Chapter 1
"So, I hear you cursed Lucius Malfoy for trying to cut in line."
Severus turned around, glancing sharply at the boy standing before him. He had finally found an empty car on the Hogwarts Express and was thankful for the respite it would have given, had this boy not been drawn into speaking to him.
"Yes, what of it?" he asked, his hand twitching towards his wand.
"Nothing. Just thought it was pretty ballsy of you 's all," the black-haired boy said. "Mind if I join you?" he asked, stepping into the empty car, grinning as Severus followed.
"Well, it would seem you know who I am, but I don't know you." Severus said; his voice sullen and a little sarcastic.
The boy smirked, "I'm Sirius, Sirius Black." he said. Introducing himself as he held his hand out to Severus.
Severus gingerly shook the proffered hand.
He was about to speak when the door was thrown open, and three boys burst into the cabin. From the way they practically attacked Sirius, the first boy (obviously well-off) and the second (short and rat-like) both knew Sirius quite well, and the third (a quiet, unassuming boy) was apparently used to their antics from the way he smiled at them.
Severus crept towards the door. He didn't like the odds, should these miscreants try to attack him. Before he could slink away, though, Sirius called out to him. "Severus! Where're you going?" he asked. "These are my best mates, James Potter and Remus Lupin." He said, pointing at 'glasses' and the quiet boy. The rat-like boy made a noise of irritation.
"Oh yeah, that's Peter Patty-cake." Sirius said with a shrug.
"Pettigrew! You ass!" Rat-boy said angrily.
It looked as if Severus initial impression had been wrong. This Pettigrew was no friend of Sirius. No, it seemed as if he'd made himself into a tagalong to their group.
Severus watched curiously as Remus pulled a well-worn travel game of Wizard's chess from his pocket and began setting it up, sitting opposite Sirius and James, where they lounged, talking animatedly.
"Would you like to play?" he asked Severus. Severus agreed, and they started their game as Sirius and James caught up with each other's summer antics. "They'll be like that until we reach the school, most likely." Remus said to Severus as the game progressed. "No doubt, they'll be planning some extravagant prank to pull at the feast."
Leaning away from Pettigrew, Severus asked how Remus knew the two boys.
"It's a really boring, really long story." Remus said. He glanced at Pettigrew. "I'll have to tell it to you later."
Severus nodded. He could understand the reluctance to divulge personal information in the presence of an unknown, and he appreciated the offer for a later conversation.
When they arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the boys managed to lose their tagalong, and Severus relaxed significantly.
"My family has always been in Slytherin." Sirius was saying. "But the Potters are almost all Gryffindors. What about you, Severus?"
"My mother was in Ravenclaw." Severus told the other boys… his friends?
"Ravenclaw is a good house." Remus said. "I'm hoping to be sorted there."
"Well, I certainly can't see any of us in Hufflepuff!" James said, laughing loudly at the absurd thought. "I bet you'll be sorted into either Ravenclaw with Remus or into Slytherin. What do you think, Moony?" he asked Remus.
Severus puzzled at the strange nickname as Remus thought about his answer for a moment. At eleven years old, he certainly thought long and hard about some things. They hadn't managed to get very far into their chess game, what with Remus' thought out moves and Severus' constantly shifting strategies. 'Yes,' he thought, 'Ravenclaw would be perfect.'
"Potter, James!" "Gryffindor."
"Lupin, Remus!" "Gryffindor."
"Snape, Severus!" "Slytherin."
"Black, Sirius!" "Gryffindor."
Years later
"Congratulations, James! Lily!" Sirius was practically vibrating in his joy. "I can't believe that our James is going to be a Daddy." His laughter was unrestrained and joyful, as he moved towards the happy couple.
Remus and Severus hung back as Sirius, in all his exuberant glory, affectionately mauled their friend. Turning to Lily Evans-Potter, Severus spoke. "I find it quite strange that you would want to add another child to our little family." he teased, gesturing to where James and Sirius were roughhousing.
