"But why not Lily?" James whinged, sounding much more like a petulant child than a 21-year-old man.
Lily rolled her eyes, and started to make dinner. "You know why not James" she said, waving her wand at a couple of knives, which immediately began dicing onion, carrot and celery. Keeping an eye on the knives, she began heating oil in a large saucepan.
"But Harry would love a dog," James said, smiling, "so if you think about it, it's really two against one."
Lily laughed, "Harry's a baby, he doesn't get a vote."
"I don't think that's how democracy works Lily."
"I don't think that my kitchen's a democracy."
Lily tossed the now finely diced vegetables into the saucepan and began stirring. James pouted at her and she smirked. Her husband was ridiculous.
"I'd look after it," James said, flashing Lily a smile that usually got him exactly what he wanted- or a slap.
Lily couldn't help laughing now. "Sure you would," she smirked, "until you realised how big a responsibility that is. Then I'd be stuck looking after it."
"No, honest Lily, I'll look after it."
Lily looked up from the saucepan, "And what exactly do you thing looking after a dog entails?"
"Uh, feeding it, and taking it for walks…"
"And the fact that Dumbledore thinks we might have to go into hiding fits into that how, exactly?"
James scowled.
"I could ask Sirius to walk it."
"What if he gets asked to go on a mission?"
"I'll ask Remus."
"During the full moon?"
Again, James scowled.
"Peter then".
It was Lily's turn to scowl now, "You now Peter has enough on his plate. He's seemed really down lately. I think everything that's happening is really getting to him."
James sighed, sorry for his friends suffering. "I know. He's dealing with as much as any of us, and he barely complains. I think we take him a bit for granted."
"Well, maybe you and the marauders should do something about that. Find something that will let Peter know just how trusted and appreciated he really is" Lily smiled.
"I'll talk to Sirius and Remus about it tonight at dinner."
Lily added the mince to the saucepan and continued stirring.
For a few minutes, there was silence in the kitchen, until-
"You know," said James, in a tone that told Lily he was intent on continuing their argument, "I bet a dog wouldn't need walking that often if we had a big enough backyard."
"We don't have a big backyard."
"Yeah, but if we have to go into hiding we could…"
"It doesn't matter either way, Grimalkin wouldn't like it," Lily said, somewhat stiffly, as she added a few tablespoons of flour to the saucepan.
Grimalkin was Lily's large, ill-tempered, grey cat. She had had him since she was eleven, having gotten him as a going away present from her parents before leaving for her first year at Hogwarts. He was utterly devoted to Lily, and adored Harry. James, however, did not often get to see Grimalkin's good side. The cat had always been rather distrustful towards him.
"Grimalkin doesn't like anything," said James, "And besides, Grimalkin's your pet. If we got a dog, it could be mine. And I'd look after it, and-"
"You already have a pet," said Lily, as she added stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and a couple of bay leaves to the beginnings of dinner.
"What?"
Lily pointed to the large birdcage, inside which there was a tawny owl sleeping. "Don't tell me you forgot about Athena," Lily smirked.
James had owned Athena as long as Lily owned Grimalkin.
"Right" said James, laughing slightly.
Lily continued mixing dinner, "Right" she said, "go get Harry up. He's been asleep most of the afternoon. And you know Sirius is going to want to see him as soon as he gets here."
James smiled, leant across the kitchen counter to kiss Lily on the check and went upstairs to wake his one-year-old son.
Lily smiled as she brought the contents of the saucepan to the boil, and reduced the heat on the stove. She loved cooking; it was something she and her mum had done together whenever she was home from Hogwarts.
When they had first moved into their house, James hadn't understood why Lily had insisted on working Muggle appliances in their kitchen. She had explained to him that she had learnt to cook with her mum, in a Muggle kitchen and she didn't intend to learn any other way. He had laughed, but hadn't complained much, aside from the occasional comment about the timesaving effectiveness of magic. When Lily's mum had passed away, not long after Lily and James' wedding, these comments had stopped altogether.
"Mmm, smell that Harry. Doesn't Mummy's cooking smell heavenly?"
James had returned carrying their beautiful baby boy. At a year old, Harry already had dark hair messy enough to rival that of his father.
Harry smiled at his mother, who smiled back at her two favourite men. She loved the sight of Harry in James' arms, and she loved the way James was with Harry. With the wizarding world so completely at war, the Potter's didn't get much chance to just be a normal family, and Lily was glad of any quiet evening when she or, more commonly, James wasn't called away to do work for the Order.
Lily waved her wand, and four potatoes shot out of their skins. Harry giggled, and Lily fought the desire to do it again, just to hear Harry's laugh.
As she was added the potatoes to a pot of boiling water, James said, "Harry, do you like dogs?"
Lily glared at her husband.
Harry giggled again. "Dog" he said, and Lily couldn't help smiling at her son.
"That's right Harry, how would you like a pet dog?"
"James, give it a rest. We are not getting a dog."
"Why not?"
"You already have a dog".
"Wha-?"
The doorbell rang.
Lily took Harry off James and pointed towards the front door. James walked to the door, looking slightly confused.
He returned a moment later, grinning, accompanied by his best friend.
Lily looked up when James and Sirius entered the kitchen.
"Speak of the devil" she smiled.
"What?" asked James, evidently confused.
"Your dog."
James looked at Sirius, who had just taken Harry off Lily, and burst out laughing.
"You know Lily," he said, trying and failing to hold back his laughter, "When you put it like that I can see why you don't want one around all the time."