Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing and I am making no profit.

Setting: This story starts a couple of weeks after the end of GoF, but after that goes AU.

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Chapter 5: Moony, Padfoot and Prongs

Fred watched his old teacher walking along the passage before him. Remus Lupin was shorter than he'd been the last time Fred had seen him, and, if possible, slightly thinner. Healthier too. Life had not yet marked this Remus Lupin the way it had his older counter-part. His hair was a light brown; his face unlined.

They reached a t-intersection in the passageway and Lupin paused, allowing Fred to catch him up. "Lead on," he said, motioning for Fred to walk before him.

Fred realized that in a round about way, Lupin was asking if Fred was a Gryffindor in his own time. If Fred knew the way it would prove he was. Well that, or that he was a member of some other house who'd managed to sneak into the Gryffindor common room at some point in his Hogwarts career.

Fred gave Lupin a wink to let him know he understood the ploy, and dutifully took the correct passage.

"Just checking," said Lupin, moving to follow. Fred could hear the smile in his voice.

"So," said Fred, thinking this was as good a time as any to ask the question that had been gnawing at him since Lupin had arrived in Dumbledore's office. "McGonnagal said she was going to fetch 'the Head Boy'," he glanced at Lupin who nodded impassively. "When she came back, she said: 'Mr. Potter wasn't available'. Would that be James Potter then?"

"Yes," said Lupin mildly. "James is Head Boy."

Fred nodded and fell silent. He had suspected as much, but the confirmation still made him nervous. James might be sleeping now, but he would be awake in the morning, and Fred wasn't sure he'd be able to look him in the eye when he was.

Harry had not appeared in the halls of Hogwarts with Fred.

They'd both been transported from their own time - Fred was sure of that - but they had not arrived together, and Fred had no idea where Harry was now. He could be in the Dark Ages for all Fred knew.

Fred had told Dumbledore of course, and the old wizard had promised to do his best to find the boy, but Fred still feared Harry might be lost forever. This worried him as a surrogate older brother, but also as a young wizard who'd grown up with the legend of Harry Potter Though he'd never say it aloud, especially to Harry himself, Fred was one of those who felt deep down that Harry was the only one who could save them from Voldemort. Without Harry … he didn't want to dwell on it.

Lupin was watching him. "James isn't so frightening you know," he said.

Fred felt his insides twist - if only he knew.

"Sirius is much worse," Lupin continued with a wry smile.

Fred gripped Lupin's arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Who?!"

"So you know him then," said Lupin carefully, frowning and biting his lip.

"Sirius Black?"

Lupin nodded. "Mmm hmm."

"Sirius Black was in Gryffindor with you and James Potter?!"

Lupin stared. Dumbledore had told him not to question Fred, but Fred was making it awfully difficult for him. Eventually he seemed to come to a decision.

"Look, Fred. I don't know what you know, or what's going to happen, but whatever it was - or will be - you can't go reacting to things like this when you reach Gryffindor Tower. My friends weren't there when Dumbledore told us about the timelines. They won't understand how important it is that we don't ask questions. You even hint to James or Sirius that you know something about their futures, they will pester you until you tell them everything you know. They don't take things too seriously those two. So just be careful."

Suddenly faced with a Remus Lupin far more like the Professor he'd known, Fred found himself smiling despite it all. This slight boy, about his own age, was lecturing him after only having known him a few minutes. No wonder Dumbledore had hired him.

"Right then," said Fred, releasing Lupin's arm. "How 'bout I tell them they're famous quidditch players, aurors, Ministers for Magic, and general all 'round celebrities. That way they won't know what to believe."

Lupin snorted. "Knowing them they'll believe all of it. Arrogant gits."

They reached the portrait of the fat lady.

"Dragon Hide," Lupin told her.

"Out late again?" she asked. "Where are the other three then?"

"Hopefully all asleep," said Lupin, sounding very much like he'd like to be asleep himself.

The portrait swung open.

"It's barely changed," Fred remarked as they entered, eyeing the banners, staircases and fireplaces. "Those chairs are different though." He pointed at a group of squishy red couches.

"I like those chairs," Lupin remarked with a yawn. He started up the boy's staircase. "Dormitory's up here."

Sounds of yelling and laughing reached their ears as they approached the seventh year dorm.

"Oh Lord," said Remus quietly. "You'll have to excuse the idiocy that goes on around here."

Fred nodded grimly, his hands balling into fists as he realized he'd probably be meeting James and Sirius sooner than expected. Lupin opened the door and got hit square in the jaw with a pillow.

