It occurs to me now that I haven't properly disclaimed yet, so here it is. I own nothing. Sorry to disappoint you.

Chapter 5: Prophecy Unearthed

James woke up too early and found that he couldn't go back to sleep. With a resigned sigh he got up and left his bedroom, leaving behind a gently sleeping Lily who pulled the covers tighter around herself.

James paused at Sirius's door and pushed it open. Sirius was the heaviest sleeper James knew and would not have woken up save if a Filibuster's Firework had gone off above his head.

His best friend was currently sleeping with his head where his feet should be and his feet propped up on the pillows. James smothered his laugh with his hand. Sirius was spread out across the bed with his limbs entangled in the sheets and the cover abandoned on the floor. His friend's mouth was slightly open and snores resounded around the room.

Closing the door behind him James continued on to Harry's room. His son was sleeping on his stomach in his red and gold footsie pajamas with his face turned toward the door.

James' heart melted every time he saw the little boy. He had the trademark black Potter hair that would not lay flat, and his bright green eyes still startled James.

Sirius had taken an immediate liking to the little boy too.

The first time Lily had let Sirius hold Harry, he had handled the baby like he was holding the crown jewels. Sirius was warming up to Harry now, he could even feed Harry his bottle properly when Lily was sleeping or James wasn't around.

Peter came by constantly to play with Harry although he was twitching more than ever for some reason. Harry seemed to find it funny. Maybe Peter was so nervous because the matter of the spy in the Order hadn't been resolved as of yet.

As James walked down the stairs he thought about the last month in his life.

The Order had celebrated Percy Weasley's 4th birthday about a week ago. The middle child had broken out crying when Arthur lighted the candles and he had snatched a cup off the table and actually threw punch on the cake to put the flames out.

Frank Longbottom happily sang Happy Birthday to the newly turned "big boy" (as Molly called him) on his guitar.

James walked into the kitchen in the hopes of getting some butterbeer, only to find Remus sitting at the kitchen table pouring over several stacks of paper.

"Moony, what the bloody hell are you doing!" James exclaimed with shock and amusement.

Remus looked up at James with blood shot eyes and sighed. Running a hand through his sleep-mussed hair he turned back to the papers. "I didn't want you to know I was worried about this. I was going over the Werewolf-Child Interaction and Involvement laws to make sure I could actually be around Harry legally."

James frowned and all amusement left his face. Sitting down next to his friend at the long table he cleared the table of papers with one sweep of his arm.

Remus looked up at James questioningly. "What was that fo…"

"Remus, do you think I care about the damn laws? It's not like this is the first time we've broken the laws and it probably won't be the last. I'm a bloody illegal animagus! And even if there was some stupid little rule about you not being able to see Harry don't you think I would smuggle Harry to see you anyways?"

James' voice was harsh but he felt it was needed to get his point across. 'I really don't care about any bloody laws or prejudices against Remus, he's going to be a part of Harry's life.

"Like it or not Remus, you're going to be Uncle Moony. So get used to life with a baby because you're not going anywhere." James stared at Remus, who averted his gaze to the table and fiddled with the corner of the page in his hand. With a small grin he crumpled the paper and threw it into the sink.

Remus turned back to the table and laughed. "Thanks Prongs. I do have to leave a couple of days before the full moon every month and then come back a few days later, but the time in between I would love to be Uncle Moony."

James patted the werewolf on the back and grinned, all feeling of Moony being a spy vanishing. "Yeah well Moony, honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Do you remember the day the three of us found out you were a werewolf?"

"How could I forget?" Remus said, leaning over to pick up the scattered legal documents.

Hogwarts: 3rd Year, 1974

Remus was lying on his four-poster bed in complete misery. The full moon had just passed and he was in no mood for any sudden activity. He didn't even feel like moving, if he could manage that feat.

His fever was spiking but he knew it would subside within the next two days along with the new scars running down his chest and back. Those would only leave faint white streaks that he could add to the ones already accumulated all over his body.

Remus lifted his head when he heard laughter outside the dorm room. James, Peter, and Sirius came running into the room only to stop short at the sight of Remus.

"Bloody hell! Worse than the last month then, huh Moony?" James asked, tossing a quaffle onto his bunk.

