Forgiveness
Sev preceded Remus, Sirius and James to the meeting room, silent. They have taken care to go to the bathroom earlier, that is why they have arrived shortly after me, otherwise they would have been extremely punctual. And James already talks more than Sirius, he is the true leader of the group. Remus already told me, he has the material of a commander of a possible squad. He opened the door for them and let them in.
"Sit on the same side of the table, please," he told James and Sirius.
"Wow... you have everything," Sirius said, amazed. "I see that Dumbledore is doing things in a big way, it was about time."
"We have, Sirius, now it's for you too."
They sat to the left of the head, James next to it, Remus facing Sirius. Sev closed the door with the spell of his invention and took a seat across from James. They looked into each other's eyes. He is no longer afraid to look at me, to say things to my face, brave Gryff. He waited for him to speak while he read him. He's searching for the words to tell me how sorry he is that he broke my arm. I'm going to help him. "Do you want to tell me something, James?"
"Yes Prince. Forgive me for everything we've been doing to you all these years."
Sev didn't stop staring at him. "Of course I forgive you. I know you were just trying to have fun, you didn't mean to really hurt me."
"But last year you almost died because of me," Sirius said.
Sev looked at him, Sirius was also looking into his eyes. Ugh… how overwhelmed he is, poor boy, and acknowledging his fault immediately as well, as soon as James has done it. They're good people, both of them. But I must blame him, I could have died.
He addressed him, "Of course, Sirius, that was very reckless. Luckily, your friend here, saved my life," pointing to James.
They fell silent. How easy the conversation is going to be, relaxed and with many silences, so that we can read them. There are a lot of deep feelings at play, in a way we've had a very close relationship, all of us.
He read Sirius, who was now looking at Remus. He deeply understands why Remus became my friend and has stood up for me ever since. I'm going to talk to him about it. "You should apologize to Remus as well, because you put his secret at risk and he almost killed someone, which he would never have recovered from."
"I already did it yesterday," Sirius said, still looking at Remus. He was about to cry.
Sirius is Gryff, he's very emotional. Maybe he must have quarreled with the Hat when he was eleven, but now he's all Gryff, Sev thought. "Do it again in front of me, please, I'd like to witness how you reconcile. Remus is my best friend and I like to see him happy."
Sirius held out his hands to Remus across the table, and Remus took them. "Remus, forgive me, please."
"Everything is forgotten, Sirius, I already told you yesterday," Remus said. "Maybe if it hadn't been for that, I would never have regretted what I was doing or met Sev, who is also my best friend."
Remus doesn't break down, he gets a lot less emotional with them than with me, he was so burned out. He read James, not looking at him. He hasn't calmed down yet, he wants to talk about my broken arm, he was the one who threw the Levicorpus at me. He looked at him. Ugh… how overwhelmed he is. But I must also recriminate him, that he finds out what I suffered. "James, do you want to tell me something else?"
"How did you recover from your arm?" suffering. "A day and a half later you were fighting."
"It was hard for me, based on so many potions that I lost count, because the one for pain made me sleepy and I also had to take a Stimulant," Sev explained.
"Oh…"
"And not only that, when fighting without being fully recovered it hurt just the same and the inflammation did not go down. One more potion."
"I'm so sorry," James held out his hand, also about to cry.
Sev gave it to him and squeezed it, James did too. "It's already forgotten, James. In return, you saved my life, and not just last year in the Shrieking Shack, but last week as well. Was it your idea to make the Map?"
"Mine and Sirius'."
"Then I owe my life to both of you, to all three of you, because it was Remus who really did most of the work. Give me your hand too, Sirius."
Sirius did, not letting go of the other from Remus'. Sev explained how he had gotten rid of the malefics because Remus had taught Dumbledore how to make the Map. "So I owe you my life, the device you devised to harass me is now my life insurance. You have been part of the team without knowing it, an essential part. Do you feel better now?"
"No, Prince," James told him. "Because that was not our intention but to attack you."
