Author's Note: I'd just like to say a huge thanks to all those who reviewed the first chapter. You really inspired me to carry on.
Also, be warned, teenage boys like to swear a lot. If that offends you, don't read!
2.
Remus stumbled gracelessly out of the fireplace and into the Leaky Cauldron. Shaking the soot and floo powder from his clothes, he glanced around the pub's dingy interior and spotted James, Sirius and Peter sitting in a booth beside the door to the Muggle street outside. The pub was very dark, the only light was coming from the candles that were burning on each of the tables scattered around the room. The floor was slightly slippery, as it had been worn smooth from the hundreds of magical feet that had made the journey to Diagon Alley over the centuries. Tom the barman nodded to Remus in greeting before returning to mediate between two old warlocks sitting at the bar, who had got into an argument over playing cards
"Moony!" cried James when he spotted Remus weaving his way around the tables towards them. "How are you mate?"
"I'm pretty good, yeah. How about you?"
"I'm absolutely great, thanks for asking. I say, it's great us all being together again – Marauders reunited!"
Remus tried hard not to snigger when he caught Sirius and Peter rolling their eyes at James's ridiculously effusive manner. The greeting certainly made a change from James's usual punch on the arm and 'where-the-hell-have-you-been?' style of greeting. Maybe he's finally taking Lily's advice to grow up a little, Remus thought to himself.
He sat down in the booth beside Peter. Across from him, Sirius was moodily slouching in his seat. He passed Remus an unopened Butterbeer, and Remus was somewhat taken aback to see a huge black eye glowing lividly around Sirius' left eye. That combined with his newly crooked nose gave him the appearance of someone who had been through the wars.
"So, Remus, I was just telling these two gits: I know how to win Evans. I have a foolproof plan for this year," James said, ignoring Sirius loud huff of disgust and Peter's amused snort.
"Oh, yeah?" said Remus lightly, avoiding the other two's eyes.
"Yep, my plan is this: whatever she wants me to do, I do it. No more bickering, I'll just be pleasant, you know. Kinda like you, I guess. I'll make sure I'm always around when she needs help –"
"Well, that definitely won't come across as being obsessed," muttered Peter under his breath.
Give it two months and she'll see that she's been wrong about me all along," he continued, not hearing Peter's remark. "That's when I make my move, and she'll be unable to resist – we'll be going out by Christmas."
He paused as his words were drowned out by the furious shouts of the arguing warlocks a the bar.
"And Lily's coming to Diagon Alley today," he continued in a louder voice, "so stage one of the plan is to wait here until she shows up and then help her with her shopping. So, what do you think, Moony?"
"Well, James," began Remus, thinking how best to phrase his opinion tactfully, "I don't think Lily's the kind of girl who'll want help with everything... she's pretty independent, you know."
"Nonsense, all girls want a man to help them."
"And how do you know she's going to be here today?" said Remus, figuring it was probably best to let James figure out that pitfall in his plan in his own time.
"Well, Lily told Mary MacDonald, who told Alice, who told Frank, who told me," explained James proudly.
"You know in some countries this plan would be viewed as harassment, Potter," said Sirius darkly.
Just then the door to the Muggle world opened, spilling clean bright light into the grotty pub. In walked Lily, accompanied by a tall pale girl Remus didn't recognised, but assumed from previous conversations with Lily that it must be Petunia, her older sister.
When Lily spotted the Marauders by the door, she rolled her eyes exasperatedly at James's goofy grin and smiled at Remus, before continuing through the pub to the back door where the archway to Diagon Alley was concealed.
Unsurprisingly, James got up to follow, but so, to Remus's surprise, did Peter.
"Where are you going, Wormtail?" said Sirius harshly. "I don't think you, Prongs and Lily would make a very attractive threesome."
"Mildred Malarkey's meeting Lily, and she invited me along too," Peter said defiantly, as though daring Sirius to laugh.
Remus braced himself for whatever vicious retort Sirius would come out with, but instead, to his relief, Sirius just gave a rueful smile and said "Well, good luck with that, Pete." And so Peter left, trailing in James's wake.
That left Sirius and Remus alone.
Sirius huffed again and slouched further down in his seat. Remus was sure that Sirius must use some sort of sticking charm on himself, such was his ability to slouch and defy the laws of gravity.
"You know, not many people can make a sulk look as good as you can."
