[Backdated to November 18th] Date: 18th November Time: Afternoon Location: 12 Grimmauld Place Characters Involved: James Potter and Remus Lupin
Remus wandered into the library at Number 12, Grimmauld Place. As much fun as their holiday was, he was happy to be home. He smiled softly as he ran his hand reverently over his beloved chair, then wandered to the shelves... where to start today? He'd hardly touched the dark magic section, and he felt that today was as good a time as any to begin there. Looking over the books cautiously, fingers touching the spines to trip any potential wards around them, he chose one and pulled it from it's resting place carefully, his other hand on his wand... after all, he knew what sorts of books the Black family had kept. Satasfied that there were no nasty surprises in this particular book, he settled into the chair, his long legs curling under him as he began to devour the contents of the book.
Some things on this earth never changed. The sun rose in the morning, at least one player for the Falcons would be near-fatally wounded during the season, it invariably rained on James' birthday, and if Remus wasn't in front of you the nearest room full of books was the best place to start looking. James ambled in, casually flopping down into the nearest leather chair, letting his leg dangle over one of its arms. "Well thank god," he greeted. "You're not nearly as tan as Sirius is."
Remus chuckled behind his book. "No, this delicate werewolf's skin sees sunlight about as often as an obese man sees a vegetable. Though, as I was reminded repeatedly whilst we were away, I can't die from skin cancer, so it shouldn't make a difference if my shirt is on or off." He flipped the page, finished reading his paragraph and actually set the book down... rather an abnormality for him, as he generally spoke to James and Sirius through the pages of his beloved books. "How was it to endure this place alone?" he asked, a touch of regret in his voice.
"Well Sirius is bronze enough for the both of you," he smirked. Not that he was competitive over that sort of thing, but it amused him to complain about it. When it came to Sirius there were far more entertaining things to go toe-to-toe on. He gave a shrug in response to Remus' question. "It's a weird house, but I made out alright. Play a muggle record loud enough and there's not actually all that much bother." If he was downplaying how much he'd taken to craving company there was no need to mention it, not when Remus would likely only feel guilty over it. Sirius had needed the break from the house, and it made sense for Remus to go with him. So that was that. "You know me, give me a paper bag and a snitch and I'll keep myself amused for weeks. Saw Harry a bit. Hit a few pubs. I might have written a letter to the Prophet. Spent some time with our new neighbor - not so bad, really. A bit stiff, but she lightens up."
He raised an eyebrow. "Wrote a letter... to the Prophet? As in the newspaper, and not a fortune teller?" he asked, unsure if he should be amused or horrified. "This is what happens when you're left to your own devices. And how was it received then? A prank, that the infamous James Potter was pulling from the grave? Or something entirely different?" he asked, unconsciously stroking the spine of the book in his lap to keep it happy.
"It was a very brief letter," he said in his own defense. "And I didn't even think they'd publish it. Folks probably thought it was a prank." And Remus was right. At least when he had company he could be diverted from the random possible thoughts that crossed his mind. "It's not like I was completely reckless - I sent it off with a public owl, made just it couldn't be traced back here." Really, there wasn't much to the grand adventure of it. Amarissa had thought it was... well, not funny, but deep down James had a hunch she found it amusing. "But how was your holiday - have loads of fun?" he asked, hoping Remus hadn't been too disturbed the the few nights James had drunkenly used the mirrors to get a hold of Sirius.
He couldn't help but chuckle, really. Had he not gone on holiday and been completely and utterly relaxed, he'd likely have had a different reaction. But for now, he just didn't have it in him to be too concerned. He simply shook his head. "Yes, well, when the angry mob appears on the doorstep with torches, looking for the zombies, I'll be sure you're the first we shove out the door." His voice was reletively light and amused. "The holiday was nice... very calming, though I must admit I'm rather keen to get back to the book store. I don't believe the tropics suit me like they do Sirius. I got indigestion from eating some form of furry animal on the full moon." he chuckled with a wave of his hand. "Sirius found no end to the amusement the next day... I still don't believe he didn't know what I snatched up, but he certainly wasn't talking. But then, I suppose if he wouldn't tell me, it was likely for the best. Bloody thing gave me heartburn for two days. Aside from that, it was long days of laying on the beach and long nights of watching Sirius drink himself into a stupor and whine about your absence. Tedious, really." he chuckled, musing about the fact that only he could find a tropical holiday tedious.
