A/N: This idea hit me when I was working on my brother's 10th birthday present (people, wish him a happy birthday!) And I couldn't not write it.

Dedicated: to Lita, who IS Sirius. We need to RP more, girl! Love ya!

AU: Marauders are 26-7. Year is 2008 (Yes, I've altered the timeline. Ooooo) James married Lily, but had no kids. No Voldemort. The rest you'll have to wait and see.

WARNING: This is a slash story, which means boy-on-boy romance, and maybe some explicit scenes (okay, so scratch the maybe.) If that isn't your thing, please read no further. Also, prepare for swearing, explicit scenes, violence, (maybe) a little substance abuse, depending on how I feel that day, and who knows what else.

Disclaimer: Any characters or settings you recognise do NOT belong to me. They belong to JK Rowling, and I stake no claim of them. I am not trying to break laws with this writing, just tell a story.

The Marauders

Sirius Black sat tilted back on the chair, feet crossed on the dining table, softly plucking at the guitar he was holding, and occasionally stopping to tune one of the strings ever so slightly. The door opened behind him at the exact same time the bus gave a lurch, sending Sirius flying forward, and then back, hitting the ground hard, long silky hair flying everywhere.

"Fucking ow... Jeeze James, don't startle me like that." He grumbled, picking himself up and dusting off his tight jeans. He pushed his long hair back behind his shoulders, where it reached almost to his knees, the hair that had gained him such a huge female fan following.

"Sorry." James rolled his eyes. It was hard for Sirius to see the eye rolling, behind the curtain of hair James always wore in front of his face. He didn't get how the guy stood it, especially over his trademark round glasses, which had started a fashion that stormed the world. Fine, so Sirius wasn't the only one with a fan club.

"What's up anyway?" Sirius plopped back into his seat, picking up the guitar once more, giving it an absent strum.

"Don't you remember?" James eyed him. Sirius shook his head.

"Ten years, man. Ten years to the day, and you don't even remember it." James smirked, as though surveying something delicious. "Ten fucking years since you picked up a guitar, and decided we were gonna be a band."

"What?" Sirius blinked, accompanied by a loud twanging noise as his fingers slipped on the strings. "Is it today?"

James nodded. "Remus and Pete are waiting. C'mon, man." He jerked his head in the direction of their living area, and then left. Sirius ran a hand through his hair, shaking it back loosely. Wow. Ten whole years.

-Flashback

"James! Look what I got!" He grinned, showing the black, dangerous looking guitar off. It had been a present from his uncle, and he couldn't wait to play it. His fingers twanged across the strings, making a horrible noise.

"No way. No fucking way." James blinked. "No-one sane would give you means to make that much noise."

"It was my uncle." He grinned. "And now that I've left home and started growing my hair, you know what this means?"

"What?" James asked in fearful tones. He and Sirius were cohorts in everything, closer than brothers, but sometimes Sirius' schemes were hazardous to the health.

"We're starting a band." Sirius announced. "We can afford instruments. Well, all except Remus, but I'll get him something. I've still got some of my savings for the bike left."

"We what?" James blinked.

"We're gonna be called The Marauders, of course." Sirius went on. "We'll all have to learn to play, but once we do, I reckon we can be great." He grinned. "So how about it Jamesie, fancy joining in?"

"Wha... but... yeah, of course!" James grinned. "What d'you reckon I should play?"

Sirius shrugged. "We should discuss with the others, but I reckon you should get a guitar too. Twice the power and all."

And so it had began. They had all agreed on instruments fairly quickly, and had wound up with a fantastic lineup. Now they were famous, touring the world together, with Lily of course. Ten years. Wow. Sirius shifted his guitar to his back, and headed out after James. In the living area, James, Lily, Remus, and Peter were waiting. Peter, who had slimmed down a lot since their school years, and was now considered the pretty one, was laughing at something James was saying. James was of course, talking, a beer in one hand, his other arm around Lily's shoulders. Remus was sitting on Pete's other side, a book open on his lap, laughing too. Sirius smiled. Some things never changed.

"Hey guys, the man himself is here!" Sirius grinned, sitting down next to Remus. "Ten years, eh? Jeeze. Guess people must like us or something."

Peter laughed, flicking back his blonde fringe, like he always did when he laughed. "Something like that." Peter was scrawny and frail now, though it was very deceptive; the drums had made him strong, and his arms were more muscular than they looked. Sirius never wanted to have a fist fight with that guy.

"So. Where's the beer at?" Sirius grinned, gesturing to James' bottle. Remus groaned.

"Come on guys, let's not use this as another excuse to get wasted. We're not fucking teenagers."

"Speak for yourself." Sirius smirked, grabbing himself a bottle and plopping back down. Remus choked, the book sliding from his lap as he looked at Sirius in horror. Sirius, in turn, laughed.

