#btmt

[k1ssofflesh]

Doodlesssssss

And my miiconnect post

[owlways-and-forever]

COMPLETED - Beneath the Mango Tree A Marauders Era Story

Summary: Beginning in 1965, when the Marauders are all 5 years old, we follow them as they meet, become friends, and experience their first year at Hogwarts with all that it entails - mischief, friendship, and even a touch a tragedy. Book 1 of 4 in the Better Together series.

Word Count: 51,208

FFnet: Beneath the Mango Tree by owlwayssandforever AO3: Beneath the Mango Tree by owlways_and_forever Tumblr: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 11,Ch 12, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 18, Ch 19, Ch 20, Ch 21, Ch 22, Ch 23, Ch 24, Ch 25, Ch 26, Ch 27

[super-ecoutez]

manta

[k1ssofflesh]

One Wyndolyn before i work on a commissionnn

[k1ssofflesh]

We Will Commit Wolf Murder

[owlways-and-forever]

A/N: Welcome to the end of Book 1! I hope you've enjoyed it so far and find this last chapter to be... well, enthralling, heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, etc. You've been a wonderful audience, and I hope to see you all for Book 2, which will be entitled "The Questions in my Heart".

A few quick notes of thanks: first of all, to @mischiefpuff, @indiebluecrown, and @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 on tumblr, huge thanks for helping me beta this chapter and indulging a little writer's insecurity and uncertainty. Second, thanks to everyone who's read this piece, you are all wonderful people. Finally, thanks to everyone who has left feedback - your positive reviews and words of encouragement have been highly motivational and at times a real blessing. I love you all! See you in the next book!

Read the previous chapters at the links below, on ff.net, or ao3.

Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 11,Ch 12, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 18, Ch 19, Ch 20, Ch 21, Ch 22, Ch 23, Ch 24, Ch 25, Ch 26

Chapter 27: Untimely Demise

The first year students were halfway through their Potions exam when Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall, and all heads turned toward her. She approached Professor Slughorn and they whispered together, both turning to look in the direction of the four Gryffindor boys. Remus idly wondered whether it was Sirius or James who'd gotten in trouble, or perhaps both. Professor Slughorn nodded, and Professor McGonagall began to walk in their direction, but Remus' attention had already returned to the exam in front of him. He was rather surprised when she came to a stop beside his own desk, staring down at him with a grim expression, and he looked up at her cautiously.

"Mr. Lupin, will you please follow me?" she asked, her voice unusually soft, and his heart began to race.

Remus stood and followed Professor McGonagall as she led him to a small chamber attached to the Great Hall, and as he walked he'd never felt smaller. Everyone's eyes were focused on him as he walked, and he felt about two feet tall. It didn't help that Professor McGonagall seemed to tower over him even more than usual.

"Remus," she said softly once they were alone, pulling off her glasses and rubbing them against her robes, "I'm afraid there's something I must tell you, and it's not good."

Remus swallowed hard, his eyes already filling with tears because it had to be something big, something very very bad, for Professor McGonagall to place her hand on his shoulder the way she had.

"Your sister, Zeva, she became very sick a few days ago, and it seemed as though she would be fine, but I've just had word from your parents…"

Remus didn't really need to hear the rest to know where it was going, but Professor McGonagall continued anyway, speaking the words that felt like they were ripping his insides apart.

"…this morning she took a turn for the worse, and I'm very sorry to say that she – she didn't make it."

She may have continued talking, but Remus couldn't be sure, because all sound seemed to leave his ears at that point as the world tipped and fell out of focus. He thought he might have collapsed because something hard was suddenly beneath him, but all he could think about was his little sister.

"Mr. Lupin," Professor McGonagall said softly, her hand on his shoulder bringing his attention around slightly, "I'm afraid I must cover a few quick points of order."

He nodded dimly, trying to keep his attention on her words.

"You will of course be excused from the remainder of your exams, and transport will be arranged home for you first thing in the morning," she continued. "You may stay here until the exam is concluded, and I will send Messrs. Potter, Black, and Pettigrew in once they have finished their tests."

"Thank you, Professor," Remus said quietly, turning away from her as he felt tears start to well in his eyes.

"I am sorry, Remus," Professor McGonagall whispered, her voice sounding as though she might be choking up herself, and placing a handkerchief on the table in front of him.

