Disclaimer: The usual spiel… I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters or (pretty much anything else that you recognize.)  The Hellsing family and Blythe Ellis, however, are my own creations, so please play nicely with them.  Also, I've never been to Bath, so all the places that occur are entirely fabricated (to the best of my knowledge).  I must give mad props to the Harry Potter Lexicon and the Pensieve for some key inspirational points.  I love them… help me prove it by going to visit them.

Author's Note: This chapter doesn't have much substance, plot-wise.  It's mostly just a set up for things to come.  Stay tuned and, as usual, please read and review!

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"James, have you got a second, mate?"

James glanced up from his copy of Beating the Bludgers - A Study of Defensive Strategies in Quidditch to see Remus hovering in the doorway.  "What've I done that we already need to have a serious talk?" he joked, gesturing for Remus to come in, marking his page with one finger.  "You just got here this morning."  He pretended to look confused, ticking items off on his fingers.  "We're not in school, so you can't scold me for not studying… I haven't broken anything, stolen anything, made an ass of or incriminated myself in any way since you've gotten here.  Unless I've been talking to myself again, and in that case, that veela was dead when I got there."

The werewolf shook his head, a smile turning up the corners of his mouth.  "No, there's nothing, you're good to go," he chuckled.  He perched on the edge of James' bed and chewed on the corner of his mouth.  "It's just… well, he hasn't said anything… and if it's not my business, say so, but…"

"You're worrying about Sirius," James observed.

"Yeah," Remus admitted.  "I am."  He pushed his hands through his hair and James half-smiled to see his habit echoed in his friend.  "Don't get me wrong, Prongs; Padfoot is a friend.  And I'm chuffed that he's here and all, but he's just so damn moody.  I don't want to open my mouth in front of him for fear that he'll bite my head off or storm out of the room."  He leveled a serious look with James, brown eyes anxious.  "And then there's his story about falling off his broom.  You can't tell me you believe that.  Sirius has never fallen before."

Unwilling to give anything away, James had to look away.  Whatever his suspicions, he had an obligation to Sirius to keep them to himself.  It was his business, no one else's.

Don't be a prat, a voice within chided.  This is Moony we're talking about.  Sirius is his friend too, and you know he just wants to help.

When Peter and Remus had arrived that morning, James had never been so happy to see them.  In addition to James' mother's constant hovering driving him crazy—"How are you feeling, Sirius?  Let me see those cuts, darling, don't slink away now.  Time to change the dressing.  Well, not as good as a full-fledged healing would have been, but you'll barely have a scar."—Sirius was so sullen, so withdrawn, so unlike himself that James had begun to seriously worry.  When the four of them sat around the dinner table, there seemed to be little wrong.  Sirius grinned at James' father when he told them Quidditch stories over the dinner table and complimented Mrs. Potter on her cooking.  But when they were alone, the story changed.

Though Mrs. Potter had initially given vehement protest, James finally convinced her that some time out and about on a broomstick would do Sirius a turn of good.  At first, he thought it had worked—Sirius's face, still somewhat mangled looking, but considerably better than it had been, had finally seemed to relax as the warm summer air ruffled through his hair.  But as soon as his feet touched ground again, he withdrew again.  James would find him in the spare room in the Potters' upstairs, seemingly asleep on the bed, one arm flung over his eyes.  He always backed silently out of the room before he was detected, leaving Sirius with his thoughts.

Seeing Sirius in such a state was painful.  No, be honest with yourself, James thought grimly.  It's bloody unbearable.  He wanted his best friend back, the old roguish, haughty, hilarious Sirius.  He'd said as much to his mother one night when Sirius had turned in early and he had lingered downstairs, hoping to catch a word.  "The most you can do is offer to listen to whatever he has to tell you, sweetling," Mrs. Potter told him, stroking his hair as he looked morosely into his teacup.  "I know you want to be a good friend, and he knows that you want to help."

Yeah, he knows I want to help, all right, James groaned inwardly. But trying to help, on the other hand, wouldn't work… James found that out the hard way.

"Sirius?" he'd ventured one evening.  Much to Mrs. Potter's pleasure, Sirius had volunteered to do the dishes, waving James off when he offered to help.  At first James had acceded, trotting upstairs to pick up his book once more.  But halfway up the stairs, reason caught up to him.  Now is probably as good a time as any to get him to talk a bit.

"All right, James?" Sirius asked, his back to James as his friend reentered the kitchen. 

