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Authors note: as always a tremendous amount of thanks goes out to the fabulous Taint of Taia

Chapter 4

Marauder Mix Up

Written by: Empathicallychosen

Betaed by: Taint of Taia

"Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace." --Albert Schweitzer

(o)(o)(o)

It was the last day befor the potion that the 1984 Azkaban inmates had taken allowing the four of them to be in both the past and present would wear off making this perhaps the most eventful day found at the Potter manor. This was because the younger versions of the marauders had returned home from a week long trip, where they had been out of the reach of Aidan and Accalia Potter. They had been in Majorca with Peter Pettigrew's and his mother. When all four boys walked through the door, the young thrill seekers had no idea of the adventure that awaited them on the other side.

-- -- -- -- --

Ron, Harry, and Hermione (Aidan and Accalia had decided it was best for everyone if the trio stayed in the same room) woke up that morning around 7:30 with a dilemma on their hands. Ron had accidentally wet his bed very badly while he slept. He had ruined the comfortable bed and the nice crisp sheets. This was a new experience for Ron. He had, of course, had a few accidents at Mrs. Figg's, but he had never actually soiled the bed. The reason for that was because Ron's bed, like with most everything else in that house, was preserved with a plastic cover.

Ron was hysterical. He knew from his experiences at the Dursleys, when they had been unable to keep him from Harry, that many people did not appreciate it when a "freak" ruined their nice things, even if it was just an accident. So far, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had not upset Accalia and Aidan. Yet they had seen Aidan mad at the bad men and it was very scary. Maybe it was even scarier than when Vernon got angry. Aidan had used his scary stick on the kidnappers, and Hermione, Ron, and Harry really didn't like those sort of sticks. On the other hand, the healers used them, but when they did it made Harry, Ron, and Hermione feel better. Besides, if Harry's parents said they were okay, then maybe the sticks weren't all bad.

Keen on avoiding trouble, Ron stuck his ear to the door. Maybe no one was awake yet. However, Ron was out of luck. There were voices and footsteps coming up the stairs.

"So what? The brats got here, didn't they? That means they can go back. I say we ship them off back to future-land and be done with it," said a squeaky voice.

"Thank you, Peter, but they are extremely powerful. Getting them back is going to be more difficult, especially considering we don't know much about the spell used. It could take months . . . " replied Aidan.

Ron hugged his kneesgetting more and more uncomfortable with each passing moment.

"I'm in jihnormous trouble," he told the others.

"Don' be 'frayed, Ronnie. We help yous hide," Harry assured him.

"We should hide you outside. They won't ever look for you out there," said Hermione confidently.

"... idiotic. We can't take them with us! It's not exactly child friendly where we're going."

"Well, you have to do something. We're only seventeen, for Merlin's sake. I don't care if he is going to be my son! Thanks for letting me know I'm going to marry Lily and all, but I CAN'T BE A PARENT!"

"S'a good thing we're getting out of here. This place is getting really scary," whispered Hermione. "What're we gonna do?"

"There's no d-down way down. We need ta go downstairs if we wanna get out of here," said Ron staring apprehensively at the door.

"That's it!" Hermione stomped her foot angrily. "You really are a boogey-head! How are we supposed to get downstairs with all those people down there," shrieked Hermione.

"Real cawefully. Shh," whispered Harry.

With a pale face and a deep breath, Harry reached up for the gleaming brass doorknob. The door creaked loudly and they hoped that no one had heard them. They tiptoed into the hall while listening to the voices drifting up to them. Harry was so distracted listening to the voices, his foot hit the floor harder than he would've liked it to. He was instantly grateful that the floor was carpeted rather than just wood like at the Dursleys, because it was a lot harder to make out the noises from his feet. He retreated a little, backing into Ron at the sound of his godfather's voice.

"LISTEN, YOU LITTLE WEASEL (Peter) . . . "

"Sirius, please control yourself! Need I remind you that there are injured children upstairs in desperate need of sleep," chided Accalia.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione crept down the zigzagging staircase as quietly as one of Mrs. Figg's cats.

"You go first, Ron. We's gonna be right there," Hermione muttered softly.