He listened to the door shut behind him and then let the sobs begin without restraint, his small frame shaking with the force of it. Little Zeva, gone. She would never get to go to Hogwarts, never find out what house she would be in. No flying lessons or charms or best friends or first kiss. She wouldn't ever get to live her life. She wanted to be a pilot, but she'd never even gotten to fly in an airplane. He wished it was him, he was a monster, he deserved to die, not Zeva. Remus' head fell into his hands and his world crumbled. He almost wished he didn't have to go home and see the devastation on his parents' faces. And for all they said they loved him and he knew they did, Remus knew deep down they would also be wondering why it had to be sweet little Zeva instead of their monster of a son.

Professor McGonagall walked down the aisle of the Great Hall, trying to keep her own tears from spilling out, and immediately felt three pairs of eyes fixed on her. As she drew close to the three boys, Sirius nearly leapt out of his seat, concern written clearly in all of his features.

"Please sit, Mr. Black," Professor McGonagall whispered sternly.

"Not until –"

"After you've finished your exam," she interrupted, but her words only fixed a more determined look on his face.

"I'm done," Sirius answered defiantly, snatching his exam from his desk and thrusting it at Professor McGonagall.

"Remus was always the smartest," James added slowly, standing and holding his test out to her.

"I already answered what I can," Peter said, joining the other two.

"As you wish," Professor McGonagall replied with a sigh, collecting their exams from them. "You may quietly join Mr. Lupin in the side chamber."

The three boys nodded and scrambled to get their belongings together, wasting no time in hurrying to the side of their friend.

"Boys," Professor McGonagall said quietly, and all three of them turned to look at her, "he's going to need you more than ever."

Sirius nodded somberly, leading the other two as they walked quickly toward the chamber at the front of the Great Hall. She watched them enter it and felt a small wave of relief. If nothing else, Remus had three wonderful friends who would be by his side through this trying time. Those four boys, Minerva thought, were something truly exceptional. They were the kind of friends who would be with each other through everything, and she would see them fifty years on and they would be up to the same antics, still all together. She was sure of it.

"Do you want us to come home with you tomorrow?" Sirius asked, snuggled up next to Remus in the Gryffindor boys' dormitory.

"You still have the rest of your exams," Remus sniffled, voice barely audible with his face buried in Sirius' shirt.

"I'm sure we can ask Professor McGonagall to excuse us," James answered.

"I'll fail mine anyway, so I might as well skip them," Peter added. His words drew a small snort of laughter from Sirius.

"I can go talk to her if you want," James volunteered, quickly scanning the room for his shoes.

"Yeah, we want to be with you, mate," Sirius continued, wrapping his arms tighter around Remus.

"If you'll have us," Peter said, ever sensitive to what his friend wanted. "But you don't have to do this alone."

Peter was the only one who noticed James quietly slip out of the dormitory, silently grabbing his shoes on the way. The other boys from their year were sitting in the common room, and they looked up at James as he passed through. Word had spread through Gryffindor Tower quickly, but everyone seemed to know well enough not to say anything to Remus, to let him grieve in private. Firmin O'Frighill had even told James that he and Lance Campbell would stay with some of the older boys so that they could have the dormitory to themselves for the night. James nodded to Firmin as he passed, a courtesy, a thank you for understanding, and then slipped out of the Common Room and walked through the quiet halls.

It was late, well past curfew, but James didn't care. He was utterly confident that if Filch even tried to put him in detention right now, Professor McGonagall would override it. But he didn't meet Filch on his path, he didn't meet anyone but his own thoughts. He couldn't imagine the pain Remus felt, the complete aching loss. He'd never had siblings. But James could imagine losing any one of his three best friends, and the idea made him shudder. He didn't even want to think about it, in case that somehow brought it about. It would crush him, he didn't think he'd ever be able to continue without his friends. Which is why he needed to make sure Remus knew that he was not, and never would be, without them.

James knocked on the rough wood of Professor McGonagall's door and it took only a moment before she opened it, clad in a tartan dressing gown, but otherwise looking wide awake.

"Mr. Potter, what may I do for you so late at night?"

Her voice sounded strangled, as though she had spent a significant amount of her evening crying, and part of James wanted to reach out and hug her, to comfort both of them.

"We were wondering - me and Sirius and Peter - if we could be excused from our exams, so that we could go home with Remus tomorrow," he explained carefully. "We don't want him to be alone, and you said yourself that he's going to need us."

"You're a good friend, Mr. Potter," she answered with a sad smile. "Unfortunately, as it is not your relation, I cannot excuse you from your exams." James dropped his head, feeling defeated, but Professor McGonagall continued. "Nor do I think Mr. and Mrs. Lupin should be... overwhelmed by having three additional boys to care for during their time of mourning. However, I can arrange for the three of you to take your exams early, I think over the next two days, and then send you home to your families after that. Then they may accompany you to visit the Lupins and pay your respects. Does that sound reasonable?"

