"Oof!" Harry gasped in surprise, as Sirius had at once tackled him out of sight of the front window. At the same time, a spell blasted him from a side he couldn't even see so it must have
been done silently, and then the baby was crying in surprise as Remus all but Apparated to the kitchen, wand clutched as tightly as the baby.
There was not a second more to react as the front door opened obnoxiously and an unfamiliar voice called out, "hey, Potter, you home? Mr. or Mrs. I don't really care right now-"
"Dammit man, you nearly gave me heart failure," James gasped, lowering his wand as a Weasley poked his head into the living room for the source of the voice.
At least Harry was quite sure of the last name, even not recognizing the man. He had the same vivid red hair of his best friend and a splash of freckles across his face. There was even something familiar about the stocky build and crooked grin that reminded him of, Fred?
"Gideon, what are you-"
"Black!" The man interrupted in exasperation.
Sirius straitened uneasily from crouching over Harry, but his grin flipped at once into place, even as Harry lay completely still he couldn't spot a trace of concern in his godfather. "Do you knock much? This is my best mate's house, not yours."
"Your own faults for leaving the door open," Gideon shrugged without remorse, a clear mocking expression he'd shocked the man so bad he'd rolled off his seat. Then he cocked his head to the
side and looked to the kitchen where the infant's crying was just now subsiding. "Lupin here to? You couple a wankers, you four realize you missed an Order meeting last night? I got sent over here to find out why, and inform your best mate you missed your check in."
Sirius managed to scowl while looking properly chagrined. "Right, about that, err, Remus had a bit of a rough night so we came straight here, and he's only just woken up so I was staying behind to check on him."
"And all three of you had to do that eh?"
There wasn't real skepticism in his voice, but it was clear he found something off. Lily must have noticed, as she stepped forward and started ushering him to the kitchen. "Well he's in there making some tea now, you and Sirius join him to get this mess out of the way."
Sirius gave an exaggerated yawn, and an even more exaggerated shake as he walked over Harry, following them out. James cast one more uneasy look where he'd last seen Harry before following, considering he didn't have a suspicious reason not to.
Harry stayed where he was, not moving an inch, yet his heart still thudding so loudly he was grateful it hadn't given him away. He finally shifted his eyes down and saw that he'd been
disillusioned, likely missing the cold sensation from his rush of shock.
He could very faintly hear voices from the kitchen, certainly surmrise the easy tone they were all using which was probably what had stopped Remus bolting out the back door in the first place if that's what he'd heard from here. He started to worry when he grew stiff from his position, wondering how long disillusionment charms lasted, and very much wishing he'd asked Moody to teach him the spell when he'd had the chance. Dare he make a move for the Invisibility Cloak while he had the chance? He wasn't even sure his wand would work on the false wall, but it was better than lying here waiting to be discovered, he didn't know what would happen to his family if he was, let alone him.
He'd just convinced himself to at least go hide in the bathroom rather than the middle of the floor when he heard scraping chairs and voices back in the hallway. He checked one last time to make sure he still blended with his surroundings as Gideon's voice said, "-let this happen again, you'll have Dumbledore start questioning you lot. I warned him about something like this happening, you lot ain't even thirty yet-"
"I resent that!" Sirius snapped.
"And resemble it," he heard Remus mutter even more quietly.
"I promise Gideon, it was a one time thing," Lily spoke over both of them.
"We've far too much invested in, affairs," James agreed, an edge to his voice that made Harry's skin crawl as he remembered who all his family wanted to have a word with involving the Order.
Something of this must have meant something to Gideon as well, his tone just a touch more understanding now, "alright then, happens to the best of us."
Harry heard the door open again, before Gideon said his last piece, "well you lot look after yourselves." Then in a much more affectionate tone, "and have the little guy come over some
time," he made a little coo noise and the baby responded back with a giggle. "Molly'd love the company."
"It's on my to do list," Lily promised, before there was a snap, and quiet came.
"I should at least get to have the privilege of shoving his wand up his arse," Sirius muttered as he stomped back into the living room. "Scaring the bleeding piss out of us."
"Maybe if Remus would stop losing his keys, I'd actually lock the door once in awhile," James rebutted good naturedly.
"It's hard keeping track of the one key." He protested, "we don't use one to lock our flat, you know that, it was an Apparition only. Why do you think it was so cheap?"
"I keep offering to give him one to my bike, but for some reason, he makes that face," Sirius snickered.
They hesitated for one more moment, Lily hovering next to the window just to be sure, before she hissed, "Harry?"
"Yeah," he called back just as softly, "still down here."
She took a moment to aim carefully, and then Harry sighed in relief as he got to his feet, shaking his limbs to get some feeling back.
"So that's Gideon Prewett eh?"
"Far as we know," Sirius rolled his eyes, "or it could have been Fabian, they're as bad as Fred and George with that gag of theirs, but they're a tad less fun about it when you swap them, so I think Prongs guessed right."
Harry hesitated uneasily before whispering, "did I get you guys in trouble?"
James said no at once, but Lily sighed and admitted, "it did look suspicious, Remus' full moon was four nights ago after all, but as long as we've been with the Order now I think we worked it out alright."
Harry still fidgeted guilty, but James seemed determined to wave the whole thing off now as he collected the book that had fallen to the floor. "Honestly Harry, don't worry about it. Besides, the faster we're done with these things, the faster that you can meet the Order yourself and this whole mess can be sorted out."
Harry was still worried though. Gideon may go back and tell everything was okay, but what if someone else came to check on their absence, a particular rat who would be very confused why
his three best friends had skipped without mentioning it to him? But he'd said the last time, hadn't he, he wouldn't be back around for quite some time, and hadn't disclosed why. Would this change things, make him come back around sooner? Harry wasn't even sure if he wanted that to happen or not...
James was already flipping back through chapters looking for his place, Lily sinking down in relief beside him. Remus and Sirius exchanged one last look before glaring at the door, as if daring
it to do that to them again before they took their seats back as well. Clearly outvoted, Harry returned his attention back to this, for now.
James grunted in agitation, he hadn't really wanted an answer to this, but he supposed it was some kind of good thing he was getting one so soon instead of having to wait forever like every other question he had.
"That was not encouraging," Sirius muttered, his face already twisted with dislike before he got an explanation.
James voice hitched in his throat, gazing with unfiltered fear at that last word before glancing wordlessly at his best mate, whose features had turned icy at the reminder of the place. He had not a clue what this could be about, but he already felt who this was going to be hardest on. If Sirius' name came back up in conjunction with that place again, he was probably going to have to resuscitate him what with all the terrible fears he'd been feeling of being cooped up back in Grimmauld place.
