Setting Suns
"You know that you don't have to go, just because you're not our secret keeper any more doesn't mean you have to leave us. We're not going to kick you out, you know."
"I know, James, but I need to do something. And I've already spent a month here. I can't scrounge off you lot forever, however much I want to!" Sirius grinned at his best friend.
"Well, anytime you're around, pop in. And I mean that. So you have to come back now! Besides, if you're away too long, Harry won't be able to remember your name. And then you'll have to retrain him in the art of flying!" James clapped Sirius round the shoulders, and handed him his motorbike helmet. Sirius took it, and revved the engine of his magical Honda. Just at that moment, Lily came hurrying out of her home, with a baby slung over her shoulder, and a bag held out to Sirius.
"I made you some food, and I found your Gringott's key for you. You'd left it in the biscuit tin, along with a pile of loose change. Just be careful, OK? And don't forget to write. Oh!" Lily flung Harry into Sirius' arms and ran back into the house. She emerged a moment later with an owl in a cage, which she put in the pannier on the back of Sirius' bike.
Sirius laughed and quickly pecked Lily on the cheek. He did the same to Harry who gurgled happily, and handed the chirping baby back to his mother. James quickly backed away.
"Oh no! You're not kissing me! Lily will get jealous, and then we'll both be in trouble!"
Sirius laughed, jumped off his bike, and quickly transformed into a black, shaggy dog. James too turned into his animagus form, swiftly becoming a leaping stag. The dog jumped up over the stag's back, and rolled back through his legs in one move, before both animals turned into their human selves. Sirius then picked up is helmet, plunged his head into it, and leapt onto his motorbike, before zooming off into the setting sun.
For a moment, James and Lily gazed into the red orb hanging in the sky, before Lily spoke.
"Well James, we have the house to ourselves again. What are we going to do now?" Lily asked her husband with a twinkle in her eye.
"You will speak to Arabella and get her to babysit Harry, and I will find the drinks!" He walked into the little cottage, guiding Lily in with him. As they stepped inside the hallway, Lily walked into the living room, put down her son and walked to the fireplace. She took some floo powder from a snuffbox on the mantelpiece, and sprinkled it in the flames. She stuck her head into the fire and cried out "37 Nightingale Way!" Her head appeared in a stuffy little room. A cat mewed from the depths of one oftwo armchairs.
"Arabella?" Lily's eyes took in the sight of two overstuffed armchairs, two cats, some small coffee tables, and Dumbledore and Arabella having tea and biscuits. "Oh, hi Albus. Sorry, I didn't realise that you were here."
"Hello Lily. Did you want something?" Arabella moved across to the fire, shifting a cat along the way.
"I just called on the off chance that you could take Harry for the evening, but it's not a problem."
"Sorry, Albus and I are having a quiet evening tonight. We're going to Hogsmeade tomorrow."
"Well never mind. Like I said - it's not important." In her own living room, Lily shrugged her shoulders.
"I can take him tomorrow morning if you want. Our train leaves at 12.30."
"No, no. That's OK. James and I just wanted an evening to ourselves. OK, I'll see on Monday, as usual, then?" Lily asked.
"Yes, sure. See you on Monday."
"Bye, Lily." Dumbledore spoke for the first time.
"Bye you lot." She grinned and pulled her head back into her own cottage.
James was waiting in the living room, holding Harry. "No go?" Lily shook her head. "And Remus and Peter have gone on their holidays."
"Well, we'll have to enjoy ourselves with our loveable son then!" James grinned and hoisted Harry into the air. The baby giggled, and kicked his legs about. Lily sank down into the sofa and grabbed a bottle of Butterbeer from the table. She patted the seat beside her and said "Room for a little one!"
James put Harry down on Lily's lap, and sat down himself, but only after helping himself to a Firewhisky.
"I saw Severus at the Order the other day. He seemed to be getting chummy with Alice." James glanced at his wife. She made no reaction, so he carried on. "She fended him off herself, but I still only trust him as far as I can throw him."
"Why do you always have to get involved, James? I've lived with you for 3 years now, and I don't think that you have managed to pass a month without mentioning him at least once!" Lily sighed and, picking up a pen and paper, she started to write a few more chapters of Living With The Werewolf. Her manuscript was becoming thicker each day, and it was soon to be finished for publishing.
A knock sounded at the door, and James frowned. He shifted a curtain slightly at the bay window. He saw Peter outside, and turned to Lily.
"Why is Wormtail using the front door? He knows he can just apparate here, surely?"
"I thought that he was on holiday or something... Does he have anyone with him?" Lily's face seemed disturbed by the idea.
"Not that I can see... I'll open it." He got up, tickling the gurgling Harry on the way.
Lily heard the click as the latch was opened, and the murmuring of voices. Suddenly there was shouting, and James yelled "Run Lily, RUN!"