"Yes, Professor, thank you," James admitted. It wasn't what he wanted, but it seemed like a fair compromise. And Professor McGonagall was right, Remus' parents shouldn't be burdened with extra children hanging around their house all the time.

They hardly slept that night, and the little rest they did get was fitful. They had all piled into Remus' bed, hugging as much of him and each other as they could. There were tears and nightmares and more than once Remus woke himself through the force of his sobs, but morning came eventually, and the four boys dressed and walked down to the Entrance Hall together. Professor McGonagall was waiting for them there, looking more composed than she had the night before.

"I will take you by apparition to your parents' house," she said kindly to Remus, before turning her attention to the other three. "You will leave via Hogwarts Express in two days time. Your families have been contacted to meet you at Kings Cross. I'll give you a moment."

She moved to stand by the great oak entrance doors, but she needn't have given them the privacy. There was nothing they could say in that moment that they hadn't already said the night before. No more words left between them, just a heavy feeling weighing in all of their hearts.

"We'll come as soon as we're home," Sirius said finally, breaking the silence.

"If you need anything, just owl," James added, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. "We'll gladly break out of this place to come see you if it's what you want."

Remus smiled weakly. Grief had certainly taken its toll on him already, but there was something else that was beginning to drain his energy. He guessed the full moon was two or three days away, but there was nothing to be done about that. He would just have to keep his friends away on the night and then... he could excuse most of the lingering symptoms with grief. At least he wouldn't have to worry about hurting Zeva this time.

As soon as that thought occurred to him, he felt sickened with himself, wanting to rip himself apart from the inside. How vile and despicable he must be to even for a moment be grateful that his sister was gone. It only reinforced the idea that it should have been him who died, for being the monster that he was.

"I should go," Remus said, unable to look at any of his friends, and he turned to leave, walking hurriedly toward Professor McGonagall.

They walked in silence through the grounds for a few moments, and Remus took several long, shuddering breaths as he tried to keep from crying again, his watery eyes roving over the tree line.

"Your friends care a great deal about you, Mr. Lupin," Professor McGonagall said after some time.

"Only because they don't know everything," he answered quietly, still not looking at her.

"I don't think you give them enough credit," she replied carefully, and Remus' head whipped around, his eyes the size of saucers as he looked at her. "No, Mr. Lupin, I don't think they've guessed your secret. But I do think they would be more... accepting than you believe."

"I can't tell them," he said, his voice sounding less certain than he would have liked.

"Perhaps not, that is your decision," Professor McGonagall conceded, though she sounded very much like she disagreed, "but don't think that the only other option is pushing them away either."

He gave her a quizzical look, not sure how she could possibly know that the idea was in the back of his mind every day, and more prominent around the full moon.

"You are not the first of your kind that I have known," she said by way of an answer. "It does not make you a bad person."

"Most people disagree," he answered.

"Most people do not know you as I do," Professor McGonagall smiled. "Do you think your family saw you as a monster, Remus?"

He didn't answer. They might not admit it, but the answer was yes, deep down he believed they did. They had mourned the loss of their son the night he was bitten.

"Do you think your sister saw you that way?" she pressed on when he was silent.

"No," he choked, tears welling up once more unbidden. "But she was special."

"She loved you, and saw you for who you truly are, Remus, as do so many others," Professor McGonagall said as they passed through the gates of Hogwarts. "You should try to remember that."

[owlways-and-forever]

A/N: Well what'd'ya know, it's been a few months, but I've finally managed to crank out another chapter. I haven't been much in a writing place of mind lately, just hasn't been the frame of mind that I've been in, but I'm trying to get back in the swing of it, so hopefully I'll be able to finish this story up soon. But for now, I hope you all enjoy this [rather dramatic] chapter!

*IMPORTANT: You may have noticed that the title of the story has been changed, and that’s because I’ve decided to break this story into pieces, since it’s already pretty long, and I want to avoid having one long, 100+ chapter, 1,000,000 word leviathan that takes 10 years to finish. I will absolutely be continuing the story, I’ve just decided to split it into four different “books”. And even though they’ll all be continuous parts of the larger Better Together ‘verse, they should be pretty much readable as standalone pieces too. So hooray to that! As for this particular “book”, there will 4 more chapters before I conclude and begin the next one. That’s all I’ve got to say right now! Go check out @thosemarauderboys where you can find some awesome edits that @ginnyweasiee has been making for this story!

