A/N: Sorry! We didn't update for a really, really, really, really, really long time. It's summer now, and we plan on spending tons of time together. How much of that time will be spent writing. . . . I dunno! But we will try to get more and more chapters up to you guys! Thanks for sticking with us!
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 7 - The Date
The seventh years all lacked their usual air. After the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, each student had his mind on his fear. The Marauders were no different. They all sat in the Head's Dorm common room. James sat beside the fire, Sirius stood by the window, looking up at the night sky. Remus sat on the couch, and Peter sat on the floor, leaning against the wall.
Their thoughts consumed them, filling the entire room with the gloomy thoughts. No one wanted to voice his questions about another's fear, for the conversation would only lead back to his fear.
James had his eyes on the fire that flickered softly, bouncing off the walls. He couldn't shake the vision of what he had seen. It seemed too real not to be true. Every now and then, he would divert his eyes around the room to reassure himself his friends were still alive and his dream hadn't been real.
Suddenly, Remus broke the silence. "I don't want you guys to come with me on full moons anymore," he said quietly.
"What?" Sirius asked, turning around to face his friend. Peter's head had shot up, and he looked at Remus. James turned his head to look sternly at Remus.
"If we're not afraid of you, why should you be afraid?" James asked.
"Yeah," Sirius put in. "We're not going to stop coming with you, Moony."
"Plus, when we're there, it's easier on you. And if we can make it easier on you, then we're going to!" Sirius said.
"We're not going to make you suffer over something that you have no control over."
"That's exactly my point, James," Remus said. "I have no control over my actions. What if I accidentally do something . . . hurt someone—hurt one of you—and you couldn't stop me? I couldn't live with myself if I hurt one of you."
"You won't, Moony," Sirius said. "We've already survived two years with you. What's one more?"
"No," Remus said sternly. "You're not going."
"You can't stop us," James said, standing. Remus quickly stood too, meeting James' gaze evenly. Neither blinked, neither gave any sign of yielding. Both had a determined look set on their faces. Finally, Remus sighed heavily and sat back down on the couch.
"You win, Prongs," Remus said. "I'm not gonna even try to compete against your stubbornness."
James smiled ruefully.
"We became animagi for you, Remus. If you keep us away from you, all that work would have been for nothing," Peter said. "And that was something I was actually able to do." Peter looked down at his hands as he said the last part. His friends turned slowly towards him. Peter didn't look up, though he could feel their looks on him.
"You can do lots of stuff, Wormtail," James said. looking at his friend.
"Oh, yeah? Like what?" Peter shot James a sharp look. "I'm not at the top of our class, like you three, I'm no Quidditch star like you and Sirius, and I can't master spells as quickly as Remus. Tell me, James, what am I good at?"
Sirius walked towards Peter and sat down next to him on the ground. Remus and James followed suit.
"You are the best lookout we could ask for," Sirius said.
"Yeah," Remus said. "Before we had the Map, you always knew when someone was approaching."
"So?" Peter said. "All that means is that I was replaced by a stupid piece of parchment."
"You came up with the idea for that 'stupid piece of parchment', Peter!" James exclaimed, using Peter's words.
"On accident," Peter protested.
"It's still thanks to you that we have it," Remus pointed out.
Peter glanced down at his hands folded in his lap.
"Even so," Peter said. "How do I contribute to this group now?" How am I special?"
"Wormtail, are you trying to get us to believe you're worthless?" Sirius asked, eyebrows raised. Peter glared at Sirius.
"We're not friends with you because of what you can do," Remus said. "We don't choose our friends based on how they contribute to us."
"We're your friends, Peter," James said. "Don't try to analyze that. Nothing is going to change us; we'll be friends for a long time." Peter smiled slightly at James. James could tell his friend didn't fully believe him, but James didn't believe himself either.
A small shudder made its way down James' back as visions of Sirius' lifeless face filled his mind. No one noticed it, except for Sirius. He frowned, studying James closely.
