Through The Ashes

Author\'s Notes: Okay, now this is the newest chapter :).The reason why James acting like such an ass to Harry in the beginnign was because that was all he had to go on by Severus\' personality when he was a child, plus the fact that he couldn\'t let harry too close and figure out what was really going on. He couldn\'t show Harry who he truly was for the good of the Order. I hope that explanation clears it up lol. Anyway, have fun reading!!!! and PLEASE REVIEW~~

Chapter Three
Harry and James spent all their time together. Harry explained his time at the Dursley’s, in which James said, “I’ll kill those bastards.” James explained the situation they were in, “A life debt is so strong that as soon as you make it, by saving the life of another, you are bonded to them until the life-debt is repaid. If the person that you owe dies, you suffer such an extreme breakdown mentally and emotionally, that you die yourself. If I died, then Severus would too, but Severus had too much honor and heart than to die like that.” Even though Harry missed his mother, he was thankful that at least he had his father.
The Marauders renewed their friendship and Sirius seemed to let go of the past couple years of doubt. They talked at night, when they thought Harry was sleeping, which he wasn’t.
Things seemed to be going great for Harry, he graduated and his father was able to watch. The only thing that dampened the happy event was that he had to go as Snape, which angered Harry even further. They were all treated to a private dinner after the ceremony at the Three Broomsticks, and it was there that James revealed himself to Ron and Hermione, as well as their families. Molly was stricken, though she hugged James almost immediately. It was a tearful reunion, but a happy one. Harry took the time afterwards to explain to his best friends about what all happened, they were quickly angered and outraged at Dumbledore’s manipulations.
Order Meetings were held at Hogwarts’ and the children refused to go, for news traveled fast. Even at the request of his father and the Order Members would he not go, the wound was too deep for him. Sirius attested to the fact that it was the first time for Harry to see that Dumbledore was human, that even the almighty Dumbledore could make mistakes, but for Harry…
It was different. To Harry, it showed him that Dumbledore was playing God, and two innocent people were killed because of it. Snape’s, or his father’s words kept running around in his head. If he could only bring Severus back, it would be like a wrong was finally righted.
Harry sat down on a window seat in the sitting room and looked out over the countryside around them. A book was open on his lap, and he felt slightly sleepy from the sunlight filtering in through the window. He looked up as the door opened and James walked in, “Hey Dad.\" James wasn\'t sure how to react to that now; he was so used to Harry\'s hate when he was playing Severus\' part. He opted for a warm smile, sliding beside on the seat, \" how are you doing Harry?\"
The young man shrugged, \"Good. Really good...and angry too.\" At Jame\'s look, he exhaled, \"Not at you or my friends. Just...Dumbledore. However he excuses what he did, he still killed an innocent. I know with war, many die, but this is.... different.\"
\"He was far from innocent.\"
\"How can you say that?!\" Harry jumped up from the seat, \"There was no reason for his death! No reason at all! No reason for him to be killed! He was a powerful wizard, even when he was a child, and that\'s even more the shame.\"
James nodded, looking away, \"He knew curses that only Aurors were allowed to learn when he was eight.\"
\"How do you know that? Aren\'t you allowed into Hogwarts when you have your eleventh birthday?\"
\"Yes but not only was he a powerful wizard,\" He grimaced, \"He had a horrible home life. Dumbledore let him go to Hogwarts early, much to his parents pride and Fudge\'s dismay. Lily told me of the times that he would come back from the holiday breaks with bruises and war stories. Only talked to her though. Her and Dumbledore.\"
\"Yeah...I think I know how he felt.\"
\"You two were a lot alike. But he was more \'cool as a cucumber\' and snooty. A cross between you and that, Deek was it?\"
\"Draco, Dad. Wow, that\'s weird to think about...\" Harry sat back down, staring out into the bleak landscape, \" How old was he? When, you know...\"
\"Twenty.\"
“Oh.”
“Why do you want to know so much about him?”
“He’s an ass.” Added Sirius who plopped on the couch near them, drinking a beer.
“You hardly knew him,” James stated in disgust, “You only saw him through school, and he changed a lot since then.”
Sirius snorted, “The way you played him..”
“I know Sirius.” James sighed. “I was only acting from how he was during school, if you would have had his memories...You’d be singing a different tune.” Admonished James. Sirius looked away, properly cowed. Lupin walked in and sat down, also holding a beer, “Did I miss anything?”