"You know that you don't have to go, just because you're not our secret keeper any more doesn't mean you have to leave us. We're not going to kick you out, you know."
"I know, James, but I need to do something. And I've already spent a month here. I can't scrounge off you lot forever, however much I want to!" Sirius grinned at his best friend.
"Well, anytime you're around, pop in. And I mean that. So you have to come back now! Besides, if you're away too long, Harry won't be able to remember your name. And then you'll have to retrain him in the art of flying!" James clapped Sirius round the shoulders, and handed him his motorbike helmet. Sirius took it, and revved the engine of his magical Honda. Just at that moment, Lily came hurrying out of her home, with a baby slung over her shoulder, and a bag held out to Sirius.
"I made you some food, and I found your Gringott's key for you. You'd left it in the biscuit tin, along with a pile of loose change. Just be careful, OK? And don't forget to write. Oh!" Lily flung Harry into Sirius' arms and ran back into the house. She emerged a moment later with an owl in a cage, which she put in the pannier on the back of Sirius' bike.
Sirius laughed and quickly pecked Lily on the cheek. He did the same to Harry who gurgled happily, and handed the chirping baby back to his mother. James quickly backed away.
"Oh no! You're not kissing me! Lily will get jealous, and then we'll both be in trouble!"
Sirius laughed, jumped off his bike, and quickly transformed into a black, shaggy dog. James too turned into his animagus form, swiftly becoming a leaping stag. The dog jumped up over the stag's back, and rolled back through his legs in one move, before both animals turned into their human selves. Sirius then picked up is helmet, plunged his head into it, and leapt onto his motorbike, before zooming off into the setting sun.
For a moment, James and Lily gazed into the red orb hanging in the sky, before Lily spoke.
"Well James, we have the house to ourselves again. What are we going to do now?" Lily asked her husband with a twinkle in her eye.
"You will speak to Arabella and get her to babysit Harry, and I will find the drinks!" He walked into the little cottage, guiding Lily in with him. As they stepped inside the hallway, Lily walked into the living room, put down her son and walked to the fireplace. She took some floo powder from a snuffbox on the mantelpiece, and sprinkled it in the flames. She stuck her head into the fire and cried out "37 Nightingale Way!" Her head appeared in a stuffy little room. A cat mewed from the depths of one oftwo armchairs.
"Arabella?" Lily's eyes took in the sight of two overstuffed armchairs, two cats, some small coffee tables, and Dumbledore and Arabella having tea and biscuits. "Oh, hi Albus. Sorry, I didn't realise that you were here."
"Hello Lily. Did you want something?" Arabella moved across to the fire, shifting a cat along the way.
"I just called on the off chance that you could take Harry for the evening, but it's not a problem."
"Sorry, Albus and I are having a quiet evening tonight. We're going to Hogsmeade tomorrow."
"Well never mind. Like I said - it's not important." In her own living room, Lily shrugged her shoulders.
"I can take him tomorrow morning if you want. Our train leaves at 12.30."
"No, no. That's OK. James and I just wanted an evening to ourselves. OK, I'll see on Monday, as usual, then?" Lily asked.
"Yes, sure. See you on Monday."
"Bye, Lily." Dumbledore spoke for the first time.
"Bye you lot." She grinned and pulled her head back into her own cottage.
James was waiting in the living room, holding Harry. "No go?" Lily shook her head. "And Remus and Peter have gone on their holidays."
"Well, we'll have to enjoy ourselves with our loveable son then!" James grinned and hoisted Harry into the air. The baby giggled, and kicked his legs about. Lily sank down into the sofa and grabbed a bottle of Butterbeer from the table. She patted the seat beside her and said "Room for a little one!"
James put Harry down on Lily's lap, and sat down himself, but only after helping himself to a Firewhisky.
"I saw Severus at the Order the other day. He seemed to be getting chummy with Alice." James glanced at his wife. She made no reaction, so he carried on. "She fended him off herself, but I still only trust him as far as I can throw him."
"Why do you always have to get involved, James? I've lived with you for 3 years now, and I don't think that you have managed to pass a month without mentioning him at least once!" Lily sighed and, picking up a pen and paper, she started to write a few more chapters of Living With The Werewolf. Her manuscript was becoming thicker each day, and it was soon to be finished for publishing.
A knock sounded at the door, and James frowned. He shifted a curtain slightly at the bay window. He saw Peter outside, and turned to Lily.
"Why is Wormtail using the front door? He knows he can just apparate here, surely?"
"I thought that he was on holiday or something... Does he have anyone with him?" Lily's face seemed disturbed by the idea.
"Not that I can see... I'll open it." He got up, tickling the gurgling Harry on the way.
Lily heard the click as the latch was opened, and the murmuring of voices. Suddenly there was shouting, and James yelled "Run Lily, RUN!"