James could feel Sirius' gaze on him. He turned to face him, startling Sirius out of his steady concentration.
"What?" James asked Sirius.
"Are you okay?"
James stiffened. "Yes." His face was expressionless.
"Don't lie, James," Sirius said. "I can tell when you're lying. Why are you afraid of us not being friends?"
"It's not that we won't be friends, Sirius, it's that we can't be friends."
Remus, Peter, and Sirius stared blankly at James.
"What would keep us from being friends?" Remus asked.
James sighed, but didn't answer.
"I'd appreciate an explanation, James. And frankly, I'm slightly curious as to why you shouted out my name at the top of your lungs. It's pretty bone-chilling to hear your best friend shout your name like bloody murder."
James' face seemed devoid of emotion, but none of his friends missed the flicker of pure misery and remorse in his eyes.
"I . . ." James stopped. He looked around at his friends, pausing at each pair of eyes that stared expectantly at him. "I was in, it seemed like, a battlefield after a battle. Bodies lay everywhere . . ." James paused before continuing. "The first one I saw . . . was Peter. You were dead." Peter visibly paled at that three-word sentence. James didn't see his friend's reaction because he was too busy examining his hands. "Remus, you were right next to Peter." James closed his eyes. He would never be able to forget those eyes, so devoid of life. "And Sirius—" he paused abruptly. "You were . . . so bloody . . ."
Silence ruled the group for the next few minutes as their thoughts brooded on what James had said until Sirius spoke.
"James, it wasn't real. We're not gonna die, well, we'll all die eventually, but of old age, together," Sirius smiled weakly at James, who met his gaze, but not his smile. "I promise you, James, we will all make it out of this growing battle-thing alive and still friends. Not even some deranged Slytherin Dark Lord could tear us apart!" he said, half-seriously, half-jokingly. When James continued his glum look, Sirius sighed and put an arm on James' shoulder.
"Those dreams we had aren't going to come true," Remus said. "They were all figments of our imagination created by that Mud. None of them will come true exactly as we saw them."
"Yeah," Sirius said. "It's not like we're all prophetic or anything."
"I could tell you the same thing, Sirius," Remus said, and Sirius' smile vanished immediately.
"We've finally gotten around to me, then," Sirius said wryly.
"You won't end up like your family, Sirius. We've had this conversation before," James said.
"Yeah, but this time I saw myself do what I always feared I'd do, and worse I cast an unforgivable. And even worse than that, I cast it on—" Sirius stopped, eyes suddenly flying away from his friends to the burning fire.
"Cast it on whom?" James asked quietly.
Eyes still on the flickering flames, Sirius spoke in a soft, barely audible voice. "You."
James' eyes grew wide in surprise. Remus and Peter looked shocked. This time when the silence commenced, not one of them moved. James just stared disbelievingly at his best friend. His eyes seemed glued to Sirius' face. His heart beat rapidly in his chest and was certain everyone could hear it.
"You would never do that," Peter said. "You and James are like brothers. You'd never hurt him."
"It's not gonna happen, Sirius. You won't ever do anything like that."
"How can you be sure? Didn't you hear my laugh?" I enjoyed it." James snapped out of his reverie.
"Would you like to hurt me, Sirius?" James asked.
Sirius' head shot up, eyes wide as he exclaimed, "No! Why would ever ask that?"
"Sirius," James said. "We can tell you that you won't end up like your parents every day for the rest of the year, but we all know you'll never stop fearing that. But listen to me when I say this, Sirius, I believe with all my heart that you will never be like your parents. Neither do Remus or Peter. Do you trust our judgment?"
"Yes, but—"
"Point made, Sirius," James said in a tone that announced the conversation was over. Sirius only returned his gaze to the warm fire.
