Mischief Managed Y2 Part 2: The Truth of the Tournament

Chapter Seven: A Vile Git

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"Do you think we should have told her, Sirius?" James asked as they left.

"Tell her what exactly!" Lily demanded, sidestepping around a pillar with her arms crossed, once more a determination in her eyes that made James' knees go slightly weak.

"None of your damn business, Evans, that's what," Sirius snapped, ignoring her incredulous look, grabbing James' hand to pull him along with him. That was probably for the best. James already felt dreadful that his slip-up had caused Peter to get closer to the truth. The chaser knew he should have denied Pettigrew's guess but he had been so sure that the younger boy had figured it out and was replying better than both he and Sirius had. James wasn't about to let something else slip, only he knew that he could not be trusted around Lily Evans.

"Thanks, mate," James breathed out in relief when they were out of eyesight and earshot of Lily, who probably had gone back into the office to try to find out what was going on from Professor McGonagall. That was her mistake.

"I wasn't about to let you blab more of Remus' secrets," Sirius shot back shortly.

"Now hang on just a second! I didn't blab anything." He received a look from Sirius that made James scowl. "Well not on purpose anyway, and Peter isn't even right, for your information!"

"What does that mean?"

"He thinks it's his dad."

"Huh? That's mental."

Just about as mental as one of their best mates having lycanthropy, but James decided not to point that out. They continued to walk, a heavy silence falling. It didn't take a mind reader to know what Sirius was so quiet about.

"Just apologize to him, Sirius. Just tell him what an arse you are and all this will be over."

"Yeah," the disgruntled boy whispered, sounding a bit choked. They kept walking in silence for awhile, both of them lost in their dark thoughts. 

"You think his dad kicked him out of the house or something?" James asked levelly, flinching as his friend whipped around, eyes blazing. 

"Salaz...sorry, Godric, I hope not," Sirius muttered, nearly slipping into his old Slytherin swears as he did once in a blue moon when he was deeply troubled by something.

"You don't think we should tell McGonagall, do you?" James asked in a much quieter volume this time.

"She can't do anything about it, James. Trust me she can't. She can spew all the nonsense she wants about Hogwarts being equipped, but they aren't. Not to save a werewolf from his abusive father who the ministry would without doubt support and see as someone nothing less than a hero for raising his own son instead of putting him down."

James nodded, falling silent for a bit, hesitating about whether he should say something or not. But he really wanted to know the answer and he didn't think Sirius' mood could get much worse at the moment. "J-just...just like they couldn't do anything about saving a son from his blood purist parents who have deep connections in the ministry?"

Sirius glanced sideways at James, they didn't talk about that, the latter knew they didn't. The two of them did not bring up Sirius' parents; it was an unspoken rule. James mentioned them occasionally around the breaks but that was when all the Marauders were present, when Remus was present to calm whatever tempest talking about his parents seemed to ignite in Sirius.

"Yeah...now I know why Remus isn't...he's not angry about his dad like I am. He defends his dad...he tried to defend him to me several times. Now we know why..."