cocky grin made her clench her thighs in anticipation.

James' mouth moved to her earlobe as one hand tapped her hip and the other slid up, captured
a breast and tweaked the nipple enough for her to cry out. He kissed down her throat,
stopping to suck on her pulse points and her fingers latched into his hair. His lips curved
against her throat; she trembled. His mouth moved lower, back to her breast.
Merlin, they'd been dancing around this for weeks now. It seemed like every night, they
would come back to the head dorm and snog and touch and grind until they could barely
breathe before Lily would say goodnight and leave him aching for her. She wasn't ready yet,
and he understood that. But Godric it felt like forever, but he'd waited and now she was here,
in his bed, practically naked and begging him…
Lily ran her hands over his back. His lips ran over her skin, moving to her lips for a deep kiss
and then gliding away to do delicious things to her. He kissed each nipple, soft kisses down
her stomach, tongue dipping into her bellybutton and she arched towards him, unsure of what
to do as her hands touched that soft skin; over the firm muscles in his back. He slid her
knickers off, slowly, letting his lips trail down every inch of her right leg where the knickers
passed. When he finally slipped them off of her, he nibbled at her toes before moving to her
left foot and slowly up her left leg. By the time that he reached her mouth again she was
practically panting.
James nibbled at her lips, soft and slow, and then deep and greedy. She was everything that
he had imagined and more. This was Lily. His Lily, so beautiful, so perfect, so soft. She tasted
like Lily. A flavour he couldn't quite describe, but was the only thing that he craved. As his
lips brushed her ear he spoke, his voice deeper, huskier and it sent shivers down her spine.
"I want to hear my name."
"James," she said, her fingers in his hair, playing with the nape of his neck.
"Mmm, I want to hear my name as I pleasure you."
Then his fingers were inside of her and she did cry out his name; cried out for the release that
she so desperately craved. But then they were gone, kneading her hips, her soft waist as he
moved his lips down her body.
Lips touched her everywhere. It seemed to be too much. It was so much and so hot and so
overwhelming. The heat was intense and she continued to arch towards him, desperate for
him to give her more, to make her feel the pleasure he kept promising and stop this frantic
ache inside of her. Then her eyes widened when his lips brushed low on her thigh and his
tongue slid into her.
She went wild beneath him.
"James," she sobbed, her hands in his hair as he made love to her with his mouth.
The way her voice became husky caused him to throb violently in his boxers. When he
managed to catch her in just the right way, she erupted. The sound of his name raining out of
her along with her sighs of pleasure only reminded him of how hard he was.
"Good girl," he breathed.
He continued to kiss her, nibbling and sucking, building up the pleasure inside of her again
before he kissed his way back up her body. He let his tongue trail over her breasts, kissing her
in every place his mouth could find. She tugged him up by his hair, kissing him desperately
and he rolled her over so that she was on top, shimmying out of his boxers as he did.
"Lily," he murmured, kissing her neck. "I need… I need to be inside of you."
Her green eyes moved down to his rather impressive cock and she nodded, swallowing
nervously. He kissed her forehead, then her lips as he slowly and carefully lowered himself
into her. She was so tight and he closed his eyes to stop himself from going off like Vesuvius
before he had even gotten started. He had to be strong, this was her first time and he wanted
to make it good for her.
He opened his eyes and looked down at her.
She was magnificent. She was flushed from pleasure. Auburn hair tumbling down her back
and covering her breasts. Her eyes were a dark, intense green and they met his before she bit
her lip and urged him to go on. Achingly slow he moved over her, guiding her with his hips,
watching her face for encouragement.
"That's right, take me in," he whispered, brushing his lips over hers. "Good girl. Can you take
more?"
At her nod, he pushed himself in deeper, closing his eyes at how bloody amazing it felt.
Her hand moved down between them and she ran her nails gently across his abdomen.
"More," she murmured.
He trembled, slipping deeper inside of her until he was finally fully sheathed in her warmth.
She bit her lip and after a moment gave him a small nod. He slowly began to move, watching
her eyes widen in surprise and pleasure.
"Such a good girl," he said in her ear as their lips met.
He pressed against her with his fingers, rubbing her as he moved. Her nails dug into his
biceps and when he came, his teeth dragged across her shoulder.
She captured his mouth for a long kiss as he rode out his orgasm.
James buried his face in between her breasts, still deep inside of her. He nibbled softly at the
skin before him until he reached her lips. They kissed ever so slowly and when he pulled
away he gave her a wide smile.
"You're pretty damn good at that."
She laughed and kept her arms wrapped around him. "Beginner's luck?"
James fondled her breast as he grinned. "We'll have to do it again to make sure."
She smiled and kissed him again as he rolled over to snuggle her close. "Jamie?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. It was perfect."
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. "The second time will be better. I
promise. I'll make you come a few hundred times to make up for it."
Then his lips were on hers again and James couldn't imagine being happier than he was right
now.
The One Where They Talk About Europe
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Bellmel: Thanks, I read that in Blake's voice LOL. Thank
you for saying it was such an aw chapter, that's what I was going for. It's snippets and seeing
how it's come to this moment and how they are finally ready and James is just so sweet with
her and patient. Lily wants him. It's so significant to James, this moment, even though it's not
his first time like it is Lily's. Thank you for saying I did the scene justice. Thank you! To
threereasonswhy: Ha, sorry, I will not be writing that story, but thanks for thinking about
me. Thanks for saying their first time was perfect. To Sets: Nope, not a slow-burn, but this is
snippets too. Thank you! To ellyann13: Thank you. To scrappy8: Thank you! Yes, they are
finally together. To EnigmaticEmperor: Thank you! Yes, I did use pieces of the scene from
Crazy Little Thing Called Love, thanks for noticing! I loved that line too much so I wanted
to bring it into play here. Thank you! To ascfan: Thank you! To Nuno Neves: Yes, it was
their first time. Thank you very much for saying it was amazingly beautiful and romantic! To
alix33: It's written in snippets so you don't get everything, but yes, they used contraception.
Thank you. To saucyswimmer: Thank you for saying their first time was everything you
could have hoped for! James was determined to be as gentle and loving as possible!
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX:
The One Where They Talk About Europe
November 1977 - January 1978…
Lily couldn't explain how happy spending time with James Potter made her. She
couldn't stop smiling, and more than once, her friends had made note of it. There was
something about him that just made a smile appear on her face. He was kind and thoughtful.
He was sweet and a bit of a romantic. And when he kissed her, she was convinced that she
was going to melt into the floor.
Since they had finally become intimate, neither of them had any desire to sleep alone. James
more or less moved into her bedroom in the Head dormitory and she spent every night curled
up in his arms.
Not to mention what they did before they turned in for the night.
She couldn't keep her hands off of him.
Lily had no idea that sex could be like this. James was her first and the only man she ever
wanted to be with. It was why when he made faces at her or touched her knee or tilted his
head in just the right way that desire pooled between her thighs.
James Potter was damn good at making her want him and even better at showing her how
much. It had only taken two weeks of making love every night in bed before he'd locked her
in a broom cupboard and had his way with her against the wall. Considering she'd been riding
not only him, but his fingers while he'd suckled her breasts like a starving man, she'd
certainly enjoyed herself. The sounds she'd made had been downright filthy and when Sirius
had caught them coming out of the cupboard a little while later, she'd known they'd also been
a bit loud.
Sirius let his eyes travel over her body, the badly buttoned top, the messy hair and he
smirked. "Well, looks like Prongs' has been using his big cock to keep someone satisfied. I
had no idea you even knew such dirty words, Evans."
"Padfoot!" James blustered, his cheeks heating.
Lily blushed to the roots of her hair as well. "What do you want, Sirius?"
"I came to remind Prongs that it's the full moon tonight, but I didn't want to interrupt when
you were so loudly informing him that you were so close to coming."
Lily made a rude hand gesture and he grinned.
"Ready, Prongs?"
James nipped at Lily's lips before kissing her cheek. "I'll see you in the morning."
Lily told them to be safe and Sirius made a cross over his heart before he slipped his arm
around James' shoulders, steering him off. When James returned to the Head dorm in the
morning, Lily had jumped him. They'd had fast and hard sex right on the sofa before he'd
carried her to her bed where they did it all over again.
Neither of them could keep their hands off of each other. It was this constant need to be
touching, to be kissing. The more comfortable they became with each other, the bolder they
grew.
James made love to her on the counter of the bathroom of the Gryffindor Quidditch change
rooms. Lily snuck him into one of Slughorn's storage rooms and used her hands. James made
a midnight picnic by the Black Lake and they made love on the shore. Lily begged him to
take her on the balcony of the Astronomy Tower.
It was never enough.
It was why tonight they dismissed the prefects in the meeting and Lily's wand had locked the
door to the Head office immediately. James' eyebrow rose before he leaned back against the
desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Locking us in, Evans?"
"Clothes off. Now."
James' smirk almost made her want to smack him, but she ignored that urge and focused
instead on the more pressing one. Her eyes narrowed when James merely played with his tie,
loosening it slowly as he took his time, unbuttoning his shirt in slow motion.
Lily bit her bottom lip and moved to stand in front of him. "Get naked, Potter."
James pulled her up against him, his hand sliding down her thigh to cup her arse. "You first,
Evans."
They kissed and teased each other and when James finally shimmied her knickers down,
releasing the last bit of clothing between them, he lifted her up onto the desk and spread her
legs to stand between them.
"Gods, you're so gorgeous," he murmured, moving his lips over her shoulder. "Sometimes I
look at you and I still think this is all a fevered dream."
Lily framed his face with her hands. "It's not a dream, James. Kiss me."
He did, his fingers sliding down her stomach to touch her and Lily groaned against his
mouth.
"Is this what you want, Lily?" he growled. "You want to sit here on the desk we share in this
office and ride my fingers like a good Head Girl."
"Yes," she moaned, gasping when he slid a second finger into her. "More, James."
His thumb circled her and the pleasure that had been mounting while she'd watched him
instruct the prefects seemed to boil over. Her nails scratched his back as his lips moved lower
to suck on her breast.
"More what, Lily? I need to hear the words."
"Don't stop, James, oh gods, don't stop."
"Don't stop what?" he teased, pushing his fingers in as deep as they could go. "This?"
"Mmm," she moaned. "Yes… touch me."
And when he bent down to kneel in front of the desk and used his tongue, she dug her fingers
into his scalp and rode his face until she came. James kissed her thighs as he stood back up,
his glasses fogged from the heat of her.
"Good girl," he said, his thumb brushing her nipple. "Now, show me how good you are and
come a second time for me."
"James… I want you," Lily begged, her voice trembling. Her hand wrapped around him and
he bit his lip.
"Not yet, Evans. You have to come again first."
She did and when he finally slipped into her, she lost herself in his kisses and in him.
And the want never weaned.
They spent the holiday together, each spending time with each other's families as James was
subjected to meeting Petunia's fiancée, a rather unpleasant man named Vernon. Lily spent
more time with Euphemia and Fleamont and was instantly charmed by Fleamont's kind
manner and his amazing potion skills while Euphemia was all warm smiles and kind words.
When they returned to school, they spent more time holding hands and making love. This
was how they came to be lying together in the middle of the living room of the Head dorm,
both naked on the comforter that James had spread out on the floor. Lily's head was resting
on his chest as he ran his fingers up and down her back.
"Will it always be like this?"
"What?"
"Us," she whispered. "Do you think we'll always be this happy?"
James' smile made her heart race as she tilted her head back to look at him. "I'm certainly
going to do my best to keep you this way."
"With the war and Lord Voldemort… I'm almost afraid to leave Hogwarts in a few months,"
she admitted.
He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "We'll be together. All of us. We're not going to let
anything happen to you, Lily."
"It's not me I'm worried about," Lily admitted. "James, there's so much bad out there and
Voldemort's getting bolder. Being a Potioneer is all I've ever wanted, but I can't help but think
that I should be doing more to help."
"It will be helping," James insisted. "You're a bloody genius, Evans. You impressed my Dad
and frankly, when it comes to Potions, he's pretty hard to please. You should see how he and
Borage get along — it's oil and water. But not you. He adored you. You're going to do great
things to help, I know it. But we don't have to jump straight into it all. I thought you wanted
to travel?"
"I do," she admitted.
Lily had always fantasized about taking a gap year after Hogwarts. She wanted to explore the
world and spend some time in different countries eating cuisine and exploring the history.
She'd dreamt about it since she was a little girl and now with the magical world only seeming
to grow darker day by day, she couldn't help but wonder what trying to start a life in these
turbulent times was going to be like.
"Let's go," James said, pressing his lips to her shoulder as he covered her body with his.
"Go where?"
"Everywhere," James said, his lips brushing over her cheeks. "You and me. Sirius, Remus,
Peter, Marlene, Hestia, Mary, Alice, and Frank… everyone. Let's travel this summer."
"We can't just decide to go," Lily began. "It takes planning and money and… there's a war
going on."
"So what?" James argued. "It will still be here when we get back."
Lily started to argue that it wasn't a reasonable excuse to travel, but she didn't know what to
say.
"Rome. Paris. Florence. Nice. Barcelona. Madrid. Cádiz. Porto. Lagos. Munich. Dresden.
Vienna. Anywhere you want to go, let's do it."
"Jamie… we can't just say we're going on a trip across Europe…"
"Why not?" he asked. "When school ends, Lily, let's go. Let's see the world together When
we come back, we'll settle into our lives with our jobs and all of that grownup stuff, but we
deserve this first."
"I…"
He kissed her temple. "I have the money."
"It's… no, I have money to use. I won't let you pay for everything."
James' hazel eyes sparkled. "So, we're going then?"
Lily hesitated. Merlin, it was so out of the blue. They couldn't just make a decision like this
and keep to it, right? But when she looked into his excited eyes, all she saw was happiness
and delight.
"Yes. Let's do it."
James pecked her on the lips. "Excellent! I can't wait to show you the world."
Lily slid her hands up his chest and brushed her thumb over his lips. "You are my world,
James Potter. I love you."
His eyes widened in surprise. "You — what?"
"I love you," she whispered. "I was waiting for you to say it first, but I… I love you, James."
James' mouth met hers for a long kiss that seemed to go on forever. When he finally let go,
his eyes said everything. "You know I've loved you forever."
"I know," she whispered. "I'm sorry I pushed you away and made you wait for me."
"I'm not," he said, kissing her again. "I needed you to do that. I needed to wake up and see
what a prat I was. I needed to prove I loved you."
"No," Lily said, cupping his cheek. "You didn't need to prove anything to me. I needed to
admit to myself that you've held my heart for years."
His slow smile made desire pool between her legs. "Years, huh?"
"Yes. I just didn't want to admit it aloud."
"Well, you did call me an arrogant toe rag once."
"It was warranted."
He grinned. "I bloody love you, Lily Evans. I'm going to marry you one day."
Lily danced her fingers over the nape of his neck. "I just might let you. If you ask, of course."
James pecked her lips. "I will and you'll say yes because you love me."
"I do love you."
"Say it again, Evans."
"I love you."
"Good girl," he growled, kissing his way down her chest. "Now, you're going to keep being a
good girl and come for me. Then we'll go find the guys and tell them that we're in love and
going to Europe."
His lips brushed against her core and she trembled.
"No," she murmured as he licked her. "You're going to make me come twice, James, and then
we'll tell them in the morning at breakfast."
His grin widened. "Good girl."
And when his mouth returned to her clit, she lost herself in his touch and a vision of a future
with the man she loved.
The One With PS I Love You
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Bellmel: You know Sirius was definitely smirking like
mad and most definitely teased them from then on out. It's true, it's very good Harry doesn't
know how frisky his parents were around the castle lol. It is bittersweet to watch them make
all of these excited future plans, knowing that their future only has a few more years left.
Thank you! To Sets: LOL. I think being a hormonal teen himself, Remus gets used to it.
Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Thank you! To alix33: Thank you! To Nuno Neves: It
is sad that most of the friends they mentioned end up dead while they are dreaming of and
planning of a better future. I definitely picture Jily as an interesting mix between Hinny and
Romione, so thanks for seeing that. Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Thank you! To
threereasonswhy: I know, poor Jily. No, I will not be covering Regulus' death in this story
outside of a brief mention. Sirius never knows the truth of it until much later. Thank you.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lyrics to "PS I Love You" by the Beatles.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN:
The One With PS I Love You
February 1978…
Lily stepped into McGongall's office that evening, a smile on her face. She and James had
spent the last two weeks making a detailed plan of all of the places that they wanted to travel
to. James promised to take her to see the Spanish steps, to the gold market in Florence, to the
beaches of Cádiz, to see an opera in Vienna, and so much more. She wasn't sure how she'd
gotten so lucky, but she knew that this was going to be the best summer of her life.
And then McGonagall had summoned her to her office and she'd suddenly known that
something was wrong.
"Miss Evans," McGonagall said when she'd entered. "Close the door please and have a seat."
Lily closed the door and sat down in the chair her professor gestured to. "Is everything all
right, Professor?"
McGonagall moved to sit in the chair next to Lily as opposed to the one across from her. "I'm
afraid that I have some bad news. Lily, word has just reached me that your parents were in a
car crash this evening."
"What? A crash? Are they all right?"
"I'm sorry, Lily, but they were both killed."
Lily stared at McGonagall for a full ten seconds, unblinking. "No… they… no."
"There was a drunk driver," McGonagall continued. "It was quick. I am so sorry, my dear, but
your parents have died. If there's anything you need…"
Lily didn't hear anything else that McGonagall said.
She couldn't focus.
She couldn't think.
She couldn't breathe.
When James' arms came around her she didn't even know when or how he'd appeared. She
could hear McGonagall saying something to him and him responding, but their conversation
was nothing more than a high-pitched ringing in her ears. She understood nothing. He
brought her back to the Head dorm and it was only when he pulled her into his lap and
cradled her against his chest that it all came rushing at her at once.
And the tears began to fall.
"Shh, I got you, Lily. I've got you, love. Let it out," he soothed, rocking her in his arms.
Lily clung to him as she cried, lost in her grief.
Over the next two weeks, James never left her side.
He went home to Cokeworth with her for the funeral and to help her deal with her parents'
things. Petunia was snooty with her, demanding that she take what she wanted and pack up
her own things as well.
"I'm selling the house, Lily," Petunia insisted. "What good is it going to do any of us just
sitting here? Vernon and I are getting married this summer."
"Selling the… where am I going to live, Tuney?"
Petunia scoffed. "I'm sure that you'll figure it out. You and those freakish friends of yours.
You don't need me or this house."
"Tuney —"
"Don't!" Petunia snapped. "Just take what you want, Lily. Or it will be sold."
James helped her pack up her things, sending it to Clevedon Court to be stored as she cried
over memories and told him stories about her parents. Petunia promised to write when the
house sold and declared that she would see her at her wedding in August. Lily wasn't sure
how to handle the obvious rejection that her sister didn't want to see her until then.
When she returned to Hogwarts, Sirius and Remus sat with her late into the night, asking her
questions about her parents and Lily thought that despite the loss, she still had a family. She
had brothers and a man she loved and friends who cared about her.
James took her hand in his and kissed her palm. "I love you, Lily."
"I love you, too," she told him and when his lips met hers, she knew she had everything she
would ever need right here with him.
~ TFTA ~
March 1978…
James had been gone for three days.
Sirius couldn't believe how quiet it was not having his best mate around. Lily was extra quiet;
working on her Head Girl duties and dutifully studying for exams — but Sirius knew that she
missed him. She was still grieving the loss of her own parents and James had hated that he
had to leave her alone for even a second.
But his dad had needed him.
Remus, Sirius, and Peter had all promised to make sure that she was all right in his absence,
but they weren't James and she knew it, no matter how much she appreciated them.
But on the third day of his absence, James' beautiful owl Poseidon came flying into the Great
Hall that morning and Lily's face had lit up when he flew towards her. Then she had looked
confused at the sight of the bright red envelope in his beak.
"A Howler?" she asked, her eyes wide in horror.
Sirius grinned taking the letter from Poseidon. "You better open it, Evans. You know what
happens when you don't. My mum used to send me enough of them. Trust me, I'm practically
an expert."
Lily hesitated before she carefully accepted the letter from Sirius' hand suspiciously. "Why
would he send me a Howler? I… I haven't done anything wrong. Absolutely nothing to
warrant a screaming letter!"
Sirius grinned, his eyes twinkling in mischief as it started to emit sparks. "Lil, it's going to
blow. Open it!"
Remus, tired of watching them arguing, had simply plucked the letter from Lily's grasp and
popped it open, dropping it in front of her as Peter stuffed his fingers in his ears in
anticipation of the screams that Sirius knew weren't coming.
The enveloped shrivelled up into a paper cut-out of James' face.
But it didn't scream.
Instead, the letter began to sing. James' soft melodic voice filling the Great Hall.
"As I write this letter, send my love to you. Remember that I'll always, be in love with you.
Treasure these few words till we're together. Keep all my love, forever. P.S. I love you; you,
you, you. I'll be coming home again to you, love. And till the day I do, love. P.S. I love you;
you, you, you! P.S. I love you; you, you, you! You, you, you! I love you."
When the letter finished singing, it merely lay down in front of her and folded in half and
Lily knew that if she just opened it again, James' voice would once more fill the Great Hall.
Tears welled up in Lily's eyes as some of the girls nearby made squeals of 'aww' around her.
Sirius draped his arm around her shoulders. "Looks like Jamie found a new way to use a
Howler, love."
Lily punched him lightly on the shoulder. "I'm completely mortified!"
Remus smiled at her. "And even more in love with him than you already were."
Lily's eyes lit up as she shook her head, a soft smile on her face. "Maybe." She kissed Remus'
cheek and then Sirius'. "But this tells me that he's coming home very soon!"
Sirius grinned at Remus as they watched Lily take the letter and hurry off. "That girl's got it
bad."
Remus laughed. "So does the boy who sang the love letter."
And the two of them just grinned at each other.

The One With the Proposal
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To EnigmaticEmperor: Petunia is definitely very vile! I love

the singing howler as well, thank you! To A Huge Fan: I love that something so short gave
you so many feels, thank you! Wow congrats on the adoption! I wish you nothing but
happiness in that regard and a lot of luck because kids are amazing and wonderful and a lot
of work. Wishing you and your partner all the best! Thank you! To Sets: Sirius totally told
James that Lily was in a funk. He definitely wants them both to be happy and we all know
that he was hands down, the biggest shipper of those two lovebirds, without a doubt. Thank
you! To ascfan: Lily is lucky to have James and for him to have her. Thank you! To
ellyann13: Family situations would trump those kinds of things in my opinion, or they
should. Thank you. To Bellmel: It's true, she had the Marauders and James to support her
in her grief, but let's be real, they would have been there for her regardless if her and James
were together. James is so wonderful! Hmm, that book isn't familiar to me? Thank you! To
ThomasAvery: Thank you very much!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lyrics of "Something" and "Love Is All I Need" those
belong to the Beatles.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT:
The One With the Proposal
April 1978…
When the package arrived from his mum, James shoved it into the pocket of his robes,
his cheeks heating. Sirius gave him a suspicious look over his porridge and James shook his
head, not wanting to draw attention to it. Sirius left him alone, but the moment they left the
Great Hall, his friend pulled him into the boys bathroom.
"What gives? Your mum sent a package and you looked like you were going to upchuck your
breakfast."
James chewed his bottom lip nervously. "It's nothing."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Liar."

James checked the stalls around them to make sure no one was around before he reached into
his pocket to pull out the box. When he opened it, Sirius' eyes widened.
"Holy shit! Is that… bloody hell, mate! Are you serious?"
"No, that's you."
Sirius gave him a pointed look. "Haha, now is not the time to use my own joke against me.
That was your grandmother's, right?"
James nodded, his foot tapping as he stared down at the ring. "Yeah. Gran left it to me when
they passed. It's been in my family for generations."
"And now you're going to really propose to Evans?"
"I love her, Sirius."
Sirius' eyes softened. "Fuck, I know that. You and her are made for each other. We all see it,
but marriage… mate, you're only eighteen."
"And she's Muggleborn," James said, his eyes meeting his friend's grey ones. "I don't want to
rush into anything, I'm not saying that we have to get married right now, but if she marries
me, she'll be safe, Padfoot. Not only will it protect her, but she'll have power and… she'll
become marchioness one day. The name Potter means something."
"Evans isn't going to let you marry her to protect her, Jamie. She doesn't want protection."
"Maybe not," he admitted. "But she's going to get it. She's it for me, Siri. She's my heart. I
want to wake up every morning with her next to me. I want to kiss her goodnight. I want to
have babies with her."
"Um, godfather status. I'm calling dibs now."
James snorted. "I didn't say that we were having babies right now."
"Yes, but in the future," Sirius prodded, his eyes twinkling. He glanced back down at the
Potter heirloom in his best mate's hands. "She's going to say yes."
James shoved the ring back into his pocket. "I hope so. I'm going to ask her tomorrow night."
"Why tomorrow?"
"Because we're both not patrolling and I still have to figure out how to… I want to make it
special, you know?"
Sirius draped his arm across James' shoulders. "Come on, let's go talk to Moony. He's good at
this kind of thing. Planning is his specialty."
James gave his friend a grateful look. "I want to ask her tomorrow, Siri."
"And you will," Sirius assured him. "But first, we have to make sure everything is just right."
After talking to Remus and Peter, it turned out that James really didn't have a plan.
"Absolutely not, Jamie," Remus insisted, shaking his head. "What makes you think Lily
would want the huge grand gesture to happen in front of the whole school? She never
responded to any of that when you asked her out."
"But this is a proposal," James said. "It's supposed to be grand and magical."
"Yes, it is," Remus agreed, "but grand and magical doesn't mean ginormous and public. This
is about the two of you, Jamie. It should come from the heart. It should be a moment just with
you two."
"Oooh, like naked," Sirius suggested.
Remus glared. "Do not be naked. Proposing marriage during sex is not recommended."
"Why not?" Sirius asked. "You're both happy and naked and all glowing from mutual
orgasms. Seems like it's the perfect time to me."
"Do not propose during sex. Or after sex," Remus insisted. "Trust me on this. Don't be
naked."
James looked unsure. "Why am I trusting you on this? When did you become the marriage
proposal expert?"
"James…"
"Okay, okay," James said, grinning at his friends. "I get it. Don't propose during orgasms.
Don't make it big and flashy and public. So how do I do it?"
"Keep it simple," Remus told him. "You and Lily love each other. Plan a romantic date for the
two of you, something you know that she'll love and then tell her how you feel. Ask her
then."
"Then have mutual orgasms to celebrate," Sirius said, popping a grape into his mouth from
the bowl of them that Peter was eating.
"That sounds like a good plan," Peter agreed, swiping the bowl back from Sirius.
Remus rolled his eyes. "Just be honest, James. Keep it simple and you'll be fine."
James looked around at his friends, his brothers, and nodded. It would definitely be fine.
He just needed to plan something romantic. Piece of cake, right?
~ TFTA ~
It definitely wasn't a piece of cake.

