"We're going now!"
Remus curled his hands around the banister, and yelled up the stairs.
"Come on now, move it along!"
There was a sound, like a stampede of goblins after a gold swindler as Sirius, Peter, and James came racing down the stairs, swinging and sliding halfway down the railing as they went. James flew off the polished end of the stairway, and landed face-first on the floor.
"Hey, that wasn't funny..."
James turned a deep red as the barely-contained laughter surrounded him.
"Then... w-why am I l-laughing?" Sirius snorted, and succumbed to a fit of giggles.
"Ahem!"
All four boys turned and froze as Lily advanced on them, frying pan and apron on hand.
"Eh... we were just leaving dear." James said meekly.
Lily set down the pan and embraced everyone.
"You all be careful! It's not every week those I love are shipped off on a dangerous mission..."
"More like everyday..." Sirius snorted.
Lily shot him a look.
"You will be careful dear, won't you?"
James carefully picked her up, and set her back down. He grinned stupidly, and pocketed his wand.
"Of course, we'll be fine! You take care of my son, and have tea ready for when we get back." He winked, and lovingly patted Lily's ever-growing stomach.
Lily gave him a burning look, then gave all present a quick peck on the cheek.
"Be careful now!" She gave Remus a significant look, and he slowly nodded at her.
The four disapparated.
******************************* "Well fellows, this is it."
The four marauders stood in silence, looking at the dark manor in front of them. The wind was howling, and loose shutters banged noisily against the creaking protests of their locks.
Slowly they approached the back door, and carefully James nudged it open.
CREEEAAAKK!
"Ssh!" Sirius hissed unnecessarily.
James ignored him and continued to slowly inch the door open. The four friends stood in the doorway, wands at the ready.
"Seems deserted." Peter whispered, giving a nervous twitch.
"I suppose they're not here.....or, they're hiding...." James trailed off.
"Moony, come on!"
Remus was standing half-in, half-out, his hands clutching the wood paneling hard. He nodded, showing clenched teeth.
Sirius' eyes darted back and forth quickly. Anything could happen now.....
"Hey, you ok?" James shot Remus a worried glance.
"Fine." Moony grunted, but Sirius was watching his friend's eyes, and noticing the swift flash of yellow and black. A quick glance out of a nearby window confirmed his fears.
"Moony, what's up? This is a full moon... you shouldn't be..."
"New potion, Dumbledore....... Lily made...... said it would work.........experimental........."
Sirius bit his lip as the group walked further into the house, getting more unnerved the more they walked.
Then James slipped.
He came back up, his right side covered in a crimson liquid. His eyes widened in horror at the scene in front of him, his friends following his gaze.
The company's faces went white. In front of their eyes lay the two Prewett brothers, bodies sprawled and faces etched in a failed determination. One of the brothers' wife lay nearby, also dead, gaping wounds covering her partially clothed corpse. "Oh my God......"
Sirius' eyes were locked on the glazed ones of the dead woman's. Her fingers lay white, and curled out, her position suggesting she had been crawling towards her husband moments before death. Their cold, outstretched hands were only inches apart.
"This is a long way from God......"
"Aahh!"
Sirius jumped as Remus' face started to push outwards, and his ears began to bulge out and curl upwards. A look of pain and apology shown in his eyes.
"James! Remus is wolfing out, his emotions just sent him over the edge!"
"Quick, stun him!" Peter shouted.
James spun around.
"No!" He countered, "you can't stun in mid-transformations, he'll be stuck that way!"
"I don't care, I'm not getting bitten!" Peter redrew his wand.
"Expelliarmus!" James shouted, but he wasn't the only one. In fact, a dozen curses suddenly filled the air, stopping when a solitary figure stood at the front, and held out his hand.
"Haha, at last we meet the famous 'marauders' of Hogwarts!" Came a loud, menacing voice. A hood was drawn.
"Malfoy!"
The blonde man smirked.
"Prepare to die."
