Coming Soon…

For the Want of the Moon, the Marauders are Lost

Written by: Amhalgaidh-wolfegurl

This is a preview of the abovementioned story. It was originated by Bandogurl, but she gave it to me and asked me to please finish it. But I decided, with her permission, I would improve upon it. So instead of starting during Harry's sixth year, it begins while the Marauders are all still alive and well as students at Hogwarts. Torri Love now becomes Taryn, and goes from Remus' love to his cousin—with no incest anywhere. Ew. Anyways, here's your sneak preview:

"Taryn, get back here!"

"No!" she shouted over her shoulder as she ran through the heavy rain falling on Hogwarts grounds.

"Taryn, please stop! You'll catch pneumonia and die and then what will I tell your parents?"

"I don't care!" she shouted back at him. "Tell them anyth—!" She slipped in the mud and fell, landing on her back, laughing her head off.

"Taryn!" he said, sliding to a stop and kneeling beside her. His light brown hair was dripping into his eyes as he helped her sit up.

She stopped laughing for a moment to say, "Looks like I can't even be graceful when I'm outside in my natural element, huh, Remmie?" Then she looked down at her mud-spattered clothing and started laughing again. "All right, you win. I'll go back to the castle."

Remus Lupin stood and held his hand out for his cousin. She took hold of it and he hauled her to her feet. They were both soaking wet and covered in mud, but they didn't mind it. They enjoyed being a mess when they walked around the castle. It gave Mr. Filch, the new caretaker, something else to grumble about. As long as they didn't get detention. "C'mon, Taryn," Remus said. "Let's go. Sirius and James said they had an idea on how to spend this wretched night."

"I like the rain, though," she said, wiping her dripping blonde hair from her face. "Sure, it's wet and cold, but honestly, how many witches or wizards can say they can cast spells more easily in the rain? It makes me unique."

"What makes you unique is the fact that you spend time with me even though I am what I am," he replied as they climbed the stairs to the castle. "Not many people would do that, not even relatives."

"Well, you're my little cousin," she said, ruffling his hair. "What else am I supposed to do? I have to look out for you."

Lily rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at Remus. "She's showing signs of being in Slytherin again, Remus," she said. "Perhaps an intervention is in order?"

He shook his head. "The last time I intervened, I ended up in Hospital for a week with a Latin Complex," he said, shuddering at the memory. The entire week, he could say nothing unless it was in Latin. He still didn't know how she did it. "You do the intervention this time."

"It's just a Cheering Charm, Remus," she said quietly.

Sirius literally jumped onto the bed and draped himself across Taryn's middle as she tried to recuperate from the day. "If you actually hit Snivellus with that curse," he said, playing with her hair. "You have to accept the next proposal he offers you. And any suggestion of his that you start your tutoring session for the day doesn't count."

Taryn sat up quickly, horror etched in her face. As the others giggled, trying to hide it unsuccessfully, she said, "No! Sirius, you can't be serious! He's—he's—oh, he's horrid! No matter how much I may defend him from your taunting—or try to, at least—I detest him as much as you do!" She shuddered as Sirius sat up next to her. "The only proposal he offers me is one I refuse almost daily. I can't accept it, Sirius. I can't!"

"You can," he said, tapping her on the nose. "And you will."

"I can't, and I won't," she said, pushing him away from her. "You can't make me."

Sirius grinned wickedly. "Yes I can," he said. "I dare you to accept it." He knew she couldn't turn down a dare. No matter how horrible it may be. She couldn't help herself.

"Sirius Black!" The Great Hall fell silent as the shout echoed away. The teachers eating breakfast ignored it; they heard it a lot. Lily and Colleen backed away from the Gryffindor table and joined their own House as Taryn stormed over. She grabbed the collar of Sirius' school robes and nearly yanked him off his seat. When his face was level with hers, all his weight being supported by his robes in her clutches, she said, "You will die. Very soon." She tossed him back onto his seat and walked out of the Great Hall very quickly.

"Then what would you suggest?" Colleen countered. "If you don't give her a reason to pay attention to you, she won't."

A grin spread across Sirius' face. "I might have an idea," he said. "Col, she's rather over-protective of you, isn't she?"

"Yes," the Ravenclaw witch nodded. Then she understood what he was talking about. "Sirius, if we do that, she'll kill you!"

"I'm willing to risk it," he replied.

