Sixth Year
"James, where have you been?" Harry asked the young marauder, who was climbing through the portrait hole, his arms behind his back.
"Nowhere, just walking." James kept his arms hidden behind his back, sitting down in an arm chair.
"Alright, spill. What're you hiding?" Sirius said.
"Nothing. See?" He pulled his arms out, lifting them to show that nothing was there.
"Very funny, James. It's obvious there's something still behind your back," Remus said.
"What is it?" Peter asked.
"Nothing, Peter. Mind your own business," James snapped.
"Accio!" Harry said, aiming his wand in the space between James' back and the back of the chair. James shot his arms back, grabbing whatever it was and holding it down. "Fine, you win."
"Hey, Harry." Harry turned to find Lily Evans and Alice Prewett standing behind them.
"Hey, Evans, Prewett. Something wrong?"
"No, actually. It's just that, you lot seem to get along well with Longbottom, and as you know, Alice likes him, and he likes Alice. But, the thing is, he's been acting distant," Lily replied.
Harry lied back on the couch and laughed. "He's a nervous wreck."
"Why's he nervous?" Alice asked.
"Really? Don't you know how much he likes you? But he's shy, introverted, and he doesn't know how to talk to girls nearly as well as I do," Harry smirked when Sirius punched him in the arm.
"So you're saying he's avoiding me because he's scared?" Alice asked.
"See, Ali? I told you it was nothing to worry about," Lily said.
Harry closed his eyes, and then he heard Lily speak directly to him.
"Thank you, Harry. I'm sorry to have bothered you. See you later, Remus, Peter. Bye Black, bye Potter."
"So you lot are on a first name basis with her, but Sirius and I are reduced to Black and Potter?!" James asked indignantly.
"It's not like I do anything to deserve it. I try so hard not to get involved, you know that, James." Harry sat up and turned to his brother. "I'm not interested in her, even if I was, I know that you liked her first, and I know my boundaries. I don't open up to her, and I always tell you when she talks to me."
"I know, I know. But why does she like you more than me? We're twins, for crying out loud!" James ran his hand through his hair.
"It'll happen in due time, Jamie. You have to be patient. And maybe if you learned how to act more humble, it would work out better for you," Harry said. "I noticed that that's what seems to push her away from you. Remember what she did to Sirius when he tried to get Alice to go to Hogsmeade with him? He was acting cocky. That's why she did that."
"Put that same spell on me then! It'll help me learn!"
"If you insist," Harry said, amused, as he lifted his wand up to his brother. "Acetus Inanis."
In The Library
Harry sat at a table in the back, books everywhere. He wasn't really interested in anything that he was reading, but he hoped that he'd be able to find something useful in helping Dumbledore save James. He turned pages, skimming through and double checking everything. He heard things in the background, like someone sneezing, someone putting a book back on the shelf, another person dragging their feet. But he chose to reduce it to just what it was: background noise.
"What are you reading?" He looked up just as Lily Evans sat down across from him. He shut his book immediately, pretending he was startled.
"Oh, um, nothing. Just studying, I guess." Harry began to close and stack the other books, and Lily picked one of them up.
"Dissecting the Properties of a Time-Turner? We learned about time turners in fourth year, why are you studying them now?" Lily asked.
Harry gently took the book from her, and began placing them back in their appropriate places on the shelves. Lily came beside him, with a few books in her arm, helping him.
"It was interesting," Harry replied. "I was curious."
"Is that something you'd like to do when you graduate? Study time travel?" She questioned.
"No, not really. I'd like to become an auror, actually."
"That's a very interesting choice, but also very dangerous. I suppose the aurors could use someone with knowledge of a time turner though," she smirked. "You never know what crimes could be associated with one."
"Yeah," He responded half heartedly.
"Listen, Harry, I was wondering if you'd maybe like to-"
"Oi! Harry hurry up, we're going to be late!" Harry and Lily both turned to see Sirius walking over.
"Sorry, Evans, I have to go," Harry said to Lily. He walked in Sirius' direction ignoring the hurt look on Lily Evans' face.
When they were out of earshot, Sirius muttered to Harry. "What was that?"
