Fiction
A Harry Potter one-shot by SurpriseSushi
"Now I think I understand, how this world can overcome a man. Like a friend, we saw it through, in the end I gave my life to you. Gave you all I had to give, found a place for me to rest my head. While I may be undefined, heard this piece just on the otherside."
Fiction, Avenged Sevenfold
"James?" Remus entered the portrait hole, and spotted James and Peter immediatly, the two of them pouring over the a piece of parchment, James wand occasionally tapping it, sparks flying. "James, have you seen Sirius? He wasn't in any classes today-..." There was a bang, and the parchment was lit on fire, James being forced back, the chair he was sitting on scraped across the floor. "Nor any meals... James?" James didn't look up, he scooted back to the table, and picked up his wand, beginning to poke the parchment, extinguishing the fire. "James!"
"What? I don't know! I don't care! Shut up!" He jabbed the parchment so furiously, he stabbed a hole in it. He turned around sharply and looked at Remus, who still stood there. "I said I don't know!" And he whipped around, grabbing a new parchment. "Peter, help me with this map!" Peter fumbled with his quill, dropped it, and grabbed his wand, hestiated, and after a glare from James, began to mutter random nonsense and wave his wand above the fresh piece of parchment.
Remus didn't bother to ask what was wrong, he turned and stepped out of the common room, knowing better then to pry at James, he'd never tell him if anything was wrong. He walked down the staircase, and decided to ask Proffessor Slughorn, he seemed to like Sirius. Not only that, Sirius has previously stated that Slughorn was his favorite teacher. Landing in the Entrance Hall, he turned into the dungeons, and knocked on the door when he reached Slughorn's office. After a moment, the door creaked open.
"Yes?" The potions master's head peaked out of the door. "Oh, !" He beamed, opening the door wider. "What can I do for you?"
"I was wonder if you've seen Sirius at all today, proffessor. He hasn't been in classes or meals today, so I was worried- I thought that you might know where he is..." Remus glanced in Slughorn's office past the large man. It was dimly lit, but he could make out a silhouette sitting on a chair in front of a desk.
Slughorn gave him a look. "Not at meals, eh?" He said, looking over at his shoulder at the man in his office, who gave him a shrug, and looked the other way. Slughorn turned to Remus again, and beckoned him inside. Once Remus's eyes adjusted to the light, he saw that the man sitting at the desk was no other than Sirius. He sat, his feet on Slughorn's desk, chewing on the end of his quill. "We were discussing his father-" That's why he looks so angry. Remus thought, looking at Sirius. "Orion Black, I knew him well, went to school together, few years apart... Very talented wizard, very talented... Regulus as well- extrodinary abilities the Black family has... " He walked to his desk and sat down, gesturing to the seat next to Sirius, and Remus sat down, Slughorn still muttering to himself. "Bellatrix has potential, Andromeda is working at the ministry, isn't she?-" Slughorn then seemed to come back to earth, and turned to Sirius. "Haven't been eating?"
"It was only today." Sirius mumbled, still having not looked at Remus the entire time. "I just... didn't feel like it." He gripped the sleeves of his robes tight, his knuckles white. Was the Black family all they had been discussing? "Why were you looking for me?"
"Excuse me?" Remus asked, caught off gaurd by his friends harsh tone. "I-... I was worried! I haven't seen you all day, I figured I'd have a look..."
"What made you look to me?" Slughorn interjected, drinking from a glass of scotch he had just poured himself.
Remus felt his face go slightly red. "I knew you were Sirius's favorite teacher, sir. I just thought-"
"Mr. Black does not confide in me, if that's what you were hoping for. This is actually his first visit, I practically had to drag him here after I found him alone in a classroom- I invited him to the Slug Club many times, seeing as he's as talented as the rest of his family, but he never showed up- So I took it in my own hands to-" Remus had stopped listening. Alone in a classroom? All day? What had Sirius been up to? Did he and James have a row? That would explain James' current attitude... What sort of argument would force Sirius to hide for an entire day? "-but I digress. What of your family, Remus?"
