I've never had unpaid confidantes
Its more than I would care to explain
But I have an open-door policy
When it comes to blame.
-Incubus ("Sick Sad Little World")

"Sometimes..." began Sirius, "I...well, I hate something, or someone, completely without reason. A manifestation of some kind of hate that I've been suppressing all my life." Montavius nodded. "Just...the day before they may have been something I'd been waiting for all of my life...like that stuffed rabbit Lily carries around all the time, and ...remember she lost it once?"

He nodded again, the rabbit was always a source of great curiousity for him, because Lily seemed too mature for such things. It was a part of her that obviously attracted the friendship of this little ragtag group his son seemed to be a part of, and a part of her he had never been privy to, being a parent and adult. And being nice to her probably would have helped a little. . Sirius began talking again after a thoughtful sip of his Macardi. Monty vaguely registered his son walking in with a few Hufflepuffs, admirers most likely.

"I always liken...things to feelings, or parts of my personality...or the personality of others, I don't know if you understand what I mean," he said.

"Of course I do, Sirius, everyone objectivizes, just don't realize," he encouraged. Sirius smiled at him.

"Well, this hatred I have for Snape, you know who he is, right?"

"Of course," he replied, "James can't quit raving about him."

"I kind of messed up, Mr.Potter," he said, "Snape said something about Remus, how he took everything sitting down, how me and James were stepping all over him and he took it because we were the only ones who'd be his friends."

"Now Sirius, what you did only proved him righ--"

"No, I don't think it did Sir," he interrupted, nodding in apology for doing so, "I was thinking to myself...I'll show you how spineless he really is--" The heated look on Sirius' face scared him. The intensity with which he felt would kill him one day, he was sure.

"Sirius," Monty began calmly, "You do know that you hurt Remus much much more than you could've ever hurt Snape." Sirius glared at his hands laced in front of him. "You used him. Your psychoanalysis is not going to change the fact that you were wrong."

There was a long silence. Sirius refused to apologize, believing more than ever there was a reason he had done what he had done, though he knew in his heart eventually he'd have to confess to foolishness. He was not foolish, although. Maybe he had done it in the wrong way, but surely Snape deserved some kind of retaliation for all those things he had done, gone totally unpunished. Monty let his eyes wander to James in the booth just a bit down from his own. Their eyes met for a fleeting second before James looked away with a smirk. He had his arm around a skinny brunette. She was beaming with pride as he discussed his Quidditch feats to, apparently, the Hufflepuff Beaters, who took it in turns to protest at his outrageous boasting.

"That's Marianne Worthings, she's the Catch of the Season. Hufflepuff Captain actually," with an amused grin he said, "He always goes for the fit, Quidditch-brained types."

"Is she, now," said Monty, "I'd always thought Lily was more his type."

"Ohh yeah," Sirius scoffed. He shot the boy a questioning glance. "Well, so do the Lupins, and the Pettigrews, and I bet my parents...if she was a Pureblood, and Slytherin," he explained, "she's the type to impress parents."

"So how are you doing in that department anyhow?" he asked, cursing with dismay at the empty glass in front of him.

"Just dumped one yesterday, but," he glanced at his watch, and dropping a few sickles on the table for the both of them said, "I have to meet one at Madame Puddifoot's in 'bout ten minutes."

Monty raised his glass to wave it in the direction of the bar, hoping to catch the barmaid's eye.

"Don't worry Mr. Potter," yelled Sirius as the door tinkled close, "I've ordered a couple more."

He chuckled as he saw Rosmerta approach his table with twenty Macardis on a giant aluminium plate and slid them on his table.

"Put it on Black's table, I s'pose," she said, and sniffed. Monty watched her walk away, but caught himself, seeing James do the same as she walked past him.

"James!" he heard Marianne exclaim, much like his wife probably would have if she had been there. James looked away from Rosmerta, intending to catch his father in the act. He saw the broad pink chalices of Macardi on his table and frowned. Mr. Potter, the glass in his hand almost empty resembled something of a deer in headlights at his son's disapproving glare.

"C'mon Marianne," he said, and upon passing Monty's table said "Don't try to apparate home, eh?" The brunette's face was a mixture of shock and curiousity.


Gideon Prewett had a lot to regret in his life. Had he lived a long and normal life as a wizard in those times could live, well, he'd be...working for Voldemort.

But, no, that wasn't the point. If he had been a squib maybe. No, wait. Possibly one of the few squibs to survive the purge of the Dark Lord's...

Come to think of it, Gideon only had the Dark Lord to regret for his forsaken career, love, and all the jealousy of the depths of his cold heart for Fabian who got the wife, Amy Bennett, and innocent, beautiful children, and the favor of rich auntie and singer Molly Prewett.

That's why he was feeling so awful that day, if fact, as he sat around alone the night before the Hogsmeade Festival.

Lily Evans said to him, "Cheer up, Gideon, Molly's still your aunt too, in fact, why don't you go and talk to her?"

Gideon could only think of his anger at the world, at all the people with interesting lives, teeming with favorite aunts, werewolves, animagi, Death Eater families, muggle-crazy grandmothers, murdered parents, Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, why, he'd even heard that Bertha Jorkins, the school's longest running joke (since his first year) was the Daily Prophet's star columnist and Assistant Editor.

"Oh shut your stupid, boring trap, Evans!" he snapped, feeling at the peak of his anger. She hmmphed, and turned away.

