“Ron! Watch where you’re aiming that!” Harry shouted, narrowly avoiding a jet of red light. The red head shook his head, as if to clear his mind.

“Sorry, mate,” he mumbled, turning a shade of red as he held out his wand again. If this had happened once, Harry would have thought it was just carelessness. But this was about the fifteenth time. Usually, he would have been ecstatic that Professor Lupin was back, just like everyone else. But Ron was acting so weird lately... and it wasn’t just Ron. He couldn’t help but notice Hermione’s eyes floating near the door frequently, as if she wanted out. Something was going on.

Lupin stepped by, watching students aim the Reducto curse at their hovering pillow, some successfully knocking it out of the air. “Try to point the spell a little more to the right, Neville,” he advised, watching the Longbottom almost hit Lavender Brown. “You don’t want Miss Brown to step in the way of that.” Neville smiled as he tried again, this time striking the intended target.

“Thanks, Professor Lupin,” he said. “And I’m really glad you’re back.” Lupin could see from the genuine grin on his face that he was.

Giving him a kind smile in return, Lupin said, “I am too. Now, remember- to the right.”

Neville gave him a nod, and Lupin strode on, looking over the students. Yes, he was glad to be back. More incredibly, he would actually be teaching James and Lily… The thought almost made him laugh.

“Watch out, Professor!” someone yelled, and Lupin instinctively stepped to the side. It turns out, not a moment to soon, for a Reducto curse sailed past seconds after. Everyone shifted around to see who shot this stray spell... but found only Hermione.

She looked extremely alarmed, voice rising to a high pitch. “I’m sorry, Professor Lupin, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to, I was just thinking about what they were going to do, I mean, Sirius and Fern, they don’t know anything, and I was just worried…” She trailed off, her gaze avoiding Lupin’s.

He sighed, rubbing his temples as he thought. So, that’s what’s wrong. Hermione is worried about Lily and James.

Finally, Lupin said quietly, “They’ll be fine, Hermione. But, before we proceed with the lesson, I am going to have to give you a couple lessons in aiming correctly with a wand.” Fred and George, who watched this in the corner of the room, sniggered, and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Lupin wasn’t mad, he understood. Well, of course he would, he always did. Why had she even doubted? She’d probably been around Umbridge too long…

“Are you alright?” asked Harry, coming over to Hermione. “Who’s Sirius and Fern, by the way?”

“Oh,” Hermione said, inwardly wincing. “New students... they don’t really know their way around yet. Ron and I were just worried about then. Will you practice the Reducto curse with me; you really do need the practice…”

Harry nodded, following his friend suspiciously. Something was going on. Why weren’t Ron and Hermione telling him anything?

Hermione lightly swished her wand, trying to look relaxed, but failed miserably. Harry couldn’t take it anymore; he had to ask. “Hermione,” he said slowly, standing in front of her line of vision. She had no choice but to listen to him. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” she replied, attempting to peer over his shoulder at her pillow. “Honestly, why would there be something wrong?”

“You’re keeping something from me,” he stated, not moving. Hermione bit her lip. “Why can’t you tell me?”

“I’m sorry, Harry!” she burst out, distraught. “It’s just not safe for you to know!”

“Why not?”

“I can’t!” she cried, beginning to sob a little. “I would be angry too, but we just can’t tell you…”

Harry was reminded forcibly of the summer he spent in Grimmauld place. “I thought we were friends! I thought you could tell me everything!” he shouted, eyes crackling very much like Lily’s.

“We are…” began Hermione, but Harry cut her off with a look.

“I thought you would understand,” he said disbelievingly, shaking his head slightly. Hermione, feeling guilt trodden, started to say something, but Harry wasn’t listening. No, he was ignoring her.

Sighing, she positioned her wand and did a perfect Reducto spell. Harry wasn’t speaking to her; she had James and Lily on her hands, and couldn’t say a word of it to Harry. What did her father used to say when she was so worried? Oh, yes, now she remembered. “Always look on the bright side of life, Hermione,” he’d smile, putting a hand on her shoulder. “There’s always a bright side.”

