I'm not Rowling, just a busy teenager. Thanks to all my reviewers! This chapter is dedicated to you all
Chapter 6, Waking up from a dream
"Are you alright, mate?" Ron asked looking worried down at James. He was still here in the future, but he was at least here with his memory.
"I saw him," James said happily. "I met Harry, and we spoke. He called me dad, and…" James looked at the stunned face of Ron. "What the?" the red-head asked. "Don't you get it, Ronald?" Hermione asked. "He's not Harry, but James."
James grinned cheerfully. "I thought I did a bad job at being Harry, but not that bad, obviously I would need lessons in it."
He then looked over at the twins. "Don't you ought to give me an apology?" James asked.
"Hey, sorry James," Fred and George said with feeling. "We just wanted to surpass the marauders."
James grinned. "It doesn't count to beat just me; you are leaving out the three others. You can't surpass just one Marauder and claim victory." James said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"But it was a bit funny…" the twins said. "Fred, George!" Hermione yelled and ran after the twins, who laughed and jumped over the sofa. James laughed too.
"So…" Ron began, "You're Harry's father, then right? Stuck in our time? But then, where is Harry?" James smirked. "Yes. Yes, and back in my own time it seems. He is safe."
He smiled at Ron, who returned the smile. Having an answer to the whereabouts of Harry was reassuring for them both.
Remus shook his head, "Same old Sirius."
Harry smiled, "He's really one of a kind."
Remus thought for a second, "But he's got two characters in him. It's the Padfoot that we know, but also the well-behaving pureblood, charming and sharp."
Harry nodded, "he's a real mystery."
"I think I'll go back to sleep. You go and find the dog, will you? I'm handing you the responsibility for him."
Christmas was approaching and Harry was doing better as James, since they had actually met face to face. He tried to adopt the way James walked and talked. Sirius gave him advice that he followed, and there seemed to be no problem in the world before the letter arrived.
Dear James
We are so looking forward to your return this Christmas. We hope, of course, that Sirius can join you, but if he can't he's invited to show up whenever he wants to, like usual.
We miss you so and can't wait.
Love you darling,
Mum and Dad
"Sirius!" Harry shouted and the boy sleeping on the sofa next to him woke up. "What?" he asked irritated, as he took in the surroundings. He'd fallen asleep on the sofa, in an empty common room, in front of the fire, and Harry sat in a chair with the letter.
"A letter from my grandparents," he said. They looked at each other. Sirius broke the silence, "let me guess, they want you to come home for Christmas and invites me as well?"
When Sirius got a nod, he sat up. "Harry, this is bad. If anyone knows James, they do." Harry bit his lip. "But you'll be there, right?"
Sirius sent him a sad look. "Sorry, mate. I'll have to go home."
"Will you be all right?" Harry remembered what Sirius had told him about his parents.
"I hope so, I'll come over as fast as I can, ok?"
"Sirius, you ran away from home when you were sixteen. Your older self told me so, but I don't know the reason though," Harry told him. Sirius brightened up. "Really? Enlightening news, but I'll still have to spend Christmas with them this year as well."
"It's already Christmas Bellatrix, and there's no sign of Harry Potter, will my plan be all wasted and the past change?" Voldemort said to his most eager death eater.
"No my lord, it won't! Let me do something. Let me go back in time and get him for you," Bellatrix begged. "I'll consider it, but we have to give Snape and Lucius some more time," Voldemort hissed. "It's not a problem, yet."
"So, where does Harry usually go during the holidays?" James asked happily, waiting for the "home to his parents," but he wouldn't want to ask that. "You can come with us to the Phoenix headquarter," Ron said and grabbed another chicken wing.
They were having their last dinner before the holidays.
"Oh…" James muttered. No Godric's Hollow? Perhaps he would meet himself again, anyway?
Or maybe they had decided to keep him away from himself – to avoid time travel problems? Maybe meeting yourself would be a problem?
"Ah, only two lessons left of school!" Sirius sighed happily to Harry. When he noticed that the boy didn't listen to what he said, Sirius started to follow his eyes. They were pointing at Lily Evans.
"Hey, Remus. James is normal again," Sirius grinned and nodded towards the staring Harry with Lily as his victim. "Seems like it," Remus grinned.
The double lesson went slow, but finally, the class was dismissed. They all ran out, laughing happily. Even Sirius, who seemed to have forgotten all about his holiday plans.
Unfortunately, he seemed to have remembered by nightfall. He was sitting on the sofa down in the common room, staring miserably in the flames for an hour. Harry didn't know what to say. He wasn't James, and this was an awkward situation.
Sirius was his godfather, not opposite.
When the clock passed midnight, Remus, who had been reading his book for a while, got up. He took a grip around Sirius' wrist and pulled him to his feet. From there he pushed him up the stairs. "Coming, James?" Remus asked, and Harry followed.
