Hey, guys! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Elliot. This was a commission from drawing-cookie on Tumblr, who said they wanted a "Maurader era au where they become friends with Snape", bisexual James and Remus, and POC James. It was only meant to be 2.5k but I liked it so I kept going. I also included a few of my own HCs, including Sirius wearing skirts due to sensory issues, Remus being trans, and Lily and Severus eventually becoming animagi. This isn't really written to be a redemption story; more of a he doesn't need a redemption story because it changes his course entirely. He was still a shitty person when he was younger, but no one says that's okay. Not even Snape. So yeah, hope this is okay and that you enjoy! If anyone wants commissions, please message me for prices!

CW: Use of slurs (n*****, tr*nny), mentions of self-harm/abusive families, racism, mentions of injuries and bruising

"I can't believe you," Remus hissed. His eyes, normally bright, were dark and narrowed at Sirius. They had been rubbed raw, but whether it was from tears or itchiness from not sleeping, Sirius didn't know. "Do you know how dangerous that was?"

Sirius scoffed, arms folded. "Please. Nothing was going to happen, you know that."

"No, actually. I don't know that. That's entirely the point!" Remus snatched the book he'd been looking for off the shelf and stormed towards the desk to check it out.

Sirius sighed but followed him. "Moony, come on. He's a prat!"

"Fuck off, Sirius."

"I'm serious! He's a pureblood elitist, sexist, probably homophobic and racist-"

"That doesn't excuse it! You don't just get to do that because you think someone might be an asshole!"

"Think? He is one! He's worse - he called Lily a Mudblood!"

The librarian coughed and they both turned to see her shushing them. There were some students studying for exams at the library desks.

Remus turned back to him, only for a moment. "It still isn't right." He coughed and adjusted his sports bra. He always complained that it caused more pain than his binder.

"Moony-"

Remus just glared at him as he handed the book to the librarian. Sirius fell silent as the book was checked out, but once Remus began to walk again, he jogged to catch up with him.

"I was just trying to give him a bit of a scare; knock some sense into him! It was just a prank!"

Remus stopped dead in the middle of the hallway. Sirius almost crashed into him. He saw Remus' shoulders lift, then drop, and Remus turned to face him. His jaw was tight, teeth clenched so tight that Sirius almost worried that he'd hurt himself. "Just a prank?" He whispered. "Just a prank?" That one was louder. "You could have fucking killed him!"

Sirius flinched. "No. No, he wouldn't have died-"

"You don't know that!" Remus yelled. A few heads turned towards them, and he had to take a few deep breaths. "I'm going to the hall. I need to eat."

Sirius huffed but followed Remus to the hall in silence, hands in his pockets. At the doors, Remus paused, eyes flickering to the left of the hall. Sirius frowned and followed his gaze.

Severus sat there with Lily at his side. They were at the end, most of the other Slytherins giving them a wide berth - or at least Severus' 'friends'. His cheek and right eye were bruised, and there was a nasty gash on his upper lip, but other than that, he was fine. Alive.

"Moony! Padfoot!"

Sirius glanced towards the Gryffindor table. Peter was waving them over, ink smeared across his cheek.

But Remus walked to the Slytherin table instead.

Sirius grabbed his wrist before he could stop himself. "What are you doing?" He whispered.

This could only go badly, for everyone involved.

"Going to talk to him."

Sirius shook his head. "Moons- Remus, this is a bad idea. There's too many people."

Remus glanced around the hall. There wasn't a lot. Just fifth and seventh years. The other years were sitting their Christmas exams. But even so, a few people were already looking at them. James looked about ready to jump up from the table.

Remus' shoulders slumped. "Fine." He glanced back at Severus and Lily. Neither of them had looked up. Not that Sirius had seen anyway. "But I'm talking to them at some stage."

"It's fine - he's only scratched up from the tree-"

"And who's fault is that?" Remus yanked his arm away from Sirius. "He's not dead, but he could have been killed last night, Sirius. I don't have control when I change! What's it going to take-" He brought his hand up and poked Sirius' forehead. "-to get that through your skull? Animals are fine but humans-" He shook his head and dropped his hand again.

"But nothing happened!"

