Carry On

By: Teenlaunch

Disclaimer: I wouldn't be writing if I owned it.

a/n: Err…I have no excuse…except that college can really rule one's life. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me so far. We're nearing half-way, not unusual as this chapter is in December. The next chapter will be out sooner! *scribbles reminders to self* Please review! (Remember to review and check out my profile for my poll. Again, you can do better.)

b/n: Good readers! I have harried, I have threatened, I have blackmailed, and I have caused irreparable physical damage to our dear author in trying to get this chapter! (OKAY, I didn't actually cause irreparable physical damage, but that's beside the point.) And now that it's here, I will endeavor to get the next chapter out very, very soon.

"Harry," someone whispered. "Harry, wake up!" Harry blinked and turned over to look at the speaker. Remus was sitting on the edge of his bed, a pile of presents on the floor, smirking at the dazed look on Harry's face. "Happy Christmas!"

Harry nodded and sat up. Remus had reluctantly agreed to keep Harry's secret from the other Marauders, and as part of the agreement, Remus couldn't be caught being nice to Harry, though they got along rather well. The others ignored Harry, often muttering behind his back while Remus tried, and mostly succeeded, to avoid all conflict.

"He doesn't even wake up right on Christmas. He just sits there and stares," Peter muttered, not having seen Remus talk to Harry.

Sirius snickered. "Look at how small his pile is. No one seems to like Times."

Harry ignored him and levitated his packages onto his bed. There were seven. That threw him off. Who had gotten him gifts? He grabbed the top one and unwrapped it. It was rock cakes from Hagrid.

Harry smiled slightly; he could always count on Hagrid, and pulled out the next one. He worked methodically through the pile, acquiring an advanced Transfiguration book from McGonagall, a book on Emotional Magic from Remus (though the package actually didn't give a name), a quick quotes quill from Lily, a snake (Slytherin) cloak clasp from Narcissa Black (he'd have to check if he could talk with it), and a very strange device from Dumbledore. It took Harry almost twenty minutes to figure out what it did. The device fit in his palm, was round, and, according to Dumbledore's note, made of an alloy developed by Nicolas Flamel, though it looked silver. The best part about it was what it did. It could turn into any weapon he wanted. Harry tested it, turning it into a sword, axe, rapier, dagger, kunai knives, and something resembling brass knuckles. His training had just gotten more interesting.

Harry was about to open his last present (from Century, to Cub) when there was a gasp from James. Harry crawled to the end of the bed and looked over at James. His father was frozen, a long box lying open in his hands. His eyes were wide and he reverently lifted the gift from its case. Sirius' mouth dropped open.

"P-prongs…that's-that's the Comet 240. It's the fastest broom in the world! Built for dives and sharp turns. It hasn't even been released yet! It must have cost a fortune." He paused, a bewildered look on his face, and then asked, "Who'd spend that much on you?"

James, his eyes still half glazed, answered, "I don't know. There was no name or note." Harry saw Remus tense ever so slightly. He glanced over at Harry who inclined his head. "I'd love to find out who it was though."

Remus snorted, recovering quickly. "I think it was anonymous for a reason, Prongs." James huffed and sat the broom down as the other three rifled through their piles. "Hey, I've got one with no name too."

"Me three," Sirius murmured excitedly.

"Me four," Peter squealed. Harry wrinkled his nose at the sound. "I'll go next, shall I?" The others shrugged and Peter ripped the package open. Inside it was a mouse trap and a small wheel of cheese. Peter frowned. "What the-" The mouse trap suddenly jumped up and snapped onto Peter's fingers. The others started howling in laughter as Peter danced around trying to avoid its second attack. He finally put a freezing charm on it and threw the trap into a drawer.

Sirius stopped laughing and wiped his eyes. "Classic! Ah…Your turn, Remus. And watch out for jinxed mouse traps." Peter glowered at him.

Remus shrugged and opened his own. "Of course," Sirius laughed. "A book."

"What's it called?" Peter asked, putout.

"Pranking: How to Get Your Name In a History Book. Interesting."

Harry rolled his eyes. "There's something in the front too. I can see it from here."

Everyone glanced at Harry, then Remus, who opened the book's front cover. Out fell a thin brown coin and a piece of parchment. Remus picked the parchment up and read, "'This coin is a Honeydukes gift certificate. With this, you get a lifetime supply of free sweets, mainly chocolate.' Happy Christmas!"

Sirius laughed. "That's brilliant!"

Remus was staring at the coin. "But, that means whenever I get something, it'll draw from his account."

"So?"

"So, that could be a lot of money!"

