Title - Living-A-Little

Summary - To Sirius Black "Living a little"--is to have all his friends the marauders and James's fiancée into getting a tattoo done…and 20 years later he tells his godson about the tattoo--about loyalty--and about how "living a little" can also be classed as "lunacy!"

It was midnight at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place but Harry couldn't sleep…His eyes were wide and alert and after much tossing and turning gave up.

"Darn…" he muttered, sitting up, slipping on his glasses and sliding past a sleep talking Ron and out into the hall.

Harry knew why he couldn't sleep…he was thirsty and so he headed down the stairs to the kitchen when he heard a shout of pain from a deep voice from the very same room. Harry quickly and carefully poked his head round the corner of the room and saw his godfather sitting there at a stool up at a breakfast bar, five empty bottles of alcohol on the table and a blooded dagger beside it. The dagger looked only just used as well reflecting the light of the quarter moon from the window.

It was the sight of the dagger which made Harry react the way it did…"Sirius?" he said concerned and sharply--loud enough for his godfather to hear him from the door--but not loud enough to wake anyone else…not to his knowledge. At his godsons' voice the convict turned, saw Harry and hid his bare shoulder from Harry.

"Harry-" he said, and the boy could hear a painstaking edge in his voice, as though he was trying to hide something painful from him "its really late--! What you doing up pal…?"

"I couldn't sleep--" the teen said absently he was gazing at Sirius's broad arms intently--all over them were tattoos--most of them were black dogs, others were names but couldn't read them so well in the little light in the room.

"What are you doing up?" he said. However, he saw his answer--as Sirius accidentally showed Harry what he'd done with the dagger. On his right arm was a tattoo--the biggest his parent's best friend had on his body, and it was smothered in a thick layer of blood…Harry's eyes widened.

"ARE YOU MAD!" he said in a hushed voice, he ran to the sink and grabbed a stool beside his godfather, soaking up the blood with the cold damp cloth he'd found.

Sirius winced, "CAREFUL…" he muttered--Harry ignored him--his eyes were fixed on the tattoo now the blood was going away. It was a massive black dog silhouetted against a full moon, and underneath it had "M" for Moony, "W" for Wormtail, "P" for Padfoot and another "P" for Prongs and then underneath that the word "FOREVER"

By the look of it Sirius had tried and failed to cut the "W" from the tattoo…Sirius saw Harry staring at it and sighed deeply. He'd sobered up a little now--but every time he saw that "W" it gave him the idea that the very same man who was their friend for many years was the reason there lives were changed upside down…

Harry didn't ask why he'd done the deed--it was written all over his godfathers face so he just dabbed the gory cut and they sat in silence--which was cut short quickly by Sirius's complaints that he wasn't being careful enough…

It was five minutes of this when the tattoo actually stopped bleeding, Harry was still fascinated, only just realizing how little he really knew about the man who was a mixture of a brother and a father to him. Sirius noticed his godson in awe and mused absently.

"This was my first tattoo I ever had done…we'd just left school so we wanted to do an memorial event--I called it "living a little" your dad called it "lunacy!" he said when Harry looked up.

"WE!" he said and Sirius couldn't help smiling, now more sober than he had been, he nodded sadly.

"James followed me in like a hawk…Lily and your father got engaged only on there last day of school--so she followed him, Remus had no choice in the matter and Peter" said Sirius. Adding anger to the last name mentioned, which faded as quickly as it came, "--well--we persuaded him to…only just…"
Harry was still shocked. "That must have really hurt though…!" he said

"It feels like a red hot needle injected into your skin thousands of times…" agreed Sirius, "It hurt but I've felt more pain by far…" he said "besides I had all these afterwards…not the same day though…!" he said laughing. Harry tried to imagine the scene of the five of them…but couldn't. Sirius however would never ever forget it…

FLASHBACK

"You're the biggest coward I have ever met…"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"AM NOT!"
"ARE TOO!"

18-year-olds Remus, Lily and James couldn't stop laughing as Sirius and Peter argued like five-year-olds. Peter had refused point blank for the past hour that he wouldn't have a tattoo...it was humorous at first but now Sirius was getting impatient, he turned to the others.

"Fine--we'll just have one each then…" he said and then smirked, as he counted from five down in his head. When he reached zero Peter tapped him on the shoulder…

"OK!" he said scowling in a miserable manner, pulling the face he always pulls when he doesn't get his way: which was, with Sirius around, on his face none stop. "But just one…" he said and looked ludicrously at James "I cant believe your having TWO!"