Even having been one of the first people they'd found out we're going to die, somehow having just had some morning tea with the man still made this news feel sharper. It was made all the worse they could put a name to the man who would do it. For Harry it felt even worse, he could feel that thorn in his mind promising the violence wouldn't end. Names and fears crowded together inside him that he had no hope of understanding, and he was almost grateful for it.
Harry shivered hard at the reminder of that name, red fumed memories tainted and waiting to throw him into a deep abyss if he dared peak.
Sirius continued to grow more sallow in here until he resembled a bleached copy of himself at the idea of retaining any features from the woman who would do that to someone he considered a
friend. He wanted to be mad, to rage at Harry he was nothing like that excuse for a human being, but as of now he was afraid of feeling anything in fear of drawing dementors here.
Harry wanted to catch Sirius' eye, in that moment he was desperate for his godfather to look at him for a promise that everything would be okay again no matter how much he got angry when they tried to do it, but he needed one now. Sirius wouldn't look at him though, he wasn't looking at anyone, but instead he was watching the fire, eyes unfocused as if he weren't even here.
Lily spluttered for a moment before starting to twist some hair around her fingers in agitation. She didn't like that was just posted on the front of a paper where you could also find the morning weather. It felt callous, all of those had! Neville had clearly not told many people, and now it wouldn't be hard for them to put the pieces together.
"Why would they use Bellatrix's maiden name," Remus forced out quietly, his face already simmering below shouting levels if he used anything else.
James had no response. No wisecrack came to mind, no udder of denial was enough to cover this.
Lily felt a mess of things well up in her, not least of which was she wanted to weep for him and what this could mean. What if they finally acknowledged Voldemort was back, but they tried to
blame it all on Sirius! He'd escaped and a year later Voldemort had returned, she could easily envision the Ministry making that leap after this new slander, and she'd want to return the favor by tearing their throats out!
Sirius looked slowly around at them, Lily opening and closing her mouth but nothing getting through, James and Remus threatening murder again, Harry's visible outrage, and he smiled. He could feel what a lopsided, twisted thing it was considering this wasn't funny, but he could also imagine reading this news at Grimmauld place and sitting there all alone feeling everything they were, in his own shadowed corner. So he started giggling.
"Padfoot, I swear-"
"No, no," he ducked as Remus actually moved to start smothering him. "I'm not for the reason you think I am, I swear! Just, just keep going Prongs," he managed to insist past his hysterics of
gratitude he wasn't alone now.
The best thing in the world was his best mate scowling at him, but then there was just the smallest spark of understanding in his eyes and he kept going.
"How?" Lily's voice broke over the word, in fear or anger they still weren't sure. "I honestly, I just can't believe this, what is happening!"
"The world's joining the toilet," Sirius offered, still with that insufferable look in place Lily wanted to curse off. Of all the times for Sirius to force his sense of humor on them! Never mind that she almost found it a comfort he could laugh in the face of this again, even if it was going to drive her crazy instead.
"Oh trust me, we're all well aware," Remus said in disgust, still eying Sirius with concern at his forced bravado through all this. He couldn't play off forever this wasn't getting to him, and Remus was getting worried what he'd really do when that happened, most likely much worse than just leaving this place and being knocked out again. James was clearly going out of obligation for his son at this point to get through these, otherwise he probably would have quit at the start of three out of sheer anger for what was being done to his friends. It somehow managed to keep getting worse. Remus just wished he had something more to offer than to be angry for them. He was already a useless waste in this future, he should be able to do something for them in here!
"I mean, under other circumstances, I can't even blame them for that one," Sirius had his head cocked to the side, ignoring his double vision from forcing himself to pay attention to this rather than the screaming rant he really did want to give.
"You mean they never even reported Jr.!" Harry spluttered in outrage as he realized this. "How- they actually managed to cover that whole thing up!"
He didn't get an answer, and he wasn't expecting one. He knew with the Ministry trying to discredit Dumbledore at every turn now that anything he'd had to say would be tarnished, but it
was maddening they wouldn't admit to one single thing they'd done wrong in the past two years of his life, what else were they covering up?
"I never even captioned the Quidditch team, what makes them think I can pull this off?" Sirius asked with an insufferable attempt at politeness, every one of them now fighting the impulse to hit him themselves already.
"Because that worked out so well the last time," Remus sneered.
"Paper was finally done," James told them in clipped tones, realizing that was all the information they were going to get on this for now.
Lily had finally collected the energy to finish her outrage. "How did this happen? They can't get away with this one, they just can't! No one will buy the dementors just stood by and let this happen, inside job my arse! The dementors defected, there is no other explanation! In piling up their own lies, they're only forcing people to see the truth that much sooner!"
"I find it a bleeding miracle this was put in at all instead of what type of crumpet Fudge had for breakfast," Remus agreed.
"There's no way they wouldn't get caught if they didn't report something like this," James disagreed critically. "Even with the very low amount of check ups that go into that place, they clearly decided it was better to stay ahead of this in case one of them was spotted."
Harry didn't have the air to add in, he was still too focused on his own deep seated worry. How things kept getting worse rather than better as he sat in school and did nothing. The DA was the
only way he could fight back, and it didn't feel as if it would help for much longer before something irreversible happened because of all this.
Harry rubbed furiously at his temple for the reminder he hadn't needed from Ron.
"So much for being in Kolkata," James murmured, heart tightening painfully as he envisioned them grabbing back one of those convicts, the entirely wrong one! If Fudge got wind something
was up in the Auror department and Sirius was much closer to home...but no! Sirius was fine, the Order would look after him and he'd keep his nose safe because he had to!
"That didn't make any of this any better," Lily said through gritted teeth, even when this one wasn't Hermione's fault.
Sirius felt a bitter sigh escape him. What he would give for Harry to be the same way, to just be reading about his pup complaining about a normal detention and wondering who next to pull mischief on. The poor kid ran a terrible life that only seemed to be getting worse.
"Well that can't be good," Remus muttered, wondering what new form of evil she could pass in the farce of a decree in her efforts to stop them talking next.
"At this point I can't even blame you," James agreed, his eyes trying to skip ahead lines now to see this new misfortune as well.
"Who would have thought I'd ever be grateful it's not another headline about me," Sirius sighed.
Sirius grumbled in agitation he still couldn't place where he'd heard that name before. Wait, had it something to do with those Ministry- "Chicken!" Sirius suddenly burst out for no discernable reason other than to interrupt.
"Sirius, we just had breakfast-" Lily said in exasperation, but he ignored her as well, babbling at top speed with a look of relief on his face. "I remember where I heard Bode's name, that bloke from St. Mungo's who couldn't talk, or was just starting to talk, whatever! Fire breathing chicken, he was in the elevator on the way to Harry's trial!"
