Memories:
Sirius: First Year
He no longer cried at his mother's words or his father's belt marks across his back. He now just sat in front of a mirror in his room; hating the features that marked him as a Black. That sleek ebony hair that contrasted with his clear skin so well; those dark black eyes that hid his pain behind long eyelashes; the strong cheekbones and facial structure that marked him clearly as Wizarding aristocracy. If he could just change his features at will, he'd never have to be a Black again.
"Hey, beautiful." Her voice came from the window. She always saved him. "I never met a vainer boy."
She was perched in a the high branches of a tree outside his window. Her favorite entrance to his room. "So, I got this frantic owl pounding on my window, scaring the babies. So, here I am."
She made a quick leap to the window, his fairy flying in through the window. She was sitting on his lap in moments smiling into his face, "You are a lovely person, not because of this physical shell but because of who you are. You are the best friend anyone could have asked for, you are passionate and curious and fun. You are wonderful. And that is you. Not because you are a Black. Simple as that, baby."
She smiled like the world was wonderful and his back didn't have stinging stripped burning his skin.
When the world was black she came and showed him that there is a sun out there.
Remus: Second Year
Walking up from Care of Magical Creatures was always kind of a drag when the England rain was lightly sprinkling down on their heads. Chilling them but not raining hard enough for them to enjoy it.
"Hey boys," Her voice holds none of the tedium that Remus feels. She dances up to them and he wonders if she ever just walks.
"You are way to tall," She wrinkles her nose up at Sirius who is nearly a foot taller than her. "I told you not to grow anymore, and I think you've grown another head taller since the last time I've seen you."
"You saw me in class," He laughed and patted the dark head of his friend. "And just cause I'm not a midget like some people, doesn't mean I should be reviled."
"Reviled?" James laughed. "Been talking to Evans recently?"
"Been obsessing over her recently?" Sirius shot back with his wolfish grin.
"Hey at least I don't have a midget attacked to my side." James directed his mocking grin at Casey.
"Bean-pole." She returned looking at the lanky boy. She turned her dark eyes on Remus and decided. "You betrayed me too, Remus! You're just as tall as these two monsters. Obviously, Peter is my favorite out of you troublemakers!"
She danced out of Sirius's arms and into Peter's. His blue eyes twinkled and his full dimpled cheeks were creased in a smile. Peter always just glowed under her influence. They all did really. Remus looked at the smiles that Sirius and James gave their diminutive friend who was still shorter than Peter as she linked arms with him and told him just why he was her favorite Marauder.
Sirius: Third Year
The fumes from the potion being stirred in the cauldron in front of him reeked.
"Does it have to be so rancid?" He wrinkled his nose with distaste.
"Well, I'm sorry it offends your senses, Black." Casey replied just as arrogantly, "If you don't want any, you can leave."
"Pipe down, Sirius," James grinned at his best mate, "Before the beautiful, talented Ms. Meadows kicks us out!"
"Thank you again, Casey," Remus smiled from his bed where he was propped up watching the final stages of the Polyjuice Potion being created.
She grinned back at him, "It's really no trouble; good practice really. I screwed up my last batch something fierce when I tried fiddling with the ingredients. Got stuck in the Hospital Wing for a week after that one. I just thank you guys for letting me brew it in here. They girls always get antsy when I make creations in our dormitory."
Sirius remembered at the end of their first year when he found her counting up a measly collection of sickles and knuts. "What are you doing?" He had asked her. "One cauldron isn't enough! I keep wanting to try different potions but I already got another simmering in my pot!" He had rarely seen such a discouraged look on her face. It was surprising how long it took him to figure out that the reason she didn't just go and get another cauldron was because she couldn't pay for it. When he had surprised her with three brand new cauldrons for her birthday, she had never looked so happy. He was proud of himself that day. It was good to use his Mother's money to make someone happy for once.
"You're not fiddling with this one, right Cas?" Peter asked peering at the slowly bubbling potion.
"Naw, better safe than sorry for you boys," She grinned and gave Peter a quick kiss on the cheek. Then she shooed them away and set to work adding the last ingredients.
She was a sight, really. Her dark hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun with wisps curling around her face and neck. Her features were narrowed in concentration and her eyes a pure, dark blue focused entirely on the potion in front of her. What helped was she only wore an over large button down shirt of Sirius's and little running shorts beneath. Otherwise, she was just barefoot and messy.