PLEASE GO CHECK OUT THE BLOG FOR THIS UNIVERSE @thosemarauderboys​​. You can find fancasts of the characters (including OCs) to see what I imagine them looking like, plus fun facts about them, and I’m trying to update with like, images and stuff as well.

Read the previous chapters at the links below, on ff.net, or ao3.

Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 11,Ch 12, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 18, Ch 19, Ch 20, Ch 21, Ch 22, Ch 23, Ch 24

Chapter 25: Bedknobs and Broomsticks

"James?" Sirius whispered, turning over in his bed to face his friend.

"Mmmm?" James groaned in response, grabbing the pillow from under his head and folding it over his ears.

"James, I can't sleep," Sirius said more loudly, propping himself up on his elbow.

"Well could you can it for those of us who can sleep," Remus interjected, and James groaned in assent.

"Come on, let's do something," Sirius said, getting up and sitting on the edge of James' bed, bouncing slightly.

"Go to sleep," James hissed, turning over and pulling the pillow over his head.

"Come on," Sirius crooned, shaking James' shoulder, "tell me you don't want to get on your broom right now and feel the wind in your hair. I know you hate watching the Quidditch players and not being on the pitch."

It was the exact words Sirius needed to say to get James' attention, and he sat upright in bed, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"Let's go," he said, pulling socks onto his feet and grabbing his broom from where it stood propped up against the wall.

Sirius grinned, his eyes glinting in the moonlight as he followed James' lead.

"You're going to get caught, and then McGonagall'll throw you out," Remus mumbled, his eyes only halfway open.

"She won't throw us out just for being up after hours," Sirius argued, continuing to pull on clothes. "But if you're so worried, don't come."

Remus rolled over and covered his head with the pillow, and Sirius frowned, a little disappointed. He quickly shrugged and plastered a grin on his face. Who needed Remus anyway? The two boys rushed out of the dormitory, padding through the halls as quickly and quietly as they could. When they reached the great oak doors of the Entrance Hall, James and Sirius were dismayed to find that they were firmly locked, and impervious to James' attempts to charm them open.

"Now what?" James whined, frowning. He had fully woken up by this point and was ready for a bit of fun, knowing that sleep was out of the question. Sirius considered their options for a few moments, his eyebrows pulled together in concentration. After a minute, his eyes began to glitter and a smile slid across his lips.

"Ever wondered," he preened, puffing out his chest with pride, "how high the ceiling of the Great Hall goes?"

James' face lit up with excitement and he practically began to vibrate as he considered his best friend's words.

"Let's do it," he agreed, and the two boys ran off toward the doors of the Great Hall.

The two heavy doors were closed, but not locked, and with a fair bit of effort, James and Sirius were able to push them open enough to squeeze in. With matching grins on their faces, they exchanged looks of glee and then mounted their brooms, pushing off the ground confidently. In James' opinion, nothing compared to the feeling of the air whipping through his hair, making it messier even than it was on its own. He started doing laps of the Great Hall, flipping over and doing barrel rolls and loop-the-loops, anything the adrenaline pumping through his veins told him. Sirius' cheeks were starting to turn pink as the chill of the night air and the speed that they were flying teased his skin as he followed James. He was more reserved in his flying, not nearly as confident as his best friend. Growing up in the center of London, he hadn't had as many opportunities to fly, especially considering his parents weren't tremendously fond of quidditch. They weren't staunchly opposed to the wizarding sport, but in their minds it didn't exactly constitute gentlemanly behavior, and so it was not something for their sons to participate in.

"Come on, James, let's see how high this thing goes," Sirius taunted, trying to get his best friend to stop performing tricks that he wasn't comfortable duplicating.

Grinning, James immediately grasped the front of his broomstick and yanked it upward, flattening himself to the handle as he did so, so he shot upward with a zoom. Sirius followed suit, trying to get as close to the broomstick as he could. Tricks might be a little bit beyond his comfort zone, but speed most definitely was not. They seemed to keep going up for several minutes without getting any closer to the velvety blackness above them, and Sirius was beginning to wonder whether there even was a ceiling or if the Great Hall in fact just opened onto the sky above. He slowed down and looked beneath him, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw how high up they had flown. A fall from this height would absolutely be fatal. When he looked up again, James was at least fifty feet above him, whooping with glee. Sirius was debating whether or not to call out to his friend and call off their quest - he didn't want to get hurt, but he also had a voice in his head that was challenging him to keep going - when there was a flash of light and a bang that shook the castle like thunder had struck right there in the Great Hall as the spell that had been enchanting the ceiling broke. The force of it sent Sirius tumbling backwards on his broom, and he tried desperately to regain control. As he managed to right himself, his eyes fixed on James, and his heart stopped.