There was an echoing silence for a moment before Remus told him, "you're mind works in the strangest way."
Sirius shrugged in relief, finally satisfied that odd tickle was gone from his mind.
Oddly though, this made Harry start to frown again with unease. Just what was it about the name Bode he was supposed to be remembering? Sirius was lucky he'd had his moment, because Harry struggled with every one of his.
James couldn't help his brows creep with interest at this, understanding now why it had distracted Hermione from the larger matter he was still plenty outraged about. This was certainly...new.
Remus scrutinized this for a moment before finally blurting out, "you must be kidding. Why did someone kill a mental person?"
"You got me," James agreed before shushing him for the rest.
"Now I'm done," James finished.
"Yes, thank you for that wonderful conclusion," Remus snipped before pressing his point. "I mean it, the bloke couldn't say his own name, what on earth was the real story there?"
"I really wish we knew," Sirius grumbled as he ran his hand through his hair in agitation, always feeling like he was missing part of the story, even the ones he was involved in.
"Oh Harry no," Lily said at once. "You can't be blamed for this, it would have happened whether you'd been there or not-"
"But we were there," Harry stated. "What's the use of being around if not to help when we could have."
"For the same reason you can't stop every man jumping in front of a bus," Lily said, her tone itching towards real concern. "Things happen around you Harry, but it's not your fault if you
couldn't stop them."
He only nodded to appease her, but not for the first time wondered just what good he'd ever done anyone.
"Oh Ron can't mean that one," James rolled his eyes. "He must know as well as anyone this was no accident."
"Maybe it could have been though," Lily strained to keep some peace in any life. "Deliveries get mispackaged, what if this was supposed to be sent somewhere else, and that Healer truly wouldn't know the difference if she'd never touched it herself."
James took a moment to appraise her, see her desperate plea for something not to be hate and murder, and nodded slowly. "You're right Lils, accidents do happen out there."
Lily leaned into him with one gnot of unease finally releasing her, more grateful than ever to the man she'd married.
"Congradulations! Someone helped beef up security at St. Mungo's, they probably won't be accepting anonymous gifts now!" Sirius jumped in and tried to praise this situation, Lily scowling at him for what she thought of as sarcasm. Sirius just huffed he wasn't appreciated enough.
"How do you still manage to remember things before me," Harry huffed.
"It's alright Harry," Sirius said bracingly, "as my wondrous friends so frequently point out, my mind is a steel trap that forgets nothing."
"I said you're an idiot who who can't remember anything except when the next meal is," Remus corrected.
"Actually you told him his mind works in strange ways, I think both count here," James grinned, actually grinned at his two friends, every second of his life now set on the idea he'd never have to go without seeing this.
"It was implied," Remus rolled his eyes while James swallowed a laugh and kept going.
"Oh," they all muttered, rather forcefully dropped back into the story at the mention of that.
"Well, that just made a lot more sense," Lily shivered.
"He was working with the Death Eater's to try and get this mystery thing out of there as well, but something went wrong," James concluded.
"So someone silenced him," Remus agreed.
James gave an apologetic look to Lily who was frowning deeply at all of this, and he could honestly understand why. He could feel more every day what would happen to his friends and how it was getting to him, the same thing was happening to her on the wider scale of the world, all the injustice that never ended. He tried to hurry on, wanting to hear about a lesson already, anything but Hermione finding another article in the paper.
"I love it when she does that," Sirius said, only half being sarcastic now. "It usually means something's fixing to happen that I like."
"I just wish she'd explain before she goes off," James agreed, still scrutinizing that one, but pleased one of his wishes had come true, at least in the short term.
All five of them felt their faces fold in concern at the same time. If they could have an answer to something going on, they wished it was whatever had really happened to Hagrid, as clearly it was still affecting him.
"I wish I was more surprised," Remus snapped.
"Still plenty disgusted by it," Sirius sneered.
"I sincerely doubt it's a secret," James scowled. "Surprised Umbridge hasn't posted that news as the headline herself."
"What I saw was a prejudice lugie who needs to have a run in with a spit already," Lily said flatly.
"Oh please stop tempting fate Harry, it usually dumps twice as much back," James sighed.
"I hope he keeps that expression when I create The Amazing Bouncing Ferret, the Squeakquel," Sirius vowed.
"Well that I actually believe," Lily sighed. Not many people read the paper for any of the important stories, which is probably why the Ministry still published them, to claim they were keeping people informed in as little detail as possible."
James had to pause there to reread that one, mostly for the Shrieking Shack line.
"Did the whole school find out about me being in there?" Sirius demanded in confusion.
"Peeves spread it around," Harry confirmed. "Of course the whole thing got jumbled, I even heard one girl telling you were actually the ghost haunting that place, but now most people are aware it's somehow connected to the grounds and you can get in and out of there some way. Never heard anything more clear than that."
"Well thankfully we'll never get a repeat of any kind of Sirius' incident," Remus said with absolute confidence. "The Death Eaters aren't stupid enough to come after the school with Dumbledore here."
James tried to nod in agreement, but instead managed to let his glasses fall of his face he was jerking so much. He quickly put them back and kept going loudly before Sirius could suggest,
again, he permanently stick them in place, no one noticing a similar reaction passing over Harry.
"Maybe this'll make them all realize how Harry feels," James said grimly, he still couldn't think about his son's fame without a whirl of emotions, none of them good.
"I guess the empathy's kind of nice," Lily said grudgingly.
"Still wouldn't have asked for it like this," Harry said softly, he'd never want anyone else to know what it felt like to be him.
"Would you look at that, they've grown brains," Remus politely applauded.
"Only took them half a year, guess they can't all be as rational as us," Sirius smirked.
"I think you meant orotund," Lily pleasantly corrected.
Sirius frowned, not recognizing the word, but sure by her tone he knew the meaning so scowled at her for good measure.
She continued by ignoring him, "I'm just happy it's happening at all, I've sympathy for them not wanting to believe it even when it was in their face."
"How was that nicer than what they said?" James politely asked.
"I didn't try to insult the students while praising myself, you lot do that enough yourself," she smirked.
Harry was laughing too hard for the argument to keep going with any amount, so James rolled his eyes before continuing.
"Must be as hard for the teachers as it was for Harry to find a moment of not being watched by the toad," Remus said in sympathy.
"Oh no," Lily mouthed in horror as James read out a new level of idiotic.
"I was joking!" Remus spluttered, hardly pausing for breath as he explained his earlier thought. "Merlin, I think I'm more insulted I'm still surprised she's doing this!"
"I'm more insulted she keeps getting away with it," Lily corrected with pure disgust.