"Just kidding, Moony. Jeeze. Lighten up a little." Sirius smiled, popping open the beer and taking a drink. "We're not gonna get totally wasted, it's just a celebratory beer."

"Well... maybe just one." Remus sighed, grabbing a bottle for himself, Peter doing the same. They all sat in silence for a while, drinking and remembering the past ten years, from playing in deserted classrooms at Hogwarts, to pulling out their instruments, and spontaneously performing in the middle of the entrance hall one weekend, to their first professional concert and beyond. They were on tour most of the year now, and had a fan following of thousands, muggle and wizard alike. It was awestriking, the way people just connected with their songs. Most were written by Sirius, though each album had at leas one song by each band member, and occasionally, one by Lily, who usually helped out anyway. Their success was really quite staggering. It was... breathtaking.

"To ten years of rocking, and ten more years to follow." Sirius announced, raising his mostly empty bottle. The others chimed in, five bottles clinking together in a cacophony of sound, followed by sounds of swallowing, and then a moment's more silence. And then of course, Sirius broke it, jumping up.

"I think we should do something special, to commemorate ten years. Come on guys, let's just go to some random place and start playing, like we used to." He grinned, swishing his black hair back as he stood up.

"Sounds like a plan!" James cheered, and the others soon agreed. Sirius went and gave their instructions to their roadie Jessie, a boy from the year above them in Hogwarts, who saluted, and veered the bus off down a street, heading to a park where there was sure to still be some activity, given the early hour. The band members then scattered, preparing for a spontaneous concert. James reapplied his eyeliner and changed to somewhat classier clothes. Remus switched his powder blue shirt for a black one, tied his ash blonde (which he was dyeing to keep the grey at bay) hair into a short ponytail which reached to his shoulders, and at Sirius' request, begrudgingly put on some eyeliner. Peter, already dressed in black, brushed his hair and put on some eyeliner, while Sirius blackened his whole eye area, brushed his hair, and admired his tight pants. They grabbed their instruments just as the bus stopped, and the place suddenly came alive, sound technicians apparently springing from the walls to set things up. The band strolled out into the park at their leisure, all the activity attracting instant attention from the parkgoers. It was relatively calm, almost awed, until one teenage girl screamed "IT'S THE FUCKING MARAUDERS!"

Pandemonium ensued. People were texting their friends, the place was filling up, and before long there was a massive screaming crowd assembled, all clamouring for attention from the band, who ignored them for the most part, chattering among themselves. Once the speakers and everything were set up they headed to the area that had been laced off for them, tossing the screaming crowd a few waves as they went. They got into position quickly, Sirius up front by the microphone, guitar hanging effortlessly from his neck, Remus to his right, holding his bass somewhat more awkwardly, his violin offstage for the songs when he needed it, James to Sirius' left, his own guitar in his hands, and Peter at the back, drumsticks at the ready. Sirius grabbed the microphone stand haphazardly, pulling it close to himself and making the fans scream with delight.

"Hello all! Tonight is a very special night, and not just because it's the first time in four years we've just played a random concert 'cuz we felt like it. No, tonight is very special indeed." He crooned seductively, and the fans screamed louder.

"Ten years ago today is when The Marauders became a band. The first time we picked up instruments, and began to make music."

"You mean you picked up a guitar, and deafened me." James laughed, and Sirius laughed too, swishing his hair to the audience's delight.

"Yeah yeah, whatever Potter. Anyway, tonight we're gonna play a concert for you guys, and for us, to celebrate ten fucking awesome years!" He yelled and predictable, the audience screamed. Already, the place was packed, and people were standing right down the street. Sirius stepped back into the microphone playing a single chord on his guitar at the same moment, and the rest of the band followed, beginning the first song of the set they had chosen in front of the mirrors. It was a lively, upbeat song, about living life and not giving up whatever the bastards threw at you and it got the crowd dancing and screaming along. They were playing the best they could ever recall, each band member in the zone, almost part of the music. The end of the song came only too soon, and Sirius laughed delightedly. While singing and playing, he strutted around the stage, thanking muggles for headsets. He danced briefly with James, sang melodramatically to Remus in a failed attempt to make him laugh, jumped and thrashed his hair all around Peter, and of course, worked the crowd. At the end of the song, they were ecstatic, totally into the moment.

