Sirius stretched his arms over his head, cracking his knuckles, and looked down in satisfaction at the completed pile of parchment. He'd made significant progress on the giant stack that had been foisted off on him by the Board. He was the most junior member, and therefore stuck with all the grunt work. Sirius couldn't help but feel that this was cosmic payback for something that he had done in his youth.

He'd gotten a couple of good, solid hours of work in tonight, after his godson had gone off to take his bath and then to bed. A grin quirked the corners of Sirius's lips. That soaker tub had been an excellent investment. Harry, who'd probably couldn't remember having a decent bath, had reacted like a child the first time he'd ecstatically tried out the jets, bubble machine, and colored lights. The sight had warmed Sirius's heart in a way he couldn't quite explain—almost like he was recreating the lost memories that the two of them might have made during Harry's childhood, but for Pettigrew and Azkaban.

Nevertheless, these past few days had been absolutely idyllic. The two wizards had spent their time exploring the house and getting better acquainted with one another. Being around Harry was like having Sirius's two best friends back. His godson had James's strength and vivacity as well as Lily's intelligence and thoughtful nature. Every day with the green-eyed wizard was an adventure, whether they were playing Exploding Snap, sharing a meal, fooling around with Snape's Potions homework, or swapping crazy Hogwarts yarns. And every single day, Sirius grew to love Harry more and more. His godson was a brilliant ray of sunshine in his otherwise dark and cold existence. The former prisoner knew he didn't deserve this kind of happiness—especially not with James and Lily's son—but he couldn't help himself. After being alone for so long, Sirius had anchored himself emotionally to his godson. Harry was his reason for living.

The young wizard had been opening up to Sirius bit by bit, and seemed much more comfortable and assertive around him than he had before. But there were still moments when Harry's green eyes darted around skittishly—when he backed himself against the wall and began to apologize, looking like he expected Sirius to raise a hand to him. It took every ounce of self-control in his being for the Animagus not to explode with anger during these episodes. He wanted to destroy everything within reach whenever he saw such fear in his godson's expression. How dare those damned Dursleys mistreat an innocent child? How dare Dumbledore not do anything to stop it? How dare Pettigrew and Voldemort take away Harry's loving parents? How dare Sirius allow it to happen?

Despite the overwhelming rage he felt, Sirius never allowed his temper to take control. He had caught on quickly that Harry would mistakenly believe the fury to be directed at him, instead of in his defense. So instead, Sirius would stand an arms-length away and quietly explain to Harry why he was not in trouble until the teenager's subconscious physical defenses relaxed themselves.

This was only one of the troubling habits that Sirius was struggling to break his godson of. Harry's appetite had been improving, but he would often forget about meals until his godfather reminded him. Harry ate quickly and filled up fast, which was a sign of severe malnutrition.

The younger wizard also had this bizarre compulsion to clean, and Sirius knew that Harry didn't tidy fastidiously because he wanted to. His godson had let it slip one day that he feared being seen as a burden, and that cleaning was his "payment" for living here. In that moment, the sickened older wizard realized just who had been required to keep the house at Privet Drive so impossibly clean.

No matter how many times Sirius had explained, Harry still didn't comprehend that it was absolutely unnecessary to "earn his keep". The house was just as much Harry's as it was Sirius's. But try as he might, his godson still thought of himself as a lodger—someone who could be ejected at a moment's notice. Except for his room, Harry tried not to leave any trace that he lived in the large house. He used an "indoor voice" whenever possible. Sirius had even caught him doing homework in the dead of night, though that could be partially attributed to how horribly messed-up Harry's internal clock was.

All this was infuriating enough, but to add insult to injury, the villains responsible had gotten away with it scot free. Sirius couldn't abide the thought that the monsters who had abused his godson would escape punishment from the Muggle and wizarding worlds alike. He'd stewed over this miscarriage of justice and decided that unless some sort of retribution was visited upon the Dursleys, a part of him—and perhaps a part of Harry too—would never be able to move on.

