Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I would be the one tanning in Jamaica and spending my oodles of money. But I'm not. Sad, isn't it?
A/N: Yay, the next story. I am planning on making this one considerably longer than the prequel, as a few people commented on the shortness. It will cover from Lily and James's wedding to the events of Halloween 1981. They removed the notes and teaser I put in at the end of Behind Closed Doors, and my account was blocked for a while. Apparently you can't use the chapter system for notes and such. But it was just notes. There was chapter content. So *blows raspberry*. But that didn't stop you guys from reviewing, so I will put my replies to those reviews here. Thanks!
Akuma Malik – Peace offering. *holds out this chapter* Will this pacify you? As for the spy matter, well, you'll just have to be patient.
Ronda-Silverpaw – No more hanging. Thanks a lot!
The Merciless Torturer – Glad I cleared things up. I hope it's as interesting as you're expecting. It doesn't get really good until later though.
Monica-Chan the Hanyou Kitsune – Why thank you! Here's the next story – hope you enjoy. And in answer to your question, I'll send you an email as soon as I post this.
Nolwe the Lady Dragon – I do try not to make Peter out to be bad. Well, at least in Hogwarts times. I'll enjoy writing him here though…muahahaha….thanks.
Lunaris – Woot! Pass that course! I hope I didn't hinder you too much. And you don't bug me – quite the contrary. I'm very grateful for the time you take to comment on my writing – especially when that time should be devoted to schoolwork. Thanks a lot!
Enjoy, folks.
Before Stone Walls
By: Hawkeye's Seductress
Chapter 1 – Weddings And Warnings
"You may kiss the bride."
James flushed brilliant red, leaned over, and quickly pecked Lily Evans – no, Lily Potter, Remus reminded himself – on the lips. The new couple turned to face their audience, who cheered wildly.
They paused just outside the doors of the church, all squashing onto the steps. Lily said goodbye to her parents, while her sister Petunia and her fiancée, a large, beefy man named Vernon Dursley, looked on disapprovingly. James grabbed his mother in a hug, grinning broadly at Remus over her shoulder. His father slapped his back and ruffled his hair, solving the mystery of where James picked up that annoying little habit.
Eventually, the crowd dissipated, leaving only the wedding party. Lily, still in her dress of white silk, was talking earnestly to her matron of honour, Alice Longbottom, and her bridesmaids Cassandra Bletchley and Kathleen Finnigan. Their dresses of vivid green matched the ferns in Lily's bouquet – now held loosely in the hands of Minerva McGonagall, who had left earlier – and the bride's own eyes. Meanwhile, James was slapping high fives with his best man, Sirius, and Remus and Peter, who had been ushers.
"So, how's it feel to be married, Jamesie?" Sirius teased, looking almost edible in his tuxedo. The jacket was open, the first two buttons of his white shirt undone, and the black tie hanging around his neck. "Well, you'll never find out," James retorted. Sirius laughed. "That's alright," he said, grabbing Remus's hand and kissing it. "I've got all I need right here." He pulled Remus close to him, sliding his arms around the werewolf's waist. James and Peter made retching noises, while Lily and the other females squealed.
"Aren't they just adorable?" Cassandra gushed. The others nodded their agreement, while James and Peter pretended to collapse. "Oh, get up, you fool," Lily commanded, prodding her bridegroom with her white silk shoe. "We've got to go get changed and head off to the reception."
The reception was being held at Lily and James's new house, in a small wizarding village called Godric's Hollow. Both sets of parents had gotten together and bought the house for their respective children, despite protests that it was far too much.
While Lily and James climbed into the limo, followed by the rest of the wedding party, Sirius motioned Remus over to his enchanted motorcycle. It had been a gift from the other three Marauders – they had found an ad for an old motorcycle and bought it for Sirius's twentieth birthday. He had been delighted, and spent hours tinkering with it, fixing it up into the gleaming machine it was now. The final touch had been the complex Flying Charm Remus had put on it, and the Invisibility Booster Sirius installed.
"Fly with me," Sirius asked, holding out his hands to Remus. "Oh, Sirius, you know how I hate to fly," he argued, still allowing himself to be led to the shiny black motorbike.
"Please?" Sirius climbed on, starting the motor. The bike purred into life, sounding just as inviting as Sirius's pleas. "Fly with me, Moony."
