Disclaimer: I own nothing, make no money of this, etc.

AN: I was absolutely ecstatic with the number of reviews. Yes: I feed on them. I got my msn friends laughing their arses at my antics all evening, but I can't help it, I'm like a ten year old with new shoes!

So, of course, I feel the need to answer to each one of you:

Terri: Thanks to you, I'm happy to see you're still here, honest, it means a lot to me (though, honestly: I would love to see what you write next ;)

K: You'll have them. I love the Marauders, and I'm having lots of fun writing about them. They'll soon start getting themselves (and the unfortunate souls around them) in trouble – staff beware!

Gables: you succeeded both in motivating me and in getting me flushed all evening! And thanks for the originality comment, it really means a lot (though I'm not quite sure you're right about it, there're lots of fics about time-travel or the life debt… just mixed them). Again, thank you! whips out a little tear

S: First, I want to thank you for your honesty. I like to know what you all like or don't about what I write, and specially in this ff, as I don't have a preconceived plot and I can be very flexible about what I show of the characters. As for Snape, don't worry, I love the man, and I'll treat him well. Until now, we've just seen him thinking about the Marauders and through Harry's eyes (which, lets admit it, are not the most flattering POV), but, as you'll notice, he actually 'resurrected' the four Marauders, not only James. I see him as a caring man, bitter, but a piece of cake. (And damn sexy!). As for the humour… well, that's the glory of dialogues. I love them, and you'll inevitably see lots of it.

Moonwolf: I'm happy you liked the Marauders. I'm trying to make them appear as equals, even if Peter trails a little behind because of the cannon. Hope you like an over-blushing Remus, because I can't help falling on the stereotype and make him flustered on the most silly situations :P I also pride myself in having a quite peculiar vision of Sirius, as you'll find out in later chapters, and as for James… well, I was thinking on making Harry having inherited his 'things just happen to me' problem from his father… I hope you'll like it!

Original: I loved your reviews, I want to know what the people reading would like to see next, and you gave me just that. Answering your questions, there will be a huge part of the story based on the James/Harry relation, at least in the first chapters, but I need to prepare the terrain for this sub-plot (you'll soon see why). There will be a little bit of drama, of course, but due to my complete uselessness as an angst writer, it won't last long. I tend to see the Marauders more confused than sad. As for James… well I have ships planned for everyone (even Zabini). As for the lessons… I haven't introduced them for nothing. I think it's safe to ensure that Remus will end up flushing like mad and explaining his sexual life to James and a bunch of lost Hufflepuffs. All those subjects will appear in one way or another (I personally can't wait to write about Snape and manners…).

So, here goes chapter 4. Hope you'll enjoy it!

The Malfoy Brat

After dinner, Ron, Ginny and Hermione abandoned them to take care of the first years. Neville was supposed to stay with them and guide them to Gryffindor Tower (as if we didn't know the way perfectly mentally snorted James), but the guy went to talk a moment with some Luna girl and never came back.

So, our four heroes were standing at the doors of the Great Hall, causing a traffic jam, waiting for their guide to show himself and pondering their possibilities to go safely alone to their Common Room, when a drawling voice called behind them "Black".

The Marauders turned all as one to face a small boy (even smaller than James, and that's saying a lot) with platinum blonde long hair, pale skin and silver-grey eyes, sporting a conceited look. Behind him stood a fake blonde girl, a dark guy and an androgen creature.

"Please, Merlin" complained James "Tell me that Malfoy didn't procreate"

The boy arched an elegant brow.

"Seems like he did" answered Sirius, a disgusted expression firmly plastered on his face "Malfoy. What do you want?"

Malfoy turned towards his cronies with a mock smile and the androgen creature checked up Sirius. Seeing this, the animagus faced the blonde and, putting in his best smug face, asked "What's it, Malfoy? Can't you even check up someone on your own?"

"Not in this case" was the pleasant answer "But the pun was to succulent to let it pass"

"And, pray tell, what is it that makes my case so special?"

"Sirius" cut him off Remus, showing his own eyes with two fingers before pointing with them at Malfoy. The fake blonde girl blinked at the rude gesture, and realising this, Remus muttered a "sorry" and blushed. The Malfoy brat kept the tension in the air for a few moments before conceding "No harm taken".

Meanwhile, Sirius, oblivious to the rest of the world, had approached the blonde and was examining his eyes, frowning in concentration. He finally turned to his friends. "What's it with his eyes?"

Malfoy rolled his beautiful though glacial eyes to the heavens. "Let me introduce myself. I am Draco Malfoy." He said, stressing on his given name. Remus gasped. "And this are Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini"

"The jewels of the Slytherin crown…" muttered James, while Peter said, holding back a laugh "Draco? Like in dragon?"

