23 Bully

Pandora Tripe continued by saying how many times she's spoked to each of them. Peter two, Remus seven, and James five. James was a bit ashamed to realize he didn't remember talking to her at all. Even if it was just a few words in passing.

"So we all know each other quite well!" Pandora said with a dreamy smile.

"We could always try and get to know one another better," Sirius said, leaning on a wall and giving her a roguish smile. "How about next Hogsmeade weekend we go out?"

Pandora frowned, tilting her head and placing the tip of her finger on her bottom lip. If Luna acted and looked like this then James could see why Harry had fallen for her. Even if it wasn't really James's taste.

"I don't think I can. I believe I have a date that weekend."

"Ah, if you can't even remember properly than he must be a bore. I could make the weekend so much more fun."

Pandora looked at Sirius as if he was slow.

"Thats no way to talk about your friend."

"What?" Sirius said. "What friend?"

"Why James of course. He's going to talk to me tomorrow and ask a favor. In return I'm going to Hogsmeade with him. Besides, we are used to be future family."

Remus blinked in confusion then his eyebrows raised.

"Are you saying you're related or that you're going to get married to James?"

"Impossible, James is going to die alone with Lily's name on his lips and a bottle of firewhiskey in his hands," Sirius said.

James smacked him upside the head.

"Neither! Though I am sure we are related somehow."

James processed her words. Used to be future family… Was she talking about Harry? There was no way.

"You're the Seer!" Peter exclaimed finally.

"Oh no I'm not. At least not a True Seer," Pandora said, waving her hand dismissively. "Divination is not as exclusive as they like to say. It's a move from the Ministry so that the Department of Mysteries can work the strings of Fate more in their favor."

"... I see," Remus said. "I always thought that Divination was a… easy O as they say."

"Oh it is, but it works too. Those that actually try in the class find out that Magic is tied to Fate, just as Life is tied to Magic. They are the Three Sisters."

"I thought it was the Tale of the Three Brothers?" James said.

"Yes yes, but the Three Sisters are not wizards from history. The Three Sisters are Magic, Fate and Life. While The Three Other Brothers, thats what I call them, are Death, Time and Love."

"Love is a guy?" Peter asked.

"No, but we give them genders in our minds. Love is a guy because a guy can get many girls pregnant at once, but a girl is not able to be pregnant more than once at a time."

Peter blushed and Sirius laughed.

"Anyways," Remus said, giving Sirius a deliberately slow roll of his eyes. "You were saying about Fate and Magic?"

"Well Tea Readings, Palm Reading, Crystal Ball Gazing, all of those are real techniques that any witch or wizard can use. When on yourself you have to attune yourself to Fate and you are able to read about what she has in store for you. And when its others you have to find the markings of Fate on them, much more difficult. Seers on the other hand are directly channeled by Fate to give her words to the world. That's why they can't remember speaking on the Prophecies they tell because it's not really them speaking."

"And you can see that James is going to ask you out?" Remus asked, deeply interested in the shorter girls words.

"Oh not at all. I'm going to ask him out! I can see the markings already close to being completely formed on him. I'd say right after lunch, but that's not a guarantee at the moment."

"There are guarantees at Fate?" Remus asked.

"Oh yes. Prophecies are guaranteed, even if they come to fruition in unexpected ways. There are others of course, but none of you would be happy if I said them."

A pit of fear niggled at James's mind. Was she talking about their deaths? About Peter betraying them? Of James dying to Voldemort and Sirius falling through The Veil?

"Try us," Sirius said, and James saw that each of his friends now looked uncomfortable after her words.

"No. I have a nest of birds to look at so I'm going to leave now."

Without another word or backwards glance she left. Sirius looked like he was going to call something to her, but Remus stopped him, shaking his head.

"Well… Didn't know you were the type for the ditzy blondes James," Sirius said a bit awkwardly, noticing the tension the other three Marauders were carrying.

"Uh, I didn't either… Lets get these leaves to the dorm."

They walked in silence for a few moments before Peter spoke up.

"What was Snape and Mulciber talking about?" he asked.

James blinked, he had forgotten about the whole reason they had been in that hallway.

"Dammit I forgot!" Sirius exclaimed. "James, theres no way you can defend him after that! You know he's up to no good. Talking about how he was in hot water with Slughorn. What was that spell they were talking about?"