James eyes flashed.
"Try me."
Sirius winced as Malfoy sent a violent curse at James, who swiftly deflected it with a shielding charm.
"You'll have to do better than that, slime!"
Malfoy scowled. "I don't need to take you. Death Eaters, servants of the Dark Lord, attack!"
All hell broke loose as a dozen Death Eaters advanced.
"Stupefy!" Sirius grinned as a Death Eater that had been choking Peter collapsed.
"Sirius, behind you!"
"Protego!"
Sirius was just in time to throw the shield charm just as a hooded Death Eater swung a chair towards his head.
"'Tis a pity, when you're such a pathetic excuse for a wizard that you must resort to muggle violence."
The Death Eater shook in anger as he drew his wand.
"But myself, I sometimes prefer muggle violence. Does better justice, ya see."
Sirius launched himself at the Death Eater, immediately punching him in the stomach. The figure twisted around and onto the floor, coming up underneath Sirius and grabbing his leg. His hood fell off.
"YOU!"
Sirius' face contorted into unmeasurable anger as the figure of his brother lay on the floor, grinning.
"Crucio!"
Regulus twitched for a second, then was on his feet.
"If anyone's pathetic brother, it is you. You're too soft to even do a proper curse to your own brother."
Sirius threw his body into Regulus, throwing him to floor once more, and punching him again and again.
"Nooooo! Aghh..."
Sirius looked up for a moment, distracted, as Remus began to rip out the throat of a fallen Death Eater.
Sirius' eyes were bathed in horror. "Stupefy!" A single curse, and the werewolf lay slumped over the body of his victim.
"Ugh...."
Sirius doubled over as Regulus took advantage of his distraction, kicking him, completely taking all breath from his lungs. He felt his body succumb to darkness as something bashed against the side of his head.
"We've done it, we've done it!"
Lucius Malfoy stood in the middle of the fray, gleefully taking in the scene around him. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were all unconscious, and only James was left, battling hopelessly against the eight remaining Death Eaters.
"Don't kill him just yet, we could have a bit of fun with him." Malfoy was practically dancing in ecstasy.
"But first, you!" Malfoy pointed at Regulus. "You've always talked about a score to settle, and there is no better time! Kill your worthless brother, and be done with your vengeance!"
Regulus stared, perplexed, at the sprawled figure of Sirius in front of him.
"Do it! Now!" Malfoy's eyes were glowing.
Regulus put on a hard face.
"There would be no point in killing him now, wouldn't it be much better for the Dark Lord to handle this? He might want information, and I'd rather enjoy laughing as he tortures this pathetic excuse for a wizard instead."
Malfoy's eyes flashed.
"The orders were to kill on sight, no information is necessary. Now kill the bastard!"
Regulus' right hand began to shake violently.
"I...I..."
"So, you won't do it?" Malfoy's lip curled. "Then let me show you how the Dark Lord deals with cowards!" Malfoy's wand was raised.
"I don't think so!"
Lucius had no time to react as Lily apparated from no where, and smacked the dark wizard with all her strength across the face with her frying pan. He crumbled with a shocked look on his face.
"Lily!" James cried, as the other Death Eaters turned towards her. She swayed precariously on the spot, frying pan held like a sword.
Seizing his chance, Regulus disapparated.
"Come 'ere, girly girl." A particularly vile wizard hissed. "We wouldn't want to hurt you, seein your delicate condition...."
Sweat broke out on Lily's face as the dark wizards moved nearer, and her face paled dramatically.
"I won't faint this time." She said viciously, and swung out with the pan.
"Who are you to challenge us? You're all alone girly..."
"Try again, slimeball!"
'Slimeball' turned sharply as James jumped in front of Lily.
"I'd give up now, if I were you."
A Death Eater spit.
"Huh, there's still six of us, and two of you."
James smiled as eleven voices cried 'Lumos!' all at once. The Death Eaters jumped as they found themselves circled by the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix.
"Now prepare to die."