Remus sat up with a start at James' accusation and winced as a jolt of pain shot up his spine. "I take it you know then." The werewolf's eyes were wide and alert, ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

"Yeah we know, this is what, our third year together? Of course we're going to notice one of our best friends leaving every full moon and coming back looking like he'd been to hell and fallen into the devil's pitchfork and then thrown into a river filled with lava." Sirius flopped onto the ground at Remus' feet, smiling widely.

"Wow, what a graphic metaphor that was Padfoot." Peter said, rolling his eyes. The pudgy blonde boy took a seat on Remus' trunk. Sirius rearranged himself with his back against Remus' bed frame and stuck his tongue out at Peter. "You're just jealous of my creativity."

James clapped his hands together several times to gather attention back to himself. "Yes, we know Moony, and we're going to do something about it too."

Remus cut him off. "What's with these nicknames all of the sudden. Padfoot? Moony? What's going on?"

James and Sirius exchanged mischievous looks and Peter snickered into his hand like he had a secret.

"Well, we've decided to become illegal animagi to ease your full moon experience." James explained as he collapsed onto the werewolf's bed and caught Remus in a stranglehold, mussing Remus' hair with his fist.

This new information caught Remus by surprise and he pushed James off of him. "You're joking."

"Nope." Sirius said with a grin and flung an arm around the werewolf's legs, pulling him to the floor. Remus winced but grinned when Sirius flung an arm around Remus and gestured to each marauder in turn.

"My animagus form is going to be a big black dog so my new nickname is Padfoot. Yours is Moony, for obvious reasons. James is going to be a stag so he is henceforth known as Prongs and Peter is going to be a…"

"Rat." Peter finished for Sirius sullenly. "You all get to be something cool and I'm stuck being a little rat."

"Rats are useful to have in a tight spot. They can get to places where no one else can." James said reassuringly.

"And as I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted…" James plucked the pillow from Remus' bed and swung it at Sirius' head.

"…his name is going to be Wormtail. Merlin, no need to get violent." Sirius complained.

This of course encouraged James to thrown another pillow and before you knew it feathers were flying everywhere and Remus was even able to pick himself up to whack Sirius across the head a couple times. It was good to have friends.

James and Remus walked upstairs together laughing, James' drink and Remus' anxieties forgotten.

There was another Order meeting the last week in September. Everything went smoothly even if the news was somewhat disheartening.

Two more wizards had been killed in a Diagon Alley struggle with the ever-growing Death Eater population the week before and the talk was mainly about upping protection at the strictly magical locations such as the ministry, St. Mungo's, Diagon Alley, and Quidditch pitches around England.

Despite the death tolls rising, people refused to let that stop them from enjoying sporting events and so now aurors had to worry about Quidditch too.

After the meeting Albus pulled aside James and Lily, his normally calm face wearing an expression of worry and urgency.

"What' s the matter Albus? Someone die?" It sounded like a joke but Lily was serious.

"No Lily. I'm afraid it's much worse." Albus was wringing his hands together. Seeing Albus nervous made the matter seem all that more important in the eyes of the couple.

"Is it about the spy?" James asked narrowing his eyes, prepared for the worst.

"No, no. I'm afraid that a prophecy has been made." Albus said. James raised an eyebrow. "How does that concern us?"

Albus sighed. "Well the prophecy was concerning Voldemort and the person who would, in fact, defeat him."

The couple gasped. "You're kidding! That's great!"

"Who is it?" Lily asked, leaning forward in her excitement.

Albus raised a hand for silence. "The prophecy mentioned a child born at the end of July with parents who have evaded Tom three times before. This of course narrows down the choices quite a bit."

Lily suppressed a cry of surprise. "Harry, is…no, he can't be. He's not even a year old yet!" Albus shook his head. "The prophecy never mentioned a time for the battle to take place. It could be years from now, and I don't believe I said that it had to Harry. There is one other."

"Neville Longbottom." James finished for his old teacher.

Albus nodded. "Yes. The problem that now needs to be resolved is that, it would seem that the Seer and I were overheard while the prophecy was being made."

James groaned. "A Death Eater."

Albus nodded again, his face grim. "Yes. You and the Longbottoms are now in severe danger. I suggest you find a safe home and perform the Fedelis charm immediately, with my supervision of course."