Remus looked up at Slughorn, and shrugged. "Normal wizards, nothing special about my parents, sir."
Slughorn looked like he was about to say something, but glanced at the clock. "I say- Dear lord, look at the time! Boys, you know the rules. No wandering about in the dark corridors at night, and I'd hate to get you boys in trouble. To Griffindor Tower, the both of you." And he closed the door behind the two boys.
Walking up the stairs next to the silent Sirius was odd. Sirius was normally joking, laughing, something. This solemn, dark, cold Sirius was unnerving. He finally decided to ask when they were in front of the fat lady. "Where've you been all day, Padfoot?"
Sirius stopped, but didn't turn. "You heard Slughorn. In an empty classroom." He said, refusing to call Remus by his own nickname, which had become a custom they had.
"Yeah, I got that, but why?" Remus pressed.
"I was practising some spells." He said simply. "Balderdash." And he stepped into the common room when the portrait swung forward.
"Balderdash, indeed." Remus whispered, following after him into the Griffindor Tower.
The following day was tense. Sirius was in classes, but him and James sat at opposite corner's of classrooms, of tables, as far away from eachother as they could get. This put Remus and Peter in rather awkward positions. Remus decided that he'd sit with James one class, while Peter sat with Sirius, then switch each class. He thought it was absolutly rediculous, but what could he do? Meals were even more difficult, James insisted on sitting at the side nearest the teachers table, which would commonly be a big no-no in the Maraurder's books, while Sirius brooded towards the other end. At lunch that day, Remus glanced at Peter and motioned towards James, while he walked down the table to where Sirius sat.
Remus sat, and glanced across the table at Sirius. "Did you and James have-"
"It's none of your business." Sirius interupted curtly, shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth. Remus sighed, and looked up the table, barely able to see James and Peter. "If you want to go sit with them, whatever. You'd have much more fun there, with that prat, I'm sure." He cast a dark look at Remus, giving Remus the impression he'd prefer Remus to leave.
But Remus refused to budge. "There's no way I'm gonna let you eat by yourself." He lifted his fork and began to eat, stubbornly trying to have a conversation with Sirius, which proved to be a dificult task. "So, the Quidditch final is this saterday, huh? You excited?"
"I guess."
"Against Slytherin, eh?"
"Yeah."
"So, I saw you looking at Morag Niven."
"Yeah."
The entire meal was like this. When Sirius was done, he stood. "I'm not going to be in Charms-"
"Why?"
Sirius looked irritated. "Just 'cause." He said, turning on his heel, not giving Remus a better answer. Watching him, Remus saw Sirius catch up to a boy walking out of the Great Hall. It was Regulus. That was odd. Sirius despised his brother, why on earth was he talking to him? He watched as Sirius laughed at something that Regulus had said, and only stared as the pair disappeared out of sight. Remus immediatly got up and walked to where James and Peter were sitting. "Okay, what happened, James?" James gave him a look and opened his mouth to argue, but Remus cut him off. "I just saw Sirius walking off with Regulus, laughing. What's going on?"
James looked away grumbling. "Fucking prick." He whispered, slamming fist down on the table, causing the first-years sitting next to them to look up, startled. "I saw him having a nice chat with Regulus the other day. Talking about You-Know-Who." Remus looked at him, and James gave him a knowing tilt of his head. "When I called him on it later, he got defensive- and tried to curse me!"
"What?" Squeeked Peter, choking on his pumpkin juice, sloshing it all over himself.
"He tried to curse me!" James cried again, throwing up his hands in exasperation. The first-years glanced at them, and James lowered his voice. "I've given up. I thought he wasn't like that, but it appears he's just as evil as the rest of his family. You saw the way Bellatrix was torturing those second-years, right?" Glancing up at Remus.
"I had to try and stop her. Prefect, remember?" Remus groaned, pointing at the badge on his chest. "But seriously, you gotta talk to him, James, we all have to! Before it's too late."
"Yeah, sure. How do we get him away from his little Death-Eater friends, huh, smartass?" James asked, pushing a single pea around his plate.