"Thank you!" James burst out with pride. "Finally, someone really showing Umbridge just how ludicrous all of this was, I was beginning to fear everyone in this school was just playing along with them!"
Harry watched them all hiss at the reminder of that, he rubbing at the back of his hand again in sympathy.
Sirius gave a hollow laugh for such a dream, when he more envisioned chucking her into Azkaban instead. He didn't need dementors there, she could just rot in a cell and left to die and he'd be happy.
James groaned loudly in pity for the two of them. Neither were, ahem, perfect teachers really, but neither had ever done anything so bad as to deserve this! Okay, so maybe Trelawney had irked them one too many times, especially last year when Harry'd had that dream in her class. Okay, Hagrid and those Skrewts had crossed the limit of what he should be bringing to class, but the real trauma was that Snape wasn't on that list! He'd done far worse than the two of them put together, where was his sacking slip!
Lily groaned in sympathy though. Not even liking Trelawney she would have long since stepped in and told Umbridge to march herself back out and go do her own work, though in her opinion it only showed how much effort Umbridge had to put into her own classes to be seen in so many others.
Remus frowned in confusion, easily remembering her rarity of doing this from all of Harry's previous years.
"The poor broads as crazy as I always said she was," Sirius said, but there was nothing but sorrow in his voice. Even after the prophecy she'd declared that had nearly ended his life, this wasn't exactly what he would have wanted to happen to her in return. He wouldn't wish that toad on anyone.
"Yet the probability of both being gone is far more likely, as he said, it was only a matter of who first," Remus muttered for himself.
"It felt like he'd never even come back," Harry whispered.
Lily bit hard at her lip, wanting more every moment to go to him and wrap him tight in her arms, promise this would somehow get better, but they were all running out of that assurance the more
Umbridge did.
James had tensed more with every line, unable to imagine his old school falling into such a grim form of itself for his son, the one reprieve he'd ever had in his life.
While unsurprised by this, they all wanted to praise Neville in that moment for taking this the right direction, rather than curling up in a corner and crying as he was entitled to do at that woman escaping back into any section of his life. He had something to fight for now.
Lily almost threatened to tear up at this news. She'd always known Neville had more potential in him than Harry had ever seen, but now she thought of how proud Alice would be of her son just like she was for her own. The idea Alice may never get to say it to her child just like she hadn't in this future felt unbearable.
James shivered in unease, he hadn't found that possible!
Remus could feel his mouth opening in horror at the idea, and quickly scrambled to cover the expression, but Harry had seen. "Okay, so I won't lie," he confessed to his pale nephew. "The fact that I have no clue what that means is..." he faltered, but no word seemed right. "Doesn't make you any less to me," he finished meeting his eyes.
Harry relaxed back with a chagrined nod he'd thought otherwise for even a second, while Remus was still stunned what he thought clearly meant as much to him as James or Sirius.
"I'm getting the feeling this Occlumency is another symptom rather than a cure then," Harry huffed, he still couldn't feel any good came of this.
"He wasn't trying to be," James rolled his eyes, honestly sympathetic to Harry's problem and wishing this would come to ahead already, this building tension of what this thing could do was going to drive them all mad faster than Umbridge.
"Lets see her try it!" Sirius spluttered in protest for her jab. "It's no walk in the park having your brain cracked open, let alone by such a detested insect!"
The two exchanged an amused grin, while Remus grumbled no one needed Harry furthering Sirius' never ending idiotics.
The worst part was, the Marauders had been wondering much the same thing. They hadn't said it aloud, never let the idea come to fruition, but it made too much sense to them. They didn't trust Snape, and they never would, certainly not with something as important as this. Now, with Ron saying it for them, James forced out the words slowly and clearly to help put together his own train of thought past curses.
James turned pasty in shock of remembering who was in the Order and Dumbledore trusted, and his own fate because of it. James wasn't even sure if he could trust anyone outside this room again, let alone anyone Dumbledore said should be good enough.
"Not for me it's not," Sirius barked, entirely wanting Hermione to shut up instead. "I've never seen evidence against him either! Dumbledore's word isn't good enough for this, not with what Harry needs right now."
Lily kept herself calm, and quiet. She only agreed with Sirius on half, she did want that proof of his loyalty, he had done to many questionable, terrible things that she now needed something she never thought she would. She almost wished Ron hadn't said this, because now she couldn't get the idea out of her head, this certainly hadn't occurred to her. She'd thought her old friend was finally doing some irrefutable good helping her son with this, but the boys were right, they had nothing to show for whose good.
"I hope that's not true," James whispered for himself. That small ember for the life of one of his friends had died out never to be seen again, but he still trusted his real friends, his wife. He used to trust Dumbledore irrefutably, but that no longer felt as real either, and he knew he'd never fully get
that back after all this. If that's really where Hermione stood, he pitied her.
Sirius made such an enthusiastic noise Harry startled away from him, his eyes already narrowed at all of them and fighting back the urge to wrestle the book away from his father.
"Dad, I will-"
"No." James said at once without looking up.
"But I-"
"No." Sirius cut in, a smile already lighting his features as he looked at the object like it was gold.
"What if I-" Harry tried desperately.
"No." Remus crossed his arms and watched him as if he'd gone insane trying to ruin their fun.
"Can't I-"
"No," all three Marauders said at once.
He looked desperately to his mother, but she could only shrug helplessly for her poor boy, only wishing for a moment she could be more sympathetic, but that vanished in moments as she was
honestly just as eager to hear this.
"Well I don't need to-" he started getting to his feet and contemplating drowning himself in the bathtub until this was over, but was again intervened.
"Don't you even," Sirius cried in protest, wrenching his elbow back into his seat before he'd even managed to stand. "Your reactions are half the fun!"
"Only half," he muttered, pulling restlessly, but Sirius wasn't letting go, now waving James on eagerly so they could all hear about Harry's first date.
Sirius was already opening his mouth with a now familiar look that promised Harry would soon wish to be deaf and invisible. "I am begging you-"
"Harry, we haven't managed to stop him in the amount of years in our life, you hold no chance," Remus pleasantly informed him.
Sirius hadn't acknowledged either one of them as he blurted, "hope you got one of those mirrors offering advice, you're going to need it!"
James already burst out laughing while Harry finally got his elbow free, and spotted the cat snoozing under the table. He scooped Hickory up and placed him on his lap, scratching at his ears and making him purr loud enough Harry hoped to drown them all out instead.
"I'm guessing this has to do with what she walked off about earlier," Remus cocked his head to the side, more easily distracted than the others about what Hermione was doing.
"Brilliant deduction," Lily rolled her eyes at him while the other two shushed them, trying to get to far more important matters.
