the_debt_of_time

"I know. I'm sorry. But there is a mole in the Order. I know when Snape brought it
up a while ago, I initially tried to shake the idea off, but even Dumbledore confirmed it. I
need to leave Britain to go into hiding, and I'm just... I can't leave you, Lily, and Harry
unprotected. If they do get me―"
"What do you suggest then mate?"
"Be your own Secret-Keeper?"
James shook his head. "Can't. Spell doesn't work like that, at least not yet. They're
supposedly working on a modification. Too bad Mia's not around to―"
"Yeah, I know," Sirius interrupted with a clipped tone. He gave James an apologetic
look when he raised a brow at him. "I know. She was really good at modifications.
"It has to be Wormtail, then. Moony's too involved in battle and so am I," he lied,
knowing that his reason for keeping Remus out of the Fidelius Charm was because he
currently did not trust him, no matter what promises he had made to Mia prior to her
disappearance, no matter that he had assured both James and Lily that he would apologise
to Remus the next time they saw one another. "It's either that or have either Alice or Frank
do it, but they'd have to come out of hiding, and that puts them in danger. I'd prefer
Wormtail, though. He never goes into the actual fight, not since Mary died. He's too afraid
to."
James nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense."
"So get the little tosser over here and don't tell anyone else. The fewer people know,
the safer the three of you will be, and the safer the three of you are, the fewer people I have
to murder if something bad happens."
James frowned. "That's not funny, Pads."
"Do I look like I'm having a laugh?" Sirius narrowed his eyes. He knew, thanks to
letters from Lily, that James was worried about his descent down a darker path as a result
of the new role he had to play in the Order, but Sirius could not deny the fact that Harry's
life being threatened had caused him to tap into his heritage a little. James said that he was
coming close to crossing a line, making Sirius remember Mia's words:
"That's your problem, Sirius! You still think there is a line!"
"If something happens to us, you've got to keep your head on straight," James
demanded, actually grabbing Sirius, hands on either side of his head. "You're Harry's
godfather, and it's your job to keep him safe if I'm not around to do it."