James quietly closed the doors to the living room where his parents sat, reading the evening edition of the Daily Prophet.  He leaned against them and surveyed Sirius closely, his long sleeved T-shirt pushed up above his elbows, scrubbing at a pot.  "Why don't you let the sink take care of that, mate?" he asked.  "That's what it's there for, so you don't have to do dishes and can come start a game of chess with me."

Sirius shrugged, putting a plate on the drying rack.  "I wanted to do them," he said, "to thank your mum for letting me stay here."

"Did you honestly think she'd send you away?" James asked, struggling to keep his voice light.  Again, Sirius shrugged.  James chose his words carefully.  "You're welcome to stay here as long as you want, Sirius.  And we're not just talking about the holiday… You shouldn't have to go back to London."

There was a long moment of silence and James watched his friend carefully.  He could almost feel Sirius' hackles rising, as much as if he'd been in his Animagus form.  When he spoke, his voice carried a terse undertone.  "Don't be an ass, James.  Of course I have to go back to London; that is where I live."  He made a motion as though brushing away a fly.  "I had a row with Father about not being able to come, and so I left.  That first night I got here, well… I was just upset.  No worries, mate.  I'll go back when we return from Bath, take my lumps, and things will go back to normal."

A wave of frustration started to swell within James.  "Things shouldn't have to go back to normal," he insisted.  "Not when 'normal' is your father kicking the shit out of you!"

Sirius whirled and James stood very still as his friend's fiery dark eyes bore into his.  Both were silent.  "You don't know what you're talking about," Sirius said finally, each word measured.  "I told you.  I fell.  Off my broom.  On the way up from London."

"Sirius, this is me you're talking to," James reminded him, moving towards him.  Sirius focused his attention back on the dishes, scrubbing at a plate that was already spotless.  "James, remember?  Your best friend?  I'm not my parents; you can tell me what really happened."

"Don't be an ass, James," Sirius replied stubbornly.  "It's none of your business.  And even if it were, I told you, I fell off my broom."

James grabbed Sirius' wrist and spun him around to face him.  Sirius looked up at him, his face very still.  For a moment James felt a tremor of apprehension—he was nearly two inches taller than Sirius, but where he lacked in height, Sirius made up in build.  If he chose to fly at him, James would go down hard.  Go on, that inner voice said again.  This is Sirius.  He wouldn't ever think to hurt you. 

"It's very much my business," James informed Sirius, voice low but intent, "when you're in trouble."

"Leave it alone, alright?" Sirius ordered, wrenching his arm away.  "Don't play the knight in shining armor, James.  I don't need it."  He stalked out of the kitchen, leaving James—frustrated and worried—alone.

Remus gave James a curious look that brought him tumbling out of his memories.  "James?" he asked warily.

Off-handedly, James muttered, "I'm sure he's fine.  At any rate, he's not said anything to me."

His friend gave him a long look.  "I won't press it," he said softly.  "But I hope he knows that he can trust me… us.  At first I didn't think I could tell you guys about being a werewolf, but in the end, I'm glad I did.  Sirius has helped me a lot—I just want to be able to help him too."

James felt himself deflating.  "I know, Moony," he said, sighing.  "But honestly, he hasn't said anything to me.  I've tried to bring it up, but he just doesn't want to talk about it."

"So you don't believe he fell off the broom either?"

"Of course not," James snorted.  "He's been flying since he could walk.  He wouldn't crash."

"You agree, then, that it was his dad?"  James gave him a sharp look and Remus shrugged guiltily.  "I overheard your parents talking; your mom thinks it was him, but she doesn't want to say anything… for the obvious reasons."

"I guess we can't do anything if he won't talk to us," James said hopelessly.

The two fell silent, each looking glum.  Remus stood and pushed a hand through hair that was beginning to go a bit grey at the temples.  "Maybe a holiday will do him good," he said, trying to lift his voice.  "Hopefully once we get to Bath he'll buck up a bit.  Not much we can do now, right?"

"Right," James said vaguely as Remus drifted out of the room.  "Not much we can do."

But he didn't really believe that.  If there was one thing James Potter refused to do, it was give up.  Especially when it had something to do with his very best friend. 

Sirius deserves better, he resolved inwardly.  He deserves our help.  After all, he was the one who suggested we help Moony out… we ought to do the same for him.

"It's the perfect plan, James," Sirius had said that night in the common room.  "You heard Professor Yehtee in Defense Against the Dark Arts today!  Werewolves are only hostile towards humans—if we can somehow turn into animals, we can give Remus a bit of company whenever he… well, you know… and there'll be no danger to us."

