Chapter 77

Back to Plan A

"Mate, I hate to say it, but I really don't see this happening," James said looking through a book he'd brought up from their underground library.

"James, if we can't even do an Auror level Patronus charm, how in the world are we going to go beyond that though animagi training?" Sirius argued. They'd been sitting in James' room for pretty much the entire day holed up in James' room practicing the Patronus charm, with little to no success.

Admitting defeat was not something they liked to do

"Well, animagi training is done through multiple steps. So it stands to reason that it would be simpler." James countered. Giving a shrug and placing the book down, picking up one of their animagi books instead.

"Not if each step is just that hard."

"Well, the potion wasn't really out of our league, just impossible to do at school." James reviewed the page describing the potion.

"But, we're not in school..."

James looked up and the two of them were quiet for a moment just looking at each other.

It was too easy.

James quite literally ran downstairs to grab a random cauldron and drag it outside as Sirius gathered all the ingredients he'd bought (or stolen) when they were still under the impression that they had to do the potion.

Only to be stopped by James' mother once they reached the kitchen, which contained the only exit to the backyard.

"What on earth are you doing?" She asked, her tone more curious than rebuking. This startled Sirius, who was used to being yelled at for the slightest little thing.

"Homework, we have to make a potion-like thing, but it has to be outside." James lied, Sirius thought it sounded obviously fake, but Mrs. Potter seemed convinced. "It's not going to be an actual potion obviously because that would require magic."

Fleamont looked up from his Daily Prophet, "Seems like a waste of ingredients to me."

"I'm sure the teachers know what they're doing, Fleamont." Euphemia rolled her eyes at him with humor written on her face.

"Can we go?" James interrupted pointing to the door. A little annoyed by their antics.

"Of course, sweetheart, but just set them out and come back, dinner is nearly done. You can start it afterwards alright?"

James just nodded and they headed out, he led Sirius to an old tree house he and his dad had built when he was quite a bit younger, it was a little uncomfortable since they couldn't stand up straight in it, but it was otherwise perfect.

Sirius raised this point to James, but the latter simply shrugged it off, telling him that he probably wouldn't get more than a minor lecture. They never gave him any more than a minor lecture.

Sirius didn't say much more that night, even after dinner when they began the hardest potion they had ever so much as attempted to make. Hoping, desperately hoping, that they didn't end up killing themselves with it.

James watched the purple liquid in the cauldron bubble. There wasn't any more they could do for it right now. Even so much as touching the cauldron could ruin the mixture.

Sirius had left quite a while ago, returning to the house muttering something about going for a walk. James wasn't worried, there was nothing in this town that could hold a candle against Sirius, and Sirius was too smart to get lost in a town this small.

Even so he'd was only willing to give Sirius one hour of alone time before James came looking for him. Not because he thought something would happen, but because Sirius needed someone to talk to. Even if the stubborn, brat didn't agree.

He stood and climbed down the shed before peeking his head in the kitchen to tell his mum he was going out.

James gave a small sigh when he stepped out onto the road in front of his house. Now he needed to decide where to look first, it was the most difficult part of any search in his opinion. He hated looking for things.

It took him a full twenty minutes, despite knowing the town like the back of his hand and knowing Sirius wouldn't be in anyone's home.

Then again, who in their right mind would look for Sirius Black inside a small church not a full mile from the Potter mansion.

Certainly not James. But there he was standing in between the front two pews looking at a wooden cross decorating the wall behind the pulpit. James didn't have to look to read the carving into the wood.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

John 3:16-18

James had always been fascinated by it. The letters were small, but (partially due to the small size of the church) could be read from almost anywhere in the room.

"Si," James said quietly to avoid startling his friend. Sirius turned around for a moment before looking back to the front of the room.

"Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?" Sirius practically mumbled.

James gave a slight hum as he thought about it. "Yeah, a little I guess. Though I'm inclined to believe it, or at least I want to."

"Really?" Sirius gave him a curious look.

"Sure, the guy in charge of this place, the pastor I guess, well he makes a kinda hard to doubt what he tells you. And he's happy enough that you gotta kinda want whatever it is that made him that way. Even if it does seem too good to be real."

