A/N: Here's another chapter! I meant to have it out some time ago, but well, this month has been crazy. Several important birthday's, a vacation, and super bad luck. Like, as an example, I had to make a window for my car out of plastic wrap and duck-tape, in the rain. However, it has been completed! I hope you all enjoy it, I had to re-write a rather large chunk because I somehow forgot a plot point that had already happened. Loophole won't be up for another few hours, that chapter has been giving me some issues lately (hopefully not too much longer, I do have to be up at 4 a.m for work).

Enjoy!

Chapter 11- Off-set

To be honest, this trip was taking longer than Lily expected it to. Oh, she wasn't lost. After spending seven years here and marrying a Marauder, it was nigh unto impossible to get lost in the castle. Rather, this was the first chance she had to enjoy being back in her second home. Yes, they had spent the night and day previous in the castle, but that was all either in their quarters, Dumbledore's office, or the Hospital Wing. This was the first chance she had to wander, to take long, twisting routes to her destination. It was late, so the only thing Lily really had to worry about was running into any patrolling teachers. Albus may have told Minerva, but somehow Lily doubted any others knew already.

Humming to herself, Lily turned down another corridor, finally making progress on her way to the kitchens. However, when she finally neared her destination, Lily realized there was a teacher waiting for the late-night wanderers to the kitchen. Strangely feeling as if she was back in school, Lily cursed under her breath and extinguished the light coming from her wand, hoping she had not just lost the bet. Unfortunately, it seemed to be too late, as she heard someone drawl (in a rather menacing voice);

"Whoever decided that they are above the rules may as well come out. If I am required to chase you down, you may find the punishment less than… pleasant."

Lily knew that voice. How did she know that voice…? It wasn't any of her old teachers, and it certainly wasn't someone she has seen since her return… that means it could only be one person.

Stepping out of the shadows, Lily places a smile on her face and says, "Hello Sev. It's been awhile."

Many emotions seem to rapidly flit across his face before they were locked behind impenetrable Occlumency barriers. Lily started at the sight. Although their friendship ended before sixth year, it was still a shock to see someone she used to know so well hide themselves from her. After the incident at the end of their fifth year they didn't really talk, but it was still easy to read his emotions. Going from that to a completely unreadable face was a little unnerving.

"Should I assume that you already know of our return?"

"Indeed… I had the misfortune of running across Potter in the Headmaster's office."

"You saw James?" Lily questioned, wondering why her husband did not mention such a thing.

"If you wish to call him that, then yes. Although he seemed rather… pre-occupied, at the time."

"Discovering the person who betrayed you to Voldemort does tend to have that effect…"

"Only on those with minds too small to divide their concentration would suffer such an effect… Potter seems to still have difficulties focusing on one thing at a time, let alone two."

Lily's eyebrow arched rather impressively in response to that statement. She had been hoping time and, well, death, would mellow her once friend out in relation to her husband. It seemed as if she was mistaken. "Over a decade and you still feel the need to insult my husband at every opportunity?"

A sneer that had only ever been targeted at the Marauder's found a new victim. "One does relinquish a chance to showcase the extreme faults of someone who made their adolescence unbearable."

"Over a decade though. You have to move on sometime."

"Oh, I plan to. Now excuse me. I must go see the Headmaster about some rather… sensitive information. Do see that you do not bring the castle down in my absence."

Before Lily could fully register what was said, his wand light was extinguished and he had disappeared around the corridor.

Feeling both distinctly annoyed and slightly shocked, Lily tickled the pear on the portrait to the kitchen, suddenly realizing she would have to explain how she lost the bet to her husband, and lamenting what that meant for his ego.

~OSAL~OSAL~OSAL~

James was in a slight pickle. Lily had left to go get food for them all, and hopefully, lose a bet. In the meantime, he was stuck with the task of trying to get to know a suddenly eleven-year-old son, and stopping his friends from saying anything too embarrassing in the process. It can only be so difficult though, right?

Unfortunately for him, Sirius seemed to have his Gryffindor courage when it came to talking to Harry.

"So, Harry, what's your favorite subject in school?"

Harry looked thoughtful before jumping up from his bed and planting himself at the end of Sirius bed. "Well, I suppose probably Charms. Defense is cool, but with all of Quirrell's stuttering, we didn't really learn a lot. It was mostly homework assignments and reading out of the book. Books are Hermione's thing, not mine."

"What's she like?" James asked, feeling curious about his son's friends.

"Well, she's super smart. She knows spells way beyond our grade level, and her definition of light reading is a two-foot thick tome. She's super stubborn, but she has an immense respect for teachers and authority…" pausing, Harry seemed to think for a few minutes. "As much as she respects and trusts authority, she is willing to bend or even break rules. She's also a really good listener, and cares a lot about people."

Remus smiled, it sounds like Harry had managed to pick some good friends. "She sounds amazing Harry. What about Ron?"

Harry smiled slightly, "Well, he's really funny. He doesn't come off as the smartest person, but he's more intelligent than a lot of people give him credit for. He's really good at chess. Ron doesn't enjoy school, but he enjoys magic. He has a pretty large family."

James smiled at that. While meeting the Weasley's was somewhat dampened by discovering the rat, he does remember enjoying the twins banter and the interaction between the brother's. "We met some of his brother's earlier, before you woke up."

"Really?" Harry exclaims, surprise showing on his face.

Remus nods. "There was quite the little gathering in here, before things got a bit… Crazy?"

