Hi everybody, I know you've been waiting an extremely long time for this. If you read my other fics then you already know why...If you don't, well then it's a good reason to check them out isn't it? A hundred times sorry...

Anyway, I'd rather not moan on about the tragedy of life.

Instead, I think we should we just get on with it!

IMPORTANT (SORT OF) AN-

I've written about the village of Potter's Bar (I mentioned it before, were you paying attention?) in this chapter and hardly anything I've written is factual. So, if you are from that village don't be offended, or anything, by my nonsense, I'm just having fun writing a story , like any other poor fool...

Er...that's it then.

Chapter 9

A Night with Friends

The small village of Potter's Bar was home to a close knit society. Everyone knew almost everything about everybody else and conversations usually revolved around the daily goings on in the usually quiet, peaceful village. In Potter's Bar there was really only one mystery and that was of the Great House which had stood, proud and stately since anyone could remember, on the hill overlooking the village.

There had always been people living there of course. A family called 'Potter'. It was rumored that they had lived there since the founding of the village and that the village was even named after them, but most people thought that such talk was nonsense. After all, surely if all that were true the Potter's would show up every now and then in the village, people would know them better, they would be members of the community.

But the Potter's had always stayed well enough away. Oh people saw them, occasionally, but they were always quick to get away from any conversation that might be started up, it was sometimes almost as though they disappeared. In fact, for almost nine years, they really did disappear, atleast no one saw them, and the house went vacant. Then, out of the blue, a young couple and their son turned up and moved right into the manor as though nothing had happened. These 'new Potters' were just as mysterious as the old ones, hardly ever coming down to the village and avoiding conversation with everyone.

However, the Potters did sometimes visit the village and it came to be that a cold September's night found them, and a couple of their equally odd friends, seated around a table in village pub, The Green Man. Of course most of the village turned up to spy at them, some of them even plucked up the courage to try and talk to them, but for some reason everytime someone got close they would turn back giving the excuse that they'd forgotten something at home or that they suddenly felt ravenously hungry. Those that attempted to listen in on the strange group's conversation found that no matter how they strained their ears, all they could hear was a muffled hum.

Almost unaware of the surrounding muggles' scrutiny James and Lily Potter enjoyed a celebratory drink with their friends Remus and Sirius.

"To my godson, Harry Potter!" Sirius exclaimed loudly, already feeling the effects of one beer too many, "The youngest seeker in a...in a..."

"Century, Sirius," Remus reminded him amusedly, "He's the youngest seeker in a century."

"Right, right," Sirius said waving Remus's reminder away, "To Harry Potter!"

"To Harry!" The others cheered and they all clunked their pints together.

"You'll be getting him the Nimbus of course," Sirius said matter of factly as chugged down the last of his beer, "As far as I'm concerned the lad has earned a lifetime of them!"

"Actually Padfoot, we've already got him it," James said, "we were going to give it to him for his birthday..."

"But after his flying mishap we decided against it," Lily finished, "it would've been torture for him, having it and not being able to fly."

"Oh!" Sirius said wide eyed, "See now, tha's diabolical...tha's why I'll never have kids. I'd never think o' that one."

"I keep telling you Sirius," Lily said quickly, "one day you'll find the right girl and then you'll know I was right all along! You know...I've been in touch with a few of my old school friends lately and-"

"No, stop right there Lils," Sirius said and though his tone was serious he gave her a cheeky smirk, "there's a saying I live by, what is it now? It's a muggle one...Oh right, 'Don't buy the cow if you get the milk for free'. Never a truer word has been spoken!"

"That's disgusting!' Lily scolded, "James tell him-"

"Oh Lily let the man have his fun," James laughed but hurriedly added, "not everyone can be as lucky as I am after all, to have found such a beautiful wife so early and.."

"James, that's quite enough," Lily said smiling as she cut her babbling husband off. He too had had just a bit too much to drink.

"Remus, how's it going with the job hunting?" Lily asked the only other sober member of their party.

"Oh, it's been fine, I suppose," Remus said with a tired smile, "No one's written me back as yet, though that might have to do with the fact that I hand them a certificate of my Werewolf status after every interview."

"It's just so unfair," Lily said angrily shaking her head, "You are just as qualified as anyone, why should that even matter!"

"Truthfully I don't blame them," Remus said fairly, "if I had a choice between a completely normal man and one who turned into a monster once a month, well I think I might just veer on the side of caution."

"It's all bloody discrimination Moony!" Sirius chimed in loudly, swinging an arm around his friend's shoulders, "Don't you buy into it!"

"Ah, not to worry Padfoot," Remus said smiling even as he gingerly removed Sirius' arm, "I'm sure something'll come along eventually. Don't you worry about me either Lily," He added when he saw that she still looked upset, "I'll be fine and you've got Harry to think about, him and his first Quidditch match."

"Oh don't remind me!" Lily groaned, "You know, as proud as I am of him, I still had the strongest urge to go down to Hogwarts and give him a bit of a telling off for going off on that broom in the first place! Imagine what could've happened if he'd misjudged a dive like that!"

"But he didn't Lily," James said teasingly, "He's inherited his Dad's talent on the Quidditch pitch!"

"He's better that you James," Remus teased.

"Yeah Prongs," Sirius chuckled, "even you didn't make the team first year!"

"Oh don't joke about this you three," Lily said worriedly, "when I think about all the injuries James always ended up with-"

"Not that you ever bothered much at the time..." Sirius muttered so that Lily couldn't hear.

"-I just can't stand it," Lily continued, "He'll be the youngest player in the air, and he really is quite small, and-"

"Lily calm down," James soothed, "He'll be fine, remember Madam Pomfrey can sort out practically anything...not that anything will happen!" He added swiftly when he caught her panicked expression, "but he's at Hogwarts, Dumbledore will keep an eye on him, not to mention McGonagall."

"You know, I really think she loved us, underneath it all," Sirius commented as he eyed a group of busty blondes across the room.

"I know she did," Lily said rolling her eyes, "You all really were exceptionally brilliant in her class. I used to be so jealous of you Marauders, it was the only class I couldn't catch up to you in."

"Oh really love?" James said smirking, "I think this is the first time you've ever admitted this."

"Give her some more beer James," Sirius prompted, "She's spilling her secrets!"

"Oh no!" Lily laughed, "that's quite enough for me, someone's got to get us home in one piece after all, speaking of which, I'm actually starting to feel quite tired."

"Oh yes, very tired," James agreed but a wicked gleam in his eye made his friends laugh and Lily blush.

"I think I'll head home too," Remus said, standing and sliding on his jacket, "What about you Padfoot?"

"Oh I think I'll stay for a while," Sirius said as a pretty young blonde winked at him from the bar.

James and Remus exchanged amused glances and Lily sighed exasperatedly.

"Will you ever grow up Sirius?"

"Hmm, maybe one day, but I'm not done having fun just yet so if you'll excuse me I'm off to dazzle those ladies over there with a few of my best 'magic tricks'."

"Some things never change," Remus commented as he left the pub with Lily and James.

"Some things just shouldn't," James replied contentedly.

Oh but they do James...they do...

Anyway, yes this is sort of a filler chapter. I wasn't going to post it like this at all. Atleast not until I written the other half of it (which is going to be with Harry at Hogwarts) but then I decided I'd gone long enough withough giving you guys something. So I hope you like it!

Any mistakes can be blamed on my busy life. Next chapter will be up whenever I next find time to write, which I'm sorry to say might not be for a little while.

Please review! Gives me inspiration to write more, honestly!

Until the next!