"Whatever," he mumbled feebly and directed a sullen glare at Molly and Fabian, who were having themselves a fine little chat by the Common Room fire.

Lily, between himself and the window, said something about Remus and May out in the Quidditch Pitch. 'Figures,' he thought, 'what a thrill-sucking leech she is.' Even boring people found interesting friends to mooch off of. Sirius Black gave a loud snort, presumably at him, because looking up he saw Lily beside him holding the green blob with the crumpled parchment horn and lolling newt's eyes. Blurble the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. He heard that some first year with a crush on Sirius was working on a female...so they could breed, she'd said.

'Poor, delusional fools,' thought Gideon.

"So, Remus says he figures Gideon Prewett knows he's a werewolf." Above the noise of the Common Room, Sirius did not miss the note of urgency in Lily's whisper.

"A lot of people know, Lily, but we're Gryffindors for a reason. We know each other's secrets."

A look of deepset disbelief settled on her face. "Really?" she said, noting that Sirius hesitated to reply.

"Yes, really, why are you being so suspicious?"

"It seems to me that more boys know than girls, are you going to tell me it's a coincidence?"

"Why don't you tell me what your insinuating?" said Sirius. A couple sitting nearby turned to look at them interestedly. He lowered his voice, letting them know of the confidentiality of their discussion. "...And I'll tell you that your being completely unreasonable."

"Alright Sirius, if you're going to be like this, I don't even know why I bother. I gave up my friends for you, so I could do your stupid charms on that stupid Map, and talk to those big-breasted button-nosed tramps for you, and I even gave up pining after my first crush and set him up with my best friend, who may I add, is my best friend no longer for that same reason! All for you vain, stubborn, childish--"

"It's not my fault that you have a martyr-complex or something, you didn't have to say yes!" He gave her a cautious once-over, suspecting immediately that he'd gone too far.

"Sirius," she said patiently after a brief pause, "What are you hiding?" He examined the plush carpet, not able to meet her eyes.

"Alright, fine. I don't want to waste my breath on you four anymore. I'll take your advice. I don't have to put up with this irrational secrecy. It's quite clear you don't trust me."

Sirius did not know what to say to that. He felt the indignance swell, even as he looked across the room to catch Gideon glaring at him dolefully. That stupid bitch. He didn't need her, and neither did the Marauders.

"She's not worth your time, Black," drawled a husky voice from behind him.

"You read my thoughts Eleanor," he replied, reaching around and pulling her down next to him. She beamed at him, loosening her bun and taking off her reading glasses. She wore a really short skirt underneath her robes, and she shifted particularly, so that they slid off her knees and revealed her thighs, kept provocatively crossed. "Been working hard?" he asked, keeping his eyes from wandering in an attempt to irk her into making the first move. All through their date at Madame Puddifoot's, she had been downright prudish, playing hard-to-get so to speak, and he resolved to return the favor.

"You could say," she retorted, her constant smile fading somewhat. He remembered that Eleanor Jugson was in running for the Head Girl position next year, and that she had been in fervent competition with Lily ever since second year Potions, when they were in class together for the first time. She was always calling her "Mudblood", and making rude references to her muggle family. Sirius used to hate Eleanor for that reason, but recently, she'd taken a liking to him, and upon realizing that he'd never like her back if she kept harassing Lily, she'd stopped. "So," she changed the subject, "What've you got planned for tonight?"

Another one falls for the irresistible charms of Sirius Black, he thought, leaning down to meet her glossed, fruity lips.

Lily wondered where James was. He said something about going to the Three Broomsticks right after their Prefect's meeting in Dumbledore's office discussing Molly Prewetts' sharing the room with Amy Bennett, the Head Girl, and the number of people who would be going to the Hogsmeade Festival the next day.

'It's six hours later...midnight...where could he be?' she thought frantically, pausing to catch her breath and rest her tired feet. She was amidst the dark school grounds, watching the rippled reflection of the sliver of moon on the lake. On the opposite bank, she spotted the shadow of an animal, racing through the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. Lily sighed with relief, 'there he is.' She plopped down where she stood, and got to nursing her blistered feet and waited for James to spot her.

When she looked up, to her surprise, she found a magnificent stag standing there, antlers tall and proud. She could not help but smile proudly. James, her friend James, the mighty stag. Shaking off her disconnected, frankly cheesy thoughts, she stood up.

"Hey," she said, "Would you take me around the forest once, for old times' sake?" He sat on his forelegs, opening his jaws to show his giant, browned teeth, she got on, bouncing with a childish excitement. James purposefully took off mid-bounce so she lost her balance and toppled to the ground. "Oww!" she screamed, "You bastard!"

"You should've been careful," said Human James.

"Yeah, well, I know for a fact you did that on purpose, I just don't know why you lot are being so mean to me lately."

James gave her an "Explain!" sort of look.

"You know, with all the boys talking about Remus and Snape, and everyone coming up to me, like I'm supposed to know."

"Oh, well...we don't want to tell you because we think you'll be disappointed in us, you see," he said, tactfully looking away from her.

"And Remus forbid me from asking you, can you believe it?" she went on.

"Did he? Forbade, actually."

"I notice no one's talking to Sirius, and I just got done telling him that if he didn't tell me what was going on, I would do the same."

"Sirius told Snape how to get into the Shrieking Shack to find where Remus went every full moon."

"What?"


A/N: Shorter than most, please review with complaints/suggestions/comments.