Chapter Text
It was October 31 1987, it had been six years since that night, and right now Remus Lupin was sitting in the same hospital room he’d been in multiple times a week for six years. Mary had been here just as many times as he had, Marlene and Dorcas too. Before he came here, he had been to see Dumbledore, arguing with him about Harry again. It had been six fucking years, the boy was seven now, and Remus hadn’t seen him since.
He was a little startled when the door opened, and a young female healer walked in. She smiled at him, he smiled back. She walked over to James first, checking a few things.
“How are you doing today Mr. Lupin?" She asked, it was more a courtesy than anything. He just shrugs, not feeling like talking to her, not today. “I imagine today is hard for you, are the others coming tonight as well?” He looked up at her now.
“Yeah, they are coming later, after work I think,” he said, giving her a smile. She just nods before going back to her job. After a while she left the room again, and Remus was left alone with his thoughts.
It took a while before any of the others showed up. Mary was the first to show, she had closed the book store early, taking the last part of the day of. She hugs Remus when she comes in, before sitting down next to him. They just sit there for a while, like always.
“Are there any updates?” she asks, she's not looking at him.
“No, nothing,” He says, looking at her. This day is hard, every day is, but this one is worse. “They are stable, they keep saying that's good”. She just nods. They don't talk much after that, just sitting there. It's easier to be two in here, not having to deal with it alone.
About an hour later Marlene and Dorcas showed up. Marlene hugged both Remus and Mary before sitting down. Marlene and Dorcas were almost killed during the war, but they had been lucky, the order had shown up just in time. Marlene's parents and brothers were killed, Dorcas and Marlene were the only survivors.
“Any good news?” Dorcas asked, hugging Marlene now. Mary and Remus both shock their heads. “Nothing about Harry either?”. Remus felt his blood start to boil now, he’d been arguing with Dumbledore just this morning.
“No, Dumbledore is still saying it's for the best we don't know.” he said, not being able to look at them.
“Well that old man doesn't know what he's talking about” Marlene says and stands up. She starts pacing. “Harry would be safe with us, he would be better off with us”. Looks towards Dorcas, wanting support, wanting the others to agree.
“Marls, baby,” Dorcas said, trying to get her to calm down.
“Don’t, we all know Harry should be here with us” Marlene had raised her voice now. “It is what they would have wanted” She gestures to Lily and James.
“Marlene, please stop yelling,” Mary said. “You're right, but they are going to throw us out if you keep yelling”. Marlene mumbled something but sat back down, Dorcas warping her arm around her, pulling her closer.
“There must be a way to find him, right?” Remus said, he looks at the other now. Mary looked at him, shaking her head.
“We don't even know where to look,” Dorcas said. They have had this conversation multiple times before, and this time it died with that. The conversation moved over to memories from their days at Hogwarts, trying to stay positive, but even those memories were stained.
When Harry had woken this morning he had a weird feeling, it was like today was something special. It was Halloween, Dudley had reminded him of that at breakfast. He wasn’t allowed to go trick or treat, that's what Uncle Vernon had said. He’d never been trick or treating, at least not that he could remember. He had lived with the Dursleys for six years now, that was almost his whole life. He was in the kitchen washing dishes, Aunt Petunia and Dudley were in the living room, getting ready to go trick or treating.
“Harry, hurry up with the dishes,” Aunt Petunia said from the living room. “I want you to be done before we leave”
“Yes, Aunt Petunia” Harry answered. It took him another few minutes but then he was done. Aunt Petunia and Dudley left to meet up with Dudley's friends and Harry was left home alone. Once he was sure they left he went over to the dining room window, he dragged a chair over there and sat looking out, up at the sky. He studied the stars, he missed his parents even more tonight, he didn’t know why. He sat there wishing for someone to come get him, someone to take him far away from here, for someone to actually care about him. He let himself dream about what Halloween might have been if he was with his parents. His parents were dead, that was what Uncle Vernon had told him, when he asked, then he had been told not to ask questions. He had asked one time after that, that had ended with him spending a week locked in the cupboard under the stairs. He hadn’t done it again after that. Harry sat there until the Dursleys came home wishing for something. Uncle Vernon threw him into the cupboard when they came home, locking the door. It was late now, almost nine o’clock, Harry was laying on the mattress on the floor. Wishing and hoping for a miracle, little did he know that in a magical hospital in London his wish was about to come true.
