unbeta-ed. tweaked HP's concept of time-traveling a bit, and somewhat a fix-it? enjoy.

Perhaps when James told him it was a bad idea, Sirius should have listened.

But he didn't—of course, he wouldn't. James asking him not to was just the same as daring Sirius to do it. Well, it meant exactly like that in Sirius's dictionary anyway.

Besides, who would pass up the chance to time travel to the future and gain an upper hand to know what would happen the next day? Yes, it would only be jumping to the next twenty-four hours, and that was probably the reason why James wasn't willing to get onboard with him (maybe thinking it wasn't as unexciting as going decades into the future), but it would be O.W.L.s tomorrow and Sirius couldn't wait to gain an upper hand in the exams with his knowledge of them. The written exams were something that Sirius wouldn't sweat over, but the practical exams were another matter entirely.

He fiddled with the stolen Time-Turner from McGonagall. It looked like the typical ones, except it was white gold and has two hourglasses. At the privacy of their dormitory, after skipping lunch with his friends, Sirius turned the knob twenty-four times to indicate the number of hours he would be jumping into.

What he didn't expect was the sudden lurch, as if he was apparating from Hogwarts to—he didn't know. Heck, he didn't even know if it was supposed to feel this way, like he was being pushed from all directions, being stretched too thin, and there was the heavy squeeze of his chest. Sirius never felt this terrible, hoping for it to end.

Just as soon as he wished for it to all stop, air rushed to his lungs, and finally, he could breathe easily. He got a proper look at where he was: from his lying position on the floor, he could see the powder-blue ceiling, by his feet was a fireplace, and his hand and back felt the texture of a soft carpet rug. This wasn't Hogwarts.

He wasn't in Hogwarts!

Sirius bolted to a sitting position. Crap, crap, crap! Shit, shit, shit!

His surroundings spun momentarily when he stood up abruptly. His eyes found the area on top of the fireplace and looked at the rows of picture frames after he shook the dizziness away. Half of the pictures were moving, and some were not. It assured Sirius that, at least, he was still in the Wizarding World, even if the living room he was in was designed peculiarly like the Potter Manor's living room, with a touch of Muggle arrangement, only the one Sirius was in was smaller in comparison, but large enough, he thought, for a small family.

He squinted at the pictures. There was one moving with two men in it: one was with a long, black hair and a well-kept facial hair, and the other with a brown hair and familiar faint scars running on his face. For a moment, a funny thought came to Sirius that he knew of these two. He dismissed it immediately and moved to the picture beside it, also moving, showing the same men from before, but this time there was another person in the middle of them, and Sirius's eyes widened.

James?!

The teenager behind the same circular glasses had to be James. Sirius recognized the same grin, but it didn't hold the boyish arrogance James's has, and his eyes, the last time Sirius had seen him, weren't green. They weren't the same shade like that of Evans, and certainly not—oh. Oh, Oh… Oh!

The Time-Turner wounded around his neck gleamed innocently as Sirius swallowed in realization…

"Fuck!"

There were hurried footsteps descending the staircase behind Sirius. Without turning around to see, a voice demanded, "Who are you?" Sirius didn't have to imagine that a wand was pointing at his back.

Sirius raised his open palms in surrender, slowly turning around to find the same men he had seen on the photos. The brown-haired man was standing behind his companion. He didn't have his wand ready, but there was alertness in his stance. Something told Sirius that he was just as capable without the wand.

The brown-haired man stared at him in befuddlement, and Sirius realized he knew that look because he was used to staring at the same expression since third year, where Sirius began the tradition of studying Remus's face and memorizing them.

"Who are you?" the man asked, voice gentler than the other.

Which should only mean one thing if Sirius's guess was correct. "Moony?" Sirius asked quietly and tentatively in return.

The man's amber eyes widened as a gasp escape him. "Oh, my… Padfoot?"

"What is it?" the man holding a wand turned to him.

"I'm talking to him."

"Who?"

Moony sighed. "Him, Sirius. He's you."

"What?!" Sirius and the black-haired man exclaimed at the same time.

When Sirius regarded the other man fully—the older him, apparently—he thought that Moony must be joking because THAT wasn't—wouldn't be him.

"You mean I'll be ugly when I got older?!"