By the time the following afternoon had hit, James was starting to panic a bit. He'd roped
Marlene and Mary into helping him plan a rooftop picnic on the balcony of the Astronomy
Tower. Marlene insisted floating candles would make it romantic, but Mary thought it was
too over the top and instead suggested floating lanterns in soft colours. In the end, he decided
to go with the lanterns.
He spent two hours at the top of the tower, making sure the blanket was just perfect and
making sure that the lanterns floated high above them, but not too high, to provide light. He
sat his guitar on the side and snuck into the kitchens to ask the elves to prepare a meal for
them. He had a bottle of red wine, the sweet one he knew she liked, and most importantly, he
had the ring burning a hole in his pocket.
When he led her upstairs a few hours later, he was a complete nervous wreck.
"James," Lily breathed, her eyes widening at the sight before her. "It's beautiful. You didn't
have to do this."
"I know," he said, gesturing for her to sit down. "I wanted to. I thought we both deserved a
nice break before we're pulled into the craziness that is NEWTS."
"I can't believe there's only two weeks of left of classes and then we'll be in serious crunch
time."
"Then we'll go to Europe," he said, taking her hand and kissing it.
Lily's green eyes lit up. "I still can't believe that we're actually going."
"We are," he promised. "And it's going to be amazing."
James picked up the guitar, moving it into his lap.
Lily leaned back on her hands. "I love it when you play."
He smiled, strumming his fingers over the strings. "Good. Pour yourself some wine while I
just tune it up here."
Lily smiled back at him as she did just that, passing him a glass of wine. He took a sip as she
watched him. He cleared his throat and began to strum the guitar. When he began to sing, his
voice clear, her green eyes were full of admiration.
"There's nothin' you can do that can't be done. Nothin' you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothin' you can say, but you can learn how to play the game — It's easy. Nothin' you can
make that can't be made. No one you can save that can't be saved. Nothin' you can do, but
you can learn how to be you in time — It's easy. All you need is love. All you need is love. All
you need is love, love. Love is all you need."
When Lily only continued to smile at him, he kept strumming.
"There's nothin' you can know that isn't known. Nothin' you can see that isn't shown. There's
nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be — It's easy, it's with me," he teased,
making her chuckle. "All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love,
love. Your love is all I need."
"James…"
"My poetry's never been great," he began. "But the Beatles have never steered me wrong,
Lily. There's something in the way you move, attracts me like no other lover. Something in the
way she woos me… you're asking me will my love grow. It has, Lily. I've been in love with
you since I was thirteen years old. You've always been my beginning, my middle, and my
end. Your love is all I need."
He put the guitar down and opened the picnic basket in between them, sitting on top nestled
in a bouquet of pink orchids was a beautiful gold ring.
Lily gasped, her hands covering her mouth as she looked down at the breathtaking ring. The
eternity band was yellow gold with a large ruby shinning in the centre which sat atop a white
gold band with diamonds etched along the side. The centre ruby was encircled by diamonds
and small rubies were inside of the criss crossed middle of the eternity symbol. Additional
rubies were adjacent to the smaller ones, one on the upper outer leg of the "X" and one on the
lower leg.
It was truly breathtaking.
"I love you, Lily Evans. You are everything to me. You make me a better man, a better
wizard. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you. I want to spend
the next hundred years with you. I want to make babies with you. I want to travel the world
with you. Lily, would you do me the incredible honour of becoming my wife?"
Lily's eyes were wide in surprise, tears glistening in the emerald orbs. "Yes. Yes! A million
times, yes!"
James' smile was big enough to crack his face as he plucked the ring out of the flowers and
slid it onto her finger. "Yes? Really?"
"Really," she said, leaning in to kiss him. "You are all I need, James Potter. For now and for
always."
James cupped her face in his hands as they kissed and when she looked down at her ring, a
huge grin on her face, he couldn't help but grin back at her. "Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful," she whispered. "I… I've never seen a more beautiful ring, truly."
He kissed her finger around the ring. "It's been in my family for generations. My
grandmother always told me that it would be mine one day. The Potter ring for my future
marchioness."
Lily's eyes widened. "Your… wife. I just want to be your wife, Jamie."
"And you will be," he vowed. "But I'm a catch, Evans. Marrying me gives you all sorts of
extra benefits."
"I don't consider becoming a marchioness a benefit to marrying you."
James kissed her palm again. "Too bad. It's a good benefit."
Lily moved up to her knees, crawling over the basket to straddle his lap. "I can think of a few
more benefits to marrying you, James Potter."
"Oh? Like what?"
She linked her arms around his neck and brushed her lips near his ear. "I'm definitely only
marrying you for your huge cock and your talented mouth."
He chuckled. "Well, of course."
"But all we need is love," she whispered, kissing his ear.
His eyes danced in the light of the lanterns and when their lips met, he knew that her love
was all he needed.
The One Where Snape Says I Love You
Author's Note:
I don't know what's going on with the fanfiction site, but I have been receiving no email
notifications of when new stories are posted (my own or others I follow) nor emails about
reviews. I apologize for that, but please remember I am posting at my regular times and when
a new chapter is uploaded, it is posted on my tumblr as a reminder — breaniebree.
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Sets: Well, Remus is great at the advice giving, just not so
much at the follow through lol. To answer your second review — yes, yes it will be. Thank
you! To Emma Janet: Thank you! I think James Potter was a very natural romantic.
Unfortunately, Harry is not lol. Thank you! To Nuno Neves: Thank you! Of course James
wanted everything to be perfect and yes, using the Beatles in his proposal was just so
perfectly them in my opinion. Thanks for loving how they both reacted to the moment. Thank
you! To ellyann13: That is pretty accurate, yes. Thank you! To Padfoot777: Thank you for
taking the time to review it, I really appreciate it. I'm glad you think this is one of your
favourite chapters so far. Yup, Remus' advice was a bit ironic, wasn't it? LOL. Thank you! To
EnigmaticEmperor: Well, as I said, Remus gives great advice, he's just not great at
following it lol. Thank you for loving the proposal. Thank you! To A Huge Fan: Thanks for
saying the proposal was adorable. It is a good thing James has Remus as the voice of reason,
which makes it more sad when James isn't there to return the favour later on. Thank you!
To scrappy8: Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: Thank you very much! They were a lot of fun
to write! Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Thanks for loving the throwback to ASC for those
of you who have read ASC first. It was sweeter and more simpler terms back then. Thanks for
saying it's one of the best Jily proposals you've read! Thank you! To Bellmel: Thanks for
never tiring of how smitten James is with Lily. She is his whole world and he's not afraid to
show it. I love Sirius and Remus' taglines and advice on how and when he should propose.
Sirius, of course, was no help at all lol. Remus was very helpful and not at all willing to
follow his own advice when it's his turn. Yay! I'm glad you liked my James thought process
with "piece of cake, right?" followed immediately by, "it definitely wasn't a piece of cake."
LOL. Poor James, so worked up. I'm sorry I defaulted with the idea of them wanting to spend
the next hundred years together and not knowing they would only get three in return. Thank
you!
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE:
The One Where Snape Says I Love You
May 1978…
Lily sat in the Hogwarts library writing furiously with books spread around her. Her
long auburn red hair tumbled down her back and she pushed her fringe out of her eyes, trying
to focus on the words before her. She wore her dark black frames on her face which meant
that when a figure sat down across from her, she had to squint to see who it was. When she
realized it was Snape, she scowled and turned back to her homework.
"Is this seat taken?"
"I didn't say that you could sit here."
Snape sighed. "I need to talk to you."
"You lost that right a long time ago," Lily said, refusing to look up at him.
"Lily... how long are you going to shut me out?" Snape asked, sadness in his voice.
"How long before you apologize?" she demanded, finally snapping her gaze up to his.
Snape bit his lip. "I have. A hundred times over and you've just refused to hear me out."
"I've refused to… well, ever think that I might find it hard to trust someone who calls me
names behind my back."
"I wasn't... you're different," he said, desperately.
Lily took her glasses off, tossing them on top of her books as her green eyes flashed at his.
"I'm not any different from any other Muggleborn, Severus. Just because we were
friends once doesn't make me better than the others, but it does make you a bigot to think so."
Her eyes fell on the textbook in his hands and her gaze hardened. "James has been looking
for that."
"It's mine."
"It's not."
Snape put it on the table. "It's just a bloody textbook! I've added notes to it. Slughorn was
impressed with my last potion."
Lily reached for the book and flipped it open to the front page. "Still using this name
then? The Half-Blood Prince? Does it make you feel special, Sev? I get it, the play on words,
using your mum's maiden name... what do your friends think of you being a half blood?
"It doesn't matter," he muttered.
"But they think that you're beneath them, that your blood isn't as pure as theirs."
"You don't understand! You don't understand what we're trying to do! Or the new world that
we're trying to bring in!"
Lily scoffed, closing the book. "No, you're right. I don't understand. I don't understand how
you can pal around with people like that; how you can give yourself a nickname as if Death
Eater isn't already one. Do you really think that you'll become some clever gent like Lord
Voldemort? That people will fear the Half-Blood Prince? You're pathetic!"
Snape's eyes flashed. "You're the one who's pathetic, Lily Evans! Sitting there, pretending to
be better than me. We grew up almost the same: Poor as church mice, you're merely a
little better off than me. At least I can say I have dignity; that I'm not ashamed of where I
came from, while you're spreading your legs for a pureblooded trust fund! Once he realizes
that you're only after his money, he'll drop you faster than a Quaffle through a hoop!"
"Fuck you," Lily spat, gathering up her things. "James is ten times the man that you'll ever
be!"
"Lily, wait! I didn't mean that. It's just that Potter he… he gets me all riled up."
Lily's shoulders tensed as she stood. "James isn't even here, Severus. You can't always use
him as an excuse. Look, I won't tell him that you have his stupid textbook, I'll let you use the
advice in there from Fleamont. Someone who actually cares about potion making and isn't
just using it to try to get his old Mudblood friend back on his side."
Snape glared. "I don't need you! That's not what I'm using potions for!"
"You do need me, Severus, because the old Severus, the one I met before Hogwarts, would
never have fallen in with these Death Eaters. The old Severus was snarky, but kind. A good
friend; a brilliant Potioneer. Not the man that he's become now. The one who follows dark
lords and wannabe Nazis. He would have remembered the kind of man his father was and
remembered the promise he made to himself to be a better man than Tobias Snape. The new
Severus seems to have forgotten that. It may have taken me a long time, Sev, but I understand
now that I can't help you if you won't first help yourself. And by the way, not that you want to
know, but Vulnera Sanentur will do it."
"What?"
Lily's green eyes bored into his. "It leaves scars, but at least it will save their life."
Snape paled and stumbled back out of his chair. "I didn't mean... it was an accident, Lily. You
have to believe me! I didn't mean it!"
Lily's eyes were full of hate as she looked at him. "No one invents a spell to slice someone
open like that simply by accident, Severus. You're lucky that Sirius and I were there to save
him."
"That spell wasn't meant for Potter and you know it! He got in the bloody way! If he just
would have let me —"
"—let you what?" Lily interrupted. "Hit who you were aiming at? Sirius didn't deserve to be
hit with that curse anymore than James did! If James hadn't jumped in front of him and… We
used to be friends, Severus, and now… I don't even know who you are anymore!"
"Lily, Lily, please! You mean so much to me! Please, you just need to give me another
chance! You can help me be that person again, I know it."
Lily stared at him for a long moment. "No, I can't. I love James. I love him more than I can
put into words and we're going to be married. Yes, he's rich, but unlike you, he knows that I
couldn't care less about that. I may not come from much, that's true, but James doesn't care
where I came from. He cares about me. He doesn't care that my parents were Muggles. He
loves me for who I am; accepts my faults and flaws as much as my virtues. Agreeing to
marry him is the best decision that I've ever made. He makes me happier than I can even put
into words. I don't think that's something that you can ever accept."
"I lo —"
"—Don't say it," she interrupted. "Because that's a word that you don't understand."
"I always have," he croaked. "You just never gave me a chance."
Lily put her bag on her shoulder and put her glasses on the top of her head. "That's the
problem, Sev, I gave you too many chances."
His eyes widened and she cut him off before he could speak again.
"And if you really feel that way about me, Sev, it makes it so much worse to know that's how
you treat people you think you care about."
She walked off and left him sitting there, his head in his hands.
The One Where Lily Says Fleamont
Author's Note:
To those of you who follow on the fanfiction website, you have to go back into your account
and re-check notifications to get the proper email alerts for my stories and updates.
Apparently it resets every six months? Super inconvenient, I agree. Thank you in advance!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Bellmel: I don't think Snape knows how to do anything
outside of try to win Lily's affections or belittle her. Lily is done with him. She's given him
more chances than he deserves and watching her walk away was best for him. His anger over
her engagement to the man he hates most only makes it better. Thanks for loving the add in
about Fleamont's book as well! I love the idea of Fleamont being friends with Borage and
making notes in James' textbook of all of the things he didn't do properly and then James
adding to it and then Snape ultimately taking it and making his own notes. A little mix of
Potions' genius from all over. Thank you! To Sets: You're right, they are both right which
makes it worse. Thank you for seeing the parallels in his reaction to Zee and Sirius later on
as well. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: We did see parts of that chapter in a flashback (as
many of these moments and snippets are). LOL, no I can guarantee that TTTC will not have
more chapters than ASC (definitely not 1872 lol). You will have to wait and see on the
Godric's Hollow bit. Thanks for the second review! Thank you! To BabyMort: Great name
lol. It was one of my favourite add-ins back when Sirius first learned about Voldemort's
potion in ASC lol. Thank you!
To EnigmaticEmperor: Thank you! I think this is a very important scene for Lily because
she finally realizes how hopeless her friendship with Snape has become. It doesn't mean that
if she had lived, they wouldn't have reconciled, but showing her finally seeing his true
colours is very important. Thank you for loving my head canon about the Prince's book
originally being James' with Fleamont's advice. I love the idea of Snape learning from
Fleamont (as I do believe he was a good Potioneer even if he was an asshole). I think it does
explain why Harry thought the writing was James' because some of it was in my opinion. I
love Lily having reading glasses (blvnk-art is where I first saw it and I fell in love with that
quirk). Thank you very much! To Emma Janet: Very true, but Snape isn't the brightest when
it comes to trying to hold onto Lily. He doesn't understand love. I agree, if Snape had turned
his attitude around, he could have been a part of Lily's life as an uncle figure to Harry, but he
lost that opportunity. He didn't understand that Lily could have loved him without being in
love with him, as a sister or close friend, and he threw it all away with his bad choices.
Thank you!
To Nuno Neves: It did go hard for Snape. I agree, his character is interesting, but he wasn't
really a good person despite some of the good choices he made. He was an enigma. Lily did
make the right choice. Thank you! To ellyann13: Snape was aiming for Sirius, but James
got in the way. Thank you. To alix33: Thank you! To A Huge Fan: Thanks for loving my
head canon that the book belonged to James first and was full of Fleamont's notes. I loved
giving Harry that extra connection. Lily did put him in his place and Snape joining the Death
Eaters for Lily is an interesting way to look at it. Thank you! To ascfan: Lily did need that
moment to move on, but so did Snape, I agree. Thank you!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lyrics, that belongs to the Beatles.
CHAPTER FIFTY:
The One Where Lily Says Fleamont
May 1978…
"JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER!" Lily yelled as she stormed through the portrait hole.
James paled, the glass of Firewhiskey halfway to his lips. "Oh shit! She said my middle name
aloud."
A few snickers could be heard nearby as people mouthed 'Fleamont' around him in
amusement.
"Lily, darling! I've missed you!" James exclaimed, putting his drink down and attempting to
kiss her.
Lily pushed him back and since his balance was rather precarious due to drink, made him
stumble.
"Don't even think about it, Potter!" Each word was broken up by her finger poking him in the
chest. "You" — poke — "stood" — poke — "me" — poke — "up! " — poke.
"I…" He paled as he suddenly remembered. "Lily, I'm so sorry! We were celebrating the win
and I lost track of time. Padfoot kept giving me drinks!"
"Don't bring me into this, mate," Sirius said, holding his hands up in surrender.
Lily glared at him. "I've been waiting down on the Quidditch pitch for almost an hour!"
James attempted a smile. "My romantic evening! I had it all planned out! It was going to be
perfect, Lily! But then I completely lost track of time!"
"You lost track of time?" she repeated carefully, making Sirius pale.
"Mate, she's getting that look in her eye. She's going to blow like a top."
James ignored his best friend, eyes on his girlfriend. "I was re-enacting that last epic goal. I
broke a record this year, most goals by one Chaser in one year in the history of Hogwarts.
Fifty-eight goals! Can you blame me for losing track of time?"
"You're the one who arranged this!" Lily exclaimed. "And here you are too busy talking
about Quidditch to spend any time with the fiancée that you claim to love."
"Lily!" James said, desperately. "Please, don't be upset, it was an accident!"
"An accident?" she repeated, sweetly.
He nodded, moving closer to her. "It won't happen again, I swear it. Don't leave me — you
like me too much."
Lily snorted. "At the moment I most certainly do not like you! It's our anniversary, James!"
"I know!" he exclaimed, grabbing her arms. "I'm sorry."
Lily glared at him. "I was perfectly all right with celebrating tomorrow due to the game, but
no, you absolutely insisted that it was our anniversary today and that even a Quidditch game
wasn't going to stop us from celebrating together, but obviously Quidditch is more important
to you than I am!"
"No!" James exclaimed, grabbing her arm again. "Nothing is more important than you! No
one is more important than you!"
Lily softened a little. "I'm still upset with you."
He kissed her cheek. "You like me too much and I like you, remember?"
Lily sighed. "You can't always use Beatles lyrics to get yourself out of trouble, you know?"
Sirius took this as a sign and summoned James' guitar down from the Head dormitory and
placed it in his friend's arms.
James simply grinned and began to strum and when he started to sing, Lily softened up all
over again.
"Though you're gone away this morning, you'll be back again tonight. Telling me there'll be
no next time if I just don't treat you right. You'll never leave me and you know it's true; 'cause
you like me too much and I like you. You've tried before to leave me, but you haven't got the
nerve; to walk out and make me lonely which is all that I deserve. You'll never leave me and
you know it's true; 'cause you like me too much and I like you. I really do. And it's nice when
you believe me. If you leave me, I will follow you and bring you back where you belong.
'Cause I couldn't really stand it, I'll admit that I was wrong, I wouldn't let you leave me
'cause it's true; 'cause you like me too much and I like you."
Lily simply sighed as the girls in the common room giggled in awe. James Potter really could
be the most romantic bloke on the planet.
He continued to strum and to sing, making Lily sigh. He always made it so hard to stay angry
at him.
"'Cause you like me too much and I like you. I really do. And it's nice when you believe me, if
you leave me, I will follow you and bring you back where you belong. 'Cause I couldn't really
stand it, I'll admit that I was wrong. I wouldn't let you leave me 'cause it's true. 'Cause you
like me too much and I like you. 'Cause you like me too much and I like you."
Lily stood up and kissed him deeply, making everyone in the room cheer. "You're an
insufferable git, James Potter."
"And you're desperately in love with me," he teased as he kissed her, tugging her into his lap.
Lily straddled him, not caring that the entire common room was full around them as she
deepened the kiss. "Desperately, but you're still an absolute git and you owe me a romantic
evening."
James simply grinned. "I'll owe you three because I'm your absolute git. I love you, Evans."
"I love you, too, Jamie," she said.
And then she kissed him and all was forgiven.

The One Where Lily Asks Sirius
Author's Note:
Well, since a lot of people are celebrating American Thanksgiving — thank you to the people
who wished me well, but here in Canada, it's just Thursday LOL — but Happy American
Thanksgiving to those who are celebrating and as part of your celebration — here's an early
post!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To EnigmaticEmperor: James is definitely a very romantic

person! Thank you! To Nuno Neves: James forgot amidst all of the excitement and Lily was
mostly annoyed because she was waiting, she wasn't really angry at James for forgetting
because she knows he's a bit Quidditch obsessed. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: Thank
you! I think when I was lining them up chronologically I realized they were already engaged
so had to edit lol. Thank you! To Sets: I'm glad you loved James' horror at Lily revealing his
middle name to the whole common room lol. Thank you! To Emma Janet: It is true, Harry
would definitely be very keen to celebrate Ginny's success. As to James' record, I have no
idea lol. Oh, I never know when I have PMs, I will check it out and respond accordingly.
Thank you! To ellyann13: Yup, now everyone knows lol. Thank you! To Guest: Glad you're
enjoying the fluff and the smut. Thank you!
My posting schedule: Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE:
The One Where Lily Asks Sirius
June 1978…
Lily was sitting on the floor of the Heads' common room, books opened around her. She
had one hand in her hair in frustration, her mouth slightly parted, as the portrait hole opened.
Sirius strolled in wearing his shirt untucked and rolled at the elbows with his Gryffindor tie
loose around his neck. Hints of his tattoos could be seen under the shirt as he carried a cup of
tea in his hands.
He took one look at Lily and arched an eyebrow.
"Rough day?"
"Yes. Why is planning a wedding so incredibly stressful?" She took the tea from him and
drank.
"That tea was actually for…" He trailed off at the look he got. "You, totally for you. Um,
anything I can do to help?"
Lily sighed and placed the tea on the table in front of her. She bit her bottom lip as if she was
contemplating something before she nodded. "There is… I did want to talk to you about
something."
Sirius took a seat next to her. "All ears."
She smiled and let out a slow breath. "You know that I love you, right?"
"I am pretty lovable," Sirius agreed.
Lily's eyes softened. "You kind of are. I love you very much and you know that you're one of
the most important people in my life. If it hadn't been for you, I probably never would have
realized how much I love James."
"I know, I'm awesome. What else is new?"
She chuckled. "Don't be so modest, really." At his look, she cleared her throat. "Sirius, with
the death of my parents… I don't really have any family coming to my wedding. I don't even
know if Petunia is going to be there. She still won't answer my letters."
Sirius nodded, his expression sobering. "I know. I know that it's been a tough year for you,
Evans. But you have us and the Marauders will be your family."
"Thank you. You already are," she said, reaching out to cover his hand with hers. "And I
know that you're James' best man, but would you be interested in having a second job at the
ceremony?"
His eyebrow rose slightly. "What do you need me to do?"
"I don't really need… I just want… this is going to sound stupid, but… I trust you with all of
my heart and you've done so much for me, Sirius. I like to think that we've become more than
friends and more like family."
"I agree with that," Sirius said. "You're basically the annoying sister I never wanted."
"Haha," she said.
His lips curved. "I love you, too, Evans. How can I help?"
Lily's green eyes stared into his as she let out a slow breath. "Would you give me away?"
Sirius' mouth opened in surprise. That had been the last thing he'd expected. "Like walk you
down the aisle and present you to James?"
"Yes."
He grinned widely, surprised to find himself choking up. "Lily, I would be honoured. That's
just… the coolest thing. You really want me to give you away?"
"Well, with my dad gone, other than James, you're the most important man in my life. To me,
that means you should get the honour of walking me down the aisle. It would mean so much
to me."
"Yes. Definitely, yes. I would be completely honoured to walk you down the aisle."
He leaned in and kissed her cheek as James stepped into the portrait hole.
"Trying to snog my girl, again?"
Sirius grinned, stretching his arm out to wrap around Lily. "I'm sorry, Prongs, we're mad
about each other. We're eloping in Monte Carlo."
James plopped himself down next to Lily. "You asked him?"
"He said yes."
"Good man." He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. "There's no one else that I would
want to walk you down the aisle to me."
Sirius grinned. "Again, pretty awesome over here." He stretched his legs out, plopping his
feet on the coffee table in front of him. "Anything else you guys need, wedding-related? As I
clearly have the two most important jobs as best man and bride-give-away-er, what can I
do?"
"That's not the title," Lily said. "Please don't tell people that you're the formal bride-give-
away-er."
Sirius winked at her and she laughed.
James shook his head. "Thanks, Padfoot. I think everything else is all just stuff we need to do
ourselves."
Lily nodded. "Very true. But it might be time to put the wedding planning on hold and start
studying."
"Psh, who studies?" Sirius said, crossing his legs in front of him.
"You study."
"Since when?" he asked, grinning. "I've got a date tonight."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Would it kill you to open a book, Sirius?"
"It's possible," he admitted. "And I'm not willing to risk it. The world would be a sad place if
this sexy face wasn't in it."
James chuckled, reaching for the Charms textbook. "Well, Lily and I are going to take a break
from wedding planning to study for our NEWTs."
"Ugh," Sirius said. "When did you get so boring, Prongs?"
"Where's Moony?" James asked.
"Studying like a good student," Sirius supplied. "But he's always been boring. Can I help with
the wedding planning instead?"
"No," Lily said, stretching her arms up over her head. "There's nothing else we can really do
here for the moment. Fee is handling the decorations and the food and she has been a
blessing."
James leaned in and kissed her softly. "I know the feeling."
Lily moved to sit up next to James and he slipped his arm around her. She leaned in to rest
her head on his shoulder. "It's just overwhelming sometimes to think that I'm planning our
wedding as I try to study for NEWT exams."
"I can take on a bigger role in the planning stage, you know?" James offered.
"No, I think that Fee and I have it under control. It's still a year away, but still a lot of work to
prep for."
James kissed her forehead, turning to Sirius. "Are you going to study with us or what?"
"No," Sirius said. "Like I said, I have a date. You and Evans actually going to study?"
"That's the plan," James said before the soft snore made him look down at her, a soft smile on
his face. "Or it's the plan for me."
Sirius grinned as he stood up, stretching his arms up over his head. "Let her sleep, Prongs.
She obviously needs the rest if she can pass out that quickly."
"Yeah, she does," James said, carefully tugging the afghan around her as she snuggled into
his side.
Sirius stood up. "We'll talk tomorrow and by the way, it's seriously cool that I'm going to
walk her down the aisle."
"There's no one I trust more, brother."
Sirius beamed at him before he left, unable to keep the smile off of his face.
The One With the Glory of the Old
Author's Note:
First of all, thank you! Over 600 reviews on fanfiction site and over a hundred on Ao3. Thank
you very much for your kind support!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Sets: Thank you! And yes, I did pull bits of that scene
from Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Some head canons I just can't and won't change.
Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: Thank you! Yes, I love the marauders being a little family
and being there for each other, thank you! To A Huge Fan: We will see a bit of the wedding,
yes. The story ends about a week later. Thank you. To scrappy8: Sirius is a very nice guy.
Thank you! To alix33: Sirius is sweet and so honoured. Thank you! To Bellmel: Lily and
Sirius are so fucking adorable, I agree! Sirius is very excited to walk her down the aisle. The
image of Sirius walking in with the cup of tea is a vision. He's hot and sexy and he knows it.
Aww, but right now he's still alive lol. Thank you!
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO:
The One With the Glory of Old
July 1978…
Lily still couldn't quite believe that she was actually on this trip. When they took a
portkey to Paris, she was internally squealing. Being here with her friends and with James
was everything she'd ever imagined, and getting a break from the darkness that was
descending upon England was a break she hadn't truly realized she needed.
James held her hand in his as they walked through the city going through museums and
tourist attractions. They took photos in front of Versailles, walked through the Louvre, and
climbed up to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
When they returned to their hotel later on that evening, she wrapped her arms around James,
snuggling into his embrace.
"Thank you. I love you so much."
James pressed his lips to her forehead. "Not as much as I love you."
Lily smiled as he walked her back towards the bed and when he crawled on top of her, his
lips covering hers, she yearned for him. His lips moved lower, covering her breast through
her shirt just as a loud knocking sounded on the door.
"Stop shagging and come out to drink with us!" Sirius bellowed. "McKinnon wants to go to a
club!"
James lifted an eyebrow at Lily. "Yes or no?"
His hand moved down her hip and between her legs, slipping under the sundress she wore to
brush his knuckles over her knickers and she trembled.
"Want to go dancing, love?" he asked, his finger slipping under the cotton. "Or do you want
to come for me instead?"
Lily bit her lip, desire soaring through her. Merlin, this man didn't play fair. Her voice was
hoarse as she called out to Sirius.
"We need to change. We'll meet you downstairs."
James grinned as Sirius disappeared from the door. "Good girl," he teased and slipped his
finger into her. "You're going to come for me and then we'll worry about finding something to
dance in."
Lily made a mewling sound in the back of her throat and it only spurred James on. By the
time she finished coming, she used her hands on James and they changed their clothes in
record time. Marlene gave them a knowing look when they were the last to arrive and Lily
shushed her, taking her friend's arm as they headed out.
They spent the evening dancing in a club and drinking late into the night. Sirius was the most
entertaining. The man danced with anyone who would have him, twirling them around and
laughing, grinding up against everyone in sight. When the BeeGees came on, he whined
about the poor taste in music and then proceeded to dance his heart out making all of them
laugh at his antics. Sirius and Marlene danced together, laughing as they attempted to out
dance everyone. It ended with Marlene slapping Sirius' arse and then the two of them were
snogging by the end of the night, both drunk on laughter and fun as much as alcohol.
But they were still up early the next day to explore the city. Lily took photos of everything as
James and Sirius posed stupidly in front of landmarks. She and Remus spent three hours in a
tiny hole in the wall bookstore in Nice and then Peter dragged them into a joke shop in
Nîmes.
When they moved on to Italy, she and the girls spent a day shopping. The Marauders all took
turns posing near the leaning tower of Pisa and Sirius and James got into a duel using
gladiator swords in the colosseum. But it was the second week of their trip that she noticed
Peter moving to stand between James and Sirius more frequently.
"What's up, Wormy? Miss us?" Sirius asked, tossing his arm over his friend's shoulders.
"Yes," Peter said, leaning into Sirius.
The boys laughed, but Lily mentioned to James later that evening that she was worried about
him.
"Doesn't he seem off to you? He looks a bit peaky."
James shrugged. "A little. But to be fair, he said he thought someone was following him."
Lily frowned. "Following him? Who? When? Why?"
"I don't know," James admitted. "Siri and I didn't see anyone, but he said he felt weird. Rem
promised to keep an eye on him. I don't get why anyone would follow him, Lily."
"Do you think Death Eaters are here? In Italy?"
James pulled her into his arms. "I'll keep you safe, Evans. I promise."
She nestled into his shoulder, soothed by his words, but she couldn't help but wonder why
someone would be following Peter to begin with.
~ TFTA ~
Peter was pretty sure someone was following him. The problem was, he had no idea who
or why.
He never saw anyone suspicious.
He never caught someone staring or saw anyone who looked familiar, but the more places
they went to, the more certain he was that someone was watching them.
Or him.
The back of his neck kept tingling and he couldn't count the number of times he felt uneasy,
his palms getting clammy as he looked behind him. Italy was the first time he'd felt the
presence, but when he also felt it in Spain and again in Portugal, he began to get worried.
Germany was the first time he was sure it was real.
He went to the bathroom in a pub in Berlin and ran into Evan Rosier.
"Rosier!" Peter squeaked, stopping himself at the last minute from plowing straight into the
man's back.
"Pettigrew," Rosier said, licking his bottom lip and grabbing Peter's arms to steady him.
"Fancy meeting you here."
"What are you doing in Berlin?"
"Visiting friends," Rosier said. "You should come meet them."

