Saturday 23rd August 1980

Hogwarts, 09:00

Peter left Dumbledore's office feeling a little bit ashamed of himself but also like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Probably because it had. He was no longer carrying a burden. He was free from it. Pretty much. He thought so anyway.

It looked like Dumbledore understood that the whole thing had been an honest mistake. It wasn't like ne supported the Death Eaters. Oh, no. Of course not. That was ridiculous. He was nowhere near as extreme as that. That was just silly. He just valued traditional values. Lots of people did that and weren't harmful in anyway. Traditional values weren't harmful. They were just... traditional. That didn't make him a bad person. Or the people who believed in them to be bad people, right? He was allowed to have his own opinions. They didn't hurt anyone. Well, they weren't supposed to. He just veered off the path a bit. But now he was back on it. Yeah.

Dumbledore had lectured him on the need to be open minded and hold less to tradition. Which made him feel very small and squirmy (which he did not like feeling) but he admitted that he had taken his thoughts and feelings too far.

Dumbledore told him that it was quite natural to seek out other people like himself but it was important not to renounce your personal values just for comradeship. And that it was the utmost importance for him to learn how to recognise when things went a step too far. All of which made him feel very chastised. Eurgh, like he was a teenager all over again.

But at least Dumbledore knew everything now. And didn't think that Peter was at risk or anything and was even going to sort out the information that Peter had given. In fact, he seemed to be quite appreciative of the information that Peter had given him. Said that it was quite valuable. Who would have thought? And he had managed that. Valuable information. For Dumbledore. Things just kept looking up and up!

Of course, Peter knew that he had messed up big time but that was all behind him now. And he was going to do better. Much better.

Godric's Hollow, 13:30

What he was doing today was weird. Really weird. Sirius was spending the day with James. Which wasn't weird in itself. They had shared a dorm for seven years, a home for two and a flat for one. They were best friends. Brothers. Of course, they were spending time together and enjoying it. Having fun. Just like they always did.

But it was still weird. Because he had had to come to James' house to hang out with him. Because James owned a house now with his wife and his son. His little family. And Sirius had to visit.

Oh, sure, it wasn't like he had to make a formal request to do so or anything. James and Lily didn't mind spur of the moment drop ins. Merlin; James even encouraged it. But still. He had to go visit him. James wasn't just there anymore. It was weird. And Sirius was starting to think that it wasn't the good type of weird.

This type of weird made his stomach feel funny and all these doubts come into his head. And feelings. It made him feel things that we didn't want or need to feel.

Feelings he was still feeling even though he was now with James. Sitting right opposite, actually, as they were both slouched on a chair and a sofa. They were just doing nothing which was a welcome relief these days. No work. No babies because Lily had brought Harry over to Alice's for a playmate with Neville. Dora and Teddy were going to be there as were Marlene and Cassie. It was strictly a mother-child thing and all men had been summarily banished. Not that Remus had had to be banished because he was doing something for the Order. And Frank was working. So, it was just him and James. Alone. Doing nothing. Not even talking. leaving Sirius to his thoughts. He didn't much like his thoughts.

"Please tell me that you get overwhelmed too," Sirius said suddenly, breaking the silence. "That you feel like you have no idea what you are doing."

James heaved a sigh of relief.

"All the time. All the bloody time.:

"I mean," Sirius continued as if James hadn't said anything. "The whole world's a mess. There's a war going on. People are dying. We're adults but I don't feel like an adult. But I have a kid with someone who I li-love but am not married to. Nothing's the same, everything's changing and I feel like I can't fox anything."

Sirius was breathing heavily once he was finished. He hadn't realised how much he had wanted to get that off his chest.

"It's all so depressing and sad and it makes me mad and a grey and..." Sirius petered out, unable to put his thoughts into coherent sentences anymore.

"Hey, hey!" James said, giving him a brief shake to bring him to his senses.

"What?" Sirius asked, pushing him off.

"Cut it out!"

"Cut what out?"

"Being all depressing," James instructed. "It's not allowed."

Sirius' lips twitched. "Not allowed?"

James gave a sharp nod. "Not allowed."

"I wasn't being depressing. I was being realistic. Honest."

"No. You were being depressing."

"I can't help it if everything that's going on is depressing."

"Not everything is depressing."

"Name one," Sirius demanded.

"Well," James stopped for a second and Sirius thought that he would win when James continued on. "There's Teddy and there's Cassie and Harry and Neville. Those aren't depressing."

"They aren't," Sirius agreed. "But they're a lot of change."

In a short period of time too. Three babies in basically two weeks. That was weird. And a lot of change.

"Sure, it's like everything's changing. And maybe not all of its good but you know what's not going to change?" James asked vehemently.

"What?"