He is absolutely right. Gryff sincere to the core. I'm already beginning to doubt lying to them about Pettigrew, they're going to be very overwhelmed, but I must warn them without fail about him.
"Me neither," Sirius said. "I'm not getting over the Shrieking Shack thing, actually I've been sorry almost ever since, I just never told them about it."
Sev squeezed his hand. Sly trait, keep his emotions to himself. And Lauren didn't tell me this about him either when she read them, I have to tell her off too. "Luckily nothing happened. Now it's over, and we're having the opportunity to talk about it so that bad feelings don't stay inside us and hurt us."
"So, do you forgive us?" Sirius asked, overwhelmed.
"Of course, I'm already telling you, it's all over."
"You are exceptional, Prince," James told him. "We have been making your life miserable since the first trip on the Express, we don't deserve it."
He also remembers that, Sev thought. He looked and smiled at him. I'm going to make a joke to light the mood. They are both very bad and they do not hide it at all. How easy it is with the Gryffs. "Gryffindor, lots of brawn and little brains."
The four laughed.
"Do you trust then in my change of sides?" Sev asked them.
"How can you doubt that, Prince?" James said, almost jaded. "Who wouldn't do it after seeing what a risk you're taking?"
"Of course," Sirius spoke, deeply admiring. "Look at what you've accomplished, a monumental strategy. Now it makes me angry to have fought with the Hat and not have been Slytherin. You are showing intelligence, courage, unity. You have cleaned Hogwarts by risking your freedom and managed to unite the entire school in the face of war. You are admirable, the best House."
"Thank you very much, Sirius, the Ravenclaws were also involved from the beginning," Sev said. "Maybe you didn't find out because you missed the unveiling that we did on May 15th in the Great Hall for being late for breakfast."
"Yes," Sirius continued. "Remus told us that it was historic, it made us very angry. We read it the next day in the Daily Prophet."
"You also have extraordinary qualities. It would be impossible to be having this talk after all that has happened between us if you weren't Gryffindor, emotional and sincere."
"You are too, Prince," answered James, looking at him with deep admiration. "You are open and close like the Hufflepuffs without ceasing to be discreet, you also have a brilliant mind like the Ravenclaws without being individualistic, and extraordinary courage like the Gryffindors without a trace of pride. You have the best of the four Houses without their flaws, you are the best leader we could have."
Wooow… he's going to make me cry too, Sev thought. James has a deep understanding of the human soul, an exemplary upbringing, like Lily, they would have made a good match. He has understood me in a quarter of an hour, well, surely he has been thinking about it during the hour and a half that they have spent fighting. "Thank you, James, I'm having a lot of help, I don't deserve so much praise."
"And also, modest."
Because he is not at all. Time to talk about the hot topic, he's giving me the cue. And I must say this to him, who is the one who speaks the most.
Sev released their hands, Sirius didn't let go of Remus'. "Thank you very much James. You will also acquire good qualities from the other Houses when you start to mix with the rest of the school, that's what it's all about. And for the moment, the most important is to learn to be discreet and keep secrets. We're doing it all behind the Ministry's back, as you can imagine."
"Of course, the Ministry is in the hands of wealthy and influential families, like mine or Malfoy's," Sirius said.
He knows it well, he relates to them.
"And not only that," Sev continued, addressing James. "We must avoid at all costs that it reaches Voldemort's ears, that's also why we lynched the malefic Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, so they would leave Hogwarts. Dumbledore read one of them and they intended to tell on everything we're doing on their way out of school, putting us all at risk, especially those closest to me." So he will fear for Lily too. He already sees her always accompanied by Alice and Frank, he must smell everything.
"Of course, to curry favor with him and become Death Eaters," Sirius replied.
Sirius is quite well informed. He'll see that James doesn't blab. "That's why what we do here shouldn't leave here," Sev still told James, and Sirius, "How are you doing with your cousin?"
