Behind the veil
By Enye
Chapter 4- dedicated to Helen, my little Welsh muse.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Shivering James struggled to break through to consciousness. He felt oddly calm considering that he had no idea what had happened or where he was, yet he could hear a soft mummer of voices in the background. Undistinguishable yet comforting.
Attempting to move, he discovered he was held down, relieved that the weights securing him where solid objects rather that magic, he tried to move again. Again he failed and this time James let out a small groan of frustration.
At least he could do that, he couldn't move but he could make a sound, James felt vaguely aware that he couldn't even do that before. Deciding that the next step was discovering his location, he tried to force his eyes open. He groaned again, 'not exactly the reaction I wanted,' he thought blandly. Concentrating with all his strength his eyes fluttered open.
After adjusting to the brightness, he blinked attempting to focus. He could see two outlines of people although without his glasses he couldn't tell who they.before he finished the thought the person furthest from his leant over him, pressing familiar glasses gently onto his face.
Allowing his eyes to focus he gazed up at first Albus Dumbledore, his mentor and apparently his saviour, who was smiling down at him, a familiar twinkle in his crystalline blue eyes. James took a moment to merely study him. He knew that it had been less than three days ago that they last spoke yet at the same time.
Slowly he tilted his head to get a good look at the second man. The man at first glance appeared quite old but under closer scrutiny James realised he was actually young but his hair was almost entirely silver grey in colour, although a few traces of honey brown were still present. His gaze swept across the wizards face, it seemed familiar some how. It wasn't until they made eye contact that it hit James.
Familiar amber eyes stared back, almost overflowing with tears. Amber eyes.
.Remus.
How? James suddenly felt sick to his stomach, this couldn't be right. What had happened? How had he aged so rapidly? His face was so gaunt and tired that James couldn't imagine what his friend had gone through.
But he couldn't remember, desperately he cast his mind back; a few images came to him. Harry.Lily.Voldemort.why couldn't he remember?
Remus watched James, stunned into inaction as the reality of his continued life crashed down on him. Now seeing his friend's distress he moved even closer and whispered softly, "James?"
Startled by the soft noise, James stared back at Remus; he had to be sure this was really his friend and not some trick. Forcing his dry cracked lips open, he managed to force out, "Moony?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Remus sighed in relief when his friend recognised him, out of the corner of his eye he saw Dumbledore relax slightly as well. Taking a deep breath he nodded. "Yes, Prongs, it's me." His gaze shifted to the headmaster; unsure of what to say or how much information his friend could cope with right now.
James swallowed convulsively and tried to speak once more. "Wha' 'ppen'-d?"
Remus remained silent, allowing Dumbledore to explain. "James, you are currently in Hogwarts hospital wing. You are recovering from a stasis spell."
James Potter shook his head in obvious confusion, them slurred out "Wha'?"
Tentatively Remus entered into the conversation, "James, do you remember Halloween?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
FLASHBACK
"Now Harry, the question is; 'will your Daddies behave while I put you to bed?'" James snorted loudly into his butterbeer at his husband's indignant expression.
"Honestly Lily!" Sirius complained loudly whilst failing miserably to keep the grin off his face, turning to the red head who was in the processes of removing a giggling Harry from his highchair. "What do you take us for? And such a crude thing to say in front of such a young and impressionable mind!"
Giving trying to hide his amusement, James burst out laughing, which in turn caused Harry to squeal in delight.
Ok, so they'd had a bit to drink, scratch that, they'd had a lot to drink, but hey, James rationalised, its Halloween and when in hiding you cant exactly throw or attend any parties, can you? Which left alcohol as a source of both amusement and celebration.
Lily snorted and rolled her eyes at James' hysterics. "I know you two- oh, don't give me that look Si, you'll be making out on the kitchen table before the doors even closed!"
James opened his mouth to respond but his husband beat him to it, "We'll start now if you like?" He wagged his eyebrows suggestively and Lily started to laugh.
"Hmm, perhaps another night, I'm off to bed, goodnight boys.Harry, say goodnight." The baby in question gurgled and began to pull on Lily's hair.
Chuckling both men stood and bid the pair a good night and a happy Halloween, James couldn't help but smile as Sirius kissed Harry on the top of his head and whispered 'goodnight Pronglet.'
After the kitchen door was firmly shut behind the two, James turned grinning to the other man. "See, we have restraint, the door is shut and we haven't made a move at the table.yet."