"I keep trying to tell you guys, I don't know how to get her off my case, but I think she fancies me, and this isn't how it's supposed to be." Harry walked, his eyes looking straight forward.
"You're going to tell James about this, right?"
"Obviously. We need to think of something to get her to lose interest in me."
"Why not try acting extra cocky?" Sirius suggested as they climbed the stairs to get to the third floor.
"It won't work. She'll know I'm only trying to get her to lose interest, and then she'll try harder. She's stubborn."
"Well we've gotta think of something, and fast," Sirius said as they gave the portrait the Gryffindor password and climbed through the opening.
"Oi, James!" Harry called. James was sitting by the fire, his back facing the entry to the common room. He was hunched over something that they couldn't see.
"Delitesco," Harry heard James mutter. He knew then that James was definitely hiding something, but he chose to ignore it as James turned to acknowledge them. "What is it?"
"We've got a huge problem, Mate," Sirius said.
"It's not huge. It's nothing we can't easily figure out," Harry said.
"What is it?" James repeated more intensely.
"Lily's got it bad for Harry!" Sirius blurted out. Harry punched him hard in the arm and opened his mouth to speak before James had time to get mad.
"She keeps trying to ask me out or something and every time it's happened I've been saved by something or someone, but I don't know how long I can keep it up!"
"You have to get her to stop liking you! Make her like me!" James whined.
"I can't make her like you, I can find a way to get her to stop liking me, but how?" Harry said.
"I don't know, find another girl!"
"No way! I'm not going into that! No relationships! I don't need a girl on my arm telling me what to do and what not to do!"
"Then find a boy!"
"WHAT? YOU'RE MAD!" Harry yelled.
"It doesn't have to be a real boyfriend or anything. You don't even need to find a fake one! Just make her think you like boys!" James said.
"It's not a bad idea, Mate. You don't even have to tell her you're gay, just pretend you're concerned with a particular boy, and she'll back off." Sirius was playing with his almost shoulder length hair.
Harry smiled deviously. "Then how about you be my lap dog, Sirius."
"What? But what about my reputation with all the girls?"
"Oh come off it, you can like both girls and boys. Besides, I highly doubt you'd ever have a problem with it," Harry said.
"Oh alright. Fine."
The Common Room
Harry sat on the couch in front of the fire reading a book. James was sprawled across the floor and Remus leaned up against the couch reading a book of his own. Peter was eating some of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. Sirius, however was nowhere to be found.
"Hello, Harry," Lily said. Just as she almost finished her sentence, Harry spoke.
"Has anyone seen Sirius?"
"Oh, um, well, no," Lily said. "But anyways, I was wondering if you might want to-"
"Sirius! Where have you been?" James shouted over across the room. Sirius was just entering to the common room.
"Oh, hello. Sorry, I was being reprimanded by Minnie." He strode over to the couch and stretched across the whole of it, his head landing on Harry's thigh.
"What did you do this time?" Lily asked.
"Nothing!" Sirius said indignantly.
"Anyways, Harry, I was just wanting to ask you if-"
"Sirius, why are you sweaty?" Peter asked. "Oh, sorry Lily, I didn't mean to interrupt you I just-"
"No, I'll just go now. I'll talk to you later, Harry." Lily snapped and walked away.
Harry laughed at Sirius' sweaty face as Sirius huffed and began to talk. "I had to run back to the common room. McGonagall threatened that if I wasn't in the common room in the next three minutes, she would take two hundred points from Gryffindor. I was all the way on the other side of the castle!"
"What did you do, Sirius?" Harry asked.
"I said, I didn't do anything!" Sirius crossed his arms indignantly and let out a huff.
"Okay," James said with a teasing tone.
The Great Hall
Harry and James sat side by side, with Remus and Peter sitting across them at the Gryffindor table. Harry was putting food onto James' plate, and James was doing the same with Harry's as was their routine ever since their first year. They poured each other's drinks and then began to eat their food. Sirius came into the hall a few moments later, his hair a mess and his eyes showing how tired he was.
"Did you just wake up?" Harry asked him as he sat down beside him.
"Yeah. Rough night."
"Hey, mate. Eat quickly, it's almost time for quidditch!" James said.