"If Macbeth's three witches looked like you," Sirius laughed. "I understand how he was both repulsed and captivated. Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble."
She, without looking from the potion, flipped him off causally.
Remus was the one to look up with surprise in his golden eyes, "Macbeth?" He laughed. "Have you been breaking into the muggle literature?"
Sirius looked abashed. "Blame the girl. She leaves me books to read and expects me to be able to talk about them afterwards."
"I'm impressed, Sirius!" Remus laughed. "I didn't even know you could read."
It was Sirius's turn to flash a vulgar finger at his friend but laughed along with the other Marauders.
"Okay," Casey took a step back and inspected the potion before her. "That should do it."
The four boys hurriedly crowded around the potion that was bubbling sluggishly and looked the color and consistency of mud.
"Eww." Peter summed it up in one shudder, but his eyes were sparkling in anticipation.
"Now all you need is to bottle this baby up and put in a piece of the person you want to transform into," Casey wiped her hands on Sirius's shirt. "Good luck, kiddos."
She gave them each a kiss on the cheek and danced down the staircase before they could thank her. All the thanks she needed was seeing Dumbledore, followed by three fellow teachers, emerge from the boys staircase with a silly grin on his face. Dumbledore had never looked so decomposed. James, in the Headmaster's body, blew a kiss across the common room before scurrying through the portrait hole.
Remus: Fourth year
He always knew when she was in a room. It was hard for him not to notice her luxurious long hair and the way people smiled when she was near.
Like right now, she was sitting beside that greasy twerp, Snape, and chatting amiably to him. He didn't understand how both Lily and Casey had a soft spot for the slime-ball. There was nothing redeemable in that kid, it seemed to Remus. He probably didn't deserve all the abuse that James and Sirius tended to give him, though some of it was warranted. He didn't deserve the attention of the two beautiful Gryffindors, though.
She planted a quick kiss on the pasty cheek of Snivellus and danced to the Ravenclaw table where she was hailed by kids in all different years. She talked to everyone she passed by it seemed. All Remus saw was the smiles she left in her wake.
She wasn't done though, she ended up skipping towards the Hufflepuff table as well. This time she even settled down in a chair. She sat beside someone that Remus hated even more than Snape. Amos Diggory.
He was pompous and boastful, and not that talented to begin with. James could fly circles around the Hufflepuff Keeper. And he didn't understand when the girls said he was so handsome. That was when he did the thing that made Remus's blood boil. The thing that made Remus hate him.
He slung and arm around the slender shoulders of Casey and whispered in her ear. Casey was never a giggler, but if she was this is when she would have giggled. He could see the faint blush on her cheeks as she grinned up at the infuriating Hufflepuff. Remus had to turn away when Diggory just started to kiss her in front of everyone. Had he heard about manners?
"I don't understand what she sees in him," Remus sulkily stabbed a sausage and snapped at it.
"Who? What?" Peter looked up sleepily from his porridge.
"He's a babe," Sirius shrugged but his dark eyes twinkled with mischief. "And older and more experienced. I bet Case loves a guy who knows what he's doing, you know; stuff she might not do with more timid guys our age. You know, sex stuff."
"SHUT UP!" Remus looked like he was going to stab Sirius next. The three Marauders just laughed at their jealous friend. "She's 14! She's not doing that with him! Right?"
"You know," James looked over at the engrossed couple. "That's the reason she's not a Marauder."
"Because she's got a Diggory attached to her face?" Peter giggled.
James laughed and ruffled his friend's blond hair, " 'Cause she has to many friends. We got each other above all else. She's got to many to care about."
"She loves us the most though!" Peter squeaked in her defense.
"Are you sure about that?" James laughed. "We're not her only lost children. She loves all of them too."
As if she knew they were talking about her, she left Amos's side and danced over to her own House table. She chatted with a few people down the line but she eventually made it to the group of four boys. Sirius passed her a full plate before she had even sat down.
"Thanks, sweetheart." Casey grinned happily before tucking into the meal.
"How's Amos?" Sirius grinned but his eyes were watching Remus's face instead of the girl absorbed in her breakfast.
