Welp, here it is. Chapter 1: Redux! I'll be updating this as I go along, then I'll update with a new chapter to inform y'all it's up. Does that sound like a good system?

Also, love me some Marauders.

Oftentimes he'd come here when it rained, soaking underneath the drain pipes as water dripped down to his hair. He felt dramatic when he did so. As if he was in some kind of muggle movie. Even now, as Remus Lupin paced up and down the pavement outside Mungo's, he felt increasingly thrilling.

Perhaps that was the moon's effect on him, or it was the fact that one of his best friends was in labour at that very moment. Yeah, it was probably the latter.

Remus couldn't stand the inside of the hospital. The blinding light always gave him a splitting headache, screaming at him that he was a monster, that he deserved to rot in Azkaban, that he -

"Merlin, it smells like wet dog out here. Though I suppose wolf would be more appropriate."

Remus glanced over his shoulder, grinning genuinely for the first time in what felt like decades, and greeted his friend Sirius with a jab of his own. "You might want to get yourself checked out for fleas while you're here, Padfoot."

"I'll have you know I maintain pristine hygiene," said Sirius, pointing at himself with confidence. Remus cocked a brow, eyed Sirius' darkened eyelids and greasy hair - he almost reminded him of Severus - and crossed his arms. Sirius pouted. "We both look awful, Moony."

It was true - though this tended to be the norm for Remus, it had been a while since he'd seen Sirius look so… tired. Not since he'd moved out of that accursed Black house.

"How are they?" Remus asked. "Is she okay? Is the baby okay?"

Sirius shrugged, joining him in the rain. "Still in labour, from what I heard. Couldn't stand the screaming."

He ran a shaking hand through his hair, the other hand reaching for his pocket and pulling out a charmed muggle cigarette. He tapped the end with his wand and a small flame appeared on the end, unaffected by the water. One quick inhale and exhale later, and Remus forced back a cough.

"James was the one screaming, 'course."

Remus snickered. Of course, his friend would do that. The small spark of humour did ease his worries, if only a little bit.

The pair stood out in the rain in silence, waiting, listening, for any kind of sign that their friends were okay. Not that they had any doubt they wouldn't be - Lily was a fighter, and so was James. They wouldn't let something like labour defeat them. Water dripped down their hair and clothes, soaking the fabric and dripping to their skin. It felt awkward rather than dramatic now, to Remus' chagrin, and so when the blessed messenger arrived in the form of a wispy stag he welcomed it greatly.

"Lily's out of labour, we're both good," James' voice rang out of the patronous, sounding out of breath. "It's a - come and look."

The pair glanced at each other before rushing back into St. Mungo's, hearts pounding in their chests. They returned to the ward where Lily and James had been staying, walking a little too fast-paced for the healers' liking. But they didn't care - after all, they had a baby to see. Finally they came to just outside Lily's room, and fought for the door together. It was only when James had opened the door that the pair collapsed on a heap in front of him, causing him to fall himself and his glasses to go askew.

Lily laughed from the bed. Remus stared at her for a moment, registering the bundle in her arms, before he stood up and dusted himself off. All the while, his eyes never left her. Her red hair was drenched with sweat, and her body was shaking - from the pain of birth, probably. How strong she was to withstand such torture.

"Bloody hell, Moony, Padfoot," James groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "You could've given me a concussion."

"You're in a hospital, mate. You'd be fine," Sirius said.

James fixed his glasses. "Still."

Remus ignored both of them, fixated on the bundle. Lily noticed this, as she lifted it slightly and smiled, seemingly beckoning him to come closer. He approached her quietly, silently, while the other two Marauders watched.

The baby was beautiful. That was the only word he could think to describe them. The beauty of life, right before him. They were gazing up at him with brilliant emerald eyes, just like their mother. He'd expected fear, or tears, or a fuss, from their first meeting, but instead all he found was curiosity. Barely registering movement behind him, he realised that Sirius had joined him.

"It's a girl," James said, sitting on the other side of the bed and stroking Lily's hair. "A beautiful baby girl."

Sirius sighed and handed Remus a sickle, who pocketed it, satisfied.

"What did you name her?" Remus asked.

"Well, we thought we were going to have a boy, because someone," James mocked-glared at Lily, "was convinced we were, and apparently we didn't need to get its sex checked because she was sure since she's the mother-"

"Oh, shut it."

James grinned. "Originally, we were gonna go with Harry."

"Oh thank Godric," Sirius sighed with relief. "Thought you were gonna go with the Black naming system. After stars or some shit."

