Legacy

Summary: Two men sit side by side in a dark room, remembering. Remembering the two lifes that were lost that night- James and Lily, the two best friends that completed the group. The circle was broken, but the legacy would still live on. For themselves. For Harry.

--

"Do you remember?" The whisper was so quiet, barely audible, from the man sitting on the couch. His shaggy hair hung in his face, almost concealing his eyes, but his anger and sadness and pain was clearly visible in both the small shadow of his eyes that showed and in his tone of voice. The deepest type of anguish was evident in the way he put his face in his hands, leaning forward in a show of slumped defeat- a broken soul, with something so very dear lost.

The other man across the room smiled sadly, the same sadness also shining in his eyes. This man already looked defeated, the scars and lines on his face betraying a harsh past. "How could I forget?"

The first man, who went by the name of Sirius Black, sighed heavily. "I guess it's a stupid question, Moony. Of course you wouldn't forget, you of all people. But it's just so hard."

"To live through this or to not forget?" The other man, Remus Lupin, known as Moony, asked slowly, knowing the answer before he asked the question. He, however, was also afraid to face his own feelings.

"Of course I wouldn't forget either."

Remus sighed, just as heavily as his friend had earlier. "I know it's hard to live through this. I just can't believe they are gone."

James and Lily. Two beautiful people, and Sirius and Remus' best friends. They had done everything together, the Marauders plus one- and now with a tragic attack, two were lost. Voldemort had struck again, and with his power two of the most beautiful lives had been extinguished.

Both men were silent for a long moment, and when Remus looked up he was surprised to see Sirius crying. He had never seen Sirius cry- he had heard of it, once, from James- Sirius had run away from home when he was sixteen- but now, the man looked so heartbroken that it was almost unbearable to see. This was his best friend, his brother in fact, who he had seen through almost every bump in the road and who had done likewise for him.

But James had always been truly Sirius' brother, and Remus could sense the pain in the room. Sirius and James had grown up together, and Sirius had in fact practically been adopted by James' parents- and truthfully Remus wasn't sure how to comfort his friend.

On instinct, Remus slowly moved over to sit next to Sirius and put a hand on his shoulder. He didn't speak, he just waited.

Finally, Sirius spoke again, his voice breaking. "I- I remember," he began hesitantly, while Remus nodded encouragingly, "that once James and I made a pact. It said that we would always be best friends, be brothers, even when we were old and gray and had gotten married and were slowly going crazy. That was our pact, brothers forever. And now I... I can't help but resenting him for breaking that. He left me. My brother left me."

Another broken sob escaped the man's throat, and Remus felt a slow tear trickle down his own cheek. They had all made a pact like that. To stay strong for each other, always- and it had been like that ever since they had discovered his own secret. But now only he and Sirius were left. Peter was the betrayer, and James was dead. It was a cracked circle, a broken chain that could never be healed.

"Our legacy is broken. The Marauders are gone." Sirius' voice came slowly, brokenly, as if from a cracked heart that would never be mended.

"No. James had no choice," Remus said quietly, leaning back on the couch slowly. "He made a sacrifice. He knew the risks. Both he and Lily- they made the sacrifice, for Harry. He did not leave us behind. Our legacy is not broken."

Sirius cried afresh when he heard that. "What will happen to Harry now?" he said desperately. "James and Lily- he's an orphan now. No family, just like me. Everything is lost now."

"He has us, Sirius," Remus said seriously, continuing to rub the other man's back and looking directly into his eyes. "And you still have me."

Sirius began to sob openly, and Remus didn't know what else to do except keep speaking.

"Harry has us, Sirius. He won't be alone- we will be his family. You still have one best friend, Sirius. Listen to me! James is gone, but we will live for him and Lily! We will carry on their legacy. Harry will have us- and our memories. James and Lily will live on."

Distractedly, Sirius wiped his eyes and looked at his friends, smiling softly and sadly. "James and Lily will live on."

--

This was originally on my other account, sick-atxxheart. It really is mine.