She gave a half a shrug and with a slightly full mouth answered, "I'm getting bored, I mean you kiss better than he does, Black. You know, the sorting hat almost put me in Hufflepuff but said I had to much spunk."
She went back to her bangers and mash but Sirius got a wrinkle in his brow as he looked at his friend. Remus looked too, he hadn't heard this story.
She swallowed a rather large bite of sausage and looked up surprised at Sirius's questioning glance. "I didn't tell you this? Oh, must have slipped my mind." She grinned. "I once glamoured myself to look like that third year you were hooking up with. It was too weird though so I stopped pretty quick. You're like my brother. Gross. I went a bit farther when I pretended to be James' Ravenclaw booty call last semester."
James looked up in surprise, "You did what now?"
"I was curious was all!" Casey laughed and sat back in her chair, "All these girls were talking about you two and I wanted to see for myself. You didn't even talk to the girl, it's not like she or you noticed. No harm no foul."
"You ever kiss me?" Peter perked up, he was sitting right beside her.
She studied him with that crooked smile on her face. "Not yet." And with that lightly grabbed his chin and placed her lips over his. The shortest member of the Marauders complied with eagerness.
It was easier for Remus to hate Amos Diggory than to hate one of his best mates. But it could happen.
Sirius: Fifth year
Every time he got a letter form Bellatrix, it made him so angry. He was fairly seething, not that anybody would notice. His Black composure was up as he sat at lunch and stabbed his food.
"Sirius," Casey grinned at him. "Let's go get you a hobby."
"What?" The three other Marauder's asked the question that first sprung to his mind. It just seemed very out of the blue.
She just grinned with her dark eyes looking past his defenses and grabbed his hand to tug him away. After finding himself ditching classes to follow Casey through the Floo Network, he found himself walking down the streets of London.
It didn't take her long to find what she was looking for. It was an old run down mechanic shop with ruined shells of cars and machines toppled against each other in the back.
"I know you like cars, and working on them and stuff…" She said, but all of a sudden the happy confidence that usually gives her such a bounce in her step was gone from her. She looked up at Sirius to see if he was at all interested or if she'd just led him on a wild goose chase.
He was trying to find a way to tell her that he loved her for the effort but he didn't think any of these cars would keep his mind off of his family when he saw her. She had clearly been neglected, and beat up. But her frame was still strong and beautiful. He didn't even say anything but just ran to her and looked her over. His fingers trailing along the metal finding details that his eyes would miss.
"She's perfect!" He breathed. "With just a bit of work she'd be gorgeous."
"A motorcycle?" Casey laughed. "Well I guess that works too."
"Mother would kill me." He grinned up at his friend. Well, that just sealed the deal. The motorcycle was his.
Remus: Sixth year
Remus was reading but couldn't keep track of the words in the book. All he could think about was the warmth of Casey as she leaned on his side and studied for Potions class.
The others were sprawled out around them in various forms of studying. Or trying to at least. Sometimes it was difficult to ignore Sirius watching every girl that walked by, or how James was attacking his paper with doodles instead of the paper he was supposed to be writing for Transfiguration. Given, he knew that Remus would be done with it by the end of the night and then he could just copy his. James had always been good at paraphrasing so that it wouldn't look like he was cheating.
"Okay," Sirius snapped his book shut. Not that he had been reading it before. "I've got to meet Lucy Payne outside of her house." He gave them a grin that reeked of how proud he was.
"Be nice," Casey didn't even look up from her book. "Lucy's too sweet for you."
James just laughed. "Yeah Heartbreaker. She's too sweet for you, you should let me take it over from here."
" 'Cause you are so much better, Prongs" Peter grinned, his blue eyes sparkling.
"What are you going to do when your washed up and old, and can't smile your way into girl's hearts?" Remus laughed up at his handsome friend who was already making his way to the door.
"Probably marry, Casey." He grinned at the girl next to Remus. "She's the only girl who can stand me for long periods of time. Sorry, Mooney."
"As if I'd take you!" Casey frowned back at her best friend and leaned up to kiss Remus's cheek, "I'm happy here."
He didn't know if he'd ever felt happiness like the glowing warmth that she made him feel.
Sirius: Sixth Year
Dumbledore had called Peter into his office. Alone. He specifically told the other Marauders that their presence was not needed and heavily warned against it. They were to be allowed to see him after though.
