Thanks To:
Minossi
Chloe-Wagner
Stigmatized – Hee, I'm glad I didn't go die on you guys. XD
Moony-Black
Shiroiryu144
CCCHut81
Daellyra - I'm totally with you sweetie! SIRIUS IS NOT GONE…::breaks down sobbing::
Arathin - Are you an Oh! My Goddess manga or anime fan? Or both? ^_^
Hopeless-amore
Rena Lupin
Sirius,
I want to see you this summer, and I don't care what I have to do to see you. I love you.
-Remy
Siri,
How are you love? Did you get my last owl? Sorry if I seemed too bossy in it, but I really do love you.
-Remy
Siri?
-Remy
James,
Are you getting answers from Sirius?
-Remus
James,
I know you're getting my owls, your parents aren't stopping them, and if they were, they would at least write back to me. Have I done something wrong?
-Remus
James,
Are you okay?
-Remus
Peter,
Have you gotten owls from either Sirius or James this summer?
-Remus
Peter,
Are you okay?
-Remus
Remy,
Sirius-fine. My house.
-James
Remus was surprised when he found out that Sirius was at James's house. Why wouldn't they invite him also? He felt slightly hurt as though the three of them were disinclining him.
He stared at the ceiling in his room, feeling lost. What could James and Sirius be doing that they could only write one four letter note to him?
Remus felt his stomach plunge sickeningly, but he knew that James liked Lily, and Sirius would never do that to him... right?
His owl suddenly flew into the room, and landed on his stomach.
"How are you sweetheart?" he whispered, brushing his fingers through her wings. "Sorry I've been making you deliver all those dumb notes."
She hooted softly as though trying to console him, and then stuck out her leg. Remus was shocked to see a note there.
"Thank you Artemis," he smiled at her, as she flew over to her perch.
Remus tore the letter open, excitedly, and was surprised to see an unfamiliar sprawl.
Dear Moony,
I'm terribly sorry about the fact that you haven't been receiving very many notes from Prongs and Padfoot this holiday, they've been complaining non-stop to me about it. I agreed with them finally though that I would write to you and explain to you what's been occurring over the summer.
Padfoot went home to find things even more tense, and got into another row with his parents, though this one ended a little differently. It appears that his parents wanted him to become a Death Eater. (I'm trusting the fact that you're not going to reveal anything you read in here, and destroy this letter immediately afterwards. This is the reason I'm writing with your other names, which were provided to me by Prongs and Padfoot.) Anyway, Padfoot refused of course, and that made his parents terribly angry, and they threatened to disown him. He basically said, 'Go ahead, have a blast.' His mother did. In fact she threw several blasts at him, before he was able to escape the house.
He spent the next few nights on the streets, I'm afraid. He didn't get to take nearly any of his things. The Headmaster found him luckily though, and asked us if we would take him in for a while. Of course we did with open arms.
Not very many people know that Padfoot is with us, and we have to be careful about who we tell, since his parents will no doubt start looking for him soon. Probably not to bring him back, but to kill him unfortunately. He has no doubt been disowned, but he knows many of his family's secrets, which makes him a dangerous enemy to his line.
I was surprised at the fact that they didn't tell you earlier to be honest, even though I did make them swear that they wouldn't tell anyone. I think Prongs and Padfoot are finally starting to realize how serious of a situation they are in, and I hope that you realize that also Moony.
But on a less serious note, we would love for you to spend the remainder of the summer here also. It must have been difficult for you not knowing if/where Padfoot and Prongs were, and we hope to make that up to you. Please send your answer by owl post, and I'll come and pick you up as soon as possible.
-Prongs's Father
(I need to get a nickname also.)
Remus felt shocked.
No wonder he had gotten only one note the entire summer.
And then the second thought hit him
He could see Sirius.
Remus jumped off his bed, startling Artemis and scrambled about the room looking for ink, a quill, and parchment.
Dear Prongs's Father,
I sincerely thank you for your information and invitation and would love to be able to spend the remainder of the summer at your home. You may come to pick me up at your convenience I will be ready.
-Moony
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Remus felt wonderful as he entered the Potter's house. James's father had come to pick him up almost less then an hour after he had written his note.
Suddenly something flew across the kitchen, and tackled Remus, sending him sprawling to the floor.
"Remy!" Sirius cried, as he latched onto Remus on the ground.
James followed behind, laughing a little.
"ImissedyouImissedyou, OH MY GOD, I MISSED YOU!" Sirius yelped, as he began to kiss Remus.
Remus was giggling uncontrollably on the floor.
"I missed you too, Siri," he replied, as he tried to push him off.
James was gathering up Remus's things, shaking his head slightly.