Ron didn't need telling twice as he bolted to the front door. When he opened the large oak door it creaked slightly. Luckily, no one heard it and he was able to sneak outside without making any discernible noise. Harry and Hermione had every intention of following, but, when Harry passed the room where everyone was discussing the current situation, he froze.

The reason Harry had stopped was that the boy who had spoken looked an awful lot like his father. He even had the same smell. Never before had Harry ever come across someone who smelled the same as another person. Unable to stop themselves, Harry and Hermione hidin the shadows.

"All right! I get that the little parasites didn't mean to come here. No offense meant, but your talking like a load of nutters here . . . this is our last year at Hogwarts! You don't seriously expect us to spend it playing house until you finally figure out how to get rid of the future life-suckers?"

When Harry's father heard what, the boy said, his face went very red and his hands were clenched. He looked a little bit like a lobster. It would have been funny if James hadn't been so very angry. Harry jumped.

"They are not future life-suckers," James hissed. "One of them is my son, which makes him your son! Which, in case you've forgotten, is exactly what you've always secretly wanted."

The younger James's eyes darted from his future self to the young Remus to young Sirius and then to Peter, all of whom were waiting for his reply.

"N-n-no I haven't," said Young James finally.

Harry's father seemed even more annoyed. "Why are you stuttering then? Merlin, I'm starting to wonder how we ever got away with anything! I mean, was I always this stupid, or is this a one-time thing?" Future James shouted in frustration.

"How many times do I have to warn you boys to keep your voices down, James," hissed Accalia.

"What did I do?" asked the younger James.

"Not you, James. The other . . . Arg., that's it! Young James, you're Jamie. Old James, you're still James."

"Come on, Mum! I hate it when you call me Jamie. Anyway, I have a better idea," said Young James blushing.

"I'll be Prongs, and you can still be James," he concluded.

"I get it! I am Padfoot, and he's Sirius," interjected young Sirius as he pointed to his older self. "So of course Moony can be Moony. Wait. Young Remus can be Moony."

"I don't get it," Hermione whispered a little too loudly.

Everyone jumped, realizing that they weren't the only ones in the room.

"Morning," said Lily warmly.

Harry squeaked in reply.

"Good one, James," muttered Remus. "You've gone and scared t --"

Sirius held up a hand to make the lycanthrope stop talking.

"Harry, where's Ron?" Sirius said anxiously.

Everyone, apart from the teenage marauders, instantly knew something was wrong.

Harry did not reply.

"This is not a game. We need to know where Ron is. Something could happen. The bad men are still trying to find you," said Remus sternly

Hermione pointed beyond the door, the idea of the bad men finding Ron scaring her. James, who was nearest, went to check where she pointed, looking first down the hallway that led to the stairs and then to the entryway.

"Oh no," he moaned. "The front door is wide open."

Without another word, James sprinted outside after Ron. Hermione and Harry stared at each other, petrified.

"Harry, this is very serious. I need for you to tell me what happened to Ron," said Remus gravely.

Silence.

"Harry James Potter! You answer your uncle at once, do you hear me," snapped Lily, fearing the worst.

Harry backed away from his mother, so far back that he knocked a book off the shelf. Lily was shocked and then came to the realization.

"Oh no, baby. I'm not mad at you. I could never be mad at you. I'm just afraid, because I don't want anything to happen to Ron."

"H- he 'scaped," Harry was so terrified for his friend that he was shaking.

He was also a little worried that his mother might not be telling the truth about not being angry with him.

"From us? Like hide and seek? Are we playing a game? Because you know you should play that inside, don't you?" questioned Sirius.

"Not a game. Ron had to-to go hide, or you would be mad," Hermione sobbed.

Remus raised his eye burrows quizzically. Harry lowered his voice making it almost impossible to hear him.

"He had a axdent."

Peter scoffed, "So much for mysterious magical abilities. They can't even figure out bladder control."

"Will you shut your mouth, Peter?" James was back with Ron, and, from the tone of voice, it was clear he had lost all patience with his former friend. "You pay no mind to him, Ron. Peter was still having accidents when he was nine. I'm sure those bad dreams of yours will be gone by then."

Peter blushed scarlet. Lily, however, was more concerned with Ron at the moment. He had stained himself so thoroughly that even the socks he had worn to bed were yellow.

"Uh-oh. Come on, Sweetie. Let's get you cleaned up, shall we?" said Lily compassionately.