James and Sirius burst of laughing at his name, to the aforementioned grand offence, until Remus cleared his throat an told them: "Actually, like in the Dragon Constellation, Peter".

That cut Sirius laugh immediately. Turning a dangerous glare to the blonde, he asked "And why would a Malfoy be sporting the name of a constellation?".

The other held his glare impassibly.

"Who are your parents?" asked kindly Remus.

This question won the Marauders the Malfoy Iron Mask™, which, as everybody knows, is the less expressive face someone can show you.

"My parents were Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black"

"Narcissa?" repeated Sirius, getting angry "Cissa has no right on the Star Names!"

The other just arched a brow.

"What about Reggie?"

"Regulus Black died during the first rise of Voldemort"

Sirius didn't even notice that Malfoy had said THE name, though Remus kept the information in mind for further use. His friend gulped, trying to forget about the weight that had fallen on his heart, and kept questioning.

"Okay. Bella?"

"The Lestranges spent most of their lives in Azkaban. They didn't have any child"

"Andy?" he insisted.

"She was disowned" he said, and as an afterthought, he added "She married a muggleborn"

"And…" started Sirius, an impending feeling of dread over his head "How is she?"

"Alive" smiled softly Malfoy.

Sirius smiled in return "'Voldemort'" he said "'muggleborn'… am I to understand that Draco Malfoy didn't follow the noble path traced by his father?"

The other opted for an ambiguous answer.

"I still am the Prince of Slytherin" he smiled devilishly.

Sirius frowned. "Okay…" he trailed "I suppose you didn't want to talk to me to re-establish family ties then."

"Obviously" he suddenly adopted the Malfoy Icy Business Neutral Voice™ "If you'd follow me…"

He made a gesture with his arm, indicating to walk by him, while all their friends/cronies were left to trail behind. They went silently to the dungeons and entered an empty classroom, where Malfoy promptly seated behind a huge black desk, leaving his uncle-cousin-whatever to sit on a small chair facing him.

Sirius didn't seem impressed at all. He noticed how his friends were standing close behind him: Remus in a reflexive stance, Peter moving uncomfortably and James in all his glorious defiance. Malfoys cronies, on the other hand, were quietly waiting in the shadows.

"Let's get straight to the point, shall we?" asked finally the blonde. When Sirius nodded, he added "Now that we have made clear the question of the Star Names, I suppose it won't be too difficult for you to guess where the Black Fortune went after your death." He sneered.

"My death?" repeated a very confused Sirius.

"I thought the Headmaster had already established this" was the cold answer.

"No, I mean…" sputtered the young man. His brows joining in a sudden frown, he pointed out "I'm disowned. Why should my death affect the Black Heritance?"

Malfoys mask stumbled for a second when he heard this, and Sirius could see just how nervous the question had made him, but the blonde recovered quickly, and after a short silence, he took a decision. Not looking at anybody in particular, he ordered "Leave us alone".

Parkinson, Zabini and Nott made it immediately to the door, and Peter and Remus were about to follow, but James held them in their places.

"I'd rather you left us alone" insisted Malfoy, purposely looking at the opposite wall.

"And I'd rather not leave Sirius alone with a Death Eater in training" bit back James.

Malfoy held on his impassive expression, and staring back at the raven haired wizard, made a show of taping the points of his fingers together, one time.

The other crossed his arms, facing him.

And then, sighing dramatically, Malfoy took out his wand and held it for Sirius to take, rolling his eyes on the process.

"Satisfied?" he sneered.

"Don't know…" said suddenly Remus, smiling slightly "He could do wandless magic, you know?"

Malfoy gave him an accomplice smile, and Remus chuckled lightly.

"Come on, James" he said, pushing his friend to the exit.

Once alone, a calculating silence fell on the room. They watched each other closely, and finally Sirius leaned on the chair and announced "I'm all ears".

He was purposely using a casual tone, but the Slytherin noticed how he was firmly clutching both wands under his sight. He nodded solemnly, indicating he was going to explain some important things, and told him "Your mother took you back in the family"

"Excuse me?" shouted Sirius in incredulity.

"There was an…"

"Whatever the end of this sentence will be" cut him the animagus "please, no not make it be 'incident'"

"I couldn't have said it better"

Another silence fell in the room, while the blond watched his relative with the Most Annoying Malfoy Smirk™.

"Well then" said a scowling Sirius "Are you going to tell me what kind of cataclysm happened to make Mother keen of me or are you gonna leave in 'incident'?"

"Manners Black" snapped Malfoy nonchalantly "With a temper like yours it would be alarmingly easy to convince people of… things"

"What king of things?" insisted Sirius.

