The Marauders' Future

15| Running Into Someone

THIS IS THE 1K CHAPTER! Thank you so much for all your support! I hope you like the story so far!

Note (Must Read!) - Wanted to make something clear - The Marauders don't become Animagi until fifth year. So, you won't be seeing them turning into animals anytime soon...

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Friendships are relationships, as well. Sometimes losing a friend can be more hurtful than losing a lover.

James ended up in the girl's bathroom. More specifically, Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Myrtle was delighted to have someone else crying in her washroom.

James wiped away old tears but new and silent ones took their place. He looked up at the night sky.

Moony, Padfoot, Lily, Hermione. Everyone had betrayed him. Sirius had betrayed him worse...

James moved his shaky fingers across the promise ring that Sirius had given him. A promise that James would never feel alone.

He felt alone. Alone and betrayed.

A promise that James could trust Sirius.

Not now, he couldn't.

A promise that Sirius would always be there for him.

He had left James in small, broken pieces that were damaged to an extent they would never heal.

All those promises broken...

He fell down in his knees.

No bullets or spell had hurt him as hard as Sirius' betrayal.

"I trusted you, Sirius," James whispered in a voice that trembled under the weight of his hurt. He took a deep breath and stood up.

"I trusted you and you betrayed me."

Pulling the ring out of his finger, he stared at the beautiful ring that was still beautiful regardless of all the betrayal. He threw it. The door was open and the ring slid outside.

James stared at it for a few seconds. Minutes. He was pulled out of his thoughts when suddenly, a black figure stepped forward and picked up the ring. His clothes shabby and torn.

The figure turned to look at James, his widening. James, himself took a step back in surprise. The figure walked forward, disappearing from view. He wiped his tears.

James walked outside, his heart in his throat and looked around for the man. To his right, James saw, quite distinctly, the hulking outline of something very big, with wide, gleaming eyes.

To anyone else, it would have passed for a stray, old dog but not for James. He knew this particular one.

That's Sirius' patronus...

His head travelled back to the day when they had found out that Lupin was a werewolf. How they had promised him that they would always support him one way or another.

Seems like they found a way after all...

"You're an Animagi," James mustered up the courage and spoke.

The dog tilted his head and simply stared at James as if trying to make sense of a complicated puzzle.

"What are yo-"

He stopped speaking.

A feeling of dread settled in his heart. But this was not the kind of dread Janes usually felt. This was huge. It was horrible. James felt all his happiness leaving him even though he didn't have any.

Dementors...

James reached for his wand. The do- he took a step back thinking that James was going to hex him. The dog changed back to his own self.

James gave himself a minute to observe the figure. A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If eyes hadn’t been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse.

He knew this man. He did.

From the other side of the corridors, James could see hooded creatures heading this way.

This time, the man looked back and... Saying he panicked would have been an understatement. The man fell back and dragged himself behind James.

"No, no, no, no," James chanted as he raised his wand.

"Expecto Patronum," Nothing came out... No stag. Just a whisp of smoke. "I- I am-"

But then, the dog changed back to it's form as a and moved back, "No!"

Happy memory, Happy memory. The day he met Sirius and Remus. The day they pranked the whole school. There were so many but none as strong to form a Patronus.

"The Sleepover," he said hoarsely. His voice sounded as though he had long since lost the habit of using it.

Yes, the sleepover. It was indeed a happy memory. The memory James had used for his second Patronus Charm and it had worked.

The Marauders had decided to do a sleepover. Somewhere along the way, they had gotten drunk.

"I wish I wasn't a werewolf!" Remus had complained. "It's al the moon's fault! Bloody moon!"

Sirius had stood on top of the bed, "We should... We should get rid of the moon!"

James had giggled hysterically, "LET'S BLOW IT UP!!!"

"Yes," Sirius had immediately agreed. "We... We'll blow up... Blow up the moon!"

Just behind them, Peter had been making explosion noises. Oh, the fun days. They had been drinking illegally.

Worth a try.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A stag burst out from the bottom of James' wand. The dementors swept away. He felt dizziness take over.

"Here! Here!" A voice called out and footsteps were heard. The man stared back at James one more time, this time with a sad smile. He said something that James couldn't quite understand.

James watched as he turned back into a dog and disappeared out of view.

"James?"

He turned to find Professor McGonagall looking at him with worry. She ran to James and pulled him into a hug. Or maybe it was because he was fainting. Exhausted from everything, he finally gave in.

Everything faded as James swept into the realms of Morpheus.

***

If someone said they hate Harry Potter, what would you do?

(I accept all kinds of replies from kisses to torture and worse.)