A New Kind of Adventure
by Luxx
A/N: Okay, I'd just been going through my stories that I had previously uploaded onto , and realized how terrible the formatting on this one is. It's one of my favourite stories and so I want it to be presented in a reader friendly way, so here it is the New and Improved Adventure. BTW italics are thoughts.
I also wanted to give a heartfelt thanks to all those who reviewed this story the first time it was posted, even though the structure of the paragraphs must have been unbearable. I love you all! :)
Disclaimer : Not mine, never said it was.
and on with the story...
"Alright out with it. What's got you so worked up." James stopped pacing and glanced back at his best friend in all the known world. He had come barging into Sirius' flat with the purpose of unloading all of his worries, but had instead done nothing but bite his left thumbnail to the quick while walking a rut in the carpet. Sirius was lounging in his chair with his feet up on the end table, watching the display with a carelessly amused look about him. Lounging. Carelessly amused. Why was it that no matter what, Sirius could always work the 'handsomely at ease' look? Would it kill for James Potter to be able to pull off cool and collected every now and then? James reigned in the sudden desire to scowl at Sirius. And look at that effing hair. Always so carelessly... Gah! What the hell am I...? Jealous of his careless hair? He shook his head to rid him self of the ridiculous thought. A worry line had appeared between Sirius' eyebrows, but he said nothing. He and James had known each other so long that he instinctively realized that the problem was not possibly dire. James had a tendency to freak out over minor things in this way that had always confused Sirius. When he himself was nervous he tended to find himself something to eat. Speaking of which he was feeling rather hungry...
"So I saw Arthur and Molly Weasley today." James interupted Sirius' musings on what he had in his fridge. Sirius waited for him to continue, but instead James said nothing and plopped heavily down onto the sofa and let out a sigh.
"Ah, so you've murdered them then." Sirius said sagely with an understanding nod of his head.
"Yes, er, what? No! Where did you get that idea?"
"Well, I know how flustered you get when you go on a killing spree, so I just figured you were here to borrow money for a new identity is all. Don't you worry Prongs, I'll watch your back, just as long as they don't threaten me or my motorbike in any way." James gave Sirius a look that clearly stated that he thought his friend mad.
"You forget, my dear Padfoot, that I am the stag, the gentle vegetarian. Of course I haven't killed anybody." He let out another great pathetic sigh. "It's just, Lily and I were walking through Hogsmeade today..."
"So she killed them!" Sirius cut in triumphantly.
"Do you want to hear what's happening or not?" James hissed, clearly irritated by his best friend's antics.
"Oh! There was a point to your story? Sorry mate, I hadn't noticed. By all means, continue." James rolled his eyes, but continued nonetheless.
"So here we are just a strolling along, chatting about this and that when she sees Arthur and Molly strolling down the street with the kids, you know Bill and Charlie are already at Hogwarts."
"The redhead that Hagrid found taking a nap in the forbidden forest about a week after term started because he liked the dangerous blood sucking fiends that live in there?"
"That'd be Charlie. And it's not as bad as that and you know it. We spent ages in there ourselves you realize."
"Not asleep when we were eleven years old."
"Because you were too scared."
"Was not!" Sirius shouted with indignation.
"Were too!"
"Was not! That was Peter whimpering, not me!" James raised an eyebrow high above the rim of his square framed glasses. Sirius glared. "Just get on with your story why don't you?" This seemed to pull James back to the matter at hand.
"Right, well anyway, Molly was there with Bill and Charlie and Arthur was carrying along Percy (Their next son) on his shoulders and she's pushing a stroller."
"Christ thats a lot of kids! How much can one woman take?!" James gave a sly grin.
"A stroller that contained twins." Sirius looked completely horrified on behalf of the poor woman.
"So anyway, Lily knows Arthur from work of course because she just got that job and the ministry. Well, I suppose she doesn't know him that well since they're in different departments, but I guess they're friendly enough..."
"So old Arthur is scamming on your woman is he? The old dog. He obviously has enough love to go around though I suppose, and we all know he likes the redheads..."