Sirius scribbled a quick note and left it on the table, apart from his work. He didn't want Harry to panic if he woke up and found his guardian missing. He walked into the unlit fireplace with purpose, taking a handful of Floo Powder from the mantle. "Number 10, Shandy Street," he said as clearly, but quietly, as possible, so as not to disturb his (hopefully) sleeping godson. The green flames engulfed him and he shot through the Floo Network like a bullet. His dog senses were vigilant, as he'd nearly missed the small, inconspicuous fireplace on his previous visit. Luckily, he recognized his own scent on the proper destination this time, and exited the Network accordingly.

"Shandy Street" might as well be renamed "Shanty Street", in Sirius's opinion. The poky two-and-a-half room apartment, while tidy and well-organized by its lone occupant, was falling apart. The wallpaper was faded and peeling, there were large tears in the vinyl flooring, and several cracks in the ceiling and windows had been patched or boarded up. All of the furniture was secondhand and appeared to have served as accommodations for vermin at some point. The size and state of the whole place screamed "fire hazard".

"Who's there?" a voice demanded from the shadows. The soft tone was deceptive, as Sirius knew that his interrogator could quickly tear him limb from limb if he so desired.

"Well, it isn't burglars, Remus," he snarked in response. "That would imply you had something worth stealing."

The frail sandy-haired man sighed and came into the light, rubbing his temples and looking quite tired. "Do you have any idea what time it is, Sirius? No sane, law-abiding citizens make house calls past midnight."

"Well thank Merlin those terms don't apply to me," Sirius grinned, taking a tentative seat on the least mouse-chewed chair. "I'm a former resident of Azkaban, in case you'd forgotten."

"How could I forget that?" A small smile touched Remus's lips as he sat down on the couch opposite. "I always said that you'd end up in Azkaban."

The dog Animagus rolled his eyes. "Yes, but your over-active imagination thought I was going to end up there for pranks. Back when I was a teenager." The werewolf had always been a notorious worrier, tending to catastrophize absolutely everything. When the Marauders had hexed the Sorting Hat in sixth year, Remus had been positive that they were going to be expelled. And when they didn't get caught or punished by the school, he'd come to the frantic conclusion that it was because they were about to be arrested by the Ministry and thrown in jail for life.

"You and James were just lucky that the teachers never had enough evidence to do more than give you detention." Remus flicked his wand and a faded tea set floated over from the kitchenette. The weathered teapot poured its contents into two cups, which glided into the hands of either wizard. Lifting the cup to his lips, Sirius was amused to find it filled with hot chocolate instead of tea. His friend hadn't changed in all these years.

"Getting Gryffindor's golden child to cover up our trail didn't hurt either," Sirius jibed teasingly.

This prompted Remus to take a large swig of his hot chocolate. "Don't remind me of how often I abused my prefect authority for you, Sirius. I can't believe how many crazy schemes I let you rope me into."

"You had fun. Admit it. What would you have done at Hogwarts without us?"

"Lived a peaceful existence," the werewolf retorted with a scowl. "Had a spotless academic record. Gotten enough sleep. Not have worried constantly about being kicked out of school." After letting his reproach hang in the air for a moment, Remus's expression softened. "I also would have missed out on the happiest time of my life, and the best friends I could have asked for."

It was Sirius's turn to frown. "Well…"

"Sirius, no. Don't even start. No matter what came after we graduated, the Marauders were the truest friends that Hogwarts has ever known. Three of them still are."

The gray-eyed wizard sighed, letting his self-depreciating arguments drop. There were more pressing matters things at hand than dwelling on the past. "I need your help with something important, Remus. It's about Harry."

Remus set his cup gingerly down on the lopsided table between them, leaning forward in interest. "I figured it was important, for you to come at this hour. Did you and Harry have a fight or something?"

Sirius chuckled. "Hardly. Harry is as good as gold. Surprising, really, considering who his father was."

"He takes after Lily a great deal," Remus agreed. "But I wouldn't worry about it too much. He's at that age. Once he's comfortable enough, I'm sure the two of you will have your fair share of disagreements."

I hope so. Not that Sirius wanted to fight with Harry, necessarily. He just wanted the teenager to trust him enough to have an argument. "Anyway, back on topic: I need your expertise. You're the only one I can come to for something like this, Moony."

