Nightmares Never Dreamt

A/N: Hey guys, I hope you're enjoying yourselves. Don't forget to review. I really do take opinions into account. On with the story…

The silence in the room was suffocating. Hermione placed her notes on the table and went to stand by the wands, her own in hand. Lily didn't take her eyes off of her infant son as she said, "No one is going to try and hex anyone Mya."

"Was the laughing part true Mya?" Remus's voice was strained, "Did he really laugh?"

Hermione sighed, "Yes it was but -"

"YOU LAUGHED?!" Remus erupted. "Our best friend and his wife are dead, you just killed our other friend and twelve innocent people and you laughed? The same way that monster did right before he killed Lily!"

"Are you trying to say I'm like Voldemort?" Sirius looked at him outraged.

"More like his right-hand man and a spy," jaws dropped and both men stood up.

"Take that back!" growled Sirius.

"No, I had my doubts about you. It had to be someone close to the Lily and James but I overrode them. We've been friends for years, you wouldn't do that to us but I guess you decided to take the Black family tradition after all."

Sirius grabbed him by the collar and Lily quickly picked up Harry and took him upstairs while James stood on the sidelines ready to jump in. The professors also stood with wands at the ready. "What about you huh?" Sirius asked viciously, "How do we know it wasn't you? That's why you didn't want to tell Harry about all of us knowing each other, you didn't want to face him you coward. Probably feeling raw old Voldy didn't live long enough to make good on his promises."

Remus pushed him off and sneered, "So explain Wormtail then, if I was the spy then why wasn't I the one standing the crater?"

Sirius didn't even look phased, "More ass-covering. Imperious is more common than ever. Whether they convicted me or not, the heat is off you."

"So then why were you convicted Black, why didn't you plead Imperious at your trial?" Like it or not Sirius had no answer but Hermione did.

"He didn't get a trial," and they all swivelled their attention to her. "He was sent to Azkaban without one."

Remus cackled nastily, "I wonder if they got dear Bellatrix too, you might have had neighbouring cells. Too bad you're not allowed to share, you could've mourned your master together." Sirius snapped and punched Remus in the mouth and he responded with one to the side of the face. James immediately tried to intervene but neither even noticed. The werewolf growled, "Imperious or not, you sold them out, you're the reason they're dead. You as good as killed them regardless Black." Everyone knew he wasn't talking about the twelve muggles anymore.

"I would never," Sirius vehemently declared but his voice quavered.

"Clearly you would," they made to fight again and James was forced to literally get in the middle of them, pushed them apart by the chest.

"Stop it, the both of you." Lily came back and was hanging by the entrance, tears in her eyes.

"James how can you defend him?" Remus demanded. "If Hermione didn't come and warn us you, your wife, and one of your best friends would be dead in few short months. Thanks to him, your child would have to go to a neglectful home and be miserable for years!"

James looked at Remus dead in the eye, "I'm well aware of what this means but that same child sent me a letter asking that I not jump to conclusions until I hear the whole story. I'm going to do just that."

"You're siding with him?" Remus asked disgusted.

"I'm siding with my son," James replied with an air of finality. Remus made a noise and ran out of the room. They could hear the front door slam, Hermione audibly choked back a sob, and silence reigned again. Sirius was staring at the space he had occupied, breathing heavily.

"He was right," Sirius whispered brokenly. Lily stepped forward to touch him but her moved away from her, "No Lily, whether or not I was forced, I am the reason you'd be dead in less than six months. I'm sorry I ju – I can't -" Sirius left too but he went through to the backyard. James flung his arms in the air and left to go upstairs. The second slam of the back door reverberated through Hermione who had to grab the wall to stop herself from crumbling to the ground. If Hermione didn't come and warm us… guilt gnawed at her gut, she was the one who started all of this. She tried to remember there was more of the story but she had just watched men who in her time, were the best of friends, physically fight and insult each other.

