Disclaimer~ I don't own any Harry Potter characters.
AN~ This is my second story about the marauders. It starts in the summer
after fifth year, so they are all about sixteen. Please read and review,
but be nice!
James Potter was dreaming about Lily Evans. He often did. She was the one girl he wanted, and the one he couldn't get. His dream was just getting good when he was woken up by a familiar voice calling his name.
"James! James!" James groped for his glasses and put them on. As his room came into focus, he looked around and saw it was empty. Presuming he had been dreaming, James let his head drop back onto his pillow.
"Prongs! Get the hell up!" James sat up quickly, and realised where the voice was coming from. He slid his hand under the bed and looked into the small mirror he kept there. Instead of his own face looking back at him, there was the face of his best friend, Sirius Black.
"Alright, Padfoot?" James yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"No," James noticed that Sirius wasn't smiling like usual. "James I'm in your front garden. You have to let me in."
James had been expecting this for a while. He nodded, and then slipped silently out of bed. He crept downstairs and opened the front door.
Sirius Black smiled nervously and stepped inside. He was tall, easily the tallest boy in their year, and extremely handsome. He ran his fingers through his stylish dark hair and followed James to the kitchen.
"You've done it then?" James watched his friend guzzle a pint of milk straight from the bottle and glanced at the trunk he had dragged in.
"Yep," Sirius began rooting through the cupboards, looking for food. "I left last night after they went to bed. I used the last of my birthday money off Uncle Alphard to get the Knight bus."
James nodded understandingly. He had expected Sirius would be turning up on his doorstep at some point over the summer. Things had gotten progressively worse for him at home these last few years. His father would beat him and call him names. His mother wouldn't even look at him. James admired his friend for staying so together after everything that had gone on. Sirius would just shrug and say "shit happens" if anyone tried to talk to him about it.
"So do you reckon your mum and dad will let me stay here til school starts?"
James told him they would. He knew this for a fact because Mrs Potter had said it on many an occasion, after seeing Sirius with a black eye or swollen lip. She had, once upon a time, been friends with the Blacks. Or at least held some respect for them. She and her husband didn't share all the Black's beliefs about purebloods and muggles, but it was the way they treated their own flesh and blood which angered her. She couldn't imagine not loving your own child like she loved hers.
"Morning!" Sirius woke up to Mrs Potter's smiling face. She handed him a steaming cup of tea and smoothed down his quilt. "James told us this morning that you needed to stay for a while."
"I don't want to be any trouble, Mrs P." Sirius took a sip of his tea and felt the warmth spread through his body.
"Nonsense Sirius!" Mrs Potter smiled again. "You're like a second son to Harry and I. We couldn't live with ourselves if we let you stay in that house."
Sirius looked into the eyes of his best friend's mother and felt a stirring in the pit of his stomach. Suddenly all of his feelings welled up and forced their way out of him in big, wet tears. He felt Mrs Potter's arms around him and hugged her back until the tears stopped. He couldn't remember his own mother ever holding him like that.
"Thanks," he whispered hoarsely. Mrs Potter winked at him and turned to leave.
"Mrs P?" Sirius called from where he sat.
"Yes dear?"
"Please don't tell James I cried?"
James Potter was dreaming about Lily Evans. He often did. She was the one girl he wanted, and the one he couldn't get. His dream was just getting good when he was woken up by a familiar voice calling his name.
"James! James!" James groped for his glasses and put them on. As his room came into focus, he looked around and saw it was empty. Presuming he had been dreaming, James let his head drop back onto his pillow.
"Prongs! Get the hell up!" James sat up quickly, and realised where the voice was coming from. He slid his hand under the bed and looked into the small mirror he kept there. Instead of his own face looking back at him, there was the face of his best friend, Sirius Black.
"Alright, Padfoot?" James yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"No," James noticed that Sirius wasn't smiling like usual. "James I'm in your front garden. You have to let me in."
James had been expecting this for a while. He nodded, and then slipped silently out of bed. He crept downstairs and opened the front door.
Sirius Black smiled nervously and stepped inside. He was tall, easily the tallest boy in their year, and extremely handsome. He ran his fingers through his stylish dark hair and followed James to the kitchen.
"You've done it then?" James watched his friend guzzle a pint of milk straight from the bottle and glanced at the trunk he had dragged in.
"Yep," Sirius began rooting through the cupboards, looking for food. "I left last night after they went to bed. I used the last of my birthday money off Uncle Alphard to get the Knight bus."
James nodded understandingly. He had expected Sirius would be turning up on his doorstep at some point over the summer. Things had gotten progressively worse for him at home these last few years. His father would beat him and call him names. His mother wouldn't even look at him. James admired his friend for staying so together after everything that had gone on. Sirius would just shrug and say "shit happens" if anyone tried to talk to him about it.
"So do you reckon your mum and dad will let me stay here til school starts?"
James told him they would. He knew this for a fact because Mrs Potter had said it on many an occasion, after seeing Sirius with a black eye or swollen lip. She had, once upon a time, been friends with the Blacks. Or at least held some respect for them. She and her husband didn't share all the Black's beliefs about purebloods and muggles, but it was the way they treated their own flesh and blood which angered her. She couldn't imagine not loving your own child like she loved hers.
"Morning!" Sirius woke up to Mrs Potter's smiling face. She handed him a steaming cup of tea and smoothed down his quilt. "James told us this morning that you needed to stay for a while."
"I don't want to be any trouble, Mrs P." Sirius took a sip of his tea and felt the warmth spread through his body.
"Nonsense Sirius!" Mrs Potter smiled again. "You're like a second son to Harry and I. We couldn't live with ourselves if we let you stay in that house."
Sirius looked into the eyes of his best friend's mother and felt a stirring in the pit of his stomach. Suddenly all of his feelings welled up and forced their way out of him in big, wet tears. He felt Mrs Potter's arms around him and hugged her back until the tears stopped. He couldn't remember his own mother ever holding him like that.
"Thanks," he whispered hoarsely. Mrs Potter winked at him and turned to leave.
"Mrs P?" Sirius called from where he sat.
"Yes dear?"
"Please don't tell James I cried?"