So this is my new multi-chaptered fic (Obviously.). Reviews are much appreciated as always, and obviously I don't own the Marauders, Sid Vicious or Mr Brightside (referenced in the title). Clearly any story needs a bit of build up, and I guess this is it, so excuse the lack of actual events in this chapter. Enjoy!


"Okay sweetie, make sure you talk to Professor McGonagall if you still want to be an auror, and see if she has any more advice on the grades you'll need. Oh, and if you need any more potions ingredients, just send an owl home and we'll pop down to Diagon Alley to get some for you, because it's so much better than the stuff they sell in Hogsmede." His mum kissed James repeatedly on both cheeks, her grey curls tickling his face.

"And remember, James, do try to stay out of trouble this year. I know you boys can be a bit silly at times, but I don't want any more letters home, okay?" James' father patted down the shoulders of James' shirt.

"I'll try…no promises." James gave the pair of them a wicked smile. His parents sighed wearily and turned their attentions towards Sirius.

"Sirius, it has been a pleasure to have you stay for the summer, and I'm sure you know that any time you need it, our door is open for you. Especially after…" Mrs Potter hesitated and looked towards the end of the platform, where a stern looking aristocratic woman was guiding a skinny, black haired teenage boy with a large trunk. The woman caught Mrs Potters gaze and narrowed her eyes at her in loathing.

"Ignore her." Mr Potter said, steering his wife away from the stare of Walburga Black. James also tore his eyes from the pair, but Sirius kept eye contact with his brother.

"He…he's properly under her control now, isn't he?" Sirius whispered. "The silly, stupid boy. A true Black, through and through." James swung an arm around his best friend.

"S'alright mate, you've still got us." He muttered, hugging Sirius protectively. Sirius curled into the hug, before suddenly springing up with his eyes wide and a huge grin on his face.

"MOONY!" He yelled, sprinting towards the smaller boy who he had just seen appearing through the wall of platform 9 ¾. Remus smiled at him and held his arms out. Sirius grabbed his friend in his arms and picked him off the ground, swinging him in a full circle and clearing the area around them both.

"Hello, Sirius. Glad to see me?" Remus laughed, still in Sirius' arms. By this point, James had also run up to the pair, and was now tapping his foot on the ground.

"Oi, Padfoot, do you wanna share sometime? I've missed my Moony too!"

Sirius shook his head vigorously.

"Whatever, you selfish bugger. That's fine. I'll just hog Peter then, when he gets here! Hah!" James said. He heard Sirius giggle into Moonys clothes.

"Cool. Keep him. Moony smells a lot nicer than Peter. And moans less. Speak of the devil, I think I can see him over there talking to that Hufflepuff Monica. Again. Honestly, she'll put out a restraining order soon…"

The boys watched as Monica eventually stormed away from Peter, and Pete sloped over to the corner where his friends were all congregating.

"Morning." He grumbled, reaching into his pocket for a bar of chocolate. All three boys looked offended at him.

"Six weeks without seeing any of us and all you have to say for yourself is 'Morning'? Call yourself a Marauder!" James scoffed.

"Sorry…It's just that things aren't going as well as I'd have hoped with Monica." Peter said apologetically. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"All aboard now! Quickly!" The conductor yelled to the platform. Many children scurried around trying to get a last minute hug from their parents, or find their friends to get a seat with.

"I'll go and find us a compartment with Peter, you two had better go and say goodbye to the Potters." Said Remus, finally getting out of Sirius' grasp. The two of them disappeared onto the Hogwarts Express, leaving James and Sirius to say goodbye to the Potters.

"Now, make sure you write to us, and be good!" Mrs Potter said, swiftly giving both boys a kiss on the cheek. Mr Potter shook their hands and sent them on their way, running along the platform with the rest of the parents when the train finally set off on its journey through the countryside.


It didn't take long for James and Sirius to find their friends. Peter and Remus had settled themselves into an empty compartment near the front of the train, and Peter was already loading sweets onto the table.

