James Potter and the Silent Scoundrel

TheMaskedMarauder

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters or locations.

Prologue

The sunlight streaming through the window warmed the seat, the faded fabric worn down by so many years of use, the whole compartment full of the comfortable sunshine as they whizzed past wheat colored fields as the crops ripened, ready for harvest. It would have been perfect, but for the empty seat amongst them that stood out as if it were stained with blood, so horrible was the absence they had not anticipated.

James shivered, wishing that the warmth would somehow seep into his bones and chase away the chills that had started the instant they had pulled away from the station. They had begun as a heavy feeling in his gut, sitting like a stone in his stomach as the minutes slipped by, marked by the steady ticking of his watch. The seat remained empty. Staring at it, their eyes had wandered to the glass sliding door, hoping to see a face pressed against the glass, but there was no one. Not a soul passed by for half an hour, and then it was only the lady with the trolley.

"Anything from the trolley?" she'd asked, her round face smiling kindly at them, unaware of the suffering they were enduring.

Peter leapt for the cart, purchasing enough food to feed them all for the whole day, and sitting down to devour it, his chubby hands dripping with sweat as he waited in anxiety for the empty space to be filled.

"Toss me a couple chocolate frogs," ordered James, handing over the sickles. He took the frogs and set them on the empty seat. "He'll be here—they're his favorite," he added, explaining to himself the strange action.

"I don't want anything." Remus looked ill. His pale, thin face appeared gaunt even in the passing sunlight, his slender hand shaking as he waved the woman away.

"You gotta eat," James argued, watching nervously as Remus swayed tiredly. "Some chocolate bars," he sighed to the trolley lady, handing her the coins.

"Eat." The word fell on deaf ears. James sat down beside Remus, proffering one of the chocolate bars. "You have to eat, Remus—look at yourself!" He hated the way his words sounded patronizing, but there was nothing to be done. Remus had to eat; he was wasting away before their eyes, seemingly growing thinner and thinner with every passing second.

"I can't," said Remus weakly, pushing away the chocolate. "My stomach's in knots."

"Try," Peter pleaded, sweat pouring down his round face.

"I'm throw it up," Remus replied decidedly, turning his head away.

James sighed angrily and tossed the chocolate bar down on the seat. "You're stubborn, you know that, right? You're so damn stubborn you'll die!"

"I'll eat when he gets here," offered Remus, hoping to pacify James. The attempt was in vain.

His temper sparked, the anger and betrayal that had been burning low beneath the surface for well over an hour suddenly bursting into a roaring flame. "He's not coming!" James snapped.

Peter gave a squeal of despair. "He's not?"

Casting Peter a whithering glance, James curled his lips into a snarl. "We've waited for a whole fucking hour and he's not here—do you really still think he's coming, Peter?"

Peter mouthed wordlessly.

"Huh?" James demanded.

"Leave him alone," Remus snarled irritably. "Sirius is here—we just have to go find him."

James sat down stubbornly. "He can come find us," he snorted. "We meet here, every single year. If he can't be bothered to come see us, that's his problem!"

Getting to his feet, Remus groaned with the effort, sounding much older than his fifteen years. "There's no point in waiting around here—let's at least look."

Peter glanced anxiously between the two of them, unsure of what to do.

"Fine." Giving in at last James got up and tossed a chocolate bar at Remus. "But you have to eat or you'll pass out."

Remus made a move to toss the chocolate bar down on the seat again but James stopped him. "You haven't eaten since yesterday, have you?"

"No."

They pushed their way through the narrow halls of the trains, glancing through apartment windows. They were greeted by smiling faces and eager hands waving at them.

"Where's Sirius?" some people called, but James brushed them off.

"More popular this year," Remus grunted as they stepped into the next car.

James just sighed. Normally he would have been thrilled with the attention, but without Sirius by his side he felt exposed, vulnerable to all the staring pairs of eyes following his every move.

"He's not here," Peter seemed in awe of the fact that Sirius was nowhere to be found.

"One last car," Remus said hopefully, "he's gotta be on this one."