"Ha! I don't recall being a snotty brat back then!"

"Yes, yes, you two are the same people," Moony said wearily.

"No!" both the younger and older protested, much to their ire of each other.

The feeling was mutual, it seemed.

Moony could only bury his face on his hands, groaning.

This would be a long day.

Sirius handed the Time-Turner to Moony, all the while scowling at the other Sirius.

He didn't even know where the dislike of his older self came from.

When the older him sidled much closer to the older Moony, Sirius thought probably knew where it might be.

"I've never seen this kind of Time-Turner before," Moony said. "Where did you get this?"

"McGonagall," Sirius murmured guiltily.

Moony looked as if he was expecting it anyway. "How many times did you turn it?"

"Twenty-four for twenty-four hours later."

"Except you go twenty-four years later," the older him said, mocking in Sirius's ears. "Good job, kid."

"Good job yourself, Sirius," Moony interjected lightly, making the older Sirius pout while the younger suppressing a snigger. "Don't you remember this happening at fifth year?"

Sirius's older self—Padfoot, as to not confuse himself—seemed hesitant at first. "No." He sighed. "No, I don't."

Sirius frowned at tone.

"Well, as far as I know, this is not Ministry issued." Moony inspected the Time-Turner. "Experimental maybe?"

"Highly likely. They already destroyed all the regular ones, remember?" Padfoot said.

Moony addressed Sirius. "That did happened, some years ago, so I no longer have anything to use as reference. I'm afraid this will mean that you'll have to wait out here in this time before you can return… unless I call in some favor at the Ministry."

Moony smiled at Sirius, assuring, and… well, if an older Moony was there with him, Sirius was comforted that everything would be alright.

"How long then?" Padfoot asked Moony with something akin to a growl.

Sirius must have spoken early.

"As long as it takes, Sirius. We're the only people he has here."

Sirius found the statement odd because Moony made no mention of others such as James and Peter.

He didn't like entertaining the dreadful line of thought that followed.

"You're quiet," Moony observed when he and Sirius were left alone, after Padfoot begrudgingly refilled their cups of tea. "I'm sorry if you won't be back sooner than you probably expected."

"It's alright. I'm sure you're doing everything you can." And Sirius himself was at fault too for not listening to James in the first place. "You… you're living with me?" he asked, changing the topic to a more pleasant aspect of his unfortunate time-traveling.

"Ah, yes," Moony said succinctly, looking away all of a sudden. "More economical this way."

"Am I the one who suggested that?"

"You did."

Sirius grinned, feeling the flutter of butterflies in his stomach. He could only imagine how he popped the question as platonically as possible.

But when he thought about it, he frowned, confused and conflicted. If he and Moony would one day cohabitate while maintain a platonic relationship, would that mean he didn't end up admitting his feelings? Or if he did, was he perhaps rejected? Knowing Moony, he wouldn't let Sirius's feelings ruin their friendship.

Sirius didn't know whether to be saddened at that.

He caught a glint from Moony's finger. It was a gold wedding band.

And in an instant, the butterflies were gone.

"You're married," Sirius murmured, not really asking.

Moony didn't answer, fiddling with the ring with a fond look on his face.

Sirius wondered where Moony's wife could be if he happened to be living with him in the future. But then Moony mentioned this arrangement economical. Maybe Moony actually lived somewhere else, with his family was settled and where he went home to every month or when he could. Maybe his family was abroad; Moony mentioned wanting to live outside the country. Sirius even has his own explanation even for Moony's occupation where he might not have a choice, meaning it must have paid well for him to leave his family somewhere else. And of course, Moony living with Sirius who must have been living near to his workplace was more preferable than renting his own place.

There was the pleasant prospect of them living together being crushed unrepentantly.

The future was so disheartening.

Am I married?

Sirius got his answer when Padfoot waltzed back to the living room. Sirius noted that he could see no ring, and wow, wasn't that just great?

He was forty years old, obviously very single… and pining.

Pining for Moony for three decades, geez.

Padfoot looked between Moony and Sirius, his hands finding his hips when he settled the tray of tea down.

"So what did I miss?"

"Obviously, we can't tell you what happened on the future," Padfoot said, shrugging nonchalantly. "Rules of time-travel and all that."

