Disclaimer: see prologue.
AN: Before I start replying and thanking profusely to my reviewers, there's one thing that's been bothering me for a while now, so, I have to ask it: what exactly does mean 'sheepishly'? I think I haven't read a fic that doesn't use this word, and I can't find it on a dictionary! Please! Extend my vocabulary!
Okay, that done, here we go!
Original: Yes. It was Sirius who said Bloody Harry, and he won't be the last one (sorry for that. I hate myself. And you'll soon hate me to :P). Yes, Sirius finding out will be fun, but I'll make you wait a couple of chapters more… And YES! Draco is a good person in this fic. At least as good as Snape… jijiji!
Evil-pillow: Thank you! I hope you'll like this chapter! (next update on Sunday)
Fifespice: James and Sirius were the Princes of Hogwarts, the Kings of Mischief, on their times, so yes, they ARE rather arrogant. That doesn't mean they'll keep acting that way. Their reactions to Harry will be… spectacular. As for Snape, I'm afraid he's not playing. He does what he thinks he has to do, even if he doesn't like it. Anyway… you'll get some answers in this chapter evil laugh Enjoy!
K: Yes, it'll come up soon, but not for everyone! I'll keep the tension father-son for a while… Sorry! Gracias por tu review! ;)
Dark lil Draco: blushing profusely Thank you! First heart-attack on this chapter! ;) I really hope you'll like this chapter (that's some pressure you put me under!), and don't give up on fanfiction, there's always something worth to read! (I had the same problem, I mended it by being open-minded with the ships… That's how I ended up writing H/D ¬¬). Thank you again!
Moonwolf: It will be H/D, but Harry's not in the mood for romance right now. I don't know yet at which point of the story they'll get together, but Draco will keep appearing on the story anyway (I don't intend to use the character only for romance). As for the 'Harry meets the Marauders' problem… well, I'll just have to keep writing ;) Thank you!
Blue Werewolf Boy: Thanks for your review! I'm trying to be more descriptive, though I don't know to which point I'm succeeding… Anyway, I took your advice seriously, and I'm working on a 'corporal expression vocabulary' to make them more real when they talk. About the plot, I do have some vague ideas about what will happen, but nothing clear. Still, I'm trying to be coherent and plausible, so yes, I have a few things planned on the father-son relationship, and I even have a whole wizarding 70's culture to make it collide with the world they're in now. Thanks again!
IceBlueRose: Thank you! Can't wait to be at the other end of your 'usual long reviews'! ;) As I've said before, I'm using the reviews to know what works and what doesn't, and what to do with the story next, so it would be most appreciated. I'm glad you liked the story so far, and I hope you'll like this chapter! Thank you!
MyOriginalIntent: Thank you, specially for the plausibility comment! Though, I'm afraid, this is exactly what will make the H/D romance wait until later chapters… I have a few surprises on store for Draco… hope you'll still loving him after:S Thanks again!
Mimis: Podria ser malvada (como mi naturaleza exige) y contestarte en ingles, pero tu review me ha llegado al alma. ¿Como no, cuando una de mis anti-slashers de nietas hace el esfuerzo de leerme? Aunque no me hago muchas ilusiones ¬¬ no creo que vuelva a verte por aqui… (El Hada dice: suelta a Latino!) Silla tonight! (y gracias)
Terri: your reviews are like the waves of the sea: constant, hypnotic. They give that peaceful feeling, and at the same time held that mysterious aura that awakes the curiosity. The rational mind keeps telling you that there's only tuna or cod on it, but either way you can't help dreaming of mermaids and pirate treasures… Hope you'll like this chapter, and I can't wait to see what you write next! ;)
Sorry it's so short, if it comforts you, next one will be very long...
On with it!
Harry?
Sirius remained silent all the way back to Gryffindor Tower. He was starting to understand what Dumbledore meant about second chances… Accused of Death Eater! Him! Sirius Black!... No, wait, the surname did not help: Him! Sirius! Better.
And Reggie was dead. Right, he was a slimy bastard, but still, he was his brother. Someone had killed his brother… I wonder from which side…
And Cissa. They had given Cissa the Kiss. Though, she should have done something big to have her own son talking about her that way. But he couldn't picture her as a Death Eater. For Merlins sake, he couldn't even picture her casting the Stupefy, how was he supposed to accept she might have deserved the Kiss?
