Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters, I only own what I make up
The rest of the summer past quickly with very few problems. By the time we got our Hogwarts letters Remus and I were very close, in fact, he was more of a brother to me than even Harry had been (No disgrace to the deceased…uh… unborn… uh… or whatever), I would die for Remus (not that I wouldn't die for Harry it's just… never mind).
In all honesty I thought I wouldn't get to go to Hogwarts, but then again, this is Dumbledore we're talking about.
Three days after the deliverance of our letters, we were in Diagon Alley buying supplies.
"Remus!" we heard just as we were heading out of Flourish & Blots.
We turned around to see a tall, muscular boy with shaggy, shoulder-length, jet-black hair and gorgeous silver eyes pushing through the mob of people in the crowded alley. I immediately knew him to be Sirius Black, and not the supposedly "notorious mass murderer" Sirius. I knew that this Sirius was different by the mirth filled eyes. The older Sirius, though he was fun, was never this happy; his eyes were usually filled with worry or sadness. It broke my heart knowing what would happen, I mean, what would have happened… had I not come to change it.
Remus grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards Sirius.
"Hey Moony," Sirius said when we finally reached him, then eyed me up and down, "Who's your girlfriend?"
Remus and I looked at each other in shock before glancing at our entwined fingers and bursting out laughing.
Sirius looked mildly confused.
"Me?" I gaffed, "Go out with him?"
"That has…got to… be," Remus said between gasps, "The… sickest thing… I've ever… heard!"
"Yeah… I'm not into incest."
"Huh?" Sirius asked now utterly confused.
"She's my sister, Emma, Padfoot," Remus said after composing himself.
Sirius lifted an eyebrow, "You never told me you had a sister."
"That's because he never did," I told him.
Sirius' eyebrows furrowed, "I'm not quite sure I follow you."
"Well, my parents died in a deatheater attack while I was off schooling in America. So after the term ended I had to live somewhere right?"
Sirius nodded his head.
"Well the Mrs. Lupin adopted me and I got the little brother I always wanted. Do you understand now?"
He nodded.
After a few seconds of silence a smirk graced Sirius' face, and he sidled up next to me and placed his arm around my shoulder.
"So," he began with a slightly raised eyebrow, "you're single then, right?"
"I am," I said and shrugged his arm off, "but I am not quite ready for any type of relationship, whether it be an infamous, Sirius Black, one night stand, or a long term commitment."
"Hey! They are not one night stands," Sirius shouted jokingly affronted, but than his face morphed into a look of sympathy, "Bad break up?"
I glanced at Remus for help before saying, "I only wish."
"You can tell him," Remus said, "He's trustworthy… enough."
"I already know that you idjit," I told him with a duh-I'm-from-the-future look.
"Tell me what?" Sirius asked.
I sighed and than answered, "My fiancé died six months ago tomorrow."
Sirius' lips formed a silent 'o'.
"Where's James?" Remus asked quickly changing the subject.
"Gringotts," he said, "I can go get him if you want?"
"No," I said, "That's quite alright we had better be heading back home any way."
"Okay then," Sirius said than gave me a kiss on my knuckles and Remus a manly hug, "See you soon, bye."
"Bye," we chorused as he started heading towards the magical bank.
"Well," I said to Remus, "Time to go." Then disapparated with a loud 'Crack!'
A/N I know this is a bad time but I seriously just realized that "Emma" is the name of the actress who plays Hermione in the movies. LOL ISAB
I quickly glanced around to make sure no muggles were watching, then ran at the divider of platforms nine and ten. Out of habit I closed my eyes until I felt the rushing sensation stop.
As soon as I opened my eyes I felt a familiar calloused hand grab mine and tug me towards the train.
"Hurry up," Remus said pulling me along as fast as he could without dragging me. "We need to hurry or your seat will be taken!"
"Why would that happen?" I asked as I silently put a spell on my trunk so it could levitate behind us as we ran down the narrow aisle towards the compartment.
"Well all the girls want to sit with Sirius and James in the Marauders' compartment."
"You have your own… compartment?" I asked quizzically.
"Yeah. It's actually kind of sad when you say it like that."
"Uh hu."
"But it does make it easier to find each other."
I giggled as I followed Remus into the compartment.
"I'm sure." I said, rolling my eyes as I sat next to my brother.
I glanced across from myself to see Sirius, who smirked at me playfully. I looked to the person in the seat next to him.