James had been thrown from his broom when the spell broke, and was falling helplessly to the ground, and to his death if Sirius didn't do something. He pressed himself flat against his broom and zoomed toward James, who was rapidly approaching the floor. Even though he was sure he was flying faster than he ever had before, Sirius didn't seem to be catching up to James fast enough, and he tried to think, pulling his wand from the pocket of his dressing gown.

"Wingardium... wingardium leviosa! Wingardium leviosa! WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" he yelled, but his hands were shaking and he couldn't aim properly, instead missing James each time.

Cursing, Sirius shoved his wand back in his pocket and focused on flying faster, he was getting close, and he let silent prayers flow through his mind that he would reach his best friend in time. He was ten metres away from James, but James was only six from the floor, and Sirius tried to push forward faster. Seven metres away... five metres... three... he stretched out his arms and reached for James, his heart racing. He had barely wrapped his arms around James' body and heaved it upward away from its rapid descent when he realized that his trajectory was not much better as he sped toward the dais where the staff table stood. He tried desperately to redirect his broom, but it was taking all of his strength to hold onto James. Instead, Sirius folded himself in, curling around James as much as he could, trying to protect his friend as he braced himself for the crash.

It was worse than he expected. They hit the dais and he felt his bones shattering against the sandstone blocks, pain radiating through his body. He kept himself focused on James and struggled to fight the pain in his body in order to push himself up and off his friend, trying to assess the damage. He was unconscious, but Sirius wasn't sure if that was from the crash or if he had been knocked out by the force of the spell breaking. There were scrapes and cuts over James' face, and his pajamas were torn in several places. He was breathing though, and Sirius could feel his heart beating strong, so he knew he was alive. Fear gripped him still, knowing that James wasn't definitely going to be okay as long as his eyes remained closed. The pain was getting to be too much for Sirius, and he felt unconsciousness tugging at him as well, but he tried to fight it. He heard the doors of the Great Hall burst open and saw fuzzy figures running toward them, and he thought one of them might have been Dumbledore based on the long beard. Knowing that there was someone to help them, Sirius gave in to the pain and let his eyes close.

Sirius woke up in the hospital wing, unsurprisingly. He turned his head, wincing at the way it ached, and saw James lying in the bed next to him. He also saw Mrs. Potter asleep in a chair next to James' head, and he wondered how long they had been unconscious in the hospital wing that their parents had not only been informed of their condition, but that Mrs. Potter had felt it necessary to travel all the way to Hogwarts. Guilt coursed through him, causing his insides to twist unpleasantly, and for a moment he thought he might be sick. Sirius wondered if his own parents had come to see him, the thought making him feel even more sick, but he reminded himself that his mother would probably be happy if he stupidly got himself killed at school, not distressed, like James'.

He tried to sit up, letting out a groan as he realized how much his body still hurt, despite Madam Pomfrey's ministrations, and the sound made Mrs. Potter stir. Her eyes blinked open and she instinctively looked at her son, her face falling a bit when she realized that he was still unconscious. She smoothed down a lock of his hair and looked over at Sirius, giving him a weak smile.

"You must be James' friend," she said kindly, looking him over.

"Yeah, I'm Sirius," he answered, but he found he couldn't meet her eyes, knowing that it was his fault her son was lying in the hospital wing.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sirius," she replied politely, and she stood up, looking down at her son and smoothing his hair once more. "I'll just go fetch Madam Pomfrey so she can give you a look over."

"Thanks," Sirius mumbled as Mrs. Potter walked away.

A few moments later, she returned, accompanied by Madam Pomfrey, who was wearing a stern expression on her face. The matron began busying herself around Sirius, checking his pulse and prodding his body, much to his chagrin.

"You had a lot of broken bones," she informed him as he winced, "but I've mended those. You'll be a bit sore, but no worse for the wear in the long run."

"Thank you," Sirius mumbled again, but he turned to look at his friend. "Will James...?"

"I hope he'll make a full recovery," Madam Pomfrey answered, her voice low and disapproving, "but I won't know more until he wakes up."

Sirius nodded, trying to swallow around the lump in his throat. The door to the hospital wing opened and Professor McGonagall walked through, approaching Sirius with a stern expression on her face.

