(AN: I'm asking for some leaps of faith with some of the artistic license here, but I've tried to keep to the spirit of the characters and series, simply with some...modifications. Also, I'm still getting a handle on the time jumps, but it's important to the story that you guys have background without knowing everything, and this is the easiest way to accomplish that. I promise that the chapters will become smoother and more dialog heavy once the background is covered. Please review!)

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As James and Sirius stepped off their brooms in forests clearing, they composed their faces with carefully constructed looks of casual interest. They were, naturally, excited to see Remus again, but his rural home was foreign to the young men, and put them ill at ease. James was used to the life of a well-off suburban wizard, and still had a hard time seeing the country as anything more than a place to be avoided. Sirius had recently come to live with James, but even before that he had no taste of the country in the ominous Black townhouse in London. Nevertheless, they suspected Remus needed them, and if the trip was too boring they could count on Remus' colorful parents to conjure up something. With this in mind, the two approached the door of the ancient country manor and knocked confidently at its rough hewn oak door, unaware of the effect this vacation would have on their lives.

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Sirius had the same dream most nights, if he wanted a break from the green-tinted dream of the dying screams of his best friend, he had to choose between the memory of her tortured convulsions and she was ripped away, or the more familiar but still ominous memory of that summer at the Lupin's house, deep in the Irish hills. There was nothing bad in the dream itself, but every memory was like a drug, and in the waking world he was careful to compartmentalize his thoughts and avoid the rage inducing memories of a girl he could barely stand to even speak the name of. In his dreams he lost that power, and he would wake up feeling the same hollow loss, as fresh as it was at dusk 20 years ago. Tonight he was roused at the Lupin's stoop by a rough shaking that brought him back to the reality of the hose he swore never to return to.

"Oi, sorry to wake you, but Molly's here, so if you want to stock up on good food for the week, you best make your way down"

Sirius blinked hazily as James, no Harry, materialized out of the grimy darkness.

"Just a dream" he thought to himself as he swung his feet out of bed and nodded to Harry in appreciation.

As the war loomed closer, Molly was a less frequent visitor to Grimauld Place, and to the dismay of all her absences meant the house was subjugated to the cooking of Sirius and Remus, both of whom had paid too little attention during the cooking lessons of their youth. A visit from Molly was a chance at good food, and the men had developed a hording fixation, socking away as many of Molly pies and rolls as possible to tide them over past Sirius' still moving fish dishes and Lupins burnt spaghetti. Incidentally, the mystery of how one can even burn pasta was still afloat.

Sirius took his seat next to Harry at the expansive kitchen table and waited eagerly for eggs, bacon waffles and the works. Instead he got a steaming plate of properly cooked spaghetti and garlic bread with mixed vegetables, along with a picnic basket stuffed to the brim with meat pies and sandwiches. Sirius noticed that Harry's basket was easily double the size of the others, naturally.

"Molly, you are a godsend. Incidentally, isn't this a bit of a non-traditional breakfast?"

Before Molly could respond, Snape's cold voice broke in, sneering "As some of the more...ahem...active....members of the house could tell you, its well past noon, and some of us with duties have already had breakfast, while you were taking a dog nap."

Sirius felt Remus' hands on pressing him down and keeping him from ripping of Snape's greasy, traitorous head.

"Why don't you go fuck yourself you sniveling creep?"

"! There is no need for such profanity in front of the children," Molly huffed.

The three supposed children, who were all very close to being adults, couldn't help sighing at Molly's insistence that they were still innocent angels in need of protection from swearing.

Sirius growled, threw off Remus's hands, and got up "Sorry, Molly. Much thanks for the food," and stomped off, annoyed at his state.

Not only was he under house arrest a la Dumbledore and in a house that he hated, but he had to share it with the currently homeless Snape, who he had orders not to attack.

That bastard had ruined everything, sold out countless witches and wizards, yet was still ever so trusted , always getting a second chance. It really was the limit, and Sirius decided it was time to confront Dumbledore about this living arrangement.

Luckily for him, at that moment his chance rang the doorbell, set off his mothers infernal racket, and walked inside in a swirl of blue robes and white hair.

"Professor! Just who I've been hoping for! A-" Sirius stopped dead at the look in Dumbledores eyes, a strange mixture of hope and terror he had never before seen in all his years with the headmaster.

"There has been...a development"

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