Chapter one: Potions gone wrong

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Remus asked nervously. He was the brains of the group, so trusting someone like Padfoot with this wasn't his most preferable option. Sure, he trusted his friends, but there was a limit.
"Of course! Do you want to try this?" came the snappy reply.
"I would do better than you!"
"Merlin! Calm down! We need this because, um James? Why do we need this in the first place?"
"Because Padsie," James sighed, exasperated, "Snivellous would totally freak if he found out that-"
"Found out what Potter?"
The three Marauders spun around (Peter was in detention by Professor McGonagall for changing his budgie into a dog whilst she was in her Animagus form) and found Lily glaring at them, her emerald eyes burning with fury.
There was a moments silence, then-
"Erm, catch you later Prongsie" Remus stammered, gathering the potion and the equipment. He just wanted to see tomorrow. Sirius, on the other hand, didn't take the hint. "I wanna watch!" he whined, when Moony grabbed his hand and forced him out of the dormitory.

2 hours later, and Prongs still hadn't returned. He either was receiving a verbal beating, got rejected one more time, or Lily was really angry. Or all of the above. Padfoot threw in the fairy wings and grinned brightly. "Moony, it's done! Let's go try it out!"
Remus came out, his face filled with worry, "Let's go grab Prongs first. I wonder what's taking him so long anyway. Shouldn't take this long to get rejected." The potion they made could made duplicates of the drinker for exactly an hour, it made correctly. It was a difficult potion and it was rare that anyone succeeded.
When the two Marauders entered the room, they were greeted with, "Honestly dear, we weren't going to hurt him that badly."
"I'm not stupid James, and don't you dare call me dear!"
"Alright love."
"I swear to Merlin, I will shove your wand up you-"
"Hate to break the romantic scene Prongsie, but the potion is ready." Remus interrupted.
"Don't get any ideas, this is no romantic scene-,"Lily started
"Oh please, you could cut the sexual tension with sectumsempra..." James muttered
"Shut up James, anyway, you can't do this to Sev!"
"Prongs! Please?? What does the potion even do anyway?" Sirius moaned.
The boys ran up to the potion, whilst James was explaining the effects of the potion. When he finished, Sirius said, "That's so genius!"
"Bottoms up boys! We should probably wait for Wormy though." James added after a moment.
"Too late! Woah, what's happening?"
"Wait just a moment!" a certain redhead called. Lily marched over and smashed the remaining vial. But seeing that it had an Unbreakable Charm on it, she scowled and muttered, "I'm going to regret this." She lifted the vial and swallowed its contents. Moony was still staring at her with wide eyes as they stumbled. Then the potion took its toll, and the Griffindors vanished.

**~**

20 years later Harry Potter ran flat out to the snake pit, otherwise known as the dungeons. Realising that he was, once again, late, he tried to sneak it. But Snape, being that smily git he was, noticed straight away. "Late again Potter?" he sneered, "I guess that's another night's detention. Go and sit next to Mr Malfoy."
Harry groaned before it hit him, he was partners with the ferret for the rest of the year. "Today we are making an age reducing potion. Ingredients are in the cupboard, instructions are on the board."
"Cut up the lizard tail, while I pour the scorpion urine in." Malfoy instructed, without a single glace and Harry. He learnt long ago to just trust Draco when it came to Potions, as he couldn't concentrate when certain bats decide to reside on your presence.

