Chapter Summary: Remus and Sirius finally see an opportunity to fulfill their mission.

Both men woke up before dawn the next morning, because they wanted to get out from under the staircase before anyone caught them. They knew that everyone slept in the day after the Yule Ball, so they decided to take a trip up to the prefect's bathroom to wash off, a feat they hadn't done in days.

Once inside, Sirius began filling the pool and sighed as the bubbles began filling up the room. Remus looked around nervously.

"You really don't think anyone will come up here?" Remus asked.

"Relax, Remus. It's six in the morning. No one will be up before noon, let alone any prefects," Sirius assured. "Damn, I've never been in here before. Why didn't you tell me it was so nice up here? We could have had a damn pool party!"

"Against the rules," was Remus' reply.

"Meanwhile, I had to see Wormtail naked in the showers in the regular bathroom because it was always so cramped," Sirius shuddered. "That was what I saw when I saw a boggart for six years!"

"What about Moaning Myrtle?"

"Who cares? She's seen every man in this school naked at one point or another, the perverted young ghost…"

Remus sighed. He looked at Sirius and was puzzled. Why did he seem so cheerful this morning? It was almost like nothing had happened, and Sirius wasn't about to sacrifice his friends' and families' lives so that life was overall better for everyone.

Sirius began taking his clothes off right in front of Remus. He shut his eyes.

"Oh, come on, Remus! We've both seen each other!" Sirius sighed.

"I've never seen you…and when did you see me?" Remus thought a moment, almost horrified.

"Only every month when you transformed," replied Sirius. Remus hadn't thought of that, and he blushed. "We're both men, we both have the same parts. And so what if yours is half the size of mine? I won't tease you about it, promise," Sirius said, laughing.

Remus shrugged and stripped. He laid his clothes in a heap behind one of the stalls and looked quickly at himself in the mirror…God, he looked even older than ever. Both men got into the bathing pool and sighed as the warm water hit their bodies.

"Sirius? Why are you so…happy?" asked Remus. Sirius dunked his head underwater and re-emerged with his hair covered in suds.

"I had a dream last night," said Sirius.

"Oh?" asked Remus, scooping up a handful of water and splashing his face.

"Vivienne was there, and James was beside her. I don't know why it was just them, and no one else, but they were in Godric's Hollow, outside in the sun, playing with a big black dog…me. They were so happy and healthy, their smiles were huge. And then I realized, that they weren't in Godric's Hollow, they were in paradise. In Heaven. They were dead. Then, the dog ran off, and Vivienne waved it goodbye and said that even though she was never really there, she was still going to be waiting until the dog came back, and that Bastet and Morgause would be waiting too with plenty of dog biscuits. Then James said that the dog would be back 'this time next year.'"

Sirius looked at peace with his thoughts. Remus looked a little more concerned.

"Does that mean you'll be dead within a year?" he asked.

"I don't know. But Vivienne said that even though she never was there, she'd be waiting for me. She's going to be there when I die," Sirius said.

"Sirius, are you mad?" asked Remus. "You sound almost suicidal…"

"Not at all," said Sirius, blowing a small cluster of suds off his nose. "I'm just saying I find it so…comforting knowing that when I do die, and everyone dies Remus, that my family will be there waiting for. It will be just like how things were when we changed time for the first time, but without the sadness and Death Eaters. Be it tomorrow, next year, or in fifty years, I know that I never really lost Vivienne, Bastet, and Morgause. They'll be there waiting for me. Until then, they're in my heart."

"That's deep," said Remus. "Its too early in the morning for deep thoughts."

Sirius nodded. "I guess you're right."

Suddenly, from somewhere behind them, a door opened. Remus and Sirius dunked below the surface of the water. After a second, they re-emerged and stood absolutely still.

"Damn, it's Wormtail!" Remus whispered. Indeed, Peter was in the prefect bathroom, apparently wanting to take an early bath before he got caught.

"Should we?" asked Sirius. Remus nodded. Peter turned around and screamed at the sight of two unfamiliar older men. Sirius threw up his hands.

"Who the bloody hell are you?!" Peter screamed.

"We're ghosts!" Sirius immediately said.

"How come I've never seen YOU around here before?" asked Peter.

"We died last night in the forest," lied Sirius. Remus was impressed at how good at lying Sirius was. "But…we saw what happened with you last night at the Ball!"

Not only was he a good liar, but he certainly knew how to cut to the chase and fast.

Peter shrugged. "Ugh, my friends betrayed me is all."

Remus almost laughed at the irony of what Peter had just said. "We saw," was what he did say.

"Did you make up with them?" asked Sirius.

"Nope," said Peter blankly, taking off his pajamas shamelessly and crawling into the pool beside Sirius on the other side. He had to cringe, as if he had just had a bad flashback.

"Why not?" asked Remus.

"Because they don't give a damn about me anyways, so why should I play Mr. Sycophant anymore?" asked Peter. "I'm going to make some new friends."

"Don't," said Sirius. Peter's eyes widened.

"Why not?"

"Because James, Sirius, Remus, Bastet, and Lily are very trustworthy people. The Slytherins are NOT. They want a servant. James likes you and appreciates you, Peter," said Remus. "They were just having fun."

"Wasn't fun for me."

"Play all the tricks on him you want to get back at him," said Sirius. "But with him, every prank is harmless. The Slytherins are cold-hearted losers."

"Um…"

"Listen, Peter. Things aren't always as bad as they seem. They can always be a lot worse than they already are," Sirius assured. It hit him that he was spouting off his own Lesson for the Day.

"You think James'll take me back?" asked Peter. Remus perked up. Peter was seriously being moved by this.

"I have no doubt," said Sirius. Peter seemed lost in thought a moment. He popped out of the pool and ran for his clothes excitedly. Sirius cringed again.

"Thanks, you guys!" said Peter. "I'll go forgive him right now!" he ran out of the bathroom buck naked.

Remus looked at Sirius in silence. After a solid 10 seconds, they burst out in laughter and high-fived.

"We did it!" Remus said happily. Sirius sighed and climbed out of the pool to get dressed. Remus followed close behind. As soon as they were dressed, they dug out the Time-Turner. Remus looped it around his neck, then Sirius' neck. They stared at the hourglass a few moments.

"Well, here we go…" said Remus. Sirius nodded and patted his pocket where the picture of his family-that-didn't-exist lied.

"I'm ready now," Sirius said with a smile. Remus nodded, flipped the hourglass and counted as he did so.

And for what he was confident was the last time, Sirius watched as the world around him blurred away.