Giving up, Remus climbed onto the bike, wrapping his arms tightly around Sirius's waist. Sirius punched the Invisibility Booster, and they disappeared. The bike roared once, and then took off. Remus inhaled sharply as the ground dropped away alarmingly fast. Sirius took one hand off the handlebars and touched Remus's own. "Don't worry," he said calmly.
"Sirius, for Merlin's sake, keep both hands on this bloody thing!" Remus screwed his eyes shut, squeezing his arms tighter around Sirius, who was laughing. "And don't laugh at me," Remus continued.
They slid to a smooth landing on the street, then flickered back into sight. The sounds of the party floated out from the backyard. Pulling out his wand, Remus performed a quick spell do change their clothes from their tuxedos to suits. Sirius wrinkled his nose, pulled out his own wand, and repeated the spell. The suit disappeared, being replaced with a white t – shirt, Sirius's famous black leather jacket – and a pair of black silk boxers.
"Damnation!" Sirius exclaimed, staring down at his half clothed body. Remus burst out laughing. "While I do prefer that look on you," he grinned. "You're going to have to wear a little more. We are in public."
Sticking out his tongue, Sirius redid the spell, adding a pair of tight black jeans to his ensemble. They walked into the backyard, and were assaulted by the large crowd milling around the garden. They were dressed in a riot of colour, some in formal Muggle clothes, some in dress robes.
"Uncle Sirius!" A small red blur shot out of nowhere and wrapped itself around Sirius's long legs. He looked down. "Hullo Nymphy," he greeted his eight-year-old cousin. The young girl looked up. "Don't call me that," she admonished. Sirius grinned at her, than up at her mother, Andromeda Tonks. "Hello Anya." He gave the older woman a fierce hug. "What're you doing here?"
Andromeda beamed. "Well, Ted and Dora and I have moved into a house just down the road. We came to congratulate Lily and James, but they aren't here yet. Her parents answered the door, and I explained who we were, and they invited us in." Remus reflected back to the summer after sixth year. He and Peter had been visiting James at his house, where Sirius had moved in. As they wasted away the summer, they explored London at length, and Sirius had introduced them to his favourite cousin and her Muggle husband.
"That's wonderful – Remus and I have a flat not too far away!" Sirius exclaimed. Andromeda winked at Remus, who flushed red. "Isn't that nice," she smirked, giving him a hug.
Little Nymphadora tugged on Sirius's jeans. "Watch, Uncle Sirius," she said, screwing up her face in a concentrated expression. Her long blonde hair blossomed red, the same colour as Lily's. Sirius's jaw dropped. "Is she a Metamorphagus?" he demanded. Andromeda nodded. "Yes, we found out not long ago. She's extremely excited – keeps changing the colour of her eyes. I don't even think she remembers the real colour anymore – I certainly don't."
Remus left Sirius to talk with his family members and walked around the yard, greeting various people. There was Professor McGonagall, who nodded briefly to him, and Dumbledore, who was entertaining some children with the huge, rainbow hued bubbles spewing from his wand. He winked surreptitiously at Remus who smiled back.
Peter appeared, his bookbag on his back. He had gone onto Muggle university, and was in his last year. He had majored in English, surprising everyone with his new, more sophisticated vocabulary and demeanor. But Remus suddenly felt uncomfortable around Peter – for reasons he could not explain. Storing these feelings away, he smiled at his former schoolmate. "Hello, Peter, how's school going?"
"F-f-fine, Remus. Thanks for asking. I've just put in my last big p-project." No matter how old, Peter always spoke with that stutter that made him seem perpetually terrified. Remus nodded. "That's good. Are your professors impressed with you?" Peter grinned. "They w-w-want to know how I know so much about mythology. I d-didn't tell them I took that course in seventh year." They continued the small talk for a while, then Peter excused himself to speak with Dumbledore.
Lily and James arrived then, Lily in a wild blue sundress and James in his navy blue dress robes. "Mr. and Mrs. James Alfred - " here Sirius paused to snicker, while James threw a handful of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans at him. " – Potter." Shaking the beans out of his hair, Sirius kissed Lily's hand, and chucked his own beans at James, who replied by taking the entire box and dumping the contents over Sirius's dark head. This prompted a fast, but playful tussle on the grass that ended with both men riddled with grass stains and Lily and Remus both shaking their heads in disgust.
The night wore on, and the party had slowed down. James and Sirius, who had both had a few too many Firwhiskeys, were singing some Muggle song off key. Remus was talking with Dumbledore about his job in a Muggle bookstore.