Harry squirmed with discomfort, this wasn't working and the cat glared at him and kneaded his claws into his shin. He roughly pushed the animal back off of him, thinking now everyone in here
was enjoying themselves more than him.
Lily frowned at her son being so rough with her cat, but as the boys were still lightly snickering over something so minor, she couldn't find it in her to scold him for that.
"Here I was wondering if he and Hermione were going to spend the day alone," Sirius muttered to Remus suggestively, who nodded in agreement as he'd thought the same thing.
James felt his mood take a downpour at once, somehow finding a new way to be depressed about this every time he realized why no more Quidditch practices had been mentioned!
"I wouldn't either," James said sharply. "He's clearly good when he sets his mind to it, he just needs to work on that far more, clearly Angelina isn't much help if he's still thinking the exact same way as the last time we heard about this."
teaspoon,
James was so agitated by the conversation, he poured every last drop of his enthusiasm into reading that, and though Remus and Sirius didn't laugh as hard because they were just as annoyed
at the reminder, Harry suddenly wasn't so put out at them taking the mickey out of him for this. It was certainly better than anything else they'd been hearing about lately, so he finally fixed a smile into place and prepared himself for all the ribbing they'd give.
"Well we know you already have something in common," James said, still a bit briskly for the Quidditch reminder, but clearly forcing himself to remain in his good mood.
"Yeah, yeah you're right," Harry eagerly agreed at once, still trying to force himself to join in on their fun.
"This is going to be a very short outing if that continues," Sirius' grin managed to keep stretching, it looked almost painful.
"Young love," Remus giggled at the awkward look Harry was clearly trying hard to keep repressed now.
Harry felt the same sharp pang in here, temporarily distracted in confusion that he'd much rather be playing a game than on a date with a girl he'd had a crush on for so long.
"Vividly," James beamed.
"And look at you pup, still a gentleman considering you never did it," Sirius grinned.
"Not everyone can say the same," James smirked.
Lily opened and closed her mouth, not sure if she wanted to know what that comment meant, but James didn't pause long enough for her to ask.
"No, it was Puddlemere United," James recalled.
"Why do you remember that?" Lily muttered.
Sirius offered Harry a triumphant grin for catching such a light hearted conversation that could last them for hours, and could easily branch into other things. Harry really had picked a good girl, he still wasn't sure what Lily and James ever found to talk about considering she had no fondness for the sport.
"That's really good," Lily encouraged. "After the first few awkward moments, talking really should be the most natural part."
Both parents looked honestly offended at that, Remus having to bite hard on his tongue to stop from laughing at their faces when Harry at once shifted guiltily at the reminder.
James groaned in sympathy for Harry before telling him, "then you either compliment her, can start another conversation easily enough, or you curse them as they walk away-"
He ducked just in time as Lily tried to smack him, shaking her head affectionately at her husband.
Harry chuckled, just a bit, at the friendly advice.
They all shivered in disgust of that reminder, still on some level picturing this happening to Sirius even if his heat had cooled down. This resurgence could still cause a mess of problems for the man who didn't deserve it.
"Not the word I'd use," Remus said bitterly, with a touch of confusion, what was Cho getting at?
"Oooh, I like her," Sirius began snickering harder than ever, his eyes gleaming at her logic, plus a darker something at the reminder he was still refusing to acknowledge. "We really could use her around, mind like that."
Harry gave an absent smile, happy to see they clearly still had a liking for Cho, but even as he gave his ring a little twist he tried to understand if this feeling of loss really was for this first date, or for someone he still couldn't place yet.
Remus wasn't as convinced, as at the time the Ministry had believed they knew where Sirius was going and why. They were half wrong, but it still would have had merit to post some guards for something so extreme happening, preferably something more reliable than dementors. This, he supposed, was just another level of showing how much the head of the Ministry cared, which felt non existent at this point.
"Because that's right comforting," James grumbled, still feeling disgust for the dementor attack of Harry's over the summer. While still odd, it seemed the explanation really was they'd been acting on their own in that Muggle place.
"What's this now?" Sirius ruffled his brow in confusion.
"Never heard of it," James almost snapped, insulted at once this girl would know something about their place.
"Relax you two," Remus wished he could protest more the put out look in place, but he was feeling as off as his friends. "Don't be naive in thinking they wouldn't have added a few more shops over the years."
They exchanged one more annoyed look before James kept going with more interest now, placing the shop in his mind easily enough as just an empty bit of space and curious to add to it.
Siris wretched at the very idea, even Lily found the idea undignified, though perhaps more because of the comparison than anything.
"There is no correct answer to that," Remus groaned.
"Suppose that's the best he could do though," James sighed.
"I honestly would have called that as original decorations," Harry said, his face squidged up in remembrance.
"At least he's not still strung up over Fleur," James chuckled.
"Ooh, I think Cho knew exactly what she was doing," Sirius sighed.
Harry wasn't paying him too much mind, even if he would have agreed, as he tried to subtly watch his parents and how they'd effortlessly been holding hands most of the time they were in
here. Even the idea of wishing Cho were here so he could as well was starting to make his palms sweat.
"That's a rather common first date practice," Remus agreed.
The wild look on Harry's face made it clear this was news to him.
"Err, Harry dear," Lily began cautiously, "has anyone ever, I mean to say, who-"
The growing look of horror was a pretty clear answer.
"No one ever talked to you about what happens after the date," James stated bluntly.
"Clearly even during the date," Remus muttered.
Harry kept watching them in exasperation like it would click together for them without his having to say so, but it was clear at least his mother wanted an explanation for this while the other three were just curious. "Okay fine," he groaned, "no, it's not as if I ever chatted about this! Heard some things from older students, some of the guys from the dorm say a few things that stick. Most everything I've really heard was from Ron," he couldn't help stammering even if he wasn't too embarrassed at least explaining the highlights. "Whatever his brothers told him, some things I heard Mr. Weasley say, I thought it pretty clear I was making it up along the way. You really want details?"*
"Nope," James said, more than satisfied, even if still a little resentful this was yet another thing he'd been deprived of, as he kept going loudly before Lily could argue the point.
Harry was cringing into his seat, never in his life wishing more that his dad would skip some parts already!
James didn't seem particularly phased by what other random people were doing, he was more curious if Harry was going to progress that far, if remembering kissing Cho would finally set off some spark in him that would declare who that ring connected to. It hadn't the first time though, so he wasn't holding his breath, and instead was just going with curiosity now what Harry would learn from all this.
"Oh I doubt that," Sirius shook his head, "most girls are far more involved with their own affairs."
"Really?" Remus said in surprise. "I thought they were more observational, in fact I'd be thinking the same as Harry."
"Oh no, they're watching your every move to see if you're watching their every move," Sirius said wisely.