"We're only in our second year, Sirius!" James reminded him.  "Some full-grown wizards aren't even able to become Animagi."

Sirius had given his trademark, quirked grin.  "We," he said smugly, "are not just any wizards.  We're the best, James.  You know it as well as I do."

"I don't know, Sirius," James said, and he ran his hands through his hair, rumpling the black strands, deep in thought.  "It just seems like an awful lot of work that'll have to go into it, and we're not even sure we'll be able to do it."

"Come on, James," Sirius said coaxingly.  "Can you just imagine the kinds of mischief we could get into if we weren't human?  And no one knew about it?"

James stopped and thought about that for a few moments.  Free reign of the grounds of Hogwarts, if we play our cards right, he thought to himself.  Free reign.

Sirius, sensing James weakening, said again, "Come on, James.  I just think that Remus deserves to have his friends with him… no one should be alone when they're going through their own personal hell."

And in the end, James had agreed.

How is it any different now? James asked himself suddenly.  This is Sirius' hell.  He needs his friends to help him.

They were Marauders… and when a Marauder was in trouble, his brothers couldn't let him down.

Determined now, he hopped off the bed and swept off to find Moony and Wormtail.

*   *   *

"Place looks good then, Lil?"

Lily swept into the bedroom designated as the girls' ("We'll give the lads the room with the two beds," Blythe reasoned, "and you girls can share a bed and I'll take the couch") and flopped down on the bed across from where Ani was methodically unpacking.  Lily—used to unpacking unaided by magic—had rushed off to explore the bed-and-breakfast while Ani grumbled about stupid, out of date rules and struggled with refolding her clothes. 

"It's huge, Ani," Lily said breathlessly, sweeping a lock of red hair off her forehead.  That's an understatement, she thought to herself, suppressing a grin.  It's a maze!  I'd have been lost for hours if I hadn't stopped an asked that portrait of Belinda the Benevolent for directions!  "The breakfast room is about as big as my upstairs!  Blythe told me that the witches who originally built this house also loved dancing, so there's a huge enchanted ballroom with fairy lights and everything!  It's awesome!  Bit far out of town, but we can always catch a ride with Lynx if we want to go somewhere."

Ani grinned.  "You'll have to show me around when I get done here."

"It's not even that crowded, despite the convention," Lily continued happily, "so Mrs. Reynolds said we could pretty much have free reign.  She said there was only one other family here—a man and woman and their three kids."

"Great," Ani said with a dramatic roll of the eyes.  "Last time we went on a vacation and there were kids in the inn we were staying at, Mum befriended the kids' parents and they went out every night, leaving me and Rion and Lynx to watch the kids.  Those little brats were monstrous!  I thought I'd never recover."

"That's the other great thing," Lily assured her.  "There's a whole great expanse of land out behind the house, totally guarded with Repelling charms!  We can stick the kids on broomsticks and let 'em fly around for hours.  No skin off our noses."

Her best friend laughed.  "Great, Lil; until a kid falls off and busts his head!"

Lily gave an airy wave and a scoff.  "Sometimes one has to make sacrifices, Andromeda."

There was a sudden knock and Lynx stuck his head in the door, one hand dramatically covering his eyes.  "Are we all decent?" he asked playfully.

"No, but we're dressed," Ani retorted and Lily laughed.

"Cute," Lynx retorted.  "Come on out and stroll around the grounds with me and Rion.  Blythe's off chatting it up with Mrs. Reynolds and the other guests—a family, didn't catch the name.  She said she'd be along in a bit."

"Sounds great; I'm just finishing," Ani said, throwing a pair of socks triumphantly into the drawer.  "Shall we be off then?"

Bath, Lily decided as she loped down the hill behind the inn with Ani and her brothers, was a little like Heaven.   Oh, sure, Mistford was wonderful, but the further along in school they got, the more Lily found herself homesick for the rolling grounds of Hogwarts: the vast lake, the deep forest, the wide expanse of lawn.  Here she could see nothing but green English hills occasionally dotted with houses.  She, Rion and Lynx strode along happily, teasing Ani as she struggled to keep up on much-shorter legs as they roved the grounds.  Lynx pointed out and named varying types of trees and Lily took deep, cleansing breaths.  This was a holiday long overdue.

They came to a stop by a large fishpond and settled onto the ground, stretching out on the soft grass.  Lily thought the pool was ordinary—that is, non-Magical—until Rion pointed out a Plimpy swimming past, its malleable legs swishing through the water.  She shook her head, laughing.  "I sometimes think I must've been the stupidest child in the world before I found out I was a witch," she admittedly.