"Why, mass murdering, of course!" said flatly the blond

"EXCUSE ME?"

"That's what happened"

Malfoy sat upright on his chair, looking death serious at the other youth.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" kept shouting Sirius

"On November the 3rd 1981 you were arrested, accused of mass murder and belonging to the Death Eaters…"

"WHAT?"

"and were send to Azkaban…"

"What did you say they accused me off?" asked Sirius in a low dangerous voice.

"without a trial…" tried to continue Malfoy, ignoring the question. Obviously, though, Sirius repeated, once again "Without a trial? What kind of…?"

"Without a trial" confirmed the other, scowling, and then he snapped "Are you going to let me talk?"

The Gryffindor finally shat up, pouting.

"Thank you." Said the most annoyed blond "As I was saying, you were accused of serving Voldemort"

"Which was a lie" affirmed categorically Sirius, stressing the last word with indignation.

"Yes. It was. But you were however accused and locked in Azkaban for twelve years"

"It took them twelve years to realise their wrong?"

"No"

"No?" frowned the not so devastatingly handsome when looking confused youth "Why did they kept me there if they knew I was innocent?"

"I never said they knew"

"Then?"

"Then, that is the reason you are famous"

"I don't get it"

"It doesn't surprise me. No pun intended. It's not easy to conceive the unconceivable. You, Sirius Black, are the first and only prisoner who managed to escape from Azkaban by his own means while the dementors guarded it"

Sirius' jaw fell to the floor, and Malfoy used his stunned silence to add "Of course, every son of a Death Eater knew of your innocence, and honestly, we had quite the laugh at seeing the Ministrys desperate attempts at recapture you…"

"Thanks" muttered Sirius bitterly "Your support warms my heart"

"…but," ignored him the blond "obviously the Holly Trinity ended up discovering our little secret, convinced Dumbledore of your innocence and you were re-established on the middle of the Order of the Phoenix"

"Merlin bless the Holly Trinity"

"I've noticed you're keen of them"

"It was ironic, darling, I don't know who your talking bout"

"And I was referring to the fact that I saw you jump on the table like a little butterfly on a world of lovely pink flowers and fluffy bunnies with them"

"Who?"

For all answer, Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

"The future guys?"

The blond looked revolted, but nodded anyway and specified "Weasley and Granger"

"Ron, Ginny and Hermione?"

"Not the Weaslette"

"Don't call her that. Who's the third, then?"

Another elegant arching of eyebrow, stating the obvious.

"Oh. Yeah. Bloody Harry"

"My, Black" smirked Malfoy "Don't say those things, I could end up finding myself fond of you!"

"So…" ignored him the Gryffindor "They proved my innocence?"

"To the Order, yes. The Ministry didn't believe them until you died on act of service for the Light side"

Another silence: Sirius thinking, Malfoy examining his fingernails.

"So: Mother took me back in the family because she believed I was a servant of Voldemort?"

"Yes"

"Oh"

"And, as criminals on the run are not allowed to make a testament" he said, returning the conversation where he wanted it to be "the Black Fortune ended up in my mothers Gringotts vault"

"And from there to yours" sighed uninterestedly Sirius.

"No, but that's not the matter at hand"

"She didn't leave you the money?"

"She is not dead"

"But you said…"

"They gave her the Kiss"

"Oh. Sorry. I liked Cissa" and he meant it.

"Then you didn't know her" said calmly the blond. And he meant it too.

They fell on silence again.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because you have nothing"

"Uncle Alphard…"

"Left you a god amount, I know"

"Oh. You have it too, don't you?"

Instead of answering, Malfoy stood up and, elegantly extracting a little chain from his neck, he gave the little key that was on it to Sirius, saying "Lupin and Pettigrew have nothing, too"

When he was about to leave, Sirius called back from his little chair.

"Why are you doing this?"

The blond stopped his graceful demarche and turned to look at the Gryffindor with his best Malfoy Sneer™ "My godfather suggested it"

"Ah. You'll thank him for me. Who is it?"

Malfoy opened the door without a word, but before leaving, he multiplied tenfold the malignity of his smile and answered:

"Severus Snape"

AN: About the Head Boy badge and why Malfoy is not wearing it: obviously, as one of the greatest War Heroes at Hogwarts, Draco should have been the new Head Boy, so, why did Ron get the post? Easy: after the Inquisitorial Squad debacle, all it's members were retrieved from any post of responsibility. Nott is now the boy prefect, while for the girls, not being sure of Zabinis sexuality, Dumbledore allowed Pansy to keep her badge. Thought you'd like to know it ;)

Next week, chapter 5: Midnight Angsty Chat

I'd like to now what you liked and what you didn't, so I can keep building the ff from your opinions, so, REVIEW please!