"But he wanted you to have it! It's a gift." James protested. "Come on! Look at what he got me, if it is the same person. He's loaded! He can afford to spend it."

Remus sighed and nodded, glowering at Harry. Sirius was bouncing up and down in excitement. "My turn!" Harry smiled slightly and watched as his godfather revealed a small rectangular tin. He opened it and lifted out a miniature motorcycle. "What in the world is this?" A note dropped on his lap. He sat the miniature on his trunk and picked up the parchment. "'Well, Sirius, I know how much you like Muggle motorcycles. So, I got you this one. No, it is not a model. It's an actual flying motorcycle. Just take it out of the case and set it on the ground then say-'"

"Wait!" Remus yelled, catching Harry's amused face. He leapt off his bed, grabbed the motorcycle and put it in the middle of the dorm floor. "Okay, carry on." He sat back down on the bed, sending Harry a smug smile.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Okaaaay. Uh, yadda, yadda, 'say 'Marauder Pride' and it'll enlarge.'" The motorcycle suddenly grew from its original six inches to a full sized machine. Sirius dropped the note in awe and went to inspect the bike.

James rolled his eyes and picked up the abandoned note. He scanned it quickly and started reading where his astounded friend had left off. "'This motorcycle is specially made for you. Its color and emblem can be changed if you want. I thought you'd like the paw print what with…well, do I really need to say it?'"

Peter squeaked. "He knows! He-" Remus chucked a pillow at him and glanced at Harry, knowing the others had forgotten him. Harry already knew the secrets of the Marauders apparently. That was obvious, but Sirius, James, and Peter couldn't know that yet.

James ignored Peter. "'And its carrying case is indestructible. It cannot be opened by anyone but you. It's the best safety mechanism I could get for it. The manufacturers are watching what they're putting on their products now. They told me one customer's girlfriend had tried to operate his flying car and it had tried to bite her arm off.'" The Marauders laughed. "'To make it shrink just say 'Marauder Pride' again.'"

Everyone stared at the motorcycle. Peter blinked. "Why didn't it shrink?" The others shrugged.

Harry sighed. Could they figure nothing out? "Maybe it's a safety precaution. If only Sirius' voice activates it, the one trying to use it would find it hard to get away if they didn't intend to ride it. They also couldn't say the password while he was in the air and have it shrink under him."

The Marauders glared at him. Peter scowled. "Why are you being so helpful, Times?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Just because I am being shunned, does not mean I must live up to the part, does it? I find it hard to act the aggressor twenty-four seven, though I could manage it if I tried."

Remus could have laughed at the dumbfounded looks on the others' faces but just said gruffly, "Try what he suggested, Sirius."

Sirius nodded. "Marauder Pride." The motorcycle instantly shrank back to six inches. Sirius picked it up and placed it in the case reverently. "It does only react to my voice."

Remus whistled and James swore loudly, exclaiming, "That must have cost his entire fortune! It's not the best, but it is a really good idea."

Remus nodded. "Like Times said," the others glanced at Harry, "nobody can be chasing you on a broom, say 'Marauder Pride', and make it shrink out from under you. I would hate to tell your mother you died in a freak motorcycle accident almost ten thousand feet in the air."

Sirius snorted. "My mother would be happy. Perfect ending for her failure of a son. Huh, she wouldn't even let you get to that little highlight. She'd have set one of her nasty pets on you first."

Remus clutched at the shirt over his heart. "Oh the horror!" The Marauders laughed. "But, seriously, Sirius, someone loves you."

"Someone loves us," Sirius corrected, "well, not Peter, apparently." Peter huffed.

Harry rolled his eyes and opened Lupin's present. The sound of ripping paper made the Marauders whip around to watch him, rather spitefully he noticed, even though he had spent a fortune on them. Harry ignored them and pulled a large platinum wristwatch from the package. Its face had no numbers or hands. It did, however, have a moving picture in the background. It was of the Marauders.

They were in their dorm just lazing around. Sirius was reading a book, but he was lying on his back on his bed with his head hanging off. He shifted every now and then, eventually getting up to go watch James and Remus who were engaged in a fierce game of what looked like gobstones. James threw up his hands and got up, having obviously lost and took out a snitch that he let fly around the room. Remus just smiled, got up as well, picked up a book, and settled in the window seat to read. Peter was asleep on his bed and Harry was glad of it.

Where the numbers should have been was a series of words: home, traveling, mortal peril, work, hospital, in jail, and school. Harry realized at once where he'd seen something similar. It was modeled after the Weasleys' clock at the Burrow. It was a brilliant present for Harry but must have cost Lupin a lot, and the man didn't have that much.