"Well, Sirius has invented a new disease." he spoke, trying to sound serious. "It's called 'Remus Withdrawl.' Symptoms are whining without stop, looking as though you just found out the world is being destroyed, and being horny as hell."
Remus laughed from where he was being molested under Sirius.
Sirius finally got up, and Remus was shocked to see how much taller his lover had grown. He had lost some of his boyish features, and Remus couldn't help but stare.
Sirius was.... sexy. There was no other word for it.
Sirius grinned at seeing Remus's expression, as he helped him to his feet.
*~~~~~~~~~~~*
James grinned at the prospect of a great day.
He had his broom over his shoulder, and was waiting for Sirius and Remus to stop snogging in the basement, where they had gone to get their brooms out of the cupboard.
The Seeker balanced the Snitch in his hands for a moment, and then heard Remus 'OH!' very loudly from somewhere in the house. James laughed and closed his hand over the Snitch. He shut his eyes for a moment also, thinking. They were going into sixth year already, new challenges rushing to meet them. James felt a little despair creep into his heart as he thought of the biggest challenge of all: The Dark Lord.
It wasn't fair, was James could think. Sirius wanted for the fact that he could perform difficult spells, and was a pureblood... Well, Sirius may not be a target anymore since he had been disowned, or so James hoped. But that didn't change the fact, that Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter's faces would always be known to the Dark Lord.
But the Marauders had to survive through it... right?
James's thoughts were broke apart, as he heard Sirius and Remus appear back outside. He turned, feeling strange as though he were seeing his friends for the first time. They looked different from when he had first me them. Sirius had grown much taller; his frame was built, but rather lean. His skin was tanned from the sun, and his hair was tied back. He wore the earring that Remus had gotten for him at that well-remembered Christmas.
Remus was a head shorter then Sirius, his chestnut hair mussed from the snogging. His eyes were gentle and liquidy. His build was thin and he had a more feminine look to him then Sirius.
"Earth to Jamie," Sirius grinned, waving at him. "Stop checking me out. Though I know I must look irresistible,"
"Sorry," James whispered. "Hey, I got better idea then Quidditch."
"James is dying!" Sirius suddenly yelped. "Remus, hurry, go get the doctors, James just said there was something other then Quidditch he'd rather be doing."
Remus looped his arm in Sirius's, and smiled.
"Stop teasing Jamie." Remus said sweetly. "What's your idea Prongs?"
"I think we should do some kind of promise thinger..." James replied, the idea sounding juvenile to even him.
"You mean like blood brothers?" Sirius asked with a frown on his face.
"Yeah, something like that." Jame answered.
Remus looked thoughtful for a moment.
"There is a potion, where if we combine our blood, we can look into each other's hearts, minds, thoughts, and... soul." Remus explained. "It's difficult, but you two could probably figure out how to do it. But we wouldn't be able to hide anything from each other."
The trio looked at each other for a moment, and then James nodded.
"I think I'd like it. I don't want to hide from you guys. It would be interesting."
"It could be dangerous." Remus warned. "We would know everything about each other. No emotion would be hidden."
"I think we should do it," Sirius whispered, taking Remus's hand.
"I'll go get the book then." Remus responded, turning towards the house.
Sirius cracked his knuckles and grinned at James.
"Challenges are what you and I live for, eh?"
James stared at him for a moment, surprised by his wore usage when Remus came running back towards them.
"Are we going to get in trouble this?" Sirius asked, as he took the book into his hands.
"I don't think so..." Remus answered. "There's really no magic use involved. Just brewing and finding things, and then stirring them together. I think it's because there's no harm involved. It either works or it doesn't. You brew the ingredients together to open your minds, then you combine your blood together to connect your minds to the others, and then if you really trust the other it works. If not, you just got a nice little smelling drink, and a few pricks on your fingers."
Remus shrugged.
"Okay..." James replied, reading over Sirius's shoulder. "Oh wow, none of this stuff will even be hard to find."
An hour later, the three were sitting in a small grove of trees in James's backyard, with their potion brewing. Sirius had his pocketknife out and was stabbing at each of his fingers.
"Are you sure you have to prick every finger Remy?" Sirius questioned, as he watched a small trail of blood go down his hand.
"Yes," Remus replied, taking the knife from Sirius.
He winced slightly, and then handed the knife to James.
"Now what?" Prongs asked after he finished.
"Press your fingertips to our's,"
The boys pressed their bloody fingertips together.
"You guys don't have some funky disease I should know about, right?" Sirius asked with a laugh.
"Shh!" Remus and James hissed together.
"Sorry, sorry, I was just joking." Sirius huffed and then shut his eyes.
They sat like the for a moment, and then James felt a peculiar feeling start to build up in his stomach. He felt as though he was leaving his body or something strange... Then a new flood of emotions hit him.