Peter swallowed, appalled to feel his hands tremble. "We already told you that we have no
interest in meeting your friends, Rosier."
"I didn't say that I wanted Potter, Black, or Lupin to come along, Pettigrew. Don't you ever
think for yourself or are you just used to following around Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest?"
When Peter didn't answer, he sneered.
"If you ever want to see real power, send me an owl. I'll show you what real friends are like."
Peter was surprised to feel himself still trembling when he watched him walk away. He
wasn't afraid of Evan Rosier. The Slytherin was a cunning selfish arse, but he would be lying
to himself if he said he wasn't afraid of some of Rosier's friends.
He remembered how in the last week of school, they had tried to recruit James, Sirius, and
Remus along with him, using Regulus Black to do it. Not only had Sirius shouted at his
brother, but James had actually bloodied Rosier's nose in the process.
"I'm not interested in your friends, Rosier," Peter told him.
Rosier sneered, stopping to give Peter a long look. "One day soon, you're going to realize you
chose the wrong side, Pettigrew. The Dark Lord has power you can't even imagine. He can
give you everything you'd ever want with the snap of a finger. He's going to help bring the
world to its knees and bring us back to the glory of old."
"I'm not interested," Peter repeated.
Rosier's eyes darkened. "You will be when you see what's coming."
Peter didn't know what to say to that as he watched the former Slytherin disappear. He didn't
say anything to his friends when he returned to the table, not wanting them to have their
holiday ruined. But for the rest of the trip, he felt guarded and did his best to stay closer to
James and Sirius.
For the first time in years, he really wanted to feel the protection of his friends and he was
afraid to find out what that meant.
~ TFTA ~
They travelled to France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Russia,
and ended the trip in Greece. James loved seeing Lily's eyes light up as he took her places
he'd travelled as a kid with his parents and to new places as well. Marlene, Mary, and Lily
dragged them shopping and dancing. Remus and Lily found bookstores in every city. Sirius
insisted they test drive cars in Monte Carlo (somehow he'd even gotten into a race car and
James had been convinced they were going to die with his brother behind the wheel). Peter
wanted to go on all of the cheesy tourist sites and try out all of the local food. Mary and
Marlene wanted to see art galleries.
They did it all.

They made time to make sure all of them were seeing what they wanted.
They took photos and went dancing, they saw museums and art galleries, they went shopping
and on tours, and James made love to Lily in every city.
James couldn't keep his hands off of her and Lily certainly didn't mind. He wasn't sure what it
was but ever since he'd proposed to her, it was like they needed each other that much more
than before. He took her against walls, in the shower, in the bed, and in one hotel room in
Spain there was a particularly memorable moment half on the balcony of their hotel room.
The way she purred his name, the way her nails raked over his skin, and the way her body
molded with his made him yearn for her more and more. He couldn't wait to marry this
woman. He couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with her by his side.
Now, they were in Greece, and after enjoying a day on the beach, they both had a nice tan.
"I thought redheads didn't tan," James teased, tracing his fingers over the soft golden tan of
Lily's skin.
"Some do," Lily said. "If we're lucky. I think I have more of my mum's skin tone than my
dad's and I do burn, but often it turns into a tan. Tuney is more like dad. She turns lobster red
with too much sunlight."
"Maybe she's a vampire," James teased, making her laugh.
"No, vampires are nicer," Lily replied.
James kissed her cheek. "When we get back to England, we should try to have dinner with
her and Vernon."
Lily's eyes softened. "Thank you for trying. I know she's not the nicest person in the world
and ever since my parents… but she's my big sister and I just… I wish it could go back to
how it was, you know?"
"It will never go back to how it was, Evans. But I love your optimism."
Lily snuggled into his arms. "I love you, Jamie."
James captured her lips in his and thought he would give this woman anything she asked for
and more.
He couldn't wait to marry her.

The One Where Peter Is Kidnapped
Author's Note:
WARNING: This chapter is very dark and gruesome.
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To alix33: Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: Thank you! Yes,
it was fun to go back through the original ASC bits of Sirius learning when and how Peter
turned and then work them into The First Time Around. Thank you! To A Huge Fan: Yes,
being stalked is always creepy! I like to think that Peter was a good person and to show that
sometimes even good people can make bad and wrong choices. He wasn't evil, but he
certainly did a lot of bad things. Yes, SeriouslySam is an amazingly talented writer!
Backstabber is wonderfully written! I know the chapter in ASC with Peter's trial was
definitely one of the twists Sam enjoyed when she read it and she was angry that I made her
feel any sympathy for Peter whatsoever. I think the work she concocted in Backstabber is
brilliant in comparison. I highly recommend her story to anyone who hasn't read it. Those
are exactly the kind of questions I wanted people to ask: How far would you go to stand up
for your convictions? You want to think you would do the right thing and you hope that you
would, but it does make you think. Thank you! To Sets: Poor Peter indeed. He is a little lost
and scared. I love that, Wiz-port! What a great word! I might steal it :D Thank you!
To Nuno Neves: Thank you! Jily are so cute and hot in my opinion. I loved the idea of
giving them time together to take a holiday with their friends and see some of the world. The
beginning of Peter turning should make you feel both angry and sad. Thank you! To
ellyann13: I think most people have the ability to sense when they are being watched to
some extent. You get that prickly feeling and you look around for someone or something.
Now, someone looking at you and someone stalking you is very different, but I'm just saying I
don't consider it a special ability so much as a sixth sense. Thank you. To Bellmel: I also
have holiday envy. Writing about it makes me feel less sad for not travelling. Aw, poor Peter.
He didn't really fuck it all up, he's scared. Yes, Jily totally deserves this time together and
with their friends. Being young and carefree while they can. Thank you!
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE:
The One Where Peter Is Kidnapped
December 1978…
Peter was crying and shaking.
He wasn't entirely sure how he'd come to be here. The last thing he remembered was that he
was heading home to his flat and then… everything was foggy.
His hands and feet were chained to the chair and he was trembling all over.
A tall wizard with dark-hair streaked in grey was standing before him. He twirled his wand
between his fingers, his sunken face and dark eyes seeming to stare at Peter in wonder and
delight.
Peter knew exactly who this man was and it terrified him. He felt the warm liquid trailing
over his thigh and down his leg and he couldn't even be bothered to flush in embarrassment.
Lord Voldemort was standing in front of him.
"Your father tells us that you are quite the accomplished young pureblood, Peter, with
ambitions to work in the Ministry," he said, his voice smooth. The sound was charismatic and
almost charming. Despite the fear it invited, Peter was surprised at how trusting it sounded. "I
heard that you've recently been hired in the Transportation Department, but that you are
hoping to find your way to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical
Creatures, is that true?"
Peter nodded. "Yes."
"I can make that happen for you," the Dark Lord drawled. "I can simply snap my fingers and
you can begin working at your dream job. Would you like that, Peter?"
Peter found himself shaking his head. "No."
"No?" The Dark Lord asked, turning to smirk at Rosier and Avery who stood around him.
"You wouldn't like to follow your dreams?"
Of course he wanted to follow his dreams, he thought. He wanted to do something bigger and
greater, but he knew better than to let himself fall behind false promises. He knew what this
man was capable of.
"I mean, yes, but not from you."
"Crucio!" a woman's voice shrieked.
Peter's body began to bend and stretch in ways that it shouldn't and he screamed. The pain
was unbelievable. His eyes watered and to his horror, he pissed himself a second time.
"Enough Bella," the Dark Lord said, waving her off. "Let him speak." When Peter caught his
breath, the Dark Lord smiled. "A brave Gryffindor — aren't all of you much the same?" He
leaned closer, touching his wand along the edges of Peter's face. "You will join my cause."
"No, I won't!" he declared.

The spell hit him again and he screamed in pain. It was lifted almost as quickly as it was cast.
"You will join my cause."
"No, I won't!"
The spell hit him again and again until the Dark Lord merely smirked at him.
"Such resilience! I thought that you said he was a weakling, Rosier, not even brave enough to
stand up for himself?" He leaned in closer, smiling a cruel and unforgiving smile. "You have
bravery, oh, yes, but are you brave enough to defend others?" He snapped his fingers. "You
are a pureblood wizard, why wouldn't you want to fight for the cause that understands you?
That wants to see you succeed? I can give you everything that you have ever desired, Peter…
things beyond your wildest dreams."
"I can earn them myself," he panted.
The force of the slap sent his head back and the Dark Lord only smiled.
"You are friends with two individuals that I find very interesting to me. One, a blood traitor
who has escaped my grasp on two occasions now: James Potter. The Potter family interests
me for many reasons and the monetary value of having their estate at my disposal would be
greatly valued as Somerset is quite the grand scale, but having both Potter and Sirius Black,
two blood traitors, and making them turn coat, my… it would change everything."
"James and Sirius will never follow you!" Peter declared, spitting blood out of his mouth.
Rosier backhanded him so hard that the chair fell over.
Avery used his wand to flip the chair back into place.
"You are weak, Peter! Do you think that your so-called friends are even looking for you? Do
you think that they care that you've been taken hostage? They don't even know that you're
missing."
"You're wrong," Peter said defiantly. "We'll defeat you, you'll see!"
The Dark Lord only smiled. "Bella, dear, why don't you show our young friend what happens
when I'm unhappy."
Bella smiled gleefully, standing on her toes and planting a small kiss on the Dark Lord's
cheek. "Happily, my lord."
And then the real torture began.
She started with the Cruciatus. He screamed in pain as it tore through him over and over in
short intervals that finally made his bowels let go again. When he was finally given a
moment to catch his breath, he whimpered in pain, embarrassed to have shit himself
somewhere along the line. He tasted blood on his lips and when Bellatrix twirled her wand
again, spikes tore through his hands and feet; he howled.
Voldemort chuckled. "Are you ready to join me yet, Peter?"
Peter cried as he curled up into a ball on the floor. They left him to cry and beg for hours until
finally someone came and took pity on him and ripped the spikes from his hands and feet. He
screamed and begged for his mother, making the unknown masked figure laugh mockingly
before he took off all of Peter's clothes.
He was doused in cold water repeatedly, washing away all of the blood and piss and faeces in
between the freezing hits that made his skin burn. He choked on the water, coughing and
trying to escape the frozen liquid to no avail. When it finally stopped, he was given a moment
to catch his breath.
He curled up in the fetal position, trying to warm his frozen body until he felt someone kneel
next to him. Hands gripped his arms and yanked him back up into the chair, chaining his
hands behind his back. He looked up into the dark eyes of Alecto Carrow as she spread his
legs apart, chaining his feet to the chair. She licked her lips and when her hands came up to
fondle him, the warmth of her palm moving over him repeatedly was enough to make his
cock jump. She gave him a knowing look and moved her hand more aggressively. He tried to
shimmy away from her, but the chains bit into his ankles and wrists, preventing his
movement, and to his horror, like any normal red-blooded man, his erection grew in her hand.
When she lifted up her skirt and straddled him on the chair, his eyes widened.
"No," he breathed. "No, please."
But she ignored him and pushed herself down on top of him. He hissed and she gave him a
cruel smile.
"You have a lovely cock, Peter. I'm going to ride it."
"No," he insisted, trying to buck her off of him. "Stop, please."
She ignored him.
Peter's face turned red as he realized everyone was watching. He bit back bile, trying not to
focus on the woman riding him. He tried to will his cock to stop cooperating, but it ignored
him. When he was close to finishing, he almost whimpered his thanks that it would be over
until she didn't let him finish. Instead, she moved away from him, leaving him hard and close
to the edge until his cock calmed a bit before Bellatrix took her place.
The two women took turns, denying him his release as he cried and begged them to stop to
no avail. They never did let him orgasm and instead, when they'd had their fill, he was
unchained and tortured again with the Cruciatus.
It went on for hours and hours and with each rape and with each beating, Peter cried and
screamed for help; begged for Sirius or Remus or James to come and save him.
But no one came.

And when he was finally left alone, he curled up in a ball, his body bruised and broken and
used in ways he didn't want to remember.
And he sobbed.
~ TFTA ~
James paced back and forth, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. He looked
up when Dumbledore came into the room, his eyes wide.
"Do you have news?"
"No," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "The last thing anyone saw was Peter going
home."
"That's codswallop!" James exclaimed. "How can he just go missing and no one notices?"
"We noticed," Sirius whispered, reaching out to touch his friend's arm. "We'll find him,
Prongs."
"Pete's not like us," James hissed. "He's probably so scared and… it's been days, Padfoot!
What if they've killed him?"
"He's not dead," Sirius insisted. "We'll find him, mate."
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Mr Pettigrew doesn't have any known ties to anyone in
Voldemort's circle. It could be a coincidence."
"With all do respect, Sir, you don't believe that," Sirius spat. "Pete's our friend and there's no
way that he'd disappear like this without telling one of us first; without telling his mother.
Something's wrong."
Dumbledore nodded. "You know him best and as much as I'd like to be optimistic, I agree
that it doesn't look good. We have spies trying to find something about where he might have
been taken."
"Why would they kidnap him?" James demanded. "What does Pete have?"
"I don't know," Dumbledore admitted. "But we'll find out."
They did find out, but it took another three days.
It was Moody who managed to snag the intel. A friend of his from the Magical Intelligence
Agency named Ian MacGregor. There was an abandoned warehouse in Liverpool that the
MIA had reports of dark magic surrounding. MacGregor and his partner had been sent to
investigate and confirmed there was someone being held prisoner there.
"Why aren't they going in?" James demanded.

"Because I asked them to wait," Moody responded gruffly. "It's been less than ten minutes,
Potter. MacGregor's keeping an eye on things. He and Auror Weber have been coordinating
on getting the wards down so that they can get inside. I told him that I had my own team I
wanted to bring in."
"Are they part of the Order?" Sirius asked.
Moody shook his head. "No, but I trust MacGregor. Let's just say he's… a knight in shining
armour. Now, you two are coming along. Let's go."
James and Sirius didn't need to be told twice.
They Apparated to Liverpool five minutes later and a tall blond man made of solid muscle
moved over to them. He was dressed all in black and he was shaking his head.
"They had some type of fail-safe. We only broke through half the wards before they all took
off."
"All?"
"Except for one prisoner," the man said.
James and Sirius exchanged a look before they rushed past the man talking to Moody to
where the dark haired man with the reddish brown beard was pushing through the door.
"He's in bad shape," the man said. "I'm MacGregor, but you can call me Auror M, and that
bloke in there has been through hell."
James swallowed. He waited for MacGregor to give him the go ahead and assure him the
room was safe before he rushed inside with Sirius on his left. The sight of Peter chained
naked and slumped in the chair was enough to make him pause.
"Pete?"
Peter's eyes were dazed as they looked up. "Not real," he whispered. "Jamie… Siri… you're
not real."
Sirius' hand gripped Peter's shoulder. "We're real, Wormy. We're here, mate."
James broke through the chains, eyes on the bruises and cuts all over their friend's body.
When they pulled him to his feet, he crumbled. James scooped him up into his arms and
carried him out of the building as Peter passed out. They brought him to St Mungo's to be
checked over. Remus met them at the hospital and when the three of them finally made it to
his bedside, Peter blinked at them.
"How did you find me?"
"A friend of Moody's," Sirius told him. "Mate, we've been worried sick. We've been
searching for you all week. You never showed up to dinner and when I found your flat
empty…"
Peter closed his eyes. "He wants you."
"What?" Sirius exclaimed.
"He wants both of you," Peter whispered. "James has escaped him twice and Sirius… you're
a Black. He wants what your names represent and the power you'd bring him. I was a means
to an end."
"Fuck," James muttered, climbing to his feet. He dragged his fingers through his hair, making
it look messier than usual. "Fuck."
"I told him you wouldn't follow him," Peter said.
"Of course we're not going to fucking… bloody hell, Peter! What did they do to you?"
Peter paled and shook his head.
"It's okay," Remus said, reaching out to touch his friend's arm. "You don't have to talk about
it, mate. We're here if you change your mind."
Peter nodded, but refused to say anything else on the matter.
When he was released from the hospital the next day, the three of them went back to his flat
with him and made themselves at home. They all refused to leave his side and despite the
protests Peter made (James being engaged, Sirius and Remus having work to do) they were
met upon deaf ears.
"We're not going anywhere, mate," James told him. "Not until you're healed and comfortable
enough to be here alone. Lily understands. She's going to come by later with some dinner for
you."
Peter nodded, but despite his friends' kind words and actions, when he closed his eyes at
night he still saw Voldemort's pale face.
"You will join my cause," the voice hissed in the darkness.
Peter knew his nightmares were far from over and as memories of the torture he endured
haunted his thoughts, part of him was terrified that Lord Voldemort might be right.
The One Where Peter Takes the Dark Mark
Author's Note:
WARNING: This chapter is VERY dark and gruesome.
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To alix33: It is horrible that Peter was treated that way. He
did try to stop it and to fight back. Thank you. To ellyann13: Thank you! I loved writing the
Marauder moment, showing how concerned they all were for Peter and then being there for
him when he needed them. It only makes his betrayal that much worse. Thanks for picking up
on the "knight in shining armour" bit as well. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: Thank you for
loving the additions I've made to the ASC one. I wanted to show more of the scene and see
how the Marauders reacted to him being missing. Yes, thanks for loving the knights of the
Auror mention. Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To A Huge Fan: It is enough to break
anyone and yet his betrayal is still so horrible. Thank you! To Sets: Thank you! I don't know
where I will but I'm keeping it in my back pocket! 😉! Yes, poor Peter. It is good that he was
found, but he still suffered a great deal of torture! Nope, Crouch is still in fifth year at this
point and while he's around the Death Eaters, hasn't officially joined up in the sense of how
he is later on. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: It was a dark chapter, hence my
forewarning. Peter did resist at first. Thanks for loving my Easter eggs (ie MacGregor and
the knight mentioning). Thank you!
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR:
The One Where Peter Takes The Dark Mark
June 1979…
Peter left Godric's Hollow, still smiling from his dinner conversation with James and
Sirius. The wedding of James and Lily was coming up soon and Lily was starting to get a
little mad with the planning. He found it very amusing to sit there and listen to his friends
argue and dither and plan.
He was really looking forward to them finally tying the knot. He couldn't imagine two people
more in love and more perfect for each other. He covered his mouth as he yawned and
decided that he would treat himself to a nice glass of Firewhiskey when he got inside. But he
stopped, freezing in his tracks when he reached the front door.
"Peter, we've missed you," the Dark Lord said with a terrifying smile.
Peter stumbled backwards, fumbling for his wand. "I won't join you. You can't make me. I'd
rather be dead."
"Well, that can most certainly be arranged," he said coyly.
Rosier disarmed Peter from behind before he could transform into his rat and they forced him
to walk with them. He knew better than to struggle. He still had nightmares about the last
time that he'd tried to fight back. They Apparated him to Wiltshire where a grey-blond haired
wizard was waiting for them inside a large manor.
"Brax, let's get our guest settled in, shall we?"
"You know Abraxas Malfoy, of course," the Dark Lord said pleasantly as if introducing him
at a dinner party. "He has graciously given us his home to talk to you in."
"I don't want to talk," Peter said.
The Dark Lord grimaced. "Now, no need to be rude." He waved his wand and chains
shackled Peter. "And I know all about your little rat problem so no, you won't be able to
transform while in those. But you can keep on trying."
He paced in front of him, twirling his wand between his fingers for a moment.
"James Potter is marrying a Mudblood in three months' time. Are you as disgusted by his
traitorous ways as I am? Hmm, no answer," he said mockingly. "I plan on changing this
world, Peter. I want society to understand why we must protect our magic; why we must stop
these Mudbloods from sneaking in and stealing it from us. They take our jobs and they
muddy our blood which makes us lose our magic, Peter. All purebloods must learn to breed
only with each other to create perfect pureblood children. Do you understand, Peter?"
He ran his finger down the side of Peter's face with a cruel smile.
"Alecto rather liked riding your little prick, maybe you'd like to let her do it again? Maybe
you'd like to get her with your child and start helping to rebuild this society the way that it
should be. Would you like me to summon her out here, Peter? Do you want to fuck her?"
"N-no," Peter whimpered.
The Dark Lord smiled cruelly. "I thought that you might choose that option, which is why
I've helped make the choice for you."
The doors opened behind him and two Death Eaters in masks held their wands in front of
them as they floated a body towards them. The body was lowered to the ground before Peter
and he let out a desperate gasp.
"Dad!"
"He's not dead yet," the Dark Lord said cruelly. "But I'd be more than happy to make him so.
We had him help us with a little trouble in the East Village. Your father is quite good at
raping little girls, the younger the better, I'll say. He tried quite valiantly to fight against my
Imperius Curse, but he failed. But I won't have to use the curse on you, Peter, because you,
you are going to be my most trusted servant."
Peter's lip trembled. "I w-w-won't j-join you."
"Ah, so you say now. But here's the thing, Peter, I need to know what Dumbledore is up to.
Dumbledore… that man has never trusted me and now I hear that you and your friends are
working with him in his little rebellion against me? How completely pointless," he said with
a cruel smile. "I need a spy on the inside. I need someone to tell me when and where and
what and who and you, Peter, the weak underling, will do this for me."
"No!"
The Dark Lord simply smirked. "Ah, but I didn't get to the best part. Enervate!"
Mr Pettigrew's eyes fluttered open and he locked his gaze on his son. "Peter!"
"Dad," Peter cried, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't know!"
"No, Pete, no, it's not your fault, son. You be strong now!"
"Silencio!"
"No! Let him talk!" Peter cried out as he watched his father try to speak through the silencing
charm to no avail.
The Dark Lord smiled. "Peter, you will accept my mark. You will join my cause and turn spy
against Dumbledore for me. If you do not agree, I will once more Imperius your father and
have him rape and torture and ultimately kill your mother."
Mr Pettigrew's eyes widened in horror. "No! Please, no!"
"But before I do that," the Dark Lord continued. "I will find a pretty little Muggle girl, a
young child maybe eight or nine, and make him do it to her first while your mother watches."
Mr Pettigrew vomited as Voldemort spoke. "I want your mother to see what a terrible man
her husband has become. And after your mother has suffered most egregiously, I will kill
both of them and make you dispose of their bodies."
Peter was so white that he was almost translucent. "No!"
"No? You don't think I'll do it? Oh, I assure you, that is the least of the horrors that I will
inflict upon you. Accept my mark, join my cause or your parents' deaths will be on your
conscience and their blood will be on your hands."
Peter swallowed. His eyes flew to his father who had vomit on his lips, his eyes pale and his
body shaking in horror. Merlin, if he said no, many more people were going to get hurt, but if
he said yes, so many people were still going to be hurt.
"Yes, yes, people will be hurt," Voldemort said dismissively. "It's all rather terrible, but are
you willing to risk some of those people being your parents?"
Peter swallowed again, his whole body trembling as he realized that the Dark Lord had read
his mind. "If — if I do what you ask, you'll let them go?"
"Of course," the Dark Lord said with a smile. "I will not kill your parents if you do what I
ask."
Peter was silent for a moment and with tears rolling down his face he nodded. "I will join
you."
The Dark Lord smiled widely and nodded at Rosier. Rosier rolled up the sleeve on Peter's left
arm and Voldemort touched the tip of his wand to the inner forearm.
Peter screamed in pain as the dark magic inked itself into his skin in the shape of a skull with
a serpent wrapped around the head and coming from the mouth. It oozed blood before turning
black as coal.
Voldemort smiled. "Welcome to the Death Eaters, Peter."
Peter vomited on the ground and someone laughed.
When they finally dragged him home, he curled up in his bed, fisting his hand in his sheets
and he cried.
~ TFTA ~
August 1979…
Sirius stared at the letter in his hand for a long time. He'd recognized the Malfoy family
owl when he'd saw it arrive by the window of his flat, but he still wasn't sure why it had
arrived, yet he couldn't seem to bring himself to open it.
"Is the tea ready?" James asked, shuffling into the kitchen and yawning loudly. When Sirius
didn't answer, James moved to stand next to him. "What is it, Padfoot?"
Sirius gestured to the letter in his hand. "I… I don't know. The Malfoys' owl dropped it off."
James frowned. "Open it."
When Sirius made no motion to do so, James took it from his hand and reached for the letter
opener on the counter to break the seal. He carefully unfolded it.
"It's from Narcissa."
Sirius' frown deepened as Remus came into the kitchen. "What?"
"Read it, Siri," James said, his gaze meeting Remus'.