"Appealing to my vanity will get you nowhere, Lupin," Sirius said. Nevertheless he looked slightly happier as he pulled a packet of cigarettes out of his jeans pocket, offering one to Remus (who refused) before lighting up himself.
"So," Remus said gesturing to Sirius's eye, as Sirius lit his cigarette in the candle that was burning on the table, "you want to tell me how you got that shiner?"
Sirius sat up, a mischievous spark lighting the eye that wasn't puffed up, "Well, it began with me rescuing a damsel in distress from a gang of brutal vagrants who beat me mercilessly, but not before I blasted every one of them back to the Dark Ages. The fair maiden repaid me most indulgently for my troubles, and swore she could never love another man but me for as long as she lived."
Remus raised his eyebrows sceptically.
"Regulus," spat Sirius, the dark cloud settling over him again.
Remus said nothing, knowing that Sirius would tell him in his own time. On the other side of the pub the two arguing warlocks began grappling with each other, toppling over barstools and chairs as Tom leapt over the bar to separate them.
"Mother was trying to fix me up with some 'appropriate' pureblood fiancee again," Sirius began bitterly. "She was going on and on about how I had to uphold the Black family honour by knocking up this suitable girl so the bloodline will continue and all that crap. Father was trying to set me up with a position in the Magical Law Enforcement office, following in his noble footsteps. Not that it mattered to them that I didn't want any of that fucked-up shit, not like they give a damn about what I want to do in my own life – so I just decided enough's enough and I left. But not before he stuck his big nose in. I swear, Remus, the way he just swallows all their Pureblood shit…"
He drained the last of his Butterbeer.
"Anyway, fuck them. Fuck the whole stinking lot of them. I'm gone and I'm not ever going back to that house, so Regulus can be what he always wanted and be the heir, and join the fucking Death Eaters for all I care."
He slammed the empty bottle down on the table, wrist shaking slightly.
A few moments of silence passed between them, and it was clear to Remus that Sirius wasn't going to say anything more on the subject. Tom the barman, having successfully thrown the two warlocks from the premises, returned to cleaning his goblets with the air of a man who was tired of cleaning up other people's messes.
"Come on, brave soldier" Remus said cajolingly, as Sirius dejectedly stubbed his fag out on the already scorched-marked table. "Let's do some shopping. Apparently retail therapy works wonders."
Sirius smirked, "You are such a girl, Moony," but he followed Remus out of the pub nevertheless.
* * *
They both blinked in the bright sunlight of the street outside. Diagon Alley was teeming with shoppers from all walks of magical life. Remus saw a group of uniformed Gringotts goblins talking on a corner outside the bank, glancing about them shiftily. There were new first-years with what were clearly Muggle parents, running around the shops with unconcealed amazement. Owls zoomed low over people's heads as they left the post-office, and up and down the street market traders were calling out offers to shoppers as they passed by.
"Bicorn horns, two for five galleons."
"Hats for sale! All the way from Paris! Ladies, get you hats 'ere!"
Remus needed to get himself some new robes, so they turned away from Gringotts and headed down to the other end of the street. They were followed by an annoying flying advert, a rather genius cross between a howler and a paper aeroplane, which babbled incessantly advertising a start of term book sale at Flourish and Blotts.
"I hate these bloody things!" shouted Sirius, as he danced around on the spot trying to swat the twittering advert away.
"Incendio," cried Remus, and the advert caught fire and started coughing and wheezing, eventually shrivelling up before them.
"Nice one, Moony," said Sirius admiringly.
They reached Madam Malkin's robe shop, and as they stepped through the door a bell tinkled announcing their arrival. Madam Malkin came bustling out from the back room, her black hair brushed up into a tight knot on the top her head and a tape measure slung around her neck.
"Well," she said briskly, clapping her stubby hands together, "how can I help you gentlemen today?"
Remus explained that he had outgrown his old robes and needed to be fitted for new ones.
"Right, if you'd just step up on this stool Mr Lupin, I'll take your measurements."
And with that she set about directing her tape measure while talking animatedly about how glad she was that some young folk still frequented her shop, rather than visiting Gladrags down the street.