James didn't know and didn't have any words to defend Snape other than "We can't know for sure." which was a cop out. People didn't drag others to abandoned hallways to talk about Quidditch or homework. They did it either to do something against the rules or to snog, James knew from experience.

"The Seeing Stars Jinx. It's a Charm that causes the recipient to see illusionary stars fly around their vision. Good for Dueling to distract opponents because it only affects the person the spell hits," Remus said.

"Do you know it?" Sirius asked, Snape momentarily forgotten.

"Know about it. Don't remember the incantation or wand movement."

"Doesn't seem that bad of a spell," Peter said.

"Well Mulciber seems to want Snape to do something with it," Remus said. "I hate to say it after your recent, er, personal growth James, but it doesn't change the fact that whatever they were talking about probably wasn't altruistic in nature."

James ran a hand through his hair with frustration. It would be so much easier to agree, then, secretly, stage an accident to kill Snape. Harry told him of the terrible things Snape did as a Death Eater, things all Death Eaters did just to get in. How he experimented on muggles with spells and potions. Raiding magicals homes and killing them down to the last child.

But Snape also changed, even as a terrible teacher, and a bully to his own students, Snape had done everything he could to save Harry. And the emptiness inside of Snape after his mission was complete led him to eventually killing himself.

Then there was James's own guilt. James was a bully, no two ways about it. Whatever environment Snape grew up in made it to where he couldn't shrug off the mean comment and embarrassing prank. James could have very well been the reason Snape became a Death Eater. Snape had never been a kind kid, even in their first-year he had made terrible comments to others, lashing out at everyone but Lily. He hexed Remus just for sitting with him one time. He had used magic to tie Peter's shoelaces together and cause him to fall on his face and break his nose.

Fuck! Why did it have to be so complicated?!

The other three watched as James struggled with himself.

"James… why is this so hard for you?" Peter finally asked. "Not to be mean, but you never cared this much about anyone. Caring about Snape seems… off, especially if he's doing something wrong."

"I- I want to be better," James said defeated. "Be honest Pete, am I a bully?"

Peter gulped, looking at the others. Sirius scowled, first at James then at Peter, but James put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Honestly, am I?"

"Y-y-you can be," Peter squeaked finally. "B-but you're also the nicest person I know! Next to Remus maybe. You've spent hours and hours helping me with homework, throwing me a birthday party every year, even though it wasn't actually my birthday. W-when one of us messes up you are the first to forgive, and when one of us gets in trouble you are right there to take the fall with us. You help the younger years find classes or give them tips, and you've set up more couples in the school than anyone else."

James actually blushed with embarrassment. He was a romantic at heart, and he loved to watch two people get together.

"But I am a bully still," he said, pushing past Peter's last comment. "Being frank, doing all those things are either minor inconveniences or make me happy to do. It… doesn't cost me anything. If anything I used those good attributes to excuse the fact that I did bully Snape and other Slytherins. Yeah they can be right gits, but we mess with them unprompted a lot of the time."

Remus was looking at James with respect in his eyes, while Sirius looked distinctly uncomfortable. James couldn't read what Peter was thinking.

"But… but you're right. I know Snape likes to experiment with Spell Crafting. And whatever he is doing with Mulciber doesn't seem good. Even if I feel bad about bullying him, that doesn't excuse any actions he does. If anything it only means we should do what we can to stop him."

"Spell Crafting huh? That's dangerous," Remus said.

"Like you have any room to talk," Sirius replied, bumping Remus's shoulder with his own.

Remus smirked.

"No idea what you're talking about, but regarding Snape lets keep an eye out on him and Mulciber. Check to see if there is a specific purpose or person they are targeting."

"Agreed," James said.

They entered the Gryffindor Common Room and headed up the stairs.

"Any idea what your going to ask Pandora tomorrow?" Sirius joked.

"Not yet. She seemed pretty sure of herself though. Maybe it has some merit… Oh. That's what I'm going to ask."

"What?"

James held up the Mandrake Leaves.

"When the next thunderstorm is. Just in case there isn't one in the next two months we can wait on these, so we don't have to do the sunrise and sunset part of the ritual too long."

"It is Scotland," Remus said.

"True, but just in case."