James smiled proudly, his arm around Lily, who began to blush redder than her hair. "I have no choice Peter…Lil' is going to be my wife…since Lily is not a marauder--we're having a separate tattoo each…" he said smiling. They had decided on the design for each tattoo--their animagi forms as silhouettes and a full moon behind it…underneath their initials and the word "FOREVER"

Sirius Black was no coward, he'd stood up against dementors and death eaters before now, but he didn't want to go in alone, but neither did Peter who was shaking as James kept on saying how painful it was going to be for him. Therefore, the eldest marauder had no choice in the matter anyway.

Sirius high-fived James, got patted on the back by Remus, a friendly kiss on the cheek for support from Lily and a very weak thumbs up by pale looking Peter, before walking into the tiny shop on a private and quiet London road.

Sirius was the only one in the shop bar 2 men, the one who would be doing his tattoo had three front copper teeth and tattoos all over, there was even one on his foot. Sirius sat down in an uncomfortable squeaky chair, and waited. They pressed the template onto his arm, and the buzzing of the needle began.

He closed his eyes and waited, remembering Lily telling them how painful it was…the funny buzzing rang in his ears almost deafening him and then the needle pierced his skin.

For someone like Sirius Black, as the sharp instrument entered his broad arm for the first few times, the pain was more than expected. However, he'd felt more pain than this in his short and dangerous lifetime. He knew he shouldn't look--it'd make him quiver, however he looked anyway. The shape of a black dog's head on its side became apparent. When it came to the letters, Sirius took a sharp breath--as the pointed object hit the bone underneath, until finally after about ten minutes, the buzzing stopped and Sirius stood, paid, and walked briskly out.

His friends were at his side immediately which made him smile. He heard there comments--his hadn't bled--so you could so the design easily.

"THAT IS AMAZING!" awed James, his brown eyes wide.
"The letters look really good Padfoot…"said Lily smiling.
"That's our black dog alright…!" muttered Remus smirking and then Peter piped up.
"Did it hurt?" he asked.

Sirius couldn't help himself, honestly for him, it didn't hurt much, so in a way he wasn't lying--but he knew how high pain tolerant Peter was…he'd be screaming his head off before they finished it. "Nah…!" he lied smiling.

Remus and Peter were next to go in because James and Lily were having a completely different tattoo, Peter walked in and Sirius pulled Remus aside before hand.

"Moony--"said Sirius sharply but the smirk on his lips couldn't be helped. "do me a favor and make sure that Peter doesn't get out of the chair…don't let him leave without finishing it…"

"You said it didn't hurt?" said Remus weakly, but he smiled

"I lied…" he muttered Sirius and laughed, "Don't worry--it'll be ok for you--but Peter will deafen people…"

Remus nodded at this, his smile matched the smirking Sirius, and then he walked in after the youngest marauder. Sirius stood beside James and Lily, and waited.

It didn't take long for Peter's screams to be heard. Even though the three of them were outside the shop and the droning should have smothered the screams. Sirius sniggered. James went a little pale and Lily went red with anger.

"Sirius that wasn't fair!"
"What wasn't fair…"

"That was out of order telling them it didn't hurt--I'm surprised these lot still trust you…" she muttered and Sirius nodded
"True…we have been friends for 9 years… they should know not to trust me by now…!"

At that comment, a shaky Peter walked out of the shop. His eyes were wide, and his tattoo was smothered with red blood, Peter was dabbing his cut with a blood-covered tissue, he looked at Sirius and then stood next to Lily as far from his friend as possible and sulked.

Sirius sighed, "Wormtail…say something come on!" he muttered standing next to him but Peter still said nothing for a while still fuming when he suddenly spoke anger in his squeaky voice "liar…" he spat.

"IT WAS A JOKE! Besides, it didn't hurt me it's different for everyone…" said Sirius honestly.
"That really hurt Sirius!" said Wormtail.
Sirius nodded, "I figured…" then he took out a hand, "Still friends…"

Wormtail hesitated and then took his hand weakly.
"Friends…" he winced and removed the blooded the tissue to reveal his tattoo alike Sirius's but not a dog--a rat…Sirius smiled, "That's a good one…"

Peter nodded "I think the outlines a bit shaky 'cause I moved a lot…" he muttered "But it's ok…Remus's looked good…"

Sirius nodded and then looked at the time. He and Peter had only been in about ten minutes each, Remus's was taking a great deal longer and Sirius began to panic a little. He was thinking of maybe going in and checking on him--maybe werewolves seeing blood might freak out or something--he hadn't thought of it at all…when his worries were forgotten as Remus walked out.

Sirius bounded forward, the other three of his tail instantly. "You ok?" he asked.