"H-H-Harry?" I said to the familiar looking face in confusion before I quite literally tackled the person with a bone-crushing hug, "Harry! Oh Harry, I… you… Voldemort… you were… I could have sworn… I can't believe… Oh Harry you're alive!"
I didn't notice something was wrong until I realized how quiet the compartment had gotten I slowly pulled away and looked into Harry's face… wait no… the boy I was hugging eyes were hazel not green.
"Harry?" I said tentatively, "What happened to your eyes?"
That's when I noticed that the boy did not have a lightning shaped scar. I furrowed my eyebrows and traced the boy's forehead where the scar should be with my finger.
My eye's widened with realization as I jumped out of the boys lap and fell into an ungraceful heap on the ground.
Heard a chuckle from my right, and I turned to see Sirius grinning manically, his eyes filled with mirth. I shot him the scariest death glare I could which instantly shut him up. I turned to face my brother to find him with a smirk on his face shaking his head.
"Wow," the boy I had finally come to the assumption was James, "you know when I got on the train today I didn't expect to be attacked by anyone, least of all some girl who's with Moony."
At this, Sirius burst out laughing.
I sighed exasperatedly, "Honestly Sirius it's only funny the first time, and Har- I mean James, why is it you Marauders always think that my brother is my boyfriend?"
James turned to Remus, "YOU HAVE A SISTER AND NOT ONCE IN THE SEVEN YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN BY YOUR SIDE HAVE YOU TOLD ME! I SW-"
"James, Emma is my adopted sister," Remus explained calmly, "we only just got her."
I stood from the compartment floor and dusted myself off.
"Got me?" I questioned, "You make me sound like a lost puppy."
"Wait," he said eyes widening with shock, "you're not a lost puppy?"
"Oh hardy har har," I said rolling my eyes as I sat down.
"Hey," Sirius said breaking the newly found silence, "Where's Peter."
I stiffened at the name and clenched my fists.
"I don't know," James said, "but he told me he might be late so…"
The train jolted a little then started slowly moving forward. When this happened James started smiling manically.
"Oh no," I said, "I've seen that look, what did you do?"
"Just, wait…" he said holding his hand up to his ear as if listening for something.
And suddenly… BOOM! Then a little shuffling and our compartment door flew open to reveal an obviously infuriated redhead.
"Potter for the last time…I WILL NEVER GO OUT WITH YOU!" the girl screamed.
I looked at James and saw his eyes darken slightly but he continued looking happy and said, "Ah, come on Lily-Petal just one date?"
"NO! You are just a pureblood, arrogant, prat that thinks he can get what ever he wants if just puts on a sad face! Well you are wrong! I would never go out with someone as cruel, thick headed, and dumb as you!"
I was sick of this girl the moment she opened her mouth but that was taking it to far.
"Oh shut up!" I yelled at the girl as I jumped to my feet and the compartment suddenly went silent, "From what I've heard, James has been after you and ONLY you since before third year. You obviously don't know what love is. How would you like it if positions were flipped and he turned you down day after day, week after week, year after year, and the only one you wanted was him. I'll let you know that I can no longer be with the one I want because he's dead, I watched him die right before my eyes, yet someone like you has the chance of true love right in front of you, but turns it down and rejects it, bloody hell I bet if James died right before your eyes you wouldn't shed a tear. You know what I don't care if I've only known James for a couple minutes but I can tell from what Remus has told me that James obviously deserves better than you. I can't believe that Harry had you for a-"
I was suddenly cut of by Remus's hand covering my mouth.
"That's enough Emma," he said with a soft yet commanding voice.
I suddenly realized what I had been about to say and quickly turned and hugged Remus in gratitude.
When I turned I saw Lily giving me a death glare, "What would such a girl like you know about love, I doubt you even know how to use that wand in your hand." And with that, she left.
There was a short period of silence before Sirius jumped out of his seat and growled, "How dare she say something like that."
"Sirius," I said sternly, "Calm down. Worse things than that have been said to me with even less reason to say it. I'm a big girl I can fight my own battles."
"Worse? Like what?" he questioned as he sat back down.
"Like… 'You're such a mudblood, know it all,' or 'Only sluts are interested in unwealthy blood traitors like that man you call your boyfriend' sometimes they combined the two to say 'get out of my way you filthy mudblood slut, before I hurt you.'"