Sirius took the letter from James and began to read aloud:
Dear Sirius,
I'm sure you're surprised to hear from me, but I wasn't sure if the news would reach you and I
took it upon myself to let you know. My father-in-law, Abraxas, was all in a rage. He claimed
that Regulus Black had stepped out of line. When I asked Lucius later, he told me that he
didn't know what happened, but that Regulus Black had gone missing.
This was two months ago.
According to your mother, he's made no contact with her and he's presumed dead. I have a
terrible feeling that he was killed by Abraxas or someone just as vile, but it's highly unlikely
that he's still alive.
I thought you should know. I know you loved Regulus as much as I did.
I'm very sorry for your loss, Sirius.
Your cousin,
Narcissa
Sirius crumpled up the letter in his hand as Remus' arms came around him from behind.
James squeezed his shoulder as he leaned in to hug him from the front, squishing him
between them.
"Mate, I'm so sorry," James said..
"I couldn't save him," Sirius whispered, tears in his eyes. "Why couldn't I save him, Jamie?"
James and Remus fell to the floor with him as he cried, neither of them having the words to
help him in his grief.
And none of them noticed Peter standing in the doorway in the shadows watching his friends,
biting his nails nervously as tears rolled down his cheeks.
The One With the Wedding
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Redmatter91: I will take that as a compliment. I wanted

to show that where Peter stands is hard and even though he did betray his friends, I like to
think (or maybe hope) that it wasn't a choice he took lightly. Thank you! To alix33: Thank
you! To scrappy8: Yes, Peter was forced to cave to the Dark Mark and poor Sirius realized
his brother has been lost and chose the wrong side. Thank you! To Slaidback: Dark indeed.
Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: Thanks for loving my little changes. Peter is scared and it
was a hard choice for him to be forced to make. Thank you! To Sets: It was a well placed
Easter egg (I thought ). It is easy to villanize Peter which is why I had so much fun trying to
show him as a good guy and how he fell into the wrong crowd and ultimately came to that
betrayal. He is a grey character much like Snape, though I think Snape is braver than Peter
(not by much, but a little). Peter did ultimately do something to redeem himself a little later
on. Thank you.
To EnigmaticEmperor: Yes, Peter has finally joined the Death Eaters. I think the war was
much more brutal the first time around as opposed to the second war. People were terrified
and Voldemort was a lot more powerful. Sirius does blame himself for not protecting his
brother better. He thinks if he did a better job keeping an eye on him and showing him he had
choices, he wouldn't have chosen to join the Death Eaters and ended up dead. Thank you! To
ellyann13: Yes, it is ironic for Tom to be disgusted by James and Lily marrying. Peter
entirely has responsibility for the deaths that happen due to his intel. Despite how he came to
be the traitor, he did choose to send his friends to their deaths in the end. Thank you. To
ascfan: It is horrible how Peter was forced to be a Death Eater. I wanted to make people
think what would they do in his situation? Thank you! To A Huge Fan: No, Peter didn't kill
Reggie. He was killed when he obtained the locket from the cave. Thank you! To Bellmel:
Ha, I'm sorry that I made you feel bad for Peter. You're right, the other Marauders would
never have stooped so low, but the situation he found himself in was unthinkable. Thank you
for being conflicted, that means I did my job right. Thank you!
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE:
The One With the Wedding

Lily was standing in front of the full length mirror in the dressing room of the church,
taking deep breaths. She smiled when Sirius' hands rested on her shoulders.
"You're an absolute vision, Evans."
Her lips curved. "In less than an hour, it's going to be Potter."
Sirius chuckled. "Hard to believe sometimes."
"You can say that again," Alice said as she carefully finished tying the blue ribbon around
Lily's bouquet of pink apple blossoms. "Remember how hard she tried to deny it when it was
obvious to everyone that she was falling for him?"
"You mean when James pulled his sweaty Quidditch kit off after a game, and she stopped
talking to me mid-conversation and stared at him with wide eyes? I watched her lick her lips
and then she flat out denied it," Sirius said, grinning at his friend.
Alice laughed. "Or when she had those dreams about him?"
"I didn't get to hear about any dreams," Sirius said. "Maybe we need to share those."
"No!" Lily said, flushing red. "We absolutely do not, Alice!"
Alice smiled. "You and James were meant to be together, Lily. We all knew it in fifth year."
Sirius nodded. "Absolutely. James knew it from the first moment. Now, speaking of Prongs, I
must go check on him as my best man status. Alice, keep doing what you're doing and keep
her calm."
He let himself out of the dressing room just as Mary and Marlene, the other two bridesmaids,
headed inside with a bottle of champagne. Sirius grinned when he recognized Frank
Longbottom outside the groom's dressing room.
"Frank!"
"Hey, Sirius, I've been waiting on you."
"What's up?" Sirius asked, slipping his hands into his pockets.
Frank nodded out towards the church. "Snape's in the back row."
Sirius' eyes widened in surprise. "He really showed up?"
"I thought someone should know. I know that he used to be friends with Lily, but I had
understood that he was no longer her friend and I know that he and James aren't exactly
chummy, so I wondered why he was here."
Sirius nodded. "To see Evans is my guess. Don't worry about him, Frank, he's not going to do
anything. But thanks for looking out."
Frank grinned. "Naturally, how's the groom doing?"
"Why don't you come inside and see?"
Sirius opened the door, Frank following him inside and laughed when he heard Euphemia.
"Jamie, if you'd just stop pacing I could get the cufflinks on you!"
"Mum," James said in exasperation, holding out his wrists to her. "How am I supposed to
stand still? I'm getting married!"
Fleamont slapped his hand on his son's shoulder, grinning broadly. "That you are. She's a hell
of a woman too, James."
"And she looks so gorgeous right now," Sirius said, grinning when his friend's eyes snapped
to his. "I tried to convince her to have a nooner with me, but she said she didn't want to ruin
the dress."
"Fuck off, Padfoot," James said with a grin. "No way in hell she'd sleep with you."
Sirius grinned. "I have my charms, Prongs."
"James is looking a bit nervous, eh, mate?" Frank asked, passing him a glass of champagne
from the bottle that Remus was pouring out.
"I'm terrified and a bit queasy, but so bloody happy," he said, taking a sip of champagne.
Fleamont smiled at his son. "I felt much the same on my wedding day and it was one of the
happiest moments of my life. You should be terrified and queasy because you are so in love
with that young woman that you can hardly breathe without her. Today you will wed her and
you two will belong together. You will love and cherish her. James, don't let a single day pass
without you telling her why she is the most important person in your life. Any man lucky
enough to find love should thank his lucky stars every day. I know I do," he finished as
Euphemia beamed at him.
"Oh, Monty," she said, standing on her toes to kiss her husband softly. "I do love you."
"I love you more," he said, kissing her again.
Frank smiled at them. "I know I thank my lucky stars that Alice said yes. We've only been
married for two months and I still can't believe it."
"Us married couples will have to hang out sometime. Have a party; play some games?"
James said with a grin.
Frank grinned back. "Talk about our women."
Sirius laughed. "Rem, Pete, you guys hearing this? We're being replaced by a woman and
other married couples?"
Peter grinned. "Prongs is stuck with us, Padfoot; don't worry."
Remus nodded. "Lily already knows that by marrying Jamie, she inherits us as well."
James grinned and ushered his three friends in close, arms around them as they huddled
together. "You boys will always be my life, my most trusted friends, and my brothers. Lily is
the love of my life, the most important person in my life outside of you three. I love you,
guys!"
"Aww," Sirius said, kissing James noisily on the cheek.
James wiped at his cheek in disgust as he hugged his friends. "No kissing, you git!"
Remus laughed and hugged James tightly. "Lily is basically an honorary Marauder anyway.
We love her and we love you. Congrats, mate."
Peter nodded, hugging James close. "You deserve this more than anyone. I hope you're both
incredibly happy together."
"Thanks, Pete," James said, unable to stop smiling as he turned to Frank and opened his arms.
"Bring it in here, Longbottom."
Frank chuckled and hugged James. "Being married is wonderful, James. Congrats."
Sirius slapped his hands together. "All right, Mum, Dad, let's get our boy up to the altar there
with Pete and Rem. I have to go find the beautiful bride-to-be and walk her up the aisle."
James beamed at him. "I'm marrying Evans."
Sirius grinned back. "You sure are."
He squeezed his friend's arm, the love in James' eyes making his heart tight. Seeing his best
mate so happy made him happier than he could express. James and Lily were made for each
other and he was completely honoured that he was being given the opportunity to be such an
important part of their special day.
He headed back to Lily to check in and stepped inside just as Mary spoke.
"I still can't believe that you are finally marrying James Potter after all the fuss you made
about how much you would never even go on a date with him."
"Oh shush, I was wrong, okay?" Lily said, grinning widely. "And I've never been so happy to
be proven wrong."
"Wow," Sirius said, staring at Alice, Mary, and Marlene in horror. "She must be under a spell.
I think Evans just admitted she was wrong. Did the world end?"
Alice laughed and passed the bouquet to the bride. "Potter's heart will break when he learns
the truth."
Lily rolled her eyes and took another deep breath. "Shush. I was wrong and I've never been
so happy to be wrong because James Potter is everything to me. I can't wait to marry him."
Sirius kissed her cheek. "And trust me, love, he really can't wait to marry you." He held his
arm out to her. "Are you ready, Evans?"
Lily accepted his arm, a huge smile on her face. "I've never been more ready in my life." She
placed a hand over her stomach. "My heart is pounding and I'm… terrified and nervous and a
bit queasy. I've never wanted anything so much in my life as I do to marry James."
"Your parents would be so proud of you," he said, kissing her cheek. "And I'm honoured that
you've asked me to give you away in your father's place."
Lily smiled up at him. "I can't imagine anyone else I'd rather have walking me down the aisle
in his place."
Alice dabbed at the corners of her eyes. "Oh, Lily, you're so beautiful! Let's get you married!"
Lily grinned widely and watched as Alice headed up the aisle with Mary and Marlene. The
look on James' face when he spotted Lily was pure love, shining out of his eyes in wonder
and amazement and one look at Lily showed her staring at James in exactly the same way.
When Sirius passed her to his best mate, placing her hand in his, James was lit up like a
Christmas tree, love in his eyes as he thanked Sirius.
"You look breathtaking," James whispered. "An absolute vision, Evans."
Lily's eyes twinkled. "You look pretty spectacular yourself, Jamie, now shush. I'm trying to
change my name to Potter here."
James' eyes widened and brought their joined hands to his lips. "I love you."
"I love you," she said and Sirius blinked back tears.
The moment the minister pronounced them man and wife, James scooped up his wife into his
arms and kissed her deeply as the room cheered.
Lily knew it was the happiest day of her entire life and she couldn't wait so spend the next
hundred years with this man by her side.
The One Where It's Not Sirius'
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To alix33: They are so cute! Thank you! To Sets: Most of
my Jily head canons are pretty much the same so that's fair lol. Thank you for loving my take
on Fleamont and Euphemia! Thank you! To A Huge Fan: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed
the wedding. Yes, the comment on the next hundred years is tragic because we know they
barely get another two years. Peter is stuck in a rock and a hard place and right now, even
though he took the Dark Mark, he does love his friends. Thank you! To ellyann13: Snape
was there because he needed to be there, to really see Lily marry James. Call it punishment
or self-flagellation, but he needed to be there. No, I didn't write the reception. Thank you! To
darkhk: Erm, okay. Thank you. To EnigmaticEmperor: It was so fluffy! Denial is very
much Lily or was and yes, Harry very much takes after his mother. Lily is 100% okay with
inheriting all of the Marauders LOL. James and Lily both love each other so much and this
wedding is something they are both looking forward to! Thank you! To Slaidback: Excellent
Miracle Max/Wesley reference. High marks. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: Thank you very
much! Harry and Ginny's wedding is definitely not anytime soon, but it will come. Thank you!
To harstonks: Thank you. Yes, I know, it's extra sad to know that they won't actually live and
be happy together for another hundred years, but it's a beautiful concept of happiness the two
of them deserve to have on their wedding day. Thank you! To Bellmel: I know, it was a low
blow, but as said above, it's a beautiful concept. I love excited and pacing James, just
overjoyed in excitement to marry the woman of his dreams. He was totally like a little boy on
Christmas who received every gift he asked for and more. Sirius is very proud and smug
about having dual duties, knowing he gets to play a roll for both James and Lily just makes
him feel so loved. It was a very important day for Sirius on many levels as well. Thank you!
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX:
The One Where It's Not Sirius'
December 1979…
Sirius was lying on an incredibly ugly orange fuzzy sofa, his feet hanging over the
edge. James and Lily had demanded that they all come over for a very important dinner and
yet he hadn't seen nor heard from either of them since he'd let himself into the house five
minutes earlier.
"Prongs! What is taking you so long?"
James finally came out, his hair sticking up even more than usual. "Sorry."
Sirius wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You two are like rabbits."
Lily came out from the room, her own hair a bit tousled as she attempted to pull the top piece
back. "Sirius, as annoying as ever."
He grinned and grabbed her hand, tugging her down to kiss her cheek. "You love me, Evans."
"It's Potter now," she corrected with a grin. "Now get your feet off of our sofa."
Sirius grinned and sat up. "This sofa is an atrocity to the human eye, my feet can only
improve it."
"Trust me, I know," Lily said, pointedly looking at James.
He grinned and shrugged good naturally, moving to sit in the brown armchair and tugging his
wife down into his lap. "They were just giving it away!"
"With good reason," Lily said, making him laugh. She cupped his face in her hands and
kissed him softly. "We're going shopping for a new sofa this weekend and then we're going to
burn this one."
James smiled at her, his eyes full of adoration. "Whatever you say, dear."
"Ahh, he's whipped already," Sirius stated, ducking as James threw a pillow at him.
"Are Moony and Wormtail on their way over?" Lily asked.
"Should be here soon," Sirius said. "Moony said that he had to stop by his dad's and Peter had
to work until four."
The front door opened and Peter came in. His dirty blond hair waving over the tops of his
ears. "Hallo, all. Work took a bit longer than I planned. Is Moony here yet?"
"On his way," Sirius said, grinning as Peter made his way into the kitchen and came back a
moment later with a beer in his hand. "Hey, get me one, too!"
James rolled his eyes. "Nice of you to be so comfortable in my home."
Sirius grinned as Peter came back with a second beer and a bag of crisps. "Our home, Prongs.
We're family. Besides, I bought the beer."
Lily smiled at them. "We're having lasagna for dinner, so don't eat too many of those."
Sirius blanched. "Evans is cooking? Is that safe? Pass me those crisps, Pete."
Lily threw the other pillow at him and he laughed as he caught it. "That was one time, Sirius
Black!"
James grinned and kissed his wife's cheek. "It was great, Lily. You're a wonderful cook,
darling, and we ate every bite of it."
"Well, it was only a few weeks ago, Evans, I don't know if I'm ready to be poisoned again so
soon in my young life, I have so much to live for!"
Peter rolled his eyes. "He's not going to live much longer if he doesn't learn to place silencing
charms on his bedroom."
James laughed. "I see some things haven't changed."
The front door opened again and Remus came in. "It's raining cats and dogs out there," he
said, hanging up his raincoat. "Sorry, I'm late."
"You're not late," Lily said with a smile. "You're just missing Sirius being a prat."
"I'm merely stating that the thought of Evans cooking lasagna has me worried for my health."
Remus chuckled. "We survived the chicken, I can't imagine that this will be much worse."
Lily scowled. "Remus! You're supposed to be on my side!"
James wrapped his arms tighter around her, nuzzling her neck. "We're all on your side."
Remus took a seat next to Sirius on the ugly orange sofa. "So, what's going on? You stated in
your invite that this dinner was very important."
Lily moved into the kitchen to get Remus a beer and he thanked her.
James stood up, moving to wrap his arms around his wife, holding her back against him, his
hands flat on her stomach. "We have some news."
"What kind of news?" Peter asked, drinking his beer.
"First of all, despite the fact that I burned the chicken last week, I can promise you that the
lasagna will be delicious and not poisonous," she added, earning a snicker from Sirius. "I'm
sorry that I overreacted. I wasn't quite acting like myself."
Remus nodded, his eyes solemn. "Lily, we get it. We know how much that big fight with your
sister hurt you."
She nodded. "It wasn't only that. I mean, yes, the fight with Tuney was bad, but… I always
knew that one day she would push me away for good. I just didn't expect it to be so soon, and
now I won't even get the chance to meet my niece or nephew and it being just before the
holidays is… a lot," she admitted. Her hands slid over James', squeezing lightly. "And I'm
sorry that I reacted the way that I did, crying in the bathroom like a child just because of the
chicken. You blokes are amazing and I can't believe that you ate that whole chicken."
James grinned and kissed her cheek. "We didn't want to hurt your feelings. We didn't want to
see you cry."
"Also, Jamie made us," Sirius said, earning a dirty look from Lily.
"And threatened us if we didn't eat it," Peter said, earning a glare from James.
"Accurate," Remus said with a smile. "But you're all right now?"
She let out a slow breath and a bright smile bloomed across her face. "Very all right. Better
than all right, actually."
Remus merely raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"
Lily nodded, biting her bottom lip. "Jamie and I wanted to wait until I was in my second
trimester before we made an official announcement and after last week's dinner fiasco, I don't
think that we can keep it a secret much longer even if we wanted to as my hormones are
obviously already out of whack. I'm pregnant."
Sirius' eyes widened in horror. "It wasn't me!"
Lily laughed. "I'm well aware of that, Sirius, but thanks for clarifying."
James turned her around, kissing her deeply. "She's beautiful, isn't she? And she's carrying
our boy in there!"
"Or girl," Lily said with a smile.
James fell to his knees, pressing a kiss to her stomach. "Hi, again, my little Bludger, it's your
Dad. I can't wait to meet you and introduce you to these brilliant and totally mad gents.
They're going to love you so much just like I do."
Lily smiled, her hands stroking her husband's hair. "Jamie."
He smiled up at her from the floor, his arms around her waist, his cheek resting against her
abdomen as he turned to look at his friends. "That's how big is he, the size of a Bludger —
can you believe it?"
Sirius looked pale now, moving to stand up. "Fuck! You really made a baby! This isn't a
joke? There's a real fucking baby in there?"
Remus stood up, kissing Lily's cheek. "You two are going to be incredible parents.
Congratulations!"
Lily hugged him. "You knew, didn't you?"
Remus gave her a half shrug and winked. His werewolf abilities included very good hearing
and Lily had a feeling that he might have noted the additional heartbeat the last time he was
here, but he hadn't said anything to the others which she appreciated. Remus had a good heart
like that.
"Wow!" Peter said, his eyes wide. "A baby! That's brilliant, Prongs!"
"Thanks, Wormy," James said, grinning hugely.
Lily was smiling at Sirius, who still looked rather horror struck. "Come here, Sirius."
He moved towards her, swallowing slowly as she took his hand and placed it over her
stomach.
"Jamie and I are going to have a baby."
His eyes widened as something, a flutter almost, moved against his hand, staring down at his
friend, who was still kneeling in front of his wife adoringly, and he smiled. "Was that —?"
"Yes," Lily said with a smile. "It's too soon for you to feel anything, but I can feel it. Our
little Bludger is moving around in there. It kind of feels like gas bubbles right now, but it's the
baby."
"A little Baby Prongs. That's almost scary," Sirius said in amazement, his hand still on Lily's
stomach.
Lily kissed his cheek. "You'll have a niece or nephew."
He grinned, his eyes widening in delight. "I'm going to be an uncle?"
Lily pulled him close for a hug and Sirius made to let go, but she wouldn't let him. "Not yet."
"It's not your fault, but I feel really uncomfortable when a hug lasts more than ten seconds,"
Sirius told her.
Lily only burrowed closer. "Don't care. I'm pregnant."
James tugged Sirius into his arms for a one-armed hug before he turned to his wife and kissed
her stomach again just as it grumbled loudly. He stood up, grinning at his friends. "Now, the
Little Bludger wants lasagna."
Lily grinned and kissed her husband. "Our Little Bludger can't wait to meet all of his or her
uncles."
Sirius was grinning hugely, his eyes still wide in amazement.
Remus put a hand on his friend's arm. "A baby? Can you believe it? Prongs made a baby!"
Peter grinned, smiling at his friends. "And leave it to Jamie to call him by Quidditch names."
Lily turned to smile at them from the doorway to the kitchen. "Come along boys, dinner's on
the table."
The One With the Motorbike
Author's Note:
DISCLAIMER: JKR wrote this short, I just added to it, tweaked it, and changed a few bits.
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To PerpetuallyExhaustedPigeon: I think if Sirius hadn't

automatically defaulted to "it wasn't me," it would have been strange lol. Thank you! To
CorbanD17: It is his default lol. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: Yes, little Harry exists in
the womb lol. Thank you! To alix33: Thank you! To ellyann13: James is eccentric like that.
Thank you! To Sets: Thanks for reading The Trouble With Secrets , that was an old one.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: LOL, nope not Sirius' and yet
Harry will become very much Sirius' son lol. Thank you! To Nuno Neves: It's true, Sirius is
very happy to hear about James and Lily having a baby (especially because he's not the
father lol). Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! I do love Sirius. To Slaidback: Yes, the
conclusion is coming, only 13 more chapters left of TFTA and 5 left of ASC to post. Thank
you so much! To Redmatter91: I don't know where I come up with these nicknames? They
just come to me lol. I do love the nickname Auror Arsehole so I'm glad you love it! Thank
you!
To Endinium: Thank you for binging the whole fic and I am so glad that you're enjoying it. I
love showing the deep love that all of the Marauders have for each other and I agree, it is
what makes everything that much more tragic. Thank you very much! To Bellmel: Yes, Baby
Harry makes his debut (in the womb) lol. James is definitely right about them all loving him
so much and ha, yes, even stupid Peter lol. We will get to see a little bit of baby Harry with
Lily and James. Thanks for loving the shit out of Sirius in this chapter lol. I love him being
comfortable with Lily. He loves her like a sister and yes, Lily doesn't care if he doesn't like
long hugs, she is going to hold him close lol. I love having Sirius react with "it wasn't me." To
me that is totally canon even though it very obviously isn't his lol. Thank you!
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN:
The One With the Motorbike
March 1980…
Sirius couldn't stop grinning.

The last few months had seemed to be darkness and bad news, one after the other. The only
light at the end of the tunnel was the upcoming baby of one James Potter and Lily Evans,
which was still a few months away, despite the fact that Sirius was positive his friends had
been talking about Lily being pregnant forever. (Okay, it had been less than three months, but
same thing).
But tonight, tonight he and James had been assigned a mission by the Order of the Phoenix.
Sirius had immediately told James that they were taking his motorbike, and despite the
apprehensive look that Lily and Euphemia had both given them upon hearing this news, the
two of them had ridden out together, the purr of the engine the only sound in the night.
The snow had melted and despite the cold temperatures, it was much milder than usual.
Sirius was excited to be back on the bike and had been anxious for an opportunity to take it
out. He wasn't passing it up because it was technically still winter time. The calming purr of
the engine made him grin and when he tapped his wand over the wireless speaker, Led
Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" blasted out to serenade them as they rode. James had his arms
wrapped around Sirius' waist and his breath was hot against his ear as he spoke over the
music.
"Aren't you worried we'll be seen?"
"On a Muggle motorbike?" Sirius scoffed. "Please! If anything, we're even more in disguise
than before!"
The mission wasn't anything overly grand, but the two of them had been ordered to check out
the rumours of Death Eaters gathering near Bath. The Rowles were known to have a home in
Royal Crescent and according to Aberforth Dumbledore and Alastor Moody, the Rowles
were hosting the Dark Lord for dinner.
"Oooh, you think they'll have treacle?" James asked.
Lily had elbowed her husband, hard.
"Ow!"
"You're not joining them for dinner, Potter," she hissed.
James looked crestfallen, but Sirius had winked at him. It was how they both knew this
mission was going to be awesome.
They both wore blue jeans, Sirius' a little more cut up with holes in the knees, and to Lily's
horror, they'd had matching tee shirts made. Both were bright red and emblazoned with a
huge golden phoenix. James had snickered when he saw them and Lily had rolled her eyes.
"What part of secret order do you two dunderheads not understand?"
But Dumbledore had chuckled when he'd seen the shirts.
"I don't know, Miss Evans, I think they rather look like they might be attending a Muggle
rock concert."
"Exactly," Sirius said. "It's what we're going for."
Sirius finished off his outfit with his signature black leather jacket and his black combat
boots, tying his long black hair back with a brown leather band. He'd let his hair grow out the
last few months and it brushed the tops of his shoulders. James wore black boots as well, but
his were leather. James wore a dark brown jacket over his shirt, the collar flipped up near his
neck, revealing the black turtleneck jumper he wore beneath the shirt. They wanted to blend
in with the Muggles and Sirius thought they definitely looked the part.
When they arrived in Bath, Sirius lowered the volume on Led Zeppelin as they drove into
Royal Crescent, eyes peeled for any signs of Death Eater activity. The Rowle Manor was
actually set in the middle of the row of townhouses, covering Numbers Twelve through
Fifteen. Unbeknownst to the Muggles, the four homes all connected into one large manor.
"How close do you think we can get?" James asked.
"Not too close," Sirius told him. "It's not like we can actually get inside. We're just keeping
our eyes peeled for movement."
James nodded, hopping off the bike to lean against it as Sirius pulled a cigarette from his
pocket and lit it.
"I thought you quit."
"Mostly," Sirius told him. "I never much liked them, but it felt right in this moment. Smokers
look cool."
James rolled his eyes. "Git."
Sirius blew smoke in his face and James shot up two fingers.
"Two figures in robes coming up from the left," James whispered.
Sirius didn't turn around, he merely took another drag of his cigarette as they took note of the
people coming and going. Each of them went through a different entrance. Some he
recognized, Abraxas Malfoy and his wife Isla, his cousin Bellatrix and her new husband,
Rodolphus, the others he couldn't name but he made note of them.
They watched and waited until everyone had gone inside. Sirius finally put out his cigarette
and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"So, have you and Evans decided on Sirius yet?"
James lifted an eyebrow. "Decided on you what?"
"For a name, obviously," Sirius said.
James grinned. "Nah. Much too boring."