"Mr. Black," she said, "I'm glad to see you conscious again. We can now begin discussions on how misguided your actions were and what the consequences might be."

"Yes, Professor," he answered, staring at his hands folded in his lap.

"Are you aware that you damaged a very complex and dangerous spell that has taken considerable effort to repair and in doing so risked the lives of both yourself and your friend?" she asked.

"Yes, Professor," Sirius said again, sullenly. He felt a deep sense of shame at Professor McGonagall's words.

"What on earth inspired you to do something so completely idiotic?" she hissed, her voice dangerously high pitched, and Sirius was fairly certain she would be shrieking if it weren't for James and Mrs. Potter.

"I couldn't sleep," he whispered, barely audible, "and we wanted to fly."

"You couldn't sleep so you decided to risk your lives instead," Professor McGonagall clarified, pursing her lips until they were a barely visible line.

Sirius couldn't even bear to answer her, guilt was twisting in his gut and he felt tears stinging his eyes as he fought to keep them from spilling forth. His lip began to tremble and he twisted his hands together in his lap.

Professor McGonagall watched him carefully and saw how deeply upset he was. She couldn't exactly not punish him, but she didn't have the heart to be as harsh as she initially planned. It was clear that he was affected by his actions and the danger his best friend was in. She sighed heavily and sat down at the foot of Sirius' bed, patting him lightly on his shin.

"Because of your actions, first years have been banned from possessing broomsticks on school grounds," she said softly. "I have taken the liberty of sending your broomstick back to your parents, along with an explanation of what happened. Mr. Potter's broomstick was... well, there was not much to send home, it was rather damaged."

"He's going to be so mad," Sirius groaned, still not looking up at Professor McGonagall.

"Furthermore," she continued, "each of you will receive five detentions, to be served with myself over the course of the next month, and Gryffindor house will lose 50 points for each of you."

"Is that... is that all?" Sirius asked hesitantly, looking up at her from under his lashes.

"Idiotic though your actions may have been," Professor McGonagall answered carefully, "they were not malicious. And I believe Mr. Potter's current condition is quite a punishment for both of you."

Sirius nodded severely, taking Professor McGonagall's words to heart. He understood that they were not being punished more because the knowledge that his idea could easily have killed his best friend would be enough to torment him forever.

"Mrs. Potter," Professor McGonagall said suddenly, standing and turning to the next bed, "may I have a word outside?"

"Of course, Minerva," the other woman replied, and they both walked out of the hospital wing to speak in the hallway beyond.

Sirius idly wondered what they could be talking about that they needed more privacy, but he quickly found his mind turned to James. He looked over at his friend who was still lying as he had been, looking so peaceful. Sirius wasn't sure how long he had been watching James when he noticed some small stirring. His hands started to twitch, fingers grasping at the sheets covering him, and his head turned from side to side slightly.

"Mummy," he croaked almost inaudibly, wetting his lips.

"James?" Sirius said excitedly, watching his friend's eyes begin to blink open.

"Sirrus?" James slurred, turning his head toward the sound of his voice, though Sirius could tell that his eyes were not focused on him.

"I'm here, mate," Sirius laughed, practically giddy that his friend had woken up. "MADAM POMFREY!"

James winced slightly at the noise, but the matron came running over, and when she saw that James was awake, she beamed.

"Mr. Potter," she sighed, sounding very relieved, "how are you feeling?"

"'ve fel' better," James answered hazily, turning his head to follow the voices.

"Of course you have," she replied soothingly as she began to examine him. After several long minutes, Madam Pomfrey smiled broadly and ceased her ministrations. "You appear to be astonishingly alright, aside from a very nasty concussion. It'll take some time for your brain to heal completely, and you may have some lasting effects, but I feel comfortable in saying that you are out of the woods. I'll go tell your mother, I'm sure she'd like to see you."

Sirius let out a small whoop of joy, his heart leaping. James smiled happily, but it was clear that he didn't fully process the information he was being told. He had apologies to make, but they could wait until James was feeling better. For the moment it was enough that his best friend was awake and would be just fine in time.

[owlways-and-forever]

A/N: Hello everyone! Hopefully you’re pleasantly surprised to be getting another update so soon, and I’m going to try very hard to keep it going.