His comments struck a chord. "Listen to me, Black," she said lowly. "When the Death Eaters murdered our parents, I became her guardian. Yes, I know I can't protect her from life, but I can at least make sure you don't make her miserable! So, I'll be watching you. Just see if I don't!"

"Oh obviously," he repeated, sarcastically. He leaned forward and looked her in the eye. "I'm curious, Tar. Who is it you think you could marry happily?"

Her flustered feeling increased. No one had asked her that, either. "I suppose…" she began, then changed her mind. "Well… I don't know. Maybe, well… I don't think I can answer that, Sirius." She stood and walked out of the Room of Requirement.

Sirius watched her go with interest. She hit the doorframe with her shoulder on her way out. He leaned back in his chair and thought. "That's interesting," he murmured after the door closed.

"Who're you?" a wizard a little older than her asked, standing over her as she tried to read her book.

She didn't look up at him. "My name's Taryn Love," she said, turning the page.

"You're not in Slytherin, are you?"

"Honestly, Sirius, is that any way to speak to a young lady?" She knew that voice. It was her cousin, Remus Lupin. She looked up and saw the familiar honey brown eyes smiling down at her. "Hick-a-bick-a-boo?" he asked her, using the language they made up when they were children.

"Hoo-sha!" she replied, smiling and getting to her feet. Fethais 'ch, Midnight. Fel fuest?"

He shrugged. "Okay," he said, ignoring the look he was getting from the other wizard. "Dydy 'n annaearol mo yn cael 'ch ai Colleen i mewn 'm D. Pawb was fel 'n ddiau ni would pawb bod i mewn Gryffindor, faen mo?"

"Yeah, bydew… Certainties ydy erioed 'n ddiau, n?" Taryn said, smiling slightly.

"Um, hello?" Sirius, the other wizard said. "Still here and I would appreciate it if you spoke English."

Taryn looked at him and smirked. "Cara at gwrandaw i mewn acha arall s hymddanion, ewigod emo?" she muttered to Remus. "Ddylu stgofia a?"

"'n ddichonadwy."

Sirius, the other wizard, growled in annoyance and stalked off. Taryn smirked again. "Alla anrhega 'i atalnwyd, Remus?"

Taryn talked animatedly to Sirius as she quickly drove her ice blue Chrysler Pacifica down the empty stretch of rural road in California. He was clutching the armrests on his seat and door tightly, grinding his teeth in absolute terror. "Slow down, girl!" he said, digging his nails into the vehicle's upholstery. "This isn't the Knight Bus, you know!"

"Sirius, honestly," she sighed, slowing down. "One would think you had never been in a car before, the way you act! You're perfectly safe. Now, stop damaging my baby." She smiled as she cruised down the road. "Besides, we need to get there as soon as possible. There's been an emergency. Instead of a missing person, it's more like missing persons. Multiple, and the American Ministry of Magic, the dolts, doesn't have a Missing People Because of an Act of Magical War department. So I was despatched. That's why we're here."

"I didn't ask," he said, looking through the glass of his window. "Not yet, anyway. Get out of my head!"

She laughed. "Why would I want to be in there?" she asked, sarcastically, making a left turn and taking it without slowing down. "You're probably thinking of things I don't want to see." She glanced at him. "You are, aren't you?"

"Maybe," he replied, grinning at her. Then he looked through the windshield to see on coming traffic safely on the other side of the road. "Taryn, look out!"

A large, black Suburban was in their lane and coming at them at an insane speed. She tried to swerve out of the way, but there was nowhere to go. So she hit her brakes and blew her horn. Hard. But all her efforts were for naught. As the headlights came closer, Taryn screamed, "Sirius!" Then she was knocked unconscious by the impact of the large SUV against her smaller car.

Sirius watched in horror as she hit her head on the steering wheel in front of her and as the glass of the front window shattered, hitting them both, cutting them, not deeply, but many times over. The front end of the Pacifica smashed itself into itself, pinning Sirius and Taryn into their seats. He reached over for her hand and felt it to be icy cold at his touch. Fearing the worst, but hoping for the best, Sirius passed out, wondering if she was still alive and if she was, would she and the second life she was carrying be okay after this…

And that's all I'm giving you! Hee, hee. I'm mean. But there you go. There's your preview. You can make your own assumptions about it, and you'll probably be wrong unless your QueenMaple or Elestren. But you can just wait until I finish The Beginning of the End before I'll post the beginnings of For the Want of the Moon, the Marauders are Lost. Hee, hee. I'm evil.

—amhalgaidh-wolfegurl