Sirius snorted. "Too awesome, you mean? I agree. We have to give the kid a fighting chance,
and Sirius is a lot to live up to."
"I was thinking Henry, after my grandfather," James admitted. "Lily also loves the name Rose
for a girl."
"It's a boy," Sirius said, confidently. "I can just tell. I'm definitely having a nephew."
James tapped his fingers on his leg as he snuck a glance back at the Rowle place. "I think it's
a boy, too. But honestly, we haven't decided, not really."
"Elvendork's a good name," Sirius teased.
James scoffed. "No way Lily would choose that one." He scratched his nose. "Could call her
Ellie for short."
"It's unisex," Sirius said, making James grin. "I still can't believe you're going to have a baby
in a few months. It's completely mad."
"I know," James admitted. "Mum's so excited. She's ready to spoil this baby to pieces."
"I bet she will," Sirius agreed.
"Speaking of Mum, have you been over to see her and Dad?"
Sirius shook his head. "Not as much as I'd like."
"She's been looking peaky," James said. "If she looks the same at dinner on Sunday, I'm
going to make her see a healer."
Sirius frowned. A healer? "How bad?"
James shook his head. "Just off," he said. "We'll talk to her on Sunday. You'll be there for
dinner?"
"Yeah," Sirius said, straightening as two figures came out of Number Thirteen. "We've got
movement."
Someone laughed in the night and when the woman turned, Bellatrix locked eyes with him.
"Shit. Bella saw us."
James didn't wait, he climbed back onto the bike behind Sirius as he turned it over. The
engine roared to life and Led Zeppelin blared out of the wireless, this time "Black Dog"
belted out.
"Their getting on brooms," James shouted near his ear.
"Hang on, Prongs," Sirius instructed and he tore off down the street, the music blaring loud
into the night.
~ TFTA ~
The speeding motorcycle blaring loud music took the sharp corner so fast in the
darkness that the two policemen sitting in the cruiser on the corner jolted in
surprise. Sergeant Fisher slapped his hand on the siren and tore off after the motorbike,
telling his partner, Police Constable Anderson, to hold on.
The bike was flying through the street, doing well above the speed limit as it raced between
cars, narrowly missing a double decker bus. The sirens rang out in the night as Fisher white
knuckled the wheel, trying to stay in pursuit of the motorbike.
"PC Anderson here, Fisher and I are in pursuit of a speeding motorbike, a Triumph
Bonneville, early 70s. Two young men are riding it. Suspects are heading down Upper
Church Street at one hundred and blimey — one hundred and ninety kilometres," Anderson
spoke into the radio to dispatch. "Something must be wrong with my radar gun."
Fisher swore as his back wheels spun as he made a sharp left turn on Julian Road, barely
missing a streetlamp. The young man on the back of the bike kept turning his head to look
back at them, but the bike made no effort to slow down. By the time they reached Cavendish
Road, the police were almost right on their tail. Instead, the driver took another sharp corner
so fast it had both policemen shouting, 'Whoa!'
Fisher slammed his large foot on the brake, thinking that the boy who was riding pillion was
sure to be flung under his wheels; however, the motorbike made the turn without unseating
either of its riders, and with a wink of its red tail light, vanished up the narrow side street.
"We've got 'em now!" Anderson cried out, excitedly. "That's a dead end!"
Leaning hard on the steering wheel and crashing his gears, Fisher scraped half the paint off
the flank of the car as he forced it up the alleyway in pursuit. There in the headlights, sat their
quarry, stationary at last after a quarter of an hour's chase. The two riders were trapped
between a towering brick wall and the police car, which was now crashing towards them like
some growling, luminous-eyed predator.
There was so little space between the car doors and the walls of the alley that Fisher and
Anderson had difficulty extricating themselves from the vehicle. It injured their dignity to
have to inch, crab-like, towards the miscreants. Fisher dragged his generous belly along the
wall, tearing buttons off of his shirt as he went, and finally snapping off the wing mirror with
his backside.
"Get off the bike!" he bellowed at the smirking youths, who sat basking in the flashing blue
light as though enjoying it.
They did as they were told. Finally pulling free from the broken wing mirror, Fisher glared at
them. They seemed to be in their late teens. The one who had been driving had long black
hair; his insolent good looks reminded Fisher unpleasantly of his daughter's guitar-playing,
layabout boyfriend. The second boy also had black hair, though his was short and stuck up in
all directions; he wore glasses and a broad grin. Both were dressed in T-shirts emblazoned
with a large golden bird; the emblem, no doubt, of some deafening, tuneless rock band.
"No helmets!" Fisher yelled, pointing from one uncovered head to the other. "Exceeding the
speed limit by – by a considerable amount!"
In fact, the speed registered had been greater than Fisher was prepared to accept that any
motorcycle could travel.
"Failing to stop for the police!"
"We'd have loved to stop for a chat," the boy in glasses said, "only we were trying —"
"Don't get smart – you two are in a heap of trouble!" Anderson snarled. "Names!"
"Names?" the long-haired driver repeated. "Er – well, let's see. There's Wilberforce…
Bathsheba… Elvendork…"
"And what's nice about that one is, you can use it for a boy or a girl," the boy in glasses said.
"Oh, our names, did you mean?" the first asked, as Anderson spluttered with rage. "You
should've said! This here is James Potter, and I'm Sirius Black!"
"Things'll be seriously black for you in a minute, you cheeky little —"
But neither James nor Sirius was paying attention. They were suddenly as alert as gun-dogs,
staring past Fisher and Anderson, over the roof of the police car, at the dark mouth of the
alley. Then, with identical fluid movements, they reached into their back pockets.
For the space of a heartbeat both policemen imagined guns gleaming at them, but a second
later they saw that the motorcyclists had drawn nothing more than —
"Drumsticks?" Anderson jeered. "Right pair of jokers, aren't you? Right, we're arresting you
on a charge of —"
But Anderson never got to name the charge.
James and Sirius had shouted something incomprehensible, and the beams from the
headlights had moved.
The policemen wheeled around, then staggered backwards. Three men were flying – actually
flying up the alley on broomsticks – and at the same moment, the police car was rearing up
on its back wheels.
Fisher's knees bucked; he sat down hard. Anderson tripped over Fisher's legs and fell on top
of him, as FLUMP – BANG – CRUNCH – they heard the men on brooms slam into the
upended car and fall, apparently insensible, to the ground, while broken bits of broomstick
clattered down around them.
The motorbike had roared into life again. His mouth hanging open, Fisher mustered the
strength to look back at the two teenagers.
"Thanks very much!" Sirius called out over the throb of the engine. "We owe you one!"
"Yeah, nice meeting you!" James shouted. "And don't forget: Elvendork! It's unisex!"
There was an earth-shattering crash, and Fisher and Anderson threw their arms around each
other in fright; their car had just fallen back to the ground. Now it was the motorcycle's turn
to rear. Before the policemen's disbelieving eyes, it took off into the air: James and Sirius
zoomed away into the night sky, their tail light twinkling behind them like a vanishing ruby.
The One With the Dog-Father
Author's Note:
I'm really proud of this chapter. I hope you enjoy it!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Sets: Thank you and yes, small typo both Dusk and I
missed. Thank you! To ellyann13: The policeman were not obliviated (though they definitely
think they were going mad). None of the Death Eaters were killed when the car was dropped,
though they were injured. Thank you! To alix33: Lily and James are definitely spending time
with Fee and Monty. Yes, I love the matching tee shirts. Um, I think dunderheads is a
common word so I think he just knew it? Thank you! To jaccy3: Yes, that was a typo, I fixed
it. Thanks for liking my cute little tidbits. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: Thank you! I love
Sirius and James just getting into trouble together. Sirius would definitely get them matching
tee shirts with phoenixes on them just for shits and giggles lol. Thank you! To Slaidback:
No, I don't think so because Voldemort wasn't present. Thank you! To scrappy8: It is a
unisex name LOL. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: I agree, it is so fun to read! I mean,
I'm totally sold on Elvendork lol. Thank you! To Bellmel: Yes, it's the Elvendork scene! I do
love the word dunderheads! Sirius and James are exactly the perfect amount of recklessly
brazen and stupid lol. I can totally see the Eric and crew vibes lol. It was fun giving more
context to the scene, thank you!
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT:
The One With the Dog-father
March 1980…
When Sirius arrived at Clevedon Court, he pulled Euphemia Potter into a huge hug,
lifting her right up off of the ground. Ever since he and James had talked about her the
other day, he'd been a bit nervous to come by for Sunday dinner and take a look at her. He
had to admit, James was right: She was looking a bit peaky. But she laughed when he picked
her up and hit him in the shoulder.
"Put me down, you silly boy!"
Instead, he gave her a smacking kiss on the mouth that made her smile.
"I missed you, Fee."
"Always the charmer," Euphemia said, hugging him when he placed her back on his feet.
"Why are you late?"
Sirius shrugged. "Took the long way here."
Euphemia frowned. "On that death trap?"
"You love my motorbike," he teased.
Euphemia snorted. "I worry about you on that thing."
"And I adore you for it," Sirius assured her. "Are James and Lily already here?"
"Yes, in the living room with Monty," she said, smiling when he tucked her arm into his as
they headed in there.
"Padfoot! About time!" James exclaimed, jumping to his feet to hug his friend. "Mum said
that we couldn't have any snacks until you arrived and I'm starving!"
Lily rolled her eyes. "He's always starving."
Sirius ducked down to hug her, kissing her cheek. "And how are you feeling, Evans?"
"Good, thank you. I've finally stopped vomiting."
Sirius grimaced. "Didn't need to know that, but thanks."
"With what you usually overshare with us, you really did," Lily teased.
Sirius plopped himself down on the sofa across from her, stretching his long legs out across
the cushions. "Where's Moony and Wormtail?"
"Here," Remus said, coming into the living room. "I'm sorry I'm late!"
Euphemia hopped up to her feet. "Oh, you're not late, dear. Welcome."
"Hey!" Sirius protested. "How come Rem's not late, but I was?"
"There, there, dear," Euphemia said, gently patting Sirius' shoulder.
"Peter's running late also," James said. "He was helping his mum do something or other."
"What? So, I'm not late at all!" Sirius complained.
Euphemia gave him a pointed look and he sighed.
"All right, all right, sorry I was late."
Lily and James exchanged an amused look as Euphemia kissed Sirius on the cheek.
Fleamont passed Sirius and Remus each a glass of whisky before he smiled at his son. "Well,
you don't need Peter here for this, do you? He already knows?"
James nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets as he stood up.
Sirius lifted an eyebrow. "What's going on? Everything all right? What does Pete know that I
don't?"
"Everything's fine," James said quickly. "I just… I mean, Lily and I, we wanted to talk to
you."
Sirius looked between James and Lily, questioningly as Remus pushed Sirius' legs off of the
cushions so that he could have a seat. "About?"
"Stop looking so panicked, Padfoot. One would think that you're guilty of something."
"You know what this is about?" Sirius demanded. "How come Moony knows too? What's
going on?"
"Because he does," Lily said. "Now be quiet so we can tell you."
Sirius pouted and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Fine."
James began to pace in front of the fireplace. "Look, Siri, with everything that's been going
on, Lily and I really appreciate everything you blokes have been doing for us. Helping us
paint the nursery and helping us get toys and clothes and all that stuff, it means a lot. You two
are my brothers and I know that Lily feels the same way."
"Of course we're your brothers, mate," Sirius said. "We'd do anything for you."
"Absolutely," Remus told them.
James gave them both a small smile before he bit his bottom lip. "And I know that Lily and I
want a big family and Merlin knows this baby wasn't exactly planned, but we couldn't be
happier. We can't wait for little Elvendork or Wilberforce to make an appearance —"
"Yeah, we're not using either one of those names," Lily interrupted.
"—But while we're waiting for them to come," James continued with only a wink at his wife,
"we want to make sure that our baby has the best support that he or she can and… well, my
favourite person growing up was of course Mum and Dad, but mostly it was my godfather.
Uncle Nick was Dad's best friend and he was always so fun and so full of life. He always
made me laugh and he's the one who took me to Quidditch games with Dad and… godfathers
are special," James told them. "He died before I started at Hogwarts and I still miss him, but I
want our baby to have someone cool like that. I know that my Marauders will always be there
for our child, but still, Lily and I talked about it and we want our child to have his very own
godfather too. Or, rather dog-father."
Remus smirked. "It does suit him."

Sirius' eyes widened in surprise. "Wait — do you mean… me?"
"Who else would be dog-father?" Lily asked, a smile tugging on her lips.
"We were instant friends, mate," James began. "I knew that you were my brother from the
very moment I met you. Mum and Dad are as much your parents as they are mine and you've
always been there for me. You've never once given me a reason to not trust you. Moony and
Wormtail mean more to me than I can put into words, but you, Siri, you're my best mate. I
want you to be godfather so that our child can have you love them the way you've loved me. I
want you to be there for them. To be the friend that they need when we have to be parents. I
want you to spoil them and teach them pranks and fuck, Padfoot, I want you to love them as
much as I love you."
Sirius' eyes blurred, surprising him as he blinked back tears. He stood up and pulled James
into a hug. "I… I'd be so honoured, Prongs. Fuck, Jamie, I'm going to love the fuck outta that
kid. I promise."
Lily smiled. "Our baby's going to love his Uncle Padfoot, Uncle Moony, and Uncle Wormtail
more than anything. It will be impossible not to."
James kissed Sirius' cheek. "Godfather's a big responsibility, mate. If something happens to
Lily and I… it would be you who would care for him. Or her."
Sirius swallowed. "What? Like raise 'em? Fuck… that's a hell of a lot of responsibility."
Lily stood up to hug Sirius. "I want Petunia to be godmother. I know we're not close, but I'm
hoping that this can bridge the gap between us. She has a little boy coming soon herself and I
want to be such a good auntie that she'll have to love my baby too. But, you, Padfoot, you're
the one we trust the most. But as to the responsibility aspect, Siri, that's only if something
happens to both me and Jamie. Otherwise, you just get to be the cool and fun uncle."
"Thank Merlin for that," Sirius said, shaking his head. "I'm not cut out to be a father, but
godfather? I got this shit covered! That kid's going to need me and Moony to show him how
to be cool. If he only has Jamie as a role model, he's going to be a complete dork."
"Oi!"
Sirius kissed Lily's forehead. "Godfather… wow. Thank you."
"You're welcome," Lily said, hugging him. "I can't imagine a better choice."
Remus smiled at Sirius when he sat back down next to him. "Dog-father suits you, Padfoot."
Sirius stuck his tongue out at him and the four of them laughed as Peter rushed into the living
room, apologizing for being late. He teased Sirius over being dog-father along with his
friends and soon they were all laughing. By the time Rosa and Darby called them forth for
dinner, Sirius was looking more closely at Monty and Fee. He had to admit, Fee was looking
a bit more peaky than when he'd arrived. Her cheeks were flushed and he thought that he saw
a bit of a greenish tinge to her skin near her neck.
"Are you sure that you're feeling all right, Fee?" Sirius asked.
"Oh, tosh! I'm fine," Euphemia insisted.
After dinner she presented Lily with a blanket she'd knitted for the baby. Sirius knew how
excited they were to be grandparents. Fee and Monty had always wanted a house full of
children and instead, they had struggled. James had been a blessing and the thought of them
getting a grandchild to spoil was everything they'd ever wanted. It made him smile to see
how happy they were and how much Fee assured Lily, mothering her where her own mother
couldn't, and being the amazing woman he knew her to be. When she stood up to say
goodbye to Peter and Remus a little while later and wobbled, he froze. Fleamont caught her
before she hit the ground, his face going ashen.
"Fee? Fee, dear, are you all right?"
Euphemia blinked at her husband. "Well, the world's titled a bit, hasn't it, Monty?"
Lily protested, but let Remus and Peter take her home as James and Sirius insisted on taking
Euphemia to the hospital. They ignored her protests as much as they had Lily's and a healer
came to check on her almost as soon as they arrived and began to run tests.
Thirty minutes later the healer came out to see them, her face grim.
"I'm afraid that Lady Somerset is suffering from a serious strain of Dragon Pox."
"Dragon Pox?" James exclaimed, his eyes widening. "How serious?"
"Very serious," the healer said. "We've given her potions to try to take down the swelling, but
the scales and boils have already taken over her legs and torso. As you know, the scales and
boils don't necessarily present right away and when they do, they can appear within six hours.
It's very contagious, but manageable. We're going to have to see how she reacts to the
potions. I'm going to recommend anti-pox potions to anyone who's been in contact with her
in the last twenty-four hours."
"My wife's pregnant," James began.
"It's perfectly safe for her and the baby," the healer assured him.
They arranged to get the anti-pox potions, but within twenty-four hours, Fleamont was in the
bed right next to his wife and to Sirius' horror, Fee wasn't reacting to the potions.
He listened with half an ear as the healer explained how sometimes Dragon Pox affected
those over sixty-five more severely.
"It comes on quickly, almost without warning. We have to hope that the potions will help, but
sometimes it spreads too quickly to be contained and some people can't fight it off. The very
young and those older than sixty-five have a harder time fighting the infection. I promise,
we're doing everything we can."
And they did.

Euphemia was given potion after potion. She was given salves and lotions to deal with the
scales and boils. Her fever was treated, but still she kept getting worse. And to Sirius' horror,
after a week in the hospital, the healers told them that it was best to say their goodbyes.
He and James each sat on either side of her bed, holding her hands.
"My boys," she whispered, her voice hoarse. The dragon scales had started to form inside of
her throat making it hard for her to speak. "I'm so proud of my boys."
"Mum…" James whispered, tears in his eyes. "Mum, you have to fight. You have to be here
to meet your grandchild."
"I love you, Jamie," she whispered. "You were my miracle baby."
"Mum…"
She squeezed his hand, her eyes on Sirius. "And you, my sweet boy… I've always loved you
like my own. My sweet adopted baby. Promise me you'll have each other, yes?"
"Promise," Sirius choked, tears in his eyes. "Fee…"
She squeezed his hand along with James'. "I love you. Both of you. Always."
Euphemia urged them to go home and get some rest and insisted that James go home and
hold his wife. They kissed her goodbye and told her they loved her and when they came back
to the hospital the next morning, they found Fleamont lying in bed with her, holding her
against his chest, his lips pressed against her forehead.
"Dad?"
"She's gone," Monty said, tears in his eyes. "She's gone, Jamie."
James broke down, kneeling next to the hospital bed and clutched his mother's hand as he and
Monty both cried. Sirius just stood there, frozen in the doorway until Monty said his name.
"Sirius, come here, son."
His bottom lip trembled, but he put one foot in front of the other until Monty took his hand
and tugged him down into his arms. He, Monty, and James held each other and cried for he
didn't know how long. He held James in his arms as they took Euphemia's body away and felt
numb as he and Lily talked about planning the funeral.
Fleamont passed away three days later.
The healers claimed it was from the Dragon Pox infection, but Sirius knew that wasn't really
what had killed him. The man's heart had been broken and he'd passed away quietly in his
sleep.
Sirius spent the night in Godric's Hollow with James and Lily as they grieved. Fee and Monty
had been the only parents he'd ever really known. He didn't know how to process living in a
world where they weren't there.
When the lawyers came to go over the estate with James, he stared blankly at them as they
proclaimed him the new Marquess of Somerset.
"Are you and Lily going to move into the house?" Sirius whispered.
"No," James said, shaking his head. "No. I… I can't. Not yet."
Sirius nodded. "Yeah I…"
"You can live there if you want, Siri. It will always be your home."
Sirius shook his head. "No, I can't live there, either," he insisted. "I'll stick with the flat Uncle
Alphard left me for now."
"I thought you were selling it?"
"I am," he told him. "But for now, it will do."
When James put his hand on Sirius' shoulder, he didn't know which one of them was
comforting who, but he was grateful for his friend. When he went to Godric's Hollow after
the funeral, he knelt down in front of Lily and hugged her tightly, pressing his cheek against
the bump at her stomach.
"I'm going to be the best damn dog-father this kid has ever had, Lily. I promise he or she will
always know how much they are loved."
Lily ran her fingers through Sirius' long hair with a smile. "I know, Siri. It's why we chose
you."
It was a promise that he knew he would die to keep.

The One Where They Wait
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Susanne_BK: Thank you for saying that chapter was
"beautiful and heartbreaking." Thank you! To darkhk: Yes, I did decide to kill you with the
feels lol. Thank you! To ellyann13: I think telling Peter and Remus first is a point of trust
among the group. Dog-Father does suit Sirius, doesn't it? Thank you! To A Huge Fan:
Sirius is definitely going to be the best dog-father ever. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor:
Thank you! Harry was robbed of James and Lily, but I think Sirius and Remus did a pretty
damn good job. Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Hello! Haven't heard from you in a while!
Thank you! To alix33: I know, poor Marauders with losing Euphemia and Fleamont. Thank
you! To Sets: Thank you! Yes, it was in reference to That 70's Show. Thank you very much!
As to your second review, no, Sirius wanted to sell the flat his Uncle Alphard left him, not the
cottage. The flat is where James, Remus, Peter, and Sirius moved into until James got
married. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you! To Bellmel: Is it weird that I'm so happy
you're a mess lol? I wanted chapter 58 to pull on the heartstrings. Thank you! It was such an
important moment for James and Sirius and for Fee and Monty to be there to witness it made
that much more heartbreaking when their death followed. Thank you very much!
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE:
The One Where They Wait
31st July, 1980…
Sirius had been pacing within the halls of St Mungo's with Remus and Peter. James and
Lily had been in the room for hours. It felt like days.
"Sit down, Padfoot!" Peter insisted, leaning back in his chair. "Pacing back and forth like a
mad man isn't going to make it go any faster."
"Pete's right, Sirius; come sit down," Remus told him, patting the bench next to him.
Sirius only looked up at his friends, eyes wide. "I can't. I'm too… edgy. James is in there,
having a fucking baby!"
"Well, technically, Lily's having the fucking baby, but I know what you mean," Peter said,
grinning widely. "Never would have believed that tosser would have got the chance to date
Evans let alone convince the poor girl to marry him and breed."
Remus laughed, dragging his fists over his tired eyes. "That tosser wore her down and she
had the hots for him for years; we all knew it. She was just smart enough not to show it."
Sirius' lips curved. "Remember that time that she told him she'd rather kiss every Death Eater
on the arse than spend another moment talking in his presence?"
Remus laughed, smirking at his friends. "Merlin, I thought Prongs was going to die. He
stuttered and stared at her like she had suddenly grown three heads. Now they are having a
baby together. It seems like the world is really changing."
"Just because they're having a baby doesn't mean our world is changing," Sirius insisted, his
eyes on his friends.
"Babies change things, Padfoot," Peter told him, crossing his feet at the ankles. "Babies
change everything."
The door at the end of the hall opened and James rushed out, black hair sticking up worse
than ever, crooked glasses and a face splitting grin plastered across his mouth.
"It's a boy! Quick, come see!" he exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waved
them forward.
Peter and Remus stood up, following Sirius who was in the lead, as they made their way into
the room where Lily was sitting. She was propped up in the bed, her dark red hair damp and
plaited at her neck as she held a tiny bundle in a green and blue blanket knitted by Euphemia
Potter.
"Marauders, I'd like for you to meet the first Marauder of the new generation, Prongs II,"
James announced proudly, beaming so brightly that he was practically glowing.
"James, for the last time — we are not naming our son Prongs II!" Lily exclaimed, rolling her
eyes at her husband. She smiled warmly at the three of them. "Come closer and meet your
nephew, Marauders."
"Nephew?" Remus asked, smiling brightly.
James grinned widely. "Obviously, Uncle Moony. Say hello to Prongs II."
"Harry," Lily said, chuckling. "His name is Harry James Potter."
"It's a variation of Henry, after my grandpa," James said with a smile. "He was an Auror and
the coolest bloke around. And James for the coolest bloke in this little man's life: Moi."
"Um, excuse me — godfather claims that status," Sirius said, raising his hand in
acknowledgement and taking a seat on the edge of the bed, looking at Harry. "Hi there,
Prongslet, I'm your godfather."
"That's Uncle Padfoot, Harry, otherwise known as Uncle Sirius or Uncle Moron," James said,
smiling down at his son.
"Your dad's the moron, Prongslet. I'm the cool one. Stick with me, little man and we got this,"
Sirius said, picking up the baby's hand and pretending to high-five it with two fingers.
Lily smiled up at the four men around her. The Marauders; the man she loved more than life
itself, and the men he called his brothers. "Sirius, would you like to hold your Prongslet
first?"
Sirius beamed as Lily carefully placed Harry into his arms. "He's so small, Lil; barely weighs
a thing!"
Peter leaned in, smiling. "He's got James' black hair disaster."
"You don't know that it's going to be a disaster, Pete," James said defensively, looking at his
son's mop of black unruly hair.
Peter only smirked. "I think we do, Prongs."
Sirius gently ran his finger down Harry's cheek, grinning when Harry's tiny hand gripped his
finger hard. "Hi there, Prongslet, strong grip you've got there."
Sirius passed the baby to Remus who looked panicked.
"Um, Peter can — oh boy," he exclaimed in panic as Sirius left the baby in his arms. "Hi,
little Prongs."
Lily smiled at him. "Relax, Rem, he's fine."
"He's so precious," Remus told her, a soft smile on his face. "Right, Harry? Are you
precious?"
Harry only stared up at him, fingers twitching until he grabbed a hold of Remus' finger.
Remus smiled and carefully passed the baby over to Peter who held him with expert ease.
"Hi, Harry," Peter said, cradling him against him. "You are going to be a great little
Marauder, aren't you, Prongs II?"
James grinned widely. "See, darling, even the boys agree that the Prongs nickname must live
on!"
Sirius smiled. "He is Prongslet, little Prongs, Prongs II."
Lily smiled at them. "His name is Harry, but whatever endearing nicknames you three give
him is for you blokes alone."
James took his son from Peter, holding him closely in his arms. "He's our Harry," he said,
taking Lily's hand in his own and leaning down to kiss her softly. "Thank you for giving me
my son. I love you."
Lily held his cheek in her hand, her green eyes on his as she kissed him. "I love you, James."
His lips met hers again for a longer kiss and Peter cleared his throat.
"Well, we'll leave the new family alone to get acquainted. But we'll see you when you head
home."
Remus and Sirius nodded, saying goodbye before the three of them left the room.
"James and Lily have a fucking son!" Sirius exclaimed, his eyes wide. "I have a godson! We
have a fucking nephew!"
Remus grinned widely. "It is rather marvellous, isn't it?"
Peter nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. "It really is. When my cousin had her first,
it's the greatest thing. But now we're like uncles and that's just… the ultimate, you know?"
Sirius grinned widely. "I have to go tell Andy!"
"But Sirius, it's three in the —" Remus began as Sirius Disapparated on the spot, leaving his
friends staring after him in amusement, and arrived just outside of the house in Shoreditch.
He practically ran to the front door of the Tonks' home in Shoreditch to ring the bell.
Andromeda answered, her eyes half closed, but they widened when she saw her cousin there.
"Sirius, what's wrong? Are you all right? What happened?"
Sirius grinned like a fool, picking her up and swinging her around in his arms. "I'm an uncle,
Andy! I have a godson! A fucking godson!"
Andromeda stared at him, her mouth open in shock for a full thirty seconds before she
comprehended what he had just said. "Sirius Black! Did you just wake me up at three forty-
five in the morning to announce that your godson was born?"
He grinned sheepishly. "I don't even care, Andy! I'm godfather to the cutest mother fucking
kid in the universe named Harry James Potter and I'm proud as hell."
Andromeda finally smiled. "I can't even be cross with you, you git! Congratulations, Sirius."
Sirius hugged her again. "I'm going to be the best godfather ever to this kid. My little
Prongslet."
"Prongslet?"
Sirius grinned. "Nickname — long story." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "And a new
tattoo idea. See you, Andy!"
He Disapparated again before she could respond and she was left standing at the front door of
her home, grinning widely.
The One With the Beatles
Author's Note:
Over 700 reviews on fanfiction, and over 140 on Ao3 — THANK YOU!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Sets: Remus was just thinking he's so small and he was a
bit terrified, but he made it happen. Thank you! To A Huge Fan: It is one of my favourite
memories in ASC so I was excited to share it again. Thank you! To Emma Janet: Remus
definitely gets over his hesitation. And nah, Tonks would have understood. Babies are really
small and it's terrifying to hold them for the first time. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: Thank
you! Everyone is so happy to meet baby Harry for the first time. Andromeda was annoyed at
being woken up, but the happiness radiating from her cousin's face changed her tune. Thank
you very much! I hope your days are less stressful to come! To alix33: James and Lily are
very happy that they have the knitted blanket from Euphemia even though she couldn't be
there to meet Harry, a part of her is there to hold him close. Thank you! To ellyann13:
Thank you! To MissKnowItAll: I love showing Sirius being so excited as well! Thank you!
To PerpetuallyExhaustedPigeon: Andromeda is definitely experienced in the chaos that is
Sirius lol. Thank you! To CorbanD17: Sirius is a bit in love with his tattoos, yes. Thank you!
To Bellmel: Yes, those boys! It was funny that we got to see both Harry and Theo's birth
being mentioned in the same week — pure coincidence! Harry totally deserved all of the
doting on and smothering of love. Sirius is adorable and so excited to be a godfather. Thank
you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Thank you! The three of them are very happy uncles, but Sirius
being so excited to share the good news about his godson to Andy is just so cute! Peter is a
bit apprehensive that things will change and knowing he's taken the Dark Mark by this point
makes it even more bittersweet. Remus had never been around a baby before and was so
worried because he was so little! He learned to adjust fairly quickly! Thank you! To
scrappy8: Yes, the little man has arrived! I know, losing Fee the chapter before was
heartbreaking for our boys. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you!
CHAPTER SIXTY:
The One With the Beatles
5th August 1980…

