Suspect this needs more editing but am getting bored of reading it over and over again, will perhaps come back… but much later.

With a name like Judas Kiss [and assuming you read the summary] perhaps you can guess what it's about. If not, it's about betrayal. Peter's of James, which could hardly be left out, but mainly Padfoot's loss of trust in Moony. This is set in the same universe as Secret Keepers and Suddenly, so if you've read them you'll know what that means for Remus and Sirius. If not, then please assess their relationship however you see fit but this isn't supposed to be fluffy *rolls eyes* except for this chapter which, I admit, is completely pointless and involves the Marauders going to the beach. Chapter almost entitled the Calm before the Storm, that's the kind of atmosphere we're going for here, alright? Reviews are, as always, enormously appreciated.

Enjoy!

Oh and I forgot, virtual cookie [so probably not worth it] to anyone who can name the book Remus [and then James] was reading.

Crap, forgot this too. Peter's not here because he hates the beach, Sirius has never been before and Remus is there to keep Sirius is line. I don't hate Peter, he'll be back later... he just didn't fit into this scene.

Prologue
In which the Potters pretend to be a normal family

There was a fire crackling in the grate; spewing its warmth over the terracotta kitchen tiles and James Potter who was sprawled across them, pretending to get ready to go out. It was late July, leaking into August but the morning was cold and James was enjoying just lying there in the flickering heat, making the flames dance into recognisable shapes with his wand while his wife fussed over their son in the other room and time ticked slowly by.

There was a loud crack and Remus Lupin apparated into the space his hand had been two seconds earlier and James let out a loud yelp of surprise.

Remus grinned infuriatingly down at him. "Hello James," he announced cheerfully. "Ready to go?"

James managed a grunt, pushed himself into a sitting position and resumed pulling on his jumper which was red and golden and had been presented to him by the werewolf last Christmas. "That's not funny you know."

"I didn't do it on purpose," Remus apologised, still smiling; he was rewarded with a sceptical snort and low murmur that could have been 'so you just happen to do it every time by accident? Well that's very convenient.' If Remus noticed he chose to ignore it and instead glanced around. "Where's the birthday boy?"

"Lily's making sure he's ready… I dressed him earlier but apparently I don't seem to realise just how dangerous the sea side can be."

"Ah, I see." Remus nodded wisely, moving over to a stack of presents piled on top of the Potter's rather battered kitchen table. He dug around inside before finding his own [a toy wolf] and placing it on the top of the brightly coloured pile where it wagged its tail and rubbed itself against his hand.

James looked up from the floor, where he was pulling on his socks. "You know you are so predictable."

Remus didn't seem overly bothered. "I know… What did Padfoot get him?"

"You don't know?" James got lazily to his feet and ambled over to his friend, rooting around in the pile of presents himself before hauling out another stuffed animal. "Like you, he seemed to think Harry needed a constant reminder of his presence… You two are so sad."

The dog bounded over to the wolf and immediately engaged it in a mock fight which sent them both tumbling off the table. Remus watched them smiling. "Are you telling me your son doesn't have a toy stag somewhere in this house?"

"Absolutely not," James insisted. Moony made a noise of disbelief. "I have more self respect than that…Where is Padfoot anyway?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "He left two hours before I did on his beloved motorbike… I thought he'd be here by now; he was enthusiastic enough about coming in the first place."

James groaned. "Lily is never going to let him take it with him… I can almost hear her now: 'he's not allowed to enchant anything… anything do you hear? And that includes that ridiculous motorcycle."

"At least you don't have to live with it. I woke up last Wednesday to find I was sharing my room with a dozen or so greasy pieces of metal, all of which I managed to step on on my way to the door." Remus laughed and sank into one of the chairs, fingering the table cloth. "Actually, I'm surprised she let us come at all. We're hardly muggle material and we're going to a muggle beach right?"

"She nearly didn't… this is supposed to be a family outing for Harry's birthday. None of her friends are coming."

"Thank Merlin… I swear whenever they do Lily tries to set me up with one of them though she denies it if I ask." He reached down and pulled the wrestling canines from the floor, setting the wolf back on the table and absentmindedly stroking the dog while he talked. "Anyway, it's your fault we're here at all."

"My fault."

He nodded. "Entirely. You told Sirius you were going to the beach. Without him."