Sirius and Remus were feeling the same way, as though they had suddenly been transformed into a new person. They could feel the other's emotions, and see the other's memories in their mind's eye.
How much Sirius loved Remus...
How the wound from the Snape incident was still tender...
How terrified Remus was on the night they were attacked...
How he hated Lucius Malfoy...
How James loved flying...
How hurt he was by the hostility Lily displayed towards him...
Then a memory hit them hard together, sending a sharp pain through each of their stomachs.
It was dark as the child ran through the night. The full moon guided him through the forest, along the winding path. His heart was beating fast as he small legs pumped with effort. His breathing was hard, and sweat ran down his face.
"Gally!" he shouted into the still night air.
The child paused, holding his hand against his heart, feeling lost.
"Gally!" he called again, and then heard a rustle in the bush behind him.
He spun and ran into the greenery. Thorns tore at his delicate skin, but he paid no heed to them.
"Gally! Mummy's going to be mad! She told you not to wander off!" the boy yelled.
Suddenly he paused, as he spotted something in the clearing ahead.
"Gal-"
The word died in the child's mouth as he saw his sister's body lying motionless on the ground. Her eyes were open and unseeing, and the moon was reflected in them.
The boy was about to scream when he saw the creature that was looming over his twin sister. Blood was on its muzzle, and it was crunching on what seemed to be a bone...
The child stumbled backwards, but the animal was on him in an instant, biting and tearing.
He screamed in pain, and then heard voices in the distant, calling his name...
"Remus!"
The memory broke for the briefest instance, before being followed by another.
He squeezed his face through the bars at the top of the stairs, trying to listen.
"What are you doing now Sirius?" a taunting voice asked him.
Sirius turned and saw that it was only Lucius, so he turned without paying him any heed. He strained his ears to hear what they were talking about. He knew they were discussing him.
"-Voldemort is his name." his mother was saying. "He's planning on purifying the wizarding world."
"Really?" Lucius's mother was asking. "Sounds exactly what we've been needing. What have you been trying to tell Sirius and Regulus? I'm still trying to explain it to Lucius, the fact that he's a pureblood, and all. It's difficult with how that damn school is trying to make them believe that everyone is equal and all. The faster they kill of the Mudbloods and the Muggles the better."
"Yes... Regulus understands it even though he's very young, I believe, but it's Sirius I'm more worried about."
"Sirius? But isn't he the heir?"
"Yes," Mrs. Black sighed. "He doesn't seem to understand why the others deserve to die."
"Deserve?" Mrs. Malfoy spat. "Because they're Muggles that think that have a right to do magic! What will you do with the boy?"
"Force him to believe, I suppose. After all he is the heir."
Lucius was laughing somewhere from behind Sirius.
"What do you want you idiot?" Sirius spun around in anger.
"Some heir you are, not even thinking like a proper wizard." Lucius taunted. "Why don't you go join the Mudbloods and Muggles?"
"Maybe I will," Sirius threatened.
"Your parents would kill you before that. You hold a lot of value as the heir." Lucius commented, his eyes flashing.
Sirius smirked, he knew he could lord that over the Malfoy at least. Lucius hadn't been chosen as the heir of his line, where Sirius had.
"You may be the heir of your line, Sirius, but you will never truly understand it or enjoy it." Lucius hissed.
"If that means understanding why people should die, that's fine with me." Sirius replied coolly.
"You just wait Sirius, you'll get yours one day." Lucius spoke, as he grabbed Sirius's long hair, and punched him firmly across the face.
The memory faded away as another took its place.
James lay on his back, staring at the stars, with Lily curled next to him.
"What do you want to do when you get out of school?" he whispered softly.
"Me?" Lily asked. "Well... I want to have a family I guess. I want to be a mother, and somebody who is wonderful's wife. And I would like to be a teacher back at the school. I would love to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Silly, huh?"
"Nah," James answered. "You could be some famous wizard, but if you just want to be a mother, then that's great too. You'd be amazing at anything you wanted to be."
"Thanks..." Lily replied softly. "What do you want to be?"
"I guess I wouldn't mind being a Quidditch player, but that's not very realistic, eh?" James laughed a little.
"No, you're a wonderful flyer." Lily spoke. "It's like your broom becomes one with you, and you can do whatever you wish. A lot of people would give up all their gold to fly as well as you do."
"Stop you're making me blush," James teased.
They grew quiet for a moment, and then James leaned forward to kiss Lily. She froze, and then accepted the kiss.
They remained like for a few seconds, and then Lily broke it off, and jumped to her feet.
"Lily!" James called.
"I'm sorry, but I.... I can't. Not here, with you..."
James watched with a broken heart as she sped off into the darkness.
The memories and emotions ended, and when Remus opened his eyes, he was surprised to see there were tears in them.
The other two sat up, and they just stared at each other for a long time.