Remus found the changing room quickly, glad that he was one of the first to arrive. A quick sweep of the room had him glad that he couldn't see James Aaron, or anyone that had directly endeavoured to dampen his spirits. 

He headed straight to the most deserted corner and began to change quickly, back turned to the rest of the room. Although, the few other boys in there had hardly even noticed Remus' presence. In his 16 years Remus had learned that boys are possibly the least observant creatures on the planet, until something draws their attention. Most others in the room were focused on sauntering about the place topless or stealing each others ties. 

 As he bent down to tie his shoelaces, Remus finally heard the unmistakable sound of James Aaron making an entrance; arrogant, howling laughter followed closely by "Well, well, well..."

James and three others were slowly advancing on Remus. "Look who thinks he owns the joint." 

"That's where we sit." One of the other boys spat. 

"Okay." Remus replied simply and moved across the room to sit elsewhere. James followed him across the changing room. 

"Personally, I don't think homos should be allowed in the same changing rooms as us. Staring at us, playing out little fantasies in their heads." He had grabbed the attention of everyone now. "It's perverted." 

"Oh, don't flatter yourself." Remus replied before he could stop himself. A ripple of anticipatory excitement crossed the room. 

"Who do you think you're talking to?" James spat angrily. 

Once again, Remus was saved by the opportune entrance of a teacher. 

"James Aaron get changed right now or so help me, God-there will be trouble." The teacher was tall and bearded with wide shoulders and a firm stance. 

James flashed a menacing grin. 

"Sir, I don't feel comfortable changing in here anymore." 

"And why is that?" The teacher asked incredulously. Remus braced himself for the answer.  

"Well, there's a new member of our class..." He began, side-eyeing Remus. "And, well...he's gay." He was stage whispering now, acting on the pretence that he was being polite, but really enjoying the attention. 

Remus gulped hard but tried his best to maintain his neutral expression. The teacher was clearly battling with his morality as he struggled for a reply. Eventually he sighed and resigned himself to his reply.

"Maybe those of you already changed should go over to the sports hall now to make sure all the equipment is set up." He smiled reassuringly at Remus. Remus knew this was the nicest way to banish him from the room. He felt a strange pang of otherness at the idea of his presence making a whole room of his peers uncomfortable, it was something he had always feared would appear at Hogwarts, but he had escaped thus far. 

The circuit course set up required pairs and, as Remus was being avoided like the plague, he eventually had to pair up with a short, stocky boy who also appeared to have very few allies in the class. In fact, he seemed to be glad that the attention was on Remus, assumably, rather than himself. 

The boy did not so much as tell Remus his name. With each task they completed, he seemed to be fighting the urge to stare at the scars on Remus' arms. Luckily, he put very little effort into the exercises they were supposed to be completing, Remus had no trouble matching his energy. 

Remus did his best to ignore the taunts that came his way through the hour. His favourite was "You punch like a girl." He supposed that James Aaron had never seen a girl punch like Lily Evans had punched James the year before. 

James Aaron had tried to trip Remus up with a skipping rope as they walked back to the changing room, but Remus stepped quickly out of his way, meaning that the rope whipped the ankles of one of his friends instead. He was proud of himself for a moment, but this had just earned him a hard shove into the wall. 

Back at the changing rooms the teacher looked around nervously. 

"Uh, boys, it's pretty late so why don't you all just go home in your kits? No need to get changed, really." He was clearly thinking up every possible way to avoid confrontation. 

Most of the boys took this as an opportunity to leave school as quickly as possible, Remus hung back. 

"Sir?" He finally approached the teacher when there were only a few stragglers left, trying to find ties and socks that had gone missing earlier. "I'll change in the toilets and wait outside next time." He said plainly, he was growing aware of the headache burgeoning behind his eyes. "Just don't let this happen to my friends, please." He left without waiting for his reply. 

Seeing that there were another five minutes until the end of the day, Remus found the nearest toilets and changed back into his uniform, too uncomfortable to walk around with his arms exposed and more scars visible than absolutely necessary. 

The rest of Sirius' class had already entered the classroom when he arrived, he opened the door swiftly and slipped in unnoticed. He saw James and Peter sat with a boy that he didn't immediately recognise, but was glad to see an empty seat remaining at the table. 