“A lot,” muttered Harry. Lupin looked between the three men. They brought Lupin up to speed on their little chat. Lupin nodded, “Severus and I were sort-of friends during school.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this?” Asked James softly, “I would like to think that he would have backed off.”
“How could you be friends with that greasy teacher’s pet?” Sirius leaned forward in his seat. Lupin’s lips pursed and turned to James, “That’s why,” he said as he pointed his thumb over hisshoulder at Sirius, Because you al would not have accepted him. I think he would have been a better friend than Pettigrew, wouldn’t you say?”
They all sighed and nodded, and Harry too the oppurtunity of te silence to ask, “How did you and Snape become friends?”
Lupin smiled slightly, “Well, it started at around fifth year. Sirius and James went home for holiday break, and I decided to stay at Hogwarts. I was wandering around the castle and saw severus in the Great Hall playing chess. He looked really bored, since all of his Slytherins budies went home. I asked him if I could play, he didn’t really say anythin, only shrugged. He did look at me suspiciously, because really...its not everyday that a Marauder just asks you out-of-the-blue if he could play chess with you. He probably thought it was a prank.”
Sirius snorted, James and Harry shushed him. Harry could tell without even sparring a thought, that if Sirius had been in Remus’ shoes, it would have been a prank. Lupin continued, “We talked about various things, effectively exhausting the art of small talk. Then, after waht seemed a never-ending bout of silence, he asked me a question that I will never forget.”

//Remus Lupin walked into the Great Hall, reading a book that had caught his interest a few months before, but never had the time until now to read it. Being Sirius’ friend, it was hard to do anything involving school around the easily distracted boy. He walked slowly in the hall, picking his way cautiously so not to bump into anything and ultimately losing his place. As he got closer to the tables that held some student who didn’t want to be caught outside in the dead of winter or cooped up in their respective common rooms, he glanced up and searched for a place to sit.
Not a lot of students stayed at school during the holiday breaks, ao it was very difficult to hide in such a small crowd. He couldn’t go back home this year, his family had caught the flu and didn’t want him getting sick, so he was alone. Peter Pettigrew, always the follower, decided immediately to go home along with james and Sirius. Remus sighed, he was bored to tears, even his book couldn’t cure him of the winter boredom and he didn’t want to sit alone. Which was why he was slightly surprised at finding one such person sitting alone.
Severus Snape.
The bane of the Marauder’s existence, but remus thought that the pranks that were pulled on the young man were a little, if not all, cruel. The dark child, like himself, was all alone on this break, absent of any friends. Though Remus suspected if the people that Snape hung out with were really friends at all. He was the only one at the Slytherin table, which was obviously going to be earning news to all the Slytherin families, and not just a few looks from the other houses.
Lupin sighed, and decided to extend an olive branch of some sorts, something he knew would piss of James and Sirius royally. Right now, however, he really didn’t care what they would have to say; he knew as well as the boy sitting at the table, that it was horrible being lonely, even if the young man didn’t show it. He straightened and determidely walked over to the polished oak table, standing in the Slytherin’s light. He watched as the thin face screwed up in irritation. The obisidian eyes glanced up and rolled to the side as the young man realized who was standing in front of his table, “What do you want? Do whatever you must and leave me the hell alone.” The eyes moved back down to the chessboard and pointedly ignored him. Lupin shrugged, he wasn’t expecting more than that, he sat down across from the Slytherin. He watched him and after a while, noticed the other boy was getting uncomfortable.
“So,” started Lupin abruptly, his feeble attempts at starting a conversation, “Why aren’t you home? I mean, you never used to stay away from home when on break.”
The other boy exhaled through his nose, “I had a strong incentive to stay.”
“Oh.” Lupin’s eyes floundered around, and another uncomfortable silence sretching between them. Suddenly, Snape sighed in irritation, which startled Lupin. They locked eyes and Severus glared, “Why are you here?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh come on, I am not stupid. You hang out with the two most illustrious students this school has to offer.” He spit out in contempt, “Don’t you think it odd if I didn’t act at least a fraction suspiciously of you motive for sitting here and talking to me as if this were some sort of a social call?”
