Two men sat on a couch, leafing through rolls of parchment and old photos. Every now and then, one would smile or laugh, and comment to the other. A fire crackled merrily on the hearth, lighting the room. A plethora of odd artifacts and ancient heirlooms littered the shelves, coated in dust and shunned by the room's current inhabitants.
"Hey, Moony!" Sirius Black held a yellowing picture in his pale hands, his eyes shining boyishly, and his lips curling into a canine smile. His companion took the picture from his hands, brushing dust-brown hair from his eyes.
Remus Lupin's face slowly split into a grin. His worn and tired face was alight with the memory of happier times. The picture seemed to bring him back, and for a moment, the two men sat, gazing longingly at the picture, each left to his own thoughts, captivated by the four boys in the picture.
"We all look so young," Remus commented. In the picture, his child counterpart waved excitedly at him. A boy with unruly hair and glasses stood next to him, arm draped over his friend's shoulder, and his other hand messing up the long, perfect hair of child-Sirius. Shorter than the others, a small rat-like boy stood in the front, flashing an unsure smile at the camera. The castle towered behind them, and in the picture, the sun shone brightly, and the two men could practically hear the chirping of birds.
Sirius tore his eyes away to pick up another photo. This time there were more children, all about two years older. "The Gryffindor Ten," Sirius said, sighing reminiscently.
Remus picked up a newspaper clipping, and the smile fled from his face. Sirius glanced at him, then to the article.
The Daily Prophet
Hogwarts Professor Athena Madder arrested this Thursday for bearing the Dark Mark. Madder was once thought to have been a member of the underground Order of the Phoenix, but is now known to be one of the Dark Lord's trusted underlings. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore attested to her innocence, but several convicted Death Eaters, whose names will not be disclosed, confirmed her alliance with You-Know-Who. Madder has been sentenced to life in Azkaban.
"The good times didn't last long, did they." It wasn't a question. Remus's voice was tight and pained, although he tried to hide it.
Sirius sighed. "No, mate. They didn't."
Silence filled the room, dense and suffocating as each brooded in their own thoughts and memories. Once…once they had been children. They had been happy. They had had their entire lives ahead of them. Once, life had been perfect. They had had friends. Good, loyal friends, who would die for them. And then there had been the lies and the secrets and the betrayals. There had been the deaths and the tears, and the nightmares. They had been happy, but their innocence could not last, not in a world on the brink of war, a world filled with violence and destruction. They all had to choose sides. And not all of them chose the same.
Once upon a time, there were ten children. They were heroes, and they were villains. They were lovers and dreamers, and they were soldiers and cowards. Once upon a time, there had been justice, but the wrong people were convicted, the good had been killed, and the bad had gone free. Once upon a time, there was life. There was happiness. Now…there are just memories. These beautiful memories, all kept in a box, in a mind, and in a heart.