lily potter defies your dark lords. (thricedefied) wrote in fissuresrpg, @ 2011-08-31 17:31:00 |
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Entry tags: | # unlocked, * in-progress, = log, @ !the hub, harry potter, james potter, lily potter, sirius black |
WHO: Lily, James, Sirius & Harry.
WHERE: the Hub.
WHEN: 9 July; noontime.
WHAT: Family silliness and a decision.
RATING: PG.
STATUS: log; just short of complete.
Extinguishing the flame on the stove, Lily removed the skillet with its still crackling bacon and set it aside for the contents to cool before she handled it. With Harry spending the lunch hour and a bit of time after it with Ben Winchester, the adults were left to their own devices in the interim. Which, where James and Sirius were concerned, certainly wasn’t an issue at all, as they had more than enough imagination to keep themselves occupied. Which was one of the predicaments that had led to her current line of thinking. While the garden the flat shared with the downstairs neighbours was lovely, it just wasn’t enough room for a growing boy and his active father and godfather to do things like play an unrestricted game of Quidditch. And the flat, despite all the additions to the size of it, was showing the wear of all three boys using the space indoors the way the should have been using the space outdoors, from physical antics to magical experimentation to outright prankery. It was that true she was sentimentally attached to the place, for it was the home that they had never all had together in their own world, where she had witnessed or been an active part of a whole new collection of ‘firsts’ with Harry. But perhaps it was time to make those memories in a house on a sizable piece of property where they could have Quidditch hoops and they could get Harry a pet and perhaps Lily could make something more of the miniature apothecary and greenhouse she had going on in various parts of the flat and garden and- well, the possibilities for a home, all that game with it and ways to provide for each other were varied and thrilling. Putting the bacon on the sandwiches that had been waiting for them, she topped them with another slice of the thick bread just recently fresh from the oven, then set them on the table in the kitchen with the rest of the food and let out a sharp whistle to call James and Sirius in. At the whistle, James came running into the room first, racing so fast that his feet slid a little on the floor as he skidded to a stop in front of the table. He had been smelling fresh bread and bacon for what felt like days, and the wait to get to them was killing him. As he leaned over and snagged a piece of bacon from the sandwich at Sirius’s spot. Right now, he looked looked like a little imp. Being here with Lily, Sirius, and Harry couldn’t heal the scars of that Halloween night entirely, but James felt much better than he had in years. He and Lily might have missed the majority of Harry’s life, but they were here now to watch him grow up. He might not have the ability to take away everything that Sirius suffered after that Halloween night, but James contented himself with helping him move forward. “Smells delicious, love.” James took a seat in front of his plate, his arms swiftly going out to protect it from Sirius. Sirius was mere seconds behind James and gave him a light cuff around the back of the ear as he saw his best friend steal some of his bacon. Cheeky git. “Mmmm, bacon,” he grinned at Lily, his eyes wide with fake innocence. “Why did you have to marry this one? Run away with me, you know you want to really.” It would take a lot to make Sirius want to steal his best friend’s wife, but fresh bacon sandwiches might just do it. Might. Okay, who was he kidding, not even bacon would make him jeapordise his friendship with either of them. Especially not now he had them back. Things were back the way they were supposed to be, only Moony was needed to make their group complete again. The nightmares of that night, and the years in Azkaban that had followed still lingered in his dreams sometimes, but every day they grew a little less, and Sirius could allow himself to believe that they could have the life they were always meant to have, with the godson he adored. “And by the way,” he mumbled around a mouthful of bacon. “I didn’t do it.” He may or may not have been referring to the garden gnome that had been charmed to shout rude words at anyone who passed by in the garden they shared with the neighbours. Though she hadn’t exactly been frowning, just wearing a soft expression a step away from a smile as she’d gone about her business in the kitchen, when James and Sirius dashed in, Lily’s expression brightened considerably. There was something about having them and Harry near that almost completed her, born out of love and familiarity and hope, for as long as they were all there, she did have so much hope for their future. That expression warmed more still at their remarks, Sirius’ proposition filling the kitchen with her laughter for a few moments. “I think Harry would be extremely disgruntled to come back and find we’d run off together,” she said, dropping a kiss to the top of Sirius’ head as she rounded the table, then lingered behind James’ chair a few moments, her hands on his shoulders. Mostly so she could have a clear view of Sirius and note even minute shifts as James reacted when she asked, “do what, exactly?” ‘I didn’t do it’ might as well be put in needlepoint and hung over the door to the flat, it was uttered so often by one of the three males living here. That didn’t mean Lily couldn’t join in and have fun, even messy or explosive fun, but usually ‘I didn’t do it’ was something she wasn’t exactly going to approve of from them. James was skilled at hiding his reactions, so skilled in fact that were it anyone other than Lily behind him, the slight shaking of his shoulders as he tried to hold in laughter would likely have gone unnoticed. When he coughed, it only added a legitimacy to his ‘not