"Or the Lupin naming system." Remus added. "Wolf Wolf - brilliant name, if I say so myself."

"Yeah, me and Lily are pretty much the only ones in this room with normal names." A wink. "And Harriet, of course."

"Harriet," Remus breathed, staring down at her. The name rolled easily off his tongue, and it had a certain ring to it. Yes, it felt right. Harriet Potter.

The first child of the Marauders.

"You couldn't go with Harry so you went with Harriet?" Sirius snorted. "Real original, mate."

James said a retort in return, but Remus didn't listen. No, he was too fixated on the baby to notice, gazing at her puffy cheeks and tiny hands with awe. She blinked a few times, staring right back at him. Then, amazingly, she grinned a toothless smile. Remus was stunned for a moment before smiling right back at her.

She was wonderful. He'd never felt so warm in his life, not since he'd first woken up in the Shrieking Shack with his friends by his side. Cautiously, he reached out with his hand, and stroked the young girl's cheek.

Lily glanced up while Remus was preoccupied with Harriet. "Where's Peter?"

"Said he couldn't make it," Sirius said. "Important Order business, apparently."

"That's a shame. Guess he's out of the running." James stretched his arms out, casually looking outside the window.

"Running for what?" Sirius asked.

"For the Godfather."

Remus quickly whipped his hand away from Harriet, holding it close to his chest. There was no way, absolutely no way, that they were even considering him - he was a monster, after all. He shouldn't even be allowed near their baby now. What if he hurt Harriet?

"Remus," Lily sighed. "You're good. You're alright."

He felt a comforting hand on his back, and he registered Sirius moving behind him. His skin, which had turned paler than usual, returned to normal. A bead of sweat dripped down the back of his neck, and it was suddenly harder to breath. After a few quick reminders from his friends to inhale, then exhale, he finally returned to a regular breathing pattern.

"Sorry mate." James scratched the back of his head. "Guess you don't want to do it, then?"

Remus shook his head. "Sirius would make for a better Godparent than me."

"Shucks, Moony," Sirius feigned blushing, "when you put it like that."

The room laughed - all except for Harriet, who stared at her mother, confused, but with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. It was the beginning of something new for the Marauders.

Something wicked this way comes.

No one had warned the Potters about the dangers of parenting a magical child. Of course, they knew the trials and tribulations that came with one, thanks to the Weasley Family's inputs during various Order meetings when Lily was pregnant, but Molly never truly warned them about the threat they faced.

"She's under the couch - Lily! Get the - don't eat that!"

Harriet giggled, holding a caterpillar in her hands, reaching it ever so slowly to her mouth. James looked on in horror, his arm outstretched, but alas he was too late. The poor insect had been consumed, lost forever. And the girl who ate it looked absolutely delighted at the prospect.

Lily rushed into the room, holding a bottle of milk in one hand and grasping a child's broomstick in the other. "What did she eat?"

"Some bug, or something - quickly now, quickly!" James hurried her on. He laid down on his stomach and mock-glared at Harriet, who grinned back. The baby was currently hiding underneath the couch, where her parents couldn't find her, and she could get up to as much mischief as she wanted. She somehow knew that they were having trouble with her, and she was relishing in as much of it as she could. James merely pouted at his daughter. "Can't you give your papa a break?"

"Gah!"

A convincing argument.

Lily soon joined him on the floor, presenting Harriet with two gifts: the milk and the broom. She smiled, albeit with bags under her eyes, and cooed softly. "Come on, Harriet, you know you want them…"

"Come on out," James joined in.

Harriet frowned and titled her head. James would have squealed with adoration had the situation not been so dire - seriously, how does one so small make such a ruckus? He just wanted to take a nap. But alas, his little girl would not allow him even that.

Sighing, Lily hit her head against the floor. James knew why; this was pointless. No matter what they'd do, nothing would entice Harriet to come out from under the couch. She wouldn't accept any of the bribes they tried to use.

Soon the carpet was covered in toys and various magical objects - all in attempts to rescue their baby girl from the evil clutches of whatever it was she was trying to do.

"This is useless, James," Lily groaned.

"Don't give up!" James said, holding his wife's shoulders. "We will win!"

Harriet giggled. Oh. she absolutely knew what she was doing. Cheeky little devil.

Suddenly, she stopped. James' heart skipped a beat - why did she stop? Was she in trouble? He laid down on the carpet again, worry etched on his face, as he stared at his daughter, trying to work out what she was thinking. Harriet was staring into one particular area of the carpet. He glanced back and frowned.