"OH-FUCKING-KAY! You guys are an amazing crowd. Getting right into the energy. Now, for the next song, I want you all to sing along, okay? This song is for you all. It's for every boy out there who turns up our music to escape the world. For every girl who cries when she hears our songs. For every fucking person out there who listens to us, whether for ten years or ten minutes, you mean the world to us. LET'S FUCKING GO!" He jumped and they began to play once more, he and James going easily on the guitar this time, as Remus' mournful violin work moved the crowd. They all knew this song well, it was one of the more popular ones off the recent album. When Sirius began to sing in a low tone, the audience followed him. It was a song about how a single person can touch you when the whole world has abandoned you. It was slightly narcissistic, as most people assumed it was about the band, but it never had been. Sirius had written it in fifth year, though had only recently actually put it to music. It had been about Remus at the time, written after Remus found Sirius about to kill himself. It had been his darkest hour, when Regulus had done some digging, and sent some of Sirius' deepest secrets to their mother. Remus had found him on the tower roof and, rather than pleading him not to do it, Remus had sat down next to him, and just talked about the time he tried to commit suicide, shortly after he was first attacked by local children, who called him a monster. The song was deeply personal to both of them, and neither of the other marauders really fully understood what it was about. This song too, sounded better than ever and the crowd was as into it as Sirius and Remus, every person present thinking of someone who had saved their life, one way or another. It finished on a breathtaking solo from Remus, and even Sirius watched him play, lost for words, as the petite boy put every ounce of soul he had into his violin.

For the rest of the concert, Sirius pranced around the stage, strutting, singing, playing, working the crowd, occasionally interacting with his bandmates, but the entire time his mind was fixed on Remus' violin solo. It had never sounded better, or more filled with emotion. By the end of the set, the whole crowd were falling about themselves, with sheer delight.

"OH-FUCKING-KAY!" Sirius shouted after the last song was over, grinning. "It's been so much fun playing for you guys, you're an amazing audience. You filled the whole thing with energy, which is fucking great. We're really sorry to go. But look. We've gotta move on, and we hope to see heaps of you guys at our concert tomorrow! Make that audience as fucking awesome as this one!" Screaming fans. "Thank you all, we love you! And let's have some cheers for The Marauders 10th birthday! C'mon, hip-hip-HOORAY! Hip-hip-HOORAY! Hip-hip-HOO-FUCKING-RAY!" Sirius screamed, the fans shouting along with him. "THANKS, AND GOOD NIGHT!" They grinned and waved as they exited the stage, Remus only pausing to grab his violin. They piled back in the bus, exhausted but exhilirated, and all grinned at each other. Peter headed straight to bed, exhausted as he always was after shows. James grabbed Lily and retired to their room as well, leaving Sirius and Remus sitting up in the living room.

"That violin solo sounded fucking amazing, Moony." Sirius said casually, swiping a beer from the selection left on the table. "Even more amazing than usual, I mean."

Remus smiled, getting himself a beer. "I was just thinking about that day you wrote it. Guess the feeling got through." He took a swig of his drink.

Sirius grinned. "I was thinking about it too, to tell the truth. I had really hit rock bottom then. If you hadn't show, I woulda jumped."

Remus sighed. "I know. I've been there, remember."

Sirius nodded. They had talked for hours on the roof, until they could hear their housemates getting up below them. Sirius had never told Remus what Regulus had found out about him, but he had no desire to then, and he had no desire to now. Remus wouldn't ask, and he didn't want to tell. That was the way it worked with them.

A lot of people wondered what could bring tearaway Sirius Black and quiet Remus Lupin together, the boys seemed as though they would just annoy each other, and they did. Their arguments were legendary back at school. But they also supported each other. While Sirius would romp with James when in a good mood, and Remus confined himself in the library, they somehow gravitated to each other whenever either one was upset or anything, and they would talk about it for hours, until both felt better. In a way, they were closer emotionally than Sirius and James. When Sirius had been kicked out of his parents' house, it was Remus he went to cry to. When Snape had infiltrated the Whomping Willow, Remus had screamed at Sirius for hours, and then collapsed on him, sobbing. They were like two halves of the same person, though it was a world noone else knew about, no others had touched.

"So. Ten years." Remus sighed. "Jeeze, it's hard to believe one of your crazy ideas took us this far."

Sirius smirked. "I know. You were so reluctant at first."

Remus laughed. "That's because you wanted me to play bass, and I only wanted to stay holed up with my violin for hours."

Sirius smirked. "Come on, you're a great bassist."

"I'm a better violinist."

"That's true."

"But I'm still glad you talked me into learning the bass."

Sirius smiled.

Remus smiled back.

000

The following morning, they were on the road yet again. The performance had set them back in time, but everyone knew it had been worth it. Even their tour manager was smiling as she scolded them, she could see how the performance had invigorated them and everyone else. It made the local front page, with a slight note that the police weren't happy, but that didn't dampen any spirits as they sped on towards their next concert hall. James and Lily's laughter could be heard all through the bus, Peter was humming as he went from place to place, and Sirius and Remus wound up once again on the sofa, talking, this time Remus with a cup of tea, Sirius with his guitar. Sirius was stretched out, his head on Remus' lap, feet on the top of the sofa, twanging absently on his guitar. Remus was sipping his coffee, and the two were talking, a perfectly comfortable, normal scene for the two of them. It happened fairly often, though was just rare enough to have it's own sort of specialness.