"You know Slughorn's parties, right? The 'Slug Club'? The next party is tomorrow night, and I've already been invited, just ask Lily to bring you. And I'll bring Peter as a guest." Remus said, looking up at the staff table, seeing Slughorn in a deep conversation with Proffessor Dumbledore. "Then we can corner him. I doubt Slughorn will let Sirius ditch another one of his get-togethers."
"Just get Evans to bring me? Are you mad? As if she'll take me over Snivillus." James sighed, staring up at the enchanted ceiling, watching the snowflakes fall, melting before their eyes before reaching the tables.
"You'd be surprised how far honestly can take you." Remus said, shaking his head. "Tell her what's going on, and that you desperatly need to go to this party-"
"Oh, so, you want me to beg..."
"-we need to talk to Sirius. You need to talk to Sirius. We've got to get the dark stuff out of his head."
"Fine. Fine! But don't come crawling to me when he curses you!" And he stormed away, the Griffindor's sitting around them watching him leave, muttering amongst themselves.
Remus collapsed in a armchair in front of the fire at the end of the day, after excrutiatingly difficult Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts classes. Exhausted both mind and body, he dozed slightly in front of the fire, and hadn't realized Sirius had sat next to him until James coughed rather loudly and rudely from behind him, and he was forced to open his eyes. "Oh, Remus, can you help me with this?" He said innocently, waving his potions book back and forth high in the air. Remus lifted himself relunctantly from the comfy armchair, and went to sit next to James at the table. "Don't talk to him till tomorrow night! You might ruin the plan!" He hissed, looking at the back of Sirius's head.
"Oh, interested now, are you?" Remus whispered, grabbing James' potions book from his friends hand, not bothering to argue that they weren't talking. "You really need to brush up on your potions before our N.E.W.T.'s..."
"N.E.W.T.'s? Our N.E.W.T.'s are next year! And that's not what's important right now!" James sighed. "I'll admit, it's odd. And I'm tired of him acting like a... a... a slytherin! It's disgusting." James said, pulling out his half done potions essay, quill, and ink bottle from his bag. "And why does he have this sudden, unexplicable relationship with Regulus, huh? It doesn't make any sense. I guess we'll find out tomorrow, no matter what it takes." Remus nodded, and then took James' essay to look over. "And I asked Evans." James said, Remus grinning at him. "I explained the situation, and she said sure. She told me she's been noticing Sirius' odd behavior as well. We need to fix him soon, before the teachers start asking questions."
When they woke the next morning, Sirius was already long gone. Remus stared at the empty bed, and wondered where he'd go so early in the morning. Something with Regulus, he was sure. Going down to the Great Hall with James and Peter felt empty, there was a puncture hole that Sirius would have filled, and all three of them felt heavy. James was still sore about Sirius trying to curse him, but Remus was glad that he had agreed to that night's plan.
The day passed slowly, Sirius still staying as far away as possible, and not showing up to a few classes that day. But Remus knew that Slughorn would drag him quite forcefully, to tonight's Slug Club party. And it wasn't long till Remus, James, Lily, and Peter were walking down to the dungeons to Slughorn's office, all four wearing their best robes. "If you need any help, I'll be glad to assist." Lily said before they entered the office. Remus and James nodded, said a word of thanks, and they walked into the office.
The office was much larger than Remus remembered, Slughorn probably made it bigger using magic, and dozens of tables were spred around the room, witches and wizards, all of them famous some way or another no doubt, sat around and chattered with one another. Remus gave James and Peter a nod, and dived into the crowd, determined to find Sirius. It wasn't long until he found him, and saw James beelining his way towards him, Remus doing to same. "Sirius!" James shouted. Sirius just looked at them walked away. They strided after him, only faintly wondering where Peter had run off to. Remus grabbed Sirius' arm, and spun him around.
"What's the matter with you? Skipping classes, missing meals, hanging out with Regulus, cursing James?" Remus didn't let go of his arm, and Sirius made little effort to escape. Renus caught the obvious hurt in Sirius' eyes, but still pressed on. "What's going on? You always said you hated your brother, now he's your best friend? And in Slughorn's office-"
"I already told you- It's none of your business!" Sirius pulled out his wand, and before either Remus or James could react, he shot a hex at Remus, causing him to let go of his arm, and Sirius disappeared into the mass of people.