*IMPORTANT: You may have noticed that the title of the story has been changed, and that’s because I’ve decided to break this story into pieces, since it’s already pretty long, and I want to avoid having one long, 100+ chapter, 1,000,000 word leviathan that takes 10 years to finish. I will absolutely be continuing the story, I’ve just decided to split it into four different “books”. And even though they’ll all be continuous parts of the larger Better Together ‘verse, they should be pretty much readable as standalone pieces too. So hooray to that! As for this particular “book”, there will 4 more chapters before I conclude and begin the next one. That’s all I’ve got to say right now! Go check out @thosemarauderboys where you can find some awesome edits that @ginnyweasiee has been making for this story!

PLEASE GO CHECK OUT THE NEW BLOG FOR THIS UNIVERSE @thosemarauderboys​​. You can find fancasts of the characters (including OCs) to see what I imagine them looking like, plus fun facts about them, and I’m trying to update with like, images and stuff as well.

Read the previous chapters at the links below, on ff.net, or ao3.

Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 11,Ch 12, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 18, Ch 19, Ch 20, Ch 21, Ch 22

Chapter 23: Mrs. Norris

November brought with it a steady drop in temperatures, and frequently one could see students huddling together as they ran across the lawn to the Herbology greenhouses. They hardly ever roamed the stone corridors, or studied in the library, everyone preferring the comfort of their common rooms with their warm fireplaces. Everyone, that is, except James Potter and Sirius Black, who were kicking a loosed pebble idly down the corridor on their way back from unsuccessfully trying to visit Remus in the hospital wing. It was the third time he’d been sent there that term, and all three of his friends – Peter would have joined the others if he hadn’t already been sent to detention for doing abysmally on his homework – were getting concerned about him. What was worse was that Remus never seemed to give them a straight answer about why he was there – a stomach bug, he’d said, waving them off vaguely, or else a migraine, he’d answered with a shake of his head – or why they could never see him there. One time, Peter and Sirius – James had been receiving extra Potions lessons from Professor Slughorn – had even tried making themselves sick to get into the hospital wing, but Remus had not been there, and when they asked about him, Madam Pomfrey had said he was in a more private ward. Something was going on that Remus wasn’t telling them, and it was starting to eat at Sirius.

He and James continued to meander down the corridor, not really wanting to return to the Gryffindor Common Room yet. It was getting close to curfew, but that wasn’t likely to bother the two boys very much, so they took more than one detour on the way. As they took a left down the corridor that led to the transfiguration classroom, Mrs. Norris, the aging caretaker’s ugly cat, had the misfortune of crossing their path.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Sirius asked, a gleeful smile on his face as he looked between James and the cat, which had stopped moving, its hair standing on end.

James smiled in return, and without another word, the two of them sprinted towards the cat, who took off with a howl of fury. Both boys pulled their wands out of their pockets and began firing off charms, missing and sending flashes of light flying through the castle. At last, one of James’ charms connected, and Mrs. Norris’ fur turned a bright green. Sirius and James doubled over laughing for a moment before they took off after the cat once more, determined to continue having their fun. Soon enough, they came to a T-junction, and found themselves unsure which way she had run, so decided to split up. Sirius had not gotten far down the corridor before he was forced to try to skid to a halt in order to avoid colliding with Professor McGonagall, who had just stepped out of her office with a stern look on her face. Mrs. Norris was sitting just beyond McGonagall, looking at Sirius with a haughty look, despite her discoloured fur.

“Mr. Black, you will serve detention with me tomorrow evening,” she said without preamble, looking at him over the tops of her glasses. “Seven o’clock, please be prompt. Now, return to the common room before I am forced to give you another detention for being out after curfew.”

Scowling, Sirius turned and walked down the corridor, until he rounded a corner and found James hiding.

“You get a detention?” James asked, his eyes wide with concern.

“Yeah, it’s fine though, totally worth it,” Sirius grinned, not wanting his best friend to feel too guilty. “Come on, I expect Mrs. Norris will tell Filch to be on the look out now, might as well get back to Gryffindor Tower.”

The boys walked back to the common room in silence, an air of defeat hanging between them, and when they got back, they climbed the stairs to the boys’ dormitory, retiring early after their night of failed missions. Remus’ absence hung in the room like an unsolved mystery, the air thick with it, and it kept Sirius tossing in turning in his bed, even after he fell asleep.

By lunchtime the next day, word had spread through the castle about Mrs. Norris’ change in appearance. Professor McGonagall, it seemed, had neglected to return her to her normal color after giving Sirius his detention, and so Mrs. Norris had returned to Filch still bright green in color. Filch had, of course, been furious, and taken her to Professor McGonagall in the morning, demanding that she be returned to her original state. She had obliged, naturally, but not before several students had witnessed the cat’s altered appearance. As Mrs. Norris and Filch were both hated by nearly every single student in the school, it was a highly popular practical joke. Sirius and James puffed their chests out with pride every time they saw someone snickering at Mrs. Norris, and Sirius idly wondered if this would prompt others to have their own fun with her.

