"The beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. The beginning of every end and the end of every place."
Remus Lupin screwed up his face slightly, knowing his friend Sirius Black couldn't see the look of concentration he held. After a moment of silence, broken only by the sound of the river rushing by and the crickets chirping merrily, a look of triumph appeared on the boy's face.
"The letter E."
Sirius Black threw his head back and laughed. "Took you long enough, Moony."
Remus smirked, his pale eyes focused on the fireflies lightning up around the two boys.
"I'm still one up on you, Padfoot." He smiled, gazing up at the waning crescent moon in the sky.
"I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet, I am the confidence of all, to live and breathe on this terrestrial ball."
Sirius took a sharp intake of breath before answering Remus' riddle. "The future."
It was Remus' turn to laugh. In between the chuckles, one could hear his rich voice speaking.
"So close, Padfoot, yet so far away."
Sirius shot the smaller boy a look. "Then what, pray tell, is it?"
"Tomorrow." Remus grinned.
"Same damn thing." Sirius grinned back, his black hair falling into his face.
"Ok, enough with the riddles." Remus said, his voice now even. "Have you spoken to Peter recently?"
Sirius shook his head, "No. I invited him over for the holidays, but he refused."
"Strange little fellow, isn't he?" Remus sighed, "And James?"
"Too busy with Lily to even consider dropping by." Sirius shook his head once more.
The two were rendered silent for a few minutes, listening
to the soft hum of the night, before Remus broke the silence once more.
"One year," he sighed, "One year left, then we're
out on our own."
"It seems unreal." Sirius nodded, forgetting his counterpart wouldn't see him in the dark. "I wish we could stay seventeen forever."
"So do I." Remus admitted, his voice shaking slightly. "What does it mean, to be an adult?"
"To take on responsibilities one would never wish upon themselves." Sirius concluded, stretching.
Remus sighed, leaning back and stretching his medium frame out.
"Do you think we'll all still be friends five years from now?"
"I can't imagine life without you guys, to be honest." Sirius answered, copying Remus' motions.
"Me neither." Remus agreed, "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"
For twenty years, the banks of the river hidden deep inside the forest lay forgotten. Many moons passed – two generations were born, each as livid with fear as the last.
Away from the banks of the river, war waged. Wizard against wizard, brother against brother. Lives were lost – within three years of the night Sirius Black and Remus Lupin last laid on the river's banks, their best friends, James Potter and his wife Lily, were murdered.
Sirius was blamed and sent to Azkaban without trail. Peter Pettigrew was believed dead by all but him – he knew the truth.
Remus had lost his three best friends in a matter of twenty four hours. Soon, the happy memories of the times he and Sirius spent down by the river were as forgotten and lost as the river it's self. He felt as if his life held no purpose, as if he was born to lap up all the misery around him - until the day he saw him.
Harry Potter had only been thirteen at the time, but Remus was immediately reminded of James. Following the child and guiding him through the hidden secrets and horrors of his part, Remus felt as if he was once again thirteen and in the company of one of his best friends.
It happened at the end of the year; for tens months, he had worried about Harry's safety from the man he once believed his friend. However, he soon realized his mistake; Sirius was not the enemy, Peter was.
Lord Voldemort had been reborn the year after. Brandishing Harry's blood had been his mistake; he met his downfall three years later, at the hands of the boy he so desperately wanted dead.
Sirius had been cleared of all changed; his face was still waxy and pale, his eyes still bore the emptiness he had experienced for twelve years… however, he was free.
The soil of the forgotten bank was once again bathed in pale moonlight as dragon hide boots made the first imprints in twenty years.
The man sat down, once again gazing at the fireflies dancing in the moonlight. He was soon joined by his best friend, who had also banished the happy memories of those times so long ago into the back of his mind.
"Do you think life has been fair to us?"
Remus looked up at the tall man standing beside him, a slight smile on his face.
"Sirius, if this is fair, I pity the man who receives the short end of the bargain."
The man laughed, the rasp in his voice long gone. "We never were innocent, were we?"
"No matter our age, we'll always be children at heart." Remus replied, patting the ground next to him. "Sit."
Sirius obliged, pale face looking even paler in the bright moonlight.
"It goes the other was, too." He said quietly, "James – he died an old man at heart."
Remus nodded, a sigh escaping his throat. "We all age differently. Twenty years ago, would we have ever guessed this to be our future?"
"No," Sirius shook his head. "If you had told me Peter was going to betray us, that I would spend over a decade in Azkaban for the murder of 13 people - not including James and Lily – I would have thought you'd gone starkers."
Remus allowed a laugh to escape his throat. "Things have happened so fast… we're so different now."
"We're so different, yet we're still the same." Sirius said quietly.
"We haven't change a bit, have we Padfoot?"
A distant howl from a wolf rang throughout the forest, mixing with the soft gurgling of the river Remus and Sirius had spent so many hours at, alone and secluded from the rest of the world, enjoying each other's company.
"The world seems to stop when we're here." Sirius replied, "I feel as if we're still seventeen. Maybe we are."
"In our souls, we'll be seventeen forever." Remus smiled, "We're exactly the same."
Sirius smiled, "To the past, present, and future."
"We shall be forever in your debt."
The two exchanged smiles, once again laying down and enjoying each other's presences. The moonlight gently caressed them while they listened to the sound of the forest and the sound of each other's breathing.
Neither knew what the future would being. Neither knew of the turmoil and triumph the following years would being. Neither cared at the moment, for they were once again seventeen. Careless and free, knowing they could count on one another.
One thing they knew for sure, however, was what ever the future held, they would be prepared. They would face the world together, side by side, as a team and the best of friends.
They were, after all, forever seventeen.
One, two boys by the river
Down by the water
Tellin' riddles in the dark
With fireflies under the moonlight
Carvin' the insides of a tree with a knife
Did ya ever hear the one about the boy's big sister
His best friend come along
He tried to kiss her
The only difference
That I see
Is you are exactly the same
As you used to be
One boy lives in a tower
With bow and arrow
And the artificial heart
With his girl
Maid of dishonor
They loaded the cannon
With a jealous appetite
They say that children now
They come in all ages
And maybe sometimes old men die
With little boy faces
The only difference
That I see
Is you are exactly the same
As you used to be
You always said that you needed some
But you always had more, more than anyone
The only difference
That I see
Is you are exactly the same
As you used to be*
*The Difference, The Wallflowers