"Fuck, he's gone." James muttered, trying to get a good look over people's heads, but not being able to spot Sirius. "What the hell is he thinking? We're surrounded by witches and wizards, much more powerful then us, and he shot a spell at you! No one noticed, but surely he didn't think no one would."
Remus looked over the crowd, rubbing his hand where the hex hit, and spotted Peter. "Come on, we better go collect Peter." He said, making his way to the otherside of the office to where he had seen Peter being fussed over by old witches.
"Oi, Pete, come on!" James yelled over to him, and Peter escape the old ladies with a look of relief.
"Did you find him?" He asked when they finally found an empty table to sit at. He rubbed his pinched cheeks, trying to feel them again.
"Yeah- didn't do much good, he got away from us, after saying it was none of our business." James sneered, imitating Sirius. Remus turned to glance at the other tables, and to look for Sirius again. He then saw Slughorn sitting Sirius down at one of the tables. He got up, and didn't turn when James and Peter called after him.
When Slughorn saw him approching, he waved him over, and offered him a seat. Remus took it, and looked at Sirius, who was giving him a cold stare. "Ah, Remus, come to join us, eh? That's fine, that's quite fine. I was just going to introduce here to Derwent Shrimpling! He ate an entrie Venemous Tentacula, and lived to tell the tale! Although... he is still purple..." He shrugged, and walked over to a sick-looking, purple man and began an animated conversation with him. Remus turned to Sirius.
"Tell me what's going on. I wont leave you alone till you do."
Sirius glared at him. "What don't you understand about none of your business?" He demanded, picking up a chocolate frog.
"You've been hanging around Regulus, I noticed." Remus said, taking a goblet of pumpkin juice from the table.
"Yeah, so?"
"It's wierd."
"What's so wierd? He's my brother."
"You said you hated him."
"Fuck what I've said." Sirius looked to Slughorn, who was finishing up his conversation with Derwent Shimpling. "Regulus has opened my eyes to... certain things." He finished quickly, Slughorn returning, with the purple man. As Slughorn introduced the two, Remus slipped away, back towards where James, Peter, and now Lily, sat. After explaining what he and Sirius had discussed, James snorted.
"'Certain things'?" James repeated, picking at his fingers, his feet resting on the table. "Something to do with Regulus, obviously." He lowered his feet, and stood up. "No point staying here. He wont talk to us, can't really, with Slughorn here. Come on."
The next day, James was still going on about 'certain things'. "I don't know how we're going talk to him. Ask him about 'certain things'." He raised a fist dramatically. "Look, he was talking about Who-Know-Who with his brother right? So... Maybe 'certain things' are stuff to do with Death Eaters? Dark magic and stuff. I dunno."
"You know as well as Peter and I do that Sirius has never thought highly of dark magic." Remus retorted, watching the third-years across the room doing homework. "He's always expressed how much he hates his family for doing dark magic, and how much they hate him for not liking dark magic. This is why it makes absolutely no sence that he'd be even speaking to Regulus..."
"So- what? Regulus is the favorite son?"
"Where's Sirius now?" Piped up Peter, scanning the common room.
"With Regulus and his little slytherin friends, I expect." James said, his voice full of contempt.
With the excuse of going to ask Proffessor Oramatis a question about the herbology assignment, Remus left the griffindor tower to search for Sirius himself. He was tired of just guessing and guessing what was the matter. He walked down to the dungeons, where he knew the slytherin common room was, and saw Sirius surrounded by his brother's friends. "So as soon as we get out of this school, we're going to join him, huh?" He laughed, a huge grin on his face. "The dark mark is on your left arm, right?"
"Sirius." Remus called to him. Sirius and the slytherin's looked up, glaring at him. "Can I talk to you?"
"Can't you see we're busy?" Said one fairly plump girl in slytherin colors, whom Remus reconised as Ignatia Parkinson.