Lily looked at James with fear in her eyes and James looked just as uncertain. Finally Lily spoke for both of them. "Frank and Alice are taken care of then?"

"Yes, they are quite safe and have already chosen a Secret Keeper. I need your decision by the next meeting." Seeing the distressed looks on the couple's faces, Albus put a comforting hand on each of their shoulders. "I'm so sorry." The old headmaster left the room.

There was silence for several long moments before Lily's heart-shuddering sob tore through the room. James held his wife close to him, his mind racing at a blurring speed.

'What the hell are we going to do?' Was his last coherent thought before he let himself become consumed by worry, panic, and grief.

"We are in so much trouble." Peter squirmed and looked at the broken vase with guilty eyes. Sirius was frantically trying to scoop the broken shards of glass into his robe pocket.

"Not if you don't say anything we won't be." Sirius said sharply and reached for another piece. Because he was looking at Peter, Sirius picked the shard up wrong and yelped in surprise as blood blossomed on his palm.

"Damn. Wormy pick up the rest of the pieces for me, will you?"

"What pieces?" Remus asked stumbling into the room still groggy from sleep. The reserved young man got one good look at the room and sighed loudly.

Peter was holding two pieces of a vase Lily had gotten as a wedding present from Emmeline Vance, while Sirius was holding a bleeding hand and looking at the werewolf with wide eyes, trying to look innocent.

"Oh… H-hey Moony." Sirius forced a smile and Peter waved.

Remus sighed and turned around. "I'm going back to bed."

As Remus collapsed onto his bed he smiled and curled up under the covers. 'Now to wait for the screaming.' He thought with a mischievous glint in his eye.

As if on cue there was a tumbling and another crash and loud screaming. "Sirius Valentine Black and Peter Thereon Pettigrew! How dare you!"

"Lily wait! Let's not be too rash." Sirius yelled in a panic.

Remus grinned.

There was a yelp and some screaming from Peter, then there was running in the corridor off of Remus' bedroom. Sirius' door closed with a loud bang which woke Harry up, who burst into loud cries. It would appear that James was also awake now, and trying to calm Harry down.

Ignoring the wails of her son, Remus could hear Lily try to hex Sirius' door open. Suddenly there was a loud shattering sound which stunned Harry into silence.

Remus' door was flung open and an enraged Lily stood there, holding onto Sirius by the ear, who was looking pitifully at the werewolf for help. It would seem Lily had managed to open Sirius' door.

"Did you have something to do with this Remus John?" Lily asked, he eyes vivid.

Remus shook his head, trying to appear sleepy. "No, I'm just waking up now. What'd he do," the werewolf fibbed. Sirius gaped at Remus with his mouth open. Moony never lied.

Lily turned away from Remus, so she missed his triumphant grin at Sirius, to shake the animagus in her grasp.

"This imbecile,' Lily began, Sirius winced as his head was wrenched back and forth by his ear, "Broke my vase and he dripped blood all over the new carpet."

James joined his wife at the door, looking groggy and holding onto Harry, whose face was tear streaked. The little boy was also pulling on James' hair and James appeared too tired to care.

"Plus he woke Harry." James added with a yawn.

Sirius looked at James. "Thank pointing that out Prongs."

James smiled. "Don't mention it."

"Enough talk, more punishment!" Remus demanded sitting up in bed and pounding the covers impatiently in a childish way. Harry joined in and started pounding on his father's chest, laughing madly.

"Fine, Sirius come with me. You're going to have a fun day." Sirius rubbed his ear as Lily released him.

He looked suspiciously at the redhead, who had already turned from the room. "What are you going to do?" Sirius asked.

Lily smiled and exchanged looks with James who caught on immediately. "Oh, it's not going to be me who is doing anything. You're going to spend the entire day doing chores for Molly."

"NO!!"

Sirius ran from the room and Lily followed. "Come back here Sirius!"

"NO!"

James thrust Harry at Moony and left the room, drawing his wand as he did so. "Come here Padfoot, I've got a surprise for you!"

"NO!"

Remus started laughing. Every couple of minutes Sirius would come running past his open door yelling "NO!" with James and Lily chasing him and shooting spells at the idiot.