reacting’ reaction. “I don’t know what he’s talking about, Lily, and Harry’s just too young and cute to blame for anything, so I’d say your culprit is right here, and can tell you all about it. Guess you won’t be running away with him after he...” He dug into his sandwich, quickly taking a mouthful of the delicious bacon and fresh bread, eager to get something to stop himself from revealing too much. She wasn’t supposed to know that he had been standing next to Sirius the entire time, laughing and egging him on. She really wasn’t supposed to know that James had first tried to charm the hideous thing to drop his pants and moon passerbys with disastrous results. The burn marks would add character anyway. Everyone liked a surly, singed garden gnome. Oops. Well, maybe opening with that hadn’t been Sirius’ best plan ever. But really there was very little that his pleading puppy eyes and cheeky grin couldn’t get him out of. “Well,” he started, after giving James a faint glare. His plan had been to blame Harry, after all he was young enough to still get away with things. “It’s possible that the garden gnomes have been getting somewhat conversational with the neighbours and maybe the neighbours are less than pleased with this because clearly they lack all sense of humour. Really, I feel sad for them, they miss out on so much and would be generally happier and healthier people if they learned to laugh a little more and....” Sirius paused realising he was starting to get off track, and he took another bite of his sandwich, chewing thoughtfully for a moment. “Besides,” his voice was a mumble as some crumbs came flying from his mouth. “James was the one who made them char grilled first.” That said, he swallowed his food and stuck his tongue out at his best mate. Hey, sharing the blame was just fair after all. They were so much like children sometimes - often - but after all they had all been through, Lily still felt that they deserved the chances to find their youth again. They were all in their twenties, true, but in many ways they had needed to grow up far too fast, and they had all (and were still) facing the price of that. It was why she often couldn’t begrudge them their fun. But that didn’t stop her from scolding, for that was her part, whether it was meant in earnest (like when something in the house was going to need mended or replaced) or just the facade hiding rich teasing. They wouldn’t mention any of these things if they didn’t enjoy, in a perverse way, being reprimanded. “Sirius,” she said, exasperation on an exhale as she dropped her face to her hand. It looked like a gesture of frustration or embarrassment, but from the right angel, one would have seen Lily’s lips twitch slightly as she struggled not to grin - or worse, laugh right out loud - as she imagined their older, very set in their ways, neighbours reacting to being shouted at by a lawn ornament. And she could only begin to imagine what it was he’d actually had it say. But he continued, and then it was her turn to react where James was concerned, giving her husband a bit of a shoulder shake with her free hand. “James Potter, why did you set the neighbours’ garden gnome on fire!” It would be one thing if it had belonged to them, but it wasn’t theirs. Not that Lily was fond of the thing by any means, it was the principle of the matter. Under the table, where James hoped that Lily wouldn’t see, James kicked Sirius for letting the secret slip that he had charred the ugly gnome. It hadn’t been intentional, of course, almost none of their escapades were, but that didn’t take away the burn marks, or the way that Lily shook his shoulder and started asking him for an explanation. “It wasn’t like I meant to! I tried to charm the thing into turning pink AND talking, but maybe that was too much...” It had certainly seemed like too much when the flames erupted. “I think the easiest solution, Lily, love of my life, prettiest witch in the entire world, is to move.” He was teasing of course, Lily could easily repair the char damage (at least, James hoped that she could) and Sirius’s spell could be easily discontinued as well. Even if the neighbors heard the gnome first, they’d likely just retreat sullenly to their home. Sirius tried to dodge the kick and even though James’ foot connected with his ankle, he couldn’t wipe the smirk off his face. Ha! Sharing the blame! After all, if he was to get the Lily Potter Exasperated Look, then James could share in the punishment! “It was only singed a little bit,” he amended, offering James a little bit of support, before he grinned and nodded, like a particularly enthusiastic puppy, agreeing completely at James’ compliments of his wife. Partially because they were true and partially because he was hoping for more bacon later. “Maybe we should move,” he commented. Even though Sirius could guess that James was joking, it actually didn’t sound like a half bad idea. “I mean these neighbours are so boring, it’s going to drive us crazy before too long.” Okay, maybe emphasising the crazy wasn’t the best idea so he changed tactic. “And wouldn’t it be good to have a garden all our own?” Though she hadn’t expected them to broach the subject, joking or otherwise, that she’d intended to bring up, Lily also wasn’t surprised that it had come up. If anything, it made her happier, because it was a sign they all were doing better here, from Sirius originally being afraid to step a foot away from them, let alone go outside, to her and James holding on to this flat as a symbol of desperate hope. Rather than be resistant to the idea - which would have been a problem, since she was somewhat counting on their enthusiasm to keep her going forward when the wave of sentimentalism eventually washed over her, much how it had once done about the move to Godric’s Hollow - this was a sign they would be open to it. “Oddly enough, that was exactly what I wanted to bring up, which is why Harry’s off with Ben right now,” she said, moving to sit in her chair and look at