James Potter woke up in a room he didn’t recognize. He looked around not really seeing anything, he needed to find his glasses. He looked around the room, seeing something that looked like his glasses on the nightstand. He grabbed them and put them on, it was hard to move his arm, like he hadn’t used it in years. When he got his glasses on he realised he was in St. Mungos. He looked around the room rather confused, why was he in St. Mungos. He saw Lily laying in the other bed, he tried to sit up, he needed to get to her. It was hard to sit up, but he managed. He heard voices from outside, he recognized multiple of them, Remus, Marlene, and he think, Mary and Dorcas. Mary and Dorcas' voices were more muffled, maybe Remus and Marlene were talking louder?
“I don't care about the visiting hours, it's not even that late” he could hear Remus yell. He heard another voice say something, but didn't hear what. He tried to swing his legs off the bed, he didn't manage, but tried again. He was successful this time. He tried to stand up, it was hard but he managed. The yelling outside was still going on, he didn't care, not really. When he was sure his legs were supporting him he took a step towards Lily. It was hard to do, and hurt a little, but he kept going. It was just three steps over to Lily. He sat down on her bed, stroking carefully over her hand. Every movement was hard to do and hurt. Lily shifted a little now, before opening her eyes slowly, he saw it took her a little time to get used to the light.
“Hey Babygirl,” His voice sounds weird, like it hadn't been used in a while. He smiled at her and she smiled back at him.
“Hey Jamie” She said, she moved her other hand to touch him. She looked around the room, clearly confused too. “Where are we?”
“I think we’re in St. Mungos, Flower,” She looked even more confused by this, that means she probably didn't remember anything either. The last thing he remembers was being at home, and Lily taking Harry to bed. Harry!? Where was Harry?!
“Jamie, where is Harry?” She asked, she was worried, he could hear it in her voice.
“I don't know, Babygirl” He looked at her again. “I just woke up, tho I think Moony, Mary, Marls and Dorcas are out in the hall, he's probably with them, or with Pads” He's trying to reassure himself just as much as her. She doesn't have an opportunity to answer because the door is opened. Remus is the one that opened the door, and now he's standing there frozen.
“You look like you saw a ghost, Moony” James says teasingly, then he is tackled in a hug. “Ow, Moony be careful”. Marlene, Mary and Dorcas show up now too. They are inside the room in an instant. Mary wrapping her arms around Lily, and Marlene not knowing who to hug first, ended up hugging both of them at the same time. Every single one of them was crying.
“What is up with you guys?” Lily asked, looking at them. “Its like you haven't seen us in years”
“Well I guess we have a few things to tell you” Remus said. James was looking at them now, actually looking at them, they looked older, like multiple years older. “Whats the last thing you remember?”
“We were in hiding” James said, the other looked at him, their faces still tear stained. “It was Halloween I think. I was in the living room with Harry. Harry! Where's Harry?!” None of them were meeting his eyes now, not one of them. Lily must have realized too, since she was crying.
“What happened to our baby?” She asked through sobs. James hugged her now, glaring at them. Someone better tell him that Harry was okay.
“He’s okay, or at least that's what we’re being told” Mary said, she looked at them now.
“What you’re being told?” James was getting mad now, this was his baby boy, his angel, his prongslet. “Where is he?”
“Prongs…” Remus said without looking at him. “We don't know”
“You don't know?” Lily shrieked, “What do you mean you don't know?” James moved her closer to him, hugging her tighter.
“I think we have a few things we need to explain really,” Marlene said, “You see, the last thing you remember is from six years ago”
“Six years ago?,” James said. What? That was impossible? “Hows that even possible?"
“On Halloween 1981, He-you-know, attacked your house” Dorcas said, as she looked at them. “But you survived, and so did Harry, and no one knows how.”
