A/N: This is written by two authors. Me and CleveristWitchHerAge. We would both like to add that we don't own Harry Potter, though we both wish we did, but you all knew that already, didn't you?
Family Keeps You Sane
By: animaguswolfsong and CleveristWitchHerAge
Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never have, never will.
Chapter 4 – Fears
James skipped through the halls, Sirius of course by his side. They made their way around the crowds of students on their way to class, surprising some by their sudden appearance.
"They look like idiots, don't they?" Lily said quite loudly to Adelie.
"I actually think it's rather funny," Tori said.
"I don't. They're in seventh year. Potter's Head Boy. He should at least act like it," Adelie commented.
"I hate him so much! Why wasn't Remus made Head Boy?" Lily queried. "I can at least stand him and he isn't immature like his buffoon friends. I've been thinking about asking Dumbledore about it."
"It bothers you that much?" Adelie asked as she walked into the Transfiguration classroom.
"Yes!" Lily exclaimed, taking he seat at the front of the classroom. "He's such a…such a…."
"Devilishly good-looking man!" a male voice interjected from behind them. Lily stood up and whipped around. Her green eyes narrowed as they fell on James.
"I would never say that in a million years, Potter, ever!" she growled.
James feigned hurt. "Why, Evans? You think I'm ugly?"
"If it will make you leave me alone, then yes!"
"Ah! You do think I'm devilishly good-looking!" James exclaimed, running his hand through his hair.
"No! Now leave me alone, Potter. You're not funny, and I never will find you so!" Lily exclaimed and turned to face the front so sharply that her hair whipped James in the face. James was about to say something else when Professor McGonagall walked into the classroom, calling everyone to order. James made his way back to his seat with Sirius.
"Lily seems like she is in a good mood today, don't you think?" Sirius asked cheerfully as James sat down.
"Shut up, Padfoot," James muttered, pulling out his books. Sirius shrugged and pulled his books out too. As Professor McGonagall began her lecture on human transfiguration, Sirius fell asleep.
Before he knew it, Remus nudged him in the arm.
"Huh?"
"Class is over," Remus informed him. James gave him a confused look.
Class is over?" he asked amazed.
"Yeah, did you fall asleep or something?"
"I guess so," James said, standing up.
"Daydreaming about our Liliykins?" Sirius teased, a huge grin on his face. Remus and peter snickered as they walked away, noticing a small blush rise in James' cheeks. James mumbled something as he walked out of the classroom, his friends laughing behind him.
School had now been in for a few weeks. It was breakfast and the Great Hall was filled with lots of chatter, when the familiar fluttering of wings drowned out the talking. All the heads turned upward to see the hundreds of owls swooping into the Great Hall.
A large barn owl stopped at that Gryffindor table in front of the Marauders. It carried a folded newspaper.
"The Daily Prophet," James said as he took the newspaper from the owl. He unrolled it and gasped at the front page.
"Sirius, guys, look!" the four boys looked at where James pointed to the headline on the front page.
DARK WIZARD KILLS FOURTEEN
Late last night, the dark wizard calling himself Lord Voldemort made an appearance at the Muggle Protection Agency (MPA) with ten followers, known as Death Eaters. Only three wizards who were employed there escaped unharmed out of the twenty employees present at the time of the attack.
"We had no idea what to think at first," said William Meyers, founder of the MPA. "We were all terrified. We saw his mark, the Dark Mark in the sky and I knew most of us wouldn't last the night."
"You-Know-Who", as one survivor called him, entered the building just after it had been closed to the public. The Death Eaters killed a total of fourteen witches and wizards who worked there and all the…
"That's my great uncle, William Meyers. He's my mum's uncle," James said gravely. He looked at the picture on the front page. It had a burning building with a glowing skull and snake floating over it mockingly.
"This is his first attack on wizards, isn't it?" Remus asked.
Sirius nodded. "He's not just trying to get rid of muggles, but muggle-loving wizards also."
"Which means you four should be going bye-bye soon enough," a voice said from behind James.
"Snivillus," Sirius sneered. "What on earth are you doing on this side of the Great Hall? Aren't you afraid you'll get sick from being around Gryffindors?"
Snape only smirked. "Only a fool would believe he'd get sick from being around someone. But of course, you are a fool, Black."
Sirius growled as he stood up, James close behind him. James placed his hand on Sirius' shoulder.
