Farewells

When Sirius came through the floo behind them, he was unconscious. James was too surprised to catch him, but small shriek escaped his lips as Sirius crashed to the ground. Remus rushed forward and checked to see if Sirius was ok.

"He's fine.' Said Remus, relived. "He's only been stunned. Rennervate." Sirius instantly scrambled up, blinking and shaking his head.

"I'm ok." He exclaimed. "Minnie nearly got me there, though." He laughed weakly, drawing his fingers through his tousled hair.

James chuckled. "Poor Ms. McGonagal. She didn't deserve that sudden shock." He paused. "I wish she didn't just assume we were death eaters though."

"You can't really blame her, I suppose." Said Remus. "Wars do that to people." James and Sirius murmured in agreement.

Harry and Ginny were waiting for them, their faces illuminated by the light of the leaping fire. "It's good to see you again." Harry said, quietly. "Did everything go ok?"

"Yes, other than a small incident concerning Minnie." Chirped Sirius nonchalantly in response. Harry raised his eyebrows slightly, but didn't pry further. Remus pulled back his cloak to reveal the shining turquoise vial that contained their ticket home. He carefully placed it on the coffee table, and the five occupants of the room simply stared in awe for a moment at the sparkling aqua patterns that glinted off the tabletop in the dim light of the room.

Shifting uncomfortably, James murmured "I guess… we should go now." Each of the marauders in turn glanced at one another, then at Harry and Ginny.

"Being able to see you all again was an incredible gift." intoned Harry softly. Suddenly an intense wave of emotion wracked through James as he truly comprehended what he was losing, and what he would lose again when he died in only about five years. Without hesitation, he threw his arms around Harry.

"Thank you." He said, fighting back tears. "Thank you for helping us. Thank you for saving the world. You are the bravest person I've ever met, and I wish I had been there to see you grow up." He swallowed thickly, then managed, "I would have been so proud to have you as my son. I AM so proud to have you as my son." Pulling back, he saw that Harry was crying. After that, none of the marauders could quite stop themselves from doing the same.

They didn't leave right away. They probably ended up staying over an hour more, telling Harry, who wouldn't be forgetting everything shortly, more about themselves, and hearing more about his life. They each cried, for their own impending deaths and horrible futures, and for this boy, the Boy-Who-Lived, who had been through so much when they should have been there beside him the whole. Eventually, though, they knew it was time for them to go. They each hugged Harry and Ginny in turn, then separated the potion into three glasses and sat down by the fire.

"The potion is supposed to take a moment to work, and when it does, we will disappear as simply as though we were using a time turner." Remus explained, gazing down at the small glass of glistening potion that had been prepared for him. "You should probably obliviate us as soon as we drink it."

"How much do you want gone?" Asked Ginny. "Everything since you arrived here?"

"And the part when I discovered that stupid spell in the first place, preferably. And maybe just erase the entirety of the desire to travel through time." Sirius responded, somehow sounding both amused and sad. Ginny nodding, drawing her wand and cradling it lightly in her hands. The three marauders stared at it nervously, each of their minds racing to remember every little thing they had seen and experienced since they had travelled back through time, while they still could. After another long silence, Remus was the first to pick up the potion and say a final, melancholy goodbye. He tilted his head back as he drank the draught, then turned to face Ginny, prodding her with an "Obliviate me now." She did so, carefully, her face screwed up with concentration, and the flash of bluish light made Sirius and James flinch. Remus' face went blank, silent, confused. It didn't take long before a strange silver shimmer surrounded his body, and then, abruptly, he disappeared with a slight pop.

"Well, the potion seems to work then!" Sirius said, sounding almost ironically cheerful, before swallowing the entirety of his glass. "You know, this potion doesn't taste half bad." He commented. "Not nearly as horrible as polyjuice." That reminded him of an awesome prank they had done earlier that year, involving polyjuice potion and a couple of the Hogwarts professors. He launched into the story, but when he started shimmering like Remus had, Ginny had to quickly hit him with an obliviate before he disappeared. James, the only one left, wrapped up the story for him. Tearing himself away was hard. Before he drank the potion, he felt compelled to give Harry another hug, and tell him again how sorry he was that he hadn't been there to see him grow up.

Finally though, he drank the potion, and Ginny obliviated him. He returned back, with the rest of the marauders, to their time where they belonged, with no memory of what had happened. Harry and Ginny though, remember, and they sat there in silence for a very long time.