She was not even a Slytherin. 'Lacks the proper character', the Sorting Hat had said. It had put her in Ravenclaw, much to her dismay, and, truth be told, she was the perfect stereotype of what a Ravenclaw should be. Intelligence (from Andy) said she had spent the last summer gloating about her twelve Outstanding OWLs.
He had seen them at lunch that day. Reggie-Pooh had tried to hex him and earned a detention from Spora. Cissa had kept her cold attitude towards him. And now he was twenty years in the future and they were dead. It was a bit too much.
Mother was dead too, and Bella, judging by the past tense Malfoy had used while talking about the Lestranges was also six feet under.
But, actually, he was dead too. Maybe he had had an heroic death… He imagined himself in the middle of a battle, rescuing the innocents caught in there while casting curses at the Death Eaters. They had the faces of people he knew. Malfoy, Lestrange, Avery, Mulciber, Snape…
Strange. He would have sworn that the slimy git would become a Death Eater. Apparently, he was wrong. Though, he was still a slimy git. Time did not change him.
Or maybe it had. The man had obviously gone nutters. And he would be following soon. He had nothing against being alive, but, honest, owing everything he had to Snivellus was getting on his nerves.
The man was right. They owned him a Life Debt now. More, if Malfoy had really handed him the key to the Black Fortune. He owned Snivellus! Snivellus of all people!
A shiver went down his spine. Then it went up again, for good measure.
He became aware of his surroundings as they turned a corner and reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Peter said the password and they came, late, into the Common Room, where a scowling Hermione was waiting for them. She opened her mouth ready to tick them off, but Sirius stopped her.
"Do you have a moment?" he pleaded. "there's something I'd like to talk with you about"
Hermione shut her mouth and nodded at the lost young man.
"Someone awake?" whispered James.
Someone shifted in his bed.
"Ron?" he whispered tentatively "Neville?"
No answer.
"Harry?" he added, chuckling. Peter and Remus sniggered.
"Haaaaaaarryyyyy…." He called again, this time in a mocking tone "You can start packing your things, Captain! The Legend is here!"
Peter laughed again, but Remus said in a warning tone "Don't provoke them, Prongs"
"Oh, Come on now, Moony!" said the other, annoyed "Super-Harry can't take my post!"
"Actually, you're the one trying to take it from him" pointed out the werewolf, trying to keep firm. When he had forgiven his friends, he had also made the silent promise to tell them when something didn't seem right to him. And James attitude towards The Harry didn't seem right to him.
"True" James answered, throwing himself on a bed and not showing the slightest hint of guilt. "And I will succeed. And Super-Harry won't know what hit him!"
Merlin. James was so self-confident.
"Mmm…" he said, leaning on the post of a bed and feigning to think "I wouldn't be so sure. The guy did do in Voldemort"
"You're kidding!" shouted his friend in disbelief.
"That's some competition you have, Prongsie!" chuckled lightly Remus.
"I don't know…" frowned James stubbornly "The guy is good with his wand… lil' wanker!" he added maliciously.
Peter burst out laughing, and Remus couldn't help a smile. None of them heard the muffled sound coming from one of the beds.
"Honest" continued James "He shouldn't be made Captain just because he's a hero"
"Maybe it's not like that" pointed Remus, choosing for himself one of the two free beds that remained side by side and shooting a dirty look at Peter to ensure that the other one would be for Sirius "The guy was the youngest Seeker of the century."
Peter chose the bed of the corner (good lad!) and replied: "Well, yeah, but if we have to believe what Ron said, then the guy was already famous when he first came to Hogwarts…"
"Yes!" agreed James with enthusiasm "They took him on the team because he was famous!"
"Like a mascot!" added Peter.
The two of them started laughing again, and Remus half-smiled awkwardly, disapproving, but at the same time not able to summon the courage to stop his friends.
Someone shifted in his bed.
"Oops!" said James, still sniggering "I hope that wasn't… roll of drums The Famous Super Harry!"
"You mean Bloody Ha…!" started Peter, but before he could end his sentence he found himself gagged by Remus hand. The werewolf was tense, listening in what his fellow Marauders knew as "The Filch Mode".