James sighed and flopped into the chair opposite his friend. "Well how was I supposed to know he'd never been before?" He leant forward onto his hand, running it through his hair a couple of times and looked up at his friend. "This is going to be a nightmare, isn't it?"

"Possibly," Remus agreed, smiling. "I'll try to keep an eye on him I promise."

James raised a finger threateningly. "You better or I'll have myself two nice new throw rugs."

"That joke never gets old."

"Like the one about the venison?"

Remus tried to look hurt. "That's a classic!" There was a loud rumble from the general direction of outside, then a crash and a hearty: "Happy Birthday Harry!"

Moony smiled. "And the prodigal son arrives at last," he checked his watch, "two hours and forty…seven minutes after he left."

James closed his eyes, in mock despair. "What twenty-year-old man hasn't been to the beach?" he asked in exasperation as Sirius yelled "Let's get this show on the road!"

"Honestly."

*

As James had predicted Lily flatly refused to let Sirius ride his motorbike to the beach unless he did so in the muggle way. Sirius protested that he didn't really know how to drive it the muggle way, Remus pointed out that he had very little knowledge of the rules of the road and would probably be killed which is why he'd never tried before and Lily said that that was a very good thing and suggested the motorcycle be left at home. Sirius pouted for a while in an effort to make her change her mind but Lily was adamant and the bike was moved into the Potters' back garden accompanied by the sounds of Padfoot grumbling about women not appreciating real beauty.

He stomped back inside and surveyed them all with amusement. "Aren't you a little over dressed for July?" he asked, tugging at Remus' jacket. The werewolf pulled it back sharply and stuck his tongue out. "Not for where we're going."

"The beach, right?" The animagus produced a rather battered postcard of a tropical island with the phrase 'Glad you're not here Sirius' flashing across it from the back pocket of his jeans and held it out for Remus' inspection. "Looks warm to me."

"English beach," James corrected as he passed, weighed down by a child's car seat, several bags of toys and nappies and a variety of other things that threatened to swamp him. "Bloody cold- You know, you guys could help."

"You're his dad," Remus pointed out.

James looked at Sirius without any real hope of his burden being removed; Sirius shrugged. "You wouldn't let me bring my bike."

"This is going to haunt me for years isn't it? Padfoot, are you sure you don't want to take one of my jackets?"

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Firstly: I'm too hot as it is. Secondly: I've seen your muggle clothes before and no thank you."

"I hope you freeze to death," James muttered, pausing in front of a mirror to check his clothes [a green bomber jacket, blue jeans] and shaking his head. He looked fine. "Lily, are we ready to go now?"

It was not far to the train station as the Potters lived in a muggle village and they made it into a carriage without too much trouble even with James dropping toys at every possible opportunity and Sirius forgetting to get onto the train because he was chatting up the girl standing next to him on the station. Fortunately Remus noticed both of these: picked up the toys and pulled Sirius away clutching a piece of paper and wearing a baffled expression; "Moony, what's a phone number?"

"You took Muggle Studies for Merlin's sake… here give it to me."

The hour's journey passed quickly enough, passers-by stopping to coo over Harry and Remus explaining, for what felt like the twentieth time, how to use a phone to his best friends.

"-and then they hear it ringing and-"

"There it is!" Sirius yelled for the fifth time, causing several people to turn around and glare at him. "I can see the sea!" He snatched Harry from Lily's grasp and held him up to the window. "There it is," he repeated in a whisper, suddenly quiet again, holding the child gently. And there it was: a dark blue expanse that hovered slightly over the horizon. "And today, it's all ours."

The train came slowly to a stop and he raced to the doors, jamming the button at the side impatiently with the hand that wasn't supporting Harry. "Come on, come on!" They slid open obligingly and Sirius leapt onto the platform, breaking into a run.

The others departed more sedately; Remus laughing and picking up the car seat which had just evaded James' grasp once more. "I don't know where he thinks he's going… why did you bring this thing?"

Prongs shrugged. "Be prepared, that's what I always say."

It was Lily's turn to laugh as she slipped her hand into her husband's free one. "You've never said that."

"Just did," James corrected. "And perhaps I say it when you're not around. 'Constant vigilance,' Lily."

Sirius ran back into view. "Hurry up!" he insisted before running off again, deciding better of it and running back. "Faster!" he shouted, disappearing from sight again.

"We're going fast enough, Paddy," James called. "Be careful with my son."