"How's that, Lily?" Lynx asked.  He had unbound his long braid and now the strands lay spread out on the grass like a quilt, bright gold against green.  Ani sat absently running her fingers through the mass of it.

"There's magic everywhere," Lily said, extending a hand to indicate the wake the Plimpy left behind.  "Everywhere.  I don't understand how I never saw it before."  She exchanged amused glances with Ani.  "In fact, I'd also like to know how I lived next door to a Wizarding family for eight years and never noticed a thing even a bit unusual!"

"It was rough keeping it hidden," Lynx informed her.  "Mum and Dad explained to us very early that we were rather special, and that not everyone understood such special things as magic.  So we were to keep it very quiet—of course, going to Muggle school when we were children helped.  I suppose Mum knew what she was doing when she convinced Dad to let us have a taste of both worlds."

"Still," Rion joked, "it wasn't easy, not letting on that we were wizards.  After all, Ani couldn't have been more obvious if we'd had a dragon in the backyard!"

Lily gave Ani a curious look, to which she shrugged sheepishly.  "Well, I never noticed," Lily said with a shrug.

"Ha!" Rion shouted.  "Maybe you were a bit duller than we thought, Lily!"

"You mean to tell me you never noticed how Mum would always tell you that Ani had to clean her room before she could come out to play and it never took her more than two minutes?" Lynx joked.

Lily smacked herself on the forehead with the palm of her hand.  "I'd almost forgotten," she said, turning to Ani with a grin.  "Mum used to tell me you must not be very messy if you could clean that fast, and told me to be neater.  She never believed me when I told her that your room was always a mess whenever I came over the next day."

The four of them cackled.  Ani's room had been dubbed a permanent disaster area by the rest of the family.

"Mum and Dad were pretty sure you were a witch from the beginning, Lily," Ani informed her friend.

Lily started.  She'd never heard this story before.  "How did they figure?" she asked incredulously.  "Mum and Dad are as non-Magical as could be, and Petunia was obviously not a witch, as I'm sure your parents could tell."

Rion and Lynx snorted their agreement as Ani went on to explain, a laugh in her tone, "Mum says there were all these little hints—nothing big, of course.  She says that the most obvious incident was when we were playing hide and seek in my backyard and you disappeared for a good minute when hiding behind a tree.  She nearly panicked; she thought she was going to have to tell your mother that she'd lost you."

"I don't even remember that!" Lily exclaimed.  "Why on earth didn't she say anything beforehand?"

"Oh honestly, Lily!" Ani laughed.  "Think about it!"

"What do you think your parents would have done if ours had come up to them and said, 'We think Lily's just smashing.  She's so funny and bright… oh, and it's possible she's a witch'?" Rion asked dryly.

Lily thought on that for a moment and then chuckled reluctantly.  "They'd have probably moved us as quickly as possible and called in the quacks."

Lynx nodded.  "Exactly.  It was just better to keep an eye on you and hope for the best."

Suddenly, like a lightning bolt, Lily thought of her first night at Hogwarts. 

She and Ani had been holding hands so tightly that when she released her fingers were cramped.  As they took their places in line to be sorted—Linneas Gosford stood between them; Ani had offered him three Sickles if he'd trade places with her, but Professor McGonagall, the stern faced deputy headmistress, had stopped him before he could empty his pockets—Lily had thrown Ani a petrified look as name was called.

What if I don't get in the same house with her? Lily's terrified mind whimpered.  All the Hellsings have made Gryffindor… the boys said so.  She glanced over at the Gryffindor table where Rion and Lynx sat with their groups of fourth and seventh year friends, respectively.  Lynx waved to her; she timidly waved back.  What if I don't get in?  What if the Hat won't sort me because I'm Muggle born? Oh, God, what'll I do then?  She managed a weak smile as McGonagall lowered the Sorting Hat onto her head and clenched her eyes closed.

"Ah, yes, you're very bright, I can see that well," the old, tattered hat whispered into Lily's ear.  "Study hard, do you?  Yes, that will do fine.  Ravenclaw might be your match.  Oh, but what's this here?"  Lily tensed and set every fiber of her being towards Gryffindor.  "Such determination!  And oh, a flash of courage—that will be needed, I'm sure.  And… oh, I see.  Someone awaits you in Gryffindor, do they?"

Yes, Lily whispered back in her mind. My best friend, Ani.

"Ani, is it?" the hat replied.  "If that's what you think.  You know what's best… looks like you're a GRYFFINDOR!"

