Disclaimer: I don't own this! -Gasp- Shocker.

Warnings: It's still SLASH!

A/N: Okay so, this one part in this seems a little raunchy, but I totally didn't mean for it to be. I'm just oblivious, as is James, about the conversation. Interpret it as you will.

Flashback – Italics

Chapter 3

Mr. Black Has a Thing For Squids...

-Flashback-

Sirius Black was lying by the edge of the lake with his legs dangling in the water in all his shirtless glory. His newly tan skin was glistening in the sunlight and his eyes were closed behind his sunglasses. He was humming some random punk-rock song and swishing his legs around in the water.

James's house was the only place that Sirius could ever truly relax. It just had that element of warmth and comfort that his family's house was severely lacking. Today wasn't the time to think about them though.

Because today, well last night to be exact, was the day that'd he'd finally done it. He'd finally left his family for good and run away straight to James's house. He was finally free from those retched people and their pureblood supremacy crap.

He was finally home, with James.

James, who was currently floating in the middle of the lake on some rubbery raft thing, was stretched out and snoring slightly. Not that Sirius was surprised. They'd stayed up all night talking about Sirius's family issues, which mostly centered around his brother.

Regulus had joined the Dark Lord recently. Very recently, as in yesterday recently.

Sirius was sure that no matter how much time passed he'd never be able to fully except that Regulus was lost to him. He'd never give up hope that Reg would see those monsters for what they really were. He'd never be able to except that his little brother was one of them. Never.

All of the sudden Sirius felt his leg get pulled harshly into the water as he got dragged under the lake. For a moment he panicked and rushed to the surface, spurting and sputtering he whipped around. His sunglasses were now swinging from one ear. Throwing them off to the side, he came face to face with a hysterically laughing James Potter. Who was currently rolling around on the ground clutching his sides. Sirius rolled his eyes and stared at James for a moment. Then a wicked grin came across his face.

He slowly slinked towards James as quietly as possible and as soon as he got close enough, he linked his arms around James's scrawny body and before James could protest he threw him back into the lake. A bark like laugh erupted from his mouth as James came out of the water cursing him and trying to dislodge his glasses from the tangled mess in his hair.

"Thanks a lot, Paddy!" James said sarcastically still pulling on his glasses, "this is never going to come out."

Sirius rolled his eyes and began walking over to where James sat pouting, "Oh, come on Jamie. It was funny besides you're the one that tried to drown me by pulling my legs into the abyss!"

"Merlin knows what foul beasties are hidden in it's depths," Sirius finished waving his hands dramatically.

"It's probably just a squid trying to ask you out on a date," James muttered rolling his eyes and smiling slightly. "Now help me get this out of my hair."

Sirius plopped down next to James and pretended to be thoughtful, "Really, a squid? Hmm…well, I was looking for a date for Saturday night. You think it's interested?" Sirius finished wiggling his eyebrows while he disentangled James's glasses from his mess of black hair.

"Everyone's interested in you, Siri." James muttered quietly as he felt Sirius's fingers working on his hair problem.

"Not everyone, Prongs, definitely not everyone." Sirius said under his breath trying his best to remain cool. He was never very good at lying to James, so sticking close to the truth was always best. James didn't need to know about his little crush. Well, maybe little wasn't the correct adjective.

You see, Sirius had known since their third year together that he'd fancied James. Well, not fancied more like desperately loved him beyond all things, including his flying Motorcycle.

Yeah, more like that.

Not that it mattered, James liked that Lily girl, but that dumb bird didn't even give him the time of day.

So, until he worked up the courage to tell James his feelings he'd just pretend that they didn't exist.

Said ingenious plan was not working out so well.

"Oh, please Sirius. Name one person that wouldn't be on their hands and knees for you if you asked." James said slightly irritated from all the pain his scalp was feeling.

"Well, I don't think that you would be too keen to get on your knees for me." Sirius laughed slightly trying to focus on anything but the conversation.

"You're right. I wouldn't get on my knees for you, but you know that if you ever needed anything I'd say yes." James said completely oblivious to what Sirius actually meant (ME: Which is not as sexual as I totally made it seem).

"Yeah, Prongs. I know," Sirius said as he finally managed to untangle James's glasses. He handed them back to the boy in front of him. As James reached for them their fingers brushed and Sirius felt like a little spark that ran from his fingers all the way to his heart and back again.

End Flashback!

Sirius jolted awake. Whipping around trying to see where James was. Eventually he calmed down enough to realize that, that particular incident had been years ago. Well, more like a lifetime ago. He was surprised that he could even remember that feeling after all this time. He didn't know if he was extremely happy or morbidly depressed by that.

Sirius only learned years later that he'd always feel that little spark anytime he got too close to James. It felt like static electricity anytime that he and James touched. It made him feel like he was floating, like he was suspended in mid air just floating there completely content and peaceful. It was that strange floating feeling that made him feel like he was drugged.

Yes, James Potter was Sirius Black's drug of choice. He just never could get enough.

Glancing around Sirius began to remember the events of the last few days since his escape. They had just involved running, mostly. That and the occasional rest, but that was only when Prongs disappeared. He never stayed for long. After he'd led Sirius to his desired location he'd vanish, leaving Sirius more broken hearted and more desperate for him each time.

Sirius decided that he'd better get going. Even in animagus form he shouldn't dawdle around any one place for too long. The Aurors weren't that incompetent and by now they'd have the Muggles looking for him as well. So, he had no choice, but to remain as Padfoot. Not that he minded. Padfoot's emotions were much less complex than his human ones. The gapping hole in his chest closed up somewhat when he wasn't human.

Sirius found it ironic the way that people said 'that time healed everything.' In Sirius's opinion time only made everything much worse. It only cemented the feelings of loss and gave the pain a chance to evolve and twist into something much more excruciating than simple grief.

It was that pain that was beginning to kill him.

Which wasn't really that much of a worry for Sirius, the only person that he'd ever loved was dead. If he were to die, at least the throbbing ache in his chest would finally close up. That's all he wanted.

After thirteen years of grieving pain, it would be nice to get a little relief. No matter how small and no matter the consequences.

All of the sudden something moved in front of the bushes.

It was a person rolling a cart.

A person with a scrawny build, a person with black messy hair, a person that looked exactly like James.

That was all it took for Sirius to get a closer look. He stalked out of the bushes staring at this boy who looked like a younger version of his James. He just stared and tried to breath, but that wasn't very easy at the moment. He'd found James! He barked at him so that he'd notice him. His legs got ready to make the pounce, but as the boy turned around he noticed something, something that stopped him just in time from jumping at "James."

He noticed those eyes. Those horrid emerald eyes. They were all wrong. That wasn't James. That was Lily's child. He stumbled back into the bushes just as the boy toppled over his trunk.

That wasn't James. Oh, no. That was Harry. That was James's child with Lily. All of the memories of their post graduation were making their way back to Sirius. He lay down in the middle of those bushes staring into space as all of the worst memories of his life came slamming back into his already too full brain.

It wasn't James. It couldn't have been James because James was dead. He'd been dead for a long time now.

Sirius had no idea how long he'd stayed in that position, but it was well after sunrise that he'd finally had the strength to move again. He slowly got back onto his legs and wobbly made his way back into the forest, his stiff joints protesting all the way.

He had to go to Hogwarts.

He had to save Harry.

It's what James would've wanted.

Remus J. Lupin was staring at the morning paper.

He was staring at the screaming face of escaped convict Sirius Black.

It had been a few weeks since Sirius had escaped and they still hadn't found him. Remus knew that if anyone should know where he was it was him, but he couldn't fathom where or what Sirius was doing. He wasn't the same man that he'd know in school. This mad man that was screaming his head off in the morning paper was You-Know-Who's right hand man. This was the man that had tricked them into believing that he was on their side. This was the man that had sold out his best friend and killed Peter. Why Sirius had left Remus alone, he hadn't the faintest clue. Maybe Sirius had known that that's what would hurt Remus the most, being left all alone again.

It wasn't like he enjoyed life without them anymore. He'd been a one of them for so long he didn't know how to do anything else. He played his part in life, but he was only going through the motions. After thirteen years, Remus had gotten very good at pretending to have a life. So, now he was going back to Hogwarts, this time as a teacher.

This time he was going to see Harry.

That was going to be a little tough. Remus knew that anytime that he looked at that boy all he'd see was James. It wasn't fair for Harry, but then again nothing was.

As he stepped onto Platform 9 ¾, Remus stared around. He remembered the last time he had been on this platform. It had been the last day of school. They'd all been so excited even with the war looming. They'd thought themselves to be invincible.

Remus slowly made his way to the empty train. He'd gotten here early so that he could get a compartment all to himself. As he sat down on the all too familiar seat cushions, he stared into his reflection in the window. He had too many gray hairs, even for an aging werewolf. He looked around the compartment and he began to imagine that he could see them again.

James was eating chocolate frogs with his Quidditch book opened in his lap and talking animatedly to Sirius. Sirius had his head thrown back laughing without a care and was occasionally bobbing his head to the enchanted music player that he'd rigged up himself. Peter was on the sidelines laughing along with them softly, as Remus just sat and watched them with his nose in a book. It seemed like so long ago.

Merlin, he missed them. All of them, even Sirius.

The wolf inside of him gave a howl as his heart clenched.

Moony yearned for his pack.

A/N: So, we've got a lot of puppy!angst in this chapter. Please review!

---Next time---

Sirius sneaks into Hogwarts, sees Harry again, and meets Crookshanks.

Wormtail is being the little fat rat and Moony starts school, again.