A bright light and a loud 'BANG' startled the class as four figures struggled against the mist. "James Potter! What the hell is happening?"
"How should I know? Go ask Remus!"
"Don't blame me, I have no idea what's going on." Moony stated, holding his hands up in surrender. The white smoke cleared and 4 coughing students emerged. "Get us back to the tower now James!" Lily demanded.
"In exchange for a date?"
"I'd rather date Severus..."
"Oooh that's gotta hurt." Sirius sighed
"You arrogant toerag! Get it through your fat head that others are important and I'll consider it."
Harry was frozen with shock. Less than 5 feet infront of him were his supposedly 'dead' parents that he hadn't seen since 16 years ago. The rest of the class were wide eyed and quietly gossiping. Harry sighed, there was nothing else for it. He edged closer to the 17 year old with identical black hair as his. "Dad? Is that you?"
James turned around to the shaking boy. "Wh-who are you?"
Harry felt stung, but he knew it wasn't their fault. "It's me, Harry. I'm your son-"
"Nice name Prongs." Sirius snickered, Remus punched him.
"Mum?" Harry asked, looking over at Lily. When she turned around, his eyes lit up.
"Wait H-Harry" the name of her 'son' sounded weird on her tongue, "Are you saying that me and that are your parents?"
Harry nodded. It was completely silent until-
"Hahahaha! Holy Merlin! Good on you James! How did-"
"Sirius! Ahahhaa," Remus was shaking with laughter, "Have fun Lily."
But Lily just shook her head, eyes widening at the hurt look on Harry's face. "No. N-n-n-no! Anyone but that prat! Y-y-you have to be lying!"
"I knew you would fall for me my Lily flower."
"Don't touch me"
"What in the name of Merlin is happening?" A voice thundered. Identical grins grew on Sirius' and James' faces. "Snivellous! Oh, Merlin, how I've missed- wow you've gotten old!" Sirius observed.
Snape eyes darkened at the sight of the 4 students. "Potter, perhaps you would like to give me an explanation."
Harry stood there, stunned. "I honestly don't know sir."
"What?" James yelped, "No son of mine would EVER call Snivellous 'sir'. Have I left you at Moony's for too long?"
"Oh sure, blame me." Remus muttered, "Why is he still here?"
"He's a professor..." Ron explained.
"That git's a professor?," said Sirius, "The future blows."
"Professor or no," James smirked, pulling out his wand, "doesn't mean we can't have a little blast from the past?"
"Potter, don't even-" Snape started
"Stupefy!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Both spells collided with a bang, causing Potter's and Malfoy's onto it's creators. It's effects were immediate. A gold and silver blast and the 2 boys were gone. In their place was a small 5 year old with a messy mop of black hair and shining emerald eyes and a 5 year old with platinum blonde hair and stormy eyes. Draco glanced up and his lower lip shook, and tears fell down his eyes. Sirius soothed the boy as James just stared at his 5 year old son.
"Why are you here?" Harry stammered, "Why aren't I in my cupboard? They gave me away, b-because I'm a freak." James felt a sudden wash of pity, and the most impulsive feeling just to hold the boy and soothe his tears. So he did. He groaned, however, at all the girls cooing at the scene. "Who are you?" the boy asked, not at James, but at Draco, "Do you know where my cupboard is?"
Draco looked up and walked out of Sirius' hug as Harry walked out of James' embrace. "I'm afraid I don't," The students looked shock about his formality, "but I need to get back to the dungeons. Father will hurt me if I'm absent upon his return."
Hermione, Pansy, Blaise and Ron slowly approached the two, as they were their best friends. Hermione kneeled down and said to Harry, "Your Uncle isn't here. You're at Hogwarts, you're safe." She turned to see Pansy reassuring Draco.
"Alright! I want EVERYONE out of this room within the next minute!" Snape commanded, and once again, everyone did as he said. "Everyone following Snivellous' orders. Who would've thunk it?" Sirius muttered.

"Alright Potter!," Snape snarled, his face softening at Harry's scared expression, "I mean, James," he assured him, and ruffled Harry's hair much to the surprise of the Slytherins and Gryffindors, "Why and how are you here?"
As James, Sirius, Remus and Lily were recounting the story and the best friends were listening with interest, Harry looked over at Draco. "We're safe right?"
The boy smiled with earnest. "Yes, we are. I haven't introduced myself. My name is Draco Malfoy."
"I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
Draco's eyes went wide and he pleaded, "Please don't hurt me."
"I wouldn't hurt you. I would never hurt someone intentionally."
Draco then smiled and thrust forward his right hand and asked, "Friends?"
"You want me to be friends with you?" Draco just rolled his eyes, so Harry said, "Ok!" and hugged Draco.
In all his years at the Manor, he had never felt like this before. He could trust Harry, and put all that emotion into the embrace.
"Friends."