both of them, leaving behind the scolding about the gnome for the opening to talk about this. Well, mostly leaving it behind. “Now, the two of you tormenting the neighbours wasn’t at the top of my list of reasons to move, but perhaps it ought to be,” she said with a Look, then smiled. “But I do think it’s time we had more space, a real home. Not that this hasn’t been one, but I want more for all of us.” James was a little surprised when Sirius took his joke seriously, but, the more that Sirius and Lily talked, the more James could see it. A real house...no a home for the four of them with lots of room. Space for a garden, things for them to work on together to make the place even more theirs. A place for Harry to grow up... They could do most of that here, of course. With Sirius and Harry here, most days he never even thought about that awful Halloween. He was too busy plotting something funny with Sirius, kissing his wife in stolen moments when Sirius and Harry weren’t looking, and getting to know his son. However, maybe they were right. “Maybe our next house shouldn’t have close neighbours,” James teased. He paused, thinking things through one more time before he shrugged and continued. “But yeah, I think it’s a good idea...as long as there’s enough space in the back yard for a Quidditch game.” In Sirius’ mind, tormenting the neighbours was a perfectly good reason to move, and his slightly confused look to Lily said as much. But whatever her reasons, he loved the idea of moving, of having a home. Home was something Sirius Black hadn’t exactly had much in his life. The Black house was always cold and uninviting to him, a place he’d never really belonged. Hogwarts had been great but always just school. Staying with James was the first time he’d really felt happy. Until it had all been taken away that night. Losing the people he loved, finding out a friend had betrayed them all, and then the years in Azkaban. And obviously, a cell was no home. Especially one with Dementors outside. “Definitely space for explosions, I mean Quidditch. Obviously, Quidditch, totally what I meant.” He offered them both his best innocent smile. “Space and a home and everything. It sounds great.” More than great to him really, it sounded perfect. “Oh, for Merlin’s sake,” Lily said, rolling her eyes deeply, but the action was tempered by her smile. “I know I say it fifteen times a day, but you two will give me gray hairs before I see twenty-five.” Which she intended to do, whatever it took, because this strange world had given her a life and though it had taken Sirius once, it had given him back. There was nothing left for her and James and even Sirius to return to if they couldn’t change the course of history, so what would even be the point of sending them back? The rest of lunch was accompanied by the same sort of banter and controlled chaos and it wasn’t long at all before the sounds of Harry’s return reached their ears. Lily got up from the table to greet both boys - though ‘boy’ was a stretch where Ben was concerned, considering he was older than her - and thank Ben, then returned to the occupants of the kitchen. “Did you have fun with Ben, love?” she asked, pulling out a chair at the table for her son. He might’ve gone off to have lunch and fun with Ben, but all growing boys - and most adult boys - never turned down desserts. Harry was grinning as he dropped into the chair that his mother pulled out for him. After then miserable years living with the Dursleys, he finally felt like he was making up for it. He loved spending time with Ben who was fast becoming a surrogate brother-uncle-friend-thing to him. But even more than their afternoons together, he loved coming home and seeing his parents and godfather sitting around the table, laughing and happy. He nodded enthusiastically. “We went to the batting cages,” which explained the helmet hair that was sticking up crazily in several different directions at once. “It smells good in here,” he added hopefully. ‘Batting cages, huh?” James leaned over to ruffle Harry’s wild hair. The look on his face was undeniably one of immense pride. Harry’s upbringing with he Dursleys had been miserable, but in spite of all of those neglected years, James found himself marvelling every day at just how perfect Harry was. Finding new ways to make Harry’s life happy and fun was a healing activity for all of them. “It’s a good thing that we didn’t have those when this mangy mutt and I were back at Hogwarts. I can think of a few small modifications that would make a batting cage pretty wicked.” Deciding to change topics before Lily could ask him just what modifications he was talking about, and spoil the plans for a perfectly good prank on Sirius or treat for Harry, James cleared his throat and changed the subject. “You know, it might be nice to have a place with enough space for a batting cage.” Without the neighbor’s terrible gnomes, James was fairly certain that there would be plenty of space for a small one, but he didn’t anticipate that they’d get rid of the gnomes any time soon. Sirius threw Lily a charming grin, which said that he had no complaints about any gray hair she might gain as Harry came in to join them. The Black adored his godson, relishing every opportunity to get to play with the kid, with James, the way it should have been. Them, and Remus, passing on the Marauder skills to a new generation. The Hub just needed to bring Moony here and it would all be ideal. “Oi, who are you calling mangy?” He pretended to look offended at Prongs before he tore up a small piece of bread and threw it at James’ head. “We could have some fun with batting cages,” a faintly dreamy look appeared on his face as he started thinking of possible modifications as well, no doubt along the exact same lines as James. “Please Lily, can we have a place with a batting cage?” His most innocent smile in place, he batted his eyelashes at the one person who was ultimately the boss of all of them, even if he never actually admitted it. |