Lily answered the door, smiling at Sirius and giving him a hug as he came inside. Her
red hair was in a messy braid down her back and she was wearing a Gryffindor Quidditch tee
shirt and jean shorts.
"Sirius! Lovely to see you!"
"Hi, Lily, you're looking lovely," he told her, handing her the gift of two large Honeyduke
chocolate bars that he had brought with him.
"Liar. I'm a mess right now," she told him as she put a hand to the messy braid her hair was
in. "Chocolate, how sweet of you!"
He shrugged. "It was Remus' idea, so you can thank him. He said that babies get all of the
attention and sometimes the mum needs a little treat for herself."
Lily's eyes welled up and she hugged him tightly. "That's the sweetest! Sorry, my hormones
are still a little out of whack and sometimes I can't stop the waterworks," she told him on a
laugh. "James is upstairs in the nursery with Harry. I'm going to take a shower — much
needed."
Sirius smiled and watched her head off to the bath so he made his way upstairs to the nursery,
smiling when he heard his friend singing. He stood outside of the door, out of view from
James who was sitting in the rocking chair, holding his two-week-old-son in his arms. His
finger was clasped tightly in Harry's little hand and he was smiling at his son as he sang and
Harry was staring up at him wonder.
"There's nothing you can know that isn't known. Nothing you can see that isn't shown. There's
nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be, it's easy. All you need is love, all you
need is love, all you need is love, love; love is all you need."
He turned his head to kiss Harry's small head and Sirius stepped into the nursery as James
looked up at him.
"Starting him off with the Beatles early on, eh, Prongs?"
James smiled, standing up with the sleeping child, kissing his cheek tenderly, and gently
laying him down in the bassinet. "Can never be too early. He likes it when I sing to him. So
far I've been alternating between 'All You Need is Love,' 'I Will,' and 'Blackbird.' He likes to
hear me sing."
He carefully crept away from the sleeping baby and gestured for Sirius to follow him down
into the living room. He flicked his wand and the room suddenly filled with the soft sounds
of Harry breathing.
"What the…?"
"Baby monitoring charm," James explained, grinning at his friend. "So, what have you been
up to, Padfoot? It's been almost a week since I've seen you!"
Sirius shrugged, stretching out on the chesterfield and dragging his hand through his locks as
they fell around his face. He'd recently cut his shoulder-length hair and now wore it perfectly
styled in that 'not-styled fashion'.
"Not much. Figured I'd give you and Lily some time with the new baby, get a routine down…
like singing to him."
"You're just jealous because I can sing better than you."
Sirius grinned at him. "You can sing well, that's true. Probably could have been famous if you
made an effort at it. Lily still love it when you play the guitar for her?"
James smiled. "Of course. I've played for Harry once too. He becomes very calm when I sing
to him."
"The Beatles, every time?"
"Mostly," James said with a grin. "What did you think I was going to do? Go all conventional
and sing 'Lavender's Blue Dilly Dilly' or 'Hush Little Baby' when there are so many amazing
songs by The Beatles to sing?"
Sirius laughed. Babies may change people he realized but not where it counted. "Never. You
rock out to the Prongslet, Prongs."
"I will." James had said simply.

The One Where Moony and Padfoot Babysit
Author's Note:
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To CorbanD17: Yes, I like it. Thank you. To ellyann13:
Thank you! To MissKnowItAll: Yes, it is! Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: I agree, Lily
is so lucky to have all of the Marauders in her life. Thank you! To Sets: Thank you! To
alix33: Agreed. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: I love giving Harry zero musical talent like
his mum and James being so talented. It's such a fun head canon in my mind. Thank you!
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE:
The One Where Moony and Padfoot Babysit
March 1981…
"I'm not sure that this is a good idea," Lily said hesitantly, snuggling Harry in her
arms. "We really shouldn't go out."
"Lily, you're not even going out," Sirius said in annoyance. "James charmed the living room
to look like a restaurant and the two of you are sharing a romantic date downstairs. Rem and I
can handle Harry."
She bit her lip nervously. "It's just that the last time you two babysat him, the nursery looked
like a war zone."
"Little mistake, won't happen again," Sirius assured her.
Remus lifted Harry from her arms, rubbing his nose against the baby's. "We got this. Now, go
downstairs and enjoy your date night with your husband. You won't even know that we're
here and then we'll get Harry to bed."
Lily blew her hair out of her eyes and then leaned in and kissed Harry's forehead, both of his
cheeks and then the top of his head. "You be good for your uncles, Harry. Mummy and
Daddy will be right downstairs."
Harry cooed at her and she waved goodbye before disappearing down the stairs, sneaking one
more look back at her son.
Remus grinned at Harry, rubbing his nose against his again and making him laugh. "Let's go
play, little Prongs."
Sirius followed as Remus sat Harry on the nursery floor and began to play with his toys.
Harry cooed and giggled, laughing in delight as Sirius and Remus made his toys fly around
him. They played with him in contentment before Sirius scooped him up into his arms.
"I think it's bath time."
Remus nodded and led the way down the hall into the bathroom. He filled the tub up, adding
the baby soap and the bubbles. Sirius handed Harry over to Remus and hurried out to change,
coming back two minutes later dressed in bathing trunks and carefully lowered himself into
the bath.
Harry giggled in delight as Sirius lifted him down into the water, his butt plopping down into
the tub. With Remus' help they washed his hair and his little body as he cooed and giggled in
the water, splashing everywhere. Sirius lifted him under his arms and he stood there, holding
onto Sirius as he kicked and splashed and giggled, occasionally losing his balance and
plopping down in the low water.
"See, all clean," Remus said, leaning over the tub to kiss Harry's chubby baby cheek.
Harry grinned as Sirius stood him up again and then he peed on Sirius' leg.
"Ugh, fuck!" Sirius exclaimed as Remus roared in laughter.
Harry giggled and clapped his hands together as Remus lifted him from the tub. They drained
the water and refilled the tub back up to wash Harry off again. Sirius continued to swear as
Remus dried him off and held him in place on the bathroom counter. They rubbed him in
lotion and baby powder which Sirius knocked off of the counter sending puffs of powder
everywhere as Remus choked on it.
"Sirius! It's supposed to go on Harry, not all over the bloody bathroom!"
By the time Remus clasped the nappy onto Harry, the entire bathroom looked like a war zone.
Water and bubbles were all over the floor; powder all over the counter and floating in the air
and wet towels dropped everywhere.
"Er, Rem, I think it's on backwards," Sirius added, drying himself off.
Remus tilted his head to examine his nephew. "How can you tell?"
Sirius shrugged. "I don't know, but I thought that Lily always clipped these the other way."
Remus titled his head and squinted at the clips on the side of the nappy. "Looks all right to
me; he's covered, isn't he?"
Harry yawned and waved his little arms around. Sirius took him from Remus and carefully
moved him onto his shoulder.
"Hi, there, Prongslet, it's okay," he crooned to him as they moved back down to the nursery.
They carefully put him down in his crib, each of them rubbing a hand over his back, and he
was soon sound asleep.
"See? Easy! I don't know what Jamie and Lily are always ranting about, taking care of a baby
is easy!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, have you seen what this bathroom looks like?" Lily
exclaimed shrilly from down the hall.
Sirius paled. "Er, on second thought, maybe I'll just stay here with Harry in case he wakes
up."
"Coward," Remus hissed at him as Lily came into the nursery.
She hurried over to the cot and peeked down at her son, stroking a finger down his back.
"How come he's not in his pjs?"
Remus smiled. "He was falling asleep so we just put him down."
Lily smiled. "And who was the genius who put his nappy on backwards?"
Remus and Sirius each pointed at each other and Lily laughed.
"I'll fix my son. You two clean that bathroom. I want to see it spotless."
"Actually, Lily, I have a date," Sirius began.
Lily merely lifted an eyebrow. "Bathroom. Spotless. Now."
Sirius blanched and hurried off as Lily lifted her son from the cot and kissed his cheek.
Remus grinned at her. "Lily, can you show me how you put his nappy on again?"
Lily smiled. "Of course. Watch and learn, Moony."
Together they fixed his nappy and slipped him into pyjamas before he snuggled into his
mother's shoulder. A little rocking had him going back down easily and when he was asleep
in the crib, Lily stood on her toes to kiss Remus' cheek.
"Thanks, Uncle Moony."
"It was a joint effort," he said, blushing.
"I bet," Lily said, gesturing for him to follow her out of the nursery.
When they stepped into the hallway they found James and Sirius working together to clean
up the mess.
"Jamie!" Lily exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. "Padfoot and Moony made the mess!
Sirius can clean it up on his own."
Sirius pouted. "Aw, come on, Evans!"
"Potter," she corrected, grabbing her husband's hand and tugging him away from Sirius. "And
Remus will help you. James and I are going to bed."
"We are?" James asked before his eyes twinkled. He pushed his glasses up his nose and
cleared his throat. "Er, yes, we are."
Sirius watched them disappear down the hall and close the door to their bedroom before he
scowled. "They better use a bloody silencing charm."
Remus chuckled and pulled his wand from his pocket. "Let's get this tidied up before Lily
comes to investigate again."
The sound of a bed squeaking had them making quick work of the mess and when they
headed outside of the cottage to stand in the cool air of the evening in Godric's Hollow,
Remus smiled over at him.
"He's an amazing baby. He's lucky to have you as godfather, Padfoot."
"Thanks," Sirius said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. "Where are
you off to?"
Remus slumped his shoulders. "I'm off to meet Adrian Roberts."
"I don't like you going off with them."
"Adrian's a good man, Sirius."
"I'm not saying he's not," Sirius argued. "It's the pack of wolves he works for that makes me
nervous."
"I'll be fine," Remus assured him. "But it might be hard to reach me for the next bit."
"Be safe, Moony."
Remus pulled his thin cloak tighter around him. "You, too, Padfoot."
When he Disapparated, Sirius looked out into the night, the memory of Harry's laughter the
only warmth he felt from the cold.
The One With the Future Quidditch Star
Author's Note:
Getting to the countdown on this story as well, only 8 chapters to go!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To CorbanD17: Thank you! I love showing their friendships.
To alix33: That's fair. Thank you! To ellyann13: No, Peter is not there. Thank you! To
Sets: I love showing how much Sirius and Remus love to take care of Harry and yes, it's a
flicker of what's to come later on down the road. Thank you! To MissKnowItAll: James is
too kind. Thank you! To Slaidback: Yes, I mentioned it a few chapters ago, fanfiction now
says you have to re-opt-in for email notifications every 6 months. No idea why but that's what
they are doing. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: It was so fun to write a fun babysitting scene
with Remus and Sirius! Yes, I don't think anyone makes quite as big of a mess as them lol.
Thank you! To Bellmel: It is a precursor to them raising Harry. I love showing their love
and support for Harry. James and Lily definitely were grateful for the time, but also Lily was
a little upset with the state of her bathroom, with good reason lol. Thank you!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lyrics to this Beatles song.
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO:
The One With the Future Quidditch Star
May 1981…
Harry James Potter was crawling on the carpet while the grown-ups talked around him.
"And then I told her that if she didn't want me to bring her flowers anymore, she only had to
tell me," Peter insisted stubbornly, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "And then she told
me that I was too sweet for her! What does that even mean? So I walked out."
"Oh, Peter," Lily said, shaking her head as she draped an arm over his shoulder. "You are too
sweet for her. I'm sorry that it didn't work out."
Peter shrugged, smiling at her. "Thanks, Lily. Am I really too sweet for her?"
Lily smiled warmly at him. "The sweetest. Jamie never brings me flowers anymore," she
said, looking over at her husband, who was letting his Snitch fly out and clapping, whenever
Harry caught it in his hand.
"Hmm?"
Sirius slapped James on the head with the rolled up newspaper in his hand. "You don't bring
your wife flowers."
James' eyes widened, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "Sure, I do! Don't I?" he
asked as Harry crawled into his lap, attempting to take the Snitch from his father's hand
amidst the distraction.
Lily bent down and kissed him, sighing when he cupped her neck and held her to him,
deepening the kiss. "I still love you. You're safe."
He grinned foolishly as she stood up and he kissed his son's forehead. "You hear that, Harry?
Mummy still loves me."
"Nish!" Harry exclaimed, hands groping the air.
James grinned and let the Snitch fly out again, smirking when Harry grasped it quickly.
"Future Quidditch star, Evans."
Lily smirked and turned back to Peter. "Pete, do you want to stay for dinner? I know that you
were supposed to take Charlene out tonight."
Peter shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Nah, thanks though. I think I'm going
to just go home. I'll check on Mum first on my way. Where's Rem tonight?"
"Dealing with Mr Lupin's advocatus. I asked him if he wanted me to come, but he wanted to
do it alone," Sirius said, glancing out the window as if he hoped his friend would be walking
up the drive. He stood up as well, kissing Lily's cheek. "I'll come with you to visit your mum,
Pete, before I go home."
Peter nodded. "She'd love that." He ruffled Harry's hair. "Bye, Prongs II."
Harry babbled about, arms extended towards Peter.
Peter hugged him goodbye and Sirius did the same and then Harry crawled back over to his
father.
"Da!"
James grinned and picked up his son, standing him on the floor before him. "I know you miss
the Marauders already, Harry, me too."
Lily sat down on the floor next to her husband, stretching out and wrapping an arm around
his waist, her head resting in his lap as she smiled at their son. "I feel so bad for Peter.
Charlene treated him quite terribly."
"Mmhm," James murmured, his hand gently running through his wife's hair. "I didn't like her
from the first."
"I know, but Peter seemed to. I didn't want to say anything to him, but I think she was
cheating on him."
"He deserves better."
"I wish he'd get back with Madison. They were great together," Lily said, remembering the
brunette that Peter had dated for almost eight months and had brought to their wedding.
James smiled. "Babe, you can't try to marry off all of my friends. Let them find happiness on
their own."
Lily smiled up at him, laughing when Harry lay down next to her, his head resting on his
father's knee. "I can't help it. I want everyone to be as ridiculously happy as I am. Then I feel
guilty for being so happy when there's a war going on." She kissed Harry's cheeks, his nose,
his forehead. "And you make me so happy, Harry, yes, you do."
He giggled and planted a wet kiss on his mum's lips. "Slooch!"
Lily snuggled him close, sitting up and smiling when James opened his legs and she settled
herself back against him, her son in her arms and James' arms wrapped around both of them.
"Sometimes Jamie, I wake up in the middle of the night and I see you lying next to me and I
just think, this is what happiness is. Am I wrong for wanting our brothers to have it too?"
James kissed her ear. "No, you're not wrong. I just think that you have many years before it
happens. If anyone is going to take the plunge next I'd put my vote on Pete. Sirius is too
much of a terminal bachelor; shags them and leaves them, and we both know how Rem feels
about it."
"I wish Moony would see himself the way we do. Any woman would be so lucky to have
him."
James kissed her ear again, smiling as Harry played with the necklace around his mother's
neck. "I know, love." His lips trailed down the side of her neck.
Lily tilted her head to give him better access, smiling at Harry and sighing when James began
to suck on her skin. "Jamie, Harry is right here."
James smiled against her skin. "So? It only shows him how much in love his parents are."
Lily turned and kissed him deeply. "It's time for Harry to have a nap anyway. Maybe we can
have a little nap too, but ours will be naked."
James grinned widely and kissed her softly. "I like the way you think, Mrs Potter."
Lily passed Harry to her husband. "Why don't you go lie him down and I'll get dinner
prepped?" She kissed Harry's cheek. "Daddy is going to put you down for a nap, Harry.
Mummy will see you when you wake up. I love you."
"Ma!" Harry said, smiling at her.
James tossed Harry up into the air before he snuggled him into his shoulder as he stood up.
"Come on, little man, time for bed." He headed up the stairs, holding Harry close. "When you
go to sleep, Mummy and Daddy are going to have their own little nap, a naked nap," he
added grinning to himself.
"Da-da-da-da!"
James kissed Harry's forehead, sitting down in the rocking chair in the nursery. "Come on,
Harry, time to sleep, okay?" He cradled him over his heart, gently rocking the chair back and
forth. "Daddy will sing to you."
Harry stared up at him, green eyes wide as James began to sing.
"There are places I'll remember, all my life though some have changed. Some forever not for
better, some have gone and some remain. All these places had their moments, with lovers and
friends I still can recall; some are dead and some are living, in my life I've loved them all. But
of all these friends and lovers, there is no one compares with you. And these memories lose
their meaning, when I think of love as something new. Though I know I'll never lose affection,
for people and things that went before. I know I'll often stop and think about them, in my life,
I love you more. Though I know I'll never lose affection, for people and things that went
before. I know I'll often stop and think about them, in my life, I love you more."
He placed a kiss on the top of Harry's head, "I love you more, Harry." He carefully put him
down on his back in his cot, smiling down at him. "Now you go to sleep, little man."
James gently rubbed a hand over his belly as Harry's eyes slowly closed. When he was
asleep, he headed downstairs to find his wife. She was throwing carrots into a pot with a roast
and he slipped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck.
"I'm ready for that naked nap now."
Lily chuckled and leaned back into his arms. "I bet you are. Give me two minutes."
James slid his hand under her skirt instead, dancing his fingers over her cotton knickers.
"Nuh-uh, can't wait."
Lily bit her lip. "Jamie… I just need a minute to…"
"Come all over my fingers?" he finished, pressing his lips against her ear. "At least the first
time."
She made a strangled groan and he spun her around, lifting her up onto the kitchen table. He
pulled her knickers down her thighs and when his fingers slid into her, she moaned.
"Good girl," he said, kissing her mouth. "How many times do you think I can get you off
before Harry wakes?"
Lily yanked at his shirt, forcing him to stop touching her only long enough to get his shirt off
as she dragged her nails over his defined chest. "How many times do you think you think you
can get me off, Mr Potter?"
James' eyes darkened and when he slowly lowered himself to his knees and spread his wife's
legs, he felt like he was definitely up to the challenge.
The One With the Octopus' Garden
Author's Note:
Down to the final 7 chapters — 6 more to go after this!
Posting a day early because Christmas is fast approaching and it's going to be busy. To those
who celebrate — Happy Holidays! Happy Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa!
And happy whatever other holiday people might celebrate that I might have missed and for
the others — Happy end of December!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Sets: Thank you! It is beautiful to see James and Lily so
in love and just enjoying their life together with their son. Aww, that's such a nice thought!
Zee would still be in school right now, sixth year as she's five years younger than Sirius.
Thank you! To alix33: Harry is trying his best lol. Thank you! To ellyann13: It is sad to
think Peter is already spying on Voldemort at this point. James does own a horticulture place,
but that doesn't mean that he remembers to send his wife flowers. Yes, Lyall has recently
passed on. Thank you! To Redmatter91: So much fluff and love yes! Sorry, a bit more fluff,
but also yes, more darkness. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you! To ThomasJAvery:
Thank you! They are a little family: Marauders, Jily, and Harry. Thank you! To
MissKnowITAll: I'm excited as well! Thank you!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lyrics to The Beatles songs or the one by Elvis. Thank you!
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE:
The One With the Octopus' Garden
June 1981…
James and Sirius were sitting in the living room of Godric's Hollow with baby Harry,
who was crying rather loudly. Tears leaked down his cheeks and his bottom lip trembled.
His chubby cheeks were rosy from exertion and James was dragging his fingers through his
hair in frustration.
"It's been twenty bloody minutes, Padfoot! I'm a terrible father!"

Sirius, who was sitting on the sofa with both of his fingers in his ears, shouted, "What is
Prongslet's problem?"
"I gave him a bottle, he didn't want it! I tried to give him cereal, he didn't bloody want that! I
gave him a bloody baby biscuit, and he threw it at you!"
Sirius grinned. "My Animagus rather enjoyed it."
"Even you being a bloody dog didn't cheer him up!" James exclaimed.
"Did you check his nappy?" Sirius asked.
James glowered at him. "Yes, I checked his bloody nappy! What do you take me for?"
"How much longer did Lily say that she was going to be?"
James covered his face with his hands as Harry continued to sit on the living room floor and
scream. "Who the bloody hell knows? She was working on a potion thing for the Order at
headquarters. 'I'll be fine,' I told her. 'Harry and I will be great.' Yeah, well three bloody hours
later and we aren't so great! Bloody fucking bollocks!" he exclaimed, kicking the coffee
table.
Harry screamed louder and James fell to his knees.
"Harry," he begged, desperately. "Harry, love, Da-Da loves you so much and I want to help
you, but you need to tell me what you want. Please!" he begged, picking up his son for the
umpteenth time. "Please stop crying, baby!"
He snuggled Harry into his shoulder, crooning softly, but Harry only coughed, gagging on his
own tears, and continued to cry.
Remus came out of the kitchen with a fresh bottle. "I warmed it up for him, Prongs."
James took it and carefully tried to feed his son, who pushed it away, wiping at his eyes and
screaming louder.
"He doesn't fucking want it, Moony!"
Remus sighed. "He wants his mum, that's who he wants."
At the sound of Lily's name, Harry sniffled and looked around to look for his mother, when
he didn't see her, he began to cry again.
"Well, Lily's not bloody here now, is she?" James exclaimed desperately as Remus reached
out to take the bottle from him.
Remus was quiet for a moment as he stood there holding the bottle. "You could try to help,
Padfoot, instead of just sitting there with your fingers in your ears.
Sirius stuck his tongue out at him. "Prongs, why don't you bounce him a little, you know,
dance or something?"
James nodded, pressing his lips to Harry's chubby cheek as he held his crying son close. He
bounced a bit and then he began to sway gently. Harry continued to cry. James kissed his
cheek, the top of his head, gently patting him on the back.
"Shh, baby, I got you, shh," he crooned. "Wise men say, only fools rush in," he sang
quietly. "But I can't help falling in love with you."
Harry hiccuped when his father began to sing, his tear filled eyes staring up at his father.
"Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? If I can't help falling in love with you," he sang softly. "I
think it's working," he whispered.
No sooner had the words left his lips than Harry started to cry again.
"Shit!" James exclaimed.
"No, no! He loves it when you sing!" Sirius said, his eyes widening. "Maybe he's just not into
Elvis!"
Remus nodded, jumping to his feet. He hurried across the room and picked up James' guitar
that was leaning against the fireplace. "Pass me little Prongs. You take this. He always calms
when you sing to him! He likes the music of it as much as your voice!"
"I did sing! He's still bloody screaming!" James retorted, passing his crying son to Remus.
Remus carefully snuggled the crying child into his arms, pressing him against his warm chest
and swaying gently as James picked up the guitar. "Try something more fun, something less
lullaby-like."
James tapped his fingers on the guitar impatiently, his eyes wide. "I don't bloody know!"
Sirius jumped over the couch and started going through James' record recollection. "The
Beatles! Harry loves it when you sing him their stuff! They have all sorts of fun songs!"
James nodded, shaking his head as Sirius held up A Hard Day's Night and then Help. "No,
none of those are what I'm looking for!"
"Rubber Soul?"
James shook his head again and then grinned when his friend picked up Abbey Road. "I've
got it!" He grabbed his guitar again and began to play the opening chord before he stopped.
"Wait!"
Remus was still swaying with the crying baby as James grabbed his wand. "What are you
doing? Wait for what? Just bloody sing already!"
James shook his head, grinning widely. "No, I've got it!"
Sirius and Remus watched in amazement as James began to charm the living room. Bubbles
floated throughout the room as coral erupted from the ground; seaweed grew from the sofa
and swayed in the breeze. The room darkened as he charmed the windows so that the sunlight
dipped only one way into the room; giving it an eerie, almost underwater feel. Underwater
plants and flowers sprung up from the floor, grew out of the walls, and blue and silver
transparent sea creatures began to float around. He picked up the guitar again, played the
opening chord, and began to sing.
"I'd like to be, under the sea, in an octopus' garden in the shade. He'd let us in, knows where
we've been, in his octopus' garden in the shade."
Sirius grinned and transfigured the armchair into a huge stuffed animal of a green octopus,
floating it up so that it created almost like a tent. Remus grinned and knelt under it with
Harry, whose cries had stopped as James sang.
"I'd ask my friends to come and see, an octopus' garden with me!" James sang, putting his
guitar down and reaching for his son.
Remus passed Harry over and pointed his wand at the record player, floating Abbey Road
onto the turntable and rotating to the third track.
James sat Harry on the ground, holding his tiny hands as he stretched out on his stomach. He
flicked his wand at the ceiling, making it look like they were underwater and a storm floated
ahead of them; dark clouds rolled in and magical lightning flashed as he sang along with the
record.
"We would be warm, below the storm, in our little hideaway beneath the waves. Resting our
head, on the sea bed, in an octopus' garden near a cave."
Remus waved his wand over them and levitated a blanket and pillow down as James held his
son close, resting on the blanket as Harry gurgled happily, his eyes watching all of the
flashing and moving charms in awe.
"We would sing and dance around, because we know we can't be found!" James sang,
swinging Harry up into his arms as they danced under the stuffed octopus.
Harry began to giggle and Sirius and Remus charmed everything until the three of them were
dancing with the baby in the middle of the living room, objects of all sorts flying and
levitating around as the three of them sang along loudly. James tossed Harry up into the air,
then caught him as he laughed; then he passed him along to Sirius, who did the same, and
then to Remus, and back to James. Harry giggled madly.
"We would shout and swim about, the coral that lies beneath the waves," James sang loudly.
"Lies beneath the ocean waves," Sirius and Remus echoed as Harry goggled at them.
"Oh what joy, for every girl and boy, knowing they're happy and they're safe."
"Happy and they're safe!"