"Us," he said, waving between the two of them. "Our friendship. Between me and you and us and the Marauders and Lily and Marlene and Chryssie and Dora and Merlin, the girls need a group name of their own so we don't have to list their names like that..." James trailed of and then shook his head in an attempt to get back on track. "But, anyway, things aren't going to change between any of us anytime soon. It doesn't matter if we have families and children and partners or anything else because we all love each other in some way or form and that's never going to change."

Sirius stared at him for a long time before he finally found himself cracking a smile. He couldn't help it. James was so earnest looking.

"See!" James crowed. "Things aren't all that bad, are they?"

"I suppose not," Sirius gave in.

James was just going to keep going on and on if he didn't so he may as well put a stop to that now.

It may have put a stop to his soppy outpouring of feelings (thankfully) but it didn't stop James' mouth stretch into the wide, wide grin.

"Told you."

And with that rather triumphant statement, they both settled down into silence again. However, this one was much more comfortable.

Until they both silently decided that sitting around was boring when they, for once, had all this free time and really should be doing something with it.

"James? Do me a favour?" He asked as they got back on their feet.

"Yeah, Pads?"

"Never say something that cheesy again."

That got him a shove from him.

"Arse."

Wednesday 27th August 1980

Hogwarts, 22:00

Another Order Meeting, more depressing news and little to show for their efforts against aforementioned bad news. Ut at least there had been no more deaths amongst their own ranks. That was something to be thankful for, at least. And they were all doing something, however small. That was something.

"Ah, Sirius," Dumbledore said, sweeping around to where they were all huddled together.

"Professor," Sirius said, straightening up out of instinct.

"Might I have a word with you, please?"

"Uh," he looked around at his friends who looked just as confused as he did (except for Severus who look calculating but he always looked calculating). "Sure."

"Fantastic. If you would just hang back as everyone else leave and we should get the privacy that we require."

And that didn't sound ominous at all. Everyone else took this as their cue to leave, except for Marlene who lingered behind.

"Don't worry, Miss McKinnon," Dumbledore said cheerfully as he noticed that she was still there despite everyone else either being already well away or basically out the door. "I will not leave you and your darling daughter without him for too long. This should only take a few minutes."

She nodded and then looked to Sirius who gave her a nod. She seemed happy enough at that and left without complaint. Probably wouldn't be far though. Which was fair because he would be the exact same if their positions had been reversed.

Dumbledore gestured for him to sit down and, after a moment's hesitation, he did.

"Have you had any contact with your brother since you left school?"

Sirius blinked at Dumbledore. That was the last thing he'd been expecting to hear. In fact, he hadn't been expecting to hear that being asked at all. His brother? Regulus? His little brother?

"I haven't spoken to him since I left home," Sirius corrected. "What's wrong with him? Is he in trouble?"

He had gone and joined Voldemort, just like he was supposed to. Hadn't he? That meant he was in trouble, with normal decent people. Because he was a Death Eater. A slimy Death Eater.

"Not that I am aware of," Dumbledore said thoughtfully which didn't ease his worry one bit.

Regulus was still his brother after all. He was supposed to worry about him. Though, Sirius hadn't even been doing a good job of that, had he? He couldn't remember the last time he'd thought about Regulus. Was it before Marlene got pregnant? Did Regulus know he was an uncle now? Poor little girl, having a Death Eater as an uncle.

Because that's what Regulus was. A Death Eater. A no-good, slimy Death Eater who liked to torture people for fun.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

Saturday 30th August 1980

St Mungo's, 15:30

Chryssie sighed heavily and leaned against a wall. This was the first time in four hours that she had actually stopped. And she really shouldn't be stopping now, there was so much still to do, but she stopped anyway. She needed to catch her breath. To process things. To just be still, even if it was only for a few minutes.

So much had happened today and yesterday and the day before that and the day before that. It was nonstop without a moment's break. People were getting cursed. People needed put back together. All because of Death Eaters. And then there were what St Mungo's considered normal injuries which were still serious and in need of attention. There were too many patients and not enough Healers. It was insane. She was run off her feet and she was just a second year! Barely, at that!

She felt like she wasn't getting taught all she needed to be taught but then again, she also felt like she was learning a lot more if she was following a traditional medical degree. Nothing about her life at the minute was traditional. Nobody's was. She wasn't the only one nor was she the worst affected by all of this so she really didn't have much of a right to complain.

Looking around her at the white walls of the hospital, Chryssie sighed. At least she was safe, in here. There was no risk of her getting attacked. This is where people went when they got attacked. Where they got patched up. Fixed. This is where people were made better. Outside this hospital is where people got hurt.

Too many people were getting hurt. Too many. And hurt beyond repair. Healers shouldn't fix people like that. There were so many people like that.

She became a Healer (or was becoming Healer - she was still in training) to help people. To save them. To prevent them from dying. But Chryssie had very quickly learned that you couldn't save everyone. There were a lot of people you simply couldn't save. So many people.

