A/N: Hey all! It's Ari, finally here with a new update! College this semester wound up being busier than I thought, but now that I'm on break, I hope to post at least another couple of updates. This chapter is the last of what I'm going to consider the "world-building" chapters. Starting with the next chapter I'm planning more action, not just discussion of what to do. Time for the new Marauders to get a move on!

So...I've been turning this over in my head for a while. I like drawing, it was the other thing I would do in high school when I was bored. Would anyone be interested in a Tumblr blog (is that what it's called?!) where I post about updates for the stories, maybe short drabbles, and some art? I've noticed that a number of the stories I enjoy do that, and if people would be interested, I would be happy to do it, what with all my current free time. Drop me a line if you're interested!

I want to take this opportunity, as I always do, to extend my thanks to everyone who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed the story! It's an incredible feeling to see so many people enjoying this story and wanting to be a part of it. So again, THANK YOU!

Enough of my rambling! Enjoy the chapter!


Remus raised his gaze from the parchment Sirius had handed him upon exiting the Floo. "This looks good," he said slowly. "The ideas are solid. But we're going to make sure there are Muggle subjects as well, right?"

"I figured Severus would be the best person to talk to about that. He should know what subjects we'd need." Sirius folded himself onto the couch and looked around the room. "Where'd Harry go? Is he already asleep?"

"Yes. I want to try to keep him on a schedule, if possible." Remus lay the parchment on his knees and smoothed it out. "But back to this. I believe we're going to need to teach the children at least basic mathematics and science. Even potions use some form of chemistry, and it's definitely important for children to know about biology. Not everything is able to be healed by magic."

Nodding, Sirius leaned forward to pour himself a glass of the light wine on the low table. "We discussed it. We also discussed the Muggleborn children."

"Oh?"

"We needed to have some way to keep track of them and bring them into the school." He shook his head. "I just don't know…there's so much to think about, between the school and Dumbledore. What we didn't talk about is the safety of the students. If we open the school soon, he may find out about what's going on, that we know his plan."

Remus nodded, taking a sip of his own wine. "You won't start the school at least until September, and I doubt you'll have everything available to open then. Start with how the school will be run and how it will be structured, then worry about the extras, alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Moony."

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPPHPHPHP

Severus gracefully exited the Floo into the flat and promptly tripped over a toy car lying in front of the fireplace. Holding back a curse, he swiftly regained his balance and spelled the soot from his cloak. Perhaps he no longer hated the mutt and werewolf, but that did not mean he should look sloppy. He still had a reputation to uphold, after all.

He strode through the flat, his steps unhesitant and purposeful. It seemed that no one was awake, giving the normally warm house a creepy aura to it. A soft footstep behind him made him whirl around, pulling his wand from his sleeve.

"It's just me," Sirius whispered quickly, conjuring a ball of light and holding it up to his face. "Remus went to bed already. It's getting close to the full moon, he's starting to feel the effects of the moon."

"Of course." Severus lowered his wand slowly, giving the other man a distrustful look. Despite their making up, the two of them had never been alone together.

"Er…tea!" Seeing Severus's raised eyebrow, Sirius turned red. "Ah…shall I make up a pot of tea? Remus bought some chamomile tea, I can brew a pot."

Severus inclined his head. "Thank you."

"Not a problem." The two men walked to the kitchen and Sirius pulled out a kettle. "So…how were your classes?"

"As well as can be hoped. Albus insists that I favor my Slytherins and take points unnecessarily from the Gryffindors." Shaking his head, Severus sat down at the table. "I do wish he would realize that it is because the Gryffindors genuinely do not know what they're doing."

Sirius turned to look over his shoulder. "Oi! Don't say Gryffindors are stupid. Moony's pretty smart."

"It's not that they are dumb; it's that they were never taught." He rested his hands on the table, gazing at the burn marks and scars across their backs. "Horace Slughorn only taught the students he liked. He did a decent job teaching, but once he put the directions for the potion on the board, he paid no attention to any students who couldn't help him in the future."

"Everyone says that he has a knack for favoring students who go on to become masters in their field," Sirius commented, sitting down at the table and pouring them each a mug of tea.

The other man snorted. "Have you ever thought that the reason they continue on to do great things is because he singled them out? He gives his favored students extra attention, helping them out with connections and jobs. Of course they're going to go on to do great things, they've been given the tools to do so."

"Huh. That makes sense."

"I do try to only say things that make sense," Severus drawled.

"See, that's why we used to tease you! At the beginning, at least." At Severus's raised eyebrow, the dog Animagus continued, "You showed up at Hogwarts, eleven years old, all sarcastic and cynical. When James and I started off making fun of you, it was because you intimidated us."

The Potions master tilted his head. "I…never thought of it that way. I grew up with sarcasm, I did not realize that other children didn't get it. Lily always did."

"Lily was always the smartest of us all. Smarter than Remus, even." Sirius propped his chin on his hands. "You were sweet on her, weren't you? We always knew that. It was part of why James was terrible to you. He always knew that it was you versus him for Lily's affection."

