A/N: I'm sorry it's so short and that it has been so long. I've been working full time on non-fic stuff, trying to save money for a) Roflcoptour, b) to get a camcorder, and c) so my bf and I can go to the Wizarding World.

I also had the joy of going through a bunch of drama on a site I belong to (not because I instigated anything but because it was an extremely small group and so what happened affected every one).

Excuses aside, I am going to try to start updating regularly again. Wish me luck! And feel free to poke me if I'm going to slow. xD

Cause we see you for what you really are

A stupid little dork

With a stupid dorky scar

But it's okay

It's really great...

Draco and the Malfoys

Chapter 14

Swooping down the corridors late at night on patrol, a pale and dark haired man could be seen snarling to himself. The man was not pleasant on his better days, but today he seemed to be in a particularly foul mood. It was perhaps because of this that there were fewer students out after hours than normal. No one wanted to be caught by Snape tonight.

Snape could care less. Insolent little brats thought they could get away with anything they wanted. He had a soft spot for his snakes, naturally, but even they should know better than to get caught. Letting them get away with things all the time only encouraged complacency, even if he did generally keep his punishments within the knowledge of only himself, Slytherin house, and the Headmaster.

He had been plagued by the thought of that wretched letter for the past few days. Snape had not responded yet, torn as he was between spewing his typical vitriol and his curiousity. For one thing, he and Petunia had never gotten along. He had no use for the plain, muggle girl, especially when she had begun to ostracize his Lily. And the horse faced girl had only ever spared a word for him if it was demoralizing.

Then again, the last time he had given in to his curiousity where Petunia Evans/Dursley was concerned was to accept the invitation to her wedding. He had known it was probably meant vengefully, seeing as it was a perfect opportunity to rub James and Lily's marriage in his face… yet he had gone anyway. Perhaps because seeing Lily at all, even if it was happily on that pillock's arm, was more than he could manage for himself these days.

He couldn't imagine what Petunia stood to gain from crawling to him for help though. The 'Tuny' he knew wanted nothing to do with magic, and had repeatedly spurned her sister's offers of succor and protection. The only thing that Snape and the Dursley couple had ever seen eye to eye on was a mutual dislike for Black and Potter. They could stand Pettigrew and Lupin, which amounted to them not yelling and sniping the moment those two walked in and instead having the decency to wait until after they had finished the perfunctory greetings.

Scowling to himself, he was pleased to find a couple foolish enough to use the Astronomy Tower – as if they thought the one of the more renowned places to rendezvous would not be checked – and lit into them, letting the letter slide to the back of his mind.

While Snape kept himself preoccupied, I certain gang of four minus tag along was busy causing havoc on Magnolia Crescent. Very well contained havoc for the moment, but left unchecked it would in time grow to be quite a nuisance for some. They had been focused on putting the finishing touches to their project a matter of hours ago. But then, for some reason they could not fathom, one of the newer students from a different class group had insulted Harry. Picked on him really, poking him in the chest and sneering about his 'stupid, dorky scar', ending with a spiel on how it was a wonder a skinny brainiac like him had any friends except for girls unless he was doing their work for them.

Naturally Harry and Dudley were both a bit titchy after this. If it had not been for Linda holding them back and Piers sneering and making some pointed comment back to the prick, the two cousins would have probably decked the other boy's lights out.

As it was, they were still high on energy and rather tense. Or rather, Dudley was. Harry was feeling a bit dejected at this point, most likely from wondering if his magic would make him more of a freak or less in his friend's eyes. Dudley knew and thought it was cool, so at least he had his cousin on his side. It was just his other two friends that Harry was unsure of. Although perhaps he should not have been given even Piers had made a gesture of support, the boy had mock punched Harry on the arm and assured him that 'they' were a team. Linda would later chime in with 'fighting the forces of darkness and bigotry' with a slight laugh, that turned into giggles when no one else knew what bigotry meant.

Back at Number 4, Petunia Dursley kept stealing anxious glances out the window. She was not sure what she was hoping for. Did she want to see an owl winging its way towards her? Did she want to see Peter making his way letter in hand? Or did she really wish to see nothing more than the typical view outside their house? Petunia found normal comforting after all. Yet at the same time, knew that the time for comfort was drawing to a close. Perhaps she ought to just grow a spine and take care of things on her own.

Sighing to herself, she felt the muscles in her shoulders relax as she turned to her husband.

"Vernon?"

"What is it, Pet?"

Gently, Petunia folded her section of the paper closed and fixed her husband with a steady gaze.

