A/N: This little plot bunny refused to leave me alone. I think I'm going to like it, so I hope you enjoy it. Don't worry, I'm still updating on my other story. I just felt like doing a one-shot about the Marauders and Lily. Enjoy! :D
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its characters belong to JK Rowling. I just like to dabble in their world.
James POV
It had been a little over seventeen years ever since my wife, Lily, and I had died. We had gotten used to the after-life. We had gotten used to being the only ones out of our group there. We hung out with my younger sister, Amy, who had died to protect our mother from Voldemort. She had only been nine years old then, but she appeared sixteen in the after-life.
We also hung out with Fabian and Gideon Prewitt, some of our good friends from the Order of the Phoenix. We lived in a replica of our living world cottage and prayed every day that none of the Marauders (except Peter, the git) would end up here because they died earlier than they should have. And for a while, it was like that.
We all watched the living world when we were worried about what was going on. So yes, I watched as my brother in all but blood died. It was the most horrible experience of my life. I cried and cried and so did Lily. I remember seeing him. And now we both hope that Remus Lupin, our other Marauder (we didn't count Peter), won't die early.
"James quit moping! Dinner's ready! I think Sirius is coming over. Would you ask him?"I grinned at her.
"Sure thing, Evans." She rolled her eyes.
So yes, the after-life could be sad sometimes. But like I said, we had gotten used to being here and it was almost like being alive except everyone was in their prime. Most people here looked like they were between the ages of 15 and 25. Sirius, Lily, and I, looked about eighteen. Sirius had looked gaunt and ragged after getting out of Azkaban, but now he looked bright and clean cut with his long black hair and silvery-gray eyes that were never sad.
I disapparated to Sirius's house. His house was very modern with floor to ceiling windows and mahogany floors. Sirius always did like having class.
I appeared in the middle of his living room where he was snogging Hestia Jones. Forget what I said about class. Hestia had been his girlfriend and Lily's best friend during our Hogwarts years. She had died protecting the Daedalus Diggle.
"Oi mate! Are you coming for dinner or what?" Sirius pulled apart from Hestia and grinned.
"Of course mate! Are you coming Hest?" She grinned back at him.
"Of course!" I rolled my eyes.
"I hate to interrupt your love fest here, but I'm starving."
"You are much worse than us Prongsie pie!"
"I am not!" I exclaimed.
"Yeah you are." Hestia agreed. I huffed.
"I am leaving!" I disapparated with a resounding crack. I landed in the kitchen, practically on top of Lily.
"Hello love!" I said cheerfully.
"Hello James." She said, rolling her eyes, but fighting back a smile. She seemed to do that a lot. I pecked her gently on the lips and sat down at the table, not noticing that Sirius and Hestia had been there the whole time.
"Prongs, my good mate, you are whipped!"
"Have you taken a good look at yourself lately?" I shot back, while Lily and Hestia snorted.
"Eat you guys!" We began to dig in to the delicious chicken Lily had made. We didn't really need food in the afterlife, but our cottage had a kitchen and nothing compares to the wonderful sensation of eating and never getting fat.
"Lily I swear I am going to get fat off of your food!" Sirius exclaimed through a mouthful of food.
"Sirius, you know you can't get fat here!" Hestia said.
"Just another one of the many beauties of being dead! Did you know that I can just wake up, after shagging mind you," he paused and winked at Hestia, who blushed, "that my hair will just be absolutely perfect! It's just amazing!"
"I swear, apart from Hestia, all you think about is your hair!" I snorted.
"That is not true! I think about food too!"
"Oh congratulations Sirius!" Lily said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Well I deserve some appreciation!" Everyone laughed at that.
Lily was just about to bring out a cheesecake for dessert while Sirius was complaining about getting fat, again. Everything was going as it usually did until a knock sounded at the door. Everyone looked as confused as I felt.
"Do you think it's Freddie?" Sirius asked.
"I'm sure that's it. I'll go get it." Lily answered.
Fred Weasley stopped by a lot, usually around dessert, but he usually called first. Lily shuffled down the hall in her white apron and her fuzzy slippers to go answer the door. My eyes followed her out of the kitchen, and I let out a sigh. She is adorable!
Sirius fake coughed.
"Whipped!" I glared at him while Hestia laughed. He pecked Hestia on the lips and smiled at her.
"And you say I'm whipped Paddy!"
"Well you are," Hestia said. I heard the door open.
"Hey Freddie!" I called. I heard a sob from Lily. I looked at Sirius and Hestia, who looked incredibly worried, and then ran out of the kitchen and down the hall to the door. The sight that greeted me shocked me and saddened me.
Standing there was Remus Lupin, otherwise known as Moony, next to Nymphadora Tonks, otherwise known as Tonks.
Remus looked as he had during our last year of Hogwarts, but better. His light brown hair was unkempt, but not messy beyond belief like mine. His golden eyes were shining unnaturally, like everyone's did in the afterlife, but his were red and filled with tears. His scars from his innumerable transformations had disappeared and his pale skin was glowing.
I hadn't seen Tonks much in life, but she looked a little older than she had when I had last seen her. She looked about 18. Her hair was mousy brown, like it was when she was upset, and her eyes were the same color as Remus's were. Her golden eyes were filled with tears.
I was too shocked and scared to do anything.
"Moony," Sirius croaked. His eyes were red and he was crying silently. Remus attempted to crack a smile, but it turned out as a grimace at best.
"Hey there Paddy," Sirius smiled a little.
"I always hated that nickname." This time Remus did crack a smile, and he turned towards me.
"It's not as bad as Prongsie Pie though," At this, I unfroze.
"Remus, it was never supposed to be you. You were the last Marauder. You shouldn't be here! You have a son!"
"As did you," Remus replied evenly. "I died so that my son could live in a safer world," he put his arm around Tonks, "we both did."
"How did it happen?" Lily asked, mopping her eyes on her sleeve and burrowing into my side. I put my arm around her and gave her a one armed squeeze. Tonks spoke up.
"We were dueling Dolohov and Remus fell down. I-I didn't know he was dead, I thought he was stunned, so I kneeled down and tried to help him and-and then I saw a flash and-" she gave an anguished sob. I had never seen her upset this much before. She had always been tough as nails. Remus pushed through Lily and hugged her. He kissed the top of her head, and she calmed down within a few minutes. Sirius cleared his throat.
"Lil, Hest, why don't you take Tonks to the kitchen, give her some tea." Hestia nodded, kissed his cheek, took Tonks's arm gently, and led her towards the kitchen, following Lily.
"Just like the old days, huh Moony?" I said.
"If I remember correctly, in the old days we were all alive," Remus said, smiling slightly.
"Oh Moony, you're memory never fails," Sirius said, swinging his arm around Moony's shoulders, "But if I remember correctly, you look a lot better than you did at Hogwarts."
"Oh please, I was always this hot."
"Oh you wish, Moonykins!" I snorted.
"The Marauders are back together again Moony."
"Minus Pete of course," I said.
"Well who wants that fat lump here anyways?" I laughed.
"Come on Moony, let's go have some cheesecake!"
"I've been here for 2 minutes and I'm already going to get fat!" Remus moaned.
"No worries Moony! We don't put on weight here!"
"It really is heaven here then!" Sirius barked out a laugh. I put my arms around both of their shoulders and walked into the kitchen, smiling at the girls.
"Let's have some cake."
A/N: HOKAYYYYY that took forever to complete! Like 2 days, but I did it! It isn't my best work, but ehh I'll take it! Tell me what you think in your reviews! Bye!