Disclaimer: As much as it kills me to admit this about Sirius Black (Who isn't actually in this one), none of the characters are mine. Nor is "Jumpin' Jack Flash", which is by the Rolling Stones (Although if you didn't already know that, fear my wrathful minions!).
"I was born in a crossfire hurricane,
And I howled at my mama in the driving rain,
But it's alright now in fact it's a gas,
And it's alright, hey,
I'm Jumpin' Jack Flash, it's a gas, gas. gas!"
"Lily!" A panicked shout rang throughout the relatively empty halls of Godric's Hollow. The Potters had only taken up residence in their new home a few days before hand, and besides the intimidating maze of boxes that dominated the hallway, very little furniture was actually in place yet. Hence, as Lily leaped and slid her way through the cardboard jungle, she managed to acquire several bumps and bruises. Even so, she came racing around the corner like a bullet and slid to a stop in the middle of the bare living room carpet even as the bellowing man continued, "Lily, get down here right now!"
In the lone armchair opposite her (The beginnings of trying to set up a working sitting room), her husband stared up at her; he wore the wide, shell-shocked eyes of a deer caught in the headlights, and was obviously at his wits' end. In his lap sat a piece of parchment and quill, which he had hurled down in desperation, and the record player set on the fireplace which had been charmed to play without electricity was belting out the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash." Even in the face of her husband's trauma, Lily still had to struggle to repress the urge to tap her foot in time to the music.
"What's wrong?" she asked him anxiously. "Did you get a message from the Order? Has something happened?"
"No!" he exclaimed, incredulous that she could be so far off. "Of course not! It's this bloody song!" James gesticulated wildly towards the deceptively innocent record player. "It won't make sense."
Lily nearly collapsed on the floor with relief, but settled instead for raising a sarcastic eyebrow at him. "James, I said I wanted you to listen to it. Not analyze it…"
James just looked even more mortified. "That's not the point, Lily! Are all Muggles this insane? Because I've turned it every which way I can, and it just won't say anything rational. I've considered every possible metaphorical meaning, and… It's as though it's someone's life story, with lots of natural disasters, but then another line comes in and throws me off… And… Well… Just listen to it! I thought you said I'd like this rubbish!"
"I was schooled with a strap right across my back,
But it's alright now in fact it's a gas.
And it's alright, hey,
I'm Jumpin' Jack Flash, it's a gas, gas, gas…"
"Look, James, you can't try to take it literally. You don't have to understand it, you just have to feel it."
"There it goes again!" he howled melodramatically, ignoring Lily's reasoning; Kieth Richards had launched into another solo electric guitar rift. "Every time I start to gather my train of thought, they do that again, and everything goes right out the window. This kind of thing ought to be illegal," he added venomously.
Lily surveyed James from across the room, hands on her hips. His face was the very picture of indignation, furious with a 1968 rock song. Even from here she could see that he had printed out all of the lyrics, and had littered the margins with notes and speculation. One finger still pointed accusingly at the player, and his eyes were narrowed in brutal concentration. Still the offending music played on, heedless. As the full irony of the situation hit her, she felt the corners of her mouth twitch.
"James?"
"Yes?" he replied sullenly, still pouting.
"Shut up and dance with me."
"Jumpin' Jack Flash, it's a gas, gas, gas,
Jumpin' Jack Flash, it's a gas, gas, gas…"
