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[theshabbiestofmen]

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[doggedly]

only we have to think about him now dont we

[theshabbiestofmen]

Personally, yes. But . . . it's not going to change things. So don't worry about that.

[A beat.]

What do you think of him?

[doggedly]

[He reads those word with a measure of scepticism, but doesn't comment. Not yet.]

i only just met him and not even really met
i dunno
he takes a joke all right


what about you

[theshabbiestofmen]

[Another beat.]

He's certainly not James.

I don't know. He's all right.

[doggedly]

[the first bit doesn't even get an answer. no he most certainly is not James and that's obvious.]

just all right

[theshabbiestofmen]

I don't know. It's bizarre, all right. And I don't know what to think of him.

What about you?

[doggedly]

well youve said it
hes not james

[That seems terribly unfair to say, and Sirius stares at the words for a few moments after he's written them.]

i dunno
its just weird knowing what we know and then talking to him
that and he seems fairly normal which youd think perhaps he wouldnt be
not that i want him to be absolutely mental its just


i dunno

[theshabbiestofmen]

That's rather how I feel about it.

[A beat.]

It's . . . weird. Unpleasant, almost.

[doggedly]

if hes here then it happens
right

[theshabbiestofmen]

Not necessarily. There are a hundred different variations-- and he could be from a timeline that no longer exists.

[doggedly]

so whys it unpleasant then

[theshabbiestofmen]

Because he's a reminder of what might happen should we fail.

[doggedly]

[Well. That's horrible. He stares at the words for a few moments before he answers--trying, stupidly, for a joke.]

oh thats unfair
hes not that bad weve only just met him

[But it sounds idiotic even when he reads it to himself, so he adds:]

yeah. youre right.

[theshabbiestofmen]

[A long bit of quiet, and then:]

He's so much older seeming. Not just in age, but personality.

[doggedly]

do you think thats because


i mean he doesnt know us yet not actually or he does but were older
so maybe its down to that

[theshabbiestofmen]

He's also been through a war. A bad one, from all indications.

[doggedly]

yeah i suppose

i dont know remus i always reckoned on someone from our time coming
i never thought about
i mean thats stupid i know but i didnt think about it

[theshabbiestofmen]

Nor did I. Which is stupid; Merlin is here, clearly people from the past or future can come-- but I never expected someone from our future. So intimately connected.

[A pause.]

I thought he was James at first.

[doggedly]

[At that, he laughs, bitterly--and there's a pause in return before he answers.]

i did too
stupid isnt it
he looks precisely like him except you know his eyes
merlin but this is mental

[Another little pause, and he adds:] i wonder if james will show up

[theshabbiestofmen]

I don't know if I want him to. I don't want to have to tell him about any of this.

[doggedly]

not even if it means seeing him again
i mean what if this is it remus
what if we dont go back at all

[theshabbiestofmen]

[And then suddenly there's Remus' voice, fierce:]

That's not going to happen!

[doggedly]

[He pauses a moment before answering, but then switches over as well--tired, worn out.]

But if it does.

[theshabbiestofmen]

It won't. Plenty of people have gone back! There's no reason why we shouldn't!

[doggedly]

But not gone back to say. Remus, listen to me, would you. If there can be alternate timelines--if our decision to change things with, with Harry, with all of it--to stop James from dying-- well, what the hell stops this from being some alternate bloody timeline?