No one looked at one another as the waited silently outside of the Headmaster's office. The entire Gryffindor was there. This was not the first time people had been asked to talk to the Headmaster. They came out with horror stories and tears.
"Poor Peter." Evans sighed to her friends. She looked pale at the very thought of what must be going on in there right now. James looked up from across the corridor but didn't have the heart to say anything back to the red haired beauty.
Casey left Mary's side and went to Sirius. He opened his arms without even looking at her. She was so little in his arms, so fragile. She had always been the one to laugh in the face of angst and pain. She'd tilt her head back and let out that wild laugh of hers and point out the good side in everything, in everyone. She had no words now.
When the door opened, Mr. Pettigrew was the first to leave. The jolly, rotund man looked like a ghost of his former self. His skin had a pale, unhealthy sheen to it and his face a starved looked behind the plump skin. He turned to his son who followed listlessly behind him and hugged him close. Without a word he left Peter to his friend.
It wasn't his red rimmed eyes or his blotchy skin that pained the Marauders and other kids. It was that the sparkle in Peter's blue eyes was gone. Extinguished.
"It was me mum," His voice was soft and distant when he finally brought himself to talk. "She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, my sisters were with her. They were only six and ten. They were so little."
He didn't look at anyone, kept his eyes on the floor when he spoke those words. Morbid images capered in their mind's eyes of the destroyed buildings and the Dark Mark floating eerily above.
"Petey," Casey was the first one to rush from Sirius's arms and envelope Peter in her own. The others were just a step behind, as if she'd broken some spell holding them back from the mourning boy.
He couldn't hold it in anymore as the tears burst from his eyes and he clung to Casey like she was his only life line. Sirius's blood ran cold at the sight.
The Dark Lord is rising with a grand army at his back. She had said. This is what she means. This is what her deeds will reap. Even if she hadn't done it herself, she'll do something like it in the name of her revolution. Sirius was not easily upset. He had grown up with Black composure and it rarely failed him. When his friends were concerned, though, his hackles rose and all he wanted to do is show his bared teeth at the ones who hurt his friends. They were the most important people in his life, and he didn't abide their pain.
Sirius would do anything to get the sparkle back in Peter's eyes. If only he could. What would happen if the sparkle was gone forever?
Remus: Seventh Year
It was Christmas of their last year. Mrs. and Mr. Potter had invited them for one last school break. All of them this time. The Marauder's and the girlfriends: Casey, Lily Evans, and Mary Macdonald. Only Sirius was without a girl to bring home, None could beat Mrs. Potter for his affections. He had told the older woman with a wink. She had waved him away with a chuckle and warned him not to be to smarmy, it was only attractive in the young and he was getting to be an adult.
Remus could see the real affection Sirius had for the older woman, though. She had been the one to open her home and heart to the runaway when he had finally left Grimmauld Place. She was getting on in years now; James had been her miracle baby, born late in life. And now the two dark haired boys fought like little children for who would assist her.
There was only one girl for Remus, though. And she was a fair bit younger than Mrs. Potter. He still couldn't believe that Casey had been with him for two years now. Everyday he loved her more. Even their fights brought them closer, and fight they did.
Remus was generally a mild mannered person who rarely rose his voice, but something about this girl stirred his blood until he was a person he barely recognized. He shut his eyes against the memory of their last fight, the words were lost but he still remembered her throwing anything in reach at him, and a couple of things that weren't in reach were magically flung in his direction too. Nothing actually hit him but some got pretty close. The memory lightened as he remembered the recovery. Sirius had told her that he'd gone up to the tower where she had first shown him what adventure was. When he saw her standing contritely in the doorway, her big drowning eyes threatening to engulf him even from across the room.
I'm sorry, baby. She had whispered. There was no other noise in the room and so he heard her clearly. I love you.
He couldn't help himself, he ran to her with wild apologizes trailing behind him. The night had been a sleepless night of rejoice that the two could work out their problems.
These were not memories to be thinking about in front of the parents of one of your best mate's though. Memories like those tended to leaving burning evidence across Remus's cheeks.
"Go on, I don't want to see you before dinner!" Mrs. Potter was ushering the group of adolescents out of the house like a flock of geese.
"Where are we going?" Remus asked the girl by his side.
