Disclaimer:

I do not own anything related to Harry Potter. I've written J.K. Rowling and asked if I could adopt them, but she hasn't written me back yet, so I'm guessing the answer is no...

A/N:

ok, so a while ago, I had this chapter posted, and then I accidentally deleted it, and I decided that before I reposted it, I should probably write another chapter so people don't think I have something new when I didn't... SO... it took me a while but I have a new chapter and I'm posting this chapter again! :D So if you've read this chapter before, just go ahead and skip on over ot chapter 4 which is brand-new, never been posted before! Have fun... I hope.

Chapter 3

James watched as Sirius dejectedly picked at the eggs on his plate. To say that he was worried would be an incredible understatement. It had been almost a week since Sirius had shown up on the Potter's doorstep soaking wet and beaten to a bloody pulp. He'd slept more than James thought was humanly possible; despite all that sleep he had large black circles under his eyes. He hadn't eaten a thing and he hadn't said anything beyond "Thank you for supper," and "Good night". Despite the healing charms James' mother had cast on his face the bruises hadn't completely faded yet and even in the golden light filtering in through the kitchen window their grayish yellow tint gave Sirius a sickly look.

James had tried babying Sirius. He'd tiptoed around his friend for three days, trying to get him to do something other than sulk in his room. James also tried to get angry with him, but Sirius had slammed the door in his face. So he had one plan left. He had to act normal. It didn't really make any sense, but it worked. When Peter's father had died in their fourth year, getting back into the normal routine had helped pull him out of his funk more than anything else. Sirius couldn't go back to what was normal because he couldn't go home, but James was going to try.

"So, mate, after we're done eating, do you want to go out back and play some Quidditch?"

"No."

"Oh," James said after a slight pause. "How about some Exploding Snap?"

"No."

"Wizard Chess?"

"No."

"Spin the Bottle?"

Startled, Sirius looked up. When he saw the grin on James' face, Sirius glared and said, "Definitely not." James' snicker died away when Sirius didn't join in.

"Well, then, what do you want to do?" James asked.

"Nothing," Sirius replied, just as dully as before.

"Why?"

"I just don't feel like it," Sirius said, his head bowed, his voice growing quiet and tight. James recognized this as the precursor to tears and steered the conversation elsewhere.

"My Mum and Dad are both at work," he said. "We have the run of the house. We can do whatever you like." When Sirius didn't answer James added. "C'mon, mate, there must be something you want to do..."

"Yeah," Sirius said, his head coming up suddenly. "Yeah, there is something. I... I'd like to go to my father's funeral if... if you know when it is..."

"Sirius," James sighed sadly. "You're father's funeral was yesterday afternoon."

Sirius gaped at him. "What?"

"We... we saw it in the obituaries in the Daily Prophet, but my parents they thought it best if you didn't go... considering, you know, the... the circumstances."

"Oh," Sirius said in the lost way that James had gotten used to in the past week. He threw his fork down on his plate, leaned back in his chair, and ran his hands through his hair.

"I... I'm sorry," James stammered. "But honestly, I didn't think you'd really want to go since..."

"Since I killed him?" Sirius hissed through clenched teeth.

"Since he beat the living shit out of you!" James said a bit louder than was strictly necessary.

"He was my father, James!" Sirius gave him a disbelieving look.

"Obviously not a very good one," James said. He did not want to get into a fight about this, but if Sirius was going to defend that bastard-

"I know that," Sirius spat. "Believe me, I know, but that doesn't change the fact that he was my father, and..."

"And what?"

"I don't know," Sirius sighed. "I was going to say that he wasn't always an ass, but that's not exactly true, is it?"

"I wouldn't know," James said trying to keep his voice as flat as possible. He was a bit miffed that Sirius had never even hinted that his father abused him. James knew that Orion Black had been beating his son for years; last week Sirius had admitted to being beaten before and in doing so had provided yet another explanation for Sirius' odd behavior at school when the Christmas and Summer holidays drew near. But he'd never said a word to anyone, not even to his best friend, and James couldn't deny the fact that it hurt just a little bit that he hadn't trusted him. But at the moment an argument was the last thing he needed-

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius asked sharply.

"Nothing, mate. I just..." James paused. "I just wished you'd told me-"

"Told you what?" he asked, still on the verge of anger.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe that your father was using you as a human punching bag?"

"And what would you have done about it?" Sirius asked disdainfully. "You know who my father was. You know my family. They have some very... medieval traditions. I told you about the house elves mounted on the wall, didn't I? My family wouldn't care. They'd probably approve- my mother did." He stopped and gave James a look that was a little desperate and a little lost. "You couldn't have done anything, James. Not with my father being who he was with all his money and half the Ministry in his pocket... The only reason I don't have to go home is that my father is dead and mother is a coward. And..." Sirius stopped short and ran his hands through his hair again.

"And what?" James asked yet again.

"Nothing," Sirius sighed.

"And what, Sirius?" James asked firmly.

"Nothing," he repeated.

"C'mon, mate. Tell me, please?"

"No," Sirius spat.

"Why not?" James asked.

"It's stupid," Sirius shrugged.

"Well, probably," James said teasingly, but softened it with a smile. "But that doesn't mean you can't tell me. You've done stupid things before."

Sirius just sighed and shook his head.

"Sirius-"

"Maybe I didn't want you to know!" Sirius said suddenly, his voice raising once again.

"That's obvious," James said. "I want to know why."