"Mya…" Lily's voice came through her haze and she raised her red-rimmed eyes to meet Lily's. "Please don't blame yourself, you had to tell them."

"We have to talk to them," Hermione pulled herself together and the other woman nodded. "I think I should speak to Sirius."

"I'll talk to James," Lily said softly glancing at the front, "but what about Remus?"

"I shall have a word with him," Dumbledore stepped in. McGonagall wanted to go with him.

"Wait," Hermione went back to her notes and pulled out three letters, one for each marauder, from Harry, "Harry sent these. He addressed them separately, probably figured it was easier." She handed them out and they went to have a word with the friends.

Remus paced the front yard furiously muttering to himself. "Remus," Dumbledore called out and the werewolf stopped to look at his former professors.

"Hello Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall," he answered lifelessly.

Dumbledore walked over, "I know how you feel," Remus didn't say anything and Dumbledore sighed. "You may not believe this but I am something of an expert on befriending the wrong people and the disastrous effects it can have. You're looking for reasons, signs that should've tipped you off but didn't."

Remus heaved a sigh, "Yes I am, I keep thinking how did I not see it?"

"How could I have been so stupid? How could I be so blind? Just how? How is a powerful word Remus, it suggests that there is answer to everything. Remus, you trusted your friend plain and simple. You didn't see the signs not because of any impairment but because when you accept someone as friend you accept them as they are, so things that could signal danger you accept because you believed in them. But have you really come up with anything that makes you doubt Sirius?"

Remus made a face and grudgingly said, "No but I have a hard time believing there could another side to this despite what Harry said. I mean he could've forgiven him."

"Forgiven the man who sold out his parents?" McGonagall's mouth thinned, "I would've thought you had a higher opinion of Harry than that."

Dumbledore spoke again, "You know I was looking over the notes for second year, this is reminding me of when Harry was accused of opening the chamber."

"Yeah but Harry was innocent," Remus pointed out.

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes but he was found in compromising positions or implicated almost every time. So many incidents stacked up against him and the real culprit? A sweet innocent girl who was possessed by Voldemort."

Remus snorted, "Are you trying to say it's possible it was someone else? Maybe it'll be a possessed teacup this time."

"Voldemort doesn't' need objects to turn someone, especially not now. He has fear and power which can make people do the unthinkable. Even the most honest and pure can be poisoned by him. But I think Harry anticipated your reaction and sent you this." He handed Remus the note. He opened it and read,

Dear Remus,

I can only imagine how hurt you are right now but please believe me when I say all is not as it appears. You know it's because of Sirius's story that Hermione and I debated a long time on how to discuss this year with you all. We thought we should tell it in reverse just to avoid conflict but then it became very confusing so we stuck with the original plan. I know it's frustrating and it may seem stupid but this really is the best way and hopefully by the end of it you'll understand why. In regards to Sirius, I hope you took my advice and didn't judge him but if you didn't please don't be too hard on him right now. There is so much that still needs to be said. Like I said before he is at this meeting for a reason and remember he's your best friend and brother, you could at least give him a chance.

Love,

Harry

Remus lowered the note slowly. A small guilty knot formed in his stomach as he remembered thinking last night about what Sirius's presence meant and his conviction to give Sirius that very chance. He glanced at the professors and fleetingly felt like school boy again being taught a lesson. "I'm ready to go back inside now." They nodded understandingly and together went back to the in.

Lily found James sitting on their bed, the marauder graduation photo in hand. "James," she said tentatively.

"It's my fault." He said in anguish, "I was the one who insisted that we use Sirius as secret keeper. I'm the reason we die."

"James no," she sat down next to him.

"The really sick part is I just can't bring myself to believe it Lil, I do not think Sirius would do this to us." James looked at his wife, "Am I being naïve or -" Lily cut him off.

"No James, you're being you. Trusting your friends is one the most important things about who you are. You're loyal James not naïve. Sirius has been you best friend since you were eleven, you were inseparable in school, you even lived together for a while. You know him best and if this doesn't fit his character with you then it just gives credence to what Harry said about there being more to the story."