"You know him?"

"Sure, everyone in town does. He pretty much introduced himself to everyone in town about a week before he moved here a little over three years ago. Came and knocked on our door and everything. Mum was pretty surprised, the previous couple pastors had a tendency to ignore us, you know, people in town don't know we're magic, but they can't help but think something's creepy about that huge house down the street that gets a ton of strange visitors wearing strange clothing. But this guy just shrugged it off and came over to invite us to church personally. Dad was so impressed that we actually went." James explained with a slight shrug sitting down in the very front pew.

"You go regularly?" Sirius asked he was had thought that James would have mentioned it before now.

"No, mostly just on holidays and special occasions, but it's more than we went before he visited."

"Oh, okay." Sirius nodded. He remained quiet for a moment. "Mother would kill me if she found out I was here."

"Is that why you came?"

"No." Sirius shook his head, thinking for a moment about the answer trying to figure out exactly why he came. "I don't know, I saw it and decided I wanted to check it out."

"You didn't leave the house to explore the town, Si." James gave his friend a serious look.

Sirius sighed, "I don't know, James, I just.. I had to get out of there for a while."

"Is there something wrong with my place? Would you have preferred to stay at Hogwarts?" James leaned against the armrest of the pew trying to sound indifferent.

"No, absolutely not." Sirius protested quickly, but not too quickly. "I'm alright, I'm really enjoying myself, really I am. It's just..." Sirius trailed off a little before finding the words to say, the same words he'd used previously to describe something far different though strangely similar, "It just seems too good to be true."

James gave him another look, this one saying James thought he'd gone loopy. "What?"

"I guess it's a little too much to handle at one time. Seeing all the things I'd missed out on my entire life and having them all shoved in my face at one time. It's... hard. I still expect to get yelled at for even the slightest misbehavior, or just whenever something happens mother doesn't approve of, sometimes even including the simple fact that I exist. I just need some time to process that this is real. I'm not really used to having adults treat me like I actually matter to them outside of school, and even that is limited."

Sirius shook his head, as though all his thoughts could line themselves up just by doing so.

"I suppose that's understandable." James nodded, relieved that it wasn't a problem with his family or his house.

"I'm sorry." Sirius knew James wouldn't accept it, but he felt like he needed to apologize anyway.

"Don't be, it isn't your fault. It's hers." James replied predictably, practically growling out an accusation. Sirius was a little surprised, he hadn't realized just how much James hated his mother. Sirius' gaze dropped.

"I know that in my head, but..." His voice trailed off.

"Please don't say 'my heart doesn't agree' that is the single most cheesy line ever. Or, well, pretty close at least." James teased, a small smirk appearing on his face.

Sirius laughed. "Frankly, I was going to to just let my voice trail off dramatically. But if you insist."

"No!" James cried, before attempting to put Sirius in a headlock, or at least that's what it looked like he was doing, he was failing miserably at it, though.

They boys' laughter echoed throughout the room until the two needed to calm down to catch their breath.

"Let's go home, Si," James said placing his arm around his best friend's shoulders.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, let's"

A/N) I can finally add more than 2 characters in the description! I'm so happy. ^_^

I sorta modeled this pastor on what I believe the ideal pastor should be, and gave him a personality to compliment it, and you will see him, eventually. Because I've kinda fallen in love with that OC lol. The idea of Sirius with a church nearby leads to a lot of potential character development. But this story won't get real religious, it is, after all, a fantasy with its own version of the afterlife. The two don't combine well, and I'm not going to try.

Thanks for all the reviews. At the moment I have the next two chapters completed, they are still being beta'd though. Sorry for the hiatus, I recently learned of the greatness that is Persona 4.

The reviewers who mentioned it seemed to like the top ten pet peeves list. (lolz peeves) So I guess I'll do it. Starting next chapter ending author's notes will contain my top ten Marauder fanfic pet peeves. Please don't be offended if I mention something you like. I'll try not to rudely bash it, and this is just my opinion.

Edit (5/3/2016) Changed the Potters names.