Harry went to put it on his wrist but stopped when he realized that he still had the tempus inflecto. He huffed and let the watch rest against the manipulator. To his astonishment, the jewel on the inflecto slowly absorbed into the band and seemed to sprout from the section on his right wrist. The watch slipped on over the now jewel-less band and Harry turned his attention to the note on his knee.

"Read it out loud, Times," Remus said quickly.

James and Sirius smiled wickedly. "No, let me!" James interjected, grabbing the note from Harry's limp hands. "Ahem! 'Dear Cub,'-"

"Cub? What kind of mental case are we dealing with here?" Sirius snickered loudly, but Harry didn't mind. It had a playful tone to it.

James smirked. "'Dear Cub, this watch is hand crafted with a thick leather band so even you can't break it. You'll notice it is designed with only seven possible destinations: home, traveling, mortal peril, work, hospital, in jail, and school. I know you may find this gift a bit odd since Molly's clock has never moved since your fourth year. But, while looking at this particular piece, I was told that it feeds off of magical abilities. It won't sap your strength because it uses so little. Your power determines how precise the watch will be. Molly's abilities are not as strong as yours. The only time this watch will ever point to mortal peril is when someone is captured or attacked.

"'To add a hand, just think of the person clearly in your mind while your wand is touching the watch face. You might have to really think about who you want to put on it. Only ten can go on here, though I suggest you not go over five. Any more than ten and it wouldn't fit on your wrist. We can get a full scale for your house when we get back home.'" James stared at the paper. "The Death Eater gets an awesome present too! How wrong is that?"

Harry placed his hand over the watch and concentrated for a minute, then lifted his hand. Six hands had appeared. The faces smiling up at him were Remus, Sirius, James, Peter (after much consideration), Lily, and Century (though the hand said Lupin). He hadn't tried to add his friends back home. He didn't want to test the watch and he would feel helpless if one of them was in trouble anyway. He'd have to worry about his present time first.

James held up the note and waved it in the air. "There's more! Listen! 'Now, I know full well that you also need to be able to tell time. Just tap it with your wand twice and the occupants of the picture in the background will shout out the time, date, and day of the week. The watch also has three safety features. One, it is unbreakable, though I wouldn't test that, Harry. Just take my word for it, please. Two, you can make sure no one else can read it. Three, if you don't want to see the hands, in case they distract you by some strange chance, the hands can be cleared by a transparency charm. You would still be able to see the picture, which can be changed. The watch can store up to fifty pictures at one time. And there is one more thing it can do. I think you'll appreciate this. The hand will burn red if someone is in trouble.

"'Now, there is one, well, two more things in that package. And, if I know you, which I do, you stopped at the watch because you don't expect anything else and are already raving about how much I spent on you. So, get back in that package now because I'm not telling you what it is! Signed, Professor Century.'"

Harry, ignoring the curious but highly amused stares of the Marauders, plunged his hand into the package, now understanding why it was so big. He hoped, even after sticking his hand inside, that Lupin had sense enough to not give him something with teeth.

His hand closed around another package wrapped in thin paper. Harry tore it open slowly and lifted the objects out. The bulk of the objects tumbled from his hand and hung in midair. Harry's mouth fell open, as did the Marauders'. This had to be a prank.

It was a pair of black leather pants and a matching trench coat. Harry put his head in his free hand. That man would pay for this, gag or not. Laughter erupted from the Marauders. Harry looked up and cracked a smile. A calculating expression crossed Sirius' face. "Prongs?"

"Huh?" James asked, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

"What if poor Professor Century wasted his money because they don't fit?" Sirius asked with a smirk.

James grinned like a Cheshire cat. "It would be a shame, wouldn't it? What do you say, Times, try them on for your dear Professor?" Harry scowled. "Unless you want us to do it for you?"

Harry bit back the remark he so wanted to make and drew the curtains around his bed. He whipped on the pants, cursing when they fit perfectly. Reaching between the curtains, he grabbed a clean white t-shirt and put the trench coat on over it.

"Don't forget your boots," Remus said, pushing Harry's own leather boots through the curtains. Harry grumbled but pulled them on and finally flung open the curtains.

The Marauders' jaws could have touched the floor. Sirius seemed the most amazed, much to Harry's surprise. Harry just looked around at them, not liking the attention and at a loss of what to say. Remus suddenly stood up and led him over to the only mirror in the room, on the open bathroom door. Harry's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline in surprise.

Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't this. It could have been because he had never worn anything that actually fit him besides his robes. But he actually looked good in the blasted things. Now he couldn't force Lupin to return them. The pants and coat seemed tailor-made for him. They didn't swallow him up like Dudley's old clothes did. At least they weren't skin tight, like he thought they'd be, otherwise he'd have skinned Lupin himself.