"Sirius, this is John, he's in my form." James said as Sirius sat beside Peter. 

Sirius smiled and nodded his head in greeting. 

Little else was said before the lesson began. There was a certain air of everyone trying to find something to say that wouldn't cause discomfort for any of the parties. Luckily, the lesson was pretty lecture intensive, it wasn't until the final 15 minutes of the hour that they had a chance to speak at all. 

"Have you got any idea what's going on?" Peter asked, to no one in particular as he stared at the jumble of notes he had made. 

"Not at all, no wonder Remus didn't get this, it makes no sense!" James replied, also baffled at how he had managed to write two pages of notes without understanding a word of it. 

John tried his best to explain to the other three what they were very clearly missing, but none of it stuck. There were a lot of nods and "Ohhh, I see." But not a lot of true understanding. 

Eventually, the lesson drew to an end and they began to make their way out of their second day at Muggle school, figuring that Remus would meet them in the car park. 

Sirius was growing more excited by the second for his ride home. He felt simultaneously so much better and so much worse than he had done yesterday, a motorbike ride was just what he needed. 

Remus was waiting for the boys at the entrance of the car park, stepped aside slightly from the hoards of students rushing to the busses and cars promising their departure from the school. He had already spotted John at the far side, assumably accompanied by Ianto-though he was much shorter and thus more difficult to spot. 

"Hey!" Sirius greeted him brightly, James and Peter following in suit, with less enthusiasm. "How was P.E.?" He asked in the same tone. 

Remus pretended to have missed this; "How was chemistry?" 

Sirius understood. "You were right, confusing as shit. No idea what was going on. On the plus side-James' mate John is apparently not scared of us!" 

"Well that's some good news." Remus laughed. 

John beamed brightly at the boys as they approached, side car still attached to his motorbike, to James' excitement. Peter was apprehensive now, and choose to opt out of the thrill-seekers ride this time. 

The ride back to John and Ianto's was just as exhilarating as the ride to school had been. Both Sirius and James laughed with joy more than once. They were certain that John had magically interfered with the bike in some way, the ride was far smoother than his driving would have suggested and the rocky path through the woodlands towards their home hardly jostled the bike at all. 

Sirius let all of his worries fall away as they rode on. He cared greatly what James and Peter thought, of course he was going to be offended at their disgust at the thought of being gay, but that didn't change the fact that they are incredibly open and accepting people. Sirius knew that he was lucky to have the people in  his life that he did and that he should be protecting them at all costs-even if that meant hiding a little part of him for a little longer. 

James simply couldn't find the right words to say to either Sirius or Remus. He had, in the heat of a moment, said things that had hurt them in unprecedented ways. This was something that he didn't believe himself capable of, he couldn't figure out where the thought had come from. He also knew that he had to talk to Peter, he had to make sure that they were both on the same page and that he also meant no harm. 

"How was school?" Ianto asked Remus and Peter as they got into the car. 

"Better. How was your day?" Remus smiled. Peter stayed quiet. 

Ianto began to tell Remus about how he had been called into work and John had gone with him. Remus told Ianto how Sirius had gone to his form class with him and the trouble they caused during Vocational studies. They swapped stories back and forth the whole way home, both clearly trying their best not to drag up intrusive or negative thoughts. 

Peter sat silently in the back of the car. He had been struggling with his feelings all day, he didn't want people to think he was gay! All Peter wanted was an easy time. He loved and respected his friends and would never wish harm on them in any way, shape or form, but he was growing exasperated by the constant attention drawn to them. He knew that the right thing to do was apologise and move on, but being tagged with such a tarnishing label was weighing him down. 

John was serving tea as Ianto, Peter and Remus arrived. He handed Ianto a mug and told the others to help themselves to milk and sugar. Sirius had instinctively made Remus' for him-two sugars and a dash of milk-and made his own in opposition-no sugar and lots of milk. 

Ianto took a sip of his tea and made a disgruntled face, setting it down on the mantlepiece as they all entered the living room. 

"Dear god, what is this, John?" He laughed. 

"Tea?" John suggested. 

"And did you measure the sugar with a spoon or a shovel?" he implored. "Fifteen years. Fifteen!" He shook his head in desperation. 