“I don’t know why,” He defended, “I just thought that you miht like some company.” He sighed as Snaped sorted and did not furthur their conversation. Lupin shifted, “Look, I know you don’t like me, and my friends don’t like you. Yes, i have been in on a lot of their pranks that were focused solely upon you, and I’m sorry for that. I feel really bad after what my frieds and I have done to you, and I hope that you could see past it so that we could be friends....at least until the break is over.”
Snape worked his jaw and intensified his glare at the other, Lupin thought idiely that if he worked on that, it could possibly incinerate someone, “And why would I want to be friends with you?”
Lupin looked up and down the table in amusement, “You see anyone else here?”
“I am quite aware of my social standing, thank you very much. I can get on quite well by myself. Thank you for your oh-so-kind offer.” He said sarcastically.
Lupin sighed in defeat and folded his hands in his lap. They stayed that way for at least ten minutes until Snape looked up again, “Why are you still here?”
Lupin smiled pleasantly, “Have you forgotten my apology already?”
He pursed his lips in agrrivation. “No and I don’t care. I don’t like you-”
“But you are slightly curious as to why I want to talk to you. Right?”
“Yu’re bored probably.”
Ow. Hit the nail right on the head, he thought. he stopped himself from rubbing the back of his neck, “So how are we going to talk like this? Its just going to bring us around in circles anyway, why don’t we short-hand it?”
A common custom between the Marauders, and Lupin was sure that snape knew all about it. Alot of Hogwarts students witnessed that very ritual and adopted it. Snpae rolled his eyes and fought to hold back an amused grin.
“I hate you.” Lupin started.
“I hate you.”
“Wanna be friends for a little while?”
“So i can murder you at chess?”
“Sure.”
“Deal.”
They started playing chess, talking about nothing in particular, Snaped beating Lupin by one chesspeice at a time. It was quiet, Lupin saw the kids filing out, wanting to go to their common rooms or to some other place that caught their fancy.They hadn’t talked for more than half and hour, and Lupin was getting a little tense. something wasn’t being said, and wanting to get out, and Lupin wasn’t sure how long he could take the silence. the other boy’s silence wa unnerving, his clothes letting out naught but a whisper as he moved his arm. Lupin tried to startmany a conversation, gettingnothing more than a grunt or a shrug. the tawny-haired boy was going to start, yet again, another one sided conversation, until he was interrupted by a question that made his blood run cold.
“Do the transformations hurt?” It ws asked quietly, and as if the speaker was genuinely interested and concerned.
Lupin laughed, lightly hysterically, “What are you talking about?”
The other glanced up, and saw in his eyes an answer to one of his many silent questions and nodded once, “Right.” He stood, leaving Lupin with a sick feeling in his stomach. “Talk to me when you can have an honest conversation with someone.”
He walked away then, and as the young werewolf watche him turn the corner, the only thought that roared in his eyes, shutting everything out, was he knows...//

“So what did you do? Was that the cause of the Shrieking shack incident?” Harry asked eagerly, the boy had a nack for ferreting out the truth.
Lupin nodded, “I went to tell James and Sirius as soon as they came back. Sirius came up with idea to teach Severus a ‘lesson’, so to speak. I didn’t know he planned it until we were in the Headmaster’s office.”
“We all make mistakes,” James said. “I never knew until the last minute.”
Sirius sighed in defeat, “I guess now i’ll never know if he ever forgave me or not.”
James looked to be lost in thought, “There is a alot that we do not know about Snape. I still don’t understand why he would try and stop Voldemort on his own, he should ave known that he couldn’t possibly.”
“He was never cut out to be a Gryffindor.” Lupin joked.
Their conversation was making Harry uncomfortable, it raised too many unanswerable questions for him. He excused himself and walked up to his room, closing the door to shut out their voices. He had no idea why he was so afflicted with melancholy. How could Dumbledore let this happen? Thought Harry. he knew for a fact that Dumbledore wasn’t omnipresent, but it was asking a little much that Dumbldore made a mistake in ordering Snape to save his father. How does it help the Longbottoms? Were they ripped apart needlessly?
Harry sat down on his bed and listened as the sky, threatening rain all day, had finally lived up to its promise. the drops were making a soothing sound upon the thick glass of his window. He layed down, staring at it as if it held all the answers; he didn’t noticed as he fell into a deep sleep.