Grinning Sirius moved across the short distance between them and wrapped his arms around James. After kissing him firmly on the lips, they remained foreheads pressed together. "Have I told you how much I love you, recently, Siri?"
Smiling, Sirius pressed his lips against James' and murmured, "Love you too, Prongs."
"Shall we move this upstairs?"
Frowning, Sirius pulled away. "I can't, not yet anyway. I have to go check ion Peter."
James nodded and grinned mischievously, pulling Sirius back to him; he held him flush against his body and kissed him as if his very life depended on it. Pulling away when the need for oxygen became to great, he whispered softly, "Of course you do."
Sirius shivered in response to James' roaming hands, then planting his own hands on his husband's chest, forced him backwards. "We promised him. Promised Peter that we'd check up on him every day."
James sighed and leant his head back on the kitchen cupboard behind him. "I know, I just wish that we didn't have to hide like this, that we could live normal lives."
"Where's the fun in normal?" Sirius replied instantly, and began kissing along his husbands exposed throat. "I'm perfectly happy in living an abnormal life as long ass I have you and Harry I don't care."
James nodded and smiled, "Padfoot.I thought you were leaving?" "I am" was his reply, muffled by the skin at the base of James' neck, which he was currently kissing. "Just reminding you what you have to look forward to in about an hour."
Groaning in frustration James thumped his head back on the cabinet door.
Sirius grabbed his jacket, pressed a quick kiss to his husband's mouth and ran out the kitchen door. Calling 'love you' as he went.
James remained in the kitchen for a while, beginning to tidy up the vast amount of empty bottles and listening to the dull roar of the motorbike as it took off. After a quarter of an hour the kitchen seemed tidy enough that Lily would not throttle him in the morning. He decided on a quick shower before Sirius returned.
Walking out into the now darkened hallway, James collided directly into Lily.
"Lily, what are you."
"Shh, I thought I heard something out side."
James' eyes widened and he instinctively reached for his wand. A soft noise made them both jump and a feeling of cold terror swept over him. It was him, he could feel it.
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-"
The door blasted open as Lily reached the top of the stairs. Spinning around to face the most feared wizard in Britain, James came face to face with a pair of sinister glowing red cat like eyes.
Raising his wand with lightening fast reflexes panic flared through James. Were Lily and Harry safe? What had happened to Peter? He couldn't of betrayed them- was he dead? Tortured to insanity? And Sirius- had they been waiting for him at the hide out? Oh God, Sirius.
END FLASHBACK
* * * * * * * * * * * *
James slowly became aware of both Albus Dumbledore and Remus gazing down at him with concerned expressions.
Shacking madly and on the verge of a panic attack, he struggled to talk.
Remus shifted closer, "It's all right Prongs. It's over now," he soothed, whilst taking a quick glance at his former professor. Eyes silently questioning how they should explain the last fifteen years to the already distraught man.
Taking deep breaths James forced out one cracked word; "Harr.y?"
"Harry is fine James. He escaped the incident unscathed." It was a lie, Remus knew it the moment Dumbledore opened his mouth but at the same time he found himself nodding in agreement. James couldn't deal with the truth now; all they had to do was wait till he was a little better. Stronger, less disorientated.
Relief swept through James and he attempted to nod, showing his understanding. Falling, he moved onto the next question. "Lily?"
James didn't fail to notice the way both men's postures stiffened slightly, or how Remus suddenly refused to meet his gaze. Nor did he miss the look of relief that passed across Remus' face when Dumbledore said; "Remus, please fetch Poppy. She will not be pleased to discover that her patient woke up without he knowledge."
Remus glanced up at James; still refusing to meet his eyes, then turned and all but ran to the mediwitches' small office at the far end of the wing.
Albus turned back to James, hoping to placate him with a conversation about the mediwitches mother hen antics. The look on the young mans face told him immediately that it would not work.
"Dead"
Closing his eyes, Albus nodded, "She died bravely, she sacrificed he r own life so that Harry could live."
James opened his mouth to ask what he meant when an angry looking madam Pomphrey bustled in followed by Remus.
After eying the headmaster coldly and muttering under her breath about patients needs and the purposes of hospitals, she turned to James and launched into her triad. "How do you feel? Weak? Still cold? It's to be expected" She turned sharply on the other two occupants of the room. "If you two insist on spending all your time in here then you must inform me immediately of any change in the patients condition."
Albus nodded and began to move away from the bed. "Of course Poppy. If you will excuse us James, I must send Remus on an important errand."