Moony nodded. "He's right. You might make some changes, albeit unconsciously. You being here might have inadvertently changed some things already."

Padfoot waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry, kid, you'll still graduate at Hogwarts."

"That's not really helpful." Sirius already knew that he would.

"So is your travel here in the future, eh?"

"Sirius!"

"Yeah?" Both Siriuses turned to Moony.

"I'm talking to you, Sirius. You're being immature," Moony scolded.

Padfoot crossed his arms petulantly. "Why not refer to us differently? There's two of us here."

"I call him Padfoot in my mind," Sirius supplied.

"That works too. You're Sirius, and the older you is Padfoot."

"That's not… I should be Sirius, and he's Padfoot."

"I call dibs on Sirius." Sirius shrugged.

Moony looked weary when he spoke to the older Sirius. "Just let him have it, Padfoot. This is still you, and both are your names. What's wrong with Padfoot?"

Sirius was internally enjoying it whenever Moony was siding with him.

"Pardon him," Moony mocked-whispered to Sirius. "He's not usually this…"

"Stubborn? Childish? Annoying? Ridiculous?" …Jealous? Sirius was practically calling himself that, but he didn't care. Maybe James was right that he has those qualities.

"All of the above." Moony chuckled, and while this was the forty-something version of the Remus he was crushing on since third year, Moony's laugh still tugged on Sirius's heartstrings pleasantly.

Sirius got a good look on Moony, and realized that he was looking less stressed somehow, where among the many marks on his face were actually laughing marks. The fifteen-year-old Remus that he knew was beautiful, yes, but with his secret weighing on him at every chance it could get. Remus looked older for his age, Sirius would sometimes think, and then when Sirius thought back on what caused Remus to be like that in the first place, he found himself wanting to hex Fenrir Greyback to oblivion.

But Moony here… he looked as if the weight has finally lifted off his shoulders, and his face became five years or so younger whenever he smiled and laugh. It was something to look forward to the future.

"Hey, I'm here," Padfoot grumbled, sending Sirius a brief glare before transforming to his dog form, nuzzling his way underneath Moony's arm. Moony's fingers automatically found Padfoot's ear, scratching him at that spot Sirius himself knew was pleasurable.

Sirius took in their sight. It was very domesticated, and he would have been reeling in excitement and joy on the spot, if not for the ugly twisting in his chest.

It wasn't jealousy, he found out. It was anger; anger for his older self who could act that way around Moony, like he wasn't hurting that they would remain friends while Sirius would still be hopelessly in-love (if that wasn't love, Sirius didn't know what that was) in him for many more years. Sirius was sure he wouldn't stop, because that wasn't his nature. And he felt utterly ridiculous and mad at his older self for not being able to move on.

Merlin only knew what James and Peter must have done to get his head out of his ass. Sirius suspected that they already gave up on him.

"Sirius?" Moony asked with concern when he noted Sirius's expression. Sirius felt conflicted, and maybe it showed.

"C-Can I take a walk outside?" Sirius asked. "I want to feel some fresh air."

Moony stared at him for a moment before nodding, gesturing at the back lawn and at the exit in the kitchen.

Sirius got up without a word, ignoring Padfoot's bark and intelligent eyes on him.

"Oh, bugger."

Sirius growled at the large, black dog that came bounding to him.

He was tempted to transform as well just so he could escape his older self. Except he would probably look small compared to Padfoot, and Sirius was trying not to look like a child most especially to the other him.

Padfoot barked at him, tail wagging before launching his weight to Sirius, enthusiastically slobbering over his face.

Sirius groaned in disgust once Padfoot was done with him. He could practically see the winning smirk of his older self.

"Funny you're disgusted with your own saliva," Padfoot said after he reverted to his human form.

"They're not mine at the moment," Sirius grumbled.

"It'll be. One day."

Sirius glared at him when Padfoot sat beside him under the tree shade. He let him anyway, exhausted to banter with the other him.

"I don't understand you," Padfoot began. "What's your problem seeing an older you?"

"What's the problem with you? You're not exactly welcoming either."