"Only because James realised what was going on." Remus' glare went from angry to just… sad and tired. So tired. "If something happened to him- If I hurt him, or worse, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

Sirius just stared as Remus pushed past him and walked over to the Gryffindor table. He sat beside Peter, and when Sirius finally joined them to sit next to James, Remus ignored him.

Remus didn't speak to Sirius for the rest of the day.

It was January's 'Nice Day', as Lily dubbed it. The only nice day of the month; the day that deceived everyone into thinking the weather would be better that year. They were making the most out of it by sitting out in the willow dome to study their notes - near the greenhouses. It was Lily's favourite spot. Not many people knew about it.

So when someone walked through the opening, Severus flinched. He didn't look up from the notebook he was scribbling in as a shadow fell over him. Lily did.

"Go away, Potter."

"Can't. Remus wants us to be here."

"You heard her," Severus muttered. "Get out." His eyes flickered up. They were all there. James and Sirius at the front, of course.

"This isn't about me-"

"Get out!" Severus grabbed for his wand, and Sirius' hair tumbled down around his shoulders as he yanked his out of the bun it had been securing. Someone threw themselves between them before they could cast a single spell.

Remus.

"Don't." He looked far worse for wear than usual. The black bags under his eyes looked like he'd have to check them in at the Muggle airports Lily talked about, and his skin was pale. He didn't look like he'd slept recently. He wasn't even wearing his binder - not from what the black sports bra strap Severus could see through the white shirt said anyway. His chest was small enough for him to get away with it. "Please."

After a moment, Sirius sighed and lowered his wand, and so did Severus. Remus wobbled, and Sirius helped steady him. "You should sit down," he said.

Remus pulled away from him and sat next to Severus. Sirius sighed again and sat next to Remus, twisting his hair back up into a bun. As James sat between Peter and Lily, he stuck his wand through his hair, and it stayed in place.

Severus gripped his quill tighter as Lily leaned a touch away from James. Insolent prick. He didn't deserve her.

No one spoke for a while.

Severus avoided it until the heading on his notes began to blur. "I'm not telling anyone if that's what you're afraid of," he muttered. "Dumbledore already saw to that." If he did tell, he'd be expelled.

"That's not it." It was Remus that spoke. "I wanted- I wanted to explain-"

"There's nothing to explain." Severus' nails dug into the palm of his hand. The grass was too bright and green, and it burned his eyes. "You wanted me dead." He had already told Lily, so it didn't matter that she was there, but he noticed Remus tense a touch out of the corner of his eye. Good. He deserved to feel uncomfortable.

"No he didn't," Sirius muttered. "I was the only one in on it."

That made Severus look up. Remus was sitting hunched beside him, tugging at a loose thread on the scarlet hem of his robes. Sirius was leaning back on his elbows, legs stretched out, looking up at the roof of the willow dome. The leaves and sunlight left a speckled pattern across his face.

"Bullshit," he whispered.

Sirius shrugged, and his shoulders fell limp again. "I thought it'd scare you enough to leave us alone. You've been fucking tormenting Peter for ages, and you called Lily a- I don't even know why she still puts up with you-"

"I can speak for myself." Lily's voice was stiff.

"Anyway," Sirius continued, "Remus didn't know anything about it, and even if he did, there was nothing he could have done to stop it. You know what happens."

Remus flinched, even though no one said the word.

"And Potter?" Severus' lip curled.

Sirius shook his head. "I told Peter and James after you left, and James chased after you to try and stop you."

"Why?"

"Because you're nothing but an elitist, sexist bigot." Sirius glared at him. "You abuse Lily and other muggleborns verbally constantly, you isolate anyone you see as different, and you hang out with people that are worshipping someone who wants to rule the entire world and get rid of Muggles. You remind me of my family." Sirius chewed his tongue for a moment and then looked away. A lock of hair fell loose from the bun he had secured with his wand. "But in that moment, I reminded myself of my family… and I hated it."

Severus frowned. Mudbloods soil the wizarding world, his mother screamed at him in his head. You're better than that! You have to make them stop!

Then his father joined her. You won't thank yourself for spending your time with people like that, Severus. It will only slow you down.

He clenched his teeth. "I could have died."

"I know." Sirius closed his eyes. "I know. I'm- I'm sorry."

"That doesn't change anything."

"I understand."