The headmaster walked silently fro the hospital wing and waited a few moments for the younger wizard to follow him. Reluctantly, Remus dragged himself out of the room and pulled the wooden door closed.
"Albus I would like to remain-"
Albus silenced him with a gesture of his hand, "I know Remus, you wish to stay by his side. But someone must fetch Harry from his relatives and as the way things stand now between him and I, I feel it would be better accepted if I was not involved."
Remus nodded and watched as the headmaster returned back into the hospital wing, catching a brief glimpse of the mediwitch still fawning over a now sleeping James, before the door clicked shut. Sighing, Remus headed to wards the main doors; he would apparate from Hogsmede, and pick Harry up immediately.
Walking alone, his thoughts were left to wonder what exactly Harry's reaction would be to his Fathers return.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
AN. Another chapter done and dusted. Not exactly a cliffhanger but never mind. Anyway, next chapter=Harry! YAY!
I'm interested to know what people think of this chapter as some parts of this made me cringe.don't know why though. Am I to cliché? Or is this a response to writing my first slash scene? I think its probably at little to sappy, like at the end of the flash back, James is facing Death thinking about everything but death.you'd blatantly be thinking, 'Oh shit I'm gonna die.' any who.
Can anyone please tell me how to use italics in a fic if I upload from Microsoft word? I've tried before and it never works.grrr. If I don't work it out there are going to be a lot of big garish FLASHBACK's and END FLASHBACK's around the place.
Response to reviews:
SP-in-Sirius-Denial.
Am I moving to slowly? Chapters will be longer from here so hopefully it'll be more satisfying, Harry's in the next chapter and the plot is starting to pic up some speed (I hope) as for tears, and you'll have to wait a little bit. James is going to stay in the dark for now. Thank you for the review.
Lenja
Thank you. The address for the SXJ website is: http:// groups . yahoo. com /group /Sirius X James (Remove the spaces). Feel free to join, it's really good there, there is a lot of fiction, some fanart, links, our own site and lots of funky polls to vote in. (Walking advertisement over here)!
FroBoy and Kittygirl220
Thank you.
Squall Morpheus Leonhart
Thank you, I thought I was being a little harsh with the flame response; honestly I was trying to be light hearted. More coming soon, I promise.
Please review!!!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
By Enye
Chapter 4- dedicated to Helen, my little Welsh muse.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Shivering James struggled to break through to consciousness. He felt oddly calm considering that he had no idea what had happened or where he was, yet he could hear a soft mummer of voices in the background. Undistinguishable yet comforting.
Attempting to move, he discovered he was held down, relieved that the weights securing him where solid objects rather that magic, he tried to move again. Again he failed and this time James let out a small groan of frustration.
At least he could do that, he couldn't move but he could make a sound, James felt vaguely aware that he couldn't even do that before. Deciding that the next step was discovering his location, he tried to force his eyes open. He groaned again, 'not exactly the reaction I wanted,' he thought blandly. Concentrating with all his strength his eyes fluttered open.
After adjusting to the brightness, he blinked attempting to focus. He could see two outlines of people although without his glasses he couldn't tell who they.before he finished the thought the person furthest from his leant over him, pressing familiar glasses gently onto his face.
Allowing his eyes to focus he gazed up at first Albus Dumbledore, his mentor and apparently his saviour, who was smiling down at him, a familiar twinkle in his crystalline blue eyes. James took a moment to merely study him. He knew that it had been less than three days ago that they last spoke yet at the same time.
Slowly he tilted his head to get a good look at the second man. The man at first glance appeared quite old but under closer scrutiny James realised he was actually young but his hair was almost entirely silver grey in colour, although a few traces of honey brown were still present. His gaze swept across the wizards face, it seemed familiar some how. It wasn't until they made eye contact that it hit James.
Familiar amber eyes stared back, almost overflowing with tears. Amber eyes.
.Remus.
How? James suddenly felt sick to his stomach, this couldn't be right. What had happened? How had he aged so rapidly? His face was so gaunt and tired that James couldn't imagine what his friend had gone through.
But he couldn't remember, desperately he cast his mind back; a few images came to him. Harry.Lily.Voldemort.why couldn't he remember?
Remus watched James, stunned into inaction as the reality of his continued life crashed down on him. Now seeing his friend's distress he moved even closer and whispered softly, "James?"
