Wow! It has been three years since I edited this story! I have always told myself to return to this story and finish it up. I just couldn't bear to get rid of it. I began this when I was just beginning high school, and I'm proud to say that I graduated in May! I'll be starting college in just a few weeks, but I hope with my more flexible schedule, I will get to update more frequently. I wrote this in just a few hours, so please bear with me. Enjoy!
James and Sirius were dressed and lying in their beds when the door opened to reveal their friend. Remus ignored as they sat up with curious looks on their faces and went straight to the bed left for him, nearest to the window.
"How are you, mate?" James's voice held a hint of concern, much unlike his usual self. This was a side he saved only for those he held close to his heart-his parents, his three "brothers", Lily. He looked to Sirius who just shrugged and fell back into his pillows. "We're always here for you."
At this, Remus tensed. He turned to look at his friend. James realized his mistake, seeing the pain his eyes.
No, he will not always be there for Remus. It was a promise he wanted to make but could not.
"I'm sorry," whispered James, feeling sadness rush all over him.
A soft knock was heard at the door. From behind him, James heard Sirius give a quiet answer for whoever it was to enter.
Lily poked her head in, not expecting the solemn sight before her. She looked to Sirius first,but was met with uncharacteristic silence. He motioned for her to come in despite it obviously not being a good time.
"James?" She walked over to her boyfriend and held his face to look at her. Her heart ached. James, however, kept his eyes on the other boy.
Lily let go and turned to Remus, who held his head low. She took a seat beside him, silently urging him to speak. When he finally met her eyes, something inside her stirred.
"Lily."
And she knew.
Remus's eyes held te ars, but he willed himself not to cry. Lily looked at him, faint shock on her face.
"What are you talking about?" asked James. His shock was more apparent and was mixed with anger and sadness. "What aren't you telling us?"
Remus faced his friends, dreading what he was about to tell them. It was something he could not, did not want to say out loud. Not wanting to believe it was true. But he knew they deserved to know. They had to.
After taking one long look at each of them, he admitted, "Of the four people in this room, only one will be alive in the current present time."
Various emotions crossed all their faces. They all looked to one other, then all back to Remus.
He was aware of the questions running through their minds, hoping to make it all go away. "I was speaking to... Tonks. She didn't say when, or how, but..." He trailed off, not exactly knowing what else to say. What could he tell his best friends after revealing they'd be dead in the future?
"But Lily? And Sirius, too?" James's voice broke, threatening to spill everything he was feeling. He could accept that he may be gone in a few years, but the thought of his best friend and the girl he loved...
"We-we can't let this stop us," said Lily, "We can't let this stop us."
"Don't think we've got much choice, Lil," said Sirius, trying to lift the mood. Instead, the joke fell flat and earned Sirius a glare from Lily.
"We will live our lives as normally as possible," she said. "Nothing good will come from hiding from death. And I'm sure when anyone seems it the right time, they will tell us how we all died for good."
The boys look to one another, not daring to go against the red head. They all held their doubts, but they knew she was always right.
"Now, let's get to bed." Lily stood from Remus's bed, giving each boy a hug. "We may have a long day tomorrow," she smiled, watching as they settled into their beds and quietly returned to her own.
Sirius sat up quickly in head bed, eyes wide and alert. He looked around the room he was in, and in his current state, he struggled to remember the events of the day before.
"Prongs," he whispered. "Moony." When his roommates did not answer, he stepped out of his bed. Sirius opened the door of the room and into the hallway. Following the sweet smell of syrup, he headed downstairs.
Sirius was greeted by the sight of red.
Arthur Weasley sat at the head of the table reading what looked like The Daily Prophet, but by the expression on his face, Mr. Weasley did not seem to enjoy what he was seeing. Mrs. Weasley, on the other hand, pattered around the kitchen. Sirius was amazed by what seemed to be wandless magic done by Molly Weasley, as she juggled cooking and cleaning simultaneously.
Two boys also sat the table and deep in talk. Fred and George, Sirius thought. They were identical, though one twin had a bandage wrapped around his head.
