(Note from the author: These are not my characters, my world, or my situations. They all belong to J. K. Rowling, and are protected by copyrights.)

It was that morning that Remus finally opened his eyes. He looked like he had just been through a war, still drenched in his own sweat. There were two large gashes on his neck, and his arms and legs were badly injured.
"Good morning," he muttered as his four friends circled the bed. Sirius took the water in a glass from the pitcher sitting on his chest of drawers, and ran to his friend in the bed.
"Morning," he mumbled back as he sat down next to him, and handed him the glass, "Drink up. Moody put a sort of potion in there. He says it'll numb the pain."
"Mm," Remus said as Sirius helped him drink it. He looked like he was in pain, indeed. No one had seen him this bad off, not even that night when he had been locked in the pantry. This was the worst that the wolf had done.
"Moony," James started, "I . . . they had us under a spell . . ."

"You didn't turn," Remus said weakly, hazily looking at them through his glassy eyes, "I . . . I knew you wouldn't. I know you, James. You would never turn."

"Just rest," Lily said, sitting on the other side of him, "We need you to get back up on your feet."
"I saw June," Remus mumbled feverishly as Lily pushed him back onto the bed. Peter eyed him suspiciously from the foot of the bed.
"What'd you say, mate?" he asked nervously.
"He was in the room with me," Remus closed his eyes again, and Sirius took this opportunity to give a worried look to James. James shrugged, but his face was very white, and he was staring at Remus is curiousity.
"He was there, guys. He said that I wasn't going to die. That he wouldn't let me."
"No one was in there with you, Moony," James said tediously.
Remus shook his head, "I saw him. He was there."
And then with a groan, he went back to sleep.
"You reckon that he was hallucinating?" Sirius asked, taking the glass of water back to the chest of drawers.
"Must have been," James said, shaking his head, "You saw him. He looked dead when Moody opened the door. I thought he was until I saw him breathing."
Lily nodded, "But there was something about that house. It was like . . . it was like the spirits had never left, you know?"
Peter shrugged, "It gave me the willies, if that's what you mean."
"They killed Muggles there," Sirius said, "Moody explained it all to me. They took them in there and tortured them. And not just Muggles, but Muggle-borns. And people like . . . well, like Remus."
Peter shuddered, and Lily and James looked back at their sleeping friend. It had been too close. They all three could have been dead if it hadn't been for Sirius.
"It kind of drives it home, doesn't it?" Sirius said, giving out a small laugh, "What Moony's got to face daily?"
"What do you mean?" Lily asked.
"People like Dolohov," Sirius explained, "People that think that he's not human."
"But he is," Peter retorted.
"We know that," James said, sitting on the bed, and placing his hand on Remus's cut one, "But they don't."

Remus was back on his feet in no time. Yet again, they had evaded the Dark Lord and lived to tell the tale. They were wiser for it, and the pact that they had made that night stayed with them every minute of their days.
Remus could be seen sitting with the rest of them as they spoke to Moody in the dining room about their futures during dinner the next day. The only thing that he had to show for his night of hell was a sling wrapped around his left arm. Moody, even if he was an excellent Auror and wonderful at potions and healing, seemed to know nothing about fractures.
"Let it heal, Lupin," Moody had said, "We seem to forget that the best way is the natural course of things."
Moody had taken pity on him, and had fixed him the pain killer every six hours.
They had gathered to talk about housing and jobs, since they were expected to move out of the Headquarters soon and return to regular life. Well, as regular as you could get being a member of the Order.
Lily and James had found a very nice house to purchase as their wedding present. James saying that his parents had left him a bit of money was the understatement to top them all. His parents had left everything to him, which mean that he was now faced with thousands and thousands of Galleons from Uncle Charlie and both of his parents each. It made Sirius's legacy look like pocket change.
As for Sirius, he was to find another flat far away from London and his family, and go into a wizarding home. He didn't seem to keen on this idea, but he couldn't argue with Dumbledore. He had respect for him, and had decided that it would be best to do what he told him to do.
Peter was also looking into buying a small house. Not as large as Lily and James's, but just a cozy one-level. He was looking into working for the Ministry so he could support himself.
Remus was to move into his parent's old house. His folks were retiring now, and they had decided to move to the country (if you could get more rural than where they were currently living on the outskirts of Nottingham), and was leaving the house to him. It wasn't much, but somewhere to stay. Ever since the night at Dolohov's, Moody had announced that Remus was a free man. They wouldn't bother with him again. James had told all of them exactly what Voldemort had said to him, and they had realized that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would make James suffer for Remus and Lily.
And James wouldn't hide from Voldemort.
"Don't you think you two would be better off here?" Moody inquired of him during their talk, "Where we could keep an eye on you? Because you've really done it, Potter. He's out for your neck, I'll have you know."