"… and I know that you young folk like to keep up with the fashion, but, really, does fashion really beat quality? You know, boys, they do everything completely by magic down at Gladrags, no human supervision at all. My niece, Lucianne, bought a cloak from there the other week and it just split apart at the seam before she had even worn it for a full day. 'Lucianne,' I said, 'that's what you get for choosing looks over substance, and long may you remember that!'."
"I completely agree, Madam," said Sirius enthusiastically, from behind her. "You just don't get the personal touch from them, loses all quality in my opinion."
"That's exactly what I've said, Mr Black!" said the squat little witch, "You know I sew all my hems by hand, by hand, gentlemen, and those folk down at Gladrags wouldn't know a needle if they sat on it!"
"Well, it certainly shows, Madam," said Sirius in his most flirtatious voice. "I could never go for any robes but yours."
The squat little witch blushed to the roots of her hair as Sirius flashed her his trademark grin that had sent more than half the girls in Hogwarts swooning for him, "Oh, Mr Black, you're such a charmer!"
The rest of the fitting continued in this vein. Madam Malkin continued to explain the finer points in the art in robe-making, while Sirius made a series of lewd gestures behind her, and Remus tried his best not to laugh. Stifling one particularly violent burst of laughter, Remus bumped against Madam Pomfrey's arm and caused her to narrowly avoid stabbing herself in the eye with her needle. "Sorry," said Remus, "hiccups."
"Well, that's you done Mr Lupin." she said a few minutes later, draping her tape measure back around her neck. "If you'll just come over to the till and I'll calculate the cost for you."
She insisted upon sending Remus's new robes to his home by express owl delivery free of charge. When Remus tried to protest she said "It's the least I can do for two charming young gentlemen who care so much about the quality of robes. I must insist, Mr Lupin."
Five minutes later, Remus and Sirius left the shop.
"You are unbelievable!" Remus cried as Sirius smirked broadly. "You can charm the pants off anyone."
"Everyone, but dear old Minerva," he said pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. "But we have two years left and I'm making it my mission to get that old battleaxe to blush at least once."
"I think there's more chance of Lily agreeing to marry Prongs this afternoon, than there is of that."
"O ye of little faith…"
They walked further along the street, popping into the apothecary to replenish their potion kits and Sirius stopped at Zonko's, where all the staff knew him by name, to stock up on dungbombs.
As they neared the entrance to Knockturn Alley, Sirius stopped to look at Remus and waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"What?" said Remus, not following.
"We have to visit Knightly's Dark Delights," he said.
"What?" spluttered Remus.
"Bertie Russell got a great selection of – well, to protect your virtue, let's call it gentleman's reading from there. It was fine stuff, Moony."
"I'm not visiting a sex shop! Especially one with a name like it's come from a cheap novel."
"Oh, come on, don't be a killjoy! If anyone sees us, well, you're a dark creature and I'm a Black, it's practically programmed into our genetic natures to be perverse."
"I'm not going." he said adamantly.
"But Mu-um!" Sirius whined, trying to tug Remus down the Alley.
"The fact that you can bring up your mother in a conversation of this nature really disturbs me," said Remus trying desperately to free himself from Sirius's clutches.
They ended up tussling in the middle of the pavement, bumped about by miffed shoppers who muttered "Stupid kids!" as they brushed passed them.
Remus had nearly managed to free himself when he tripped over someone's foot and fell to the ground, Sirius landing heavily on top of him.
"Nice to see you guys," said a laughing voice above him and Remus peered past Sirius's tangle of hair to see Lily Evans grinning down at them.
He could hear James and Peter guffawing at them in the background, and Remus felt a blush creep up on his cheeks. He pushed Sirius off him and got to his feet. Mildred Malarkey, another Gryffindor in their year was there also, and Remus noted that she was holding hands with Peter.
"Nice to see you again too, Evans," said Sirius, straightening up. "Has the shrew been tamed yet, Prongs?"
Lily ignored this comment and turned to Remus instead.
"How's your summer been, Remus?" she asked warmly.
"Yeah, pretty good." he wasn't going to go into the specifics of it here. "You?"
"Yeah, about the same. You haven't met my sister yet, have you? Remus this is Petunia. Petunia, this is Remus Lupin, we're in the same house at school."
"Nice to meet you," said Remus, reaching out to shake her hand. Petunia looked startled, but offered her hand in as quick a handshake as was possible. She steadfastly refused to look at Sirius, who was trying catch her attention.