The week passed slowly for the Marauders. The combined weight of the murder of James' great uncle and their fears being revealed kept them from reeking havoc upon the school. It wasn't until that weekend that their spirits lifted because of a promised Hogsmead trip. Only James was still sour.
"Come on, Prongs! Why so glum?" Sirius asked as the four friends walked down the streets of Hogsmead.
James ignored Sirius and kept his eyes on the object of his anger. Eric and Lily walked out of The Three Broomsticks together. Eric had a smug grin on his face as he wrapped his arm around Lily's shoulder, pulling her closer to him.
"Aww, is little Prongsie jealous?" Sirius asked, grinning. Remus only rolled his eyes, and Peter stifled a grin. Sirius put his hand on James' shoulder and steered him away from Lily and towards Zonko's.
Lily stiffened slightly when she felt Eric's arm around her. She gave him a shy smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Eric grinned down at her and pulled her closer. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Lily pushed away slightly.
"Could you not do that, please," Lily asked politely. Eric looked at her puzzled.
"Why?" he asked.
"Well," Lily said calmly, pulling out of his reach. "It's only our first date. Shouldn't we get to know each other a little more first?"
"I thought we already knew each other, Lillers, don't we?" Lily winced at the name. She didn't like it, but Eric wouldn't stop calling her that.
"Not really, Eric."
"I know lots about you," Eric said, beaming.
"Like what?" Lily challenged smiling.
Eric looked uneasily at her.
"Well, um…" he looked away thinking. "Your favorite color is red." He said triumphantly turning to look at her. Lily gave him a sideward glance.
"Nope."
"Oh." Eric's face fell. "Okay then." They fell into an awkward silence as they walked through Hogsmead.
"What is your favorite color?" Eric asked breaking the silence.
"Guess," Lily said, shooting him a look from the corner of her eye, smiling.
Eric remained silent for a moment, putting his hand to him mouth in mock-intense thought. "Well, if I were you, my favorite color would have to be…" he paused. "green," he said with confidence.
Lily looked at him, smiling without answering. Eric looked at her expectantly.
"So? Am I right?"
Lily put her hands behind her back. "Maybe." Eric grinned, his eyes turning towards the skies.
"Just tell me, Lillers!"
Lily flinched slightly at the name, but composed herself quickly. "It's hazel."
"Hazel, eh?" Eric said. "Well, then, I'll have to store that information away for future reference." Lily just smiled shyly.
James led the group out of Zonko's, their hands filled with bags from the joke store. The time spent in the store cheered him up slightly, and they were now headed to the Three Broomsticks to get a bite to eat and a butterbeer for each of them.
"Prongs, we gotta use that Wippersnapper for our Halloween prank!" Sirius exclaimed as he leaped to his friend's side.
"Only if we make sure it doesn't actually hurt anyone, Padfoot!" Remus said, narrowing his eyes at Sirius. Sirius turned around.
"Aw! Come on, Moony! What fun is Halloween unless we send a few Slytherins to the hospital wing!" Remus just shook his head; it was hopeless.
A girlish giggle made its way through the crowded street and reached the Marauders. James turned immediately towards the sound.
"Lily!" he said. He clenched his fists when he saw Lily with her hands behind her back smiling up at Eric. "She's flirting with him!" he exclaimed.
"Well that's what couples usually do, Prongs," Remus pointed out. James glared at him.
"But that's not a couple, that's Lily!" he said loudly.
"You're obsessed, mate," Peter said, shaking his head.
"And you care why?" James retorted, turning around to face Peter.
"It's unhealthy for you," Remus said.
"And she doesn't seem at all interested in you whatsoever," Sirius said placing his elbow on James' shoulder.
"I'm going over there!" James started in the direction of the two, but Sirius grabbed his arm.
"I won't let you make a fool out of yourself, mate," Sirius said sternly.
James glared at Sirius. "I'm not gonna—" James stopped. He stood straight and shook Sirius off of him. "Fine. Let's go get our butterbeers."