Speculation was abound as to who might have been bold enough to do something like that, and while James wanted to claim credit, Sirius said that the mystery would make it last longer, so they said nothing. At dinner, James, Sirius, and Peter were sitting next to Lily Evans, Mirabelle Faulkner, and Rosaline Barrington, who were chatting animatedly about the potential culprit. At least, Mirabelle and Rosaline were, but Lily was sitting there rolling her eyes at them.

“Whoever it is, they’re very immature, I mean really,” Lily said, spearing her roasted carrots with her fork.

“Oh come on, Lily, you have to admit it’s funny,” Rosaline insisted, and Lily’s lips twitched in the direction of a smile. “Ha, I knew it, you think so too.”

“It doesn’t matter how funny it is,” Lily argued, “its against the rules.”

“Yeah, Miss Goody-Two-Shoes here would never do something that’s against the rules,” Mirabelle teased, and the boys fought back the urge to laugh.

“I’m not a goody-two-shoes,” Lily frowned, her eyebrows knitting together, and her fingers toyed with the end of her braid, a sure sign that they had hit a nerve.

Sirius saw Professor McGonagall excuse herself from the staff table, and took that as his cue that it was time to leave. He shoveled one last [large] bite of mashed potatoes into his mouth and pushed back from the table, grabbing his bag and swinging it onto his shoulder.

“Where are you going?” Peter asked, clearly confused.

“Detention,” Sirius shrugged.

“What’ve you done now?” Mirabelle sighed, turning to look at him with a roll of her eyes. “You haven’t lost any points for us, have you?”

“None of your business,” Sirius grinned mischievously, “and no, I haven’t.”

He saw Marlene McKinnon smirk where she sat a few people down the table, and Sirius knew that she was aware that he was, at least partly, behind Mrs. Norris’ twitchy behavior around the color green. With a departing wave, Sirius set off for the Transfiguration corridor, arriving in McGonagall’s office about thirty seconds after the clock on her wall struck seven.

“Sit, Mr. Black,” she said, and with a wave of her wand, the chair that usually sat opposite her desk transfigured into a small writing desk.

Sirius sat down as he was told, and waited rather impatiently for instructions while Professor McGonagall finished marking a paper that was in front of her. After what felt like an eternity, but was really only about six minutes, Professor McGonagall looked up at him.

“I would like, Mr. Black, for you to write me an essay, no less than two rolls of parchment, to be completed within the next hour, don’t groan at me, Mr. Black, I know you’ve completed essays in far less time, on why you should not transfigure Mrs. Norris, am I understood?”

“Yes, Professor,” Sirius answered unhappily, pulling parchment and a quill from his bag.

“You are to remain silent during this exercise,” Professor McGonagall added, when Sirius opened his mouth to speak. It was, perhaps, the worst punishment anyone could assign, asking Sirius Black not to say a word for an entire hour.

Sirius set to work, scrawling bullshit paragraph after bullshit paragraph about the dangers of transfiguring animals, particularly when you do not know if they might have an adverse reaction, and about the inappropriateness of transfiguring other people’s pets, and anything else that sprang to mind, none of which he really believed at all. At the end of an hour, he had nearly three rolls of parchment of utter nonsense, his reasons becoming more and more dramatic. When Professor McGonagall looked up at him, he smiled and set his quill down on the table, holding the parchment out to her. She accepted it, but did not give it more than a cursory glance before fixing him with an austere stare.

“Can you tell me why it was wrong to turn Mrs. Norris green?” she asked, arching one eyebrow as she looked down at him.

“Because it should have been Gryffindor red,” Sirius smirked, crossing his arms and tipping his chair back on its hind legs.

“Mr. Black,” Professor McGonagall sighed heavily, adjusting her glasses, “you will serve a second detention with me tomorrow night for your cheek.”

Sirius was sure he heard her mutter “Though I doubt it will achieve anything” under her breath, and he had to try very hard to suppress a smile.

“And you will bring Mr. Potter with you, if you please,” she added, with a final wave of her hand to dismiss him.

Sirius stood and gathered his things, practically skipping out of the classroom and back to the Gryffindor common room, where he was rather pleased to find Remus sitting at a table in the corner with the others, pouring over notes from the classes he had missed.