"If you cut me off one more time I swear to Hades that I will tell your mother where you live!" Sirius obviously thought that this was the lowest threat one could possibly make towards him, but he said nothing and gestured for James to continue.
"So we go over and say hello, and then the babies catch Lil's eye and she starts making a fuss you know, they're only about a month old now. So Molly says 'Go ahead and hold them if you like. This one here is Fred,' and she plops young Fred into my arms 'and this one's George.' She was just beaming at them like they were the most precious things in the world, meanwhile I'm having a good hunk of my hair ripped out by Fred Of The Able Arm (I'm telling you now that kid is beater material, or maybe even a chaser someday, you'll see.) and little Georgie boy is merrily blowing spit bubbles all over my girlfriend. But somewhere in between the first original yank, and my losing a lovely lock of my hair, Lily gets the other one all settled down. By this time I had all but thrown Fred back to Molly, but Lily was just cooing and holding the baby and then... I thought it." James said dejectedly, as if it were obvious to all the world what "it" was.
"Thought what?" It seemed "it" was not so obvious to Sirius anyway.
"You know... 'it'!"
"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?! What is it?!"
"That thing for petesake! The thing that all men, and possibly women think right before they seal their fate!"
"You mean, 'just one more shot of Odgen's can't hurt?'" Sirius joked with a grin. James did not seem to enjoy his friend's sense of humour however.
"No! I mean... God how did I ever expect you to understand any of this? You're about as romantically impaired as Severus Snape on a good day!" Sirius looked more than just a little offended at that remark. "It's just this Padfoot," James let out another sigh, and his voice took on a dreamy quality. "I looked at her and the only thing that popped into my mind was: 'I wish that were my baby she's holding. Lily would make the best mom.'" There was a few seconds of silence in the room before James continued. "I love her Sirius. I've loved her since I first laid eyes on her, and I'll love her long after I'm dead I'm sure of that. I want to marry her. I want to get married and have kids."
Sirius was stunned. He thought of what to say. There was no joke to make, no insult to throw. This was (for lack of a better word) serious. James wanted to get married. It was like the childhood he had been so desperatley clinging on to was suddenly washed away. James was getting married. Of course Lily would say yes, and of course he, Sirius would be the best man. And Moony and Pete would be there, and soon after that they would have a kid... It was almost too much. He would become uncle Sirius! He would have to be responsible and set a good example and take care of the kid when it's parents wanted to go out... It took several long minutes before Sirius could find his voice once more.
"H-have you asked her yet?"
"No. That's why I came here. I needed to hear myself say it first I guess. I wanted to know what you thought. Which brings me to... what do you think?" James was asking what he thought!? Sirius bit his lip. When Lily and James had started dating no one had ever asked his opinion. He had felt a little neglected and left out when it happened. Lily had taken a part of his best friend then, what would life be like when they were married? And they wanted a family? There would be no more dropping in at James' house whenever he felt like it, and no more running off and having mad adventures or fighting death eaters. But then, there would be a baby. A little person made up from his two favourite people in all the world. He would be an uncle... No he would be like a second father and a big brother rolled all in one! Suddenly he felt a surge of excitement. True, it had hurt when Lily started taking up James' time, but it hadn't taken long to adjust. Sirius adored Lily Evans-Soon-To-Be-Potter in a way that he had never adored any woman in his entire life. He remebered the adventures that he had had with the female maurauder. Marriage to James was only the logical next step in the mixed up plot that was their lives, and a baby... A baby made up of Prongs and Tigerlily and of course curbed by his own charming influence... He could think of nothing better. He sprang to his feet.
"James Potter! I'm telling you right now that if you don't go and ask Lily Evans to be your wife and start with the baby making before sundown, I'll tell my mother where you live! She's been trying to hire a hitman for years, but couldn't manage to find you." James' heart lifted. He knew that Sirius would of course give his blessing eventually, but he didn't think it would be with so much enthusiasm. He couldn't contain himself any longer. A smile broke out over his face and he jumped to his feet as well.
"I'm getting married!"
"You're getting married!"
"Lily Evans will be my wife!"