James was watching curiously. Considering the many dates Sirius had been on, and just as many failed attempts, he was never sure how much Sirius wasn't just making all this up on the spot.
"That timing," Lily began giggling anew as Harry's face puckered with indignation.
"That's what he just said," James rolled his eyes, while Sirius hummed in concern, easily recognizing the dangerous tone without even being there. It was never a good sign when the question was repeated back.
"Oh dear," Lily said, quickly catching up to why Sirius was shaking his head at this display.
"What did I do?" Harry demanded of them.
"Cho's jealous of Hermione," Sirius rolled his eyes.
"A bit founded, honestly," Lily winced. "All those stories last year, well it's not as if she knew them not to be true," she said quickly at Harry's affronted look for Skeeter's articles being brought up again. "Plus you've been friends with her for ages, now bringing this up, I can see how she'd take that the wrong way."
"I wouldn't bring a date to a girl I fancied, I'm not that oblivious!" Harry protested. "I was trying to enjoy spending time with Cho, just, trying to find something to say."
Considering James had lived through several similar conversations of Sirius trying to partake advice, James saved Harry from having to hear any further and hoped his son wormed out of this fast enough on his own.
James gave a breathy laugh as he eyed that before nodding at his son. "I find it a fair comparison."
"Can't have been that hard for you," Harry rolled his eyes, "considering all I've heard about you trying to ask her out, this bit must have been a breeze for you."
"Hardly," Remus snorted as James turned chagrined. "Poor bloke was so stunned Lily finally gave him a chance, he somehow turned into more of a blithering idiot when she acknowledged his
attention."
James didn't bother to deny this, shrugging without remorse. "It did help she'd already seen me making a fool of myself to get this far, so I couldn't screw up so badly at the firsts."
Lily was just happy Harry was finally relaxing and actually chatting with the boys about this, clearly forcing himself past his embarrassment had finally led them to stop snickering away like total idiots and now she could really gage how he felt about all this. She was surprised at how, lax he was. She was genuinely starting to wonder if this thing with Cho was going to go anywhere, he'd been more happy about having his memories of learning all the Weasley's names restored rather than a first date with a girl who could possibly be his wife.
"There you have it, all of Padfoot's advice is officially null and void," Remus said in triumph.
"You certainly weren't singing the same tune in school," Sirius huffed, hardly looking abashed Cho was doing the opposite of what he'd been thinking.
"You're an idiot," was the only response he seemed to have for that.
"Now who's bringing up other people on our date," Harry threw his hands up in exasperation.
"She's trying to make you jealous," Lily assumed. "After you brought up Hermione, that's her idea of a comparison."
"I've never asked Hermione out," Harry spluttered.
"That's what she thought you meant," Lily explained.
"Well why couldn't she have just said that, I would have told her. I had no idea why she brought that up!"
Lily just shook her head at her poor son. If she could have, she would have been whispering all this in his ear, to help him understand, but she also recognized he would have to figure all this out in his own time regardless. He clearly already had, considering.
Okay, maybe all of their humor wasn't gone, all three cracking up at the description, Harry even offering a smile for his poor attempt.
"Pity?" Sirius clearly thought he was being helpful. "She knew you had a crush on her and she's trying to make someone else jealous."
Harry's eyes popped, he looked half affronted and half confused now, while Remus smacked him upside the head.
"What?" Sirius protested, "I was just being honest. Better than saying she only did cause he's so famous."
"You are not helping," James enunciated clearly for his idiotic friend while Harry huffed and rubbed at his temples, clearly trying to remember if he recalled any of those things. James glanced at Harry, but he was now so distracted he wasn't sure if Harry was even still listening, so he kept going to try and find the point of this while Harry was still distracted.
"Oh this is even better," Lily groaned, "now she's reminiscing about their elephant."
"Really starting to feel better about my dating life," Remus muttered.
Harry missed what he'd said as his mother's words caused another level of distraction, now looking dispirited about the whole thing for a whole new reason other than his family's mockery.
James had hardly gotten that out before shuddering at the idea of what Cedric's last thought must have been. What his own would have been...He shook himself to clear that away and turned
solemn eyes on his son, never having wanted to say more to him but having no place to start.
Harry clearly didn't want to talk about this though, his jaw tightly set and all but glaring at the book for never ceasing to remind him of this when all he really wanted to do was forget it all again. That wasn't going to happen though, the moment he'd realized the thought had crossed his mind he'd even felt ashamed for it, Cedric's death was to be remembered for the same reason his trip to the Mirror of Erised was. Bitter, unattainable pain that pushed him to be better at his own life.
James took a careful breath before continuing quietly, looking forward to this as much as he was hearing more about those escaped prisoners. He had no desire to hear about Harry explaining Cedric's last moments to Cho...
"Oh it is far too late for changing the subject," Sirius told him with sympathy while Harry's horror had switched to dread. A huge jumble of emotions leaving him more unclear than ever what he was supposed to be feeling about this moment and Cho in general.
"I don't suppose this'll just pass into a relapse of the two of you kissing, and finally a skip scene," Remus pleaded just a bit desperately.
"Fingers crossed," James winced for his poor son.
"Really, why?" Sirius yelped, starting to look jittery as he glanced from Harry to the book, no advice in the world would help him out of this mess.
"Couldn't tell you, thought you were supposed to be telling me that," Harry said miserably, he wanted this to be over already, even more than when it had started somehow.
Lily started to look affronted for her son. She knew what Cho meant of course, but there was an entirely huge difference in dating Cedric and watching him die. Of course they both needed to talk about it, but not while they were trying to move past it during this moment of the two romantically trying to start up!
"Now's the time you try to take this outside," James winced. "She really is something, dragging this out in public."
"I'm sure by this point what Sirius said is actually some form of true, she's not paying attention to a thing but herself by this point," Remus groaned.
Harry's mouth gaped open as he vividly remembered this nightmare returning. Now thanks to his mum, he supposed in some skewed way he knew why that would bother her, but it wasn't like that at all! He wouldn't have started screeching if she'd gone and said she'd talked to one of her friends about this, what was the difference? "Why was she bringing this up at all?" Harry hadn't
realized he'd demanded that out loud until they all winced for his tone and the baby in Remus' lap fussed uneasily at the sharp voice.
"I'm sorry Harry," Lily sighed, wishing she had a better answer. "My best guess is she was trying to make you sympathize with her to keep your attention, but it's not as if we have insights into her mind, we really are guessing."
Harry nodded morosely, muttering an apology for half yelling at something that was entirely not their fault.
James waited patiently for his son to settle back down in Remus' lap before pressing on with a look clearly saying he'd like to change the subject last page.
"This is just getting better and better," Sirius sighed.