"Holiday, holiday…" James sang in the tune of jingle bells. The train moved towards the platform, and he could hardly sit still. "What's gotten into you, Harry?" Neville Longbottom asked him.
"Nothing, just too much school…" James said, "and too much Umbridge. Two weeks without Professor Toad will be great!" He took his trunk and owl, then moved outside.
"Oy, Prongsie!"
He looked around for Sirius, the only person who called him Prongsie. He didn't meet the eyes of his best friend, but the four eyes of the twins. "Let's find mum and dad," they grinned and dragged him along.
Ron and Hermione were already together with the Weasleys, as James and the twins appeared. "Hi Mum," Fred and George grinned. "Hi, dad."
Mrs Weasly looked irritated at them. "You're leaning over poor Harry as if he was a table," she barked. They let go, and ruffled his hair, a little more brutal than he usually would do, but it was a friendly gesture.
They found their way out of the platform. James fell a little back the others together with his friends. "She's your mother, right? What's my connection with her?" James asked the twins. "She's our mother, yes," Fred said on James's left. "And she is a bit of a worried person," it came from George on his right.
"She worships you," Fred said again and James turned his head towards George who said, "and think of you like her own son."
James was more or less confused by this.
Harry had fallen asleep with an apprehensive feeling and woke up early the next morning. "Good morning!" he said happily and looked over at the others. Remus and Peter were still asleep, but Sirius…
To Harry, it didn't seem that he'd been asleep at all. Maybe he hadn't. He was just lying there, his head resting on his arm, staring up. Sirius had dark rings under his eyes. "You all right, mate?" he asked Sirius, who looked at him.
"What?" was the response, before a halfway hysterical reaction occurred. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine, don't worry!" he said waving his hands and fell out of his bed. Remus had just woken up, "no, he's not. He never is when a holiday is near."
Peter had also opened his eyes, "Remus is right." All boys got up, Sirius as well, even though he seemed positively ill.
They were walking down to the train station right after breakfast. Harry didn't remember much of the journey to London. He had hardly any memories of the boarding, but he did remember that he ate chocolate frogs, and a pale Sirius was there in his mind.
The last thing his Godfather said to him as they parted ways, "I'll see you in a couple of days, all right?"
"Where are we going?" James asked eagerly. "To the headquarter," said Mr Weasley in his ear. "It's safer there than in the Borrow." James had no idea what he was talking about but nodded as he understood.
They all walked out from the station, but it wasn't very far away before they found number twelve Grimmauld Place. "But this is where Sirius…" James muttered to Fred and George.
"Yes, it is," they said, and followed James in.
Inside James got a really great surprise. A clumsy lady with pink hair told him to go up to the drawing room on the first floor. He so did while sending Ron and Hermione a curious look.
He walked past the decapitated house elves and in the door to the drawing room.
He stopped dead when he'd opened the door. "Moony?" he asked gasping. In front of him were his two best friends, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. "Padfoot," he said and took a step inside.
"Prongs," Sirius grinned. "James," Remus said smiling.
The three of them sat down on the sofa, the two men, the adult versions of James' best friends, looked so overwhelmed to see him. They talked and talked, but James couldn't avoid asking the one question that had been in his mind for days.
"Sirius, Remus, where am I?"
They looked at him. "What?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean… Where am the grown me, the father of Harry?" James asked, and knew something was wrong at once. He had been caught up in this for ages, but no one had told him.
The entire story just came. About him, Lily and Harry on the day of Halloween fourteen years ago. They told him about Voldemort, Harry's scar and the death curse. James sat there terrified, feeling lonely despite his two friends.
Harry looked around. He was worried about Sirius but anxious about his grandparents. The ones he'd never met. Would they look like him?
"James! Darling!" A dark-haired woman called through the crowd, while a tall man followed her. They came towards him, and Mrs Potter hugged him lovingly. Harry had never felt like this before. Yes, Mrs Weasley was fond of him, but there is the old saying that blood is thicker than water.
"Mum, hi," he grinned. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you, first we go home and then over some tea and biscuits you'll tell father and me everything," she was so happy and kissed him on the cheek. James would probably push her away while rolling his eyes, but Harry…
He'd never actually felt this motherly love before. "Sounds great," he muttered. "I've missed you."
Together they walked out of the station.
James had been very quiet after that and had still not spoken a word when they all went down to dinner. All kinds of lovely food were placed in front of him, but he didn't eat. Ron, who sat on his right side, looked worried over at him from time to time.
"What's the matter, mate? You're not eating."
James shuddered, "it's just something unpleasant on my mind. I'll need to think about it alone for a while." He stood up, thanked Mrs Weasley for a lovely meal and left the room.