"And I'll be your best man of course!" They jumped around like excited teenaged girls.
"Well of course! And I'll have the greatest son in all the world!" Sirius paused.
"How do you know it'll be a boy?" He looked suspiciously at James. Could Lily be pregnant already?
"Well logic my dear Padfoot! Logic!" Maybe she's not pregant afterall.
"How so?"
"Well, I'm going to have a child, and of course you'll be the godfather. Peter is far to clumsy and Remus, although we love him dearly... well there would be difficulties there. So you're all thats left."
"Thanks" Sirius snorted. "I still don't see where the logic comes in however."
"Anytime. Anyway, If something were to happen to Lily or I, that would leave you in charge of the child, and if it were a girl, knowing you her eighteenth birthday party would consist of drinks and flirting from her dear perverted uncle Padfoot. By this logic the child must be a boy because the fates could not be so cruel as to allow you to deflower my firstborn child." Sirius looked at him disgusted.
"That is most definitely the most wretched thing you have ever said about me!"
"And the truth as well!"
"I can't beleive you think so lowly of me! What will you do if it is a girl? Flee the country so that I can never get a glimpse of her? You know I do possess a bit of self control! It would be like shagging my own child! I feel dirty just having this conversation!"
"Well thank Merlin you do! It reassures me in ways you cannot begin to imagine." James stared at his friend's appalled and horrified expression and something in him broke. He began to laugh like a maniac. It took a few moments for Sirius to realize how ludicrous their previous conversation had been, but slowly and surely he began to crack as well. The corner of his mouth twitched, once, twice and then he could hold it in no more and began an all out full body laugh. The two of them laughed like they hadn't laughed since Hogwarts, maybe not even since their early years at the famous school they had so recently called home. Suddenly, however, James stopped laughing with a horrifed look on his face.
"Padfoot." he said so quietly it could have been classified as a whisper. Sirius stopped laughing immediatley. "What if... what if she says no?" The two stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds before Sirius gave a snort.
"Lily will not say no Prongs you old sissy. If there's anyone on this planet that I know better than you, it's Lily Evans..."
"But, the war mate..." Sirius paused. He hadn't really thought of that had he? He had been so excited by the thought of a couple of new Potters in the world, that he forgot what kind of world the child may have to grow up in. He looked into his best friend's bright blue eyes.
"All the reason to do it young." James had not been expecting this response, but it seemed that Sirius' logic was alway quite different from that of regular people. It was what would make him such an outstanding auror. He always saw things from a different point of view. Usually a better one at that.
"Right now you and Lily are young and strong and able to care for a child until he's all grown himself. Just think of the Weasleys. They would do anything for their children I'm sure, but by the time those twins are at Hogwarts, they'll be nearing middle age! They won't be able to protect them like they can now." This was a grim thought, but true nonetheless. James felt a new hope rise in him.
"She won't say no?" Sirius smiled, relieved.
"No mate. She won't say no."
"I'm about to have a family Padfoot."
"Nothing will happen to your child I promise. If it comes to it, I'll give my last breath protecting your child, your family, I will." James was touched at the heartfelt words of his best friend. He grabbed Sirius in a brotherly embrace.
"Our family." They pulled apart with large matching smiles on their faces.
"Well geez Prongs, that was almost a really corny moment we had there." Sirius said lightly, now, he knew was the time to take action however. "Well, I hate to be the bad host mate..." he began pushing James towards the fireplace, and threw in a handful of floo powder, "But I really must say that you have overstayed your welcome. I feel the need for alone time, and I feel the need for you to not have alone time, but rather to have time with your girlfriend time. Having said this I bid you good day!" He pushed James into the fire, but before his amused best friend could tell the network where to send him, Sirius rushed out "P.S. You are not allowed back in my home until you fiancee is pregnant. Bye then!" He swiftly left the room.
James shook his head, bemused. Ah what an adventure life will be...
So thank you very much for reading!
Please oh please review!
P.S. If you are wondering about the progress on You Can't Keep a Good Dog Down, I'm soooo sorry I haven't updated. One is coming I swear, I just have been soo busy.