Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling, not me. If it did, there would be at least one Marauder-book by now.

Light. It was light. The moment before it had been dark, he remembered seeing Moony sprinting toward Harry after he got hit by Bellatrix. He had fallen. And now, everything was light. Even stranger, he felt good. All pain, both physical and mental, he had lived with ever since he was thrown in Azkaban without a trial was gone. He felt better than he had done for over a decade. Taking a deep breath of fresh air that tasted familiar he slowly opened his eyes.

Sirius couldn't believe his eyes as he sat up and looked around. He was in a room he hadn't been in for ages; James' bedroom in Potter Mansion. How did he get here? And why did it look exactly like he remembered it from his teens? Sirius yawned, feeling more rested than ever before. Suddenly he froze. He had gotten a sight of himself in the big all-body-mirror that was hanging on the wall. The scars, the worn and haunted look he had got in Azkaban was all gone. His thinner hair was gone too, and he had gained the weight and muscles he had lost in prison. Instead he looked young again. Young and beautiful. His grey eyes sparkled with life, his black hair was as thick and handsome as ever and his face didn't show any evidence of what he had lived through. He also wore some of his favourite clothes from his teens; his beloved leather jacket, a white t-shirt with a pad-print on, black ripped jeans and black motorcycle boots. What the hell was going on?

A low laugh was heard from the door. A laugh he had thought he would never get to hear again. He immediately turned around, almost falling over in his eagerness and fear. In the doorway his best friend, his brother, stood, casually leaning toward the wall. James. James looked younger than he had done the last time he saw him; on the floor, dead and cold, in Godric's Hollow. His hair was as messy as ever, and the rectangular glasses was a little bit cocked. He looked like seventeen again, just like Sirius.
"It's strange, huh?" James asked with a smirk, looking both happy and sad on the same time. "I remember my own confusion."
He looked around in the room and smiled ruefully.
"My old bedroom? Oh, Pads…"

Sirius stared at him in shock and confusion. How could…? James…? But… he was dead! This wasn't possible! Except if…
"I'm dead?" Sirius asked his best friend, not entirely sure how to think about it. "But… Harry!"
James smiled sadly and nodded. He still held his distance and hadn't come much closer to Sirius. He stroked his hand over a picture of the Marauders, all four of them, that hung on the wall. They were smiling happily and oblivious about the horrors that awaited them in the future. James knew he was the one who had come off the easiest.
"Yes, Sirius. You're dead. And there's nothing you can do for Harry now. Don't worry, Moony's with him."
James sounded so incredibly sad when he talked about his son and other best friend.

Sirius nodded slowly, trying to comprehend all this. Suddenly he realized something for the first time since he woke up here, in his best friend's bedroom and his youth's safe place.
"Prongs." He whispered and for the first time James looked entirely happy when he turned back to Sirius. He had that smile on his face – a smile so familiar it almost hurt – and Sirius didn't know what to do, so he reacted entirely instinctual and threw himself on James, hugging him and never wanting to let go.

James hugged back with all his strength and tears began to steam down both their faces.
"I had hoped that it would take longer until I met you again, Padfoot, but… I'm happy to see you." James said with a small smirk.
"I'm so sorry, Prongs. It's all my fault." Sirius sobbed into James' shoulder. "If it hadn't been for me you would've been there and seen Harry grow up, been with him. I'm so, so sorry. Oh, I've missed you so much."
The messy-haired young man (who actually weren't that young anymore) grabbed his best friend's shoulders and parted them, staring into Sirius' shameful grey eyes. They didn't have that haunted look anymore, but the pain of feeling responsible for the murders of two of his best friends still was embedded in them. James looked sternly at Sirius and shook his head slightly.
"No, Sirius. It's not your fault. It was Wormtail who led Voldemort to us, we trusted him too, but most of all it is Voldemort's fault. But if it is what you need to hear… We forgive you, Pads. Lily forgives you, and I forgive you. No one is blaming you, okay? And you're not allowed to do it either. Understood?"

After a moment Sirius nodded, the guilt feeling a little easier to bear now when he knew James didn't blame him. Maybe, with some time, it would disappear entirely.
"Understood." He confirmed and the other man looked slightly relieved.
"And I missed you too, Paddy. More than you can imagine."