"I don't know," Sirius said. He had that sad, lost look again. Silently James cursed himself for putting his friend on this emotional roller-coaster ride, but since he'd started he wasn't about to give up. But Sirius didn't need anymore goading. "I guess I thought... Youmightnotwanttobefriendsanymore."

He said this last bit so quickly it took James a moment to understand what he was saying. When he did he scowled and said sharply, "Sirius, look at me." Sirius did. "Now, you know that Remus is a good person, right?" Bewildered at the sudden change of subject all Sirius could do was nod vaguely. James continued. "He is a good person. He's a good friend and polite and smart as hell and you can tell he genuinely cares about people, right?" Again, Sirius nodded. "And I am very glad that he's my friend. But, Sirius, he's a bloody werewolf. Once a month he turns into a fully fledged monster that would tear apart anyone it came across-"

"Remus is not a monster-" Sirius interrupted angrily.

"No, he's not," James said. "But Moony is. Don't try to deny it."

Sirius shook his head and looked down at the table with a sigh.

"Anyway," James continued. "My point is that if I didn't abandon Remus for that, what the hell made you think I would abandon you for having an abusive father?"

"I don't know, Prongs. Like I said, it's stupid-"

"Damn right it's stupid," James interrupted. "And honestly, I'm a bit offended."

"I'm sorry," Sirius said earnestly. "I really am, and I know you wouldn't stop being friends with me because of my father, I always knew that, I just... I wouldn't have blamed you."

James let out an exasperated sigh. "Sirius-"

knock knock knock

"Are you expecting company?" Sirius asked after a pause.

"Actually, yes," James said, his face brightening. "I am. Wait here a second."

As James hurried out of the homey little kitchen to the front door Sirius breathed a sigh of relief and welcomed the distraction with open arms. When it came to people and their feelings James was usually about as perceptive as a rock. After five years of rejection he was still chasing that Evans girl, wasn't he? But for some reason, Sirius was the exception to that rule. James could read him like an open book. James thought there was more to the story than Sirius was telling him and he wanted to know what it was. A few more minutes and Sirius might have cracked and told him, and because of that Sirius felt like kissing whoever was at the door. It wasn't that Sirius always broke under pressure, quite the opposite really. But pressure from James was a completely different matter. It was rather like pressure from Remus; he just couldn't stand it.

Remus was another thing Sirius was worried about. If James thought there was something Sirius wasn't talking about, then Remus would know and one way or the other he'd get Sirius to tell him what it was... He didn't want to tell. The only other person who knew was his father and his father was dead, so why couldn't this die with him? Maybe Remus would have enough tact to realize that he didn't want to talk about it-

"Hey, Padfoot."

Shit.

Sirius gaped at Remus Lupin for a moment. It was so odd seeing him in anything other than his school uniform... But that was the only thing out of place. He still had his light brown hair, his hazel eyes, his smile. Even the cuts and scrapes and bruises were normal when Sirius remembered that the full moon was only night before last. "Hey, Moony," he said. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Nothing much," Remus said with a shrug. Following James' example, he sat down at the kitchen table. "Just dropped by to see you two."

Sirius knew full well that Remus didn't live anywhere near James, his furry little problem insured that he didn't live near anyone at all, so there was no such thing as "dropping by" for him. James must have invited him over.

Remus didn't react as strongly to Sirius' appearance as Sirius had thought he might. Instead of fussing over him like Mrs. Potter or eyeing him cautiously as though he might fall over at any moment like James and Mr. Potter, Remus simply looked at him just like he always had. Sure, his eyes searched his face for a moment, taking in the bruises and his split lip, but other than that Remus acted as if everything were perfectly good and normal. While this wasn't the truth, Sirius was grateful for the illusion of it nonetheless. Remus' behavior told him one of two things: either he thought the reason behind Sirius' appearance was none of his business, or James had told him everything (everything he knew) and he was avoiding the subject for Sirius' sake. The latter seemed more likely.

"So what have you two been up to?" Remus asked.

... or not...

"Nothing much, really," James shrugged. "Since Sirius showed up we've mostly just been hanging around here."

Sirius was being paranoid. Of course James and told Remus what happened. That was thoughtful really. Sirius didn't think he could tell that story twice.

"How about you?" James asked.

"Same: nothing much." Remus pressed his hands flat on the table before curling them into fists. "I've been sleeping a lot. This summer's moons have been a little rough."

James winced in sympathy. "Sorry, Moony. Any idea why?"

Remus and Sirius made eye contact then and Sirius wondered if Remus' extra trouble during the full moon had anything to do with their little... incident in June... He hoped not...

"Not really," Remus said indifferently.

"Well," Sirius said, somewhat eager to please. "Padfoot can go with you next time now that... now that I'm here. Prongs too probably. Right?" He turned to look at James.

"I should hope so," James said with a grin. "The next full moon isn't until we're back at Hogwarts."

"Oh," Sirius said. How had he lost track of the date so easily? "Well, then it will be all four of us. You'll be all right, mate."

"Speaking of which," Remus said with a little frown. "Where's Pete? I thought you said he'd be here as well."

"Yeah. I invited him," James shrugged. "But, you know. 'Summer time is Mummie's time.' Right?"

Remus and Sirius stared at him for a moment. "He said that?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Yep." James said and smirked.

They managed to hold in their laughter for a full three seconds.

A/N:

so, this was more of a bridge chapter. Next chapter will be nice and... well, "interesting" is a good word. Can i have a review? please? pretty please? :D