It was heart-breaking to watch. You did everything you could, experts did everything they could and still people didn't pull through. It was horrible. It was still horrible despite her seeing it happen with her own two eyes multiple times. Her superiors had clicked sympathetically at her heartbroken reaction every time and said that she'd get used to it eventually.

Which was an awful thought to her. She didn't want to get used to people dying on her. She didn't want to get used to people being beyond saving.

Speaking of being beyond saving, she watched as a whole crowd of Healers ran into a room just ahead of her. That was never a good sign. Especially since she knew that the person in there was an Auror. She had seen the man's robes when he had been swept in. What was left of his robes anyway.

She wasn't even distressed by that knowledge now. Worse things had happened to people. Especially Aurors. It was just another day now.

Oh look, the Auror now had his own security. As sarcastic as that comment sounded, it really wasn't too far out of the ordinary these days. Being an Auror in these times was even more dangerous than normal. And they made enemies. Enemies of dangerous people. Dangerous people who had shown far too any times that they would not hesitate to slip into the hospital to finish the job they had started.

Though the guy didn't really act like security. In fact, he was pacing and muttering to himself.

"Sirius?" She asked in amazement, recognising the dark-haired Auror.

He looked different in his Auror robes, serious expression (pardon the pun) on his face and his long hair tied back. All grown up and official. It was odd.

"Chryssie?" He asked in amazement, doing a double-take. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

Chryssie chuckled. "Long day?"

"You could say that," he said darkly, glaring at one of the doors.

"Wait," she had just realised that Sirius was here. At St Mungo's. "Why are you here? Is someone hurt? Is it James? Marlene? Who-?"

Sirius shook his head. "They're all fine. Just a co-worker. Jenkinson."

"Oh."

Chryssie felt bad for feeling relief at that. The guy could be dying behind that door for all they knew!

"Yeah," Sirius said with a twist to his lips. "He's a good bloke."

"That's... Nice. I mean bad. Bad that's he in there. I mean, he sounds nice and well, yeah..."

She winced at that. She wasn't good at condolences or those sorts of things. She just wasn't. They made her feel all awkward and weird.

Sirius chuckled at her. "You kind of sound like Peter there, you know!"

"Hey!"

She wasn't a stuttery, awkward mess like the quietest of the Marauders was! The one she still didn't really know that well. But still, she liked to think of herself as a bit more approachable and friendly than him.

"Okay, maybe not. But he does talk a lot like you just did there now."

Now that was something that Chryssie found herself agreeing with. Albeit reluctantly.

"Has he always been that..." she trailed off, not knowing what word would be kindest to use.

"A bit twitchy?" Sirius finished for her, a slight grin on his face.

She thumped his arm. "Don't be mean!"

"I'm not!" He protested. She gave him a look. "I'm really not!" He reiterated.

"You just called one of your best friends twitchy! That's mean!"

"Look, I love Peter, I really do, but you have to admit he's twitchy."

"What does that even mean?"

"You were the person looking for a word to describe him!"

"Not twitchy!"

"What then?" Sirius asked, fingers his arms.

"Well, uh, well," Chryssie looked around for some sort of inspiration. Anything to wipe that smug, knowing look off Sirius' face. "High strung!" She said triumphantly.

"Which means twitchy!"

"It does not!"

Wednesday 3rd September 1980

Unknown Location, 17:30

It turned out that promising yourself that you'd do better meant that things got worse. Because the universe hated him. Or something like that.

Peter, you see, had been quite literally lifted off his feet by someone from behind him and promptly side-apparated somewhere. All he'd been doing was eating lunch by himself in his office. He cursed himself for not taking James and Sirius' advice about never having your back to a door.

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. He couldn't do anything. Yes, he was panicking. What on earth gave that away? Wouldn't you panic too if you got grabbed by someone and brought somewhere against your will? Nothing good came of a person being made to disappear.

Then suddenly his wasn't being side-alonged anymore. Peter hadn't been expecting and fell to his knees when he was let go.

"Oh, get up, Pettigrew."

Peter's blood froze in his veins. He knew that voice. He was uncomfortably familiar with that voice. And sure enough, he looked up and it was Mulciber. With a look of disdain on his face.

"And you better not run," Mulciber added unnecessarily.

He wasn't James or Sirius or Remus. Or even Marlene or Lily. He wasn't about to try and fight his way out of an obviously lose-lose situation. He didn't want to get hurt!

"You hang around that Marauder lot?" Avery asked once he was sure Peter wasn't going anywhere.

"I am a Marauder," Peter said proudly.

Because he was. He was Wormtail for Merlin's sake. Apart of things from the very beginning. And basically, the first to start transforming. Yes, he was definitely a Marauder. A proper one. Unlike Severus Snape. Hmpf. And people would do well to remember that.

Avery and Mulciber exchanged looks with each other. Looks Peter really didn't like.

"Oh, really?"

Peter gulped. Why did things never go his way?