For a while they just stood there, staring at each other and taking in the other's presence, so happy over being together once again. Together forever, as they had sworn to be their first year at Hogwarts. Sirius couldn't really believe that James was there, right in front of him, touching him, and not blaming him at all for not being able to see his son grow up. Then Sirius looked around again.
"Why am I in your room?" he asked and James laughed.
"Well, this place seems to recreate the places where you were the happiest and felt the safest when you were alive, and it also makes you the age when you were the happiest – which is why I am seventeen. When you first get here it will place you at your 'safe spot' from life, the place where you felt the safest and happiest. Then someone close to that person is sent to fetch you and take you to the 'real' world."
Sirius nodded. In some strange way that seemed logical. The Potter Mansion had always been his happiest place. He had most happy memories from Hogwarts, but even there bad things existed, such as his blood-family, prejudiced teachers and Slytherins. The Potters' had been the only place which were entirely his except his flat, and the flat's safety had been affected by the war. At the mansion mum and dad where, James were and the Potters' house elves were. Remus and the rat could visit, and here everybody he loved could come and go as they wanted.

James led Sirius out of the bedroom, and explained a little how this almost-world worked. There were hundreds of places they could visit, both places they had been in during life and not. Even a few dream-places, since some people had had their happiest times in their dreams. There was a fountain next to every home where you could watch your beloved living (and people you didn't love too). So James and Lily had seen everything that had happened since they died – Sirius getting thrown in Azkaban, escaping and helping Harry, Remus' half-life and happier moments after getting Sirius and Harry back, Peter's life as a rat and letting Voldemort back to physical form and Harry's whole life with the Dursleys and in school.

Soon enough they came to a place Sirius knew well. The Hogwarts grounds and the Black lake. He had wondered if he ever would be able to walk here again, and suddenly he was, together with his best friend. There was people here, in different ages and different clothes. Some had uniforms, some had clothes from the 10th century and some had modern clothes, both muggle and robes. Sirius had a new vitality in his steps and he almost bounced forward, as he used to do when he was young. His easy, innate grace had returned and he enjoyed the long gazes some people sent after him as he passed them. It had been long since the last time he had been someone to steal glances of.

By the shore of the lake a small cottage stood. It had thatched roof and was painted red and curtains and flowers in the windows. Outside there was a flowerbed filled with lilies in different colours. All of sudden the door crashed open and a whirlwind with dark red hair flied out and threw itself on Sirius who staggered backwards before getting his balance back and hugging back.
"Padfoot!" Lily exclaimed when she embraced him.
"Hello, Flower." Sirius murmured into her hair, holding her tightly. "I've missed you too."
Lily let go off him and looked at him, from top to toe.
"You look good, Pads." She told him and winked. Sirius laughed as James growled jokingly.
"You too, Lils. You too."

It was true. Lily's hair glowed and her green eyes sparkled. She too looked like seventeen. She had just as much energy as Sirius remembered too. In that case she was like a child – she never ever got tired. Not even after a whole day of N.E. , in 7th year.

Sirius followed Lily and James into the cottage where tea was on the stove. Soon enough James was pouring tea into cups and they sat down around the circular kitchen table, which had a vase filled with different kinds of flowers such as lilies, roses, pansy flowers and lilies of the valley and white table cloth with red stripes, and James and Lily told Sirius about all those people who lived here at the Hogwarts grounds, including a certain Cedric Diggory ("Diggory? I think Harry told me about him. I hope he's not like his father." Sirius commented. The Marauders had never liked Amos Diggory) and the McKinnons. Sirius told them about Harry, because even though they could watch him they wanted Sirius to tell them, Remus and a lot of other things.

After tea James and Sirius began plotting meanwhile Lily watched them amusedly and rolled her eyes.
"Marlene owes me." She mumbled and at the two Marauders' questioning gazes she explained: "Marl and I betted about how long it would take until you two began to plot when Sirius got here. I won."
James and Sirius grinned.
"Glad to be at service, Lilykins." Sirius said before turning back to James. They had to show Hogwarts that they were reunited again, with a legendary prank.
"This is why I missed you, Padfoot." James told him with a devious grin. "My pranks weren't half as good without you, or half as fun."