As he and Harry sat there watching the spectacle, Remus wondered aloud. "How on earth does that woman know all of our middle names? I didn't even know Peter's middle name. It's awful by the way."

Remus leaned over and tickled Harry's stomach, much to the little boy's delight. Over the little boy's shrieks and giggles Remus continued. "Be lucky you got saddled with your git of a father's name for a middle name. No pureblood nonsense with this baby! No sir!"

He heard a thud from the stairs and then several more thuds as someone fell down the stairs.

"Ooops, sorry Padfoot. My spell wasn't supposed to hit you like that." James called out, apparently to Sirius, who had fallen down the stairs.

"Mine was!" Lily shouted gleefully. "C'mon, to the Burrow!"

"NO!" Sirius cried forlornly, but of course he had been hit by a body-binding spell so it's not like he had any say in where he was going.

James and Lily sat at the table staring at photos. Harry squirmed in his sleep and readjusted himself in his mother's arms.

Lily sighed and picked up a Christmas card from Molly and Arthur Weasley, whom both started waving and smiling at the couple. A two-year old Bill tugged on his father's pant leg and looked nervously up at his mother who was holding onto a new born Charlie. It wasn't the most recent picture, but the Potter's liked it.

"No way, out of the question." James said with finality, taking the picture from his wife and setting it back down on the table.

"Why not?" Lily asked puzzeled. "Molly and Arthur can keep a secret and are both very capable wizards."

James sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. "Because Lily, they have a family. Six little boys they have to look after. Do you really want to put them and their kids in risk for us? Let's pick someone as unattached as possible."

Lily nodded. "That's a good idea. Bill starts Hogwarts soon anyway. I'd hate to ruin that for him." James flicked a couple of pictures off the table, which unearthed a photo that was from the Marauder's sixth year at Hogwarts.

James, Sirius and Remus were holding their brooms and were in their quidditch robes. Peter was kneeling on the ground in front of them holding up an enormous banner that had a lion stretched across it. All of them were smiling broadly at the camera.

Sirius, who had played Beater because of his strong arm and good aim, was still sporting bruises from his escape from his parent's house a couple of weeks and had refused to let James' parents heal. He was laughing at something in the picture and had an arm around both Remus and James as he was in the middle of the three.

Remus was holding up the snitch for the camera to see and he was grinning broadly. His thin frame and quick reflexes made him a shoo-in for the Seeker position. He was holding his Meteor broom in his other hand.

James himself had the quaffle tucked under one arm and the other thrown around Sirius' shoulders. His hair was rumpled from the wind and the adrenaline from the game hadn't quite gone from his face.

Peter was grinning madly as he pointed at the lion proudly. Peter had never been very good at Quidditch, but he was a brilliant spectator.

"If only we could go back in time to those days. Everything seemed less complicated." Lily said softly and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, giving him a hug.

Harry lay on the chair curled up into a little ball, still fast asleep.

James put the picture down and turned into his wife's hug. "But we can't, so we must prepare for the future. I nominate Sirius as our secret keeper."

Lily pulled back and raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why?"

"Why? Because the man is my best friend and would die before he let anything hurt me, you, or especially Harry."

Lily smiled and pulled the 3-month year old into her arms, gazing fondly down at the little face. "Yes, he does seem quite taken with Harry doesn't he."

James laughed and slung an arm around his wife. "Yeah, if we don't spoil the kid then Sirius will do it for us. Did you know when he took Harry to Diagon Alley the other day he bought him two ice creams and a toy broom. All in one afternoon. Despite the fact that Harry can hardly sit up on his own yet and would be unable to ride a broom anyway."

Lily handed Harry to James and pulled her coat off the back of her chair. She started walking towards the door. "I have a couple of errands to run, but it's decided. Sirius will be our Secret Keeper."

Lily left and James tickled Harry's chin. "Boy. If we die you are going to have one hell of an interesting life. Especially with that mutt in charge of you."

Author's Note:

Two reviews and you get the next chapter. Let me know what you think, especially of the werewolf flashback, Lily and James choosing a Secret Keeper, and the Potter's finding out about the prophecy as those seem to be the most highlighted group of events in the actual series.

Next Chapter: a Death Eater attack leads to guilt and hospitalizations

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