Remus smiled to himself, knowing that Ianto saw the complete understanding of one another's habits that he and Sirius shared and felt a yearning for it. It made everything okay to know that Sirius always had his back, even in the little ways. 

John tutted and shrugged. He and Ianto settled back into the seat at the windowsill. There was now a large footstool between both armchairs, most likely placed there in anticipation of the Marauders' more frequent visitations. Sirius and James both found themselves sat here, while Remus took the armchair closest to John and Ianto and Peter chose that which was the furthest away. 

A light but rapid tapping sound was coming from the window behind John and Ianto, accompanied by the fluttering of wings. John pulled back the netting and opened the window to find an owl carrying a letter addressed to all six of those occupying the room. He read it quickly. 

"Oh, James, your dad says there's a Code Green at his office?" The all turned expectantly to James, who sighed. 

"They're working on a new hair elixir that has had some...unfortunate consequences. I think Code Green means rapidly growing, violent green hair sprouting from every follicle. Dad keeps forgetting how to fix it." 

"Mate, your dad does not pay his testers enough." Sirius quipped. 

"Trust me, I know. I haven't used one of his products since the original Sleekeazy's formula made my entire head so greasy that I looked like Snivillus." 

"I would pay good money to see that." Remus remarked. 

"Anyway, your mom is out doing, and I quote, 'mother things', so you'll be stuck here for a little while, I'm afraid." 

"We can take the bus if it's any intrusion." Remus offered, always looking for a solution before there is a problem. 

"Don't be ridiculous, it's no intrusion at all." Ianto said steadfastly. Remus smiled warmly back at him. 

"So, did you learn anything today?" John asked. "They say Muggle school is great for that but I can't remember a damn thing I learned there." 

Sirius allowed himself, for a fleeting moment, to remember that he had learned the James and Peter held some very different values than his own. Remus, similarly, remembered that he had learned how two of his best friends felt about his lifestyle. He also tried desperately not to remember that he had learned that his very existence in a room made many uncomfortable. 

"That's because you gave up if you couldn't grasp something the first time you tried it." Ianto swatted at John, but he was distracted, he had caught what Remus and Sirius had been thinking, without meaning to. "Done with your tea, love?" He asked John as he took his half empty mug from his hands and headed to the kitchen before John had even processed the question. 

"I mean, I wasn't done, but okay." He said with a laugh, but he watched after Ianto with concern. 

Sirius took the moment to shake his thoughts back to reality. "We have to do a presentation on volcanoes for Geography. What was History about?" 

As Sirius and James discussed with John the differences between Muggle and Wizard learning, Remus collected their empty mugs and took them to the kitchen, where Ianto was sat at the table, staring into space. 

He was startled back to reality when the mugs clattered in the sink. "Oh! I was in my own little world then." He laughed, but it was clear that he had been battling some sadness. "I'm sorry." He sighed. "I did it again."

Remus smiled at him knowingly, forgivingly.

Ianto seemed to be chewing on his words, trying to figure out what was best to say next. "It gets better." He nodded. 

"Thank you." Remus said. It was better, he thought, back in Hogwarts, but there was no point dwelling on that. 

"If it helps, James really regrets what he said. Deep down he doesn't care what anyone thinks, really. All he cares about is keeping you safe." 

Remus' insides burned with shame at this. He hated that his friends had to compromise their own safety to protect his. More so, he was concerned that this meant that Peter really had meant  it. 

"Peter is fiercely loyal. At the end of the day, he just wants to be happy, he wants you all to be happy." Ianto shook his head at himself. "Sorry." 

"It's okay. Thank you." Remus said again, sincerely glad that he could find solace in Ianto. 

Back in the living room, John was trying to figure out if he loved school, or loathed it. 

"I definitely enjoyed the magic bits." 

"Well I hated school." Ianto joined the conversation. 

"No you didn't, you loved it!" John argued. 

"No, I loved learning. I hated school." Ianto corrected him. 

"Why didn't you like school?" James asked, there was nothing he loved more than being in Hogwarts, he had assumed that the same would be true of any school one grew used to. 

