A/N This story was originally going to be a one shot deal, but I just couldn't ignore Lupin. Hope you like it. And as always, all the characters in this fic come from the mind and talent of Ms. Rowling.
Lily stood silently watching the large black dog and the powerful stag as they raced side by side across the fog shrouded grounds. She smiled to herself thinking how they both deserved this simple freedom, to be able to run, to just be together... two best friends. She wished with all her heart that they could be that way forever, but she knew their marauding would have to end all too soon, for they were needed again.
Skidding to a halt in front of her, the two quickly transformed into their human counterparts. James swept Lily into a dramatic dip and kissed her thoroughly.
"Did you see my masterful defeat of old Padfoot here love?" he said grinning.
"Defeat my left toenail. You tied me at best Prongsy." Sirius protested.
"Tied? Ha! Only if you were racing my tail dog-face."
"Sounds like a rematch to me. Whatcha think Lils? Wanna be the judge?" Sirius said his eyes twinkling.
"As entertaining as that sounds Sirius... we're needed elsewhere right now."
"Elsewhere?" said James sobering instantly. "What's wrong with Harry?"
"Harry is fine. He's still sound asleep. It's someone else this time love. I'd have handled it myself, but I think you two will know how to help him better than I ever could."
Sirius eyed Lily, faintly puzzled, then it clicked in his brain. "Moony."
Before Lily could even nod, James and Sirius were gone. She quickly followed.
They found him in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place doing his best to calm down an extremely upset pair of Weasleys.
"We really don't care what Mum or Dumbledore said Remus." said Fred. "We're not going to sit around here being good little boys and doing nothing. Ron and Ginny were hurt."
"Which is fine when we're the ones doing the hurting." said George. "But as we weren't..."
"We really think that git Malfoy should understand how it feels to have HIS family messed with for a change," Fred added.
"And, we know exactly where to find his ferret of a son" said George menacingly.
Lupin rubbed his hand tiredly through his hair. "Enough!" he almost shouted, being uncharacteristically short with the twins. "You boys claim to be ready to join the Order. If that's true, then you need to act like it. Grow-up and use those fine brains you like to deny having. This is war. People are going to get hurt. People are going to die. Above and beyond all of that though, the very last thing your parents need right now is you two getting yourselves thrown into Azkaban for assaulting a minor. Now sit yourselves down at the table and have some butterbeer and wait like your parents asked you to."
A slightly shocked silence followed Lupin's tirade. James and Sirius exchanged troubled looks, they had rarely seen Lupin's tightly controlled emotions this close to the surface.
"Sorry Remus." said Fred after a while.
George sighed. "Being an adult has really turned out to be damned inconvenient."
Fred nodded in glum agreement. "We really should have a talk with Harry though."
"Leading Ron into battle is one thing, but Ginny..." said George.
"Do you boys honestly believe Harry had a choice about bringing Ginny along? You two may as well get used to it. Ginny cares a great deal about him, and is every bit as protective as your mum. I seriously doubt that this is the last time that Ginny will follow Harry into a situation like this. As for Harry, his feelings for Ginny go alot deeper then even he knows. He'll protect her with his life."
Finally accepting defeat, the Weasley twins sat down and opened some butterbeer.
"Remus, " said George tentatively. "About Sirius, well...we're really sorry."
"We really liked him. He was truly one of our role models." Fred added, thinking of the Marauder's Map and how it had inspired he and George on so many occasions.
Remus looked down at his hands which were folded in front of him on the table. "Thank you boys. I know he quite liked you too." He looked up his eyes glistening with suppressed emotion. "I need to go feed Buckbeak. You two promise not to leave here until your Mum and Dad get back?"
The twins nodded their grudging agreement as Remus headed upstairs. He did not, however, go to the room where Buckbeak was kept. He went, instead, to the room he had used since coming to stay here. He entered quietly and very deliberately locked the door behind him. It was then, and only then that he allowed himself to have free reign to grieve. Sinking to his knees, he gave a very wolflike howl, tears streaming down his face.
James, Lily, and Sirius watched as Remus destroyed the room and everything in it, venting his grief and anger. Finally, when he could find nothing else to break he sat in the middle of the destruction fighting for calm, fighting to gain control of his inner beast.