"Where have you been." She grinned that endearing crooked grin at him. "Professor Dumbledore's offered to have us for tea so that the Potter's could have a break." She squeezed his hand and danced up to James.
"So how long have you known Dumbledore?" She asked grabbing James's free hand. The other was busy entwined with Lily's.
"All my life," He grinned. "He'd be my sometimes babysitter, if you'd believe it. Though apparently he was never keen on the idea."
"Ahh, come in, come in!" Dumbledore hailed them from a rather modest looking house on the corner. "The tea's just ready. This is Bathilda Bagshot, she knows just as much about all of you as I do. She has an uncanny ability to get people to talk."
The witch before them was a motherly looking figure who embraces James fondly and shook each of their hands while taking them in with perceptive beady eyes behind large framed glasses.
It was very bizarre to see the austere Headmaster of Hogwarts puttering around a kitchen preparing tea. His blue eyes twinkled behind his half moon glasses as he poured them steaming cups of dark tea, "Lemon sherbet, anyone?" He offered.
Casey and James were the only ones to take him up on the offer. When he settled on the couch beside Lily and Sirius he smiled indulgently at the group.
"You really are a remarkable group. Troublesome, but remarkable," His eyes twinkled as he sipped at his tea, "You have been a most amusing group to watch grow over the years. The dynamics between you have been ever changing and difficult to predict."
"You predict our futures, Dumbley-dor?" James grinned. "What am I going to do with my life?"
"Hopefully much," Dumbledore gave James a smile. "I want to see many little troublemakers running around Godric Hollow. Maybe some with red hair?" He winked at Lily who blushed becomingly and looked at James with beguiling green eyes.
"I was surprised at the love between Ms. Meadows and Mr. Lupin, though." Bathilda grinned at the pair who sat across from her. Casey's hand found Remus's almost unconsciously. "I didn't realize how compatible you two were until Albus caught you in a compromising situation in the empty Charms classroom, he was laughing hard when he told me about that one. I always assumed that Mr. Black was the man for you. You've been caught in his bed plenty of times, am I right Ms. Meadows?"
Casey laughed at how informed and direct this old gossip was, "Nothing happened in Sirius's bed, I swear! We're just old, old friends who don't like to sleep alone. I still sleep there. My heart's clearly with Mr. Lupin."
"Please don't tell me these things, Ms. Meadows." Dumbeldore covered his ears, "I have to return to being your Headmaster at the end of the vacation, and that does involve keeping you out of Mr. Black's bed."
"Well that's okay," She grinned up at the Headmaster, "I've got another bed to go to now!"
He kept his hands securely over his ears but she had won a smile from the Headmaster.
Remus's cheeks burned at the flow of conversation. This was the man who once inspired awe and fear into a timid eleven year old; the man who gave him every opportunity in the world just by allowing a monster into his school. He never imagined having his love life be explained to this man. Luckily the topic quickly changed to baby stories of James.
".. Little tyke careening down these muggle inhabited streets on a broom that could barely lift off the ground, he must have been adding a bit of magical spurt to that broom because no matter how fast his parents ran they couldn't catch the laughing baby. Flew right into my daffodils. They've never been the same!" Dumbledore was leaving the others in stitches and James yelling at him to stop soon enough.
As they were leaving, Casey danced up to the Headmaster with a carefully wrapped present in her hand.
"Merry Christmas, Professor!" She grinned and then turned to Bathilda Bagshot with contrition in her deep eyes, "I didn't know you'd be here, Mrs. Bagshot. I didn't bring you anything, but if you are around I would love to give you something by the end of the vacation. You seem like a real character, I like you!"
"Mum's sending over our gift, Dumbley-dor," James hollered from the door, "Don't let her show me up! I'm still your favorite, right?"
"I have no favorites, Mr. Potter." Dumbledore winked at the grinning boy with his arm wrapped around Lily's shoulders. "You shouldn't have, Dorcas."
"It was nothing!" She grinned up at him as he unwrapped a sturdy pair of socks.
"Socks?" He laughed.
"I thought you'd get all sorts of scholarly stuff," She laughed with him, "But everyone needs a good pair of socks in these cold months. Even brilliant people like you, Professor."
His eyes twinkled at her but she didn't even see as she was already rushing to Remus's side and dancing off with her friends.