"I haven't had a relationship with her for years. I find out what I hear and go home as little as possible, a couple of weeks in the summer and another at Christmas, the rest of the time I spend at James' house," Sirius answered. "He doesn't have siblings and his parents treat me like a son, much better than mine, who repudiate me."
Of course he identifies with me, with my mother, Sev thought. I'm going to tell him, to reinforce it. "Trying to break up with them, right? My mother also broke with her family, giving up a comfortable life and her good standing to marry my father."
"Wow, how brave, you've inherited your courage from her," said Sirius, admired. "Of course I'm trying to break up with them, there's no good one. Only my cousin Andromeda, blood traitor, married to a Muggle-born."
I can't wait to tell him that his cousin Narcissa is good now too. When he learns Occlumency, maybe. "Then there is no danger of Bellatrix reading you."
"Not at all. Besides, I'm not going back home, this summer I'm definitely going to live at James' house. I'll go get my things and disappear immediately."
Interesting, he's going to have a profound influence on James, they're like brothers, Sev thought. "Wow, I'm happy for you. Won't you have problems for being a minor?"
Sirius laughed. "Not at all, I'm going to give my parents joy, losing sight of me."
Indeed he is brave. What he has had to endure facing his family, I admire him a lot. We are going to be very good friends. "You are also very brave, Sirius, a lot. And your brother? He left on his own the day of the mess."
"Well… another one who, at fifteen, is already thinking about becoming a Death Eater. I have no family, my family are my friends. I was very sorry to have lost my good relationship with Remus. Thanks for helping me get it back."
Unbelievable, instead of being mad at Remus for befriending me, he's grateful to me for giving him back, how easy it is with the Gryffs. We are perfect for each other, on successive occasions I will tell him my whole story. And it's ideal, it's giving me the opportunity to talk about his other friend. "And Pettigrew? Do you consider him your friend?" Sev asked.
"Peter is another matter entirely. We go with him because otherwise he would be alone, we are only four Gryffindor boys in our year."
"You should stop hanging out with him, Pettigrew is not to be trusted."
"Of course not," James said. "He doesn't regret anything we did to you at all, when we broke your arm he celebrated it. He is heartless, in that too you have opened our eyes."
"Do you think so too, Sirius?" Sev asked.
"Of course, me even more, I've been regretting it since last summer," Sirius replied.
Ugh… the one that Lauren messed me up yesterday knowing this about Sirius. There's no need for me to lie to them about Pettigrew, they're not going to slip. And even less that I threaten them with a lynching, poor boys. Lauren has a psychotic edge. "You will understand then that, waiting for what he does in the future, it is not convenient for him to know anything about what we do here. Imagine that he becomes a Death Eater, the first to fall would be you two, the closest, and with you, perhaps also your family, present or future." Fear in the eyes of both. Luckily I didn't tell them the lie, it would have made them suffer a lot.
Sev read them. They are not going to tell him anything, but they don't know how to come to train without him finding out. He waited for them to speak.
Sirius did, "It's going to be very difficult for us to hide from him that we're coming to train," Sirius said.
He delegates the strategies to me, why not? Admiration for the Slys. "I've already been thinking about it, and the only solution that occurred to me is that the three of you take turns to stay with him while the other two come."
Again they were silent, thinking. He read them. Potter's in a mess, Sirius is thinking of telling on Pettigrew as an unregistered Animagus so he'll get expelled from school, but it's not a good idea, he'd tell on them too. Besides, if they see the old man he's going to discover all three of them.
"Do you have a better idea?" Sev asked them.
"Do you mind if we go out for a moment to talk among ourselves?" Sirius asked.
Poor boys, they don't even imagine that we can read them. What compassion I'm feeling, more and more. They must be saved at all costs. "Remus, teach them the Muffliato so they can speak here."
Remus explained what the Muffliato was and taught them the pass taking his time, while Sev read them more thoroughly. In Defense class this week, Pettigrew failed to conjure Patronus, not even an incorporeal one. The truth is that Remus could have told me. Later I will also talk about it, to finish convincing them. And I can tell them all the secrets I want, they're not going to tell him anything, I'll do it to earn them even more.