The entire ensemble made him look like someone from a Muggle spy movie, an assassin or secret agent. He really couldn't tell which. Either way, he had to admit, it was a bit intimidating. Now all he needed was the skull and crossbones on the t-shirt and he would be set. Maybe he could track down Sirius' motorcycle in the future.

Funnily enough, this was how he had always imagined Sirius dressing, at least out of school, as he was Hogwarts' most eligible bachelor. Harry did recall seeing him wearing something similar a few weeks prior, but his godfather otherwise dressed normally for a teenager, in jeans and a t-shirt. Harry turned to face the Marauders. Sirius' face had changed from amazement to a pout. "He looks better than I do in leather! Look at the muscles he has from quidditch!"

James and Peter snickered behind their hands. Remus smiled. "Leave them on, Times. Century will be happy to see you wearing them. If I didn't know better, I'd say you already love them."

Harry snorted and took off the trench coat, laying it over his trunk. "Yeah, yeah. Rub it in."

"Bet it goes with your Death Eater robes," Peter said quietly. Harry's fragile mood shattered and he glared at him.

"You would know, you r-"

He was interrupted by loud footfalls down in the common room. They steadily came closer to the boys' dorm and the door was flung open. It was Lupin, looking slightly miffed but otherwise calm. The boys gaped at their professor. Lupin crossed his arms and stared at Harry through narrowed eyes from the doorway. Peter gulped visibly. Harry's face was blank, showing no reaction to the intrusion. James looked from Lupin to Harry, both eyebrows raised.

Lupin's foot tapped rhythmically on the floor as he kept eye contact with Harry. He opened his mouth slowly and made sure to form each word correctly. "Harry – James – Times! You have – exactly – ten seconds to explain why you charmed this wretched thing to clamp itself onto my person."

Harry stared at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Lupin growled lightly. "Liar. You know what you did to it, and you know I can't take it off."

"Really, Professor, I don't know what you're on about."

Of course Harry knew exactly what Lupin was talking about, but he loved playing with him. While Lupin could be dangerous when angry, he knew how to take a joke. There had been three parts to Lupin's gift. One was what he claimed Harry had jinxed to clamp onto his person, not that Harry denied that claim. He had jinxed it and he was rather proud of his work. The second was a simple slip of paper, an IOU that he knew would have to be explained as that was all it said. The third, which he knew his professor had not brought with him, was a picture Harry had drawn, inked, and painted. It was a picture of himself (as a baby), James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus. It was done like a family portrait, just like Harry thought it should have been. He was in the middle with his parents who were sitting on a small loveseat. Sirius and Remus were sitting on the back of the seat, smiling widely. But he'd talk to him about that later.

He snapped back to reality as Lupin tugged down the collar of his robes, revealing a choker. It was pink with small purple hearts and rhinestones. A long, thin piece of pink fabric draped down his back. Sirius got up and edged toward Lupin, obviously trying to read the silver, heart-shaped pendant hanging from what they now realized was a collar. "Precious."

The Marauders chuckled quietly. Lupin glared at them and Harry smirked. "Oh! That thing. It's just a leash and collar."

Lupin closed his eyes for a moment. He seemed to be counting to ten. "I happen to be unable to remove it," he ground out.

Harry smirked. "No kidding, genius. I charmed it that way so that you have to cooperate."

"Cooperate?" Lupin parroted. He looked confused for a moment then reached into his pocket to draw out a crumpled piece of parchment. He tossed it to Harry. "That?"

Harry smoothed it out and nodded. "Uh-huh. An IOU."

"And what, pray tell, is that IOU for?"

Harry smiled. "In two days, you and I are going to London, and getting you a new wardrobe. When we are done shopping, I will take all your clothes that have no sentimental value, and personally burn them."

Lupin's mouth fell open. "What? No! I refuse to-"

"Fine, I'll let you keep the clothes. And don't argue with me! You deserve it! You treat everyone else with kindness and expect nothing in return. Well, this is me saying thanks and I will drag you if I must. And no, this is not charity, this is a gift. There is a difference. Charity is given when you feel sorry for someone, when you want to help no matter what. Well, a gift is something that you give to someone even though they may or may not need it, but you want them to have it because you care for them, not because you pity them."

"But-"

"I guess you're stuck then," Harry answered, leaning back.

Lupin sighed. "On two conditions."

"Shoot."

"One, this thing is taken off right after we get there. Two, you wear what you have on now and try on anything I suggest."

Harry grimaced. Lupin must have taken that as a yes because he got up and left quickly. "Fine. Jerk."

"I heard that!"

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

-2 Corinthians 9:7