"Oh yeah, I forgot," Sirius said, piling food onto his plate. "Harry, why'd you have to quit on us? It's not the same without you."
"I just didn't want to do it anymore." Harry squirmed in his seat, cringing at the lie. In truth, he had really missed playing quidditch. It was the attention he didn't like. He was worried if he drew too much attention to himself, he'd make a mistake that could greatly impact the future.
"But it's quidditch!" James whined.
"I know, and I still love quidditch, but I don't want to play for the team anymore." Harry was eating his food, watching as James and Sirius both shoved food in their mouths and then stood.
"Maybe next year? Please?" Sirius begged.
"Maybe," Harry replied as Sirius clapped him on the back and then ran off after James.
"Harry, Lily's about to come over here," Remus whispered. Before he finished his sentence, Harry stood abruptly.
"I'm going to go use the restroom really quickly, and then I'll save us seats at the pitch," Harry said. He turned to begin jogging away, and muttered a quick 'hello Lily' on his way without a second glance.
The Quidditch Pitch
Harry arrived slightly earlier, and saw that the teams were flying laps around the pitch to warm up. He made his way to the Gryffindor stands and took a seat at the front. The players zoomed by on their brooms and Harry watched them avidly.
Students began filing into the stands and Remus sat beside Harry at the front. Frank Longbottom sat on his other side and soon Lily and her friends were sitting behind the boys.
"Do you think we'll win again?" Peter asked Remus.
"Of course we'll win, James and Sirius are on the team, for crying out loud. Do you really think that they'd allow us to lose?" Harry replied before Remus could open his mouth to speak.
"Hey it's starting," Remus said. And there it was, Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the game began. Sirius darted around on his broom with the beaters' bat in hand. When he flew close enough to the gryffindor stands, he winked over at Harry and then hit the bludger right over to the opposing team. It hit a chaser squarely in the stomach, and said chaser flew backward a few feet before vomiting in the middle of the field. It was a disgusting sight.
Harry watched Sirius and his brother closely - mostly keeping his eye on Sirius - until the game ended and Gryffindor won two hundred to fifty.
Winter Holidays
Harry and James sat in the floo room, working on the last adjustments of their potion. Remus had already worked out most of the kinks for them, but it did take longer than they had hoped for. Remus was at home with his own family right now having left Potter manor the day before, and Peter's mum wouldn't let him come at all. Sirius had been with them until the day before Remus left. He hadn't planned on leaving them, but Sirius' mother sent an owl, ordering him to come home straight away. He couldn't refuse.
So now, it was just James and Harry, and their dad occasionally. The twins' mother had already gone off to bed by now, as it was getting pretty late in the evening.
Fleamont Potter had just stepped out of the room once again when the floo sputtered to life. At first, all they saw were green flames. And for a while, it was nothing but small green flames. But finally, the small green flames grew bigger and suddenly there was a bloodied body lying face down on their carpet.
Once they realized what had just happened, Harry and James jumped up and ran to the heap slumped into the carpet and did their best to turn the body over. When they saw who it was, they both went wide eyed and simultaneously called for the house elves.
Bucky and Becky appeared with a pop and squeaked at the horrible scene before them. James shushed them and whispered directions.
"Bucky, get Dad. Becky stay here and help us with him." At that point Harry had already gotten his wand out, but just before he did anything, he realized the mistake put it back in his pocket before James noticed. Or at least, he didn't think James had noticed. Considering James' best friend was lying on their carpet, gasping for breath and bleeding everywhere, Harry wouldn't have thought his brother would notice his slip-up. Bucky disapparated and Becky kneeled before Sirius, examining the cuts and slices on his skin.
"What on Earth happened?" Fleamont Potter was rushing over to them with his wand out and he leaned over Sirius' head. There were quite a few open gashes on his head that were still bleeding profusely. The pepper haired man used some quick healing spells to close them up and he cleaned off the blood. He moved on to the other wounded areas, working quickly to stop the bleeding and close the open gashes. Becky cleaned them as he continued his healing, and Harry and James just watched with wide-eyed and worried expressions.