Startled by the soft noise, James stared back at Remus; he had to be sure this was really his friend and not some trick. Forcing his dry cracked lips open, he managed to force out, "Moony?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Remus sighed in relief when his friend recognised him, out of the corner of his eye he saw Dumbledore relax slightly as well. Taking a deep breath he nodded. "Yes, Prongs, it's me." His gaze shifted to the headmaster; unsure of what to say or how much information his friend could cope with right now.
James swallowed convulsively and tried to speak once more. "Wha' 'ppen'-d?"
Remus remained silent, allowing Dumbledore to explain. "James, you are currently in Hogwarts hospital wing. You are recovering from a stasis spell."
James Potter shook his head in obvious confusion, them slurred out "Wha'?"
Tentatively Remus entered into the conversation, "James, do you remember Halloween?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
FLASHBACK
"Now Harry, the question is; 'will your Daddies behave while I put you to bed?'" James snorted loudly into his butterbeer at his husband's indignant expression.
"Honestly Lily!" Sirius complained loudly whilst failing miserably to keep the grin off his face, turning to the red head who was in the processes of removing a giggling Harry from his highchair. "What do you take us for? And such a crude thing to say in front of such a young and impressionable mind!"
Giving trying to hide his amusement, James burst out laughing, which in turn caused Harry to squeal in delight.
Ok, so they'd had a bit to drink, scratch that, they'd had a lot to drink, but hey, James rationalised, its Halloween and when in hiding you cant exactly throw or attend any parties, can you? Which left alcohol as a source of both amusement and celebration.
Lily snorted and rolled her eyes at James' hysterics. "I know you two- oh, don't give me that look Si, you'll be making out on the kitchen table before the doors even closed!"
James opened his mouth to respond but his husband beat him to it, "We'll start now if you like?" He wagged his eyebrows suggestively and Lily started to laugh.
"Hmm, perhaps another night, I'm off to bed, goodnight boys.Harry, say goodnight." The baby in question gurgled and began to pull on Lily's hair.
Chuckling both men stood and bid the pair a good night and a happy Halloween, James couldn't help but smile as Sirius kissed Harry on the top of his head and whispered 'goodnight Pronglet.'
After the kitchen door was firmly shut behind the two, James turned grinning to the other man. "See, we have restraint, the door is shut and we haven't made a move at the table.yet."
Grinning Sirius moved across the short distance between them and wrapped his arms around James. After kissing him firmly on the lips, they remained foreheads pressed together. "Have I told you how much I love you, recently, Siri?"
Smiling, Sirius pressed his lips against James' and murmured, "Love you too, Prongs."
"Shall we move this upstairs?"
Frowning, Sirius pulled away. "I can't, not yet anyway. I have to go check ion Peter."
James nodded and grinned mischievously, pulling Sirius back to him; he held him flush against his body and kissed him as if his very life depended on it. Pulling away when the need for oxygen became to great, he whispered softly, "Of course you do."
Sirius shivered in response to James' roaming hands, then planting his own hands on his husband's chest, forced him backwards. "We promised him. Promised Peter that we'd check up on him every day."
James sighed and leant his head back on the kitchen cupboard behind him. "I know, I just wish that we didn't have to hide like this, that we could live normal lives."
"Where's the fun in normal?" Sirius replied instantly, and began kissing along his husbands exposed throat. "I'm perfectly happy in living an abnormal life as long ass I have you and Harry I don't care."
James nodded and smiled, "Padfoot.I thought you were leaving?" "I am" was his reply, muffled by the skin at the base of James' neck, which he was currently kissing. "Just reminding you what you have to look forward to in about an hour."
Groaning in frustration James thumped his head back on the cabinet door.
Sirius grabbed his jacket, pressed a quick kiss to his husband's mouth and ran out the kitchen door. Calling 'love you' as he went.
James remained in the kitchen for a while, beginning to tidy up the vast amount of empty bottles and listening to the dull roar of the motorbike as it took off. After a quarter of an hour the kitchen seemed tidy enough that Lily would not throttle him in the morning. He decided on a quick shower before Sirius returned.
Walking out into the now darkened hallway, James collided directly into Lily.
"Lily, what are you."
"Shh, I thought I heard something out side."
James' eyes widened and he instinctively reached for his wand. A soft noise made them both jump and a feeling of cold terror swept over him. It was him, he could feel it.
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-"
The door blasted open as Lily reached the top of the stairs. Spinning around to face the most feared wizard in Britain, James came face to face with a pair of sinister glowing red cat like eyes.