Remus visibly steeled himself at the invocation of his old nickname. "For what?"

Better to make it quick, like ripping off a bandage. "Pulling off some Muggle pranks."

His friend didn't even leave enough pause for Sirius to take a breath. "No."

"But—"

"No. N-O. I don't know what kind of mischief you're planning, but I won't have any part of it." There was a moment of silence before something else occurred to Remus. "And don't you go dragging Harry into your insanity either."

"You don't know why—"

"I don't need to," Remus interrupted again. "Going around pranking innocent Muggles is not something that a responsible guardian should be doing or encouraging."

"That's the thing!" Sirius interjected quickly, trying to get a word in edgewise before the responsibility police cut him off again. "They aren't innocent. We'll be going after the Dursleys."

Remus's chestnut-colored eyes got big. "No! Absolutely not! Do you not understand how much trouble Harry will be in if you do that?"

"They'll never know it was us!" the Animagus insisted. "No one will see us. And the fools will never expect wizards to use a non-magical means of attack."

"So just who do you think they'll blame? Who else would target them?"

Sirius shrugged. "People like that are bound to have other enemies, Moony. Trust me. I'm sure half their son's school would line up for a chance to serve the lard his just desserts."

Remus didn't find his wordplay particularly clever. "You can't. I won't let you. I don't care how unpleasant they are. Something that foolhardy—"

"They abused Harry." The room went completely silent; only the faint buzzing of the decrepit refrigerator could be heard. Sirius let his accusation sink in before he continued, speaking slowly and softly so as not to fly off the handle. "Not just emotionally, but physically too." The dark-haired wizard hadn't pried into Harry's past after their conversation a few days ago; his godson's wounds were obviously very deep. But Harry had let a few things slip on his own, and the rest Sirius had pieced together from the way he and the Dursleys acted. "They degraded him and insulted James and Lily to his face. They gave him only things they had cast off and never allowed him to ask for anything more. They treated him like their slave and made him live in fear of punishment. They kept him locked up in a cupboard until he was eleven. They starved him, Remus."

That was the last straw. The brown-haired wizard bared his teeth and growled in rage. Sirius had finally awakened the werewolf that lived caged just behind his friend's unassuming façade. Wolves were fanatically loyal to their packmates, and Remus had always considered James and Lily—and by extension, Harry—to be members of his pack. Moony was just as furious about their cub being hurt as Padfoot was.

Sirius gave the brunette a moment to stew in his anger. When Remus finally collected himself enough to speak, his voice was soft and dangerous "We'll give Harry the choice to participate or not..."

"That kind of defeats the point of initiation."

"Padfoot," Remus chided, a bit of playfulness returning to his worn-out expression.

Sirius sighed. "Fine. We'll let him opt out. But not without teasing him mercilessly."

"Don't worry, Padfoot." Remus grinned, mischief dancing in his eyes. "Even if Harry just watches, you and I will give him a once-in-a-lifetime pranking demonstration."

"I knew it!" the Animagus exclaimed, getting excited. "There's still a Marauder in you after all, Moony!"

Remus rolled his eyes, but pulled out a quill and parchment nonetheless. "Now as for pranks, I've got tons of ideas…"

Sirius and Remus spent the next two hours drawing up their master plan and gathering the needed supplies. Remus had never been a packrat—that was decidedly Sirius's and, unsurprisingly, Pettigrew's role—but he did have a few useful household objects. The other provisions were gleaned from London's heaven-sent 24-hour stores. After preparations were complete, Remus set off for the Dursley's with the supplies while Sirius Flooed home to rouse their unsuspecting third participant.

Sirius felt a small sting of guilt for waking Harry from his well-deserved rest, especially since sleep seemed like one more thing that his awful relatives had deprived him of. But Harry would only be a teenager once; late night excursions were among the most thrilling parts of youth. Besides, his godson was free to sleep in all day long tomorrow. It's not like they had any place to go.

The Animagus slowly and quietly opened the door to Harry's room, not wanting to startle the teenager awake. Thanking all the canine gods for his excellent night vision, Sirius crept through the dark room to Harry's wardrobe. Easing the doors open, he rummaged through his godson's clothes until he came upon a robe. Pulling it free from the wardrobe, Sirius draped the garment over his arm and slunk silently to Harry's bed.

