"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

Harry woke with a start to find his father next to his bed. He gulped. "What's up?"

James' tone was deadly. "Where were you last night? It was past midnight and you snuck out! We tried waiting up for you, but you were gone past two! What did you think you were doing?"

"Yeah, Little Prongs," Sirius drawled, lounging on his bed with a haughty expression on his face. "It's pretty hard to prank someone when you don't know where they are."

"That's not the point! Harry, you know better than to be out of bed that late!"

Harry gaped at them. "What?"

"Could all of you go back to sleep? It's too early in the morning for this," Remus complained, his voice muffled because his head was shoved into his pillow.

"You're mad at me for being out of bed past curfew?" Harry asked slowly, finally beginning to understand.

"YES!"

"But the only reason you noticed I was gone was because you were going to prank me…"

"Well, yes. But – "

"And you never sneak out at night, hmm?"

"I – well – er – It doesn't matter what I've done! We're talking about you!"

James stared at Harry, trying to stay angry, but Harry looked so hurt it was nearly impossible.

"Can't you just decide what you want from me?" Harry asked furiously. "First I'm not enough of a Marauder, now I'm too much! Make up your minds!" Harry got up angrily and walked straight to the bathroom, but then stopped in the doorway. "You didn't even ask what I was doing." He looked at James and Sirius. "Did it ever occur to you that I wasn't doing it just to be trouble? That maybe someone needed help?"

Harry walked away, leaving James and Sirius to stare after him, shocked.

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The four Marauders walked down to the common room by themselves, since Harry had left before them. They'd thought he was going to meet up with Lily and Annabelle.

"James? Have you seen Harry?"

James spun around, and saw Lily and Annabelle sitting in the armchairs by the fire. The four boys had walked right by them, lost in their thoughts.

"No, we thought he'd be with you."

Lily wrinkled her nose. "No, he isn't. I suppose he's already gone down then."

The six walked to the Great Hall in silence. Lily and Annabelle kept exchanging looks. The Marauders were never this quiet. Something was up.

When they finally found Harry in the Great Hall, they got the shock of their life.

Harry was not at the Gryffindor table. He was not at the Hufflepuff table, and he wasn't at the Ravenclaw table either. He was sitting with the Slytherins – or more specifically, with Severus Snape and Regulus Black.

While James merely stared in shock, Sirius found himself becoming angry. He'd been trying to keep his temper under control for far too long, and it was about to explode. He stomped over to the Slytherin table, his face bright red, grabbed Harry's arm, and dragged the smaller boy out of the Great Hall with the other Gryffindors trailing behind.

"How dare you!" Sirius spat. "I can't believe this! It's like you're not even a true Gryffindor! And where were you last night?"

Harry looked at his godfather calmly and didn't reply.

"Where were you?"

"He was with me."

Everyone spun around. "Regulus?" Sirius hissed. "What were the two of you doing?"

"All I was doing was talking, and all he was doing was listening. I couldn't take it anymore, Sirius," Regulus spoke, his voice wavering. "It all became too much. I don't want to be evil, but you never even gave me a chance to be good. You never gave me a chance at anything. When you went to Hogwarts, you stopped caring what happened to me."

"You were Sorted into Slytherin!"

"That doesn't make me evil!"

"Name one wizard in Slytherin who wasn't!"

"Hmmm… I don't know… maybe our cousin? Andromeda?"

Sirius paused. "But you aren't Andromeda."

"Maybe I am! How would you know? What do you even know about me?"

Sirius gaped at his brother. Regulus sighed. "Just think about it, all right? Cause… Sirius…" Regulus hesitated. "I really need an older brother right now."

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"What do you want? Come to yell at me again?"

"No, of course not – "

"Really?"

"Really! Listen Harry…" James sighed. "I'm not very good at this father thing, am I?"

Harry didn't reply.

"But I'm trying! You know I am. Really, really hard. I just don't know what to do a lot… Look, I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have gotten mad. I was just worried about you."

Harry stopped.

"Really?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "You mean that?"

"Of course! I'm your father…"

"But you're a teenager," Harry replied. "You're not really my father, not yet. And I'm not exactly easy to get along with…"

James looked carefully at his son. "I meant what I said when you were facing the boggart, Harry," he said quietly. "I really do love you. So does Padfoot, he just has trouble showing it sometimes…"

Harry swallowed. "Thanks, Dad," Harry said quietly. "I love you too."

James put his arm around Harry's thin shoulders, and the two continued the walk to Transfiguration. It wasn't until later that Harry realized for the first time since he'd gotten here, he'd called James Dad. And it felt much better than he could ever have imagined.

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"You should really forgive him, you know, Sirius."

"I don't need a lecture from you, Moony." Remus opened his mouth to protest, but Sirius cut him off. "I mean it, Remus. I just…" Sirius closed his eyes, ignoring the cauldron in front of them and trying to block out Slughorn's booming voice. "I guess I don't know what to do."

Remus shifted in his seat. "Well, he's your brother," Remus pointed out. "And it's clear that he loves you." Sirius jerked in his seat. "You can see it his eyes," Remus continued, ignoring his friend. "He might not be so bad after all. But if you don't take this chance now, he might end up that way."

Sirius groaned, slouching even farther into his seat. All this thinking and emotions were making his head hurt.

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"Do you think he'll forgive me?" Regulus asked Harry timidly. The two were sitting by the lake.

"Yes," Harry said immediately. "Although there's nothing for him to forgive, I believe he will. I don't think he ever stopped caring for you; more that he simply forgot that he did. It didn't register to him until you were pulled back into his life again. This will be good for him, I think." Harry sighed. "I think I'm mostly worried about what will happen when I go back though… Somebody's going to have to erase everyone's memories, and things might be different – actually, they'll definitely be different." Harry shuddered. "Just look at James and Lily. They actually get along now, it's incredible." Regulus laughed. "I'd laugh too, but really, it is. And obviously, even without me being here, they'll still eventually fall in love, but it's a shame that they have to hate each other first."

"Yeah, I guess so," Regulus sighed. "But why does everyone have to forget? Harry… Harry, I can't forget this. I can't forget you. You don't understand."

"Reg, what's wrong? What are you talking about?" Harry asked, worried.

"Harry… If I forget you, then I think I'll turn evil."

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"Severus, what is going on with Harry and Regulus?"

"I have no clue, Lily. How would I know? I hardly know them."

"But they've been talking to you!" Annabelle argued. "Harry hasn't talked to us in ages! He's busy either fighting with James and Sirius or buddying it up with you and Regulus."

Severus breathed deeply. "All I know is that day with the boggart, Regulus (and I'm assuming Harry as well) – for reasons I don't know – decided to meet up at midnight or so. That's when Regulus snuck out at least. When he came back into the common room, it was at least three in the morning and Regulus' face was red, like he'd been crying. The next day, Harry comes over to the Slytherin table and sits with us, which was surprising for several reasons: First of all, he's a Gryffindor; and second of all, Regulus doesn't even like me that much but he decided to sit with me as well. That's all I know. Now leave me alone."

And with that, Severus put his face back into his Potions textbook and ignored the girls until they left the library.