"I also wanted to come and talk to you," Remus admitted after a beat. He looked over at Lily. "Both of you." He took a slow breath. "So you both know I- both know I'm a werewolf." He grimaced, even though it was he himself who said it. "I was bitten when I was a kid, and when I change… I can't control it. I usually don't remember what I did the next morning."

"So if you did do something…" Lily trailed off but Remus nodded.

"I wouldn't even know it." He pursed his lips. "It only happens around humans… animals are fine, but… but I'm kept away from Hogwarts when it happens. You're the first person to ever find out other than these three," he said, looking at Severus. "And I just… I don't know-"

"He's trying to say he'd blame himself if something happened to you even though it wasn't his fault," Peter piped up.

A pang hit Severus' chest and he looked away. "I shouldn't have gone looking for something to use against you." He was just a kid when it happened. Jesus fucking Christ, he was a child.

"Exactly." Sirius shot him a look. "But I shouldn't have done what I did."

James leaned in a bit when no one spoke. "So… we know this isn't going to change much between us, but… Remus just wanted to explain." A leaf fell on his knee and he brushed it off.

Severus scowled at the leaf as it landed on the grass. The dull brown clashed with the brilliant green. "I don't blame Lupin for this," he muttered. "Or you." He looked at James and Peter. Then his gaze fell to Sirius.

Sirius didn't exactly tense, but he didn't look comfortable under Severus' scrutinous gaze.

Lily leaned closer and nudged him. A curtain of strawberry blonde hair fell over her shoulder. She had been wanting him to hang out with him ever since James had calmed down with the pranks. He didn't know why she thought this was a good time. For all of James' violent pranks, he had never tried to kill him.

Severus glanced down at his notebook. Sectumsempra beamed up at him from the margins. He hadn't entirely worked the spell out yet but- a cold flush washed over him, like he had walked through the Bloody Baron. He leaned down and began to scribble the spell out.

"We'll leave you to your notes." Remus began to struggle to his feet.

"Stay if you want," Severus muttered. Remus started. He could feel everyone's stares on him. Even Lily's. He looked up as though challenging one of them to say something.

After a moment, Remus sat back down. "I suppose it's better to study in groups so we can compare notes…"

"Exactly." Severus flipped the page. "But this doesn't make us friends." He looked up at Sirius for that.

Sirius just nodded. "I understand."

By their seventh year, the six had begun studying together and eating together most nights. They stayed in their house sections at quidditch matches, but afterwards, they would always meet up for some trash talk.

James was laughing as he pulled off his goggles that day - prescription ones he had ordered in from America. His eyesight was getting worse. "We beat you again!"

Severus scoffed, arms folded and a Slytherin scarf wound around his neck. "No you didn't. You got lucky - twenty more points and we would have won, even if you got the snitch."

James just shook his head and pulled on his glasses. "If you got twenty points, I'd have just evened it out." He smirked as the others ran up to them. "What do you think?"

Sirius jumped on James and ruffled his hair up as much as he could before James shoved him away. "You nearly fell off your broom towards the end."

"No I didn't! Remus, control your boyfriend!"

Remus laughed. "Sorry - even I can't do that."

Sirius backed off after a minute, but only because Lily pulled him back by his cloak. "Slytherin nearly had you."

"Told you!" Severus grinned.

James rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever." He looked up as the Slytherin team approached. Most of them were small, but the beaters were large and burly. "Good game," he called.

A few nodded, and one of the beaters even smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up. Severus saw the keeper's sneer, and Sirius was the first to hear it.

He rounded on the keeper. "You want to repeat that?"

Remus had stilled. Severus narrowed his eyes.

The team shuffled to a stop, and the keeper hesitated before turning back to them. "I said," he began before raising his voice, "that the nigger got lucky."

James flinched. It was the same one that Remus had when he spoke to them that day in the willow dome, and the one Sirius had when he talked about his family. The one Lily had when someone called her a Mudblood, the one Peter had when someone brought up the scars on his stomach if his jumper came up when he stretched, and the same one Severus had when a door slammed too quickly.

Severus took a step towards him. The keeper scowled up at him; an upstart little fourth year. "It's true," he snapped. "We all know he's only on the team because of some diversity quota Gryffindor wanted to fill."

"Well he got a dozen shots past you, didn't he?" Severus glared at him.

The keeper just turned and spat at James.