They continued their leisurely pace past the street vendors selling inflatable, pink dolphins and postcards of the queen, a line of red and yellow plastic boats and sweet machines full of over priced colour until they reached the sand where Sirius had already started to build a castle hindered slightly by Harry who seemed to think it was amusing to knock down any wall his godfather had produced. He giggled again and pushed over another sand mountain.

"Agh! Potter, remove your demon child," Sirius exclaimed trying to protect his castle from Harry's furious onslaught.

"It's his birthday," James remarked lazily, stretching out on a towel a good two meters away from the duelling pair. Lily settled into his arms with a smile. The soft sound of a steam powered merry-go-round filtered towards them. "The least you could do is share."

"Never!" Sirius declared and started rebuilding his castle, taller and grander than before. He picked up Harry and made a small molehill for him to knock over. "That one's yours kiddo," he informed the boy and went back to his own which was rapidly becoming-

"Hogwarts, Padfoot?"

Sirius smiled. "Yer, good isn't it?"

Remus shook his head. "Look at the other castles on this beach… do any of them look like… anything?"

Sirius looked past him, his gaze falling on the thirty or so couples gathered along the stretch of sand: the locals in scarves; the tourists, like him, in t-shirts, and to the 'castles' in front of them. He beamed. "Mine's clearly the best."

The werewolf's wand emerged briefly and the castle was transformed into a pile of sand, ornamented with shells and a paper flag that read Padfoot's Citadel.

"That's better," he remarked with satisfaction, returning to his book for a moment before it was seized from his hands by a very angry Sirius. "Put it back."

"Not a chance. Give me the book."

"Put my castle back the way it was!"

Remus tugged at his wand again but Sirius was prepared and grinning, darted away. "Ah, no Moony: no magic on the beach. Isn't that right Lily?"

His friend rose swiftly with a quick "excuse me" and pelted down the beach after the animagus who was waving the book in the air. Harry, long since bored with the sand crawled after them, watching with delight as Sirius, backing into the water, tripped and fell into the shallows where Remus caught him and forcibly removed his book from the damp fingers and trudged, with as much dignity as he could manage, back to where James and Lily were laughing.

"I hate the beach," he muttered, trying, unsuccessfully, to wipe the sand from the bottom of his trousers.

"Mooooony," Sirius howled. "Come back!" Remus shot him a look that would have felled a giant if looks could kill and Sirius tried to look suitably ashamed before shivering. "Merlin this water's cold."

The air around him flickered and soon a large black dog was frolicking in the water with Harry.

"Sirius!" Lily began, before James silenced her.

"Shush… it's alright. Nobody noticed." The dog bounded over the waves to the child's glee, barking loudly, rushing in to lick Harry's face and running away again before Harry could retaliate. "And look how much fun he's having."

"Which one?" Lily asked, rather grumpily.

James nuzzled her ears; "cheer up love…We've had little cause for joy in too long. Let them play… this is supposed to be a holiday."

Lily smiled and leaned in, before remembering Remus was there and looking up in embarrassment. He grinned and rose, unsteadily to his feet. "Don't mind me… I think I'll go and investigate the possibility of tea on this God forsaken land. I'll be back in a minute."

James watched him leave before whispering, "Now, where were we?"

His wife smiled and leant back into his arms which closed around her. "I believe you were about to tell me how much you love me."

"Mmm," he kissed her neck. "I was, was I?"

"You were," she informed him.

"I love you."

"Good."

He laughed and she snuggled closer. "Aren't you worried that Harry will grow up believing Sirius is his father?"

James grinned: "they're good together aren't they?" Sirius had transformed back and was sitting up to his waist in the water engaged in a splashing fight with his godson. "No…Padfoot's his cool godfather, who buys him presents that are too expensive and shares his mental age."

"He should settle down," Lily remarked. "I can't imagine why he hasn't yet-"

"Who should settle down?" Remus asked, appearing again with a cardboard tray of plastic cups and handing one to Lily who took it gratefully. "It's not me again is it?"

"Sirius," James reached out a hand for the next cup. "But I disagree. He won't settle down until he's lost the thrill of the chase or until Remus moves out."

"And I'm hardly likely to do that on my salary." Remus sighed, took a sip of his tea and grimaced. "Mmm… high quality stuff."

"You should move down here," James insisted but Remus shook his head.