His godson looked so peaceful—so unburned by all of the worries and responsibility that haunted his waking moments. It really was a shame to wake him from what Sirius hoped was a pleasant dream. But hopefully this adventure would be well worth the loss of sleep. After brushing the hair from Harry's eyes and caressing his cheek affectionately, the older wizard's pale hand came to rest on his godson's shoulder, which it began to gently shake.

"Harry….Harry, wake up."

The dark-haired teen stirred awake fairly easy. He yawned and squinted up into the face of the man interrupting his slumber. "Sirius?" a drowsy voice questioned.

The gray-eyed wizard laid Harry's robe on the bed beside him. "Put this on. We're going somewhere."

The younger wizard didn't ask questions. He pulled himself to a sitting position and dressed himself groggily. Sirius found a pair of shoes by the door and tossed them to Harry one at a time. Once his shoes were done up, his glasses on, and his robe lazily donned over his pajamas, Sirius took his godson by the hand. If Harry wasn't awake now, he soon would be.

"Have you ever Apparated before?" Sirius inquired. Harry drowsily shook his head, looking a bit puzzled by the question. It occurred to Sirius that, having been raised among Muggles, his godson might not even know what Apparation was. "I need you to hold onto me as tightly as you can. No matter what happens, don't let go."

Harry squeezed Sirius's hand firmly and raised his other hand to grasp his guardian's forearm, his green eyes filled with nervousness. The older wizard smiled reassuringly and placed his other hand over the one his arm, clasping it securely.

Confident that he wouldn't lose his dear godson in the inevitable chaos, Sirius took a deep breath and pictured the Dursley's horrid little house on Privet Drive. The moment he did so, everything went dark. The wind was knocked out of him as his body hurtled through a vast void of space, squeezing him like a vice from all sides. The crushing darkness was so empty that, for a few moments, the only thing that Sirius was conscious of was the small, warm hand in his.

After what seemed like an eternity—but was really less than a minute—the void regurgitated its two passengers onto the sidewalk, just a few houses down from Number 4. Sirius took a moment to catch his breath while Harry doubled over, coughing and swaying on his feet. The gray-eyed wizard caught his godson by the shoulders, steadying him. "You all right?" Harry nodded, wheezing a few more times before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, looking a bit green around the gills. "Yeah," Sirius sympathized. "Apparation isn't my transportation of choice as far as comfort goes. But it can't be beat for speed."

Harry straightened up and surveyed his destination; suddenly, he looked sicker than before. Sirius didn't blame him. If he'd had his way, neither of them would see this hellhole ever again. After Harry came of age, Sirius was determined that they never would.

A thought occurred to the Animagus: Harry had been worried all this time about being kicked out of their house. That was why he still acted like a servant or an outsider at times. Now, more than ever, was a crucial moment to put those concerns to rest.

"I'm not giving you back," Sirius avowed, hopefully before the fear had a chance to enter his godson's mind. "Not now, not ever." He tilted Harry's chin up with his fingers so that their eyes met. "Do you believe me?"

Harry's green eyes peered into Sirius's for a moment before he nodded slowly. He didn't look completely sure, but his posture had relaxed noticeably. The older wizard ruffled his godson's hair, knowing that Harry liked that. Sure enough, a small smile touched the teenager's lips. "You belong with me now. Nothing will change my mind about that."

Sirius wrapped an arm around his godson's shoulders and led him towards the Dursley's. As they got closer, the gray-eyed man winced. The irritating sound of white noise was becoming louder and louder. Harry raised his hands to his ears, blocking out the buzzing that threatened to penetrate their very brains.

Ever so faintly, wherever the moonlight hit at the correct angle, Sirius could see a shimmering barrier around the Dursley's house. His sharp gray eyes found a small opening in the transparent barricade, which he took Harry through. No sooner had they done this than the gap closed behind them. Remus, who had been sitting by the doorway, got up to great them.

"Professor Lupin?" Harry looked at the other man curiously.

"Hello Harry." The brunette wizard gave him a gentle smile. "It's good to see you again. But I'm no longer your professor. You can just call me Remus."