Unlike the others in the room, the remaining redhead had auburn red hair. As if knowing someone had entered the room, Lily Evans turned her head and greeted Sirius Black with a grin. She pulled out the chair beside her and motioned for him to sit, bringing him to the Weasleys' attention. Molly quickly set a plate and bustled around the kitchen to make him breakfast.
"Sleep well?" ask Lily. Sirius nodded in reply. He looked away from her to find the twins smiling widely.
Lily was first to speak, "This is Fred and George," gesturing to each twin respectively. George with the bandages, Sirius told himself as a reminder. "Fred, George, this is Sirius Black."
"Oh we know-"
"-who you are."
"We met a few years back," they said in unison.
"Boys," warned Mrs. Weasley before they could reveal anything else.
Sirius sneaked a quick glance at Lily and knew she was thinking the same thing as him. While the twins did not know it, they hinted that Sirius death was a recent memory. Before Sirius could ask any questions, he saw the twins' eyes widen in surprise.
George, the twin with the bandaged head, spoke first. "Harry, what are you doing back?"
Sirius turned around to meet the new arrival, only to find James standing in the doorway and looking as confused as he felt.
"Harry?" Lily looked to the twins. "You must be mistaken. That's James."
"Yes, of course, James," Mrs. Weasley spoke. "Please excuse my boys. They have trouble with names."
"Hey!" yelled Fred and George in mock outrage.
"Says the woman-"
"-who mixes us up."
"It's fine," said James, accompanied by the last of the group.
"Professor Lupin!"
Remus stopped midstep, staring at the two boys. Sirius, James, and Lily all turned to their friend.
"Fred, George, I believe you're finished," said Mr. Weasley, lowering his paper. The twins attempted to speak back, but were met with finality. They got up from their seats at the table and headed upstairs.
James and Remus replaced them in their seats, finding themselves curious over all the twins had just shared. Their eyes trailed towards Mr. Weasley, who only assured them their questions would be answered. The four time travelers ate breakfast in silence. Soon enough, a knock sounded at the door.
Mr. Weasley stood from his place at the table and approached the door with his wand out. "Identify yourself," he said.
"Remus John Lupin, accompanied by my wife, Nymphadora Tonks Lupin," the familiar voice answered.
Before opening the door to the couple, Arthur questioned Remus then Tonks, eliciting confusion from the four teenagers. Molly saw their faces and assured, "Security questions, dears."
Remus and Tonks entered The Burrow, greeting the younger individuals. They took seats at the table and were immediately taken care of by Mrs. Weasley.
Mr. Weasley cleared his throat, grabbing the Lupins' attention. "I believe these young folks have some questions."
Older Remus took some time to chew and swallow his food before asking, "Is that so? And what may they be?"
The teenagers looked to one another, waiting for someone to speak. It was James who asked first.
"Who is Harry?"
Tonks, who had been reaching for her glass of water, had knocked it over instead. She apologized, though she was really paying attention to the conversation at hand. Her husband beat Mrs. Weasley to it, cleaning the mess up with a flick of his wand as if he'd done it hundreds of times before. He stared at James, hesitating with his answer. "How did you hear that name?"
"One of the twins called me that this morning," answered James.
"I don't think I should be the one to tell you," said Remus. James frowned, but he did not question any further.
"May I know why they called me 'Professor Lupin'?" younger Remus asked. Tonks laughed quietly, and his older counterpart smiled.
"Well, not too long ago, I was a Hogwarts professor myself."
James and Sirius erupted in laughter at their friend's admission.
"Professor Moony!"
Younger Remus turned red and rolled his eyes at his friends' behavior. It was an unbelievable thought. Him? A teacher at Hogwarts?
Lily smiled brightly at her friend, then turned to his older version. "What did you teach?"
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," answered older Remus, but his expression turned grim. "Unfortunately, I was.. forced to resign after one year." They sensed it was a topic he did not want to discuss and all chose not to probe any further.
Luckily, Tonks decided to chime in, "You were the best Defense professor Hogwarts has ever seen! Or at least that's what the kids say." She winked, making her husband laugh gently.
"I'm sure you were terrific, Remus," assured Lily. Older Remus thanked her, appreciating the presence of the old friends he missed so dearly.