“You ended up in a coma,” Mary shot in, also looking at them. “You have been in a coma for six years”
“And Dumbledore took Harry, before any of us could get to him” Remus said, he's still not looking at them. “We been trying to get him to tell us where he's at, but he refuses”
“What about Pads, and Wormy?” James asked, the last name said with venom. He could see Remus reacting to it, but no one else seemed to pick up on it.
“Dead” Marlene answered, not clarifying if she's talking about both of them, but James assumed that. He starts to cry over his lost brother, and now Lily was stroking though his hair, just like she did when they got the news Regulus was assumed dead.
Not long after a healer came, she sent the four visitors on their way. After that she asked a bunch of questions, how they were feeling, any pain, all the normal stuff. She did a bunch of tests too, and urged James to get back in his own bed, which he refused to do. He laid down next to Lily on her bed, stroking through her hair.
“I can't believe that he's dead,” he said, tears in his eyes. “And that he betrayed us, I don't believe that either”. He lets a few tears fall.
“I know Jaime” She looked up at him, kissing him carefully, before leaning into his embrace.
“We’ll find Harry,” James knew she was worried about that. “We’ll find him and bring him home”. He felt Lily nod before drifting off to sleep, and it didn't take long before he was asleep either.
It was late night in Azkaban, at least it seemed like it to Sirius, keeping time here was hard. He knew what day it was, only because a guard had told him, a wizard guard, not a dementor. He figured it was to torment him, that was the only reason. He had been her five years and 364 days now, tonight was six years since that rat had ruined everything. He was sitting close to the little window in his cell, looking up at the sky. It was a starry night, there were few of them out here. It was quiet also, like even the waves knew what tonight was. He was thinking of Harry now, he and Remus were probably out trick or treating, he wondered what he was dressed up as. Mary had probably made the costume by hand, refusing to let Harry wear something store bought, insisting that was what Lily would have done. She would be right.
“Awfully quiet you are tonight cousin,” Bellatrix said from the cell next to him. “Mourning your dead friends are you?” She was mocking him, trying to get under his nerves. It worked.
“Shut up Bella” He said, it was probably only fueling her fire. “I’m not in the mood”. He could hear her laugh, that was never good.
“You’re not in the mood” She was still mocking. “Oh I’m so sorry dear cousin, ill shut up then, but first, I'm just wondering, do you know what Narcissa told me?” He tries to ignore her, looking out the window again, it's a nice night. He wishes he could be there, with Harry, with Remus.
“Sirius” Bellatrix says again, he's still trying to ignore her. “Do you know what Narcissa told me, I think you would like to know.” She has moved over to the bars now, he can hear it.
“I don't care Bella” He says, whatever Narcissa said can be the same. “I don't care what Narcissa told you” She laughs again, this time even louder.
“But it's about your godson, the boy who lived” Bellatrix was still talking, and it was still mocking. “She told me he had been spotted, in the muggle world, alone. Lucius had heard it at the ministry, some wizard had seen him. Tho the muggle police had gotten to him first, and now no one knows where he is.” Sirius was panicking now, had Moony lost Harry? No way? Mooney was the responsible one, he wouldn't lose a child.
Sirius goes back to looking at the stars, he's not calm, not even a little. It is possible Bella is trying to mess with him, it's very possible. He’s looking up at the sky, thinking of Lily and James, Harry, his Moony, maybe one day he’ll see them again. He wishes he was somewhere else, anywhere else. He feels a cold gust of wind as a dementor passes by. He felt the tears start to swell in his eyes. He regrets everything, telling them to make Peter secret keeper, going after him, leaving Harry. It's all his fault, all because of him, he's begging the stars for forgiveness. He can’t beg forgiveness from someone who is dead, and Harry won't even remember him. Remus wouldn’t have told him, Remus thinks he's a traitor, they all do. They have all right to, he is the reason for all this after all. He looks up at the stars again, as the clock hits nine, not that he knows that, wishing for a miracle. Just like the little boy by the window in Pivet Drive.