"Can't afford it; neither of us can." He drank more of the brown liquid without enthusiasm. "I know Sirius has a vault stuffed with his parents' money but he doesn't want to exist off their charity and it'd have to be a very cold day indeed before I say: "hey Paddy, mind abandoning all your principals so we can live in a warm house with a hot tap that works and a washing machine that has an off button?" … Not that he knows what our washing machine does." Sirius had picked himself out of the water and was now chatting to a pretty girl; Harry nestled in his arms, his t-shirt sticking to him.

Remus watched them; his face taking on an odd closed expression briefly before opening again into a smile as he shook his head. "'Sirius, that's an unusual name,'" he cooed in time with the girl; his voice changed, becoming deeper. "'It's the name of a star; the brightest star in the sky.' 'Oooh, perhaps you could show it to me some time.' 'Perhaps I could…How's tonight for you?'" The girl laughed and smiled and got out a pen and started to write something on Sirius' hand. Remus smiled, ironically. "He's so predictable… I wonder if he remembers what a phone number is this time."

"How many times have you watched this?" Lily asked, thoughtfully.

"Quite a few," Remus acknowledged. "There isn't much to do up in Scotland when I'm not doing stuff for work or for the Order except go out occasionally and watch Padfoot pick up girls. It's fun in a depressing kind of way… Still that should-" He stopped.

"What?" James asked.

Remus grinned wolfishly. "Not telling."

"You're seeing someone!" Lily pronounced triumphantly.

Remus' face fell and he scowled. "Well that was fun for all of two seconds. Thanks Lily."

"Who is it?"

"Now that I really am going to hold back from you. Everyone else has secrets; this one's mine."

James protested some more that it wasn't fair and Sirius' laugh floated towards them as he and the girl started up the beach. "Jamie?" Sirius bellowed back. "I'm taking Harry to see the donkeys alright?"

James nodded and Remus checked his watch. "Time to go," he decided, stuffing the book into a bag. "I hope you don't mind Lily but I'm going to apparate home. Somewhere out of sight, don't worry." He stood up. "Oh and I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Sirius I was seeing anyone; he'd make life rather difficult with his incessant questions until I crack and introduce him."

"Sure," James agreed. "Do you mind if I borrow that book… I don't fancy making sandcastles at the moment." Remus smiled and handed the book to his friend. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I'll see you soon… And tell Padfoot I'll see him when he arrives home tomorrow."

*

"As usual in the very young, she marvelled that people could be so selfishly oblivious to her pain and the world rock along just the- Hi Padfoot"

Two hours later Sirius returned to find James reading aloud from the book to Lily wrapped in a blanket and the empty space where Remus had been.

"Moony had to go," James explained, helpfully.

"Oh. Did he say why?"

"No... Said he'd see you tomorrow."

"Ok." Sirius looked rather disappointed. "Alright… Hey!" A large owl had landed on his shoulder and started pecking at his ear. "Ouch! James, is this yours?" James shook his head and Sirius pulled the letter from its foot. "Well it's for you anyway." He waved his hands around his head to displace the bird. "Shoo! You've delivered your message now sod off!" It gave him a disapproving look and flew gracefully away through the shoal of seagulls.

Sirius fingered his ear gingerly, apparently to make sure it was all in one piece muttering "bloody bird… almost tore my ear off." He stabbed his finger accusingly at the note. "That better be worth it." James grinned and unfurled the parchment which was covered in Dumbledore's loopy handwriting. The letters were rather smudged and Dumbledore had clearly written this letter in a hurry for the words were unusually slanted, splodges of ink splashed at full stops.

Dear James
I am very sorry to disturb you on Harry's birthday but something dreadful has happened. I cannot tell you what for the moment; the Ministry of Magic insist I stay here and you'll need to hear the news from me personally. Please apparate into the house of your parents as quickly as possible. Bring Lily.
~Albus

Silently James handed the letter to his wife. The sounds of the muggles on the beach seemed to have risen in volume until it threatened to swamp him.

"What do you think it could be?" Lily asked, quietly.

James shut his eyes tightly; he knew. He surged to his feet. But he had to be sure. "Let's go. Padfoot, can you take Harry home?"

"Sure," Sirius answered, puzzled. "What was-"

But, with a snap, James was gone. Mutely, Lily handed him the letter and had disappeared after her husband; leaving her footprints in the sand and Sirius holding his godson in the middle of a crowded beach.