"There's a sentence I've never been privy to," James paused to gaze at that line even if he did sympathize with his son for it.
"That is the most ludicrous thing!" Remus spluttered. "Now I'm wondering if she took something before this outing!"
"She's upset," Lily scolded him, even if she was still more wishing Harry would do more to comfort the girl, it wasn't really his fault both were mutually making this worse.
"She's just shouting nonsense at him now," Remus insisted, "even Sirius was never so loony to pull something like that."
Sirius couldn't decide if he was supposed to be insulted for a moment, but James was going loudly over them, knowing no answer to this would help Harry.
"Credit for trying?" Sirius offered, for now ignoring Remus. "I always try to make others laugh in these kinds of situations."
"Merlin help you if you start acting like Sirius in any situation," James rolled his eyes.
"So happy to be of their entertainment for the day," Harry groaned.
"If it's any consolation, you've now set for them how their dates shouldn't go," Sirius clearly thought he was being helpful again, while Harry eyed him with concern since he wasn't sure if
Sirius meant this. If he did, maybe his godfather had head trauma.
"That about covered this whole instance since you stepped in there," James agreed.
"More than I would have done," Sirius rolled his eyes. "That little tabloid needs a chance to cool down."
"Did you just call her a tabloid?" Lily asked in confusion, already feeling insulted on Cho's behalf for whatever he could mean by that.
"Yeah, dramatic and showing off," Sirius grinned like he was being clever.
Remus was too busy watching him in disbelief, and missed Lily's expression saying she wished he'd take another swing.
"Oh how things can change," James agreed, though he said this more with an air of cheer as he glanced adoringly at his wife.
Lily went from grinning at her husband to scoffing at her son, who looked properly sheepish, though in his silent defence there hadn't been a chance his mother would be around to hear that
when he'd said it.
"Oh Merlin, he really is acting like Sirius now," Remus groaned, that was too reminiscent of how Sirius came back from failed dates.
"I'm still on Harry's side for this," James frowned at that. "She did seem to bring this on herself."
"Stop, the lot of you," Lily frowned at all of them. "Cho was trying just like Harry was, things got away from them. I still hope they'll patch it up."
Harry grimaced at the idea of this. His liking for Cho, which had always been the smallest part of his memories returning, felt more insignificant than ever, and he really didn't have much feeling for his mother's words other than more dread.
While the others had brightened just a bit, Hagrid was always fun to talk to and his departure and even return had only been depressing so far. They were hoping for just a small moment of fun, but this wasn't an encouraging start.
Only Sirius had an idea of why James was looking forward to this least of all. If Hagrid started imparting girl wisdom in his steed, he wasn't sure how long he could fake not being annoyed at it.
"True, his relationship with Maxime seems to be going well," Sirius said brightly. Harry rubbed his face into his hands in exasperation while Remus told him he had a one track mind, Sirius ignoring both of them.
"Er," Lily muttered in confusion, wondering where Hagrid was going with that, and still somehow wishing for that pleasant chat.
James slight scowl turned into a grimace instead. He would have taken being annoyed at being replaced rather than the abrupt reminder of why he would be replaced!
"Yeah," Harry whispered, ducking his head. It was too hard to look at them all for a moment, to realize yet again his living in this moment never should have happened, but by some miracle it had. Hagrid had never been granted such a gift to see his parents again.
"Oh the poor dear," Lily crooned, feeling her own eyes start to sting. Hagrid did seem a bit off since he'd come back, and she suddenly wondered if this was why! Being surrounded by giants,
hearing the fate of his mother, his only relation was dead! She knew Harry often felt like an outsider in the magical world, she often did as well being a muggle-born, Hagrid must have it even worse not truly being apart of any world!
The boys could only awkwardly agree. They felt bad for Hagrid, but anything to say about it felt heartless or lost on them. Only Remus could have possibly sympathized, and he hadn't spoken to anyone about this except his friends, so he wouldn't have dared tried now when Hagrid was clearly in such an off time.
"I can't even blame you for that one," Sirius said with a hard catch to his voice.
Harry almost wished for his advice back, that was easier to handle than a Sirius who was yet again forced to relive what would happen to his best friend, to his own future, all because of Harry.
"Those jabs to the heart you keep dishing out," Remus muttered sourly, glad Hagrid wasn't around to hear that, he didn't mean it.
"Hagrid's as good as ever managing his secrets," James tried to force more sarcasm to his voice than the edge that was still present.
Harry had to concentrate for a moment on remembering to swallow past everything that had happened. He wished he could be of some help to Hagrid, but he also had a really bad feeling for whatever was this notion in him he was sure to understand this eventually.
James spluttered like he'd been clocked in the head by a Bludger! Even Lockhart hadn't thrown him off as badly as this woman making a reappearance!
The other three made much the same noise, this day really couldn't get any stranger could it?
"I have never been happier for Hermione's existence!" Sirius declared. "I need an explanation for this Prongs, now!"
It still took him a few moments to find his tongue and continue. He hadn't expected to ever hear from this woman again, or if she had crossed his mind he'd have liked to think her in a cart load of trouble, not having a drink back at Hogwarts!
"Drama explanations for later, answer for why there's a cockroach at the table now," Sirius insisted, fighting back the urge to snatch the book away from him already.
"I'm going, I'm going," James muttered, only going slower in responding, so Remus elbowed Sirius hard before he could retort.
"What if it is a bloke named Cho?" Lily rolled her eyes.
"That would be an even bigger news line, if possible," Harry said deadpan, James shushing themboth without looking up.
"Now there's an idea," Remus couldn't stop himself snickering at the idea, though quickly stopped at Sirius' glare.
"Finally," Sirius yelped, James taking a moment to look at him in exasperation for still managing to delay this further.
Lily didn't care how mean spirited her giggle was, the woman deserved it with all she'd done.
"What deal?" All four of them said in exasperation.
James looked up slowly from the book, saying clearly, "well if you'd stop interrupting me, maybe we'd know by now!"
Remus ignored him and instead started speculating with that little bit, "Hermione's not really going to let Rita out from under her thumb, I can't imagine what would be worth it!"
"There's not going to be a time that's possible," Lily scoffed. "Hermione will always have the first word of Rita's secret."
"I can't believe Skeeter hasn't fixed this herself by now," Sirius said with puzzlement. "It's been plenty of time, surely she's at least started the process of registering herself as an animagus."
"I thought she was still in a jar in her dorm and never got the chance," James pouted even if he knew it not to be true, Hermione had said she was going to release her, but he could enjoy the idea in the meantime. Then he cursed at himself for playing along when he'd wanted to keep going.
"Maybe Prongs has a point," Remus agreed, "Hermione could have dumped Skeeter in the middle of nowhere, made it a real hassle for her to be doing anything to do with the Ministry in the
meantime."