Remus nodded and revealed his tattoo. Sirius gaped--it was truly amazing, the wolf silhouette was prompt and exact the full moon was even rounder on his than his own tattoo or Peters and it looked as though it hadn't even marked his skin!

James and Lily knew it was there cue to enter, hand in hand they walked in, Peter found a chair to sit in and he exhausted and shaken fell to sleep, whilst Remus and Sirius waited. Sirius was still in awe at Moony's tattoo…and couldn't stop staring at it.

Remus looked at it also, noticing Sirius's star struck eyes "The needle was as though it was someone was poking me… I didn't even feel it…that's why it's all so precise and accurate…even yours is a little shaky…" he said

The two young men both knew why this was, with Remus as a werewolf--he was "almost" immortal--he could and probably live to see his 200th year without trying…and the average for a wizard was 100-150 years of age.
It was only recently that Remus had been thinking about this idea…Sirius and the others would die before him--no matter if Voldermort was defeated before hand or not…and that upset him most of all…

As he was thinking this sad thought, a sudden sound caught him and Sirius alert, Lily had just come out of the shop. She looked shaken like Peter. Her eyes very glazed over, but she was smiling, Sirius and Remus couldn't help but smile back.

On her thin and dainty shoulder, the name "James" was written in fancy almost Victorian writing and around it was a water lily--James's and Lily's favorite flower, and behind it in a silhouette form a proud looking stag. The detail was amazing, the flower in itself looked so real that you wanted to reach out and smell it…

"That is excellent!" gaped Remus, "That must have hurt…" he muttered. Lily nodded smiling.

"Yeah…but he's worth it…" she sighed happily. The other two smiled, still trying to get used to the fact that Lily was actually marrying James, when barely 2 years ago she despised him…

"James still in there?"
Lily nodded "He is having two--what do you expect…!"

When James came out ten minutes later, he walked proud like a peacock at the fact that he was brave enough to have two tattoos, yet his face was still pale, paler than Peters, Lily's and Remus's put together.

The marauder one was fine--it'd stopped bleeding ten minutes ago, but the Lily tattoo was not…and the blood was everywhere. Lily ran forward, and took a clean tissue and helped wipe off the crimson which poured.

"That was cool…" muttered James smiling, and then winced, Sirius and Remus looked at the tattoos, own like there own FOREVER a stag and a full moon and then the other arm, the tattoo his wife to be had, but "Lily" was written their instead.

Sirius had a thought suddenly and smirked, "I feel so sorry for James…"

James looked up. "Why's that?"

"Your gonna have to put your kids names on you…!" said Sirius and the three laughed as James went pale again.

Remus smiled. "Well--I'll tell you what…" he said, "if you have a kid--I'll put there name on my arm aswell…"

James and Lily smiled. "That'd be nice…" and then James looked at Sirius questioningly, who scowled at Remus.

"Its ok for you Moony! You can't feel it!" he said, but a smile played on his lips, "But yeah…I'll do the same…"

The four looked at the sleeping Peter and sighed, "I suppose we'll leave him out of this…" said Sirius, "I don't think he'll ever get another tattoo again if he can help it…"

Remus smiled at this, and as he turned to wake up Peter Sirius turned to James and Lily, "By the way you name your kid anymore than six letters--u will pay!" he began which made Lily and James's laugh ring in the air…

Flash Back End

Harry looked at his godfather sadly, as he seemed to be in a mind of his own…

"Well I'd better go back up…" he muttered, which stirred Sirius out of his memory and Sirius smiled, and ruffled Harry's hair, "Night kid…"

"Night--Padfoot…" muttered Harry smiling, and then with a wave and a wink from his godfather Harry darted back upstairs.

Sirius sat there in his own pitiful silence at that moment, when on impulse he reached up to feel the back of his neck which was always hidden by his long unruly hair. A very painful tattoo he'd long forgotten about until barely moments ago was imprinted there…he remembered the pain--and the joy on James's and Lily's face afterwards. Remus of course doing the same as promised and a one year old Harry smiling at them from Lily's protective arms calling them "Pad-foe" and "Oony".

At one-years-old Harry Potter couldn't do so much when it came to opening presents, so Harry's birthday present that year--was to have his "uncles" Padfoot and Moony have his name on their necks…to prove to James and Lily there alliance to their family was true…
"It'll always be true…" muttered Sirius to himself and then he stood, and walked out of room, "always…"

Author Note: This story is based on a true one, when my parents dared each other to get a tattoo—and then my dad decided to get my name and my brothers also on his back, which I think is the biggest compliment you can give. I hope you enjoyed this story since I enjoyed writing it. Jedi Solo