"You speak of destiny as if it was fixed."
The words of his best friend make him unreasonably angry. How can he doubt the truth of the prophecy? Dumbledore himself told them of the inevitability of the events that are about to unfold, either for his son or for Frank's. For Sirius to be doubting of the prophecy is as if he doubted of Dumbledore! The notion of it!
"Dumbledore said the prophecy will come to pass, and sooner than we all would like," James tells him, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose in a sign of impatience. "That's why I need you, Padfoot. We want you to be our Keeper for the Fidelius."
More anger surges through James when Sirius laughs, and he thanks Merlin and Morgana that Lily is not there right now, because if she heard his best friend laughing at their danger he doesn't know what she would do.
"I can't even keep the Quaffle out of the goals, James, and you want me to be secret keeper?" Sirius laughs again and James frowns.
"How can you laugh in a moment like this? If I had known how untrue you would be I would have never befriended you back during first year."
James sees the hurt expression on Sirius' face and regrets his words, but his friend is being irrational and sarcastic when James needs him to be mature and understanding.
"Look, I'm sorry, Sirius, but this needs to be done and you know of Remus' erratic behaviour as of late," tries to explain James after swallowing a shot of the FireWhisky Sirius serves him. "Lily and I... We think he might not be completely trustworthy."
James lets his statement get through Sirius and his friend nods gravely.
"I have noticed, too," Sirius says. "but you are being a fool if you want to go on with the Fidelius Charm. Your Manor is better protected; you know your parents were too trustful of the bastards. That's why they could enter the Manor. You don't have to leave that safety for a place where the Dark Lord could find you easier."
James lets his friend talk, even if hearing of his parents hurt him. Sirius might be right, but he isn't sure.
"I'll talk to Lily about it, Padfoot," James tells him finaly. "But please, if we decide to go on with Dumbledore's idea don't abandon us. I could ask Wormtail but he is too... You might be the obvious choice, but he is too weak and I fear for him."
Sirius nods, but there is something that bothers him and James notices.
"What is it?"
After a brief hesitation, Sirius sighs.
"Dumbledore's obsession with the prophecy is not worthy, James," he says patiently and James shakes his head.
There he goes again with all his suppossed knowledge of Dumbledore's intentions.
"I joined the Order to fight the Dark Lord," Sirius says. "To try and put a stop to the evil in my family. I already failed Regulus, James, and I don't want to fail you and Lily and little Harry, but... Listen to me. I know your parents admired the man, and I know you do but he is no Unspeakable to know about the truth of prophecies."
"And since when you are an Unspeakable, Sirius?" James asks angrily. "You dislike Dumbledore, I get it, but he is trying his best to protect my family. I can't ignore that."
The way in which Sirius looks at him unnerves James, as if he somehow knows about what will happen in a distant future.
"James, you need to think for yourself and for your family. Don't let him choose your fate."
"I'm trying to do the right thing for Lily and Harry, Sirius!" James exclaims, making the FireWhisky glass crack with magic. "Fate already chose us! Don't you understand? Harry was born as the seventh month died! Either he or Frank's boy will be marked and the prophecy will come to pass! We can not alter our destiny, Sirius, but we can try to prevent bad things from happen to us."
Sirius smiles bitterly at James.
"Yes, we can, James," he says. "That's why I'm here. To help you prevent death and destruction. To help you protect Harry. But you must listen to me: ignore the prophecy, and it won't happen."
James looks at his friend as if seeing him for the first time.
"Who are you?" he asks, raising his wand. A Death Eater under polyjuice, maybe, trying to convince him to let the Dark Lord have his way with his family. "You're not Sirius Black."
The man chuckles.
"I am, only not from this timeline."
James frowns.
"I died, James," the stranger with Sirius' face tells him. "I died and used Dark Magic to come back and warn you. Please, listen to me. Don't listen to Dumbledore and don't believe the prophecy is true; destiny is never set in stone. I'm proof of it, aren't I?"
Against his good sense, James believes him. Nobody can show that much regret and misery, and this Sirius must be speaking the truth.
"How?" James asks.
"Stay in the Manor. Raise the wards. Don't listen to Dumbledore, for he will do whatever it takes to have peace and will not hesitate to sacrifice you or your family."
James nods.
"You really are Padfoot, aren't you?" he asks and Sirius nods sadly. "I will trust you like I always have."
"Then trust Remus, too, but not the rat."
With suspicion on his eyes, James nods. He will have to do a small, private investigation on them, then.
"But whatever else you do or don't do... Remember fate is not sealed."
With those last words, and emptying his liquor, Sirius prepares to go. "Next time, it will be the Sirius from this timeline. Say nothing of our encounter, but don't forget it, James. Don't let me lose you again."
James can see the tears on the Other Sirius' eyes as he begins to dissapear in the middle of the room. With surprise, James decides to trust him; that man is his friend, the same friend that has never given him any reason to fear him.
Yes, he thinks, when Lily arrives from Alice's house, I'll tell her we're going to the Manor.
Once again, for The Battleship Challenge II. This time with the prompt "You speak of destiny as if it was fixed." - The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman. This didn't go as smoothly as I would have liked, but I kind of love it now. I only hope it's not confusing or boring.