"It was fine on the surface. But imagine if a little bell went off in your head every time someone thought something bad about you. Hearing those things thought but being treated with kindness all the while is a special kind of hell." Ianto was smiling, clearly glad to be at terms with the fact that this part of his life was over. 

"I didn't think anyone we knew thought bad about us?" John questioned sincerely. 

"That's because you're incapable of empathy, my love." Ianto replied affectionately. 

"I'm so sorry, guys, that's horrible." James said, his voice thick with second-hand guilt. 

John chuckled softly and shook his head. "It's okay. I'm just sorry the stigma still exists."

"Being gay shouldn't be an insult, the sooner the world learns this the better." Ianto added. "Besides, you guys have the same advantage that we did, forgive me for this; everyone already thinks you're strange. People are only really capable of focusing on one negative at a time, and the 'gay' one get's pretty boring pretty fast. It won't be long until everyone goes back to not knowing your names." 

Everyone laughed, except Peter, who remained quiet as ever, having a difficult time mulling over all that was being said. 

"That's true! All things considered, we had it pretty easy until we had to leave." 

Ianto gave John a look that said, 'Really, you're going to open that can of worms?' He waited for a moment and sighed in resignation, they were clearly having an unheard conversation. 

Sirius took a moment to wonder just how much time John and Ianto spent in silence, seeing as Ianto knew what John was going to say before he even said it. 

"Why did you have to leave?" James asked, unable to hold his ever-present curiosity at bay. 

There was another moment of silent communication between John and Ianto. 

"We got drunk at a party when we were...probably fifteen. We didn't protest to kissing each other in a game of spin-the-bottle, so that made everyone's mind up about us pretty quickly. We were...forcibly removed...I'll spare you the details." John spoke tentatively and tried to remain positive, but he bit his lip and blinked hard to fight back the tears threatening to fill his eyes. 

"I believe we were promised 'you won't live to see lunch on Monday, fags.'" Ianto scoffed but shook his head sadly. "But it's not all bad, hey!" He continued happily. "If we'd never gone to that party I might've had a wife and three kids by now, rather than a John and 3 cats." 

"Yeah, me too." Agreed John. Ianto laughed genuinely. "What? I could have married a woman-I still might if you carry on like this!" 

"You are more likely to get deported than to marry a woman, John." Ianto continued laughing. 

Remus reflected on how hard it must be for John and Ianto to live such a sheltered life, always keeping secrets. He had an idea how that felt, but had always lived believing in the fantasy that he might one day be able to life a life undefined by everything he once hid. 

Sirius felt sick. He wondered how John and Ianto could remain so positive with so much baggage, he knew that now, more than ever, he had to take every precaution in ensuring the safety of his friends. He longed for the day when they could all tell their stories from their chaotic teenage years without any remorseful feelings. 

James knew that he and Peter were the reason they share that story. They needed to understand the impact that they could have on the lives of their friends. No one deserves the kind of treatment that John and Ianto received. Nor did anyone deserve to be treated the way that he had treated Sirius and Remus, he would make it right. 

Peter felt guilty and anxious and angry and down-right miserable. He wanted desperately not to be part of the problem, he wanted everyone to feel safe and respected and happy, but he didn't know how to make that happen. All he could do now was keep his head down and beg the others to do the same. 

Another hour and another cup of tea came and went before Mrs Potter's head appeared in the fireplace. The time spent with John and Ianto transpired to be invaluable, all four boys looked forward to seeing them the next day, and John and Ianto felt the same way. 

Long chapter that has not been proof-read. Idk, man, this all just seems to be getting worse lmao, I really hope some of you still enjoy it!

I want to make a quick side note about JKR. As we all know, she has done and said some incredibly controversial things recently, things which I do not support in any way, shape or form. I wondered for a while whether this would mean that I had to separate myself from the Harry Potter universe, but I have done the exact opposite. Making, consuming and enjoying Harry Potter content recently has allowed me to fully appreciate that what I love most about the series is the world that has been created by the fans. The subliminal messages that we have found in the books and films have allowed us to create our own canon where love and acceptance are of the utmost importance. We should all practice separating the art from the artist right now. 

You are valid. You are loved. You are doing amazing. No matter what anyone says. 

Wow, who would have thought that it was Daniel Radcliffe who wrote the Harry Potter books all along?