"Can you blame me? You've been eyeing Moony!" Sirius flushed, mouth forming a retort before Padfoot interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Look, we're the same person, alright? You know that when it comes to Moony it's easy for us to be jealous of others, even to ourselves." Padfoot let the words to sink in for a moment. "Do you hate me?"

Hate was a strong word so Sirius wouldn't use the term. Dislike, maybe. He didn't like what he would be in the future, and the life he would be having. He has plenty of issues at that.

"No," Sirius admitted. "It's you that I don't understand. How can you be like that? Why do you keep up appearances with me when I know myself that it's hurting you that you don't have Remus? I don't want to think that I'll grow up a martyr. And you're making it difficult for Remus too for not moving on! And really, are you daft? You even ask him to live with you!"

Padfoot stared at him, mouth hanging open, utterly speechless.

And then he burst into laughter.

Oh, Merlin, I must be mad. Barking mad, ha!

"Wow, I must have forgotten how ridiculous and stupid I am as a kid." Padfoot grinned at his younger self's scowl. "Whatever made you think that?"

Sirius scoffed. "Well, for one, he's married!"

"And?"

"And, what? He has his own family then! Well, I dunno, some kids maybe?" Though if Sirius recalled correctly, Remus told him that he wasn't excited at the prospect of having children in fear of passing on his lycanthropy. "Or not?"

"You're right. He doesn't have kids," Padfoot said. "We don't have kids."

Sirius snorted. "Yeah, well, that's because you never stopped pining for somebody you can't have," he murmured, though judging Padfoot's expression, he was heard.

"I'll never hear the end of this, aren't I?"

"No."

"Fine." Padfoot removed a silver chain from his neck—something Sirius didn't notice before—and handed it to Sirius. "Here, kid. And before you lecture me, it's not pure silver."

There was a ring attached to it.

A wedding band that was suspiciously similar to what Remus's wear.

Sirius's mind went blank.

"Moony is married, yeah. To me, for three years now. With me being Padfoot often, Moony said I should wear my wedding ring as a necklace instead."

"...Oh."

"Oh? That's the reaction I get after you called me a daft?"

Sirius's face reddened in shame. "I didn't… I don't… I wasn't expecting—"

"That's one thing I get to share to you about your future. Hopefully it won't affect much. You get to marry Moony, and it'll be the happiest day of your life," Padfoot said softly with a wistful smile. "Close second was Harry's birth and James's own wedding."

Sirius didn't doubt James getting hitched one day, and he grinned, sure to be the best man at James's wedding. He knew better than to confirm who would be the (un)lucky bride, as it seemed to be one of the things he wasn't allowed to know. Sirius remembered some of the pictures he saw when he landed at the current time, recalled the boy who looked a lot like James, except with green eyes, positioned between Padfoot and Moony. "Harry? Is he James's kid?"

"He is. Great kid. A good mix of his parents. He's my godson. Almost an exact replica of James, but the eyes are from his mother."

Green eyes are from the mother huh? Wait… Lily has green eyes. James is always mooning over them.

He was highly likely to be correct in his initial assumption.

"I just thought of something unimaginable," Sirius said.

Padfoot laughed. "If you're thinking is what I think it is, then you're right. It's not like I can't allow you to piece together the facts." He winked.

Sirius fiddled with the ring in silence, and found himself with a surge of joy. He did a number on his friendship with Remus with the Snape incident, and he would be surely risk their friendship once he admitted his feelings for him. But looking at his older self who appeared contented with how his life played out despite the hardships—Sirius could see there were several, judging how the lines run on his face that wasn't from the age; and those gray eyes too that were too old for a middle-aged man—Sirius felt more optimistic of what the future has for him.

He returned the necklace to Padfoot with a lopsided grin. "Congratulations to me, I suppose."

Padfoot mussed Sirius's hair. "I did well, kid."

From the single kitchen window overlooking their position was Remus smiling to himself, shaking his head at his husband and his husband's younger self's antics.

If he was having doubt earlier if he could handle two Siriuses at once, it was cleared up in a snap.

By evening, Remus found a remedy on Sirius's situation with the help of Ministry.

Sirius was issued an ordinary-looking Time-Turner, but with the same capability of jumping through years, just like what Sirius originally used, though not in the future, but far back in the past. The Ministry allowed it to be used only once, and asked that the Time-Turner be returned after using it to return Sirius. After the war, Remus could pretty much call in favors at the government body that once shun the likes of him.