A good while later, when they had planned pranks and talked about everything and just sat on the grass outside of the cottage steps was heard, from two persons, and Sirius looked up lazily to see who it was. He immediately flew to his feet as he recognized them. They looked exactly has he remembered them from his teens.
"Mum. Dad." He breathed and Fleamont and Euphemia Potter smiled, looking both overjoyed and sad on the same time and held out their arms and Sirius smiled widely as he hugged his parent-figures tightly, burying his head in Mrs Potter's hair and feeling Mr Potter's strong arms around him.
"Sirius." They mumbled lovingly. "We've missed you so much.

When they let go of each other Sirius felt whole. Now only two persons (plus a third who wasn't going to be named and never would be a part of it again) was missing, and then his family would be complete – even though he hoped it would go a long time before his family was complete again, he hoped that both Moony and Harry would live long happy lives, even though it wasn't a very big chance that Moony would at least.

Mr & Mrs Potter sat down on the grass next to their sons and daughter-in-law. They glared at James and Lily jokingly.
"Why didn't you send a message and told us that Sirius was here? We wanted to greet our son, and then we hadn't even got to know it if it wasn't for Ariana who had seen you come walking with him we still wouldn't know he was here." Mr Potter asked and Sirius felt the familiar warmness and happiness as he always had felt every time he was reminded that the Potters really saw him as a part of the family, for real. Son, and brother, and just as important as James.
James grinned sheepishly and admitted that he hadn't even thought about it, he had been too engulfed in the fact that Sirius was here with them to thinking of telling anyone and he apologized.

Mr & Mrs Potter stayed for an hour and talked with them about everything and Sirius was so happy to have his parents – his real parents – back again, even if not as happy as he was over having James and Lily back – but no one but possibly Harry could ever compete about the first place that James held in the race of Sirius' affection, and no one tried because everybody knew that James and Sirius were platonic soulmates.

When Mr & Mrs Potter had left to go to the tea they had been invited to by Ariana Dumbledore James straightened his back and looked serious. Sirius yawned and stretched his arms as he looked at the animagus.
"What's going on, Prongsie?" he asked and James looked worried for a moment.
"There's someone else here you should meet soon, Paddy." He replied and exchanged gazes with Lily who looked just as serious. Now Sirius was beginning to feel alarmed.
"Who?"
"Regulus." James said quietly and Sirius froze. He still hadn't forgiven his baby brother for what he had done, even though he also had missed him almost as much as he had missed his friends and maybe more than he had missed his parents (love-parents, not blood-parents, obviously).

"And why should I meet him?" Sirius asked coldly. Lily placed a hand on his shoulder and he resisted the urge to shake it off, just because every contact with them right now felt like a blessing.
"Everything's not what it seems, Sirius. Please talk to him. Just for a moment and let him explain. Then we won't bugger you about it more if you don't want to see him after that."

Sirius sighed and nodded. He wanted to see his little brother again, even if he was a traitor, simply because no matter how much he had tried, he had never been able to completely stop love him.
The three of them stood up and they walked into the Hogwarts Castle, where even more people resided. Sirius greeted many old friends that had died in the war, like their fellow pranksters, Gideon and Fabian Prewett – even though the Prewett twins wasn't as good as the Marauders, they were still fantastic pranksters, but possibly not as good as their nephews – the Weasley twins.
"Good to see you, Sirius. Maybe you can get James back on track again." Gideon told him with a grin and James looked offended.
"I'm still a better prankster than you, even without Padfoot." He said, frowning. Fabian shrugged.
"We know. But the pranks you've done haven't even come close to the ones you used to do back in school."

They talked a bit more with the twins before leaving and walking toward the Great Hall after asking an old man who Sirius recognized as his bloodtraitor great great uncle Phineas Black where they could find Regulus Black II. Phineas had been delighted over another bloodtraitor Black here, even though he was very sorry to hear that the male line of the Family, and with it the name, had died with Sirius.