Raising his wand with lightening fast reflexes panic flared through James. Were Lily and Harry safe? What had happened to Peter? He couldn't of betrayed them- was he dead? Tortured to insanity? And Sirius- had they been waiting for him at the hide out? Oh God, Sirius.
END FLASHBACK
* * * * * * * * * * * *
James slowly became aware of both Albus Dumbledore and Remus gazing down at him with concerned expressions.
Shacking madly and on the verge of a panic attack, he struggled to talk.
Remus shifted closer, "It's all right Prongs. It's over now," he soothed, whilst taking a quick glance at his former professor. Eyes silently questioning how they should explain the last fifteen years to the already distraught man.
Taking deep breaths James forced out one cracked word; "Harr.y?"
"Harry is fine James. He escaped the incident unscathed." It was a lie, Remus knew it the moment Dumbledore opened his mouth but at the same time he found himself nodding in agreement. James couldn't deal with the truth now; all they had to do was wait till he was a little better. Stronger, less disorientated.
Relief swept through James and he attempted to nod, showing his understanding. Falling, he moved onto the next question. "Lily?"
James didn't fail to notice the way both men's postures stiffened slightly, or how Remus suddenly refused to meet his gaze. Nor did he miss the look of relief that passed across Remus' face when Dumbledore said; "Remus, please fetch Poppy. She will not be pleased to discover that her patient woke up without he knowledge."
Remus glanced up at James; still refusing to meet his eyes, then turned and all but ran to the mediwitches' small office at the far end of the wing.
Albus turned back to James, hoping to placate him with a conversation about the mediwitches mother hen antics. The look on the young mans face told him immediately that it would not work.
"Dead"
Closing his eyes, Albus nodded, "She died bravely, she sacrificed he r own life so that Harry could live."
James opened his mouth to ask what he meant when an angry looking madam Pomphrey bustled in followed by Remus.
After eying the headmaster coldly and muttering under her breath about patients needs and the purposes of hospitals, she turned to James and launched into her triad. "How do you feel? Weak? Still cold? It's to be expected" She turned sharply on the other two occupants of the room. "If you two insist on spending all your time in here then you must inform me immediately of any change in the patients condition."
Albus nodded and began to move away from the bed. "Of course Poppy. If you will excuse us James, I must send Remus on an important errand."
The headmaster walked silently fro the hospital wing and waited a few moments for the younger wizard to follow him. Reluctantly, Remus dragged himself out of the room and pulled the wooden door closed.
"Albus I would like to remain-"
Albus silenced him with a gesture of his hand, "I know Remus, you wish to stay by his side. But someone must fetch Harry from his relatives and as the way things stand now between him and I, I feel it would be better accepted if I was not involved."
Remus nodded and watched as the headmaster returned back into the hospital wing, catching a brief glimpse of the mediwitch still fawning over a now sleeping James, before the door clicked shut. Sighing, Remus headed to wards the main doors; he would apparate from Hogsmede, and pick Harry up immediately.
Walking alone, his thoughts were left to wonder what exactly Harry's reaction would be to his Fathers return.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
AN. Another chapter done and dusted. Not exactly a cliffhanger but never mind. Anyway, next chapter=Harry! YAY!
I'm interested to know what people think of this chapter as some parts of this made me cringe.don't know why though. Am I to cliché? Or is this a response to writing my first slash scene? I think its probably at little to sappy, like at the end of the flash back, James is facing Death thinking about everything but death.you'd blatantly be thinking, 'Oh shit I'm gonna die.' any who.
Can anyone please tell me how to use italics in a fic if I upload from Microsoft word? I've tried before and it never works.grrr. If I don't work it out there are going to be a lot of big garish FLASHBACK's and END FLASHBACK's around the place.
Response to reviews:
SP-in-Sirius-Denial.
Am I moving to slowly? Chapters will be longer from here so hopefully it'll be more satisfying, Harry's in the next chapter and the plot is starting to pic up some speed (I hope) as for tears, and you'll have to wait a little bit. James is going to stay in the dark for now. Thank you for the review.
Lenja
Thank you. The address for the SXJ website is: http:// groups . yahoo. com /group /Sirius X James (Remove the spaces). Feel free to join, it's really good there, there is a lot of fiction, some fanart, links, our own site and lots of funky polls to vote in. (Walking advertisement over here)!
FroBoy and Kittygirl220
Thank you.
Squall Morpheus Leonhart
Thank you, I thought I was being a little harsh with the flame response; honestly I was trying to be light hearted. More coming soon, I promise.
Please review!!!!
.
.
.
.
.
.