In addition, James is also worried about their two other year-mates and Sirius about who was attacked last year, Macdonald. He usually dates with her, although James knows nothing about it. Sirius is discreet and so is the girl, neither Lily nor Remus knew anything, the gossip is the other one, the one who's after James. I had already thought of talking to them about that topic as well, I'll tell them about it later.
And they both fear for Lily too, in the sense that she was my friend in the past, and Sirius can already smell that I'm still with her, he's much more alert and cunning, James isn't.
When Remus finished, Sev told them, "If you don't trust me, I can go out so you can talk about it among yourselves."
"Yes, Sev, please, come out for a moment." Remus told him. "When we're done I'll let you know."
Remus has also read Sirius about telling on Pettigrew.
Sev left the meeting room and waited a few minutes. Remus is probably explaining to them that I already know they are Animagi. I'm only going to talk to them about Lily if they bring up the subject.
Remus went out to call him. "You may come in."
He went inside, relocked the door, and they both sat down.
"Explain to him the idea you've had, Sirius," Remus said.
"All three of us, James, Peter and I, are unregistered Animagi," Sirius said. "Remus explained that he already told you."
"Yes, I already knew that, for a long time," Sev said.
"And yet you haven't told on us," James told him.
"Well no, so as not to bug Remus and for him to be left alone in his crisis. I didn't do it for you, I did it for him, I put friendship ahead of the rivalry I felt towards you." With this they will appreciate me even more.
"Wow… that honors you" James told him, admired.
"Of course," Sirius said, with the same sentiment.
Remus hasn't explained to them why I didn't tell on them, Sev thought. How well he is doing it too, leaving all the protagonism to me. "The good feelings should always be above the bad ones, that is precisely why we are here right now."
They were silent, thinking. He read them. They are still sorry and ashamed that I was the one who took the first step to establish a good relationship, they feel that I am far above them. Poor boys, it will be difficult for them to overcome it, I have to help them as much as I can. He waited for them to speak.
It was Sirius who did it, "How is it possible that meeting you often Dumbledore hasn't discovered it?"
Sirius is much quicker-minded than James, another Sly trait. Sev leaned back in his chair, giving an appearance of calm. "Don't ask me, maybe he has discovered it and doesn't care about it for the same reason, so that Remus won't be left alone, just like last year he didn't listen to me when I told on you about the Shrieking Shack."
"Sure... So don't you think it's a good idea that we tell McGonagall about Peter so they can get him expelled?" Sirius asked.
Well, he's a bit cunning, he was planning to talk to Minerva and not Albus, and Remus hasn't given them the solution, he's left it up to me. He's doing it perfect. "No, Sirius. Maybe if you put McGonagall in the way she wouldn't be as compassionate as Dumbledore, you know she's very strict, and Transfiguration is her domain. And if you did that, Peter could tell on you too, maybe once out of school straight to the Ministry, and then you'd be lost. What you should do is register as soon as you turn seventeen."
"Can we?" James asked, interested. "Won't we have to wait until we graduate?"
Look, they have not informed themselves…Sev thought. They are very lazy, they have a lot to learn. "No, it's enough to be seventeen. Do you turn them before Peter?"
"Yeah, he's one of the little ones, born in summer," James answered.
"And you, when?"
"March twenty-seventh," James replied.
"November third," Sirius replied.
Great, I'm going to know their Celtic horoscope. "And when do you turn them, Remus?" asked Sev. "I've never asked you."
"March tenth," Remus replied.
"Oh, man… why didn't you tell me?" sad.
"Because I knew that you would have been overwhelmed by giving me a gift."
"Jo, Remus... but that way I couldn't even congratulate you."
"It's okay, Sev, I didn't congratulate you on yours either."
He sure knows mine, Lily must have told him. "But because it was on Christmas holidays and we didn't see each other."
"We meet shortly after and I didn't congratulate you."
