A.N./ Hey guys. So this story has been sitting in my notebook app for a while and so I decided it was high time I finish this chapter and get it posted. I hope you enjoy it. I'm not sure where its heading 100%, so we shall see together if it turns out amazing or not.

A Branch in Time

Ch. 1

Dawn broke over the castle as a Sandy Brown haired man watched the sun rise. He hadn't slept a wink the previous night after the break in. He had patrolled the halls as he battled with himself. He knew how Sirius had broke into the castle (and from Azkaban for that matter), his grim like animagus dog, but their animagus forms had been a secret the marauders had shared, with a promise to never reveal to anyone what they had done and why. This was fermented in the war when their unknown animagus forms had saved them more than once.

Remus knew that by keeping the secret he could possibly be putting the castle's inhabitants at risk, but how could he betray the 3 men who had been so important to him. His stomach rolled at the thought of doing so, but as he looked across the hall of sleeping inhabitants he spotted a tuft of black unruly hair and he was reminded of another promise among the marauders. He lost himself in a memory of James

Flashback

A tuft of black hair stuck out from the blanket in the crib as the Marauders looked on. This was the first Marauder child to have been born and he was truly special to them all. James looked at his child in awe and wonder and utmost love and devotion. Remus had only seen James look that way at one other person before, his precious Lily.

"Remus, Sirius, you both have to promise me. If something should happen to me you have to take care of Lily and Harry. Guard, Love, and Protect them. If something should happen to Lils," He chocked on the words, "I need you to take care of Harry, he will need you more than ever. He and Lily are my life." Remus and Sirius promised in return for the same promise to their someday children, after all Sirius was engaged to Marlene, Harry wouldn't be the last Marauder child to grace this earth.

Present

Remus wished he had known then what he knew now. Harry was the last and only Marauder child to grace the earth. Marlene had been killed just a few months later after her marriage to Sirius and 2 month pregnant with their child. It had nearly killed Sirius, which was another reason he could never understand Sirius's betrayal.

Maybe Sirius had been so heartbroken he had gone psychotic and betrayed his friends, but it had never added up to the ambushes and murders before that betrayal, unless there had been a second spy who had turned Sirius. Remus growled in anger and pain at that thought his eyes flashing gold under the pale morning sunlight creeping slowly into the hall.

He was the only one of the Marauders left to carry out the promise made all of those years ago and as he watched Harry sleeping peacefully beside his friends and housemates, Remus's decision firmly resolved. To he'll with Sirius, if he wasn't going to follow the promise he made to his best friend and Godson, Remus wouldn't bother keeping his secret either. Remus would tell Dumbledore everything to protect the black-haired child that looked so much like James, but acted so much like Lily. Not only would he be protecting Harry, but also his friends and classmates that he had seen through these weeks and months that Harry cared dearly for, so much so that he had put his life on the line for them more than once.

That in his mind Remus walked determinedly out of the Great Hall, after handing over control to the first teacher he saw of course, and headed to the headmaster's office. It was time to catch smoke with his bare hands.

A.N./Did you like it? Did you catch the partial HP quote? Thoughts, suggestions, ideas, criticisms, etc.?

Food for thought: If you had known Sirius's animagus form and thought he was out to harm, but you were his friend, would you have turned him in? Why or why not?

I'll add the food for thoughts whenever a piece of the text interests me and prompts me to do so. I look forward to hearing your answers. I'll post my response next chapter.