James, Remus, and Sirius were all looking at me now.
"What!?" James said, "Who would say those kinds of things!?"
"The same people who carve nasty names into peoples arms," I replied pulling up my sleeve to reveal the letters that spelled out 'MUDBLOOD'.
Sirius and James looked at it in horror while Remus looked away having seen it before.
"Why would anyone do something like that," Sirius inquired.
"It's a very, very long story that Dumbledore doesn't want me telling anyone. In fact only he and Remus know, and unfortunately I can't even tell Remus everything."
"That's not right," James said looking up from my arm, "It should be your choice to tell people, whatever you want to tell them."
There was silence as Sirius continued to study my arm, "You know," he finally said looking up, "I think I've seen this handwriting before, actually it kind of reminds me of… nah."
My eyes had widened during his speech, I quickly pulled my sleeve down to cover up the insult engraved upon my arm, praying to whatever god or deity was out there, that he didn't figure out it was Bellatrix.
"I highly doubt you know the person."
"You never know," he said and I snickered at the irony. Suddenly the compartment door opened and a short, blonde haired boy, with watery blue eyes walked in. As soon as I saw him, Peter that is, I was filled with hatred, and my fists clenched.
I heard people talking but I ignored it and walked out of the compartment with a mumbled, "I'll be back in a minute."
I had been walking for a while when suddenly a hand touched my shoulder.
"Remus, I don't want to talk about it, you know how it is, especially when I already know what he's gonna do, if Harry and Ron die again-"
"Again?" a voice that I new was definitely not Remus's said.
I gulped and turned around and came face to face with James, I gulped again.
I quickly contorted my face into what I hope looked like confusion and said, "Again what?"
"You said that some dudes were going to die again."
"That doesn't make any sense James."
"I know that's why I want to know why you said it."
"Said what?"
"That those to dudes were going to die again."
"What are you talking about James, what dudes, and how can someone die more than once?"
"That's what I'm asking you," he practically screamed in frustration to which I coolly replied, "James… are you feeling alright?"
To add more affect I pulled a page out of Remus's book by placing my hand on his forehead as if to check his temperature.
He quickly slapped my hand away from his forehead, "I'm fine. I just want to know how you can die more than once."
"You can't," I said starting to walk in the direction of our compartment bracing myself for what was surely to come.
"I know that," he began but I quickly cut him off.
"Than why did you ask?"
"Because you said that your guy friends were going to die… again."
"No, I didn't." I stated simply, enjoying frustrating James.
"Yes, you did," he said, "I remember."
"Than what exactly did I say?"
"Something along the lines of knowing what someone was going to do, and not wanting to see two dudes die again."
"How can someone die twice?" I asked trying to hold back a laugh.
"They can't" he replied quickly.
"Than why did you say that two people were going to die again."
"I didn't," he yelled obviously exasperated.
"Well than who did?" I ask barley containing the laughter that was begging to be let free."
"YOU DID!" he yelled as I grabbed the door to our compartment and pulled it open.
"I did what?" I asked feigning perplexity.
"You said that… UGH!" he yelled before sinking into his seat next to Sirius only to start mumbling to himself.
"What's he going on about?" Sirius asked giving me an intense look.
"I have no idea." I said to him before turning and winking at Remus who looked at me inquiringly before saying, "You never cease to amaze me first you figure out my secret in less than a month than you frustrate the ever patient (at least when it comes to girls) James Potter in less than an hour after you met him."
I stuck my tongue out at him.
"You are such a child," he murmured.
"Well," I said looking at him in a thoughtful way, "if I'm a child than you're a baby."
He stuck his tongue out at me.
"Who's being childish now huh?"
"Girls," Sirius said, "you're both beautiful now shush."
"Your one to talk," Remus said, "You couldn't spend more than half an hour without looking at your own reflection."
"As if."
I laughed at that, "Sirius… you sound like a girl when you say that."
"I do not," he replied indignantly.
"Hate to say it," James said joining the argument, "but you did, not to mention your hair is longer than some girls I know."
Remus and I laughed.
And so we joked for a while before we fell into a semi-awkward silence.
The silence was broken when Sirius spoke. "Soooooooooooooooooo," he said, causing me to burst into a fit of giggles.