"I'm not hiding," James said, putting his arm around Lily, "He wants to find me, he can find me. I'll kill him first."
Moody sighed, and then muttered something that sounded like, "Teenagers."
They were to leave for their different destinations in a week. The Order's agents were trying to help them get ready in time. Moody seemed sort of relieved to let them go and have his house back again, yet he seemed on ends about every single detail.
"I'll show you how to curse your trash bins, Potter," he said to James one day, "They never suspect the trash bins."
In the meantime, Lily had been trying to get her mind off of that horrible night by planning the wedding. She had called all of her old schoolfriends to meet her and James at the Leaky Cauldron in London to speak about what they needed to do, when they needed to do it, and so forth. James's friends would be attending as well, and bringing these two worlds together seemed to be heading for a catastrophe.
For the seven years that they had been at Hogwarts, the giggly girls that Lily had befriended looked down their noses at the marauders. The girls were poised, polished, and walked around campus like porcelian dolls. They were the focus of every boy's attention (when they weren't looking at Professor Nanes) and took great pride in their appearance.
On the other hand, the boys that James had befriended were the exact opposite, and the focus of all of the girl's attention. They had never truly paid any attention to the giggly girls, but found them as annoying little berks when they did notice them. These two groups had never truly been friends, and had never truly become acquainted with the other.
Lily knew that the girls hated the boys, and they seemed to be heading for a head-on collision, having a marriage between Giggly Girl Number One and Prongs.
There also seemed to be some sort of attraction left between Giggly Girl Number Two and Padfoot.
Sirius's eyes had grown bright and cheery as Lily told him who her maid of honor was to be. It was minutes before they were to meet everyone at the pub, and the three of them could be found in James's room as he quickly tried to tidy himself up.
He ran his fingers through his hair, and said very casually, "Elise, hey? She ever said anything about me after the dance?"
Lily had laughed, and then nodded, "Yes, she did."
"You reckon she still remembers me?" he asked James, who was trying to throw a clean shirt on before heading out for the pub.
"Maybe," James said, mussing his hair. He didn't want it to get too neat.
"Are we ready to go?" Remus asked from the hallway, poking his head in through the door.
"Just give us one minute," James said, struggling with his belt buckle, "We're almost ready."
"Come on, Prongs!" Sirius urged him, "Let's get going!"
"I'm sorry, but I'm running a little late," he said.
"Then you should have started earlier," he barked, and grabbed his arm, thrusting him towards the door, "No one's going to be looking at what belt buckle you're wearing! No one cares! Let's go! Get! Out the door! Now!"