Fleamont moved as quickly as possible, working on the bigger wounds first. He was almost finished sealing one of the lacerations when the seizing started. He stopped everything he was doing and turned to look down at Sirius' head. His mouth was dripping with blood and drool and his eyes were halfway open now. He was spluttering and coughing like mad, and Harry and James turned away, gripping each other tightly.
"Harry, go get some blood replenishing potion. James, get the Antidote to Common Poisons and the burn-healing paste." Fleamont instructed Becky and Bucky to keep Sirius still while he worked on more of the lacerations. He pulled Sirius' shirt up to make sure there were no more injuries hidden by his clothing. Then he saw the bruises. There were bruises and burns scattered all over Sirius' stomach and chest. Fleamont had to cut his shirt off of him.
That was when his eyes fell on the skin of Sirius' left forearm. There was a dark black blob formed there. It would seem that Somebody had tried to force Sirius into becoming a Death Eater.
The twins came back with the supplies requested by their father, and he made quick work with it. Sirius was awake enough now that when Fleamont Potter helped him into a sitting position, leaning him against the shelf nearby, he was able to open his mouth and swallow the foul potions he had been given. The seizing had stopped as well as the bleeding from the mouth. Fleamont took the burn-healing paste and began spreading it over the blistering burns scattered about Sirius' skin.
When he was finished, Fleamont carefully picked Sirius up and brought him to Harry's room. He set him down in Harry's bed, and that's when Sirius broke. He began bawling and wailing and Fleamont looked properly taken aback for just a moment, but he then collected himself and turned to Becky who had followed him.
"Get a calming draught, and dreamless sleep. Maybe a draught of peace as well."
Becky disapparated and apparated back in record time. Her hands held three vials of potions, and Fleamont thanked her for her hard work. He took to unscrewing the corked lids off of the potions and gave them to Sirius, who took them without complaint. Eventually, his wailing stopped and was replaced by quiet snoring.
The Night Before The Full Moon
Harry, Remus, James, Sirius, and Peter all sat huddled in the common room. They were planning yet another full moon.
"Okay, so Remus is going to the hospital wing tomorrow morning, the rest of us will leave in pairs later tomorrow night, just before the moon rises." James was drawing this plan out, seeing as he was much more visually minded.
"Okay and who pairs with who?" Peter asked.
"Dogs with dogs," James said, trying to contain his laughter. Harry rolled his eyes and lightly punched his brother on the arm. James had added two horribly drawn dogs to the picture. He then charmed it so that the dogs were transforming from people into dogs and walking toward the whomping willow.
When they heard footfalls coming from the stairs, James muttered Delitesco, pointing his wand to the parchment he had drawn on. The parchment flew in between the pages of a textbook lying beside Harry. At the foot of the stairs, Lily Evans appeared.
"What are you five doing up so late?" She asked, making her way to their corner.
James pulled open a textbook he found sitting by Remus and then looked up and responded. "Trying to help Remus with his ancient runes homework."
"That's arithmancy, Potter, not runes." Lily frowned at him and crossed her arms in a pout.
"That too," James replied. Harry sniggered.
The Next Night
"Shhh, we have to stay quiet." Harry and Sirius were under the invisibility cloak. They had agreed that one group would go with the cloak and the other group would go with the newly finished map.
They made their way out to the grounds, where they transformed into their animagus forms and raced past the beating limbs of the whomping willow. Harry tucked the invisibility cloak into a nook in the tunnel and made his way down the dark path, sniffing around with his heightened senses.
Once they were all in the shrieking shack, they waited for Remus' transformation. They hated hearing his screams, and watching as he tore at his own skin from all of the pain, but they stayed with him, ready to distract him once the transformation was complete.
They would rough house and fight and chase each other around all night, playing and howling and charging. And once they got tired, they would all claim a corner of their own and curl up to sleep.
They would wake early the next morning, before Madam Pomfrey returned to collect Remus, and they would leave from the tunnel and race along the edges of the forbidden forest until they were on the other side of the castle, where they would sneak in and transform once again, heading for the great hall.
There at the great hall, Lily Evans would send them questioning glares, having abandoned her crush on Harry over a month prior. She had suspected him of being gay, and so she began to treat him just like James. This made James happy, and they all began getting along much better because of it.