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What's this? Why'd you call it- no, Sirius, stop I-

[ there's a pause, sounds of a struggle and what could probably pass as a triumphant laugh. ]

Right! Name's James Potter. 'pparently you can leave things here for me to read later? Brilliant.
Uh, what am I even supposed to say?

Wait, no, this is my bloody-

[ and the feed is cut off. blame sirius. ]

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And what if we can't?

[And, before James can respond:]

Do you know what Sirius did when we found out what happened? He told me. He denied it. He denied it, and then he nearly hit me-- older me-- because he was so, so terrified of a world without you. And I'm just as scared. It's your life, James, yours and Lily's that we're gambling on.

[ he must keep forgetting how lily is involved with this, because every time it works out in his head it's always just him. him, trying to save them all, and if he can't then it's just him and-

but it's not. it's lily too, and he flinches when he hears her name. ]

What d'you suppose we do then, Remus? Blame Peter for something he hasn't even done? It's our life, yeah, but it's our life whether we can change it or not. I don't- [ he doesn't want to think about it. doesn't want to think about his ticking clock or the storm-cloud hanging over their heads. ] We can change it. We can, and then none of this will happen at all.

What if it doesn't?

[Steadily, he meets his eyes.]

And how are we to change it? Peter, please don't betray us and kill off our best friend, that'd be swell?

[ no no no remus, this will work. why aren't you agreeing with him? ]

The only reason Pete- [ and okay, suddenly that's a lot more difficult to say with Peter actually on board. ] The only reason he'd do that is if someone was threatening him. If he somehow got cornered by Voldemort's followers and his only option- [ no, it still doesn't make sense, but james keeps pushing on. ] If we can protect him from them, he won't give us up. Won't even have the chance.

And what if that's not it? What if he-- he somehow goes to them of his own volition? What then?

He won't.

[ a pause, probably longer than necessary. ] But then we won't make him secret keeper.

[a long pause, and then:]

Make it Dumbledore. Or Sirius. Not me. Not Peter.

[ it was always supposed to be sirius. ]

Why not you?

Because--

[He glances down. Hesitates.]

Because Sirius would never break under torture. I can't say the same for me.

[ james watches him for a moment, confused, before his eyebrows shoot up and he almost laughs. ]

You've got to be joking. [ he moves to sit down next to Remus without really waiting for an answer. ] You go through more pain and agony that any kind of torture I've heard of once a month, Moony. You can't really think of yourself as weak.

That's different. That's-- that's self-induced. This is different. This would be something I couldn't endure. James, it hardly matters, just don't make it me.

It's not that much different, and you don't know that. For all we know you might be the best bet.

[ he sighs. ] But okay, if you don't- I'm not going to make you. Don't even have a secret yet.

[He sags a little, nodding.]

In the meantime-- what are we going to tell Pete? Are we going to tell him anything?

We're telling him.

[ it comes out a little quick, and james sighs. rubs at his face. ]

I don't want to do any more of this sneaking around with information thing. We're all- [ and with a sudden thought back to his fight with sirius, he amends himself. ] Were the Marauders. We didn't have secrets. And it'll only complicate things more, someone will let something slip and it'll all become a mess.

When. I want to be there as well.

As soon as possible, I guess.

[ even with how his stomach screws up just thinking about it. ]

I'll contact him- have a preference when?

No. But I think we should do it in his rooms.

Yeah- that'd... [ sorry, james just needs a minute to rub his hands over his face again. pull himself together. ] Probably'd be for the best.

[a beat. quietly:]

And I think you should make up with Sirius before anything else.

[ gdi remus stop always being right JAMES TRIED. but instead, he'll just get a sigh. ]

He's not going to listen to me.

He will to you. You know he will. He always does.

He didn't. [ and he doesn't mean to snap, he really doesn't, but it just comes out that way. ]

I already tried to talk to him and it didn't work and he's never- [ wow, james, please sound more like a girlfriend that just got dumped, please. ] He doesn't want to listen because he's already made up his mind. Made it up before Peter even got here. Probably before I did, too.

Because he's terrified for you. He's-- James, he would do anything to help you. He's fighting with you because he's terrified that if-- if he doesn't change things, if he tries to do things your way, Peter will still turn and you'll die.

What would you do, if it was him that was going to die?

That doesn't make it okay. He wants to kill him, Remus! Have you talked to him? He wants to kill Peter and I can't be okay with that, future or no.

[ but the question makes him quiet, because he really needs to think about this and suddenly it all looks a little different. not that different, though. ]

I wouldn't kill him, that's for sure. He hasn't actually done anything yet and I'm not going to let a future that hasn't happened decide his life.

He-- he won't kill him. He wouldn't. I mean, he might say that, but-- there's no way.

[Remus stares up at James in mild shock.]

We can't kill him. I was just-- I more meant to, to distance ourselves from him in the future, in . . . god. God.

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