James' grin cracked wide. "Mongoose, maybe?" he suggested. Rolling his eyes as he fished his pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket, he couldn't quite wrap his head around how Remus could find pristine beaches and the mecca for rum tedious. Then again, James had been here. "I am awfully easy to miss," he conceded before lighting the fag with his wand. Sure, it was a library, but it was the Blacks' library. His harmless little cigarette wasn't going to do anything to hurt the precious books. "Sirius seems better," he mentioned. The back of his mind had taken to worrying a bit at the whole issue. "D'you think we should stay here, in the house, I mean? I reckon we could probably find someplace else." The unsaid 'if it's going to keep getting to Sirius' hung in the air nonetheless.
He rolled his eyes at James's amusement. "Mongoose, perhaps... it was incredibly... chewy." he shuddered a bit. Generally the memory of things he hunted as a werewolf didn't stay with him, but this one, he feared, would be with him for quite some time. He pondered the house issue for a moment. "Well... I suppose that yes, we should move, for Sirius's mental health. Though, the next question is can we really afford to move? We really don't have many options, do we? Unless you have an idea?" he asked hopefully.
Shoulders shrugged in a non-committal way. He didn't have an idea, but he didn't mind sounding it out just to see if it stuck. Maybe it merited more thought. Nursing his cigarette for a moment longer, he reckoned the topic was a bit too morose for freshly-returned-from-holiday discussion. "Nah, just thinking out loud," he dismissed. Changing the topic, his grin shone through when he asked, "Oh, did Sirius tell you I took Harry to Spain?"
Remus chuckled softly. "Yes, I'd heard... and I'd heard you woke up on the beach the next morning. How did Harry enjoy that? I'm sure he's been itching for some time with his Dad." He turned the page of his book, glancing over the page just a bit.
"To be fair, I don't actually remember sleeping on the beach," he countered. Though he was pretty sure he distinctly remembered waking up on the beach, so he likely much have. Still, he grinned as he went on, "He held up pretty well, seemed to have a good time of it. I took him to that restaurant on the beach, and then to a rave. You know, you'd think he'd never worn a velvet coat before. I mean, muggles wear velvet, yeah?"
"Well, yes, muggles do occasionally wear velvet, though not as freely as in the wizarding world." he shook his head and smiled. "I think his style is likely a bit more conservative than that... but if he bore it well, then I'm very happy for you. I'm assuming he measured up as a Marauder?" he asked with a small laugh, reaching over and taking a sip from his cup of tea.
The lightness of his smile might have strained just a touch. "Full on," was James' reply. It closed the matter in his mind, of a fourth Marauder position. Peter was still a heavily skirted topic, one generally only breached by himself, Sirius, and a lot of alcohol. Now he could simply carry on with carefully editing the man who'd betrayed them all out of his memories. Pushing on to far more enjoyable thoughts he mentioned, "I reckon he'll have the whole animagus thing down in no time at all."
"Oh, he's trying for that now, is he?" he asked, quite amused as he set his tea back to the table. "And what would the purpose be? The pride of his father, maybe?" he smirked knowingly at James.
James got to smile in a fashion still new and fresh. Well, it was probably the smile he'd been wearing for months after Harry's birth, but it was new to him. He hadn't really considered an actual purpose before, apart from the fact that it would be fun. It wasn't like Harry needed to, not like they'd needed to in school with Remus. Then again, if anything were ever to happen to him and Sirius, if (gods forbid) Remus was left alone again- no, best not to entertain /that/ idea. If for some reason he and Sirius were detained (yes, that sounded much better) Harry would be able to be there with Remus. With a shrug he answered, "Do you ever really need a reason to get up to something fun? Besides, maybe down the road he could come along for the full. You know, unless you'd rather not."