Lily smiled at Remus in silent thanks for not taking her sister's less than enthusiastic manner personally.
"I meant to tell you at the end of term, Remus," she said, "I'm dropping Astronomy this year."
"Oh, why's that?" he had enjoyed taking Astronomy lessons with her, they had been partners in those lessons since first year.
"I'm thinking of going into Healing," she said, "and there's more than enough NEWTs needed for that without adding Astronomy as well! Have you read the new Marcella Crouch novel yet? I think it's her best so far."
"Yes! Wasn't it great how she hid all those details, like when –"
"Anyway," said James loudly, interrupting this conversation, "we're heading to Gladrags, are you guys coming with us?"
"We've already been to –" began Remus.
"We've got to go buy porn," Sirius interrupted jauntily, giving Petunia an obnoxious wink as he said this, who became very flustered and hid behind Lily. "Remus is very excited."
"Not everyone's as obsessed as you, Black," said Lily coldly. "Remus has integrity."
"Perhaps," said Sirius coyly, "but then again there's a lot about Mr Lupin you don't know."
"Come on," said Lily to Mildred and Petunia. "Let's leave these idiots to it," and they stalked off.
"Thanks a lot guys," said James irritably. "The subtlety's really appreciated."
"Well, look on the bright side Prongs, it'll be pretty tough to come across as more obnoxious than Padfoot now."
James looked slightly cheered by this. 'I guess so, but you're still a tosspot, Black. Right, we better get moving, meet us back at the Leaky Cauldron in half an hour?"
"Okay," agreed Remus as James and Peter dashed off after the girls' retreating backs.
* * *
Somehow Sirius managed to steer themselves down Knockturn Alley. This street was completely different to Diagon Alley. The tall shop buildings managed to block most of the light from the sun. The streetlamps were permanently lit, but they still left plenty of shadowy spots for the depraved to skulk in. The window displays here, were not bright and gaudy like their Diagon Alley counterparts, but displayed an array of gruesome and Dark objects. One shop had a display of shrunken heads, while in another there was what looked like intestines in clear canopic jars.
"You know Remus," said Sirius seriously into the deadened silence of the alley, "you've really got to stop talking to Lily like that."
"What do you mean?" Remus said, taken aback. "Talk to her like what?"
"Look, I know you guys are friends and all, but James will seriously become really jealous if you keep talking to her like that. You know what I mean – discussing books and lessons and stuff."
"We're just friends," he said looking Sirius straight in the eye. "There's nothing else to it."
"I know that, but James… he's trailed around after her for six years now and got nowhere, and he sees the two of you getting on so well and… I mean, he knows there's nothing to it too, but I guess you've got give a guy a break from time to time."
"You know, Padfoot, that was really quite sweet."
"Yeah, well I'd save that thought for when –" he stilled suddenly, much in the same way Padfoot did when he'd scented a rabbit.
From the other end of the alley approached the Slytherin gang.
Severus Snape and Regulus were at the front of the group, followed by the thuggish bulk of Mulciber, Wilkes and Rosier. Next to them Snape and Regulus looked very weak indeed, but if Remus had learned on thing about Slytherins it was that the weedier they appeared, the more cunning and unscrupulous they were.
None of them had spotted Sirius and Remus yet, and the two boys immediately slunk into the shadowy doorway of what looked like some kind of gambling den. Through the gloom they saw the Slytherins turn off the main alley, and into narrow backstreet behind the Dancing Veela; a notoriously seedy tavern where many a scandal had occurred.
Sirius looked over his shoulder at Remus and without words they formed a plan. Together they crept slowly down to the entrance of the backstreet, keeping close to the wall. Sirius glanced down the backstreet and signalled to Remus to follow him. They crept a few metres along and then crouched down behind an overflowing and putrid smelling skip, and by peering over the rotting refuse they could see the Slytherins loitering suspiciously around the back door of the tavern.
Snape and Rosier were conversing together in low tones, while Regulus kept darting glances all around him like a wild animal trapped in a cage. Beside him, Remus felt Sirius tense, poised to launch into the scene. Remus was forcibly reminded of Padfoot on the hunt again, every muscle a-quiver, ready to dive in and give chase.
Just then the door the Slytherins were clustered around creaked open and out stepped Bellatrix Black followed by her faithful minions, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange.