Both Lily and Remus laughed at that. "He really is just a great big kid, isn't he?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
The old gang, plus Lily stayed up all through the night, remembering the past and planning for the future. "We've talked about this a lot and Lily and I would like you to be the baby's godfather, Sirius." James said. "Remus? Severus? Would you be honorary godfathers?"
The three men were speechless. Not one of them knew anything about children, nor could they say no to James. With tears in his eyes, Sirius answered, "Yes, of course. I'm…" he broke off, "I'd be absolutely honored, James, Lily."
Severus looked to Remus. The werewolf nodded; he looked apprehensive. "Remus and I agree as well." Severus paused, "Does Lily know about Moony?" he asked, looking to James for an answer.
James looked at his feet for a moment, silent. "Moony. Remus, I couldn't keep this from Lily." He said, softly. "We're all with you when you change and I didn't feel right lying to my wife every month."
Remus was quiet.
"Remus?" Lily said, her voice gentle. "I don't judge you for circumstances beyond your control. And I would be grateful if you not only agreed to be my child's godfather, be to be my friend as well.
"You are a good man, Remus Lupin, and a loyal friend," she continued. "Please, say yes?"
Remus drew in a breath. "Yes, I agree to your request. Both of them."
One year later
"They're dead! How could you let this happen?"
"Sirius, calm down." Albus Dumbledore implored. "You're scaring little Harry."
Sirius was seething. He was beyond angry. "How could this happen? What the hell happened? Who did you tell?" He looked to where Remus lay, unconscious. Severus, torn and bloody, sat next to the werewolf's bed, holding a sleeping toddler in his arms.
"I felt the Potter's needed more security." Dumbledore stalled. "I informed some of the Order of the situation and set up a watch on their home in Godric's Hollow."
"Who did you tell?" Sirius and Dumbledore looked in surprise at Severus. Thus far, other than to deny anyone access to Harry, he had been virtually unresponsive to them.
"Moody, of course, and Frank and Alice Longbottom all volunteered." Dumbledore said. When Sirius and Severus both glared at him, he continued hesitantly. "Peter Pettigrew was there also."
"What the fuck were you thinking!" Sirius demanded. "Pettigrew's had it in for James since school. He hates… hated James for so much. For not being his friend when we were young, for being popular in school, for having the audacity to marry Lily."
"Peter came to me a few weeks ago. He said that he'd been misguided by his friends; that he wanted to spy for the order." Dumbledore said.
"He volunteered valuable information on Voldemort's movements."
"You stupid, naïve old man," Severus growled. "I have been to the Dark Lord's meetings, and Pettigrew is without a doubt one of his most loyal followers." He looked up, into Dumbledore's shocked eyes. "Yes, I'm a so-called Death-eater. Unlike Pettigrew, though, I joined 'them' as a spy for the Order."
"We had a plan that was well-researched and thought out and it would have worked. Voldemort would have been captured or killed, and James and Lily would never have been caught up in this war.
"They'd just started their family. They had plans, they were going to do something with their lives!" he cried.
Harry woke at Severus' outburst, but didn't cry out. Instead, he seemed to understand that his honorary godfather was in pain, and he reached up, gently touching his tiny hands to Severus' face.
"I think you've made more than enough decisions, Albus." Sirius said, "Please, just go."
Abus Dumbledore left the room. He looked as if the weight of the world was pressing down on his shoulder as he closed the door behind him.
"You'll have to forgive him at some point in time." Remus' soft voice said. "Albus' greatest fault is his desire to see the good in everyone, even when there's none to be found."
Severus barely contained his sobs. He'd done so much as a spy for the Order, and it felt as if all of his work was for naught. He moved to the bed with Harry, joining the injured Remus and Sirius.
"It'll only get worse from here." He said, curling into the warm pile of bodies, comforted by the nearness of his best, only, friends in the world.
The three grief-stricken friends watched over Harry as he slept, thankful for his innocence, for his mother's love. And as they drifted into sleep, each man swore to protect the remaining Potter and to avenge James and Lily, whatever the cost.