A/N - Hello everyone :) So I've always wondered what was going on at Number 12 while Harry was busy watching the News and fighting Demntors in Little Whinging. So I thought I'd write my version of events. It's more like a series of one-shots than a continuous storyline, but they are roughly in chronological order and I'm thinking Marauders and Weasley twins and Romione-spending-time-without-Harry-related-tension.

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I don't own Harry Potter.

"You are eventually going to say something, aren't you, Sirius?"

Remus Lupin had been halfway through making a cup of tea before he realised it had been too long since he'd spent time with Sirius, and went to get the Firewhisky. He poured a generous measure into a crystal tumbler and set it before his silent friend. Sirius took a long drink and sighed.

"You aren't going to leave me alone until I talk to you, are you?"

"Nope." Replied Remus, "Besides, it isn't as though I have anywhere better to be."

"I'd rather be anywhere but here."

"Ah. Now we reach the crux of the matter. The Great Sirius Black doesn't appreciate Dumbledore grounding him." Remus said, leaning back in his chair. "Tell me, Padfoot, at what point did you think you'd be strolling through the Ministry on patrol with the rest of us. I know it must be frustrating but..."

"Must be frustrating? For Merlin's sake, Moony, I bloody well know I can't stick my head out of this front door without risking my neck, but it's this particular door I can't stand. The whole place just smells of... of bigotry and oppression." Sirius exclaimed, standing up and beginning to pace the long kitchen.

"Funny, I just though it smelled of moths and dust." Remus observed, taking a sip of his own Firewhisky (the tea was long forgotten).

"Are you actually enjoying this, Lupin?" Sirius spat, turning to his companion, who looked honestly back at him,

"Of course I'm not enjoying it. You're in a foul mood. I came over here because I thought you'd enjoy the company and we could make up for the last thirteen years we've spent without contact, but apparently, you'd rather mope around complaining about your terrible lot, when Harry, Hermione and Dumbledore risked their necks to get you out of harm's way."

"You always knew just how to guilt me." Sirius said, collapsing back into his chair and brandishing his empty glass, indicating that he would like a refill.

"It's a gift." Said Remus dryly as he refilled both glasses.

"So, what exactly is there to catch up on? I've been in Askaban and a cave for the last thirteen years."

"I have a life too, you know. I might have found myself a woman or something." Remus said, defensively.

"Well, have you?" Sirius prompted.

"Don't be ridiculous. I was actually thinking we could talk about Harry."

"Ah. The Boy Wonder. God he's like James." Sirius said, and there was more than a hint of wistfulness in his voice.

"In some ways. That's certainly what I thought when I first met him, although without the arrogance, and that stupid habit of messing up his hair." Remus said contemplatively, "But the more I got to know him, the more he reminded me of Lily. He's got her sense of justice."

"I only hope that doesn't get him into more trouble than he's already in." Sirius said, and Remus nodded in agreement.

"I don't think you'll have much luck with that one, Padfoot. If there's one thing he got from James, that's his nose for trouble."
Sirius couldn't help but smile at that, but it didn't last long.

"Remus, do you think the prophecy..."

Sirius didn't need to finish the sentence, both wizards knew exactly what he was implying, though neither wanted to voice the idea that,
"It is possible, yes. It will come down to the two of them." Some small and irrational part of Remus hoped that maybe if he said it quietly enough, it wouldn't happen.

"Merlin. He's just a child."

"He's not, Sirius. He's a powerful wizard already, I've never known anyone who could produce a Patronus at the age of thirteen."

"He needs more time, though. He needs to prepare. He needs to know." Sirius insisted, and Remus nodded to himself.

"I know, but I'm not sure the others will see it our way, least of all Molly. We will give him all the time we can, but the more time we give Harry, the more time we give him."

"Why didn't we just kill Wormtail when we had the chance, Remus? None of this would have happened if we had."

"Because Harry was right. James wouldn't have wanted it. If you want to blame anyone, blame me and my Furry Little Problem." Remus sighed, dropping his head and taking a large gulp of Firewhisky.