"You two knew?"

Sirius straightened up, spreading his hands. "Of course we knew! Anyone with eyes knew you liked her, and she liked you. Honestly, if you hadn't called her Mudblood and gotten so involved in the Dark Arts, I think she would have chosen you instead. Lily never seemed to be James's biggest fan."

"W-what?" Severus felt his mouth drop open as he stared at the other man. He'd never known that Lily had feelings for him just as he had feelings for her. Throughout their years at Hogwarts, he had always assumed his friend would go for a boy with the money and political power of James Potter. Even if Lily had never cared about such things before they began school, things could change, especially when everyone thought the Slytherins were evil. "You truly think so?"

"I do try to only say things that are true," Sirius quipped.

"I just…" He shook his head. "I cannot believe that Lily…"

Reaching over, Sirius rested a hand on the other man's arm, making him look up. "Yeah. I wish we could go back and change everything. Sure, that would probably mean my best mate wouldn't have married his wonderful wife – we all loved Lily, you know – but I wish what we did while we were in school had never happened."

"You regret it?" Severus asked quietly, not daring to believe his ears. "You regret what you and the other Marauders did to me?"

"Yeah. I mean, I know it was mostly orchestrated by Dumbledore, but it still had to feed on our own emotions. James and I were very much spoiled Pureblood brats, and Remus and Peter were too scared to fight us on it." The Animagus sighed and gazed off at a point over Severus's shoulder. "I wonder what our lives would have been like if not for Albus Dumbledore's meddling. He has a lot to answer for."

"He does. That brings us back to our main topic: Dumbledore." Severus paused to take a sip of the hot tea in front of him. "We must do something about him. I dislike having to bully three-quarters of my students, and I also dislike that he believes he has the right to stick his nose in everyone's business."

"I agree. I'm waiting for a response from Andromeda Tonks, my cousin, before we do more on that front. Like I told you after I met with her, she needs to talk to other people before giving us more information." Blowing on his own mug of tea, Sirius continued, "Remus, Narcissa, Lucius, and I also discussed different aspects of the school. I think that for now, we're stuck with the waiting game, as Lily used to say."

A grin pulled at the corner of Severus's lips. "I remember that she enjoyed that phrase. Lily always enjoyed her Muggle-isms, as the pair of us used to call it."

"We did too!" Sirius exclaimed. "Once she and Prongs got together – "

"Prongs?"

He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "We – that is, James, Peter, and I – were all Animagi. We figured it out in order to keep Remus company during the full moon. My nickname is Padfoot and I'm a dog Animagus, James was a stag and nicknamed Prongs, and Peter was a rat nicknamed Wormtail."

"I did wonder how James could save me in fifth year," Severus mused.

"I'm – sorry." Sirius hung his head, avoiding the other man's gaze. "I should never have done that. It endangered your life and Remus's, and I had no right. I don't know what I was thinking, I – "

"You were not thinking anything." Coming to the other side of the table, Severus sat down in a chair beside Sirius and took the man's hands in his own. "You were very much under the influence of the potions from Dumbledore, and I suspect you had numerous spells placed on you as well. The build-up of potions in your system was entirely too much for only an occasional dose over the course of your years at Hogwarts. Based on what I saw, you must have had a very, very heavy dose given to you as often as daily, or at the very least, every other day. You were not in control of your actions and I forgive you entirely."

Sirius raised his head. "Are you certain of that?"

"Of course. In order to get my Potions Mastery, I had to learn to determine when a potion was mixed with another substance. One such substance was blood." Severus reached over to his former seat and pulled his mug of tea towards him. "I found myself interested in medical potions and took the extra time to learn some Mediwizard skills. That is why I knew how to analyze your blood for the Potions Dumbledore used on you."

"I should have done something after Hogwarts rather than just work as an Auror." He shook his head. "Assuming I have enough time between overthrowing Dumbledore, creating our own school, and taking up my Black Lord responsibilities, I would like to train in using my family magic, battle magic."

"That is a smart idea." Covering his mouth, Severus attempted to stifle a yawn. "I believe it is time for me to retire."

"Remus always says that this tea makes him fall asleep quickly." Sirius hesitated before continuing, "You can stay, if you'd like. You can have my bed, I'll take the couch."

"I will take the couch. I do not trust myself to Apparate to my home when I am this exhausted." Severus followed Sirius to the next room and took out his wand to Transfigure Remus's throw cushions into a pillow and a blanket. "I will take care of myself. Good night."

"Yeah…good night."

"And Sirius?"

The man turned and looked over his shoulder. "Hm?"

"I do mean it. I do not blame any of you for what happened during Hogwarts. The only one I blame is Albus Dumbledore, and we are doing all we can to take care of that problem."

Sirius bared his teeth, showing a hint of his Animagus form. "Of course. He is not going to ruin our Harry's life. Not on my watch."

Severus gave him a matching evil smirk. "Nor mine."

"Then we're settled. Have a good night."

"Good night."