"What's it, Moony?" whispered James, sobering immediately.
And then they heard it. A sound impossible to mistake after six years sharing a dorm with Sirius: the sound of a sob muffled by a pillow. Remus was at the other end of the room in two strides, and he opened the curtains of one of the beds. James and Peter followed.
A boy was curled on the bed, hiding his face with the sheets. The only thing visible of him was the top of his head, covered by messy black hair. Thinking back at all the haircuts of the 'future guys', Remus came to the only possible conclusion:
"Harry?"
James winced at the name, and Peter squeaked in the most undignified way, but there came no answer. The boy lay very still on his bed, seemly ready to strike.
"Mmm…" tried James apologetically "Super-Harry?"
The boy sobbed again, making the other three really nervous.
"What's up?" asked suddenly someone "Harry?"
Harry did a pretty good job at muffling another sob, but the other boy heard it anyway. Ron appeared behind the curtains of his bed, looking scared.
"What have you done?" he shrieked
"Your friend was crying" answered Remus warily "And we came to see what was wrong."
"Harry never cries" frowned the other, waving a hand dismissively, and as an afterthought he repeated, a clear menace in his voice "What have you done?".
Peter shot a nervous look at James.
"James?" insisted Ron.
"Well… I may have mocked him a little bit…"
"WHAT?" shouted Ron angrily.
"Mrmph…" grumbled someone "What's up?"
"Nothing Seamus, go back to sleep" growled Ron in return, glaring daggers at James.
"Hey!" protested James, starting to become defensive "It's not my fault! If your bloody Harry… What's wrong with him now?"
On the bed, Harry had started sobbing uncontrollably. Peter sat by his side and started to pat the boy's shoulder, in an attempt to comfort him.
Ron was as pale as he could get.
"James" he said under his breath "There's something you should know"
"NO!" yelled suddenly Harry, coming from under the covers.
A dark shadow was visible for a few seconds before the boy went to hiding again, but it was enough for Remus' ultra-precise werewolfic nocturnal vision. That hair, that nose, those cheekbones, that chin, those ears…
"Sweet Merlin" he breathed.
"What is it, Moony?" asked immediately Peter, used to rely on Remus' senses.
Ron sighed bitterly and begged: "Harry… if you don't tell them now they'll know anyway in the morning."
"What is it, Moony?" repeated James.
Remus took a deep breath. "Go back to your beds"
Seeing that James was about to complain, he added "Now."
His friends froze for a second, not used to receive orders from Remus, but finally decided to do as he said.
Ron saw the werewolf sitting on Harrys bed and closing the curtains, and, not hearing anything, he supposed he had cast a privacy spell. Considering himself satisfied, he went back to sleep.
James lay awake for a long moment that night, pondering what kind of relationship had had the 'future guys' with Professor Lupin, to make the overprotective Ron Weasley trust him with his friend.
He wanted to talk with Sirius, but his friend was still backstairs with the girl, Hermione. He wondered what the Malfoy brat had told him. It must have been something big, he thought. Sirius had been particularly quiet all the way back. But, of course, the guy had told him that all his family was dead.
He wondered were Lily was, and what she had done with her life. Was she married? She was surely of age to be married now. Maybe she had children, too.
Twenty years of age difference. It was impossible now. He hoped she was married. He hoped she had children. He hoped she was happy.
I wish it had been me.
About this chapter: Okay, so I originally wrote one chapter, including this one and the next, but while translating, I ended up writing this little James moment, and I felt like closing the chapter there. So, next update will be on Sunday, and you'll get Remus and Harry's conversation (and if someone could explain me the "Harry's" or "Harrys" grammar rule it would be really helpful).
Anyway, I hope I'll redeem myself at your eyes with the next chapter. It will be about the Marauders, what they were and what they became, and I like it as much as I don't this one. How much that is, it's for you to wonder. :P
Two more things before I post this: first, let me remember you of my existential doubt: what does mean 'sheepishly'? And secondly, I'll leave you with a reflection of my sister that's been haunting me all week:
"Malfoys don't cultivate potatoes: they buy them"
Dunno why I'm so affected by this… Must be the knowing look she throws me when she says it.
Silla!