The Leaky Cauldron was very crowded for a Wednesday night. Hags and witches and wizards milled around the room, shouting to each other and taking large swigs of their drinks. Lily laughed as they entered, and she spotted her old school friends looking disgusted at the sight before them. Bea, the leader of the group, who had always been very snooty towards anyone that defied her, was dressed in her Sunday best, clutching her purse close to her side. She was eyeing an old man in a wizard's hat suspiciously as she backed away, closer to Sandra.
Sandra had been her little stooge, and second in command. A little smarter, and a little more cynical. But Lily loved them both. Not as much as the boys, but well enough to invite them to dinner.
And behind them both stood the third girl, Elise.
"Hello, Bea," Lily waved as they drew nearer, "Sandra, Elise. How are you?"
"Oh no," James muttered to Remus, "It's the fashion brigade."
Remus laughed, as he fidgetted with the strap on his sling, "I don't know. That Sandra girl is looking pretty nice tonight."
But Sirius didn't look too amused.
In fact, he was too busy looking to Elise, who was now kissing Lily on the cheek.
"It's so nice of you to invite us to be at your wedding," she said, as Lily ushered the boys over. They all sheepishly looked at the girls, as if they had returned to Hogwarts for another term. It was a mix of being attracted and being appalled. Except for Sirius, who was fully attracted.
"Hello," he said weakly, as Elise drew closer to say hello to the four boys following obidiently behind Lily.
Her black hair was in a high ponytail, and she wore enough makeup to kill a horse. But that didn't bother Sirius. Her blue eyes sparkled as she caught sight of him.
"Ah, Sirius Black," she said, "You have to leave early tonight?"
Sirius nervously laughed, and rubbed the back of his neck, "No, not tonight. How are you, Elise?"
"Pretty well," she said, and looked over Sirius's shoulder, "Hello, Remus."
Remus waved, "Hey, Elise."
"Never thought I'd see you again," she said, looking back to Sirius, "I heard you left town."
"I did," he said, "Got a job. New house."
She nodded quietly, and then turned back to Sandra as they made their way to a vacant table.
"What happened to your friend's arm, Lily?" Bea asked, taking a seat next to Sandra.
"He had an accident," Lily lied, smiling, "Tried to take Sirius's bike out for a spin, and ended up crashing."
Remus, overhearing this, frowned. Peter tried to hide his laughs from behind his hands.
James sat next to Lily, and his three friends sat on the other side of him. They faced the giggly girls, who weren't so giggly now, in fear and in nerves. It seemed as if they suspected the boys to hex them at any minute.
"Well, we were planning to have it at a church in London," Lily said, "We're inviting my entire family, and all of our friends from school. And some of our co-workers."
"Oh, this is going to be so beautiful," Sandra breathed. Bea scoffed.
"What church?" she said, "Muggle or wizard?"
"Wizard," James said, "The Evans's have decided that they would be willing to let their daughter marry under the circumstances that she was born to."
Remus looked over to his left, where Sirius and Elise were nervously smiling at each other. He rolled his eyes, and kicked Sirius from under the table.
"It's not your wedding, Padfoot," he muttered under his breath, "Listen."
"Why do you have to kick me?" Sirius snarled.
"Because Peter's too far away to reach your leg, and James is preoccupied at the moment," Remus replied, and Sirius, grumbling, turned back towards the engaged couple, looking fairly bored.
"We have figured that Elise is going to be the maid of honor," Lily said, "And Sirius is going to be the best man. My sister, Petunia, and Sandra and Bea are going to be bridesmaids. And then for the men of honor, we'll have Remus, Peter, and Davey Gudgeon."
"Davey?" Bea scoffed again, "That clown? You're letting him into your wedding?"
"If he can make it, yes," James said, defending his friend.
Remus looked from him to Bea, and then back to him. There was going to be a fight. There was no way that James Potter could conquer these giggly girls. Some of them had liked him, but after the boys had taken Lily away from them, they were out for blood.
James's blood.
He sighed, and checked his watch. This was going to be the longest meeting of his life.
"Can I ask a question really quick?" Bea asked, eyeing James with a look that resembled a vulture.
"Is this a rhetorical question?" James grumbled, picking at the wooden tabletop.
Bea's face grew rigid, and she turned to Lily, "How long have you known him?" she asked, as if he wasn't there.
James glanced up at her, his brow furrowed. Sirius and Remus turned their attention to him, and Peter's eyes were darting to the menus. All he wanted was to eat. That's the only reason he had really come. Free meal. Why couldn't they order now?
"Well," Lily said, trying to keep the peace, "We've known each other since first year."
"Yeah, we know that," Bea said.
"Bea, don't . . ." Sandra started, but Bea waved her hand to shush her.
"But how long have you two been going out," she said, "Not even a year."
"Does it really matter?" James retorted.
"Yes, it does," Bea said, glaring, "You are eighteen. You have no steady job. And we all know your reputation from Hogwarts."
"And what reputation would that be?" Sirius asked, stepping in to protect James.
"You two were the worst students that Hogwarts has ever seen," Bea snapped, "Pulling pranks every Halloween, getting Peeves to terrorize Darryl . . ."
"What?" Peter squeaked.
"Look," Sirius said, leaning over the table at her, "I don't think you have any say in what Lily does and doesn't do."
"Don't you look at me like that," she said, her vulture look narrowing, "You don't scare me."
"Bea, Sirius, please," Lily begged, trying to negotiate a peaceful conversation yet again, "Can we please just talk about the wedding?"
And then the group of them were into another heated conversation. Remus sighed, and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. Where was the food?

"All right, you paid the bill, right?" Remus asked, as him, along with James and Peter, exited the Leaky Cauldron. Sirius and Lily were lagging behind.
James checked his pockets, "Yeah, I did."
"What is Sirius doing?" Peter asked, turning around to peer through the dark doorway.
"Taking his bloody time," James grumbled, "I want to get out of here. I want to get back home. I don't know how I'm going to stand those three for the next six months."
"They're Lily's friends," Remus said, adjusting his sling, "We just have to remember that. We may not particularly like them, but she does."
"Yeah, all right," James sighed, "I know."
"Good dinner, hey?" Peter said, trying to lighten the conversation, "Better than I thought it would be."
"Yeah," James said, and then turned back to Remus, "Can you imagine the audacity of that Bea, though? She doesn't even know me! Going on about Peeves and all that. Peeves hated me. I . . ."
"You're preaching to the choir, Prongs," Remus sighed again, and then went back to looking at Sirius, "I wish those two would hurry."
"Do you think that?"
Peter blinked, "Think what?"
"That we're too young," James said, "Because that seems to be what most people think. Do you two think that?"
Remus and Peter looked at each other awkwardly, and then shook their heads vigorously, "No, no . . . not at all. Of course not."
Finally, the three of them saw Lily and Sirius say one last goodbye to the three girls, and then exit the pub. Lily looked tired, and she banged her head against James's shoulders.
"Really, I apologize," she said, very aggrivated, "They can be little berks sometimes."
"It's all right," James said, and put his arm around her. They started down the street, the other three lagging behind.
"She asked me out for a night," Sirius said quietly to Remus, watching the backs of Lily and James as they crossed the street.
"Huh?" Remus started, "Who?"
"Warren," Sirius said, smiling his broad smile, "She asked me if I'd like to go to Hogsmeade with her one weekend."
"An entire weekend?" Peter said, chiming in, "Well, isn't that a bit long?"
"Yeah," Sirius said, "It is."
"And you're going?" Remus asked, crossing the street.
"Probably," he shrugged, "Why not? Get my mind off of this Order business."

"Keep your voice down," Remus scolded, "You never know who's listening."