Remus and Severus moved at the same time, but Remus was an instant faster. He grabbed the little shit by the collar and dragged him up. He was a head taller than the Slytherin keeper, and with the scars across his face, he must have looked terrifying with his snarl and eyes blazing.

The Slytherin team stiffened but no one moved to stop him. Severus knew a good few of them. None were that bad. One was part of a Death Eater family, but trying to get out. He didn't like the third chaser all that much, but she wasn't like this one.

"Remus!" James called. "Let him go!"

"Yeah, let go of me tranny."

Remus flinched, his eyes flickered towards James, and his grip loosened. The keeper landed heavy on his feet and yanked out his wand. "Stupe-"

Severus lunged and punched the keeper square in the jaw, á la Muggle. The keeper hit the ground, and in an instant, Severus' wand was pressed to the keeper's chest. "Do you want to dig yourself even deeper into this hole?" He hissed. "Or do you want to get out while we're still offering you the chance?"

The keeper grimaced and shoved Severus' wand away. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted towards the changing rooms.

The captain of the team hesitated, then waved for his team to follow them. He took a step towards James. "Look, sorry about that, Potter. I'll sort it out."

"It's fine." James' voice was smaller than before.

The captain nodded and followed his team away.

Severus pocketed his wand and looked back at the others. "You okay?" His eyes flickered between Remus and James, not quite sure who he was asking. Both.

Thankfully, they both nodded. James even managed to grin at him. "Thanks for having my back. Both of you."

Severus just nodded, and the entire way back to the castle, he tried to figure out when he had become close enough that protecting James and Remus like that was instinct for him.

They were all laughing as they walked into the Three Broomsticks, the warmer air easing the pain in flushed, numb cheeks and fingers.

"Who's paying this time?" James asked.

Severus unwound his scarf from his neck. "Me. Peter got it last time." He dropped his scarf onto a chair and stretched. "Does anyone want something other than butterbeer?" Everyone shook their heads, and Sirius grinned at him. Severus frowned. "What?"

"Nothing," Sirius sang, sinking into his chair with his legs crossed. How he was able to wear a skirt in the winter without tights, Severus didn't know, but the tights were as bad for his sensory issues as pants were, so unless he was in danger of literally freezing to death, he forewent them.

Severus raised an eyebrow and pulled his hair up into a ponytail. It was only just long enough now. "There's obviously something. What? Do I have dirt on my nose or something?"

"Nope." Sirius' smile only grew. "I just think it's sweet that you know everyone's orders."

Severus' cheeks burned. "Not like it's that hard. Everyone just gets butterbeer."

"Still."

"It's pretty sweet, Sev," Lily laughed as she sat next to James.

"No it's not. Shut up."

"I think it is too." Remus smiled. He was still a bit pale. The full moon had only passed a few days before, but he'd insisted on going to Hogsmeade, so they were taking it easy and sticking to the Three Broomsticks and the sweet shop. He absolutely should not have been wearing his binder, but none of them were going to call him out on it.

"Me too." Peter shrugged. "If you didn't like us, you wouldn't remember." All of them were laughing by that stage.

"You order the same thing every time!" Severus rolled his eyes and walked up to the counter. He ordered six butterbeers, and carried five of them over on a tray. He set down one in front of Lily, James, Peter, Remus, and his own seat.

Sirius frowned. "What about mine?"

"What about yours?" Severus smiled far too sweetly.

James snorted into his pint glass and spluttered as it gave him a white moustache. "You had that coming, mate!"

Sirius scowled, but then Severus produced a pint of butterbeer from behind his back, and it morphed into a wide smile. "You do care!"

"This doesn't make us friends."

"Whatever you say." Sirius took the glass and drank deeply from it as Severus sat down. Lily had scooted her chair closer to James, and it made Severus smile. He wasn't sure when his love for her had become more familial, or when James had grown enough to be worthy of her, but it had happened.

He glanced around the table, and then touched the plastic bag in his pocket. Two Mandrake leaves sat inside. He and Lily were planning on starting the process before they got back to the castle, so they could join the others to help Remus under the full moon.

He wasn't sure when he actually started liking them instead of tolerating them for Lily's sake. He laughed as Sirius looked up with a mustache that matched James'. But whenever it was, he was glad it happened.

Hope y'all enjoyed. Please review and let me know what you think, and I hope to see you again.