Grinning slightly to herself, she whispered, “Always look on the bright side of life,” effectively calming her nerves. Maybe there was a bright side… if she looked hard enough to find it.

And if anyone had noticed, Neville was softly whistling to himself as he blasted the pillow out of the air.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Transfiguration’s next, Moony. Meet me at Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom in a minute,” whispered Sirius as he hurried ahead of Remus, completely ignoring the suit of armor in front of him and toppling it over quite ungracefully.

Remus shook his head, thinking, What’s with the secrecy? but sighed and nevertheless waited a minute before following the passage to Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. He gave up fathoming the way Sirius’s mind worked a long time ago. Pushing the bathroom door open, Remus peered inside to see Sirius leaning against one of the toilets, flirting with Myrtle. Why Sirius had the urge to associate with every member of the opposite sex he set eyes on, Remus would never know.

Peter was already situated in the corner, wearing a green surgeon’s cap and coat. Latex gloves fit his hands snugly; his fingers drumming incessantly on the floor. Well, it looked like he was ready for Transfiguration.

“Moony! You’re here!” cried Sirius, noticing him for the first time. Jumping over, he began whispering in undertones while stuffing his hand down his bag. “Now, put this on, hurry, we only have five minutes…” Sirius tossed a few things out of his bag, amounting to a rather nice set of wizard’s robes, a pair of shoes made for work, and a tie.

Remus looked at his friend, eyebrow raised. “I hate it when you do that,” Sirius informed him.

“Well, that’s not affecting me in the slightest right now. Why are you giving this to me?”

“Oh, come on, Moony. You need clothes that a… hard-working husband would wear.” He smiled hopefully, and then let his eyes droop sadly. “Please? For James and Lily?”

Remus sighed, and then picked up the clothes carefully. “Alright, fine. But you owe me one, Padfoot.”

Sirius clapped his hands happily, shuttering Remus into a stall with the clothes. “Get dressed then! We don’t have all day!”

Remus thought it imperative to tell Sirius that he himself wasn’t dressed in his outfit yet, but decided against it. A loud bang echoed through the stall when Remus shook out the clothes, as if to get rid of the dust. At first, he was positive he’d broken something; but looking on closer inspection, it was a book. The golden title of the book had long worn away and the old leather covering the brittle pages creaked when he opened the book. Placing it carefully atop the top of the toilet, Remus turned toward his main priority- the clothes.

After slipping on all the required things, he looked down for inspection. Well, he supposed it wasn’t that bad. Stroking his chin subconsciously, he found he couldn’t really get used to having a stubble. Curse Sirius and his ideas.

When he got out, Peter was still sitting where he was previously, twiddling his thumbs. But where was Sirius…?

The missing Marauder burst out, glowing with happiness, though Remus could see no reason why. He wore a low cut pink dress that came to about his knees, with pantyhose underneath. Well, at least he spared them all the horror of hairy legs and a pink dress. With a similarly colored handbag and heels, Sirius seemed ready to go.

Remus felt like retching in horror and laughing uproariously at the outfit, but managed to keep both emotions in check. “Let’s just get this over with,” Remus said, resigned to his fate. Stumbling in the heels, Sirius caught up with him before gasping terribly.

“What is it?” Remus asked, genuinely concerned. Normally, Sirius was so… unserious. No pun intended. Nothing could get a rise out of him.

Sirius gasped a couple of sounds, looking terrified. “My… I… I… forgot…”

“Go on,” urged Remus.

“MY LIPSTICK!” Sirius wailed, bee-lining to the sinks. A disgusted looking Myrtle pulled away, as far away from Sirius as she could. Floating over to Remus, she whispered in low, scandalized monotones,

“You really should make sure he doesn’t have some fatal disease,” she said, watching in distaste as Sirius smeared a bright red shade on his puckered lips.