Peter glanced dubiously up at James. Not having the heart to disappoint him, James shrugged. "Worth a shot," he grunted, even though his heart was plummeting with every passing second. He didn't think it could sink any lower. But he was wrong.

The very last compartment was empty, saving for one person. He was curled up on the seat, arms wrapped around his legs and face buried in his knees. Dark hair cascaded over his face, blocking it from view.

"Sirius!" James barked, surprised to find his friend in the secluded compartment at the end of the train as if hiding from them. He pushed the door open, but it stuck, giving him a moment's pause as he forced it open. Remus slipped past him into the compartment.

"Sirius!" Remus's soft voice whispered, questioning, concerned.

Responding to the sound of his friend's voice, Sirius looked up.

Chapter One

The sunlight, formerly warm and inviting, had turned cold. The air inside the compartment was frozen like the surface of a pond in the dead of winter.

Sirius's pale face, thin, angular, with dark brooding eyes, was marred by purple and green bruises. Swollen and distended, his face was almost unrecognizable. It was by his hair, a sheet of black satin that hung down to his shoulders, and black eyes like pools of oil, that they knew it was Sirius.

James recoiled. "What happened, mate?" he yelped, falling back onto the seat opposite his friend.

"My dad…" Sirius replied bitter, spitting the words as if they tasted sour. "Hit me."

The look in his eyes was deadly; they burned with hatred, a cunning hatred that would bow to nothing.

"Why?" Remus asked, utterly aghast.

Sirius extended his hand, in his clenched fingers was a Gryffindor badge. "For being Gryffindor," he hissed softly.

"Oh." Taking a seat beside his friend, Remus slipped an arm around Sirius. They sat in silence for a minute before Sirius laid his head on Remus's shoulder.

"Why didn't you come see us, mate?" James demanded, still wounded by Sirius's absence.

Sirius snorted. "Looking like this?" he laughed bitterly. "Everyone would have seen me."

"You could have just slipped in when no one was looking."

"Just go away," Sirius retorted harshly.

"You're not eating." The words were an accusation, slipping from between Sirius's bruised lips.

Remus pulled the chocolate bar from his pocket. "I am now," he replied, biting into it and grimacing.

"Did you eat yesterday?"

"Some."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"I ate a sandwich!" Remus cried defensively. "I just wasn't hungry."

"The full moon is in a week! You'll drop ten pounds by next Friday!" argued Sirius. "If you're not eating you'll be hospitalized before you know it!"

Remus didn't reply but chewed morosely.

"O.W.L.s are this year," Peter squeaked.

James grunted. "So what?"

"They're important," Remus reminded him.

"That's not the only thing we've got this year," Sirius added. "Pull the blinds, James."

Darkness fell almost immediately. Their breathing sounded loud as it filled the enclosed space.

"Why?" James asked.

But instead of the comforting low growl of Sirius's voice, he received a whine in return. The whine of a dog.

"You did it," Remus whispered.

A soft bark answered him. James reached out, his fingers closing on soft fur. "Sirius?"

The fur shifted in his grasp, becoming the firm fabric of his friend's t-shirt.

"I did," Sirius said proudly. "Did you?"

Jealousy nagged in the back of his mind. "Not yet," James replied. "But I'm close."

Just then there was a knock on the compartment door, the sharp rapping of a fist. They all started.

"Open up!" a voice demanded, cold and angered.

"Who is it?"

"Me."

"Snivellus." Immediately Sirius was on the alert. He perked up, sinking into the shadows and drawing his wand, eyes watching the door, narrowed like the eyes of a lion preparing to strike.

"Why should we?" James bellowed, assuming a lounging position on the seat.

Peter glanced between them, watching to see who would make the next move.

"'Cause I'm a prefect," Severus snarled on the other side of the door.

Remus snorted, drawing a gold and scarlet badge from his pocket and pinning it to his chest. "Yes, sir," he called through the door.

Pulling up the blinds Remus slid open the door. Severus Snape found himself staring straight at Remus's shinning prefect badge.

Over the summer Remus had grown not only thinner, but taller. Severus did not appear to have grown an inch. The shorter boy scowled.