"So how come your parents weren't here then?" Asked James, addressing both the other boys.

"Dad dropped me off on his way to the Ministry, and Mum's at work too." Said Remus, eyeing up Peters pile of chocolate frogs.

"My parents are at work too. I had to travel here on the Knight bus, all by myself." Peter said smugly of his newfound independence.

"Well done, Pete." Sirius sniggered. "So, what did you pair get up to in the holidays then? Your letters didn't say much."

"My family went on holiday to Belgium." Peter said, unwrapping a liquorice wand. "Dad wanted to see all the Muggle war things, but Mum and I just wanted to go and buy chocolate." At this word, Remus' ears pricked up.

"Chocolate?" He asked. "Where? Did you bring any back for m- us?"

Peter shook his head sadly.

"My mum said that I've got to save up my money, and she wouldn't let me buy presents for people. She even limited how much chocolate I could buy for myself…" He started, but was interrupted by Sirius.

"You're a terrible friend, Peter! TERRIBLE! How could you, eh? How are you going to live with the fact that you went to the chocolate capital of the world and didn't bring any back for our Moony? Our Moony, who is registered on the Hogsmede mailing list to receive updates about their new stocks? Moony, who has tried every single flavour they stock, including their Spiders and Flies flavoured one?"

"Not a pleasant experience…" Remus interjected.

"…Moony, who once muttered in his sleep that he would like to melt down 100 bars of their Cinnamon and Vanilla flavoured chocolate into a large vat and swim around nake-"

"That's quite enough, Sirius." Remus said sternly. "And honestly Peter, it's fine. I understand having to save up money. Ignore Sirius." Remus said while reaching into his bag to pull a book out. Sirius and James stared at him in disbelief.

"Oh, so you don't want to hear about our summer then? We not good enough for you then, Moony?" James huffed, folding his arms and sinking into his seat.

"Of course I want to hear, but you know I can do more than one thing at a time. Listening and reading at the same time is a very useful skill, James, one I'd have thought you'd have mastered by now." Remus said without taking his eyes off his book. It was old-looking and quite plain, bearing a simple title on its front: The Hound of the Baskervilles. "Besides, I know exactly what you two will have done; gone to some Muggle nightclubs, got off with some nice looking girls before disappearing into the night…same old, same old."

Sirius and James stared at him, mouths hanging open. Yes, it was exactly what their summer had entailed, but they had expected Remus to listen wearily to their stories before making a comment about their apparent lack of respect for female feelings. They hadn't expected him to shoot them down so quickly.

"W-w-well…" James stuttered. "I'll have you know that I only kissed three girls this summer, thank you very much!"

"And one boy, but I've been sworn to secrecy on the story behind that one…" Sirius muttered. James shot him a look of pure evil before looking back to Remus.

"I tried to control myself, honestly! I reckon this year's gonna be my year, the year Evans finallysees me for the amazing man I am!" James proclaimed, subconsciously ruffling his hair at the same time.

"Well clearly your ego hasn't gotten smaller over the summer. And what about you, Sirius? Did you try to control yourself?" Remus said, his butterscotch eyes drilling into Sirius' deep grey ones. Sirius gulped nervously.

"Ummm…Well you see…" He stammered. "It was very hard, you know. They honestly couldn't keep away from me!" He said with no trace of egotism.

"That's because you cut your hair all short and wore a lock round your neck so they all thought you were Sid Vicious, mate. Turns out Muggle birds go mad for the punk look. Who knew, eh?" James shrugged. Remus sighed haughtily.

"So go on then, Rem. What have you got up to over the summer then? Met any nice lasses in the town library? Or were they all put off by the fact you're several decades younger than them?" Sirius joked. Remus visibly stiffened in his seat.

"No, actually. No lasses this year." He muttered, still seeming bothered by something.

"So what did you do then? You can't have spent the entire summer reading, can you?" James joined in with the questions, while Peter sat forward to listen in too. Remus answered, still keeping his eyes locked on the page in front of him.

"I had a summer romance. With a lad."