The sense of relief Ani felt flood her nearly overwhelmed her.  Rion and Lynx led the cheering as she scurried over to the Gryffindor table.  The next few moments as the hat sorted Linneas were hell as Lily anxiously awaited her friend's Sorting.  When "Hellsing, Andromeda!" echoed through the hall Ani had trotted up to the stool purposely and sent Lily a cheerful wink as the Hat was lowered onto her hair.  It wasted no time in screaming triumphantly "GRYFFINDOR!" and Lily felt herself beaming as Ani joined her at the long table, an identical grin on her face. 

"I knew I'd be here," Ani told Lily, reaching over and squeezing her hand.  "You needed someone to watch out for you!"

Lily chuckled to herself—Ani had watched out for her, but in truth, Lily had been watching out for Ani as well.   They were unstoppable together; Ani spunky, outgoing and cheerful, Lily bright, determined and opinionated.  She grinned at Ani and thought, Best friends forever.

A yawn escaped from Lynx's lips.  "I'm beat, kids," he announced.  "Up since dawn preparing the car… wish you two could Apparate," he said to Lily and Ani.  "Would've made the trip a hell of a lot easier."

"Don't tell me you didn't like battling Muggle traffic all the way to Bath," Ani teased.

"Spending hours on end with your favourite sister and her best friend?" Lily added, winking.

"Oh yeah," Lynx drawled, sitting up and tugging on one of Ani's curls.  "It was a blast.  I'm gonna head back to the room and kip a bit."

"I'll head on up with you," Rion said, pushing to his feet and hauling his brother to his feet.  "Coming along, girls?"

The two girls exchanged a look and Ani shrugged.  "I think we'll stay out a bit longer," Lily said thoughtfully.  "It's really a nice day."

Rion asked, "Sure you can find your way back to the house?"

Ani rolled her eyes.  "You can see the house on the top of the hill," she said, exasperated.  "We'll be fine.  Go on!  We'll see you later."

They watched Lynx and Rion disappear over the crest of the hill.  "You'd think I was completely incompetent the way they fuss over me," Ani said with a defeated sigh.  She flopped back on the grass, staring up at the sky.  "Sometimes I feel like I'm still five years old with Rion and Lynx having to hold my hand everywhere we went."

"You know it's just because they care," Lily reminded her.

"Yeah," Ani said, a slight grin on her face.  "I know."

They were silent for a moment.  Lily tilted her head back and let the balmy breeze lift her hair away from her neck, closing her eyes peacefully.  For a moment there was nothing but the sound of the breeze and the quiet lapping of water at the pond's edge.  Heaven.

Next to her, Lily felt Ani suddenly sit up and look around.  She opened one eye to see a frown creasing Ani's brow.  "Did you hear that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" Lily asked, but then she did hear it: the unmistakable murmur of voices.  Male voices.  "It's just the guys walking back to the house," she assured Ani.

Before Ani could reply, the voices echoed again, this time nearer and strangely familiar.

"I told you the house was this way!"  The voice sounded extremely put out.  Lily gave Ani a look and they both giggled.

"Hey, forgive me, the trees all look the same," a second, more indignant, voice replied

"I hope we don't get in trouble for using the four point spell," the third chimed in.  "I mean, the rule does say you can't use magic outside of school unless it's an emergency."

"It'll be an emergency if I don't get some food in my stomach," the first voice exclaimed.  "Besides, no worries; I nicked my Dad's wand."

"Look," a fourth voice called out excitedly.  "There's that pond we passed… we're going the right way.  Hey, who's that?"

Four figures in Muggle t-shirts stumbled out from the trees.  Lily felt her spine turn into steel as she looked upon a very familiar set of hazel eyes, which were looking back at her in undisguised shock.

Ani threw her head back and howled with laughter.  "I can't believe this," she gasped.  "What are you doing here?"

"Might ask you the same question," James Potter asked, unable to take his eyes off of Lily's.

"Merlin save us all," Lily groaned, clapping a hand to her forehead.  "Just what we need on our holiday… The Marauders!"

"At least you won't be bored," Remus Lupin said, and gave Ani a bright smile.

"Boredom was the least of my worries," Lily retorted.

You've got to be kidding! she thought fervently.  James Potter, here?!  What've I done to deserve this?

She looked to Ani desperately, hoping her friend would catch hold of her anxiety and they could leave.  No such luck.  Ani was happily chatting with Remus and Peter Pettigrew about the sights they'd seen on the way up.  No help there.  Great.

Perfect, Lily moaned inwardly.  Just perfect.