Remus curled his hands around the banister, and yelled up the stairs.
"Come on now, move it along!"
There was a sound, like a stampede of goblins after a gold swindler as Sirius, Peter, and James came racing down the stairs, swinging and sliding halfway down the railing as they went. James flew off the polished end of the stairway, and landed face-first on the floor.
"Hey, that wasn't funny..."
James turned a deep red as the barely-contained laughter surrounded him.
"Then... w-why am I l-laughing?" Sirius snorted, and succumbed to a fit of giggles.
"Ahem!"
All four boys turned and froze as Lily advanced on them, frying pan and apron on hand.
"Eh... we were just leaving dear." James said meekly.
Lily set down the pan and embraced everyone.
"You all be careful! It's not every week those I love are shipped off on a dangerous mission..."
"More like everyday..." Sirius snorted.
Lily shot him a look.
"You will be careful dear, won't you?"
James carefully picked her up, and set her back down. He grinned stupidly, and pocketed his wand.
"Of course, we'll be fine! You take care of my son, and have tea ready for when we get back." He winked, and lovingly patted Lily's ever-growing stomach.
Lily gave him a burning look, then gave all present a quick peck on the cheek.
"Be careful now!" She gave Remus a significant look, and he slowly nodded at her.
The four disapparated.
******************************* "Well fellows, this is it."
The four marauders stood in silence, looking at the dark manor in front of them. The wind was howling, and loose shutters banged noisily against the creaking protests of their locks.
Slowly they approached the back door, and carefully James nudged it open.
CREEEAAAKK!
"Ssh!" Sirius hissed unnecessarily.
James ignored him and continued to slowly inch the door open. The four friends stood in the doorway, wands at the ready.
"Seems deserted." Peter whispered, giving a nervous twitch.
"I suppose they're not here.....or, they're hiding...." James trailed off.
"Moony, come on!"
Remus was standing half-in, half-out, his hands clutching the wood paneling hard. He nodded, showing clenched teeth.
Sirius' eyes darted back and forth quickly. Anything could happen now.....
"Hey, you ok?" James shot Remus a worried glance.
"Fine." Moony grunted, but Sirius was watching his friend's eyes, and noticing the swift flash of yellow and black. A quick glance out of a nearby window confirmed his fears.
"Moony, what's up? This is a full moon... you shouldn't be..."
"New potion, Dumbledore....... Lily made...... said it would work.........experimental........."
Sirius bit his lip as the group walked further into the house, getting more unnerved the more they walked.
Then James slipped.
He came back up, his right side covered in a crimson liquid. His eyes widened in horror at the scene in front of him, his friends following his gaze.
The company's faces went white. In front of their eyes lay the two Prewett brothers, bodies sprawled and faces etched in a failed determination. One of the brothers' wife lay nearby, also dead, gaping wounds covering her partially clothed corpse. "Oh my God......"
Sirius' eyes were locked on the glazed ones of the dead woman's. Her fingers lay white, and curled out, her position suggesting she had been crawling towards her husband moments before death. Their cold, outstretched hands were only inches apart.
"This is a long way from God......"
"Aahh!"
Sirius jumped as Remus' face started to push outwards, and his ears began to bulge out and curl upwards. A look of pain and apology shown in his eyes.
"James! Remus is wolfing out, his emotions just sent him over the edge!"
"Quick, stun him!" Peter shouted.
James spun around.
"No!" He countered, "you can't stun in mid-transformations, he'll be stuck that way!"
"I don't care, I'm not getting bitten!" Peter redrew his wand.
"Expelliarmus!" James shouted, but he wasn't the only one. In fact, a dozen curses suddenly filled the air, stopping when a solitary figure stood at the front, and held out his hand.
"Haha, at last we meet the famous 'marauders' of Hogwarts!" Came a loud, menacing voice. A hood was drawn.
"Malfoy!"
The blonde man smirked.
"Prepare to die."
James eyes flashed.
