Hi! I have a new little one-shot for y'all! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, so I'm a little nervous on how you guys will take it. I personally really like it... And I usually hate everything I write. I'm so anti-confident. Anyway, tell me what you think!

-Meghan

Death, thought Sirius Black as he drifted along lazily, was not at all like he had imagined. He had expected darkness; utter complete darkness; nothing but blackness, like the kind you experience when you fall asleep, but don't dream anything. Boy was he wrong. Death was the best feeling he had experienced in a long time. It gave him the feeling of being light and airy, as if nothing bad could happen. And, well, when dead, that was the truth! The death realm was just a giant meadow, with grasses and lakes and plenty of flowers and sunshine and space for the dead to roam freely. The dead… what were they exactly? Not ghosts, they had all had the chance to go back to the earth as a ghost, but refused. Perhaps soul was the best word to describe them. They were almost invisible, but distinguishable because they were made entirely out of light. They had no feet, so there was no way to walk, but Sirius didn't miss that, he quite liked gliding through the air like a graceful ice skater. Everyone seemed to have acquired their living appearances, except for they were more clean and happy looking. Sirius' dark long hair was always blowing behind him, as though there was a constant breeze. Yes, despite missing Harry and everyone else, Sirius was enjoying death.

"Padfoot?" asked a perplexed voice as Sirius was staring across the beautiful lake. His eyes widened. Only a handful of people he knew would call him Padfoot, and as he turned, he saw one of them standing, well, floating, before him.

"Prongs," Sirius said, his face breaking into a large grin. "It's been a while, mate."

"Yes, too long," James agreed, but he was not grinning. "How long have you been here?"

"Not long. Just got here," Sirius replied.

"Why? What happened?" James asked.

"Well, I died, mate."

James rolled his eyes. "That much is obvious, but how?"

Sirius chuckled. "Bellatrix Lestange. Killing curse. Killed by my own cousin!"

"Why on earth did she kill you?"

"She's a Death-Eater, mate. Do you really think she cared about killing a few relatives, if it meant getting to Harry-"

"Harry? My son? Tell me about him."
Sirius smiled. "Ah, yes. I thought this conversation would come to the Boy Who Lived."

"The what? The who?"

"The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter! He's famous in the wizarding world."

"He is? Why?"

"He lived. The night you and Lily died, Voldemort tried to kill Harry too. However, he was unsuccessful. The curse rebounded and hit him, and that was the end of Voldemort."

"Voldemort's dead?" James looked delighted for a moment, but his face quickly returned to one of confusion and worry. "Then what's one of his Death-Eaters doing-"

"Voldemort's returned. He came back to life a year ago. And, I'm sorry, mate, but there's no way to put this lightly. He will not stop until he's killed Harry."

These words seemed to cause physical pain to James, even though pain was impossible here in the realm of death. He closed his eyes.

"How old is he, Sirius? Harry?" he asked after a long period of silence.

"Fifteen," Sirius answered.

"So grown up. It's terrible. I've missed all of my son's life."

"Me too. I was in Azkaban 'til he was thirteen."

At these words, James' eyes flew open. "Azkaban?! Why?"

"Well, our old friend Wormtail gave away your location to Voldemort; he's the reason you're dead. Then he went and killed a dozen people, and I was blamed for it. So it was off to Azkaban for me. I managed to escape two years ago, though. I've been keeping an eye on Harry."

It took a while for James to respond. "So… if you were in Azkaban all that time, then who's been guardian to Harry?"

Sirius' face morphed into one of disgust. "The Dursley's. Lily's sister Petunia and her husband and son. They were awful to Harry, I've heard. Kept the fact he was a wizard from him and told him you and Lily died in a car crash! Harry seemed more than ready to leave them when I suggested that he live with me. Course he never could, with me being on the run from the Ministry for a crime I never committed." His voice was full of hatred; the happiness he had felt upon entering the death world vanished as he talked about the Dursley's and Wormtail.

"That's… horrible," was all James managed to say.

"I know."

"Was Harry with you when you died?"

"Yes."

"What was going on?"

"Harry was at the Ministry of Magic; don't ask me why he was there, he should've been at Hogwarts, but anyway, a bunch of Death-Eaters were attacking Harry because they wanted a prophecy that involved him and Voldemort. Then the Order of the Phoenix, including me, showed up and we were all dueling one another, I with Bellatrix, and… she killed me and-"

But James was no longer listening. He was gazing across the lake, in intense thought.

"I hope he's okay," James said after a while.

"Yeah, me too, mate," Sirius agreed. "But I know he will be. He's strong, James. He's a lot like you… I just hope seeing me die won't make him do something stupid, like go after Bellatrix or something."

They sat in silence for what seemed like only a few minutes, but for all Sirius knew it could've been hours; he felt that the time in the afterlife was different than the time in the living world.

"So…" Sirius broke the silence. "Where's Lily?"

For the first time during the reunion, James smiled. "Yes, I'll expect she wants to see you, too. C'mon, mate, I have so much to tell you."

Sirius grinned. He let the happiness wash over him again like a rain shower as he followed his best friend across the lake. He was going to see Lily again, and who knew who else. Everything was fine. He would see Harry again when the time came, which Sirius had a feeling would not be soon. But, for now, that was not to be worried about. Nothing was to be worried about. He and James were together again. What kind of pranks could you pull in the afterlife? Sirius was determined to find out. He and James would be known as the pranksters of the dead. Just like the old days.

Well? Did you like it? Are the characters OOC or anything? Reviews are hugely appreciated!

-Meghan :{D