"I think it's time."

Despite Severus' hope, he had received yet another message. This time she at least had the decency to apologize for popping out of nowhere and intruding into his life. She explained that she was not sure how to explain their world impartially and her first thought had been of him. Then, of all things, she apologized for the insults she had thrown at both him and Lily in the past, stating that she might dislike magic but that didn't mean they themselves were somehow evil.

But that had not been what threw the greasy, seemingly coldhearted Potions Master. It had been what was enclosed with the letter that did. She had enclosed several pictures, one with Lily holding a baby Harry and waving to him. Another was a Muggle photograph of Harry studying his abacus, working on one of his first division problems with it. His green eyes shown brightly in the dark room as there had been little light, the flash only just capturing the abacus itself and a slight smile on the boys face. And last, was a picture of a seventeen year old Lily and a letter that had been all but forgotten inside the vault at Godric's Hollow. A letter written on parchment that was addressed to Severus and had never been opened.

With shaking hands, and ignoring the odd looks he was getting from the staff, Severus gathered up his mail and strode out of the Great Hall.

"Uncle Remus?"

Surprised to hear this address at work, Lupin looked towards the voice. Standing a few metres to the left was a very familiar duo. Light and dark, the blonde tanned and the raven haired boy pale, they somehow managed to appear mischievous and innocent at the same time with their current expression.

Looking to them cautiously as he put aside a binder, Lupin replied.

"What is it?"

The two young boys exchanged glances, then looked to him again.

"Uncle Peter told us to come see you." Dudley offered, "Well, after Harry left him speechless anyway."

This was met with a quizzical look. Trying to be helpful, if a little sheepish, Harry supplied the answer to the unasked question. "I asked him how to deal with bullies, and how you know whether or not you can trust someone to be loyal to you. Revenge pranking can't be the only answer."

Their chosen uncle's face grew drawn at this; much like Uncle Peter's had. Although Remus looked less frantic and more tired, he was still absorbed in some past memory as well.

"I don't know if I am the best person to tell you that, Harry. I can understand why Peter sent you two to me."

A quick glance around the room verified there were no hangers on listening in. Remus' confidence in this was helped by the subtle check her performed for listening charms and animagii. While performing magic around muggles was not encouraged, and the revealing of magic was forbidden, it was not as if the Ministry monitored every single spell adult wizards cast. Of course, it helped that Remus led the two boys into his office before casting said spell. The only muggle in view was Dudley and he would find out soon enough anyway.

Once Remus had sent another employee to watch the store while he was occupied and shut the door, Dudley broke the silence.

"And why exactly is that?"

Remus sighed, aging in moments.

"Because neither Peter nor I seem to have been particularly good at it. Harry… I told you once that the man who murdered your parents was after you. What I did not tell you was that by rights, he should never have found you."

Silence played for a moment as Remus gathered himself.

"You know of magic, this you have proved to me already. I assume you do as well, Dudley?"

When the blonde nodded, Remus continued. "There is a spell, a charm really, known as the Fidelius. It encases a secret inside a living soul. This person becomes the 'Secret Keeper'. What this means is that only those the Secret Keeper tells can know the secret. For everyone else, it is simply blank, as if they never knew."

The two boys frowned slightly in unison, which would have been entertaining if it were not for the seriousness of the moment.

"What… what does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything, Harry. You see, your parents used the Fidelius Charm. The man chosen to be their Secret Keeper was your father's best friend, and a great friend to Peter and myself as well. He was also appointed your godfather."

Remus growled slightly, spitting out the next sentence. "He was a traitor. He sold your parents both to You-Know-Who."

"You know who?"

"The man who killed my parents, Dud'."

Tears were evident in both Harry's and Lupin's eyes and confusion in Dudley's.

"So… what does this mean?" The blonde asked quietly after a few moments.

Harry answered before Remus could.

"It means, Dud', that you and I are going to have to be very careful. We can't make the same mistakes."

Harry turned back to his uncle.

"You said once that the man who killed them was still around. That he'd come back."

Remus nodded slowly, a broken look in his eyes.

"I'm afraid so, Prongslet."

"Then I'll have to be ready."

Remus frowned, his brows knitting. "You're too young, Harry. You don't need to run pell mell into the fray."

Harry smiled brightly, reassuringly even.

"No, I don't, Uncle Remus. But I do need to know whom I can trust. He wanted to kill me when I was a baby. I'm sure having to wait is not going to make him want me dead any less. I need to find people I can trust. Will you help me?"