Ron nodded gratefully. Harry followed Ron and his mother up the stairs.

"That must have been some nightmare," Lily remarked.

Ron nodded again.

When he was halfway to the landing, he spun around and said, "Sorry I scared everybody."

"It's quite all right, dear," said Accalia, sympathetically.

Harry stared at her.

"Dis 'ouse is not'ing like my Auntie and Uncca's," he said in astonishment.

"Thank you," Sirius called up to him playfully.

Aidan raised an eyebrow.

"Trust me, Dad," inserted Remus, "that was one of the greatest compliments you could ever hope to get."

-- -- -- -- --

Later that afternoon, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were coloring on the floor. Aidan told Lily some rather amusing stories about her husband, and Accalia tried to stuff fifth helpings of lunch into her emaciated sons of the future. All the while, Moony, Prongs, and Padfoot were staring at the toddlers as though they were a pack of rabid rodents who could, at any moment, scurry over and bite them on the foot. Peter, fortunately, had gone home.

"I think I get it now," Ron told his friends looking up from his drawing. "I think the people who brung us here was freaks. Ya know, like us. It's like how t-the b-bad mens thinked we could do stuff. We don' know how, but we can." Ron shivered as he remembered the happenings of a little over a week ago.

"So then everybody in here is freaks too?" asked Hermione innocently gesturing around the room.

Harry shook his head in fright at the idea.

"I beg your pardon!" exclaimed Padfoot, indignantly.

"Sorry. They don't understand. I have to kill my sister for this," stated Lily.

Taking in a big sigh, she slid down next to the threesome. "Okay, Harry, Mummy needs to say something. Hermione, Ron, you ought to hear this as well. I know Petunia's always saying that you're weird but it's not true. "

"It's not?" chimed Ron and Hermione at the same time.

Harry looked doubtful and weary, but didn't say anything. He had, after all, been taught to believe everything the Dursleys ever said, and to go against it would mean that he would get hit.

"That was quite weird if you ask me," muttered Prongs.

"No," said Lily ignoring her future husband except to give him a disgusted glare. "You're not weird, just special. Okay?"

"'Kay Mummy," said Harry turning back to his picture.

"That was too easy," whispered Remus.

By this time, Lily had returned to her place on the sofa and Harry was pulling on his father's pant leg.

"Look Daddy. It's us. See?"

It seemed that for now at least the news that he was not a freak was giving Harry some newfound confidence. Boldly, Harry pointed out his mother, father, Sirius Remus, and both of his friends on the picture.

"Excellent work, Bright Eyes. That is by far the best family portrait I have ever seen," said James, more proud that his son had spoken up than of the picture.

"S'for you." Harry watched as James folded it up and put it in a pocket before he picked up another piece of paper to draw presents for Lily, Remus, James and Sirius.

After several minutes of silent artwork, Hermione looked up.

"So . . . So you're you, but they're you too," asked Hermione apprehensively, gesturing at Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs. "I don't get it."

"Well, you see, Sweetheart, it is a little confusing. What happened was . . . " started Lily.

"You see, Ladybug, the bad men broke time," interrupted Sirius rapidly.

"Oh," she mouthed, apparently, still confused.

"How'd you know we were missing?" asked Ron.

Sirius simply pulled out of his robe's pocket, the three dearly beloved stuffed toys they had dubbed Croockshanks, Pig, and Hedwig so long ago. Harry, Ron, and Hermione eagerly received the long lost toys, again. This time, it was James who remarked that they had been too fortunate, for escaping the situation without a death in question. This time, however, their charmed life only lasted as long as it took to teach the animals to move on their own. Sirius had secretly cast a spell on the creatures after fifteen minutes. He had done so when the trio were getting very disappointed because they had failed to teach the animals to walk.

The celebration of their success didn't last long for Harry. He picked up the fluttering owl and squeezed it tightly. Harry was very confused. He was debating whether or not to ask for some clarification. Everyone seemed open enough that Harry was troubled. It was because they could be trying to trick him and his friends. What if it was all a joke, like the ones Dudley and his friends like to play on him? Or even worse, what if he'd already asked too many questions and they got mad if he asked another one? He'd already disobeyed that rule far too many times in the past three days alone. Sirius was very strong. If he decided to hit Harry, then it would probably hurt a great deal.