Sirius muttered, "I'll go after him, but it's better that I give him a second."
"Sirius, remember that he's got me as well, I love him like a mother, and…" Mrs Weasley was cut off. "Molly, just stop it. I am his Godfather, you can leave it to me," Sirius said and was sure to get a counter attack from her, but Remus shot in.
"Molly, I think we can safely leave this to Sirius, it's got something to do with him, you see." Remus smiled reassuringly, and Mrs Weasley let it pass.
His grandparents' house was both nice and charming. It had the same magical quality as the Weasley's. Weird clocks, pans hovering, clothes drying on flying rungs. But it also felt weird being in the house where his parents would die.
In general, this felt wrong. His grandmother loved him like her own son, as she believed he was, but in fact, Harry didn't know them at all. He wasn't James, and he'd never known any parents. The feelings that had made him so happy at first were now like blown away from his mind.
Another reason why he didn't feel at ease was that if he started to love these people, it would only last for these two weeks. That was a depressing thought.
"But James, are you unwell?" she asked as they entered the living room. What to say? He wanted to tell them that he wasn't really James, but he couldn't. They wouldn't believe him anyway. He needed an excuse.
"I'm just worried for Sirius, he looked so pale when he left," he muttered and hoped that she wouldn't ask anymore. She didn't either. Harry believed that this was subject that she knew too well of. He had hit the nail on the head.
She came in with tea and a chocolate cake and placed it on the table. "Your father should be home soon," she smiled and sat down in one of the large armchairs, in white that matched the sofa that Harry had occupied.
Mr Potter arrived as one clue in the door. "James my boy, how are you?" he asked and dropped down next to him. "Hi Dad," Harry muttered and smiled. "Now, what mischief have you and Sirius been up to?" his grandfather asked.
"Oh, not much. Some trouble with the Slytherins, that's all." Harry said and had some more tea.
"Sometimes I'm honestly a bit worried for you, James. You should not ask for a fight," Mrs Potter said.
"They start it, and besides they deserve what they get," he tried to sound like James, but he a feeling that he sounded more distant than his father would have done. "I think you should go to bed now, my boy," said Mr Potter.
"What?" asked Harry.
"We won't punish you more than that. You go to bed early today, and you will stay home for tomorrow, but you are free to go where ever you like the day after that," Mr Potter smiled at him.
"Dumbledore has asked us to punish you a bit, seeing as you are quite the prankster back at school. Don't think we don't know," Mrs Potter said. "Now, off to bed," she smiled and gave him another hug.
Harry had the feeling that this was the first time they had done something like this, but they had been asked by Dumbledore. Besides, he didn't want to go anywhere, so he didn't mind really. But he had to play his part.
James had found Sirius' room. He remembered the one time he'd been there. Somehow, he'd managed to sneak in, and up to his best friend. It had been dangerous but so much fun.
They had laughed and breathed out in joy when they had managed it. They had pulled pranks under the invisibility cloak and made a secret room up at the attic. A secret hideout for Sirius, so he had somewhere to hide when things got too difficult.
It was hole in the floor that you could get through.
James threw himself at the large bed and looked up at the Gryffindor banner, and the pictures. He stared for a long time up at the picture of the Marauders. He missed them so. All three of them.
Even Peter. He had now heard that he was a traitor, but he couldn't believe it. Peter was a friend, and he would never believe him to be anything else. He missed Sirius, yes there was a Sirius here as well, but he was so different. He was changed, and James knew why.
It was because he'd died. It had broken his friend. Sirius had died at the same moment as he had. He heard a sudden knock on the door.
"James, can I come in?" Sirius asked.
"Sure," was the answer and Sirius opened the door. "You all right, James?" he asked and sat down without waiting for an answer. "Everyone is worried. They don't know you are James."
They heard steps in the hall, "Harry? Sirius?" Molly Weasley called. "Seems like she followed me, even though we told her not to. Let's get to our secret hideout, shall we?"
Sirius came at the doorstep the day after, he looked a bit ragged and apologetic but angry. "I can't believe them!?" was the first thing he managed to say, but since Mrs Potter appeared, he stopped.
"Sirius, my dear. How are you?" she asked and gave him a big hug. "OK, I guess," he said not wanting to answer from his heart. "I'll bring you boys, some cookies," she smiled and Harry followed Sirius up to his own room.
"What happened?" he asked.
"They were nagging about the letters from Dumbledore. They said it was wrong to pull pranks on Slytherins! The headmaster has never, ever sent a letter home before. He's been so nice that way," Sirius said while moving a hand through his hair in despair.
"Perhaps he felt that you overdid it? That you and James went too far?" Harry suggested.
Sirius shook his head, "maybe, but he should think a little about my position! They locked me up in the basement, after yelling at me," he said.