"But how? Can you see a way around all of this?"

Lily shook her head, "Don't try to see around something if you want to know what's behind it."

James smirked almost against his will, "Let me guess where you got that from?"

"Dumbledore," they said in unison and laughed a little. James coughed, "You know I feel bad for Harry, all this must have been terrible to hear and there was no one to explain anything to him."

"Well speaking of our son and explanations," she pulled out the letter, "special delivery, express from the future."

"Forget return to sender, he lives here too," James half-smiled and opened it and read aloud,

Dear Mum and Dad,

I know it must difficult to listen to all this happening to your friends and yourselves. But I need you to trust me; there is whole other side to this that is very hard to believe unless you hear everything else. Nothing would make any sense if we just told you straight off and this is imperative for you to understand if you want to help the future. It's crazy that I know what it feels like to be told I'm going to die and even crazier still that I can say it loses its effect – hanging around Trelawney for three years does that to you. But here's your chance to rewrite the story, with you in it .To tell you the truth though I always felt like you guys were looking out for me from wherever you were so it's more like with you physically in it. Either way, I know you'll be there for me.

Love,

Harry

James and Lily smiled at each other. "Come on," said James taking Lily's hand, "let's go fix this."

Hermione found Sirius sitting beneath the tree in the backyard. She wordlessly sat down beside him and he said without looking at her, "No trial?"

She shook her head even though he couldn't see it, "No."

His face crumpled, "So everyone thinks that I brought on the deaths of my best mate and his wife, I sold them to Voldemort, I killed my other best friend, I murdered twelve muggles, and now I'm out to kill my godson."

"Sirius…" Hermione moved closer to put an arm around him, "What matters is what you think."

"I don't know what to think Mya," Sirius sighed, "I want to believe to Harry – and you – but how can I? It's me and I don't see how I could possibly be innocent. I was standing in a crater surrounded by dead bodies. How do you explain that? The Imperious maybe but wouldn't I have gotten a trial if that were the case. What about Lily and James? If I was their secret keeper, how did Voldemort find them? Unless…" Sirius whipped around to stare at Mya who simply raised her eyebrows. Sirius's mind was reeling, why didn't he think of it before! What if he wasn't the secret keeper!? Then what about the other incident?

Hermione could see the pieces were starting to click, "Harry sent this for you." She handed him his letter, it read –

Dear Sirius,

I have really do feel for you Padfoot, being blamed for something with no way to defend yourself is hard however I still have faith in you. I won't lie, I was furious when I heard that conversation at the Three Broomsticks but I didn't really know anything about my parents or their friends. But you do, you know everything. So if you don't or can't trust me or Hermione, then trust your heart. It won't be easy but if you can endure twelve years in Azkaban and break out I'm sure you can do this. You're one of the strongest people I know. Please don't give up on yourself.

Love,

Harry

Sirius let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding. He got up to his feet and held out a hand to Hermione. She looked at it and smirked, "Ready to apologize?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Don't expect a heart-warming scene. Marauders don't apologize, it's not our style. The most you'll get is a 'sorry'."

Hermione grinned remembering the shack, "I believe that." She grabbed his hand and pulled herself up. "Let's get going, you have to make up with your friends." Sirius slung an arm over her shoulders and they walked back to the house.

Back in the living room, the three marauders stood together not quite meeting their other friends' eyes.

"So…" James trailed off.

Sirius coughed in his hand, "Remus mate I'm…sorry - for what I said."

"Yeah," Remus rocked on his heels, "me too. James -"

"Don't worry about it," James said quickly. They nodded awkwardly. The professors sat in their spots shaking with suppressed laughter. Lily and Hermione braced the wall with their arms crossed. They looked at each other and twisted their lips wryly.

"Okay," Hermione pushed away from the wall, "sorry to break this touching moment but we have work to do." The marauders immediately took their places and Lily shook her head before going to sit by James.