"I'm a prefect, and you'd do well to come with me, Sirius." Remus said, turning around and walking away, secretly praying that Sirius would follow. When he rounded the corner, he stopped and waited. Sirius turned the corner, and glared at Remus.
"What d'you want? Haven't given up yet?" He growled.
Remus looked into his friends eyes. "Tell me what's going on. Please-" Remus felt a lump in his throat, and he looked down. He was sick of this. He wanted to know what was happening to his friend, why this change was happening. "Please, Sirius. I don't understand why you're so different suddenly..." He tried to continue, but the lump refused to let anymore words get by. Remus glanced up quickly when he heard a sob. Sirius was crying. Sirius Black was crying.
"You don't understand." He muttered quietly. "You don't know how hard it is to live with a family who despises you." He shook his head, and raised his arm to his face, hiding the tears that were falling down his cheeks. "All I wanted was for them to say... to say... something. I love you, or maybe-... I dunno. I just want my family to be proud of me... I want them to see me like they see Regulus." He wiped his eyes, and looked up at Remus, his eyes red. "I thought being interested in You-Know-Who and hanging out with Regulus might make them see me- I even sent them letter's, asking questions about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named... but I never got an answer back... They just hate me so much, I don't know what to do, Remus!" And Sirius embraced Remus, crying into his shoulder, leaving Remus quite bewildered.
Remus stroaked his friends back, trying to calm him, despretly trying to think of something appropriate to say. After a signifigantly long pause, Remus started; "Sirius... I know how much you hate the Dark Art's, James and Peter know that as well. You don't need the love of a family who will give up they're own son for power... The important thing is, Sirius, we love you. We love you for who you are. That's why we're your friends. We don't care about your backround, we don't care how many of your family is in Azkaban, we don't about your family in anyway. We care about you, and who you are. You don't need to impress them, you don't need them at all. So come-... come back to us, Sirius. We miss you."
Sirius hugged him tightly. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
The two of them, arm in arm, marched up to Griffindor Tower, where they found James and Peter. Sirius appologized to them, and James appologized for freaking out. "It's great to have you back, Sirius. " James smiled, clasping Sirius on the shoulder. "And look... if you don't want to go back to your family, my house is always open to you. My 'rents would be happy to have you. I've told them alot about you."
"Alot about me? What have you told them if they like me?" Sirius asked, grinning. Everything was back to normal.
Later that night, the four of them sat around a table, a piece of parchment in front of them, poking, prodding, and tapping it with their wands, one of them swearing one time or another. "I solemly swear that I am up to no good." James finally said, tapping the parchmentwith is wand. The parchment's surface bloomed with little inked lines, connecting from different ends of the parchment, and revealed a map of Hogwarts. "We-... we did it!" He grinned at the other three.
"Excellent... and we have all the secret passages we know of here, right? And our names?" Sirius asked, looking at the map thoroughly.
"I think so..." Peter said, glancing around the common room, despite there being no one awake but the four of them.
"I think we should test this out tomorrow... I dunno about you guys, but I'm all buggered out..." Remus said, stiffling a yawn on the back of his hand.
"I agree." James, Sirius and Peter nodded.
Sirius pointed his wand at the paper and said. "Mischief managed."
The End
A/N: I own no rights or character's of Harry Potter; nor any lines taken from Avenged Sevenfold.
Some wizardy, teenage stuff for a change. No character death, no tragedy. I'm surprised myself! I love the Marauder's, back when Peter was innocent and James was alive. And Sirius. And Remus. And Peter, for that matter. God, I can't believe they're all dead... This fanfic took place in their sixth year(I put a N.E.W.T. reference, which are exams taken in your seventh year, but Remus is much like Hermoine, so probably would study for this exam a year in advance.), the year after they became Animagi, so they have their nicknames. I thought this would be the best year to set this story. Anywhooo's, I hope you enjoyed, and please leave a comment.
-SurpriseSushi
The last line is so cheesy! Aw well. Oh, and by the by, I combined the two chapters to make this one. Divided, the chapters were too short. So now Fiction is a one-shot. Hope it's better, even though the writting hasn't changed a bit.