He raised his tear stained face to the heavens. "Damn you Sirius! Why the hell did you have to leave me again? Why the hell did you and James have to leave me alone?" He hollered.
James and Sirius exchanged a look and went to their friend.
"You know better than that Moony." said Sirius, wishing that Lupin could hear him, could know he was there. "Prongs and I are always going to be here, just like we swore to you we would."
"Remember when we found out about you being a werewolf? You were terrified that we'd quit being your friends, but we didn't. We kept your secret, and we found a way to keep you from being alone," added James.
"Look in your heart. We never left you and you need to be strong now more then ever... for Harry. He's hurting Remus, and he feels responsible. Help him. Take my place. Do this for me."
"Remember Harry, Moony. Remember the promises that you made to him... and me," said James.
Suddenly, amid the wreckage, a tattered photo caught Lupin's eye. Pulling it out, he saw a picture of Sirius, James, and himself on the day Harry was born. Peter had been away on a 'mission' at the time. He smiled sadly remembering the promise James had extracted from them that day, almost as if part of him had known what fate had in store for him.
~~~~~~~~flashback~~~~~~~~~~
"Poor kid," said Sirius grinning. "Looks just like you Prongs."
Remus laughed. "Geez Padfoot, what a horrible thing to say. Doom the boy to that on the day he's born."
"That's ok son. Pay no attention to the ugly men. They are just jealous of our naturally stunning good looks and charm." James said looking down at baby Harry, who was sucking noisily on his tiny little fist. The laughter suddenly died on his face, as he looked up at his two best friends. "He's just so tiny and helpless. Makes me want to take on the world for him."
Sirius attempted to lighten the mood, "Sheesh! He becomes a father and gets all responsible on us."
"I'm serious mate. Makes me wonder if Lily and I are doing the right thing, putting ourselves on the front line the way we have. What if something happens to us? What if we can't be there for him?"
"Prongs, that's never going to happen," said Sirius, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"How do you know that Padfoot? We've lost so many people already."
"James Potter! Do you honestly believe, if the worst did happen, that either of us would let your son grow up alone?"
"He's right James. You know we'll always be there should Harry need us. Marauder's Promise." Lupin held his hand out in front of him.
"Marauder's Promise" Sirius agreed laying his hand on top of Lupin's.
James grinned, knowing he no longer needed to worry. "Marauder's Promise" he said as he laid his hand atop theirs.
~~~~~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~~~~
Lupin straightened slightly, wiping his tear-streaked face. "Harry," he said. "I won't leave him alone James. I'll fight for him, and for you too Sirius."
Standing, Remus flicked his wand around the room, righting the mess he'd made, silently planning the talk he'd have with Dumbledore. Harry had been kept alone and in the dark long enough. He deserved to know what fate had in store for him, to chose his own destiny. He also began to formulate a plan to clear Sirius' name. He deserved to be honored as the hero he was, not remembered as a criminal and a traitor. With a new purpose and a firm resolve, Remus unlocked the door and headed downstairs to see if Molly and Arthur had returned.
"That was a near thing Padfoot," said James.
Sirius nodded his agreement., his eyes haunted. "Look at what I've done to them James. Look at all the pain I caused. Harry, Moony, even the twins. All hurting because I was too damn stubborn to stay in the house." Sirius put his head in his hands.
Lily stepped over putting her hand gently on his shoulder. "Sirius, it was your time. Certain decisions might have changed the manner of your death, but you'd still be dead. They would still be grieving. Someday they'll take comfort in the fact that you died free, laughing in the midst of battle."
Sirius seemed to calm a little bit at her words. "Thank you Lils. It's just..."
"I know," she said. "I know."
He was silent for a moment, then looked up, the familiar twinkle starting to return to his eyes. "Hey Prongs?"
"Yes Padfoot?"
"Wanna tattoo 'I love Dumbledore' across Wormtail's chest and leave him naked in Voldy's headquarters?"
"Ahhh...if only we could."
"Damn. Death is so stifling to one's creativity. In that case, last one to the Forbidden Forest has to proclaim his undying love to Moaning Myrtle and agree to spend eternity with her in her toilet."
Laughing, they both quickly disappeared.
Lily rolled her eyes with a sigh, and murmured, "Here we go again." as she too faded from view.
A/N Hope you liked it. Please review.