After my giggling stopped everyone started to do their own thing, for me that was, of course, reading, or at least that's what it looked like to everyone else, in actuality I was 'plotting' how I was going to destroy all the horocruxes (and admittedly how to kill a certain 'rat' without anyone knowing it was me).
We were about halfway to Hogwarts when James and Sirius started pestering me with questions.
"What is your favorite type of stew?" James asked.
"I don't know," I replied.
"I see," he said before muttering to Sirius for a bit before they both wrote something into their notebooks.
"And," Sirius began, "What is your favorite muggle sport? Oh it has to be a manly sport."
"Um…" I said pondering, "Hockey I guess. I love to skate and that's the only 'manly sport', as you put it, that really involves skating"
They looked at each other and chatted a little before writing something down again.
"What is your favorite color?" James inquired.
"Green."
The too of them stared at me wide eyed before shaking their heads and going to their notebooks again. That's when I realized that they were writing down my answers. I rolled my eyes.
"What is your biggest fear?" Sirius asked with a knowing look.
"Well it's not that git, Voldemort if that's what you want to know."
Sirius and James gawked at me and Peter squeaked out a, "Don't say that name."
I looked at the rat and said, "Why not? It's just a name, and not even his real name. Then what should I call him if I don't call him that? You-Know-Who, that's for cowards. The Dark Lord, that's for those idiotic Deatheaters. Tom, I honestly think that makes me sound to… close… to him. So I'm going to stick with Voldemort, because it fits perfectly with his nose less face and beady red eyes."
By this time even Remus was slowly leaning away from me.
Sirius and James had been scribbling all this down.
"Could you please answer the original question?"
"Umm," I said looking to Remus for help and getting none. I thought about the question, what was my greatest fear? I don't think that it's been failure for a long time, it sure wasn't death because that would just be fear of the inevitable, it couldn't possibly be Harry and Ron's death because I was here to stop that and nothing was going to stop me from doing that. I took a deep breath and said, "I have absolutely no clue."
They nodded and wrote this down.
"Uh hu," James began, "And what is your idea of a perfect man?"
"There's no such thing as a perfect man but I have the feeling you mean this relationship wise," I sighed and then continued thinking about Ron, "Well a tall, lanky, ginger boy with blue eyes. He'd be my best friend before anything, have a red hot temper, he'd also be brave and loyal. He'd do anything to save his best friends. He'd be sweet and romantic and have extremely random jealous fits but would be willing to let me go as long as it meant I was happy."
I had noticed that when I had given the physical description James had frowned while writing it down… weird, but as he wrote down certain parts of the personality he would grin.
"Sounds like you meant a specific someone (no offence but, red hot temper isn't what most people look for in a guy) care to elaborate?" James asked once he'd finished writing my description down.
Remus shot me a worried glance we hadn't really talked about Ron, in depth, since the day I had arrived I think he was afraid I'd start crying or having nightmares again.
"My d-dead," I paused taking a deep breath and pushing back tears, "fiancé Ron. He was a great, great person, we had just gotten engaged and he told me that my ring," I took out said piece of jewelry, "was charmed to tell me if he was dead, it's a good thing to. We were battling pretty fiercely with a group of death eaters when one of them sent an avada at Harry, our best friend, who was fairly high on Voldemort's hit list, but Ron j-j-jumped in front of Harry. I saw the whole thing and didn't want to believe it, I sat there trying to shake him awake for at least ten minutes. Didn't realize he was dead till the ring turned black."
"And what happened to Harry?" James asked, "That's what you called me when you came in isn't it."
I smiled a tiny bit, "Yeah you look just like him, other than the fact that you have different eye colors and he had a scar on his forehead. Anyway, after Ron died Harry made me get his body out of there so I did, and when I came back, guess who Harry was locked in combat with? Good old no-nose himself. The outcome of that duel wasn't the greatest. Harry died. As to what happened to Voldy I don't have a clue."
Okay the last part was a lie, but there was a little rat here and he would know that Voldemort was alive seeing as in this time line he had not yet died.
"Ah," James said, "I see."
James and Sirius seemed to be done asking questions for now so I took the opportunity of relevant silence to get a little sleep in before we arrived at Hogwarts.
I could already tell it was going to be an interesting year.
A/N: I was wondering if anyone would be willing to beta my story, and give me feedback about how they think I'm doing. If you are interested just P.M. me.
Also the title of the piece was never meant to be permenent if you have any ideas, please, please, please share them.
I hope you enjoyed it!