"Well, next year we will congratulate each other, when we turn seventeen," Sev told him, and to the others, "Well, there you have it. Sirius, you can register at Christmas, and you, James, at Easter, and immediately tell on him and we'll kick him out of school. What do you think?"
"Ugh… still almost a year of hiding it," James said.
Sev addressed him, "Well, yes, because it is not convenient for him to turn against you during all that time. Learn from us, Remus has spent almost a year hiding his friendship with me from you and I did the same with the vipers until I had a chance to part with them. Now you are part of the team and you begin to be in on the secrets, you must learn to keep them for the good of all."
"You're absolutely right," Sirius said.
Sirius is much more discreet than James, who always tells everything. Sly trait, and a lifetime of dissimulation from his family. "Remus will help you, he knows a lot about it, and you should know a lot too, Sirius."
Remus nodded.
"Any questions you have, ask him or directly me when we see each other over the weekend," Sev continued. "I lead the fifth grade group, you have very easy access to me."
"Thank you for giving us this opportunity, suspecting the risk we were all taking with Pettigrew," Sirius said.
Sirius is much quicker-minded than James, he's already tied all the loose ends. "You deserve it, you are so willing to take a risk in war like everyone else, the unfair thing would have been for you to stay alone and behind. Now you must design between the three of you a training attendance plan. Since Remus outplays you and he's not taking Defense, maybe he can sacrifice more assists than you so you can catch up with the others as soon as possible. Would you be willing, Remus?"
"Of course," Lupin replied.
"I also do it for him, I understand that for him you are true friends," Sev said. "You made a great effort to become Animagi to accompany him and you risk every month being expelled. I am also grateful to you for that, I would not do it. I'm going to do it in the future, when I turn seventeen and I can register."
"When do you turn them?" James asked.
"January ninth."
"It is easier to become an Animagus in the animal of your Patronus. What is your Patronus?"
Occasion to talk about Pettigrew's Patronus, Sev thought. I'm going to tell them about mine, so they can hallucinate. "I have three different ones," proud of himself.
"What are you saying?" Sirius exclaimed, very astonished.
"What you are hearing."
"I don't believe it," James said.
"Believe it, he wouldn't lie about something like that," Remus told him, and to Sev, "You hadn't told me. Since when do you know?"
Remus is not surprised, he knows that my Patronuses are special, because my twin with Lily plays with hers, and he also knows that I love several women. "Since Monday, when I tried them for this week's Defense class," Sev answered.
"You'll show me."
So that I don't conjure the lioness in front of them and they find out that it is the twin of Lily's. "I can show you the two new ones if you want, you'll like one a lot. So they see that I conjure at least two different ones and James believes it."
"Do it, I really want to see them," Remus asked him.
Sev got up, they all did, positioning themselves between the headboard and the door. He brought up the memory with Lauren, when she had hurt him in his chest, and he conjured nonverbally. The panther emerged, facing him snarling, threatening him with its paw. My passionate panther.
"It's true, it's different than the other one," Remus said.
"Why do it do that?" Sirius asked, very astonished.
"My Patronuses are special, they do things," Sev replied. "I'll do the third one with you, Remus."
"Brilliant."
They conjured at a time, Sev recalled the memory with Deborah. Remus' wolf and Sev's she-wolf emerged and began to play.
"Twin of mine? Is this memory with me?" Remus asked excitedly.
"No, Remus. Yours is male and mine is female. I'll tell you later."
"I've never seen anything like it," James said, amazed and excited. "I'm sorry for doubting you."
"Half a lifetime doubting me, James," Sev said sarcastically. "All is forgiven."
"I haven't doubted that you could do it, but it's amazing," Sirius said, admired, "What a power you have."
"It is simply that I have several very happy memories, each one with a different person." Sirius will understand, he does it with a lot of girls, another thing in common. "Can you show me yours?"
"Of course," James said.
James verbally conjured and the stag emerged, quickly rushing through the classroom door.