"That's right, Potter, keep a leash on that mutt. He needs it."
Sirius shook James' hand off his shoulder and whipped out his wand. He had it pointed at Snape's nose.
"Watch it, Snape," Sirius growled.
"Watch it, Black," Snape replied calmly.
"Furniculus!" Sirius shouted. Snape had no time to react; the curse hit him before Sirius had even finished saying the incantation. HE flew backwards towards the door. Those close by laughed as Snape stood up. Hideous red, bubbling boils now overran his face. He gave a loathsome look in Sirius' direction before turning and exiting the hall.
"I hate that greasy git," Sirius muttered darkly.
"Come on, let's get out of here," James said as he led Sirius out of the room, Remus and peter quickly following.
That afternoon, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were sitting in the seventh year dorms working on their Defense essays.
James cried out in frustration. "I can't think of a single thing!"
"You can't? I can't!" Sirius exclaimed.
"All I'm thinking of is snakes!" Peter whined.
"Do you think these are going to stay private or is he going to share with the class what our fear is? Remus asked.
"He won't share it. That'd just be cruel," Peter said.
"He seems that type, though," Sirius said.
Remus groaned as he scratched over his paper. "I'm picking something different, then. I don't care what Rune says. I'm not putting that down."
"So none of us know what our fear is? Great," James muttered.
"I do know," Remus said. "but I'm not putting that down."
"So do I," Peter muttered. "but mine's 'irrational'."
A few minutes of silence passed before Sirius jumped up and exclaimed.
"I'm such an idiot!"
"Yeah, you are," Remus agreed, staring into the fire.
"You're not supposed to agree with me!" Sirius exclaimed.
"But it's true! You want me to lie?" Remus asked.
"If it makes me feel better, yes," Sirius said. "But what I was going to say, before Remus so rudely insulted me, is that I know what my fear is."
James perked up and looked intently at Sirius.
"What is it, Padfoot?"
Sirius sat down, calming himself as he stared at his friends.
"Now don't make fun of me," Sirius said as a preclude. "It's kinda stupid."
"It's okay, Sirius," Peter said. "We won't laugh."
Sirius took a deep breath. "Well, I-I'm kinda afraid that maybe I might…turn into my parents…"
"You won't, Sirius," James said, seriously. "I won't let you."
"Yeah," Peter agreed. "You're the first Black that was even placed in any house other than Slytherin. To make it even better, you got put into Gryffindor."
"You wouldn't be in Gryffindor if you were going to turn into your parents," James said.
"But guys," Sirius protested. "I begged the hat not to put me in Slytherin. I begged the hat to put me in Gryffindor. What if I should have gone to Slytherin with my family? What if me being in Gryffindor is a mistake? What if I'm destined to be like them? What if—"
"What if you turn into a cat and your nose falls off?" James asked with a straight face. Sirius stopped mid-sentence and faced James.
"Can that really happen? Oh, what if it does? I'll be a freak of nature! I'll look hideous! I won't have any girls—"
"Sirius, stop!" James shouted. He didn't. James walked over to Sirius and smacked him in the face. He paused for a moment, shook his head, and looked at James.
"What was that for?" Sirius questioned.
"You were talking crazy," James answered simply.
"Thanks," Sirius muttered as he sat down again. "But how do you know that I really wasn't meant to be in Slytherin? How do you know I won't end up killing you all?"
"Do you want to kill us?" James asked. Sirius gave him a look.
"You know what I mean. People can change in an instant. One thing can mess everything up. I don't want to be the one that messes everything up."
"You won't be," James insisted.
"How do you—"
"Don't even ask that, Padfoot," James said sternly. "Now, I don't make friends with Death Eaters. We Potters have a reputation for being on the light side, do we not? I won't let you become a Death Eater, got it?"
Sirius smirked at the serious look on James' face.
"You'll knock sense into me, then?"
"Absolutely!" James assured him.
"Good," Sirius said. After a moment of silence passed, Sirius asked, "Anyone else wanna share their fear?"
A/N: Hey! Just so you guys know, we do look at the statistics on our story. Now, I find it really annoying when other people ask me to review their story, but there's been 334 people read this story, but we've only gotten 3 reveiws. Now, if you review, I have a nice, warm, soft chocolate chip cookie for you. Plus, it would boost our spirits.
Also, this was a pretty short chapter. Our next one is much longer than this and will be up soon!