"Try me."
Sirius winced as Malfoy sent a violent curse at James, who swiftly deflected it with a shielding charm.
"You'll have to do better than that, slime!"
Malfoy scowled. "I don't need to take you. Death Eaters, servants of the Dark Lord, attack!"
All hell broke loose as a dozen Death Eaters advanced.
"Stupefy!" Sirius grinned as a Death Eater that had been choking Peter collapsed.
"Sirius, behind you!"
"Protego!"
Sirius was just in time to throw the shield charm just as a hooded Death Eater swung a chair towards his head.
"'Tis a pity, when you're such a pathetic excuse for a wizard that you must resort to muggle violence."
The Death Eater shook in anger as he drew his wand.
"But myself, I sometimes prefer muggle violence. Does better justice, ya see."
Sirius launched himself at the Death Eater, immediately punching him in the stomach. The figure twisted around and onto the floor, coming up underneath Sirius and grabbing his leg. His hood fell off.
"YOU!"
Sirius' face contorted into unmeasurable anger as the figure of his brother lay on the floor, grinning.
"Crucio!"
Regulus twitched for a second, then was on his feet.
"If anyone's pathetic brother, it is you. You're too soft to even do a proper curse to your own brother."
Sirius threw his body into Regulus, throwing him to floor once more, and punching him again and again.
"Nooooo! Aghh..."
Sirius looked up for a moment, distracted, as Remus began to rip out the throat of a fallen Death Eater.
Sirius' eyes were bathed in horror. "Stupefy!" A single curse, and the werewolf lay slumped over the body of his victim.
"Ugh...."
Sirius doubled over as Regulus took advantage of his distraction, kicking him, completely taking all breath from his lungs. He felt his body succumb to darkness as something bashed against the side of his head.
"We've done it, we've done it!"
Lucius Malfoy stood in the middle of the fray, gleefully taking in the scene around him. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were all unconscious, and only James was left, battling hopelessly against the eight remaining Death Eaters.
"Don't kill him just yet, we could have a bit of fun with him." Malfoy was practically dancing in ecstasy.
"But first, you!" Malfoy pointed at Regulus. "You've always talked about a score to settle, and there is no better time! Kill your worthless brother, and be done with your vengeance!"
Regulus stared, perplexed, at the sprawled figure of Sirius in front of him.
"Do it! Now!" Malfoy's eyes were glowing.
Regulus put on a hard face.
"There would be no point in killing him now, wouldn't it be much better for the Dark Lord to handle this? He might want information, and I'd rather enjoy laughing as he tortures this pathetic excuse for a wizard instead."
Malfoy's eyes flashed.
"The orders were to kill on sight, no information is necessary. Now kill the bastard!"
Regulus' right hand began to shake violently.
"I...I..."
"So, you won't do it?" Malfoy's lip curled. "Then let me show you how the Dark Lord deals with cowards!" Malfoy's wand was raised.
"I don't think so!"
Lucius had no time to react as Lily apparated from no where, and smacked the dark wizard with all her strength across the face with her frying pan. He crumbled with a shocked look on his face.
"Lily!" James cried, as the other Death Eaters turned towards her. She swayed precariously on the spot, frying pan held like a sword.
Seizing his chance, Regulus disapparated.
"Come 'ere, girly girl." A particularly vile wizard hissed. "We wouldn't want to hurt you, seein your delicate condition...."
Sweat broke out on Lily's face as the dark wizards moved nearer, and her face paled dramatically.
"I won't faint this time." She said viciously, and swung out with the pan.
"Who are you to challenge us? You're all alone girly..."
"Try again, slimeball!"
'Slimeball' turned sharply as James jumped in front of Lily.
"I'd give up now, if I were you."
A Death Eater spit.
"Huh, there's still six of us, and two of you."
James smiled as eleven voices cried 'Lumos!' all at once. The Death Eaters jumped as they found themselves circled by the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix.
"Now prepare to die."