"Good luck, Sirius," Moony said, planting a kiss on the teenager's forehead. "I wish you all the best."

Sirius blushed darkly at the gesture. For a moment, he thought he would receive a glare from Padfoot. He got a proud thumbs up instead.

"Thanks for today, I guess," Sirius said, smiling at kind Moony. His Moony. "Take care of yourself."

"You too, Sirius. Do well on your O. , alright?"

Padfoot strode beside Moony and asked if he could have last words with Sirius. An inexplicable look passed between the two adults before Moony nodded, stepping back for a bit.

"Hey, can I give you a last piece of advice?"

Sirius waited for Padfoot to continue.

"One day, you'll be placed in a very difficult position, and then you'll have to make a very hard decision. I can't tell you what it is, but you'll know it when that time comes. All I can say is that when it arrives, never doubt Remus. Even if everything is being shady and you're so confused, do not doubt him. You'll hear from me that everything will hinge on you trusting him. All things change, except your reasons why you love Remus in the first place. Be sure to remember that."

On the evening of March 29, 2000, a fifteen-year-old Sirius Black returned to his own time, with the words of his older paving way to an altered timeline.

"Are you sure we had to give him that advice?" Sirius asked, hand closing on Remus's.

"Too late to get it back now," Remus said. "I'm still sure of it, Sirius. And I know you're glad that you managed to say that to your younger self."

"I am, because I know I'll need that." He squeezed his husband's hand. "But everything will change, Remus, and we might not have this." Sirius swallowed thickly. "We could have died earlier in our years, or one of us would."

"But we could possibly have James and Lily alive, and Harry growing up to them," Remus said. "You fear that we might not be together in the altered time, and I understand, but you also said that all things change, except your reasons why you love me. That's enough for me to hold on to."

"You heard that, huh?" Sirius's thumb found Remus's cheek, caressing it. "Oh, Merlin, I love you so much."

"I love you too, Sirius."

They both wondered right there and then if those would be their last words to each other.

At least before time rights itself.

Sirius listened half-heartedly at Peter's multiple guesses on who the spy of the Order was.

"Or it could be Remus," Peter said, taking a deep breath as if releasing a huge weight off his chest. "We know not where he goes when he's gone, and… I don't know anymore, Sirius. We know him since eleven, and while I have nothing against him being a werewolf, he being one makes him the most suspicious. Voldemort is generous on his promises to them. And we know how bad Remus's life has been with his condition."

There was a part of Sirius that suspected Remus too, but there was also another part of him that kept saying otherwise; the one that couldn't forget a dream he had during his fifth year, where he was advised by his older self to never doubt Remus's loyalty. Sirius had spent some time wondering whether that incident was a dream or not really, with how real it had felt before waking up at the hospital wing, found unconscious at their dormitory, James's had said.

"Do you trust Remus, Sirius?"

I can't tell you what it is, but you' it when that time comes.

"In order to protect James and his family, we have to be certain of only who we can trust," Peter continued.

One day, you'll be placed in a very difficult position, and then you'll have to make a very hard decision.

"So do you trust him?"

All things change, except your reasons why you love Remus in the first place.

And Remus… he was the most selfless person Sirius knew, the most generous, and the one with the gentlest smiles; a clever, smart, and loyal man obsessed with chocolates, and with a penchant for old books. Those were his qualities that made Sirius fell in-love with him.

Then why should he doubt Remus now? Now when it mattered the most?

Sirius immediately stood up when he was hit with an epiphany. He had to find Remus and lay all out in the open. He and Peter could throw accusations around all day, but that was it, accusations without actual proof.

"Sirius?" Peter asked, confused.

"Remus's disappearances can be explained, Peter. Let's not jump into conclusions just yet. This is what exactly the enemy wants, Peter, to breed mistrust inside close circles."

Peter's eyes widened, looking away abruptly. "Y-You… You trust Remus then?" There was an alarmed tone in his voice, combined with incredulity. Sirius took note of it to analyze later.

"I do, Peter. I trust him. I trust Remus with my life."

Somehow, Sirius felt that it was the right thing to say.

end