"They haven't locked me up in the basement since the first time I returned from Hogwarts!"
"You'll stay, won't you?" Harry asked. It was the day before Christmas, and he wanted to celebrate with his godfather. "I'm sorry I can't. Family dinner tomorrow. But I'll stay the night. After all, I ran away."
"You wouldn't know, but this happens about every year. Not this way, but I always run away on the day before Christmas, and the always comes to get me the day after. Kind of a tradition, but I hope they won't come for me this year," he sighed.
"We'll have to do the best out of it, right?" Harry grinned.
"So, how are you doing?" Sirius asked, and pushed his thoughts away from his miserable family life. "Not so great. I don't know these people. They're family, yes, but I don't know them."
Sirius chewed on it, "We should need to get some of James' memories transferred to you, then." He grinned. "How?" Harry asked confused. "By diving into his diary."
"My dad keeps a diary?" he asked. "We both do, but it's special. We write in the same book, and if we touch the pages with our wands it works out just like a pensive." Sirius found a little, black diary in his pocket and opened it.
"A short summary should do," he said and told Harry to touch it with his wand and he so did.
Adult Remus Lupin sat and stared into a candle. He didn't realise it himself, though. He was thinking about the past. He was thinking about James again. How he, Sirius and himself had done all sorts of pranks. Remus had tried to stop them, but it seemed impossible.
Maybe they shouldn't have told James about his death. To hear that you're dead is never a good thing. He then thought about Harry, he had to be there, back in his own childhood, but he had no memory of him.
Did he really outsmart him? Hadn't Remus seen the truth?
Whatever happened, they would get James back again. Back to the time where he could feel happy and feel like himself. "But we'll have to erase his memories," Remus muttered to himself.
"What?" asked Tonks, who sat next to him.
"Oh nothing, just a little lost in thoughts," Remus smiled towards her.
It was as Sirius had said, his father had come for him the day after. Harry sat on his bed, feeling a bit depressed. It was Christmas Eve, but something was a bit wrong. It was probably the feeling of leaving Sirius to those people.
Harry closed his eyes and remembered the scene from earlier that day…
"More toast, boys?" asked a smiling Mrs Potter. "No thanks, I'm full," responded Sirius smiling. "But you haven't even touched it, Sirius," she said worriedly. "I'm not hungry," he smiled at her, "not even for your cooking."
Harry could tell that she was happy for these words. Sirius really knew her well. "What about you James?" she asked. "No, I have eaten more than enough," he said, and this was true.
Suddenly it knocked on the door. Sirius closed his eyes until Mrs Potter said, "I'll get it."
Sirius didn't move, even though he knew that it was his father who had come for him. Harry came out in the hall and stood behind his grandmother. "I believe my son has run off to your place again, Mrs Potter," Mr Black said calmly, but Harry hated him at once.
"Yes, Sirius is here," Mrs Potter smiled, pretending to be nice she offered him some tea, "we just finished breakfast, and if you want some…" she was rudely cut off.
"No thank you," the man said. "Sirius!" he called.
Sirius came, he was pale, but his eyes were full of fighting spirit. "You come with me," Mr Black said and took a firm grip around Sirius' wrist. "Running away on the day before Christmas," Mr Black said irritated and dragged his son out of the house.
"I'll see you later," Sirius whispered and they both apparated.
"James!" his 'mother' called from downstairs. "Dinner!"
It ended up as a nice dinner. They spoke happily, and Harry forgot all about Sirius, and not knowing these people. After seeing James' own memories, he felt like he knew these people very well, and he loved them.
He loved that he got to meet his grandparents and experience a Christmas with them. The first family Christmas he could remember.
Sirius and James had settled things up at their secret hideout. Sirius had started to behave more like his old self and told stories about Harry. He wanted James to know what kind of a hero his son was.
They talked the whole night, and James ended up falling asleep on top of a big, black dog.
During the Christmas dinner, James was much happier. He helped Fred and George with the pranks on Mrs Weasley - without her knowing of course - and he and Sirius just needed to look at each other to know what the other one was thinking.
"This is how it's supposed to be," James muttered as the pudding was placed on the table.
He missed his parents, but this wasn't so bad. He had friends, and a large family around him that all cared about him, and this was when he knew that even though Harry had grown up without parents he hadn't grown up without love.
He felt less guilty from not being able to see his boy grow up, and he felt more at ease about the future of his only son. The hero of all times.
I felt like ending it here. Sorry people, a late update, but seriously, the internet has been dead for weeks, and my writing spirit with it. I can only apologise and ask for forgiveness and reviews. Look at this as an early Christmas present from me to all fan fiction readers out there
With a promise of a soon update, (after all, it's holidays)
The Artful Fox