"We would be so happy you and me," James sang, snuggling Harry into his shoulder and
kissing his cheek. "No one there to tell us what to do!"
"What is going on in here?" Lily asked as she stepped through the front door of the house.
All three men turned to look at her.
The living room was a complete disaster, but also a complete underwater cavern full of
floating objects. James' cheek was pressed up against a laughing Harry's as he spoke.
"We're entertaining the baby."
Lily looked around at the magnificent cavern that they had created. The large stuffed octopus;
the plants and coral that had erupted from the walls and carpet. The beautiful charm work of
the night sky seen from below the water, and the storm clouds overhead as magical
manifestations of sea creatures floated around them.
"Gah do-da!" Harry exclaimed.
James covered his son's face in kisses as he giggled.
Lily dropped her purse on the sofa and stepped into the charmed living room. She tugged
Harry into her arms, snuggling him into her breast as he cooed happily before snuggling
herself into James' arms.
"I want to play in the garden with my boys. Sing to me, Jamie."
James grinned widely and flicked his wand at the record player to start the song over
again. "I'd like to be, under the sea, in an octopus' garden, with you!"
And then he was kissing her deeply as the song played behind them and Remus nudged Sirius
gently.
"I think that they can handle it from here, Siri."
Sirius nodded and grinned at his friend. "I think so, too."
He pointed his wand at the record player and turned up the volume a bit. Then he and Remus
snuck out the front door.
The One With the Secret Keeper
Author's Note:
Only 5 more chapters to go!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To alix33: Thank you! To Sets: Thank you! The idea totally
melts my heart too! I just love the idea of those boys using magic to create a magical
wonderland for Harry for the afternoon. The big softies! Thank you! To scrappy8: Harry did
just want his mummy, but they cheered him up. Thank you! To MissKnowItAll: Thank you!
They did just make it look like that just for him! Lily knows her Marauders and loves them for
their creative ideas. Thank you! To ellyann13: Thank you for saying it's both sweet and
enchanting. And yes, Lily definitely makes them clean it up lol. Thank you! To
ThomasJAvery: It is a great Beatles song and should be listened to while reading lol. Thank
you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Harry does have great taste, but to be fair, it was more James,
Sirius, and Remus that he was interested in more than the song lol. Thank you!
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR:
The One With the Secret Keeper
October 1981…
"I'm just saying, Evans, I remember how much Prongs drove you crazy; it only makes
sense that you'd be annoyed by him still," Sirius said as he wiped Harry's face with a
washcloth. He was trying his best to get all of the carrot mush off of his godson's chin, not
entirely sure how Harry had even gotten carrot in some places.
"It's Potter now, Black, and oh, I am annoyed with him, but only because he keeps inviting
you over."
"Aw, come on, Lily, you know you love me," Sirius said kissing her cheek. "I'm your
favourite Marauder, we all know that you just married James as a front."
Lily rolled her eyes, tucking her long red hair behind her ear. "Oh, you caught me, Black. I'm
madly in love with you." She turned to pick up Harry from his high chair. "Ignore your mad
uncle Padfoot, Harry. He's a moron."
"Oi! I take offence to that!"
Lily laughed and handed her son to him. "Go play with your godson while I clean up in
here."
Sirius bounced Harry in his arms who cooed happily at him. "Come on, Prongslet. We have
manly things to do."
He left Lily in the kitchen laughing at him as he carried Harry in his arms. He greeted James
and Peter who were sitting in the living room.
"Here's your son, Prongs; all fed and watered and cleaned up by yours truly."
James took Harry, smiling happily as he kissed the top of his son's head. "Fed and watered?
He's not a dog, Padfoot. Hi, Harry, did Uncle Padfoot make a big mess feeding you dinner?"
Harry only waved his arms and muttered, "Padoo!"
James grinned and kissed his son again, sliding down to the floor to let Harry wander as he
toddled around, almost running, even though he had only been walking for three months.
"Flirting with my wife again, too?"
Sirius only smirked. "I told her that we should run off together. She only rolled her eyes at
me. I'm wearing her down."
"You know Lily loves me. And that you are the last person that I can imagine tying himself
down, ever, let alone Lily actually running off with."
"True. But maybe if it was for someone as amazing as Lily, I'd consider the scary
commitment thing."
James grinned at his friend, slapping his shoulder. "I'm the luckiest bloke alive, I know." He
used his wand to make the tiny toy cars and trucks zoom around the room for Harry's
amusement before he turned to his friends. "I asked you guys here tonight for an important
reason. Moony's keeping busy underground otherwise I'd ask him to be here as well, but…
there's no easy way to say this… Dumbledore thinks that we have a spy amongst us."
"What?" Peter squeaked, his eyes widening. "D-d-does he know who it is?"
James shook his head, sending the fire truck racing towards his laughing son. "I don't think
so. He warned Lily and I to be on our guard. After our last near escape from Voldemort…
well, he's after Harry now. We know that for sure."
"Do you know why?" Sirius asked, watching his giggling godson in amusement. "I mean, I'm
sure that he's a bright kid, Prongs, but Harry's not exactly going to be duelling Voldemort to
the death any time soon. Why would he care about a baby?"
"Voldemort wants him dead… we don't know why; maybe out of spite for Lily and I
seemingly always escaping his grasp. I don't know." He smiled when Harry plopped himself
onto his lap and snuggled close, yawning. "But for now, the spy is the problem. Dumbledore
is worried that Lily and I will be compromised and he wants us to go deeper underground."
"You've already stopped doing almost everything, Jamie, and now he wants you to be even
more underground? You and Lily have been hiding for months as it is!" Sirius exclaimed, his
eyes wide.
James dragged his fingers through his hair. "It's the last thing that I want to do, Sirius. All I
do lately is sit around and do nothing to help with this war while my friends are out there
risking their lives every day, but if it will save the life of my wife and my child — I won't
hesitate. And I know that we talked about it before with Remus here last week, officially
going underground and having a Secret Keeper to hide our location. But it's something that
needs to be done. Today. We need to figure out who the spy is or none of us will be safe."
Peter shifted uncomfortably and his friends turned to look at him.
"What's up, Pete?" James asked as Harry crawled over to Peter and handed him his fire truck.
Peter let out a long breath before he spoke, accepting the truck from Harry and zooming it off
with his wand so that Harry could chase it. "I-I didn't want to say anything."
"Say what?" Sirius asked, his eyes on Peter.
"I think… I mean… I've had some suspicions about a spy myself. Things that I've learned on
my missions who… who I've only told one person about, that have found their way to You
Know Who and his Death Eaters," Peter said quietly, his eyes darting nervously between his
two friends. "I thought maybe that I was just getting paranoid, you know, but after hearing
this from you guys, maybe I'm not… so paranoid."
James' arms reached out to steady Harry as he tripped over his feet in his attempt to catch the
fire truck zooming across the floor. "Go on, Pete."
Peter sighed and let out a slow breath before quickly blurting. "I think it's Remus."
"WHAT?" Sirius exploded causing Harry to start to cry.
"Shh, Harry, it's okay," James soothed, glaring at his friend as he picked his son up. "Don't
scare the baby, Sirius!"
Sirius ignored James and glared at Peter. "How dare you fucking accuse Moony of being a
spy, Wormtail? Remus would fucking never!"
Peter shook his head, his eyes wide and fearful. "I don't want to believe it, Sirius! But I've
told him things a-a-about my missions! About how Greyback seems to be working closely
with certain Death Eaters and about how your b-b-brother got killed and… and well, things
that the Death Eaters then used against us! How did they find out, Sirius? How did they know
that we would be in Glasgow a few months back? Or in Piccadilly? How?"
Sirius shook his head, his grey eyes stormy in denial. "Remus would never fucking betray us,
Peter! You should be ashamed for even thinking it!"
"Siri!" James hissed, tilting his head at Harry. "Children are about!"
"Peter's trying to say that Remus is bloody the spy, Jamie! Language isn't my concern at the
moment," Sirius said, glaring at Peter. "Remus would never fucking betray any of us and you
should be bloody fucking ashamed for even bloody fucking thinking it!"
"Fuck!" Harry exclaimed, grinning widely as James glared at his friend.
"Way to go, Uncle Padfoot," James muttered. "That's a very bad word, Harry, and Uncle
Sirius shouldn't have said it."
"Fuck!" Harry said again and James covered his face with his hands.
"I'm telling Lily that this is all your fault."
"What did Sirius do now?" Lily asked as she came into the living room.
"Padoo fuck!" Harry said and Lily's eyes widened before she cuffed Sirius across the back of
the head.
"Sirius!"
"I'm sorry, it just slipped out!" Sirius exclaimed. "I'm bloody cross! Pete is trying to convince
Jamie and I that Remus is the spy and it made me angry!"
"I don't want it to be Remus," Peter said softly. "I'm ashamed for thinking it, but if it's not
Moony then… what about M-M-Marlene?"
James looked at his friend darkly. "Don't say her name, Pete. Lily… she doesn't want to hear
her name."
"It's all right, Jamie," Lily said, moving to sit on the floor next to her husband and to cuddle
her son who immediately crawled towards her. "It hurts, but I can hear her name. I don't think
that I'm ever going to get over losing one of my best friends. What about Marly, Pete?"
Peter hesitated before he spoke. "I told Remus that Marlene and Mary were hiding out in
Glasgow after You Know Who's attack on their families. Two days later, McKinnon was
murdered by Death Eaters."
"That's just a coincidence, Pete," James said softly. "It's pure conjecture. Remus would never
hurt Marlene."
"I told him where I hid Mary to keep her safe and three days later, Mary was murdered by
Death Eaters," Peter told them softly. "I don't want to believe it. Please tell me that I'm
wrong, but… R-R-Remus is the only person that I told."
Sirius crossed his arms in front of him. "It's a coincidence, nothing more. I'll talk to Remus
when he comes back tomorrow and prove it to you, Wormtail. You're barking up the wrong
bloody tree!"
Peter nodded, holding his hands up in surrender. "All right, I trust you, Sirius. If you think
that I'm wrong, then I'm wrong. I just thought that with Moony's missions among
Greyback… the way he's become rather attached to that Roberts bloke and his disciples…
that maybe something in him… I don't know, snapped? But I hope to Merlin I'm wrong."
Lily reached out to squeeze Peter's hand in her own. "It's not Remus, Peter — it just can't be.
He would never betray his friends."
Peter stared down at where Lily's hand held his. "I hope you're right, Lily."
Lily let go before she turned to Sirius. "Did Jamie tell you that Dumbledore wants us to go
deeper into hiding?"
Sirius nodded, still glaring at Peter. The thought of Remus being the spy was preposterous,
but Peter's words were echoing in his head in a way that made him very uncomfortable.
Marlene McKinnon dead; Mary McDonald dead — Remus was NOT responsible. He
couldn't be.
He shook the thoughts away and smiled at Lily. "Yes, he did."
"He wants us to use the Fidelius Charm to keep ourselves completely hidden in plain sight
with the protection of our chosen Secret Keeper. We talked about this last week and about
how we considered you, Sirius," Lily explained, smiling when James wrapped his arm around
her. "Remember how Remus agreed and said that it was a great idea?"
"Dumbledore offered to be our Secret Keeper when we told him that we discussed it with the
three of you," James told them as Sirius and Peter stared at them in surprise. "But I told him
no. I wanted Sirius."
"What? Why? Dumbledore is like the strongest wizard alive, James! He defeated bloody
Grindelwald for Merlin's sake!" Sirius exclaimed, still surprised that his friends had chosen
him. Even after a week of thinking about it, it still shocked him that they asked him to do it;
asked him to protect them.
"I know," James said. "And I trust him, but I trust my friends more. Remus agreed with us
that you are the best choice, Sirius. Peter knows that, right, Pete?"
Peter nodded as Harry came towards him again, crawling into his lap and reaching for the toy
car that Peter had been fiddling with. "Yeah, of course," he murmured.
"Mine!" Harry shouted, when Peter handed him the car.
Peter smiled and showed Harry how to make the car move. "Like this, Harry, see —vroom!"
"Voom!" Harry said, grinning widely and making himself comfortable on Peter's lap, car in
hand.
James nodded, smiling at his son. "We'd like Sirius to do it. He's Harry's godfather after all…
and I would trust him with my son's life."
"As would I," Lily said, smiling at Sirius. "Will you do it, Sirius?"
Sirius stared at them in surprise. "I'd be incredibly honoured." He smiled when Harry crawled
off of Peter's lap and into his, wrapping his arms around the baby. "You really want me?"
"Sirius, I trust my Marauders more than anything in the world, but you have been like a
brother to me; are my brother in every way that counts especially after my parents took you
in. You are the best of my best friends and I want you to be the Secret Keeper. I trust no one
more."
Sirius started to nod his head, turning to see Peter watching him. He frowned. "No."
"Pardon?" Lily asked in surprise, her fingers twining with James'.
Sirius shook his head as Harry crawled up his chest and tugged on his hair. Sirius carefully
pried the tiny fingers off of his shiny locks and used his wand to make the cars zoom across
the floor again.
"I'm honoured, beyond honoured actually — but what James just said is exactly why
it shouldn't be me."
"I don't follow," Peter said, staring at Sirius in surprise. "He said that he trusts you, Padfoot."
"As he should," Sirius said, calmly. "I would never betray his trust, not in a million fucking
years, but Voldemort fucking knows that. Think about it, Jamie — we are brothers. We have
always been side by side in everything. You made me best man at your wedding; hell I even
walked Lily down the aisle because her own father couldn't be there. You made me godfather
to your son. Of course he's going to know it's me! I'm the bloody most obvious choice!"
"I don't see why that's a bad thing, Sirius," Lily told him and then her eyes widened as she
realized what he was saying. "He'll go after you."
Sirius nodded. "Let him! I'm not scared of Voldemort, what I'm scared of is something
happening to you three… I'd die for you in a second and…" he trailed off, a sudden thought
hitting him like lightening. "Pete!"
Peter jumped at the rather sudden exclamation of his name and he rubbed a hand over his
right forearm. "What?"
"You should choose, Peter." Sirius suggested, his eyes alight now. "Voldemort would never
think of Peter."
Peter shrugged at that, smiling nervously at his friends. "I am the least formidable opponent,
it's true."
"No," Sirius said with a laugh. "Not that, Pete, but that Voldemort would obviously think it's
me, not you. It would be us sending him on a wild goose chase. He would come after me,
thinking I would lead him to the James, Lily, and Harry. I can hold him off, keep him on his
toes, and he's never going to find out that I'm not the bloody Secret Keeper because not only
will I never give you up, but I won't actually bloody know so it would be impossible for him
to break me. Not that he would."
"He's really powerful!" Peter exclaimed, his voice a little higher pitched than normal. "Sirius,
it's not… you don't know what he could do! He could kill you!"
"He could," Sirius agreed. "But if my death saves any of you, it was bloody worth it."
James stared at Sirius for a long moment before he let out a slow breath. "All right, Siri, you
do have a point." He looked at his wife, gently brushing her hair back from her face. "But it's
not just me that has to make this choice. It's a risk."
Lily looked over at her husband. "It is a risk," Lily agreed, meeting James' gaze. "Sending
Voldemort after Sirius on a bloody wild chase is… dangerous. But Pete's a Marauder, of
course we trust him. There's no question about that."
"Agreed," James said, taking Lily's hand in his.
Peter stared at them in surprise, his eyes alight with a gleaming happiness. "I would be
honoured."
Sirius slapped his hands on his thighs. "You can even stay here in Godric's Hollow,
Voldemort will never know. Halloween is next week. We'll all come over and dress Harry
up."
Lily laughed. "I bought him a pumpkin costume, it's so adorable."
James grinned and kissed his wife's cheek. "All right, Pete, let's do this. Lily will perform the
charm now. Sirius, you'll protect him?"
Sirius clapped a hand on Peter's shoulder and squeezed tightly. "With my life."
Peter swallowed, his hands shaking as he folded them in his lap. "All right, let's do this. I'm
going to be the Secret Keeper."
James tugged his wife close to put his arm around her. "It's going to be all right, Lily. The
Marauders will protect us. I trust our brothers to keep Harry safe."
Lily pressed her lips to James' and let her head fall onto his shoulder. "Me too. Let's do it."
Sirius stood up, pulling his wand out as he started to contemplate a plan on how to lead
Voldemort on a wild goose chase while Peter protected their family's secret. It wasn't going to
be easy, but it was the right choice.
It had to be…
The One Where Peter Finally Caves
Author's Note:
Only 4 more chapters to go!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To CorbanD17: No, he didn't. Sorry to make you cry. Thank
you! To Bellmel: Ha, I understand that, but I'm glad you didn't. Peter can't find it in him to
be ashamed of himself because he's too scared to do anything else. He loves his friends, but
not enough. By trying to put the blame on Remus, he was hoping to get them thinking about
other spies and this way no one would question him. It was a heartbreaking moment where
you knew the level of deceit and betrayal had finally come to head and none of them were
aware of it happening. Thank you! To alix33: It is very low for Peter to throw Remus out as
a potential spy when he's not there to defend himself. Thank you! To ellyann13: Yes,
everything Peter blamed on Remus was things he did himself. Thank you! To Sets: It is sad
that Sirius thinks him dying to save at least one life is worth it. Peter is very nervous and yes,
he was being called at the same time and it fuelled his panic — thanks for noticing the
grabbing of his right arm. It was a low blow to blame Remus, but Peter's desperation is
starting to shine through. Thank you for saying the gleam of almost triumph sent shivers
down your spine. Thank you! To MissKnowItAll: Yes, Euphemia would have helped them
realize not to blame each other. Thank you very much! LOL, nope, no flaw, it means the day I
post the final chapter of ASC, will be the only thing I post. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery:
Yes, Halloween is coming up very soon! I'm glad you love my little family of Marauders and
baby Harry. Thank you!
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE:
The One Where Peter Finally Caves
31st October 1981…
"Peter, Peter, Peter," Voldemort chanted, twirling his wand between his long fingers as
he watched the short man grovel before him on his hands and knees. "Bella tells me that
you've been most uncooperative."
"Please, don't make me do this," he begged, tears running down his cheeks. "Please!"
Voldemort reached down and cupped his chin, lifting his head up. "You must like it when the
Lestranges take you. Do you enjoy it when they fuck you? Is that what you want to happen
again? Tell me where they are or I will force you to take your mother's life, to torture her
endlessly, rape her, let the Lestranges have a go and make you watch, and then… I will kill
you myself. Give up your friends, Wormtail. Isn't that what they call you? Wormtail. A
snivelling excuse of a name, rat-like just like you are. Choose now. Your mother and
ultimately your own life or the life of one measly child."
Pettigrew stared up at him, tears rolling down his cheeks and he knew in that moment that he
had truly given up. The sob tore through him before he could stop it and his voice came out
ragged underneath the tears.
"Godric's Hollow, the house on the corner of Third Street."
And then he began to sob harder, tears falling from his eyes like rain as he rocked back and
forth on his knees, his hands covering his face.
Voldemort patted his head like a child and he fought the urge to vomit. "Good boy. Bella,
help our friend get to his mother's house and put him in place. If he gave me false
information this time, I'm going to watch him hurt his mother myself."
Peter's sobs grew louder as Voldemort Disapparated.
Peter knew in that moment that it was too late to take it back and he'd never regretted
anything more.
The One With Halloween 1981
Author's Note:
3 more chapters to go!
But this is the final chapter of 2022! Happy New Year everyone!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To Charlotte: I know, I know. Thank you! To Emma Janet:
I think you bring up a very well thought out point. "I don't think Peter cared for his friends
any less than before. He just could never face facts and play to his strengths. Peter should
have stayed on the sidelines of the war to remain good friends with the other Marauders. Not
ignore it, but just not taking part in face-to-face battles. More administrative stuff for the
order. Peter should have learned from his experience in school that going face to face with
your opponent isn't the only way to contribute, and played to his strengths. It would have
made The Order stronger. He never took the time to consider what he himself was good at,
and instead followed the others along with what they could do best being ashamed he could
never measure up." This is very well said and you're right, it could have changed a lot of
things in the end. I love the idea that if Peter had stayed on this path, adhering to his own
strengths, he might have met Zee and introduced her to Sirius sooner. What a lovely thought!
Thank you!
To alix33: That's a fair assessment. Thank you! To Sets: I think it was very telling that
Voldemort saw through and understood the symbolism of Peter's Animagus form in a way
that his friends didn't. He didn't expect the self-sacrifice aspect even though he was a
Gryffindor because of it. It is an interesting concept about fate and the form the animal
chooses. Thank you! To Slaidback: Yes, short and full of despair lol. Thank you! To
MissKnowItAll: Peter definitely should have chosen his own life over the life of a baby, but
he did not. Thank you!
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX:
The One With Halloween 1981
31st October, 1981…
"James, does Lily really have him dressed up as a pumpkin?" Sirius asked the mirror in
his hand as he pulled his helmet off to hang it over the side of his motorbike and made his
way down the street.
James grinned widely at him from the communication mirror in his hand. "Yeah, look at
him!"
He held Harry up to the mirror in his pumpkin costume and Harry's face lit up when he
spotted Sirius.
"Siri! Padoo!"
Sirius grinned, running his fingers through his hair to make sure that it wasn't too messy from
the helmet. "He looks fucking adorable."
"Fuck!" Harry repeated and Sirius winced.
James laughed. "I know, right? Deanna Kane sent it. She's in Halifax right now and is
heading out to Australia, but stop swearing, Padfoot — he copies you!"
"Moony's got a worse off mouth than me! He's the one that got' em saying shite and tosser!"
Sirius exclaimed as Harry then proceeded to shout out those two words and he winced.
"Sorry, Prongs."
"Lily is going to beat both of you to death if you don't control your language around him!
Anyway, listen. We'll dress him up again when you get here. I'm going to take it off of him
now so that we can feed him dinner. The kid makes way too much of a mess," James told him
with a grin.
Sirius chuckled at that. "Should be there soon. I'm heading to Pete's flat now."
"Gotcha! See you blokes when you get here — and stop swearing, you git!"
Sirius laughed as the mirror went blank in his hand and he was left staring down at his own
face. He shrunk it down before he tucked it away in his pocket and hurried his pace down to
the end of the block and up the steps to the third floor. Peter's flat was quiet and Sirius was
pleased to see all of the wards were still strongly in place.
He let himself inside, tugging his scarf loose in the heat of the room. "Pete!"
There was no answer so he made his way into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of a
water, drinking it eagerly. After a few moments of still not hearing movement, he began to
wander the flat in search of his friend. Finding it empty, he frowned checking his watch.
It was ten after six, Peter should have been home from work over an hour before and he had
known Sirius was coming by for six. He waited a little longer, looking out the window for
any signs of his friend, but he only saw a normal street below.
He tapped his fingers on his leg, checking his watch again. Maybe something had happened
with Peter's mother as lately she hadn't been doing well. He glanced towards the Floo and
contemplated calling her to check in and then changed his mind as the clock struck half past.
He didn't want to needlessly worry her.
But something didn't feel right.
He locked the flat up behind him and hopped onto his motorbike, using the flying mechanism
that he'd installed as he flew straight to Godric's Hollow. He quickened his speed as he landed
and moved down the street and the sight of the Dark Mark blazing green and high in the sky
tore through him. He jumped off of the bike as it crashed onto its side and he started to run.
The sight of the cottage made him fist his hands over his heart. The front gate was blown
open and the entire left side of the house, the second floor where Harry's nursery sat, was
blown apart. Sirius gasped for breath as he hurried into the house, shouting.
"JAMES! LILY!"
His eyes widened when he saw James sprawled at the bottom of the stairs, his glasses askew
on his face, his hazel eyes always so full of light staring blankly ahead. The sob tore threw
him and he crumpled to the ground at his friend's feet.
"James! You've never lost a duel, what the fuck happened?"
He grabbed his friend's hand, holding it to his heart and that's when he noticed that there was
no wand. He jumped to his feet, tears welling up in his eyes as he found the wands of both
James and Lily sitting on the sofa in the living room next to a pumpkin Halloween costume, a
camera, and the communication mirror.
"Fuck," he muttered, clutching the wands in his hands. "Jamie, you prat! Why didn't you have
your fucking wand?" He swiped furiously at the tears and then he thought of Lily's wand…
had she still managed to Apparate away?
He bolted up the stairs, the sound of Harry screaming making his heart pound in his chest. He
choked back another sob as he saw Lily lying in front of Harry's crib, her red hair full of
blood and her green eyes staring blankly ahead. But it was the body of the pale dark haired
wizard lying next to her that caught his eye.
Voldemort was dead.
"Siri! Padoo!"
Sirius' heart stopped as he saw Harry standing in his crib, arms outstretched for him. His little
chubby cheeks were covered in tears and blood.
He stepped over Lily, picking up her son and cradling him into his arms. "Harry, little man,
it's all right. Uncle Sirius is here."
He cradled him close, kissing the top of his head again and again as he soothed him until
Harry finally settled against his chest, tears still on his cheeks. Sirius used his wand to clean
the blood away from Harry's face and frowned at the lightning bolt cut that sprang across his
forehead. He attempted to heal it, but it didn't work, so he kissed it softly and snuggled the
baby to him once more.
His eyes fell on the form of Voldemort and they darkened. He pointed his wand at the body
and flung it out of the hole in the side of the nursery, watching it splatter on the ground
below. He would not let that monster rest beside Lily Potter.
He kissed Harry's cheeks as he made his way downstairs, trying to shield Harry's eyes from
the sight of his dead parents as tears rolled down his own cheeks.
"I've got you, Harry, don't worry. Uncle Padfoot's got you."
"Mumma! Dada!"
Sirius only shook his head and kissed Harry's cheeks. "I know, Prongslet, I know."
He stepped onto the front porch and then he finally collapsed to his knees, cradling Harry
close and he cried.
It was where Hagrid found him ten minutes later.
"Sirius."
Sirius' tear-stained face looked up at him. "Hagrid. James and Lily… they're dead!"
Hagrid nodded, helping the young man to his feet. "Yeh need ter give me 'Arry, Sirius."
"What? No!" Sirius exclaimed, holding Harry tighter against him. "I'm his godfather, he stays
with me!" Hagrid reached for Harry and Sirius jumped back, holding the child closer and
away from Hagrid's reach. "He belongs with me, Hagrid!"
"Sirius, Dumbledore asked me ter come take 'im. 'E needs ter be wit' his family now."
"I AM HIS FUCKING FAMILY!"
Hagrid looked sad, his large hand squeezing Sirius' shoulder in reassurance. "Sirius, 'e needs
blood protection. Yeh aren't 'is blood."
Sirius shook his head, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I am his family, Hagrid."
"Sirius, give him ter me. 'E'll be safe, I promise. Lily's sister will take care of 'im."
Sirius stared at him for a long moment. "Petunia? She fucking hates Lily!"
Hagrid smiled sympathetically. "She'll take care of 'Arry, Sirius."
Sirius' hands trembled as he finally passed the baby to Hagrid and Harry cried out for him.
He leaned in to kiss Harry's cheek. "I love you, Harry. I'll come see you soon, all right?"
"Padoo!"
Sirius smiled at his godson in Hagrid's arms as Hagrid placed his large hand on the baby's
back.
"How'd he find' em?" he asked.
Sirius started to say he didn't know before all of the blood drained out of his face.
No, no he couldn't have, he thought. It didn't make sense for him to… he needed to be sure.
And if he was right, he would kill his friend himself.
He turned his attention to Hagrid, his hands shaking. "There's something that I have to do.
Take my bike, Hagrid." He tossed him the keys. "I won't be needing it."
Then he kissed Harry's cheek again and Disapparated on the spot, ignoring Hagrid's questions
about where it was he was going.
The One Where Sirius Finds Peter
Author's Note:
Happy New Year everyone! I hope the year 2023 brings us better times to those who need it.
2 more chapters to go!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To A Huge Fan: Thank you! It was fun to show the
complexity behind Peter as in my opinion, he had to have some redeeming qualities. He was
their friend for many years and they trusted him which makes the betrayal that much worse of
one. Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: It definitely always
hurts! He had just spoken to them less than hour before and now… so heartbreaking! Sirius
is grieving and in a fit of rage, which you're right, is why Peter was able to outsmart him.
He's not thinking clearly. Thank you! To MissKnowItAll: Yes, he should have, but his rage
is too consuming right now. Thank you! To Sets: It's true. If Sirius would have told Hagrid
in that moment that Peter was the Secret Keeper and he had to find him, so much could have
changed. Thank you! To Charlotte: I understand the broken heart, thank you! To
ThomasJAvery: Poor everyone. Thank you! To alix33: Thank you! To Nuno Neves: Life is
short and Sirius just lost so much at once in ways he doesn't even know yet. Thank you!
To Susanne_BK: Thank you for saying I honoured them by making the last moment a
positive one. I love the idea of James and Sirius just chatting away as their last moments
together. Thank you so much! I am very honoured to hold first place! Thank you! To
Slaidback: You did read a variation of it, yes. Thank you! To Bellmel: Sorry, not sorry. I
know that chapter was hard to read, but it was why I wrote it from Sirius' POV and not from
James and Lily. Seeing Sirius break was trauma enough. Thank you very much!
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN:
The One Where Sirius Finds Peter
1st November, 1981…
Olive Pettigrew was in her mid-fifties with light blonde hair. She was pretty and kind
looking and she was currently tied to a chair as Peter knelt before her in the early pre-dawn
hours.
"Please Mum, just do what they want or they'll kill you."
"Petey, my Petey, what has happened to you? Tell me why this is happening to us?"
Peter wiped tears from his eyes. "It's my fault, Mum. It's all mine. I tried to save Dad and
they… they tortured me and now… he's going to kill Jamie and little Harry and Lily."
"He's going to kill them?"
Peter nodded, rocking back on his knees as he sobbed, unable to stop the tears from raining
down his cheeks.
"He's going to kill them, Mum, and it's all my fault. It's all my fault. I told him where Jamie
and Lily and Harry are to save you. I did it to save YOU, Mum."
Olive stared at him for a moment as if she didn't recognize him. "My life is not worth the life
of those three innocents and definitely not worth the life of that precious child. Peter, you
love that little boy! How could you ever do something to endanger his life? Peter, you should
be ashamed of yourself."
"I'm so sorry, Mum," he sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it, I swear, I didn't mean it."
"It's too late now, Petey," Olive whispered. "It's too late."
Peter's sobs grew louder and Bellatrix backhanded him.
"Stand up, you snivelling git! Stop crying. What you did was help your Master, your Lord,
and you should be honoured that he gave you the task! You should be on your hands and
knees thanking him for this wonderful opportunity!"
Peter stood up now, his tear-filled eyes burning with rage. "Honoured? You think that I
should be honoured to have just sent my best friends to their death? That's not the word I'd
use. Just because you'll do anything the Dark Lord says, including whoring yourself around,
doesn't mean that I should feel honoured to do the same thing."
Bellatrix glared at him. "I may whore myself, but you whored information and killed precious
Order members by spying. And I know one thing, Wormy, when my cousin finds out that you
betrayed that blood traitor he loves so much, he's going to come after you. And do you really
think that I'm going to protect you from him?"
His wand moved fast, surprising himself as he blasted her out of the house. He took a
moment to catch his breath before he turned to look at his mother. He leaned down to kiss her
cheek, a hitch in his voice.
"Mum, I'm sorry, I can't… you know too much now. This is for your own protection. I love
you." He kissed her cheek once more and then pointed his wand at her. "Obliviate!"
Olive's face softened and she looked around in wonder as Peter untied her. "Hello, Petey.
What are you doing here, darling?"
"Just popped in to say hi, Mum. I have to go now," he told her just as Sirius stepped into the
kitchen.
"Sirius, my love, it's so wonderful to see you!" Olive exclaimed. "Did you come by for a spot
of breakfast?"
Sirius shook his head. "No, Mrs P. I need to talk to Pete."
Peter paled and turned to run, but Sirius' hand shot out, fisting the back of his robes just as he
Disapparated.
Sirius caught himself, wincing as they landed haphazardly in the middle of a crowded
Muggle street. They crashed to the ground, rain coming down on them in the dark night, and
sliding through the muddy earth. Peter managed to roll away as Sirius slipped and he
scrambled to his feet, taking off at a speed Sirius would never have guessed.
"Pete!" he yelled as Peter started to run from him. "Think being in a crowd full of Muggles is
going to save you, Wormtail?"
Sirius slid on the slick street as he took off after him, catching up in moments and grabbing
Peter by the shoulder. He shoved him back and Peter gasped as Sirius' fist plowed straight
into his face. He felt the sharp impact of his nose breaking as pain exploded in his skull. He
scrambled backwards and fell to the ground, blood dripping down his face.
"S-S-Sirius!"
"Don't you even start with me, Pete!" Sirius exploded. "You tried to turn us against the other!
You tried to convince James and I that Remus was the spy! Did you do the same to Remus?
Is that why he said that he couldn't trust me? Did you tell him that I was the fucking spy?"
He kicked Peter in the ribs and Peter whimpered, tasting blood in his mouth when Sirius
kicked him again.
"And it was you all along! You were the bloody fucking spy for years, you spineless little
worm! WE TRUSTED YOU!"
Peter's fingers finally managed to tug his wand free from his holster half a second before
Sirius noticed as a mad idea suddenly came to him. He had no choice, he realized. If he didn't
do this right now, Sirius would kill him.
So he sent the most powerful blasting charm he could towards his former friend, sending him
flying backward as pavement erupted at his feet in a small explosion, shooting out at the
Muggles around them like a bomb and slicing his finger clean off in the process. He ignored
the ringing in his ears as he stood up, cradling his bleeding hand to his chest.
"HOW DARE YOU BETRAY JAMES AND LILY, SIRIUS? HOW DARE YOU?" Peter
bellowed into the crowd, blood dripping from his right hand.
Sirius jumped to his feet, his ears ringing and his wand out as shock registered in his gaze.
Peter stared into Sirius' eyes for half a second before he flicked his wand over himself and
transformed into a rat. He heard Sirius swear as he lunged for him, slipping in the blood of
the bodies around him who had been casualties of the blast. Peter let out a tiny screech and
scurried down into the sewer as the sounds of Apparition appeared behind him.
He spied through the grate, watching as six Aurors surrounded Sirius in the bloody mess of
bodies.
"Sirius Black, you are under arrest! Drop your wand!"
Peter watched from the sewers as Sirius was arrested and then he turned around and scurried
deeper into the sewers, seeking freedom among the other rats.
He would wait to hear about the Dark Lord's night and then he would know what to do next.
He ignored the pang in his chest, the hurt and rage he kept seeing in Sirius' eyes, and he
wondered for the first time if death would have been a better option.
"I'm sorry, Prongs," he whispered into the night and his words did nothing to assure him.
The One Where Remus Is Truly Alone
Author's Note:
1 more chapter to go!
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To EnigmaticEmperor: Yes, Sirius did get a few punches in.
He was too full of emotion and he let it get the better of him and ultimately, Peter get the
better of him. Yes, apologizing now doesn't do a thing, but it does show Peter is grieving in
his own mistakes. Thank you! To Sets: Yes, this is where the Aurors messed up. They didn't
see the problems they made by not doing so. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: I know, poor
Sirius, getting framed for Peter's cowardice and mistakes. Sorry to make you review early,
but thank you so much for taking the time. I really appreciate it and look forward to each of
your reviews. Thank you! To A Huge Fan: Sorry that the post was awful, but unfortunately
it is a pivotal part of the story. Peter should be ashamed and yes, he then turns around and
betrays another friend without a thought. Thank you! Sorry to wrench out your heart though.
Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! But yes, how dare you, Peter! Thank you!
To the Mandalorian terminator: Thank you! I did try to make Peter sympathetic, to really
see what he was going through and how he was almost forced into these choices to some
extent. I like to think that after ten years of friendship, betraying his friends wasn't an easy
choice no matter the outcome. Thank you! To Charlotte: Even knowing how and what
happens, seeing it unfold is still heartbreaking. Poor Sirius, taking the blame for something
he didn't do and being bested by someone he never expected to betray him. The poor boy was
in shock and terrified and angry and grieving. It's no wonder Peter surprised him. Thank you
very much! To MissKnowItAll: Poor Sirius indeed! Thank you! To Bellmel: Peter is a
dickwad. Peter's mum deserved better and the only good thing Peter did was oblivating his
mother's memories so that she doesn't know the complete disappointment he is to her. Peter
never considers sacrificing his own life no matter what regrets he feels on the outcome of his
choices. He does deserve to be swimming in shit. Thank you!
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT:
The One Where Remus Is Truly Alone
15th November, 1981…