Harry glances between all three men, curiosity shining in his eyes. Harry can tell all three men are nervous and upset about something, and not likely to answer all of his questions. Before he can decide whether or not to ask despite that fact, his father interrupts the tense silence that had overtaken the group.

"How did you become friends with Ron and Hermione?"

Harry winces internally. Ron and him had simply met on the train to school, but Hermione… He wasn't sure if his Dad was quite ready for that story.

"Well… Ron and I met on the train to school. We bonded over food, and he told me more about the Wizarding world. Hermione did not really get on with us until Halloween."

"Really?" James questions, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"We thought she was just a bossy know-it-all. Ron made her upset, and we went to find her and sorted things out."

Harry felt tense, hoping his father fell for the explanation. While technically not a lie, there was a troll sized hole in the story. A hole he hopes his father, godfather, and honorary uncle completely miss.

Sirius raised an eyebrow at his godson's explanation. That was a little too simple of an answer for what sounded like possibly several months of disagreement with someone. Sirius remembers when Lily finally started to accept him as a friend, and it was several weeks of interesting things happening before they could solidly be called friends. As much as he may want the full story, it is obvious Harry doesn't feel comfortable telling them. While he would like to push, they have only technically been re-united for a few hours now. The last thing Sirius wants is for Harry to feel uncomfortable around him. So, ruffling his hair, Sirius changes the subject. "What about Quidditch? Do you like it?"

Harry's face lights up, and Sirius just knows he hit the right topic of conversation. "I love it! Really it was just flying in general at first, but then the longer I am on the team, the more I enjoy the sport itself. Although I doubt I will ever have the same level of dedication as my captain."

"Whoa, whoa, wait. How are you on the team? First years aren't allowed." James questioned, his face a mask of confusion with Remus and Sirius not looking much better off.

"Well, McGonagall put me on it. After my first flying lesson, I thought I was going to be in so much trouble, but she just took me to the captain and told him she had found him a seeker. Granted, I was still confused because I didn't really know that much about quidditch, but it worked out."

"Cub, back up a bit. Explain how you got on the team exactly." Remus replied, hoping to get the actual story at some point.

"Oh, yah. So, we were at our first flying lesson, and Neville Longbottom, he's in Gryffindor with me, his broom just takes off with him on it. Anyways, he ends up falling off and Madam Hooch has to take him to the Hospital Wing. She tells us to stay where we are and leaves. Well Malfoy realizes that Neville had dropped the Rememberall that his grandmother had sent him just that morning. I tell him to put it down, but he gets on his broom and tells me to come and get it. Well, anyways, I did go after him, but he threw the Rememberall, so I dived on my broom to catch it. I managed to, but McGonagall saw me. The rest you already know."

All three men stare at him, mouths hanging open.

"Blimey James," Sirius whispers, "and I thought we were good."

"I know," James says back, awe coloring his voice. "Harry, you must be the youngest seeker for quite some time."

"A century," Harry mumbles, sounding slightly embarrassed and his face heating up at the attention he is receiving.

Suddenly, Remus bursts out laughing. The others turn to him, completely bewildered.

"What?" Harry asks, feeling defensive.

"Sorry Harry, I'm not laughing at you. Just, James and Sirius always thought they were the best possible Quidditch players out there during school. I used to commentate on their matches, and it was always fun taking jabs at their ego. It is just brilliant that you obviously surpass their talent levels from the first time on a broom. One of my dreams from school has finally come true," he finished, wiping away a fake tear.

"Well," Sirius began, "I have to say I am proud of our pup for being so much better than us. However, no one will ever outclass us as pranksters."

Harry snorted, he very much doubted that statement. After living in the castle with Fred and George for a year, it was hard to imagine someone surpassing them.

"You doubt our abilities?" James sounded scandalized at the very thought.

"No offense, but Fred and George are probably the worst pranksters Hogwarts has ever seen."

"Oh yah?" James challenged.

Harry nods, but then looks on warily as all three men, even Remus, have an almost predatory look in their eyes, ready to defend the Marauder title.

~OSAL~OSAL~OSAL~

It was to loud laughter and an annoyed Medi-Witch that Lily returned. All four of her favorite boys were clutching their sides, tears of laughter rolling down their faces. After everything that happened, it was a relief to see them all enjoying themselves, even if only for the time being. Carefully setting packed basket of food on Sirius' bedside table, Lily looked at them all questioningly, waiting for an answer.

Remus was, unsurprisingly, the first to get ahold of himself. Looking to Lily, he simply said "Marauder pride."

Fortunately, that was enough for Lily to figure out what must have occurred while she was gone. Somehow, Harry had wondered about their competence as pranksters, which lead to stories of their best pranks in order to prove him incorrect. Lily had seen this happen a few times, mainly between the Marauder's and the Prewett twins.

"Boy's, food is here"

All of them react to that, reaching for the basket of food next to Sirius.

"Wait, Lilykins, you're back! How did the trip go?" James inquired of his wife.

"I may have potentially encountered a teacher, Snape to be exact."

While Harry scrunched his nose in disgust, James and Sirius whooped with joy and Remus just chuckled fondly at the pair.

After they were finally done celebrating, James turned to Harry. "So, Harry, how would you like to become an Animagus?"

This only served to earn him a ferocious glare from his wife, and a slap to the back of his head.

A/N: Wow! There are so many of you! Over 100 favorites and almost 170 follows! That's so amazing! Thank you guys so much!

Remember, PLEASE REVIEW!

You are all so epically amazing, everyone take a slice of virtual cake, and the cookies you are all owed (I would say cookies again, but it's my birthday, so everyone gets cake instead).