"No. Absolutely not. Besides, you're supposed to be over here cheering me up, Moony. We can talk about this when the rest of them turn up. Incidentally, when is that?"

"The Weasleys and Hermione are coming tomorrow; the first big meeting is in the evening." Remus told him, and Sirius grinned.

"All the more reason to spend tonight getting sloshed, then."

It didn't take long for the old friends to finish the bottle of Firewhisky in the kitchen, and soon they were reliving their days at Hogwarts with enthusiasm.
"Did you see the look on his face though?" Sirius giggled, "He thought he was dreaming, like he'd ever get to snog Evie Merchion."

"You know, Sirius, you know, I don't know if I felt more sorry for him or Mrs Norris!" Remus cried, and the pair descended into uncontrollable fits of laughter. It took a good few minutes for them to compose themselves.

"I still don't know how we managed that!" Sirius said.

"What, convince Thebeus Smith that Mrs Norris was Evie Merchion or convince McGonagall that we actually didn't?"

"Both."

"He had no proof, though. That was the brilliance of it."

"Can't believe the git still tried to pin it on us. How could he possibly have known it was us?" Sirius insisted, and Remus smiled,

"Because he asked Lily to Hogsmeade the week before, Padfoot. As if James was going to let him get away with that!" He reminded him, and Sirius grinned.

"Oh yeah. I swear we spent half our time hexing guys who fancied Lily."

"That's because we spent about a third of our time hexing Severus." Remus pointed out, and Sirius nodded.

"Very true. You know, Moony, I never thought you could hold your liquor this well." He said, "I'm impressed."

"I got in a decent amount of practice after your incarceration." Remus admitted.

"Bloody hell." Sirius breathed, looking at his old friend in disbelief, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Like I said, I'm here to cheer you up, not bother you with any of my now-irrelevant problems." Remus shrugged, "Let's talk about something else."

But Sirius was suddenly feeling very sober, and he couldn't let this pass. This was Remus Lupin, for Merlin's sake! The man had dealt with being a werewolf since he was five years old without ever having complained, dealt with rejection from most of the magical world, and poverty to boot. He couldn't understand it. If Remus Lupin had ever turned to drink, there was no hope for anyone.

"But... I don't understand, Remus. What happened?"

"Voldemort happened, Sirius. Lily and James. I thought one of my best friends was a traitor and the other three were dead. What did you think I was going to do? You were the only people who truly accepted me. Even some of the others in the Order thought I was scum. But then Dumbledore found me, and he made me realise that I was only truly scum when I was sitting in that bar. I owe him so much." Remus pushed his half empty glass away from him and began a close inspection of the swirls in the mahogany table.

"I'm sorry, Moony." Sirius said eventually, but Remus only gave a harsh laugh.

"What could you have done about it? Other than tell the Aurors the truth, obviously, 'stead of just laughing like a lunatic. Why did you laugh, anyway? If you weren't mad, that is." Remus asked, and Sirius considered the question for a few seconds before he answered.

"Genuinely? I think it was mostly because that was the most intelligent thing Peter had ever done, and the irony of it, of the whole sorry thing, just got to me in that moment. I was a bit mad, then."

"I hate to break it to you, but you've always been mad, mate."

"It's probably all the in-breeding." Sirius admitted, and Remus smiled despite himself.

"Probably." He agreed, "You know, we should really go to bed."

"I thought you'd never ask." Sirius said with a wink. Remus aimed to cuff him around the head, but missed.

"Damn." He muttered, shuffling towards the door. "Is anything in the second floor guest bedroom cursed?"

"Not to my knowledge. See you in the morning, Moony."

"Night, Padfoot."

Sirius didn't end up going to bed until the sun started peeking over the horizon. He had too much to think about. Things like Harry and Remus and the prophecy and the oncoming war chased each other around his head for hours, and he felt more helpless than ever.

A/N - I had to try so hard to keep this canon. You have no idea. But I have a feeling that our Mr Lupin will be meeting a certain pink-haired Auror soon enough, and that won't be a problem any more.

Reviews are better than Firewhisky and nostalgia :)