Then, to his amazement, she moved forward.

"Lily!"

"I know!"

The two parents stared wide-eyed as their daughter slowly but surely approached a muggle toy. It was strange - the toy wasn't anything special. Just a pirate doll. But Harriet grasped its arm with her tiny hands and chortled happily.

James was stunned. "Pirates?"

"I guess she likes it?" Lily said, equally as confused. The pair glanced at each other before sighing in relief. At least their little girl was out for now.

Harriet giggled again, waving the doll up and down. Nothing about it was magical, but to her it meant the world.

Rats were often mistaken to be dastardly, cowardly, rotten creatures. They were thought to live in sewers and eat out trash. This was an absolute lie. Rats were majestic, wonderful beings that deserved all the love in the world. True, some of them did eat trash and true, they did get quite dirty sometimes - but that's besides the point. Rats deserved better than how they were treated.

And that included him, Peter Pettigrew.

'Wormtail', as his friends called him, was a detestable name. It made him seem like a slimy git - and he wasn't! He was a respectable member of the community, of the Order, and he was even entrusted with the duty of being the Potters' secret-keeper. This was a humongous task, one that he knew he had to uphold at all costs.

He was no coward.

That was why he stood outside the Malfoy Mansion, clutching his wand in his hand, and glowering at the gates. No coward would dare come this far.

He was no coward, he was just looking out for his own family. Prongs would understand. After all, it was his family at stake here. His own family - the Pettigrews weren't the most famous of purebloods, but they were still a vital member of society. Now that he had seen what happened to the Potters, it was only a matter of time before the same happened to his own. And he would never allow that to happen, never.

(It was all just excuses, in the end.)

Finally, after what seemed like hours, a tall man in a flowing dark robe approached the gate from the mansion. Peter could just feel them sneering at him from behind their mask. A long silence fell over the both of them. The bars of the gate separated both of them, but yet only he felt as if he were trapped. Peter shifted in his shoes, coughing.

It wasn't too late to run away, was it?

"State your business, Blood Traitor."

Peter gulped. "I-I'm here to see You-Know-Who!"

"And for what reason," the Death Eater began to say, twirling his wand in his hand, "would the Dark Lord be interested in seeing you?" He suddenly stopped, clutching the wand in his hand threateningly.

Eyeing the weapon, Peter raised his own arms in surrender. "I've come bearing - bearing information."

The Death Eater tilted his head.

"About the Potters."

Yes. Prongs would understand.

He wasn't given a trial.

Sirius laid down in his cell, staring up at the rotten ceiling while the Dementors hovered past him, and listened to the hysteric screams of the other prisoners.

James and Lily Potter were dead. Prongs and Lils - his two best friends in the world, gone.

If he listened closely enough, he could hear the cries of some of his family members. Bellatrix made herself the loudest, of course - he wish she'd just shut up already. There was a reason he left the Black family, and if he had to listen to one more damned cackle he was going to maul her himself.

Wormta- no, Peter Pettigrew, was a traitor. A filthy, fucking traitor. James and Lily probably died thinking he was tortured to death for information, when the exact opposite was true. He sold them out, and for what? Safety?

Sirius snorted. Pettigrew was going to need it when he got his hands on him. There was no protection for traitors.

The prisoner in the cell opposite to him looked at him in fear. He recognised them - a young boy with freckles and straw-coloured hair. One of those stuck-up Ministry worker's sons.

Sirius wiggled his brows. "Boo."

He whimpered and hide his head in his knees.

What a disappointing cellmate.

Sighing, Sirius stretched his arms behind him and rested the back of his head on his hands. It was going to be a long wait.

But there was something else filling him with worry.

Harriet.

The thought that the child, that his God-daughter, was out there all alone filled him with an uneasy sense of dread. Of course, he doubted that the Dementors were helping that in any way, but still - she was alone, and she needed him. And he would give anything to be with her, but he knew it was himself against the world here. Not even Moony would be on his side.

He cussed aloud. Was that what he had become? A demon? A monster?

No, he couldn't allow Harriet to grow up on the run like that. He was sure that whatever Dumbledore had planned for her was the safest option.

So, instead, he waited. For what, he did not know - the passing of time, maybe. But he would wait until the end to meet Harriet again. He would wait beyond the end to meet James and Lily.

He just hoped that Moony would see his side.

And there's the updated version! Please, tell me what you think - do you see improvement over the previous version?