"I won't be able to make mine at a time that yours, Prongs, they would devour yours," Sev joked.
The four laughed.
When we're done with the serious talk, I'm going to tease him, laugh at him for a while.
Then Sirius conjured. A huge dog arose, bigger than the wolves. Whoa... I like Sirius more and more. "Wow, Padfoot…" Sev said, admired, "Yours is very powerful and it is a canid like my wolf."
"Of course, I'm the one who usually controls Remus the most in his crisis, but when you become an Animagus you'll help me too."
"Of course. Let's sit down again, we must continue with the talk."
They did, in the places they had already occupied before. Meanwhile he read Sirius. He already suspects that I didn't do the first one because it has to do with Lily and that she will also become an Animagus, like Cecile. He already knows for sure that Lily is with me, but he's not going to say anything to James or mention her during the conversation.
He also read James. He doesn't even smell it. He may be the leader of the group, but Sirius is much smarter and more awake. Over time we will see who is more deserving of being the commander of a squad.
"By the way, did Pettigrew manage to conjure Patronus?" Sev asked.
"No, he didn't even get an incorporeal," Sirius said.
"Well, there you have the proof, he is not reliable. So watch, listen and shut up. Any more questions about Pettigrew?"
"Not at the moment," Sirius said.
"Nothing," James said.
"Okay, then I move on to another topic, a warning," Sev said. "Voldemort proposes that all good duelists join him as soon as they graduate."
"And how do you know that?" Sirius asked, very puzzled.
He is surprised that he did not also find out, being in such close contact with supporters. "Long time in close contact with the enemy, Sirius."
"A magnificent double agent," he replied.
Everyone tells me the same thing, Sev thought. The old man will propose it to me. "I warn you so that you can get ready, when we graduate we will be in the middle of the war. One more reason to have invited you."
They were silent. He read them. They do not feel fear, gratitude to me predominates for warning them, brave Gryffs. They fear the betrayal of the rat more than Voldemort himself, they will be excellent combatants. I am going to take the opportunity to value them. "And I'm very pleased that I did. I have observed that in just an hour and a half you have improved a lot," Sev continued. "You are going to be exceptional fighters, excellent signings."
"How generous you are, valuing us like that," James told him. "After all we've done to you."
Poor boy, he doesn't overcome it. "Something more to thank you, precisely thanks to that I learned to fight thoroughly, now I am the second best duelist in the school while still in fifth year."
"Who's the best?"
It matters to him, he is Potter. Sev laughed. "Alice."
"Longbottom's girlfriend?" very surprised. "Is she better than him?"
He expected it would be a boy, he is Potter. "Of course she is, she is capable of fighting three against one against the lazy seventh-graders at a low level. How about? Hogwarts' best duelist is a witch."
"She doesn't look like that, so petite," said James.
"We are witches, that doesn't matter," Sev replied. "It's about having agility and good reflexes. I suppose you have them too, being a Quidditch player."
"Of course, flying on a broom helps a lot to develop them."
"Do you fly too, Sirius?"
"Yeah, at James' we always fly," Sirius replied.
"I'm learning now, I haven't flown since first year," Sev said.
"Oh…" James said, sad.
"I don't have money to buy a broom, I come from a very humble background."
They both stayed silent. He read them. Not a trace of compassion, but deep admiration for me. I will tell both of them my story the next time they come together. "The other day my escort gave me a good broom, a Nimbus 1500, the best there is."
"It's the one I have," James replied.
"Great. Well, knowing how to fly on a broomstick will be very good for you to fight. You know, the skirmishes."
"Sure, the skirmishes…" Sirius said, understanding.
He hears about it at home, Sev thought.It's a pity he's going to cut himself off from his family, he would have made a good spy too by teaching him Mental Arts, of course. "From next year we will all learn, we will form squads and we will learn to fly in formation to fight like this."
"Wooow…" James exclaimed. "Fantastic."