Sirius rolled his eyes playfully. "Let's be real for a moment: he's never going to call you that."

Remus frowned, but Sirius could tell from the amusement in his friend's brown eyes that he wasn't truly offended. "Oh? Why's that?"

"Did you ever call a professor by their first name? Or any other adult? It's weird."

"You called McGonagall by her first name, you hypocrite," Remus continued to banter. "And I'm pretty sure that Harry doesn't call you 'Mr. Black'."

Sirius crossed his arms over his chest. "That's entirely different. I'm his guardian."

Remus's eyes drifted back to the younger wizard. "My condolences."

"Why you…"

Harry—who had realized that the spat was all in good fun—chuckled. "It'll take some getting used to, but I'll try Pr- Remus…"

"No, no, no. That's just too bizarre," Sirius shook his head in mock disapproval. "We'll give you something better to call him, Harry."

Remus groaned. "Fantastic. And here I thought I'd escaped that name after…" He froze, obviously not wanting to flat-out mention what had happened thirteen years ago.

Sirius jumped in, covering the awkward pause. "You'll never escape, Remus. Once a Marauder, always a Marauder." The gray-eyed Animagus looked around, annoyed by how incredibly empty and silent this entire neighborhood was. "You've taken care of security, I trust?"

The werewolf nodded. "Disillusionment, Muffilato, and Muggle-Repelling Charms, as well as a few protective wards. Our presence should go completely unnoticed."

Sirius gave Remus a grateful smile before turning back to Harry, jerking a thumb in his friend's direction. "Always keep a know-it-all around, Harry. They're good for all these tedious, smart things."

"And what exactly are the arrogant goof-offs good for?"

"Shove it, Remus." It was difficult for Sirius to maintain his joking scowl when Harry kept laughing, sounding so very happy and carefree. "Let's get on with important matters, shall we?"

"Indeed." The mousey, brown-haired wizard knelt down on the lawn. Sirius took a seat beside him and gestured for Harry to sit facing the two of them. The teenager complied, his green eyes flickering back and forth between the two older men curiously.

Reaching into his robe, Remus produced a sheet of parchment that the Sirius and Harry immediately recognized as the Marauder's Map. The former professor held the artifact out on both palms. "Place your left hand on the map, Harry." He did so. "Now raise your right." Harry raised the appendage. Remus nodded in approval and shot a sidelong glance at Sirius, a signal for him to begin.

"Harry James Potter," Sirius spoke in a quiet, intense voice. "Do you solemnly swear that you are up to no good? That you will aid in purveying mischief, spreading mayhem, and bringing seditious joy to whatever place and people may stand in need of it? That you will maintain confidentiality of all pranks and other top secret information entrusted to you? That you will remain a loyal Marauder no matter what forces combine against you?"

The corners of Harry's lips quirked upward in amusement. Sirius had to admit, the oath they had written as students was a bit pretentious. But they were eleven-year-old boys swept up in their cleverness and Remus's expansive vocabulary. What else could be expected? "I swear it," Harry promised.

"And do you accept the rights and privileges that come with being a Marauder? Unhindered access to the Marauder's Map, an equal portion of all plunder and contraband goods, the use of our secret aliases, and protection given by your fellow Marauders—even at the cost of peril?"

The last part of the oath was a bit more serious than the rest. Back in their first year, the Marauders' idea of "peril" had been detention. But over time, that phrase had been invoked as justification for—among other things—becoming Animagi, picking fights with the more aggressive members of Slytherin's Quidditch team, and rebelling against the Black family. After graduation, the consequences of their oath had become far graver. But still, Sirius had never expected one of the Marauders to so shamelessly violate their bond of friendship. Damn you, Pettigrew.

"I do," Harry averred after the slightest of pauses.

"Then by the authority vested in us as founders, we officially induct you into the Marauders. From henceforth, you shall be known as 'Prongslet'." Harry's Patronus had taken the form of a stag, just like James's. Sirius had no doubt that his godson's Animagus form would be the same. Harry possessed the same bravery, nobility, and strength of spirit which were at the core of James's transformations. Remus had agreed on this choice of nickname, adding that it would help Harry feel close to his father without making him feel like a "replacement goldfish".

