“Dementors,” voiced James. He swallowed, feeling sick with dread. “The Dementors are loose.”

“This is rather terribly surreal, isn't it?” Sirius observed, amused.

“Jus’ be careful, Prongs, you sodding idiot,” he growled unhappily. He added, his words slurring as sleep began to claim him once more, “Tell Lily hallo for me.”

A small, light brown owl suddenly swooped through the open window beside the table. Remus spared it a glance, welcoming the distraction from visions of his hunch-backed, dust-covered self.

“For one, Moony, it’s not paid work, and for two,” he carried on quickly before Remus could object to the first point. “Er... for two,” he repeated firmly, racking his brain. He couldn’t think of anything else.

“For two, it’s not paid work,” supplied Sirius helpfully.

James, who would never admit to welcoming the short break, at least not in front of Lily, picked his end up again. He had, in fact, been attempting nonverbal, wandless magic in an effort to produce a cooling charm on himself without being noticed.

They rounded the corner, barely had a chance to glimpse the group of people gathered there, barely registered the fact that a few of the faces were familiar to them, when they heard an incantation. "Petrificus Totalis!" and Remus suddenly went stiff as a board.

James raised his eyebrows and gave her a quizzical look. “Why, Evans,” he said in a mock tone. “Are you implying that you’d like to marry me?”

“There’s some strange thing’s been going on around here,” he said under his breath.

Sirius shrugged. "Well, she won't tell me whats the matter with her," he muttered indignantly as he stepped around the couple and into the room.

“Morning, Lily,” said James cheerfully, looking exhausted and thoroughly clubbed upside the bloody head by something.

“We still are kids,” interrupted Sirius.

Bertulf lowered the spear and stared evenly at his companion. "It's a wizard," he snarled. "Look at how he's dressed," and he spat again, the wad of saliva nearly hitting Remus's foot.

He felt the ripple break and reflect back at him, and knew that somebody was there - somebody was watching him.

Why did you do that? You didn't have to do that, James thought desperately, and he turned away.

Without a word, James reached behind him and pulled a small glass mirror from his back pocket. He slowly brought it up to his face, and then glanced around at his companions.

"Hundreds of hooded people are parading the streets, setting houses to fire..."

"Were you invited, then?" asked Peter, ignoring the apology. He didn't think he could stand it if Remus had been invited over and he hadn't been.

Fawkes let out a cry, beautiful in the tortured night as he soared above the heads of the dark witches and wizards.

Greyback tilted his head back and let loose a laugh. “All of those Muggles on their way to work. KABOOM!”

The breaking news story was playing on all channels. She flipped through them, and back again, until one of them finally gave her the information she was looking for.

James grinned at Sirius and shook his head. “Well, well. Look who’s become rather Marauderish. Sneaking, lying, cheating… all for free rent. Lily, I never thought you had it in you.”

“What are you waiting for!” screamed Moody again, ducking a black bolt of lightning. His wand moved frantically, offensive spells, defensive spells. He didn't have a second to spare to apprehend Regulus. “You’re the only one who can stop him, Black, do it! Do it now!”

“As a part of this pack,” he said solemnly. “You must be punished once again for the lies you have led us to believe. I don’t think I have ever come across anyone I have had to punish as often as you.”

“Do you know what today is a good day for?” he asked the bird, who unsurprisingly had no answer. “Today is a good day for visiting James’s parents.”

Moody nodded and looked down at his gnarled hands. “Let me tell you something else, Black,” he said after a moment. “If I had to pick one person to fight beside me in this war, it would be you.”

These people were killers, intelligent and crafty. They were Slytherins. All of them. It was all Sirius could think about now as he lurked past old portraits of Lucius dressed in green and silver attire.

“Hey, Sirius. Do you think we’re too young to get married?”

An answering laugh, female and cheeky and wild and teasing, echoed around the room, bouncing off the walls and decorative arches, off of the fountain and the floors and ceiling. Edgar turned in a slow circle as he followed the sound.

It was late one night when James received an owl tapping urgently at his bedroom window. It took him a moment to wake up and fully understand what the noise was, and by then, Lily had already beaten him to the source of the sound.

James gave his head a single shake. “He’s too old. If he was younger… He’s one hundred and twelve years old…”

“You are not naming our future child Elvendork!” Lily insisted, eyes wide.

“Padfoot is gone,” Peter said sullenly, looking away from James.

The smile instantly slipped from James’s face as he lowered his wand and turned to Peter. “What?”