Remus stood outside of Number Four Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey;
nervously rocking on his heels and trying to work up the courage to knock. It had been
just over two weeks since his entire world had collapsed around him.
James and Lily: Dead.
Peter: Dead.
Sirius: Imprisoned for murdering Peter and twelve Muggles and worst of all — for betraying
James and Lily Potter.
Remus still couldn't even believe that Sirius had been the one behind everything; the spy in
the Order, the one working for Voldemort.
It all seemed like some horrible dream.
His best friends, his true family, all gone in the span of a week and he was only twenty-one
years old.
He dragged his fingers through his golden brown hair and finally lifted his hand to the door
to knock. Dumbledore had told him where he had sent Harry, explaining how it was the safest
place for him. Remus agreed with him. But Harry was the only family that he had left. He
wanted to make sure that he was truly all right.
The door opened and he immediately recognized Lily's sister. He had only met her once at
the wedding, but she and her husband Vernon had made an impression — and it hadn't been a
good one.
"Petunia, Remus Lupin," he said, extending his hand. "I was a friend of Lily and James. We
met at their wedding."
Petunia merely stared at him. "You were in the wedding party."
Remus nodded, smiling. "I was. I wanted to check on Harry, see how he was adjusting to life
with his aunt and uncle."
"He's fine." she said curtly, crossing her arms in front of her. "I don't really like unannounced
visitors coming by the house. I'm trying to keep Dudders and our new guest on some form of
schedule. It's not exactly easy to have two children under the age of two."
Remus nodded, sticking his hands in the pockets of his pants. "I understand. I'd just like to
see Harry for a moment, just to make sure that he's all right?"
Petunia sighed before she nodded stiffly and opened the door wider, allowing for Remus to
step inside. "Fine. But be quick about it."
Remus nodded as she closed the door behind him. He stood in the entranceway of the house
just as the boy he was looking for came running out of the living room towards him, arms
outstretched in joy.
"Uncamoo!" he shrieked, running into Remus' arms.
Remus' face broke out into his first smile in weeks as he scooped Harry up into his arms. He
ruffled his black messy hair and kissed his chubby cheeks, hugging him close. He pulled back
to grin at him and his eyes found the lightning bolt cut on his forehead. He gently brushed it
with his finger and his eyes found Petunia's.
"Is this where he —?"
Petunia nodded. "From what I understand, yes. It doesn't seem to bother him."
Remus nodded. He knelt down on the floor, standing Harry in front of him and grinning at
him. "I missed you, Harry. Do you like it here with your aunt and uncle?"
"Moo! Padoo!"
Tears welled up in Remus' eyes and he choked them back. "Afraid not, little Prongs. This is
your new home now."
Harry crawled up his body, hanging off of his shoulder as he spoke. "No! Mumma! Dada!"
Remus looked at Petunia and sighed. "I know that he's safest here with you, but hearing
him… I want to keep him safe. If Voldemort ever truly does come back… we don't know for
certain that he's gone and Harry could be in the most danger if he ever finds out that he's still
alive."
"Uncamoo," he exclaimed, his hands moving across Remus' face, fingers in his mouth as he
grabbed at Remus.
Remus merely grinned. He was the cutest kid. It still surprised him how much he had come to
love this little boy. When he called him Uncle Moo in his baby talk of "uncamoo" his heart
soared. Nothing made Harry happier than when Remus and Sirius would come to visit and
Sirius turned into a dog. The 'doggie' would make Harry giggle and laugh and Remus would
hold his hands as he rode the dog around. Then Sirius would turn back and Harry would
laugh, begging for the Siri to make the Padfoof come back.
Sirius had loved him.
Remus could see that.
How could Sirius have done this?
"Do you have enough stuff for him? Clothes and whatnot?" he asked Petunia, holding Harry
close again as he jabbered incoherent baby talk in his ear.
"Yes. From what I understand, the house is destroyed, so I have whatever Dumbledore
brought with him," she told him.
She had moved to pick up her own son, who was trying to touch the vase full of flowers on
the table. He was a chubby blonde toddler who seemed to waddle as he walked.
"It was," Remus said. "I just want to make sure that he's well taken care of. He's a very
special boy." He kissed Harry's forehead and Harry snuggled into his embrace.
"Slooch!" he said and Remus kissed him again.
"I'd… I'd like to come by and see him when I can. Maybe once every few weeks or so. I can
tell him about his parents and spend time with him. Get to see him grow up and become the
great wizard that I know he will be."
"No," Petunia said sternly, moving to place Dudley in the playpen she had set up and crossing
her arms in front of her again. "Absolutely not."
"I beg your pardon?" Remus asked in surprise.
"No," Petunia repeated. "I let you in today to say goodbye to him as a courtesy. I agreed to
take the boy in for his own safety, but I won't have it in my house. No magic. No powers. No
mention of an evil madman who killed his parents. I will let him stay here with my husband
and my son, if and only if, I can give him the chance of a normal childhood. No funny
business. How am I supposed to do that if you come around here and tell him all those things.
Absolutely not! I forbid it."
Remus stood up, Harry still snuggled in his arms. "I get where you're coming from, Petunia
but… my friends, my family are all gone. Harry is all I have left. I'd like to find a place in his
life. Be the uncle to him that I was meant to be."
Petunia glared at him, her hands on her hips. "Then you can take him off of my hands. That's
the only way that you can have contact with him."
"I can't take him," he said desperately.
There was no way that he could take Harry home and raise him safely, not with his furry little
problem. How could he possibly keep Harry safe when he himself was a danger to him three
nights a month?
"If you won't take him then that's it. Say goodbye."
Tears welled up in Remus' eyes. He understood what she wanted. It was safer for Harry if he
had no contact; if no one magical even knew where he was. Dumbledore was right about that.
This was Harry's family and they would take care of him. But the thought of leaving this little
boy broke his heart.
But a broken heart was something that Remus Lupin was used to. He had already lost
everything that mattered in his life: His parents, his best friends, his family. Losing Harry was
in the best interest of keeping Harry safe and that's what truly mattered.
He kissed Harry's cheeks and then the lightning shaped cut on his forehead, holding him
close for a hug as he spoke, "If I write to you, will you keep me informed on how he's
doing?"
"No," Petunia said, sternly. "Either take him with you or say goodbye."
Remus nodded, unshed tears in his eyes. He cuddled Harry close. Harry tugged on his hair
and planted a wet kiss on his mouth before he sat him down on the ground.
"You'll take good care of him? Keep him safe?" Remus asked her as Harry tried to shimmy
back up his leg.
"I will raise him to be normal," Petunia told him.
Remus nodded, wiping his tears away. "Thank you." He leaned down and kissed the top of
Harry's head. "I love you, Harry. Be good for your Aunt Petunia. We'll meet again someday,
I'm sure of it."
Harry began to cry and it took every ounce of will that Remus possessed to walk to the door
as Harry screamed after him, tears pouring from his eyes.
"No! Uv, Moo!"
When Petunia closed the front door behind him, he stood on the front porch, tears pouring
down his cheeks.
Harry would be safe.
Nothing else in the world mattered, especially not the broken heart of a werewolf.
The One With Azkaban
Author's Note:
Here lies the final chapter of The First Time Around.
I'm not crying, you're crying. 😭
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To darkhk: Ha, sorry for breaking your heart, but Remus'
heart was already broken. Thank you! To A Huge Fan: No, he won't be safe, but Remus
doesn't know that. Thank you so much for saying that the way I write character feelings and
emotions is exquisite. I can't believe there's only chapter left either! Thank you very much!
To MissKnowItAll: Remus cares about him being a werewolf and now with the loss of all of
those he keeps near and dear, he assumes no one is around to love him anymore. Petunia is a
bit heartless. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: Thank you so much for saying despite how
many times you've read this scene (as it is in ASC and in my Missing Moments series as
well — I just love it, so deal with it) still makes you cry, thank you very much! Remus feels
very much alone now and doesn't know what to do or where to turn, but he believes Harry
will be safer without him in his life. Even as heartbreaking as that is. Thank you!
To Dtjordan: You're right, Remus was in a tough place and at this point in time, he has no
idea that Harry won't be safe and sound there. He knows his magic will be ignored, but he
thinks that's okay as long as he's taken care of. He doesn't know that Petunia and Vernon
won't be taking care of him. Thank you for saying it's one of the most heartbreaking scenes. I
completely agree. Thank you! To Susanne_BK: Is it weird how happy I am to hear that this
scene broke people when they read it? I'm so proud of this moment and I am 100% certain
this happened in canon and that's why Remus never reached out to Harry. Poor little Harry
and poor heartbroken Remus. He has no idea. Neither of them do. Thank you! To Emma
Janet: It is a very heartbreaking moment for Remus and for Harry who doesn't understand
what is happening. Without his friends, Remus just kind of assumes he's not needed or wanted
and wants Harry to be safe and he foolishly thinks living with him will be a danger. Thank
you! To Sets: I know, poor Remus! Thank you very much!
To EnigmaticEmperor: You're right, sometimes you can understand why Petunia is a bit
jealous and afraid of losing her sister over magic and to magic and not being reminded of
how and why she lost her sister, then she treats Harry like that and it all goes out the window.
I think Petunia let Remus enter because not only was she surprised, but I think that little part
of her that did love her sister once upon a time gave out at the sight of this man who had also
known her and lost her. I think you're right, Sirius would have been more off-putting and she
might not have let him in. Thank you very much! To Slaidback: I definitely consider this
scene canon. In my head, that is exactly why Remus never wrote or made contact with Harry
his whole life. Thank you! To Charlotte: Agreed! Dumbledore made a bad choice as he
doesn't know how the Dursleys will treat Harry. Remus hates himself and is grieving too
much to realize he's making a mistake and yes, Petunia is a bitch lol. Sorry to make you cry.
Thank you! To Bellmel: Honestly, Remus breaks most of our hearts. He definitely needs love
and company and stability and he just lost everything and everyone. He's completely helpless
and alone and thinks it's what he deserved. Leaving Harry is breaking his heart, but he
doesn't know he's leaving him in a hostile and abusive place. He loves him so much and just
wants him to be safe. He loves Harry and he believes he's doing the right thing. He's too used
to his own broken heart. Thank you very much!
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE:
The One With Azkaban
November-December1981…
Sirius' heart was pounding. His throat was raw from the manic laughter he hadn't been able
to stop from escaping his throat from the moment he had been arrested.
He'd been fucking arrested!
He'd been trying to corner Peter, to find out why someone he had trusted for ten years had
suddenly betrayed him; had betrayed their friends… and instead Peter had fucked him over.
And he'd been left holding the wand.
"Sirius Black, you are being charged with the murder of thirteen Muggles and the murder of
Peter Pettigrew."
"That's preposterous," McGonagall exclaimed from nearby. "I'm telling you, this isn't right!"
"Does he look right to you, mistress?" an Auror demanded, his voice gruff. "What kind of
person laughs when they've been arrested? He's guilty! It's obvious!"
"He deserves a trial!" McGonagall insisted as Sirius only continued to stare blankly at his
feet, not processing anything.
"He's the reason the Potters are dead! He murdered Pettigrew! He murdered all of those
Muggles without blinking! He bloody deserves to rot in Azkaban for what he did."
They'd thrown him in a jail cell in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement without
another word.
The Potters… dead.
James and Lily were dead.
Sirius felt his heart race all over again.

Harry…
Merlin, what was going to happen to Harry? He was his godfather and he was the one who
was supposed to look after him and now… thank Merlin, he was going to have Remus. Harry
was going to need someone to take care of him now and Remus was going to be the best dad
he could be, he knew it. There was no one better than Moony. Harry needed someone because
James…
Tears welled up in his eyes and he furiously blinked them back.
James and Lily were dead.
They were dead and it was his bloody fault.
If he hadn't been so bloody cocky.
If he hadn't been so bloody sure of himself, convinced that no one in their right mind would
ever suspect Peter he… he'd given that rat exactly what he'd needed.
He'd basically handed James and Lily right over to Voldemort himself.
They were right… he was guilty.
The day of his twenty-second birthday, they'd opened his cage and taken him in a cold boat
ride across the North Sea. Two Aurors had shoved him face first into the cell and he'd only
just caught himself before smashing his face against the stone floor.
The clock struck midnight, the chime making his eye twitch. Midnight… he was supposed to
be sitting in James and Lily's living room in Godric's Hollow drinking whisky and having
chocolate cake as they sang him happy birthday. He was supposed to be sitting there, wearing
that stupid red birthday cape and letting his friends sing to him.
Instead he was alone in a dark, dank cell and his friends were dead.
They were dead and he was alone.
No, not truly alone.
The sound of someone crying echoed in the hall, reminding him that he had the mad and the
guilty to serenade him into his own madness. At least until Remus came to visit.
If he came to visit.
Merlin, Remus was going to hate him. Remus was going to be furious when he found out that
he'd been the one to lead Peter to their slaughter.
It was his fault they were dead. He would understand if Remus never wanted to speak to him
again.
It was his fault that Harry was going to grow up with no parents.
It was his fault that his best friend and his wife were dead.
The first week in prison went by and he barely moved. He heard people talking about the
funeral of James and Lily Potter, about The Boy Who Lived, and the fall of Voldemort. He
heard the words, but still he didn't process.
By week two, he knew that no one was coming to see him.
By week three, he was starting to succumb to the darkness.
Snow fell outside of his window, the cold sweeping in. Someone sang a carol and he realized
with a pang that it was Christmas as he carved a line into the stone to keep track of his days.
Someone screamed and the sound caused something to finally snap inside of him.
His fist hit the stone wall with a sickening crunch again and again before he could
comprehend what was happening and then a cry escaped him.
And then a scream.
He screamed at the top of his lungs, trying to get the pain to escape. He screamed over and
over and over again, his fists slamming against the stone, until his voice was raw and his
already bruised throat ached.
No one came.
No one bothered to check on him.
No one told him to stop.
He finally looked down at his bruised and bloody knuckles, his fingers curling around the
metal bars looking out into the darkened hall.
And the coldness suddenly seeped into his very bones.
His breath caught as a dark, cloaked figure drifted down the hall towards him and all he could
see was James and Lily dead on the floor.
"No," he whispered, stumbling back into the stone. "No. Please, no."
The Dementors moved past his cell, ignoring him, and he collapsed to the ground, shaking in
uncontrollable fear and nausea. He vomited in the corner, his hands shaking. When he finally
was able to control himself, tears wet his cheeks and his hands were clammy.
"Happy Christmas, Sirius," he whispered into the darkness.
And then he let the darkness of Azkaban consume him.
End Author's Notes:

Thank you so much for reading my short Marauder snippets.
For those of you who started reading this because you were fans of ASC, thank you! For
anyone new who is interested in more of my world, this story will be a trilogy!
The First Time Around will continue in part two — A Second Chance (which I technically
wrote mostly first even though I had 90% of these snippets done before writing ASC).
The First Time Around came about because I wanted to write a Marauders era story, but
never seemed to make it fully happen. Instead, I just wrote snippets of moments in their lives
and how it all lined up and fit together. Many of the scenes ended up being used as Pensieve
memories in ASC (the others just gathering dust in my WIP files) before I finally thought it
would fit in a snippet based story that worked as a prequel to ASC.
I hope you enjoyed it.
I hope you will start chapter one of A Second Chance after this and discover (or rediscover)
more of my world before ending with Third Time's the Charm which is coming in early
2023 (I don't know when yet).
Thank you so much for reading and for reviewing.
Please take the time to leave me one final review. I would greatly appreciate it and would be
honoured to hear your final thoughts.
Thank you!
Love,
🇨🇦Breanie, the fanfic writer from Canada🇨🇦
Please drop by the Archive and comment to let the creator know if you enjoyed their work!

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The First Time Around

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/38110864.

1. The First Time Around (1965-1981):

2. A Second Chance (1985-1998):

3. Third Time's the Charm (1998-?):

I am calling the trilogy Kismet which means fate/destiny; a predetermined or unavoidable

Thank you in advance! I hope you like it!

My posting schedule: Weekly.

Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.

"That boy is a Muggle, Sirius."

"He's a Muggle, Sirius. We do not associate with such filth."

Sirius' brow furrowed. "He wasn't dirty."

"We have magic," Sirius said.

"Yes, and Muggles cannot do magic."

"Muggles are bad," Sirius surmised.

The slap sent him reeling.

"Muggles are filth," he repeated, his eyes on his toes.

"Look at me when you say it."

"I'm sorry, Father."

Muggles were filth, he repeated. And they were beneath them.

He wouldn't forget those words again.

End Author's Notes:

Thank you for reading and please review!

To cath: Thank you! I am going to take that as a compliment! To Ellieoryan7447: Sirius

Reminder — this story is full of snippets and time jumps.

My posting schedule: Weekly.

"Lily, don't do it!" Petunia shrieked.

"Mummy told you not to!" Petunia shrieked again.

"Mummy said that you weren't allowed, Lily!"

"Stop it!" Petunia shrieked.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, looking startled. "I'm a girl."

"Yes, but you're also… you're a witch," he whispered.

Petunia's laugh was like cold water.

REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: To alix33: Petunia definitely continued to make terrible

My posting schedule: Weekly.

"I knew that you believed me."

Severus shrugged. "Not everyone can."

"Really?" Lily whispered.

"And will it really come by owl?" Lily whispered.

"Does it make a difference, being Muggleborn?"

"Good," Lily said, relaxing.

"How are things at your house?" Lily asked.

A little crease appeared between his eyes.

"They're not arguing anymore?"

"Tell me about the Dementors again."

"Because you told me that if I use magic outside of school —"

"Who's spying now?" he shouted. "What d'you want?"

But Petunia was already running away.

Lily rounded on Severus. "Did you make that happen?"

He looked both defiant and scared.

"No — no, I didn't!" Snape insisted.

Magic just had to be real.

End Author's Notes:

Thanks for reading and please review!

To CorbanD17: Thank you! To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! Yes, James will be

My posting schedule: Weekly.

Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.

"Mummy! There's a monster!"

"A monster?" Hope Lupin asked.