"Congratulations," Remus commended Harry dryly as he handed the map over to Sirius, who put it into his robe. They had both agreed that the map belonged primarily to Harry now. His godfather would return it at the end of summer, just before the teenage wizard returned to Hogwarts. "Welcome to our club of ne'er-do-wells."

"I resemble that remark, Moony," Sirius replied cheekily.

"Yes, Padfoot" the werewolf grinned. "Yes you do."

"Well, now that the formalities are out of the way," Sirius stood, extending a hand to Harry to help him to his feet. The teenager still looked slightly lost, but all that was about to change. "It's time for the good stuff, Prongslet. The Marauders' first prank in fifteen years."

Remus cleared his throat, inconveniently reminding his friend about their promise. Sirius rolled his eyes and reluctantly added: "Of course, if you want to sit back and watch…"

Too late. The pieces had already clicked. "We're pranking the Dursleys?" Harry's green eyes shone with anxious excitement. "Of course I want in on that!"

The dog Animagus shot his best friend a triumphant smirk. Remus groaned. "He's living up to his namesake already."

"Prongs Sr. would be so proud." Sirius wiped an imaginary tear from his eye, even though the sentiment was entirely genuine. He wished that James could be here, to see his son grown up.

"So what's the plan?" Harry asked, bouncing on the balls of his heels and eyeing the pranking materials that the two older wizards had amassed.

"We're going to divide the small pranks among ourselves, then tackle the larger ones together." Remus explained.

Sirius rummaged through their supplies, producing several cartons of eggs, a rubber band ball, and a roll of bubble wrap. "What'll it be for you, Prongslet? Do you want to fill the rain gutters with eggs, rubber band the mailbox shut, or bubble wrap the driveway?"

The teenager bit his lip gently, looking torn between his options. Sirius couldn't blame him: they were all fantastic. "I'll take the bubble wrap," Harry finally decided.

"Excellent choice," Sirius approved, handing over the roll to his godson. "We got the insulating kind. It's sticky around the edges, so all you need to do is unwrap it and press it down." Harry nodded and skipped off gleefully with the bubble wrap, starting near the front door.

Remus took the rubber band ball out of Sirius's hand. "I'll take this one."

"Of course. Leave the dirty work for me."

"You're not fooling anyone, Padfoot," the brunette teased. "The messy pranks were always your favorite."

The dark-haired wizard rubbed one of the egg cartons deviously. "Touché."

Remus took the ball and set to work making a lovely art piece out of the Dursley's mailbox. Sirius stacked up the egg cartons and made his way to the fence at the edge of the house, whispering "Ascendio." The charm gave him the boost needed to make it to the second-story roof. He opened the top carton and began filling the rain gutter with eggs, starting from the outside edge. If his hand slipped, he didn't want Harry—currently under the door—to be hit by mistake.

Sirius had wanted to simply pelt the house with eggs. Remus had nixed that idea. The dark-haired wizard suspected that his friend thought the concept too messy, or suspected it might draw attention, despite their protective measures. But Moony had covered up these possible concerns by arguing that regular egging wasn't creative enough. On some level, Sirius agreed. The idea of Harry's horrible relations being doused with breakfast food when they least suspected it was priceless. Extra points if the eggs stayed up there long enough to become rotten before becoming projectiles.

Finishing the second-story roof, Sirius leaped with doglike grace onto the roof above the garage to fill that gutter as well. Looking down, he saw Harry hard at work unrolling sheets of bubble wrap and plastering the driveway with them. There was an unmistakable smile stretching from cheek to cheek on his godson's face. Any infinitesimally small glimmer of guilt or worry that Sirius might have felt over this practical joke extravaganza vanished completely. Harry had been mistreated by these…monsters for so long. What the three wizards were doing now was nothing less than the Dursleys deserved. Their few hours of misery would never erase the years of damage that they had caused, but it was a start.

Satisfied with his work, Sirius jumped off the lower roof into the Dursley's bushes. The dents he made were honestly an improvement. He joined Harry on the drive and helped him finish laying down bubble wrap around where the car was parked, leaving just enough walking room around it. The two wizards laughed sporadically whenever one of them popped a bubble.

