When He Grows Up

"You know what, Sirius?" James Potter said, throwing down the magazine he'd been flipping through. "When I grow up, I'm going to be the greatest Quidditch player the world's ever seen."

"Right," Sirius Black snorted, throwing an extra piece of parchment into the burning fire of the Common Room.

"Well, what about you?" James asked. "What are you going to be?"

"James, we're only eleven," he said, shaking his head. "We've got ages to decide, and right now I don't have a clue."

"Well, I want to be a Quidditch player," James said decidedly, nodding his head once in affirmation. "When I grow up I want to be a Quidditch player, and I want to save the world."

"Yeah? Well, best of luck with that mate, really…"

"It's already the kid's first Christmas, and it's still hard to believe you're a father," Sirius Black said, motioning to the baby in his best friend's arms.

"Unreal, isn't it? It seems like just yesterday we were arriving at Hogwarts for the first time…perfect strangers and trained by our families to hate each other," James said, grinning.

"Ah, those were the days," Sirius said, leaning back in the sofa and looking around his best friend's home. "You were disgusted by me at first, and I thought you were just another nancy boy who'd make my life a living hell. It was Moony who got us to talk to each other that first night, remember? Said he wasn't going to live with two people who hated each other for no good reason, so we'd better get over ourselves right away."

"He never was one for taking our dramatics," James said fondly. "Shame it's a full moon tonight, or else he could be here with us. Where's Wormtail?"

'I donno, said something about a family thing he had to go to…Hey Lily! Need any help out there?" Sirius called out, grinning.

"No Sirius, I'm alright, but thanks for asking," Lily said, peaking her head around the kitchen doorway. "You're much more considerate than some other people…" she said, looking at James pointedly for a moment before ducking back around the corner.

"Prick," James muttered.

"James! Watch the language around Harry!" Lily called from the kitchen, and James' jaw dropped.

"How do they do that? Is it something about women in general or just the women in my life? Because I swear her, my mum, and even my grandmum can hear bloody everything!" James whispered, and then paused for a moment.

"Honestly Potter, you've got no sense of a whisper," Lily was in the doorway again, shaking her head.

"It's called an Irish whisper," he said smartly, but Lily and Sirius just scrunched up their faces in confusion.

"James…mate…you're not Irish…" Sirius said, and while Lily laughed and returned to the kitchen once again, James only frowned.

"So?" He asked, not seeing any problem. "Anyway, remember in Fifth Year when all three of us could finally transform? I think that first full moon was the best of them all, just because it was so new to all of us," James asked, smiling as he thought of their past adventures.

"I s'pose, but that last one was wicked too," Sirius said, grinning as he remembered the four animals wandering around the halls of Hogwarts. "It's a miracle we didn't get caught that night…what were we thinking?"

"Not much!" Lily called from the kitchen, but the boys just ignored her.

"We aren't grown up yet, are we Padfoot?" James asked, and Sirius was caught off guard.

"Well…I'm not sure. I don't know if you can really put a marker at when you grow up…I think it's just something that happens gradually, something you don't even notice till it's all over," he answered, with an unnatural amount of seriousness.

"You know what, Sirius?" James Potter asked, shifting his son in his arms. "When I grow up I'm going to be a Quidditch player, and I'm going to save the world."

"Yeah?" Sirius said, grinning widely. "Well best of luck with that mate, really…"


A/N: Short, but I think I like the idea of it. Anyway, reviews are more than welcome, please let me know your thoughts.