"Eh," Sirius said, unsatisfied with this answer, but it was the only one they were going to get as James kept going.
"She says that like it's supposed to be so intimidating," Harry rolled his eyes. Even at her worst, Harry had only ever been outraged at her for further inconveniencing his life and making Hagrid's life more miserable, but never to the level Skeeter clearly found herself of menacing.
All five of them got a laugh out of that, finally, this whole chapter had felt like a walking disaster, so this was a brilliant relief to them all.
"Usually Hermione answering for people drives me nuts," Lily grinned, "but somehow she's made this time funny."
"Circumstances," Harry shrugged, he'd had no problem Hermione deflecting this for him.
James rolled his eyes in disgust even if Skeeter finally was doing something they approved of. She certainly wasn't going to be able to spin it in the way it should be, leaving them still baffled as to why she was there.
"Yep, there it is," Lily said in clipped tones. Even Skeeter managed to make the actual truth into a spectacle. It was a gift, if a waste of one.
"Don't indulge her Hermione!" Remus scolded.
"The name, which I can't even deny is a little funny, or the idea," James arched a brow at the book.
"Both," Sirius had his head cocked to the side as he tried to wrap his head around where Hermione was going with this.
"Hey!" James yelped in outrage. "I thought Luna liked Ron!"
"Maybe she really does wish he were her King," Sirius inserted, though still confused.
Harry had a torn look in place, a bit miffed at Luna as well even having the knowledge she'd never mean it the way Malfoy did. What was it about this song he was so sure shouldn't really be a bad thing? He was sure if Luna was humming it, maybe she'd even added her own lines so they weren't insulting his friend-wait-
The idea was turned off as James kept going, to Harry's relief, as he was starting to feel that all too familiar pounding back in his temple.
"But, where's the proof she will?" Lily demanded, clearly thinking she'd found a hole in Hermione's plan even if there was a warm feeling for the idea. "I give her merit, trying to post
Harry's story out there, but-"
"Luna's dad!" Sirius yelped with a huge smile, ignoring Lily's scowl he'd cut her off, she should be thanking him. "Remember, he believes Harry, he'd never post anything like Skeeter was trying for, but he'd put up the truth! And this woman, being the horrid but reputable source she is, puts the credibility as opposed to his other stories," he trailed off with a brilliant smile.
Lily found the plan so ingenious she even stopped scowling at Sirius.
"That's brilliant," Remus breathed, watching the grin unfurl on Harry's face. "That's, wow! Wait, what even made her think of this so much later?"
"Who cares," James said in a sing song voice, grinning boyishly. Finally something was going right for Harry!
Remus was still blasted as he remembered it was Hermione seeing those ten Death Eaters that somehow prompted this, though he wasn't clear how she'd connected all those dots to this, but he
wasn't going to knock the idea either so let it go. He was still just a teensy bit worried, vividly remembering the cock and bull about Sirius for one that had so gotten their hopes up for the
briefest moment. He wasn't entirely sure how this was going to help Harry, how far could Skeeter's word really stretch?
"My new favorite reaction," Remus nodded, his eyes still wide from shock.
Sirius' grin took a hard edge, nearly predator like from this woman clearly not having learned her lesson, still trying to talk like this about his godson. They weren't even there and they'd realized where Hermione was going with this before that woman had, shows how smart she really was compared to that 'silly little girl.'
"Finally someone says it out loud," Lily scoffed.
"Well that's a new one," James scrunched up his nose at this woman trying to act like a professional instead of what she really was.
"And pandering to that idea makes it all better," Remus said acidly.
"It used to not," James said in disgust, still having the urge to discontinue his own even when they hadn't started doing this yet. Just knowing they one day would because of whatever means Fudge was using was revolting enough to him.
"Oh so we're back to calling her that now," Lily said through gritted teeth.
"I note the change happened after Hermione made her point," James sniffed.
"I want to subscribe to that now," Sirius said flatly. Harry couldn't help a grin at him doing such a thing out of spite, even if he admired the idea of why.
All five of them almost cracked a smile for such a reaction, though perhaps not a kind one, to be in on such a joke. They didn't like agreeing with Skeeter, it left a nasty taste to acknowledge for even a second she had a point, but it was still miles better than anything she'd ever conceived.
"That's assuming you have a heart long enough to keep anything alive," Lily sneered.
"They did take my name at The Quibbler," Sirius batted his eyes innocently, Harry starting to laugh as hard as Rita just had much to the others exasperation at wondering why Harry still did.
The others couldn't help joining in on Harry's suddenly giggly mood. Too long they'd been hearing nothing but disaster and pain on him, yet finally Hermione had wrangled together something of far more use than they'd yet seen anyone else trying to do!
"Please continue giving them ideas," Lily giggled, noting how all the Marauders got a particular look on their face for this description.
That jab was harder to laugh at for the reminder of James and Sirius' own current problem, making them all the more glad they'd never incurred Hermione's wrath at any time.
"I'm sure many people would stand in line to see," Lily rolled her eyes. "Isn't it nice to underestimate people."
"I would like to take a moment to recognize Hermione just, volunteering you for this," James frowned at this. He'd just had a big problem with Cho because she'd just assumed Harry would
want to talk to someone about this, now here was Hermione foisting the same thing on him.
Lily couldn't help but agree rather sourly, "you've hardly spoken a word of this to them at all after the first night, she really is putting you on the spot even with the best of intentions."
Harry considered for a moment, really thinking why he wasn't angry. "I suppose, Hermione wasn't, you know, pushing me to do this, you know. If I'd said I wasn't ready, well she wouldn't
have been happy and would have badgered me to do this because it's the right thing," he acknowledged after seeing their skeptical faces, "and I trust her, so even though it was hard to talk about it again to someone I didn't even like, well finally being able to push back like this felt, right." He finished triumphantly, before his brow creased and he really thought out, "Cho just sprung it on me, and so did Hermione, but at least my friend knows where I'm coming from, and she won't start crying over it," he finished with a bit of a shudder, causing Sirius to suppress a snort that was what Harry was so on one particular side with.
James hummed in agreement before finishing, simply thinking Hermione will be Hermione.
"Well that was done," James announced, happily tossing the book along to Sirius.
HPHPHPHP
*I'm really not going into further details about this guy's, not even in the next book. The idea of who gave Harry 'the talk' had been on my mind since the third book when Cho showed up, but to
be perfectly honest I was never given 'the talk' either, I didn't exactly grow up in a conventional household and was never sat down about this. I figured it out as I went along and grew up, though I had access to the internet which wasn't something Harry was privy to, I figured this is as good an explanation as anyone's going to get so let's leave this one be.