He's already dreaming. How he would also like to see Deborah's wishes in the mirror. "That is why we are already forming groups, half of the time they are formed by the commanders to get to know each other and the other half are organized by affinity. That's why you couldn't stay behind, you would have been left alone."
"Sure…" Sirius said, understanding, "Thanks again for giving us the opportunity."
Time to bring up the subject of the girls. "Speaking of giving chances, also talk to the two girls from our year who haven't joined yet. One of them is Muggle-born, right?" Sev asked.
"Yes," James said.
The gossip. "And the other one was attacked last year by the malefics of our year, maybe she also wants to learn to defend herself."
"We'll talk to them, of course," Sirius said.
His lover, of whom the others know nothing. "Make sure they keep the secret from Pettigrew, one of them is quite a gossip," Sev warned. "If they're not going to, don't tell them anything for now." They'll understand that I know this about them from Lily or Remus himself. "They won't study Defense, they won't be combatants and they will still have more than a year to learn when you expel the rat."
The four laughed.
"We'll assess it," Sirius said.
I trust him, he has a certain Sly cunning. "Assess it yourself, you know them better than me."
"I'll do it, do not worry."
They were silent. Sev read Sirius. He's going to tell his lover, so she can help them keep Pettigrew under control, but he's going to tell James not to say anything to the other for now. And he knows that his girl won't do it either if he tells her, she has a crush on him and she will be afraid something bad will happen to him. I trust his judgment, and Lily can keep both of them in check, she is in class and in her bedroom with them all the time. "Any questions, Sirius?"
"Yeah. I think Mary can be trusted, and she could help us keep Peter in check."
"You know her better than me, tell her if you want. She won't tell the other one?"
"I'm sure she won't, she doesn't air the compromised secrets," Black replied.
Her relationship with him. "Tell her then even if she can't come to train, she will do it in the futurem" Sev said. "Any other questions you have, ask me, okay? I am the one who looks out for everyone's safety."
"Of course I will, Prince."
He read James without looking at him. He's thinking about Lily, it's time for me to talk about her so he doesn't catch me by surprise. He turned to him. "Do you have any questions, James?"
"Yeah, what about Evans?"
"Do you fear for her?" Sev asked.
"Of course, she was your friend for many years," Potter replied.
"Yeah, but you already saw that we parted away when my situation became compromised. No one connects us anymore."
"Did you get away from her because of that?" compassionate.
"Yes, for not putting her in danger," Sev answered.
"Oh… I thought you were still secretly together," sad.
Wow, when we come out, he'll accept it. It's good to have talked about it.
"And if she's no longer in danger, why is she always accompanied by the Longbottoms?" James asked.
"Just in case. I still care about her very much and I have already told you, anyone close to me may suffer reprisals. Don't suffer anymore for her, she will have protection in summer too."
"And how did you organize her protection without being with her?"
"Very easy. I simply asked Remus to protect her by making friends with the Longbottoms, and later, when I contacted him, Dumbledore as well," Sev replied.
"Oh… I see that you know how to take good care of people, without expecting anything in return."
"Yes, it is one of my qualities."
Not yours, always harassing Lily. They had gone quiet, he read James. He's bought it, he doesn't think I'm with her.
He looked at Sirius, who was looking at him in understanding, and read him. I know for sure, now more than ever, that you're with Lily, but I'm not going to say a word to James, I'm already more on your side than on his side in every way, he heard Sirius' mental voice. Wow… he's telling me in the second person and he's called Lily by her first name, not her last name, he knows I'm reading him. Sev smiled at him, Sirius smiled back satisfied. When I catch him alone I'll talk about all this with him.
"I have something more to thank you for my part," Sev continued. "Precisely because of your bullying I am very famous throughout the school and that is why I had such a pull when it was discovered that I was on the side of the good guys."
"Oh…" Sirius said. "You really had us all fooled."
"Nobody fooled, I just hung out with my dormmates, as you have done with Pettigrew. If you noticed, in class I never sat with them, I always in the first row and they in the last."
