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August 11, 1980
"Is it just me," Sirius said, looking around the cottage in Godric's Hollow. "Or is this more than one step down from the Manor?"
I rolled my eyes at him and shoved the box I was holding into his arms. Merlin knew, he would only be slagging if I did not make him work. "I think it's nice," I told him pointedly.
"But you know what I mean, right?" Sirius insisted as he moved across the room and put the box down next to a whole staple of cartons.
I knew what he meant, obviously. Much like him, and much like James, I had grown up in a manor, surrounded by grandeur and luxury. But I could understand very well why Lily and James wanted to tone it down a bit. All that splendour could be suffocating, not to mention that it spoke of a rather unpleasant sort of inhabitant. The Potters were probably the only people I knew who had owned an estate and were still nice.
I skipped back down the stairs and found that James had already brought in the next set of cardboards. Lily had labelled them very carefully and I picked up one that read 'nursery'. Sirius had followed and grimaced as he picked one up as well.
"Why, again, can't we just use magic?" he demanded.
"Because I want you to be tired tonight," I retorted. "You're being awfully giddy lately."
Sirius waggled his eyebrows at me. "I know other ways to tire me out."
Lily's shriek echoed through the house, though I would never know how she could have heard him. "There's a baby in the house, Sirius!"
Sirius and I both laughed while James called back that the baby was, in fact, sleeping. We left the two to their bickering and Sirius bounded up the stairs again, clutching the box.
Remus had to duck out of the way as they met on the stairs. It was yet another rare occasion on which he was able to be here. He admitted that his absence to be might be suspicious, but there was probably only this one time that he would get to see the house. Or Harry, for that matter.
As soon as we were done moving in, the Fidelius Charm would be cast. Peter was still supposed to be Secret Keeper, though I was not the only one with doubts. Dumbledore had even offered to be Secret Keeper, himself, but James and Lily were not deterred.
James, I suspected, would rather be caught dead than mistrust his friends. While that was admirable, I was afraid it would one day work against him.
"You two are in a good mood," Remus noted, taking a box that said 'bathroom'. "It suits you."
"I just figure we should enjoy it while it lasts," I told him. "It's summer, we are all alive and well - Harry is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen... life seems rather good."
"Hush," Remus said with a wry smile. "Don't say that, you'll spoil it."
I chuckled and we both climbed the stairs together.
In the nursery, I found that Sirius had opened a box and pulled out several pieces of what was supposed to be the crib. He looked rather helpless in front of the pieces, holding two pieces of wood together as if hoping that they would lace together through just his will.
"Please," he said. "Tell me I can do this with magic."
I inspected the pieces carefully before answering him. "Are you sure you can do it with magic?" I asked.
"Yes," Sirius said at once. "No. Maybe." I raised an eyebrow at him and he sagged slightly. "Fine!" he exclaimed. "Probably not."
My giggle made him jump to his feet in indignation and announce that he would go and find Lily to help me. Sirius was not actually angry, though, if the swift kiss he gave me was any indication. I watched him go, silently hoping that he would not be too tired out tonight.
Lily joined me when I had already half learned the instructions by heart. She proved to be a good worker, even though she insisted on checking every step of the instruction, herself.
Lily had always been pretty, but being a mother made her absolutely radiant. It was almost something to be jealous of. She was glowing with happiness and when I asked her if the baby was really sleeping, she talked fifteen minutes about how peaceful the boy looked while he slept.
"Oh," she said happily when we finally finished with crib. "He'll sleep even better in this."
"I'm sure," I answered.
She smiled sheepishly. "I must sound so silly," she said. "But... I just love him so much! Maybe you can only understand if you have a child of your own."
"Right," I said. "I suppose that won't happen any time soon."
And it was good that way, I added in my mind. Who knew which dark wizard would come after my child if I ever got one? As of now, I would rather not risk putting a child into this world.
Lily opened her mouth to respond, but she never got around to. James called from beneath that moment, inviting us to join them for tea. Lily was bristling at once, complaining that we were working, while the boys were drinking tea, but she seemed rather happy to accept her cup once we arrived.
Peter sat on the kitchen brink, looking around the room and seemingly relaxed for once. Sirius was leaning next to him, sipping at his tea. James, as always, was holding his son. It seemed he was hardly capable of letting him go.
"Where'd Remus go?" Lily asked as she passed her husband for a mug of her own.
"He had to run," James said. "Quite literally. Apparently, he has pack duties to attend to."
Sirius pulled a face that hinted at how displeased he was with the situation, but instead of commention on it, he instead asked, "When are we putting the bubble over you?"
James' face, funnily enough, twisted in the exact same way at that thought. But he kept his eyes firmly fixed on his son and Lily as she sighed over her cup.
"Tomorrow," she said determinedly. "We can't waste any time."
"She's right," James said. "Though I still don't like hiding away." He looked to Peter and attempted a smile. "Thanks for doing this, mate. It means a lot."
Peter turned suddenly crimson, it looked like his face was slowly filling up with blood. "N-no p-problem," he stuttered out and Sirius nudged him gently in the ribs.
"Yeah, it is," Lily insisted, causing Peter to turn an even deeper shade of red. "And we know the sacrifice you're making. Thank you, Wormy."
Peter's mouth was moving, but he remained silent as if the words had gotten stuck in his throat. Lily emitted a sound of compassion and rushed over to hug him. James rolled his eyes at it, but it was weirdly good-natured. Sirius laughed slightly, obviously having seen James' expression and the two friends grinned at each other for a moment.
"Right!" Lily exclaimed suddenly as she drew back and took in the same scene as I. "We have another announcement - James?"
James nodded. "Er... well, we've been thinking... Harry still needs a godfather." He looked up sharply. "Sirius."
Sirius looked honestly surprised, though I could not imagine why. After all, he and James were best friends and had been so for as long as anyone could remember. "Me," Sirius said. "Are you - really?"
James laughed sheepishly. "'Course," he said.
"Look," Lily said and she sounded much more serious about it. "If anything ever happens to us - and let's face it, it could-"
"Lily," I protested at once, but her hand shot up to silence me before I could say another word.
"It could happen any time and in that case, someone needs to take care of Harry," she continued.
Sirius looked from her to James to me and then back towards Lily as if he could not quite believe what he was hearing. "And you really want me to-?"
"Well, you and Selene," James said at once. "Merlin knows I wouldn't trust you with a child alone."
It was so obviously a joke that everyone started laughing despite the uncomfortable tension that had filled the kitchen before. Even Sirius looked very relieved as he smiled at me. My mind was spinning with horror vision, though, visions of Lily and James both dead and Sirius and I having to bring the boy through this when we could barely handle our own lives...
But Sirius seemed suddenly unperturbed and he wrapped his arms around me to pull me close to him. "Well," he told James with a wide grin. "I'd be honoured."
James and Lily looked so happy and relieved that I did not dare say even the smallest thing against afterwards.
So, this was a bit of a light-hearted chapter. Merlin knows they needed it ;) More drama coming soo, promise ;)! Until then, please leave a review :)