Bellatrix surveyed the Slytherins like a haughty queen surveying a bunch of petty commoners. Sirius growled deep in his throat and Remus trod on his foot to remind him to hold his temper.
"Were you followed," she asked curtly, addressing Snape who seemed to be the leader of the gang. None of the other Slytherins dared a glance at the Death Eaters, all staring down at their feet, except from Wilkes who was apparently too stupid to do so.
"No," answered Snape, "no one knows we are here."
"I trust you destroyed my letter as instructed?"
"Yes," said Snape, "and we have carried out the steps you outlined. Everything is in place."
"Good," said Bellatrix, looking at Snape with a level of begrudging respect. "Then nothing else is to be done until you arrive at Hogwarts. How many weeks is it until the start of term?"
"Two," replied Snape. "Are we to meet again before carrying out stage one?"
"Naturally," said Bellatrix crisply. "You hardly think the Dark Lord would place such a task entirely in the hands of a bunch of inexperienced sixteen year olds?" she mocked derisively.
A faint flush tinged Snape's sallow skin.
"So, we'll meet in the Three Broomsticks again –" began Wilkes loudly.
"Be quiet!" hissed Bellatrix, glancing up and down the alley, and Sirius and Remus crouched lower behind the skip. Rodolphus and Rabastan advanced on Wilkes, who looked terrified, flexing their muscles threateningly.
"I thought you were selecting the best people?" Bellatrix demanded of Snape, who alone of the Slytherins still looked completely unruffled by the situation. Indeed he stared back at Bellatrix with something like disdain in his dark eyes.
"Wilkes will certainly not be entrusted with anything important," he said scornfully. "He's muscle, that's all."
"Don't worry, cousin," said Regulus fervently, stepping forward and addressing the Death Eater. "Some people are more responsible and eager to serve than others."
Bellatrix looked at her younger cousin approvingly and said, "Good, because you're all the family has to rely on, now your brother has shown his weak blood. Keep the name of Black pure," she said to Regulus who was practically glowing with pride.
"We'll shall meet again at your first weekend off," she said quietly to Snape. "Tell no one, and make sure you aren't followed. And make sure these idiots can keep quiet too," she added surveying the other Slytherins, focusing particularly on Wilkes who at least had the sense to blush.
With one final nod at Snape, Bellatrix and her henchmen turned on their heels and disapparated.
Sirius immediately made to dive out from their hiding place, ready to fight, but Remus – who had anticipated this – intercepted him and slammed him into the back of the dumpster, which rang with a loud metallic clang.
"What was that?" said one of the Slytherins, a note of panic in the voice.
Remus didn't relent his grip on Sirius's shoulders and he felt Sirius breath hot in his face, as he struggled against Remus's grip. Remus's mind flashed back to what happened the last time they were this close; saw the break of bone in Sirius's once aristocratic nose. He looked hard into Sirius's eyes which were glowing with rage, and after a few moments he stopped struggling.
"Come on," they heard Snape say. "Let's get out of here."
As Sirius tried to break free again, Remus growled without consciously thinking about it. He felt the wolf stir within him, and shoved Sirius against the skip again.
"What are you going to do Remus?" sneered Sirius maliciously after a beat. "Going to break my nose again, eh? You're a dark creature after all, what else can you do?"
"Fuck off," snarled Remus, willing himself not to do what Sirius was suggesting and lash out physically. He thought about the calm seaside at home, and willed the wolf to back down into its dormant state once more. Though he was still outraged that Sirius had the nerve to bring up the wolf at all.
They squared up to each other for a further minute breathing hard, each determined not to look away first. Eventually, Sirius flinched and Remus took the opportunity to stalk off down the backstreet, putting some much needed space between them.
He felt muddled – off-balance – like he had drunk too much Firewhisky too quickly.
As he past the door to the Dancing Veela, from which drunken yells were echoing, he could see the Slytherin gang at the other end of the narrow backstreet behind the tavern, as they were about to enter Diagon Alley.
"Come on," he said curtly to Sirius, who was still standing by the skip. "We're late for meeting James."
They walked to the end of the backstreet, and upon reaching Diagon Alley they could just make out the Slytherins, walking in the opposite direction from where the Leaky Cauldron was.
"Come on," Remus repeated again.
Sirius stared hard after Snape and his brother as they were swallowed by the crowd, but eventually he followed Remus.