"It's not much, but it helps pay the bills, cause Sirius isn't getting many shifts – too many Aurors, not enough crisis," he said. Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Perhaps that isn't the best course of thought, but it is true. I do fear, however, that it is all about to change. Please excuse me, Remus, I must be off. Good night."
"Good night sir," Remus replied, watching the older man stop to talk to Lily, quickly grasp James's hand in farewell, then disappear without so much as a pop.
"Hullo, Moony." Sirius deposited himself in Remus's lap. "What's new?" Remus smiled sweetly, and pushed the dark haired man off his legs. "Get off…you smell like a brewery." Sirius got unsteadily to his feet. "I don't," he protested. Remus grimaced. "Trust me. You do. I think it's time for us to go home." Ignoring the whines issuing from his lover, Remus stood and walked over to Lily and James.
"Well you two, me and my drunken friend here are going to head home," he said. Lily jumped up, throwing herself into the surprised werewolf's arms. "Thank you, Remus," she said softly. "For everything you've done for us." She turned to Sirius, who had stumbled over. "And you, Sirius," she said, giving him a hug as well. "Although I can't think of anything you've done."
Sirius drew himself up indignantly, and promptly fell over. He struggled to his feet as the other three laughed. "No problem, milady," he slurred, cuffing James across the head. "Well, idiot, we'll see you in a week." He winked ostentatiously. "Have fun on the honeymoon," he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Remus dragged him out of the yard before he could say anything more.
* * *
"Remus, James, Lily, thank you for coming," Dumbledore said, ushering them into his office nearly nine months later. "Where's Sirius?"
Remus shrugged. "I don't know, sir. He didn't tell me." He could not explain the sudden darkening in his mentor's blue eyes. But Dumbledore simply moved behind his desk. Remus looked around at the others in the office. Emmeline Vance, Daedalus Diggle, Benjy Fenwick, the Longbottoms, Peter – his eyes scanned face after face. It looked like the entire Order was gathered here. Except for Sirius.
"Ladies and gentleman, it is with extreme sadness that I called you here today," Dumbledore said, sitting in his chair. "The news I must deliver is not good news."
"Is it Voldemort?" Remus asked bluntly, ignoring the shudders and gasps from various parts of the room. Dumbledore steepled his fingers. "Not quite directly. We have not heard anything from him since the unfortunate murder of Dorcas Meadowes." Heads bowed – Dorcas had been killed only two weeks prior. Sadly, hers was not the first death the Order had needed to deal with.
"Well, spit it out then," Alastor Moody growled. Dumbledore allowed his eyes to twinkle slightly at the grizzled Auror before muting the sparkle. "There's a spy in our midst."
There was instant uproar. Moody and half a dozen other leapt to their feet, while the rest shouted random questions. Dumbledore met Remus's eyes and his expression was saddened. He then turned to Lily and James. "And I'm afraid that you two are the infiltrator's targets."
Lily's jaw dropped and James's tightened as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Why?" he asked.
"I believe it is because Voldemort has learned about the vital information and research you have procured for us," Dumbledore answered. "We are currently looking into protection for you – and the baby." At his words, Lily rested her hands protectively on her swollen abdomen – she was in her eight month of pregnancy. "But let me assure you, no harm will come to you."
As they filed out of the office, Remus found himself beside Peter, who was pale and trembling. "This is horrible," Remus stated flatly. Peter jumped as though scalded. "Oh, y-yes, horrible," he agreed. "I h-h-hope no h-harm comes to Lily and J-james." Remus nodded. "I trust Dumbledore. He'll protect them."
* * *
Remus unlocked the door to their flat, throwing his cloak on the floor and dropping into a chair. A spy. The words echoed in his mind. There's a spy in our midst. He shook himself. He didn't want to believe it. But Dumbledore was rarely wrong.
The door opened again, and in walked Sirius. "Hello love." He greeted Remus with a quick kiss. "Hi," Remus replied. "Where were you?" Sirius immediately looked away. "Oh, out and about," he said, playing absently with a loose thread on his shirt sleeve. "I'm hungry." He walked into the small kitchen.
Remus sat, staring blankly. This was the third time Sirius had refused to tell him his whereabouts. Could Sirius be the spy? He shook his head. No, he thought. That's ridiculous…
Or is it?
~TBC~
Oh dear. This doesn't look good. Please review!