"Working hard or hardly working, you two?" Remus asked when they reached the sidewalk, snapping his second-to-last rubber band around the mailbox, adding to the elaborate crisscross pattern that would take forever to unravel. "Peas in a pod, you are."

"You're just jealous, Moony." Sirius reached over to ruffle his godson's hair. "Don't worry. We'll get you your own stick-in-the-mud protégé."

Remus flicked the last rubber band at his friend's forehead. The Animagus flinched and rubbed the red spot forming on his pale skin. "Ow…" he whined.

"Oh, grow up Padfoot," the werewolf grinned, winking at Harry, who chuckled.

"Prongslet! I thought you were on my side!"

"I'm on both of your sides," Harry protested through laughter.

"No!" Sirius threw his arms around the teenager's neck. "Stop trying to steal my godson, Moony!"

"Can't help it, Padfoot. I've just spent more time with him than you have."

Sirius shrugged off the more hurtful connotations of that sentence, knowing that Remus hadn't meant it like that, and pouted. "Well, a little more time will fix that. I was Prongslet's favorite when he was a baby, and I always will be."

"Were you really my favorite, Padfoot?" Harry chortled, teasingly incredulous. Sirius noted Harry's use of his Marauder nickname with pleasure.

Remus grabbed their remaining bags of pranking supplies and began to unpack several rolls of toilet paper and plastic wrap, as well as boxes of multicolored Christmas lights, petroleum jelly, and an air horn. "You mean that he hasn't bragged about it before? He hasn't told you the story of your first word?"

The teenage Marauder sobered a bit, suddenly very intent. "No. What happened?"

"Come on, Remus." Sirius blushed slightly. "He doesn't want to hear about that."

"Yes I do!" Harry insisted. "Tell me about it, Moony."

The sandy-haired wizard looked all too pleased at having the upper hand over Sirius for once. Picking up the rolls of plastic wrap, he gestured for Harry to follow him up to the car. Jumping from the lawn onto the buffer area that Sirius and Harry had left around the vehicle, Remus took a side and rolled the plastic wrap across the roof of the car. On the other side, Harry caught the roll and passed it under the car back to Remus. They continued to hand the wrap back and forth in this manner.

"Your parents were having a competition, of sorts, over what your first word would be. Naturally, Lily wanted you to say 'Mum' and James was hoping for 'Dad'. But no matter how much they coached and bribed, all you said was gibberish."

"So what happened?" Harry prodded, completely engrossed in Remus's story as they continued to smother the Dursley's car, moving towards the hood.

"Well, once a month the Marauders all had dinner together with you and your mother. I was the first to arrive, and James was at it again, trying to get you to say 'Dad'. You were hungry and fussy and none too pleased at having your annoying father pester you." Against his better judgement, Sirius chuckled at this point. He joined the other two, taking a roll from Remus and beginning to cover the trunk.

"Right at that moment," Remus continued, "Sirius finally walked in, late as usual—"

"Not my fault I was the only one with a job…" the ex-Auror grumbled blithely

"—and you squealed out, ''ad!' The entire room went quiet. James looked so thrilled. He grinned from ear to ear and pleaded with you to say it again. You held out your arms in the direction of the door and cried out, clear as a bell, 'Pad!' That's when we all realized that you weren't responding to James. You were calling for Sirius to come save you." Remus chuckled, while Sirius's cheeks turned a darker shade of red. "It was hilarious."

"For you, Moony. I was banned from the Potter's for weeks. Lily shot me the glare of death at every Order meeting. I don't think she ever really forgave me."

"Don't feel sorry for him, Prongslet," Remus responded to the concerned look that Harry was sending Sirius. "At the time, he was over the moon. Never let any of us forget about it."