Harry whispered, "Uh, Siri, I has a q'eschun."

He decided to ask anyway. Maybe if he said he had a question, and waited for Sirius to give him permission, he wouldn't get hit.

"Hm?"

"How does you break time? "

"Is it how Vermin always thinks Harry breaks stuff but he never touches it?" asked Hermione innocently.

"It's far more likely that Vernon has a drinking problem than anything Harry does," muttered Sirius

"SIRIUS!"

James sighed again.

"Hey little ones, we need to have a talk."

"Oh, that's okay Daddy. We already know 'at babies come from a stork an' da cabbage patch."

"Oh really?" exclaimed Prongs, practically beside himself with laughter.

"Yeah," said Ron very seriously, "My Daddy told us when he came to tell me about my baby sister last year."

"Oh, so you have a sister now," said Remus, sharing a dark look with Sirius.

The two adults could not help but remember how disappointed Molly Weasley had been when she had given birth to Ron, instead of a baby girl. They knew this was only one of the many reasons why the woman had so easily cast Ron aside for another to raise.

"Yup, now she's two," said Ron happily, then frowned a little. "They don't visit me lots."

"Well, that's . . . " James fished around for a child-appropriate word without much success. "... I'm sorry to hear that. But actually, I was thinking we would talk about something else. I want to talk to you about magic."

Hermione gasped. Harry shoved his hands over his ears and backed away from James as though at any moment lightning was going to come down and strike him dead.

"No such fing as m-magic, Daddy!"

"Who told you that?" asked Moony looking puzzled. The teenager was obviously completely unaware of the difficult life the three children had been thrust into as babies.

"Uncca-," began Harry warily.

"Of course. Your uncle is a" but Sirius stopped at the warning look Lily was giving him. "Well, he's not very nice...but magic is real. It's all around us."

"Really?" Ron piped up.

"Like what?" Hermione immediately wanted to know and learn more.

"Well, like you."

"Us?"

Trying to explain to Harry, Ron and Hermione that they were wizards was very difficult and took nearly two hours. When James had finally finished not one of the toddlers could keep their eyes open very easily. Harry was very unwilling to accept that magic wasn't going to get him into trouble. He was very worried that his aunt and uncle would burst through the door at any minute and beat the tar out of him. But no matter what they said or did, Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus understood it would just take Harry a little bit of getting used to before he could trust magic again. Although Harry seemed willing enough to try, it was almost as though he was afraid that if he didn't they wouldn't love him anymore. Lily looked over at the sterling silver clock.

"It's bedtime," she said, kneeling in front of Harry.

The little boy was huddled in his seat, barely keeping his eyes open.

"Bedtime. Do we have to? We're not sleepy," exclaimed a horror-stricken Hermione as they were led up the stairs to the nursery.

Remus smiled, his eyes alight. James chuckled to himself as he expanded his old bed to be large enough for all three of the children. Sirius, displaying his muscular abilities, picked up all three children at once and tucked them snugly into bed. With the promise of great adventures from James, a bedtime story from Remus, and a beautiful lullaby from Sirius, Ron and Hermione drifted off to peaceful dreams. Harry, however, stayed awake despite his tiredness, for a last word with the family that had been cruelly taken from him.

"Do you really hafa go?"

Remus nodded.

"I'm afraid so."

Harry unexpectedly burst into tears.

"Hey now, don't cry. Don't you know you're not allowed to cry when your birthday is eight days away?" said Sirius tearing up as well.

"Yeah. And besides, we'll see you soon. I promise," said James knowing that his father in 1984 was feverishly at work trying to clear their names.

He rubbed his son's tummy until the boy's eyes shut closed and he finally fell asleep. Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus's last glimpse of a happier life was of Ron and Hermione cuddling one another in their sleep, and of Harry holding his precious stuffed owl while sucking his thumb, tears still in his eyes. Then, in a blur of color like finger paints being washed out in the rain, they were gone.

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Authors note: this chapter may look familiar to some of you but not exactly the same. Those of you who think that this is going to become some kind of trend I assure you that your wrong. Bonds of fate was an eight chapter story awakening solace has 17 chapters. one more thing Harry's inability to speak properly is only temporary.

Now then please read and review I really really want to hear from you