The Great Hall looked just as Sirius remembered it. The roof was transparent and they could see the blue sky and it was filled with people who ate. The only different things was that it didn't seem to be any House-tables, nor any hourglasses that counted points. Instead everyone sat where they wanted to. A pang was heard as a chair fell over and when they looked there Sirius' only sibling stood there, staring at them. He had rose so quickly that the chair had fallen to the floor.

Sirius stared back, not knowing what to do, but James waved Regulus over to them and then led them both out of the Great Hall and the stares in there. Soon enough they sat in an empty room, still staring at each other.
"Sirius..?" Regulus said. "I…" He interrupted himself. Instead Sirius suddenly stood up, glaring at his almost identical but slimmer and slightly less handsome brother.
"I told you not to come to me! And what did you do?" Sirius roared to a stunned Regulus. "You came to me! And then you just left me there, wondering what had happened to you! How did you think I would react when I got the message about your death from the Ministry? And not a sign about what had happened to you!"
Regulus swallowed and looked both a little fearful and very sad as he held up his hand in defeat. James put a hand on Sirius' shoulder to calm him down, just as he had done that time for long ago when they found out that Regulus had joined the Death Eaters, but just as back then Sirius shrugged it off, for the first time since he came her denying contact with James.

Regulus stared at him with big, sad eyes, almost perfect copies of his own. He held out his hands and waited for Sirius to calm down before he spoke.
"I know, Sirius. I'm so sorry. But I had something I had to do, that I couldn't tell anybody about. Not even you. Especially not you since you had demanded to come with me."
"What could possibly be that important? I'm your brother, Regulus!"
"Please, if you could only listen." The youngest and lastborn Black ever begged. Sirius took a deep breath and sat down.
"Then tell me. Tell me everything."
Regulus nodded in relief and began to tell about Voldemort needing an elf, him offering Kreacher, and the Horcrux, the potion and the Inferi. About everything. Sirius listened with growing horror and for a second he even looked passionate about Kreacher. Only for a second.

When Regulus finished his tale James and Lily was looking solemn. They had heard this before. Sirius stared at Regulus, and felt a growing pride for his baby brother who finally seemed to have grown a backbone and ability to think for himself. Just too bad he had used it to get killed. Regulus watched his older brother nervously, waiting for Sirius to react. Without warning Sirius threw himself on Regulus and Regulus automatically lifted his hands to drag his wand and protect himself but before he could do that Sirius was hugging him.
"I'm so proud, Reggie."
Lily and James smiled toward each other when they watched the two brothers. Regulus hugged back for all he was worth and felt so relieved that his brother didn't hate him as he had been worried about.
"You know, Siri," Regulus began with a smile. "When I first came here my body was six years old, because my luckiest time was when we were children, before everything, when it only was you and I and the elves and Mother and Father. I think I was never happier than around that time, before you went to Hogwarts. But obviously I didn't want a child's body so it changed back to my eighteen-years-old self. So I'm older than you now, big brother."
Sirius laughed.
"Maybe bodily, but you will always be my baby brother."

When they left Regulus they all knew that the brothers' relationship wasn't repaired yet, but it was on its way and one day they maybe could be as close as they had been as young children. Sirius was happy that Regulus seemed to have accepted James now. Before Regulus had practically hated James, and Sirius knew that his brother had seen it as his friend's fault that Sirius betrayed the Family and the brothers became almost enemies.

The whole day Sirius met old friends, new friends and even a few relatives; those who hadn't been horrible in life, such as Phineas who had been disowned for fighting for Muggle Rights and his Uncle Alphard. Sirius also found out that his motorcycle was here, which he was incredibly happy for. That night Sirius, James and Lily camped outside, next to the Black lake, under the stars. They spent hours pointing out constellations and stars such as Sirius and Regulus and the Andromeda galaxy and all other of Sirius' relatives, and Sirius felt peaceful for the first time in Merlin knows how long.

When he fell asleep that night, next to two of his best friends and his family, free and happy, he finally felt totally happy, all his concerns and problems forgotten.

Review!

I hope you liked it, even though it doesn't really fit with the other fics I've written (since in them I pretend that everyone lives Happily Ever After like they should've done - Yeah, I'm no Luna. I'm not good at coping with the death of my beloved favourite characters).

Well, I've got nothing more to say, so...
Adiaŭ (apparently that's Bye on Esperanto)