The dog Animagus gave a haunted smile as those happy memories flitted through his mind. The year he'd spent with the Potters prior to Voldemort's downfall remained a much cherished period in his life. For the first time since graduating from Hogwarts, Sirius had been part of a family unit: James, Lily, and baby Harry. Even with the shadow of the war looming overhead and the long spans of time Sirius sometimes spent away from Godric's Hollow working, there had still been enough time to get accustomed to the warm, loving feel of Potter Cottage. The gray-eyed wizard felt safe there; free from the darkness that threatened to infect their whole world. That was until Voldmort and Pettigrew had stolen away everyone that Sirius had ever loved and gotten him locked in Azkaban for twelve years.

"Padfoot?" Harry's gentle voice jogged his godfather from this dark reverie. "Are you all right?"

Sirius nodded and smiled at his fellow Marauders. He had Remus and Harry back now, and that was more than he could ever have hoped for. "I'd say this car is looking rather spiffy, don't you think?"

Harry laughed. "It's even shinier than when Uncle Vernon bought it. He'll be so pleased."

"You're both too much," Remus groaned, hiding a chuckle.

"You know you love us, Moony," Sirius goaded.

"'Love' is a very strong word." Remus jumped back over to the lawn, with Sirius and Harry following suit. The werewolf tossed each wizard a roll of toilet paper and then took one for himself. "Let's give them a yard to match their lovely car."

The three Marauders had a field day, papering every inch of the house and yard that they could get to. Sirius lifted Harry up on his shoulders so that the teenager could reach the roof, where he cocooned the chimney, weather vane, and drain pipe and rubbed petroleum jelly all over the windows. Remus and Sirius decorated the fence, bushes, and lawn. The werewolf had to stop Sirius from using the toilet paper to spell out exactly what he thought of the Dursleys, insisting that the message was loud and clear. Instead, Remus let his friend use a Levitation Charm to hover over the bubble wrapped porch to fix the air horn to the wall where the front door would set it off upon opening.

For their final touch, the older Marauders joined Harry on the rooftop, stringing Christmas lights along the roof's edge and watching them light up in rainbow-colored brilliance. For people who hated the "abnormal", gaudy holiday lights in July would be an absolute nightmare to the Dursleys.

Their task complete, Sirius and Remus helped Harry off the roof. They tiptoed across the weaving lines of toilet paper on the lawn and surveyed their work proudly from the sidewalk. It looked like a group of Christmas-loving, bubble wrap-wielding, cooking enthusiast mummies had decided to have a rave party at 4 Privet Drive. Harry summed up the sight perfectly: "It's fantastic."

"We're only missing one thing." Before his godson could ask what he meant, Sirius pulled out a disposable camera from his robes. Remus turned Harry around and the older wizards looped their arms around his shoulders as Sirius snapped a picture of the three of them, their stupendous handiwork in the background. "That one will be a keeper," he remarked.

Harry laughed, his spirits high, every trace of unease from their location gone. "Thanks Padfoot, Moony. That was brilliant."

"I have to agree with you," Remus smiled. "I admit...I missed all the mischief we used to get up to."

Sirius feigned an expression of shock before turning to his godson with a smile. "It wouldn't have been the same without you, Prongslet. You're an important part of our family, after all."

A look of understanding entered Harry's green eyes. Something seemed to click inside of him at the moment that Sirius was struck by his own words. He wasn't alone. He had Remus. He had Harry. He was out of Azkaban, and he wouldn't let anyone take his loved ones away again.

Harry yawned and leaned his head against Sirius's shoulder drowsily, a satisfied grin on his lips. "I wish…we could see their reaction."

"Trust me," Sirius pet his godson's head affectionately. "I'm sure we'll be able to hear it all the way from our house."

A/N: *pants* Whoo….that was a long one, guys. What's that saying about best laid plans? I had this chapter almost finished before my computer crashed and the entire file was corrupted. I had to start from scratch :( But, I still got something uploaded today, so Happy Birthday Harry!

Hopefully his birthday chapter won't be too late. I'd like to have it out in the next week, so look forward to that. I'm pretty stoked for it.

Thanks to everyone who sent me birthday wishes! They really brightened my day. I would also like to thank anyone who has recently added this story to their favorite/follow lists. An extra special hug to ActualWeeb, Guest #1, harry potter 1 fan 72o0o, Starrya47, Guest #2, David-El, vonny25, and Betty.S for their spectacular reviews!

See you all next time!