"Sorry!" yelled a tall boy with familiar dark hair and glasses, not sounding sorry at all. He grabbed another pillow from the nearest bed and hurled it at a second dark haired boy, who had somehow gotten hold of an invisibility cloak and seemed to be missing a torso. The second boy laughed as he deflected the pillow with an elbow, picked up a practice quaffel, and chucked it back at the first boy.

Lupin stepped forward, wand raised. "Inanament!" he cried, stopping the ball dead in the air before the first boy even had a chance to duck.

"Oh, come on Moony!" the second boy cried through laughter. "He kept you out in the hallway too with the whole -" he stood up straight and began to gesture like a Shakespearian actor, "Lily! Lily! Where fore art thou … um, hi," he dropped the act, slightly embarrassed, and gave Fred a little wave.

"Who's your friend?" asked James (he couldn't be anyone else) trying not to laugh as the second boy struggled to get himself untangled from the invisibility cloak.

"This is Fred -" said Lupin. He paused, seemingly unsure how he should continue.

"Fred Weasley," said Fred, coming to his rescue and holding out a hand for James to shake.

"James Potter," said James, smiling as he took it. He nodded at his friend. "And that's Sirius," he said, confirming Fred's uncomfortable suspicion.

Sirius was carefully folding up the cloak and placing it in a drawer. When he was done he walked back to the group and also stuck out a hand.

"Hi," he said with a crooked smile.

The next few seconds were odd as Fred tried to decide what to do. In no way did he want to take the hand of a future Death Eater and shake it as though they were about to be the best of friends - but not shaking it, that would lead to questions. Seconds ticked away and Fred's hesitation extended uncomfortably. He saw James raise an eyebrow at Lupin.

Lupin shifted uneasily.

Sirius's welcoming smile faded and he fixed Fred with a challenging look. He wasn't going to withdraw the offer of a handshake until Fred either shook the hand or openly rejected it. Fred met his gaze and held it as he finally gripped the offered hand.

The room temperature seemed to have dropped a few degrees.

The handshake ended and Fred and Sirius continued staring each other down, Fred trying to associate the icy blue eyes and handsome face with the raving lunatic he knew so well from the wanted posters. Struck by the horror of the impending transformation he was the first to look away.

Sirius turned to Lupin with a triumphant smirk. "He's not a student, is he?"

Lupin made to answer but Fred got in first: "I will be in about, ah . . . twelve years time." He grinned bitterly, trying very hard now to shake off the awkwardness of it all but not succeeding terribly well. Damn it. And he had a full week of this ahead of him. Fantastic.

"Twelve years?" asked James.

"You've time travelled," said Sirius, making it sound like an accusation.

Fred nodded. "You're quick," he said acidly.

"So they tell me," Sirius agreed, deadpan.

Lupin coughed loudly. They all turned to face him.

"We're not supposed to question him. Dumbledore said it might be dangerous. You know with all that stuff about -"

"Timelines," James finished for him. "We might change the way something is supposed to happen if we know too much."

"Right."

Sirius eyed Fred thoughtfully. "So, you're supposed to be born pretty soon," he surmised.

"That's right," said Fred, sounding more defensive than he would have liked.

"Hmm," said Sirius, in a dangerously speculative sort of way.

Lupin gave him a dirty look.

"I'm just burning with questions I can't ask," said James, seemingly oblivious to Sirius's veiled threat. "Like, how does the war turn out? How long does it last? No don't answer," he said, seeing Fred's mouth open. "I get why we can't ask."

"He's already told me he's a Gryffindor," said Remus helpfully, "That's why Dumbledore put him in here with us." A look passed between Lupin and Sirius as he said this, communicating something Fred was unable to follow.

"Well then he's extra welcome, " said James bracingly.

"Nice to be wanted," said Fred, glancing sideways at Sirius.

James and Lupin had no way of knowing what their friend really was, and Fred wasn't about to tell them. They were safe for now. History had seen them through Hogwarts alive. Fred was more concerned about his own safety. He'd be sleeping lightly as long as he was forced to sleep in this room. Sirius had surprised him by seeming so normal for a moment there - the way he had teased James had been all too familiar - but the way Sirius was staring at him now, chilled him to the bone.

"So, which bed do I take?" he asked, covering anxiety with an exaggerated yawn.

"Peter's I suppose," Lupin answered. "I guess they'll bring another bed up while we're in class tomorrow. Good thing Peter's off with Madam Pomfrey."

"Yeah, whatever," said Sirius darkly.

"We'll get Snape later," James promised. Though he didn't sound very enthusiastic about it and Fred noticed he gave Lupin a very guilty look as he said it.

Ten minutes later all four boys lay awake in separate beds.

It was Fred's first night without his twin sleeping somewhere in the same room.