"Yes, that's true," James said. "But you also hung out with the older purebloods, especially Malfoy."
Lucius topic has come up, Sev thought. I'll explain it to them, Remus will understand even better what I told him yesterday, and both James and Sirius will feel identified with me. "I was little and flattered that he paid attention to me. He has no siblings and neither do I, he played the older brother."
"Of course, I can understand it, I don't have them either, that's why Sirius and Remus are like brothers to me," said Potter.
"I can understand that too," Sirius said, "I have one but as I didn't have him. What a bad luck you had, that you were adopted by precisely the worst of all."
Sev smiled sadly at him. Oh, Sirius... your cousin's husband... If you only knew what a risk he's taking for me, for us, for everyone… "And Narcissa, do you ever see her?" Sev asked.
"Neither."
"And your other cousin, the one who is a blood traitor?"
"Andromeda? Neither," Black replied. "She cut herself off from the family completely as soon as she graduated."
As Mum, many similarities. Can't wait to meet her too. "Don't you know anything about her?"
"I don't."
He doesn't even know that he has a niece, three years old already, poor boy. "I find it funny that almost all of you have names of stars," Sev commented.
"Yes, it is a tradition in my family."
"I adore Astronomy, do you like it?"
"Yeah, I love it too," Sirius said, smiling.
Great, something else in common.
"I not so much," James said.
I have finished with all the topics that I had to deal with, now to make friends. I'm going to tease James, let's see how he reacts. Sev leaned back in his chair with his hands in his pockets in a cocky attitude and so he spoke too. "But you like Quidditch and so do I. This year we beat you."
James smiled and looked down in embarrassment.
I'm going to keep teasing him. Since I'm not going to take my revenge, I'm going to make up for it a bit. "You only beat Ravenclaw, you even lost to Hufflepuff," Sev continued.
James still didn't look up, Sirius and Remus were laughing, Sev too. Great, his own friends laughing at him with me, I'm going to sting him even more.
"Your prongs weigh you down and you're going to fall off the broom," aggressive and vehement.
Remus and Sirius burst out laughing, Sev too, James couldn't help but laugh, not looking up.
Remus understands that I'm saying this for Lily, Sirius as well, and maybe James will as well. He read them. Sirius has understood, of course. James no, how short he is, poor thing. He looked at Sirius, who was nodding in satisfaction, still laughing. That's good, I'm going to get along great with Sirius. Who could have said it?
When the laughter subsided he continued, "Well, I'm going to leave it for today, I've already taken my little revenge. Prepare for others in successive days, James."
Again the laughter intensified. These Gryffs are great, everyone, even James is laughing at himself. Now it is going to weigh me in the soul if I don't see them in the Mirror the next time I look at myself. I already love them, I'm going to tell them.
When they stopped laughing he told them, holding out his hands to both of them, "Today you have lost a friend but you have gained another. I hope the change was worth it."
They took them. They both looked at him with admiration and deep trust.
"Of course, Prince," Sirius told him.
"Without a doubt," James told him.
"My best friends call me Sev. I would like you to call me that.
"We will, Sev," James told him.
"Of course," Sirius told him.
"Do you have anything else to tell me in private?" Sev asked.
"It doesn't have to be in private, but I'm telling you now," James told him. "You've also gained two friends, real ones."
Sirius was nodding very sure.
"I do not doubt it. You are wonderful, what a shame not to have met before as we are."
"You are too," Sirius told him.
"Our fault," James told him.
He squeezed their hands. They did too.
"Before we get too sentimental, do you feel like fighting a while longer?" Sev asked them.
"Of course," James said.
"Sure," said Sirius.
He released their hands and spoke with friendly reproach, "Two against two, and not three and a quarter against one."
They all burst out laughing again. When they subsided, Sev exclaimed, "I'm asking for a couple with Sirius!"
"Great!" Sirius exclaimed.
They got up, went out and fought. A fair duel against his harassers for five long years. The four of them enjoyed themselves like never before.