Chapter 33

The Trip 'Home'

"I don't wanna get on the train!" Sirius whined loudly receiving odd looks from the people around him.

"I know Si, but you have to. They would never let you stay here over the summer, I don't even think they stay here over the summer." James said putting his arm around his best friend's shoulders.

"They don't. Professor Flitwick made me help him pack for detention. He wasn't tall enough to reach some of his things that some people stuck on the top of his bookshelf." Remus heavily emphasized the word some. "I don't possibly know who did it, though. Sirius!" He glared at the culprit in question.

"How did you know it was me? I did that weeks before your detention with Flitwick."

"I just know Sirius, I just know." Remus teased knowing how it would kill Sirius to not know how he figured it out.

They found a compartment on the train together near the back. Sirius to their surprise peeked into the last compartment and waved at the occupant. James peeked over his shoulder just before Sirius closed the door. James had a confused look on his face.

"That was a Black," James observed when they went back to their compartment. Sirius just nodded. "I thought they all hated you."

"Andy isn't so bad. She doesn't mind that I'm a blood traitor now. She was the one I went to after I first talked to you. She helped me sort out my priorities and made me realize my family is a whole bunch of dunderheads."

"You never mentioned her," Remus said remembering the Black that had thanked him when he sat beside Sirius just after he had been sorted.

"She didn't want me to. Just because she helped me become one doesn't mean she wants to be a blood traitor also. She is still very loyal. It was for her own protection." Sirius explained. James and Remus nodded.

Sirius spent most of the train ride in silence staring out the window. Every once in awhile James or Remus would try to get him involved in their conversation, but they didn't push him into talking. Half way though the train ride they found out Snape and Evans were in the compartment in front of them, so James got Sirius to cheer up for a while by charming Snape's trunk to randomly open spilling all it's contents on the floor every five to ten minutes. James was sort of celebrating his last few hours of being able to use magic, while Sirius just wanted to take his anger out on something, he knew his mom wouldn't care if he used magic at home, so he wasn't going to bother with trying to not use it.

By the time they got back to Platform 9 ¾ Sirius was depressed again and knew he would be for a very long time. He walked off the train wondering whether his mother would try to publicly humiliate him or if she would wait till they were at home till she started yelling at him. What he didn't expect was that she just plain wouldn't show up. He looked around but couldn't find her anywhere. What would he do if she didn't show? There was no way he could walk home from here, maybe James' parents would give him a ride or something. He stayed with James as James looked for his parents, not noticing that Remus and Peter were doing the same.

"I don't see your mom anywhere, Si," James said voicing Sirius' thoughts out loud.

"Me neither." James was about to continue the conversation when he caught sight of his own parents.

"Awesome, come on I'll introduce you to my mom since she won't be able to see you," James said excitedly dragging Sirius through the crowd, Remus and Peter followed, Peter knew that his parents would more than likely be with the Potters and Remus just plain had no idea how to find his parents. Lucky the Lupins had managed to find James' parents before the train arrived so they were all together, knowing each other well after having met on the Christmas holidays.

"Mum, Dad!" Remus ran up to them and hugged them both at the same time.

"Remus." They said happily, Sirius watched with envy at the reunion. James' voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Mom, Dad, I want you to meet my best friend." James pushed Sirius closer to his parents, who looked at him in surprise. "Sirius these are my parents and vice versa." Sirius shrugged out of James' hold on his shoulders and bowed.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." He told them before standing back up. James was looking at him in shock. "What?"

"Since when were you polite?" Sirius growled and punched James in the shoulder.

"Very funny Jamesy-poo." James' face turned beet red.

"Stop calling me that!" He yelled and Remus laughed. Remus' mom walked over to Sirius.

"It is so nice to finally meet you, Sirius." Hope Lupin said shaking his hand. Sirius blushed.

"Same." He replied he was rather nervous. It was his first time talking to a muggle, despite living in a town full of them.

When she let go Remus' father shook his hand as well. When all the introduction were over Sirius noticed there weren't very many people left, and easily found out why he couldn't find his mother.

"Figures," he said harshly causing the Marauders to look at him and then follow his gaze. They were surprised at what they saw. "She wouldn't even come and get me herself, she had to send the house-elf." Sirius rolled his eyes and turned his gaze from Kreacher.

Their parents seemed surprised to see the house-elf there and confused by what Sirius had said.

"Are you leaving then?" Remus asked, looking as though he was worried he wouldn't see Sirius ever again.

"I probably should, if I wait any longer she'll yell at me for being late or something," Sirius said and turned the Remus', Peter's, and James' parents. "It was a pleasure meeting all of you, but I must go now." He told them and bowed again before walking over to the house-elf.

"Sirius wait!" James called. Sirius stopped and turned around before Kreacher could apparate him back home. "You've got the mirror. Right?" He asked and Sirius smirked, and pulled a small mirror from his pocket and showed it to James. James responded by doing the same. "See you next year!" Sirius nodded before grabbing the house-elf and disappearing.

James moaned and Remus sighed. "He'll be fine, James. She isn't going to kill him." Remus' parents looked at him in shock.

"Did you even hear those howlers she sent him! She certainly sounded ready to kill to me."

"James, what are you talking about? Is Sirius in danger?" Fleamont Potter asked, half-excited that he may actually finally have a reason the throw the Blacks in Azkaban.

"Sirius was positive that they wouldn't actually hurt him. James is just over reacting." Remus said calmly, even though inside he was just as worried as James was. "And if they do hurt him, you know he would tell you, James." James just looked at the ground.

"How do you know that? You know how proud he is!" James sounded like he was about to break.

"Proud, yes. Stupid, no." Remus told James. "Trust me James he isn't going to just sit there and let them beat them up. He'll be fine." James looked at Remus trying desperately to believe him.

"Ask him yourself then," Peter suggested pointing to the mirror that was still in his pocket.

"Not now, though, you'll only get him in trouble," Remus told him wisely. James nodded and put the mirror back in his pocket.

"Are you ready to go home, James." James' dad asked knowing that staying here wasn't going to help his son feel any better, James just nodded. Remus hugged him.

"He'll be fine, Sirius is strong," Remus whispered in his ear before letting go and hugging Peter as well. James nodded, looking a little better. He knew Sirius was strong, he was just worried he wasn't strong enough. He followed his parents out of the train station and waved to Remus again.

"See ya later Remus!" He yelled and Remus smirked.

"Mischief Managed!" He yelled back. James was still laughing when his parents apparated him back home.

A/N) Edit (8/5/2013) I am in the process of changing the Lupin's names, due to recent cannon information. If you see anywhere where their names are Hannah or John please review or PM me so that I can change it. Rowling has confirmed (via Pottermore) that their names are Hope and Lyall... Yeah, Lyall Lupin. Well, what Rowling says goes.

Edit (5/3/2016) Now I have to change all of James' parent's names. If you see anywhere where they are named Charles (or Charlie because I have no idea what I was thinking back when I wrote these chapters) please let me know so I can fix it. It's difficult to go through 130 chapters to find every time their names come up. Oh and I grammar checked because I could.