Turn back time - Hermione Granger in the Marauders era

Chapter 16 - The Policeman

- James and Sirius -

"Tell me again - what happened?" James asked.

Sirius sighed. "My mum. That's what bloody happened."

James rolled his eyes. "It's not even a week into the holiday!"

"I know that. But you said I could come at any time so-"

"Yeah, I know I said that. And I meant it too. I'm happy to have you here, 'Kay Padfoot?"

Sirius bumped into James's shoulder playfully.

They were walking down Cheshire Street at 11o'clock at night on the sixth day of the holidays. Sirius had turned up the evening before, exhausted and furious with his family. They had just brought the news to him that his uncle Alphard had died a month ago. Also, although he hadn't told James this, he had just found out that Regulus, his fifteen year old brother was a Death Eater, as well as his dad. It wasn't as if he hadn't suspected it, he'd always known that his family were Pure-Blood obessesive, racist, blood-status shaming awful freaks. He knew that his father Orion would jump to the will of this new 'Dark Lord', who promised the death of all muggles and mudbloods. To be honest, his father didn't sound much different from this 'Riddle' man. They shared the same opinions, and by the sound of it, the same techniques. But his own brother? He was surely too young to even be informed of it! But no, he was just as bad as the rest of them. And from what his mother Walburga had said, they were pretty damn bad.

"It's okay. Everyone has messed up families." James comforted.

"Yeah, sure. Like you do?" Sirius answered sarcastically.

"Actually yes, I have some twice-removed uncle in Wales who got into a bit of trouble by selling some bad artifacts to muggles. Turns out those mushrooms can be magic!" James laughed. "But one of my other cousins somewhere further down the Weasley side of the family tree - I think his name is Arthur - told on him to the Ministry. Shame that. Good old Uncle Baggensses was doing really well in that whole industry of..."

"I get it! I get it! Come on, let's go for a ride on my bike." Sirius said, dragging his heavy muggle motorcycle he had brought earlier that day with James. 

James rolled his eyes. "It's too dark, you know it's 11o'clock right? And you can't even ride it properly!"

"Exactly!" Sirius retorted.

James sighed, eyeing Sirius up as he clambered onto the black motorcycle with his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Since when have you never wanted to do something a little risky?" Sirius teased.

James gave another roll of his eyes. "I'm always up for some risk taking." He mumbled and he climbed onto the back as Sirius laughed mischievously. "But if we die, I'll kill you Padfoot!"

With another long, happy and manic laugh, Sirius reared up his motorbike, and sped off so fast that James shouted out. He grabbed onto the bottom of the bike hastily, as the wind whistled through his ears. The bike carried them off along at a ridiculously fast distance, with both Sirius and James whooping past the streets and people. Confused and dissaproving faces glared and shouted after them, but they just laughed it off. They were in control now. This was freedom. This was how it felt to be alive.

They were hurtling down the road so fast, with so little care, that they didn't even hear the sirens behind them until they were only half a kilometre metre away.

"What is that?" Sirius shouted.

James cursed loudly. "They're those bloody Muggle polycicmen. Come on, we'll just have to charm them away."