"Rem?" Sirius asked absently, strumming a few notes.

"Mmm?" Remus replied, sipping his tea.

"Gimme some tea."

"It'll go on your face."

"Challenge yourself. I'll wear the consequences."

"But then I'll have a wet lap."

"A wet lap filled with sexy."

"A hot wet lap. Because this is black tea. Which is hot."

"Please?"

Remus sighed, tipping some tea into Sirius' mouth. He managed the difficult task without spilling much, and what did spill went on Sirius.

Sirius smiled, satisfied, and plucked out some notes on the guitar, singing as he did; "Oh Moony dearest, you put the teeeeeeea in my mouth, and the teeeeeeea in my heart."

Remus laughed. "You're insane."

"You love it."

They sat in peaceful silence for awhile longer, Sirius plucking a few more notes, Remus sipping his tea, until Peter came in, humming Remus' solo of the night before.

"Hey guys. Good one Remus, that sounded fucking awesome last night."

"Thanks." Remus smiled.

"Twasn't the only thing fucking last night." Sirius smirked, gesturing to the sound of Lily and James' voices, teasing each other.

"Oh Padfoot... I don't wanna puke."

"Call me Padders, and I'll stop."

"Padders."

"Thy will be done." He smiled, and resumed plucking, occasionally singing about something his eyes fell upon, these items ranging from the shade of Peter's top to a fly that wouldn't stop buzzing. After hovering awkwardly for awhile, Peter departed, humming once more, and the two were left on their lonesome again. Sirius studied Remus absently from below as he played a few notes of one of their songs, then frowned.

"You have the best eyes I've ever seen." He said abruptly, and Remus blinked.

"Huh?"

"I mean it. They're all amber and golden and warm and wonderful. I'm gonna write a song about them." Sirius grinned.

Remus blinked again, eyeing Sirius. "You're insane."

"I mean it. Your eyes are like, the greatest things ever. Except me. Because I'm the coolest thing in the entire universe."

"Concieted much?" Remus rolled his eyes, smiling.

Sirius grinned back. "All the time. It's all part of my charm."

Remus couldn't help smiling. God save him, it was part of Sirius' charm.

000

That night, after much travelling and talking about the concert tonight and unpacking, Remus and Sirius found themselves sitting on the stage chattering behind the drawn curtains, while James and Peter got ready, and sound and stage technicians ran all around them. Remus was fiddling with his violin, and Sirius was once again plucking at his guitar.

"We should compose a song with just us two sometime. You could do some singing, instead of me hogging the stage constantly." Sirius said, idly dragging his guitar pick up the strings.

Remus blinked, a screech coming as he lost control of the bow slightly. "Sirius! You know I can't sing!"

"Sure you can."

"Not like you or James. You two croon like angels. I sing like a wolf."

"Come on, the crowd'll eat it up. Hell, they'd probably follow us if we started singing songs about how we like to dress up in pink dresses and hit local bars."

Remus laughed. "But seriously. I can play instruments in front of people, but not sing. I'm not confident like you."

"So?" Sirius shrugged. "You just have to fake it 'til you make it. Simple enough."

"I..." Remus sighed. "Fine. But remember, this is your fault."

"Sure thing. And as long as you keep your mouth shut about my pink dresses, nothing'll happen to you."

Remus laughed. "Oh gosh, I fear for my future."

"As you should." Sirius smirked. "Never underestimate a man with ruffles."

Remus snickered. "Oh, I won't."

Sirius half-frowned. "I should go on stage in drag one night, see if I can confuse anyone."

Remus laughed. "You'd have a brand new fan following."

"Oh gosh. Like I need another one."

"I'm sure your overinflated ego wouldn't mind."

Sirius smiled. "Er... actually, there was something I wanted to say." His voice sounded rather strangled now, and his plucking on the guitar ceased.

"Go for it." Remus put his violin aside, wondering what could make Sirius put on his serious face, a face they rarely saw.

"I'm..." Sirius took a sharp breath. He had decided to tell this deep secret to Remus, and noone else. Remus, who he could trust, Remus, who he could talk to about anyone, sweet, trusting, understanding, intelligent Remus, who would guard the secret with his life. "I'm gay."

A/N: And there. Hopefully that's the start of a great fic. I should be working on From Within now, but well... I'm not. I hope you enjoy this, lots of Sirius and Remus in tight pants (Wheeeee!) and lots lots more to come :)