Chapter 36

Summer

Remus, to no ones surprise, was the one to find out how to fix their paint stealing problem. He found a spell in a book he had bought. It wrote the words with fire, which according to James, Sirius instantly loved. Another perk is that they didn't even have to use the spell on the wall, they could do it on thin air, making it look all the more scary looking, even though they weren't really trying to scare people anymore.

Remus managed to do that despite his transformations becoming worse since he came home. The wolf apparently had liked having the entire Shrieking Shack to himself, instead of being magically locked in the empty basement of his home. He didn't complain, though only because that lock was the only thing keeping his parents safe from himself.

Now was one of the few times he wished he could go back to Hogwarts early.

"Remus? Are you alright?" He heard his mother's voice calling quietly. He didn't answer, he couldn't answer. His mouth wouldn't move and the words wouldn't come out. He did manage a moan though. She sighed and lifted him off the floor.

"It's getting worse." She said sadly. While carrying him to his bed, which was right beside the entrance to the basement. "You said it wasn't as bad at Hogwarts." She didn't doubt what he told her, but it was confusing.

Remus opened his eyes when she laid him on the bed.

"I think it liked Hogwarts." He told her weakly. She sighed.

"I wish there was something I could do to make it better." She said beside him on the bed and gave him a potion his father had made for him before he left for work.

"You say that every month mum. I already know." He drank the potion. His mother worried way too much about him. He'd been doing this ten years now, she didn't need to keep babying him.

"I know, I'm sorry." I don't mean to be a pest." She said taking the cup from him. "Do you think it will get better when you get back?"

"I don't know. Probably."

"Then I suppose it is a good thing you're going back soon, then isn't it." She said sadly. Despite him feeling better at Hogwarts she couldn't bring herself to be happy he was leaving again.

"I promise I'll write you a lot." He said knowing exactly what was upsetting her. She smiled at him.

"I know you will."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sirius was going crazy. He had never realized just how rare it was for it to just be him, Regulus, and his parents at their house, and every guest seemed to be willing to drop everything they were doing just to look at him as though he was scum.

It was usually just his cousins, Andy, Bella, and Cissy's family that was over, but also all of his aunts and uncles would be staying. Once the Malfoys even stayed over for a week. Talking with James though the mirror was the only thing that was keeping him mentally stable at the moment. Though Andy coming over didn't hurt much.

She kept Bella from being cruel, but that was as far as she was willing to go. She may agree with his morals, but she wouldn't go around telling everyone about it. Sirius was willing to bet that Bella and Cissy didn't even know that Andy didn't agree with them anymore. She still pretended she believed in the same things they did so that she wasn't an embarrassment. She thought Sirius was crazy for broadcasting it like he did, and wasn't afraid to tell him about it.

"What are you gaining from this Sirius?" She asked sitting on his bed. They were alone in the room. "What is to be gained by fighting them the way you do?"

"How many times are you going to ask me that?"

"Until you give me an answer that makes sense."

"I did."

"No you told me that is is what you felt was right. It doesn't make any sense. How can what is right make you so miserable, how is it right then?"

"It isn't making me miserable. They are! If they could just accept that I'm not like them then everything would be okay!"

"You know that isn't going to happen, Sirius."

"Why not? Why should I have to change for them?"

"What is wrong with living the way they do? Their rich, happy..."

"Don't even try to tell me their happy! I know what it feels like to be happy, and that isn't it!."

"Sirius, you'll never survive like this! They can, and will, ruin you if you keep this up. No respectable person will hire you if they tell them not to." Sirius didn't answer immediately, he was choosing his words carefully.

"I don't care..."

"Sirius!" She went to continue but he interrupted her.

"No listen to me. I don't care if I can't find a job. I could never live with myself if I ended up like them. I would hate myself forever."

"You would get used to it."

"No I wouldn't, I could never be happy."

"You're not happy now."

"Are you?" He paused. "Are you happy? How can you live with that secret? How do you sleep at night knowing that you are supporting future death eaters and murderers?"

Andromeda couldn't answer this. She remained silent until dinner, and went to bed early after dinner, in an obvious attempt to avoid him.

Sirius wasn't angry with her for hiding it, he could never be mad at the only family member who still cared about him. Even if he did think she was a coward.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

James felt really bad for the Hogwarts teachers. Over the summer he realized that it took a TON of patience. He didn't have near enough. The only reason he could keep it up was because Peter was his friend and he read somewhere that teaching was a great way to learn.

Him and Peter used their summer to practice new spells. Both defense spells and pranking spells, but mostly the former.

Peter took so long to learn them that their practice usually turned into a teaching session. Strangely enough he found that Sirius was a better teacher then him. One of the many times James got so frustrated that he had to take a break and this time he had used it to talk to Sirius. How he managed to convince Sirius to try and help Peter, he wasn't exactly sure. Peter was glad, James had slowly started to get a little mean. It wasn't his fault he was a slow learner.

James was a little surprised when he felt upset that Sirius was a better teacher than him. Which made him try harder in their practice/teaching sessions. Peter easily noticed and was easily able to figure out why. He didn't mind though, even if James was doing the fighting he was the one getting the reward.

"You're not pronouncing it right, Peter. Remember how I told you to say it." James said even though he had said it four times already.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize, just try again." James told him, feeling like a broken record.

Peter tried again, the only thing that happened though was that the box he was practicing on, James wouldn't let Peter practice on him until he was absolutely sure it was safe, wiggled and had a dent in it. James sighed, though he couldn't deny it was an improvement. At least the box was semi-damaged, though the spell was supposed to flatten the box. On a person it would, if done correctly, pull them to the ground and keep them there until either the counter curse was performed or the caster was fifty feet away.

"Better." He said attempting to make it sound sincere. Peter didn't look convinced. "Try again."

"Okay." He replied and lifted his wand to begin again, but was surprised when James stood and snatched his wand. "Wha?"

The door opened and James hid Peters wand behind his back. "Hi Mom." He said looking very nonchalant. He had also been practicing his acting skill. He was getting much better.

"Dinner is ready sweety." She told them happily. James nodded, secretly tossed Peter's wand under the bed, and walked out the door. Peter followed.

Even though he was majorly spoiled, and a pureblood he still wasn't technically allowed to use magic out side of school. It was extremely annoying.

As they followed his mom down to dinner they both thought about how they couldn't wait to go back to school.