The Life that Never Lived ? (Goblet of Fire)

THE PORTKEY

Lily excused herself before she started the next chapter, scrounging up a quick lunch for the boys, and Harry happily followed, leaving the other three in a rather awkward silence. They hadn't really had a chance to talk since the end of the last book, but now that Remus himself had read out that he clearly wasn't having anything to do with Harry, James and Sirius weren't even sure what they could say to Remus. Clearly something had happened to him after James death, something that made him believe Sirius had done all of those terrible things and not go to check up on Harry, and he'd never given a reason why to Harry. They weren't even writing to each other, for all they knew he wasn't even out there helping Sirius either. It bothered them greatly, but considering what that rat was destined to do to them, it wasn't the highest of treason he could pull either, no matter how much it hurt, so neither of them were going to acknowledge it for as long as they could.

Which is why it surprised them all the more when Remus whispered, "I'm sorry."

Sirius snorted, with surprising ease brushing that off as he told him, "for what? Ignoring Harry? You haven't done it yet, so don't apologize until you have. You should be partially glad you are, otherwise James would be getting jealous of you to."

James threw him a sharp look, opened his mouth, but then turned away with a wince of shame, had he been that obvious?

Sirius nodded though like James had agreed with him anyways. "Our future is a mess, but there's no sense in apologizing to each other until we can't fix it anymore."

Remus studied him for a few moments longer before he fully grinned at him, not a trace of sarcasm present as he demanded, "when did you get so wise?"

"Because I know there's someone else I'm never going to forgive," Sirius said back in such a low voice, it no longer really sounded like him. "Trust me Remus, whatever you do or don't do, it won't get that bad."

Remus and James face twitched, like their insides had just been slammed against their skeletal systems unexpectedly, but thankfully Lily and Harry returned then.

Once they'd all eaten their fill Lily quickly retook her spot. She found her place and began reading with genuine interest, very curios and more than happy to be reading about her son going to something as innocent and fun as the World Cup, even if Quidditch wasn't her idea of a good time. It was still better than, say, running into Fluffy again.

Lily made the appropriately disgusted face at being awoken before the sun, but the boys looked far too giddy for what was to come to care.

"And you said you weren't sure if Arthur knew how to dress like a Muggle," Remus chuckled.

"I'm guessing that's good then," James shrugged with disinterest, more curious as to why he had to dress like that at all, where were they going that involved Muggles seeing them?

"I'm guessing because, they don't know how," Sirius snorted. "They're only just now going into their sixth year after all, they won't even get the practices until then."

"I'm guessing that hasn't stopped them from trying though," Remus smirked.

Harry watched the others around him give a little face twitch of sympathy, but as frustrating as always, he was truly lost what that word meant, but since he knew Arthur was fixing to explain he chose not to ask now.

Harry went bug eyed in shock, now gaping at all of his limbs as he thought back to his most recent apparition, and how he'd managed to do it with only a gut feeling on how! He felt fortunate to have come out of it unscathed now!

Harry continued to crinkle up his nose all the more as he pictured that, making the others give half hearted smiles at his expression, grateful themselves he hadn't been hurt by the experience, because they wouldn't have been able to help.