Remus shook his head slightly, muttering back, “He does. It’s called stupidity.”

“I heard that!” shouted Sirius, cramming the tube back into his borrowed purse as he clopped over to his friend.

“You forgot this,” Remus reminded him, sticking the book out towards Sirius. The boy gave a grimace of distaste as he stuffed it into his now empty bag.

“Well, I’m glad you found my missing birthday present from dear Aunt Meliflua,” he said, trying to keep up with Remus’s strides in the heels. “A book of dark Charms… honestly. You’d think my family would realize that I just don’t like that sort of stuff. Apparently, they don’t.”

The two stopped at the exit of Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, eyeing each other. Finally, Sirius broke the silence. “Are you… going?”

“We’re going to be laughed out of Hogwarts.”

“It’s happened.”

“I don’t enjoy making a complete fool of myself.”

“I do.”

“We might be deemed insane if we go out there.”

“And rightly so.”

“How come I can never win an argument with you?”

“The things you think are stupid are completely normal to me.”

“Good point.”

Opening the door slowly, Remus took a breath. Well… it’s now or never. This is for James and Lily… James and Lily… he reminded himself as he stepped out into the bustling corridor.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus Snape sat behind his desk, watching the door in silence. A double Potions with 6th year Hufflepuff and Slytherin was the next class, so this ought to be interesting.

He always liked to guess who would be the first to arrive. Ernie MacMillian? Draco Malfoy? Gregory Goyle?

But who entered the room first caught Snape completely off guard. It wasn’t someone he expected to see; or see ever again.

It was James Potter.

He supposed he should have been expecting Potter; Dumbledore had told him James and Lily had traveled here. But Snape didn't expect him that soon. Actually, he was hoping he'd never see him- and if he did, pretend he didn't. It was a little late for that now.

The boy plopped himself down on a seat and turned to greet Snape. “Snivelly,” he said, grinning widely. “Boy, you haven’t changed a bit. I really like the robes. They’re so…”

“Black?” offered Snape coldly, staring at James straight in the eye.

“How’d you know?” James gasped, acting amazed. If he was uncomfortable with Snape’s stares, he didn’t show it. “Nice place you’ve got,” he commented, gazing at the stone dungeon. “I mean, just the kind of place I’d like to live in.”

Snape scowled and nearly broke the quill resting in his hand. “Thank you,” he replied with gritted teeth.

“Oh, you’re welcome. Say, are you married?”

Snape shook his head.

“Good. Someone would have to be crazy to tie the knot with you. How come Sirius, Remus, Peter and I haven’t blown you up yet?”

He couldn’t take it anymore. Snape stood up quickly, knocking over his ink bottle. “You’re friends are dirt,” he hissed, eyes hard. “Black was an immature fool, Lupin is nothing but a bloodthirsty monster and Peter’s a worthless slab of scum.”

James didn’t notice the past tense on Sirius’s insult. “Ha, you’ve gotten creative! I’m glad to see that. Normally, you’d just name us all together. ‘Filthy fools, blasted idiots…’ These are much more entertaining to listen to.”

Snape was glad to see Justin Flinch-Fletchey walk in. Finally, Potter would have to sit down and stop annoying him.

“I don’t have to sit down and stop annoying you,” sang James, high-toned. Snape groaned and covered his face with his hands. He didn’t know if he could stand it much longer. If only Snape knew how bad things were going to get…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Author’s Note: Oh, and how bad they will get. *evil grin* I don’t have much sympathy for Snape, so right now; James has no boundaries on what to do with him. Yes, for those of you asking, this is where James went when Lily was looking for him last chapter. He’s gotten very responsible and decides to go to class on time. Well, only to play pranks on the teacher, but still. I know this chapter wasn’t that funny, but next one will be. I promise. James and Lily will find out about their fate in two or three chapters, I think. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter!