Harry was still looking rather troubled by the contents of Dumbledore's will, and Sirius was loath to start another chapter with him so uneasy. "Do you think I'm under-dressed for the occasion?" He asked loudly, gazing down at his well-worn robes. "I've still got a tux I could slip in, just to commemorate such an ostentatious happening in Bill and Fleur's life."
Harry stopped picking at his lip and started chuckling at him just like Sirius had hoped, he even got slowly out of his seat now nodding to himself he'd do just that, before Remus wrenched him back down and grumbled at him to get a move on.
"Sounds flawless to me," James agreed.
"I don't know," Lily frowned with unease. "That's like saying any redhead could go around claiming to be a Weasley. They're a large family, but someone's bound to get suspicious if he just hangs around Ron and Hermione the whole time like usual."
"You're being paranoid Lils," Sirius rolled his eyes. "They're at that wedding for Bill and Fleur, no one's going to look twice at another guest."
She sighed, but hoped they were right.
"Mm, brings me back to a few years ago," Remus snickered.
"Remus," Lily couldn't help but scold. "You were a Prefect your last three years of school, don't tell me you indulged in this!"
"I needed it," he went wide-eyed in the absolute picture of innocence. "For medicinal purposes."
His friends snickered like idiots, but Lily suddenly realized just why he would need such a thing, even if it was a bit expensive. She just shook her head and chuckled at him as well.*
"It sounds beautiful," Lily crooned.
"Not as beautiful as ours," James quickly said.
"Yes dear, the replica of the Whomping Willow was particularly memorable," Lily chuckled.
"It whacked people and everything," Sirius smirked.
"We're nothing if not thorough," Remus agreed.
"She'll love that I'm sure," Sirius snorted.
Harry gave an obligatory laugh, but couldn't find it in him to think this as funny as he usually would.
"I'm sure Bill would like all of his family to be there," James sighed, not that he had any particular sympathy for Percy, the prat had chosen his own path and could come back any time. He was confident his family would take him back with open arms.
"He'll have them educated in no time," Sirius smirked.
"George opened himself up for those jokes," James grinned.
"Yeah, he started the whole thing with his eargercious first words upon waking up," Remus added.
"You can't mispronounce a word to make the joke fit Moony, that's cheating," Sirius scolded.
Remus cleared his throat and said innocently, "oh Lily, who won bragging rights again? To decide what is and isn't funny around here?"
"I hate you so much," Sirius snapped, whacking him with the book on the shoulder, hard.
Remus didn't look like he regretted a single thing.
"I'll bet it took him an hour to perfectly figure out how to say, allow me to assist you," James chuckled.
"I'm sure it'll be worth it when he adds in some other lude comments he learned in French," Lily giggled.
"Moony's back!" Sirius cheered instantly.
"Are you going to bloody mention that every time I pop up," Remus scowled.
"Yes," Sirius looked to him like he was daft for even thinking the question.
"You'd think she'd turn into a redhead," Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Okay, this is getting weird," James shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he openly watched Moony with deep worry.
"Is anyone else starting to get worried she love potioned Remus into marrying her or something?!" Lily asked, twisting her hair with worry. "I don't think he's bloody smiled once any time the two have been mentioned in ages."
"Tonks wouldn't do that!" Harry flared up in anger. He watched the lot of them still looking uneasy, and Remus more than any of them, so he tried his best to say, "ah, I just, I feel like I find out what's going on between you, and," he broke off with a frustrated shake of his head.
"All right Harry," Remus quickly agreed, the others already knowing they wouldn't have pushed him farther. "I'm sure whatever this is, it'll all blow over."
Harry nodded his agreement, but he didn't look any more soothed than them. There was definitely something about these two that was bothering his mind.
"Decorative help I'm sure," Remus tried for an easy enough smile again.
"The problem was fixed as soon as it happened I'm sure," Sirius said smoothly.
"No wedding goes off without a few hiccups," Lily agreed. "This has been the only one mentioned, so it sounds like a breeze."
"Fleur's lucky," James sighed, recalling a loose rabbit and a flock of doves at his own that was not so easy to sweep away.
"How do you not instantly introduce yourself to such a man," Remus looked a little dazed at such a vivid description.
"The better question is, who invited this one, Bill or Fleur? I feel like there's a story involved," James snorted.
"My money's on Bill, who knows what, or who, he really found in those ancient tomes," Sirius smirked.
"Ah," they all uttered in understanding. This made total sense now.
"This does not surprise me," Lily nodded without a hint of a joke.
"I really wanna meet this fellow, if this is where Luna get's her personality from," Sirius said eagerly.
"I, don't think anyone calls them that," Remus muttered.
"Well, they will now," Sirius said with determination.
"A gift to all who enter, I'm sure," James laughed.
"Err," Lily muttered in confusion.
"Had, the Polyjuice wore off already?" James asked in concern.
"Nope," Harry popped the p for emphasis, his face as blank with shock as it had been then.
"Did, did she hear someone else calling you," Sirius tried, but Harry shook his head again.
"Okay," Remus drew the word out with a flummoxed expression. "Whatever Luna took before coming clearly is far more useful than those band-members."
"I'll take some of that, so long as it's not the cat litter," Sirius agreed.
"I'm worried she just guessed, like I was saying," Lily muttered. Luna was much more bright than people gave her credit for, and this really wasn't hard to put together.
"It was supposed to be Barney!" Sirius corrected with amusement. "Merlin Harry, are you trying to be bad at this on purpose?"
"People already get your real name mixed up with those titles," James gave an exaggerated pout. "Now you can't even get a fake name right!"
"Maybe it's a good thing we never stuck with giving him a nickname, he clearly couldn't keep it straight," Remus said deadpan.
Harry fought back the urge to curse all three of them at once. He'd been caught off guard, and they'd missed the point!
Well, this gave no one any answer, at all.
"Guess we'll just have to chalk it up to Luna being, Luna Lovegood." Lily shrugged.
"Can we adopt her," James pleaded.
"We're not kidnapping children James," Lily denied.
"Foster her? Surely her dad gets busy," James insisted. "I'll settle for babysitting on the weekends, but I want this one!"
"She's not a puppy," Lily smacked his knee while fighting back her own smile.
"Well then, when we have a girl, I want to name her Luna Lily! Hopefully some of her fantasticness will rub off in her name!" James decided.
Harry burst out laughing, while Remus and Sirius exchanged obvious looks.
"Is there something you two need to tell us?" Remus asked politely.
"You two have been going on about this a bit more than usual lately," Sirius agreed.
Lily flushed, glared at James for being the reason this was constantly brought up, and said with all the innocence in the world, "whatever do you mean?" Never mind the fact that she was three days late and had told James. Especially considering what was going on for the foreseeable future, it was best not to jump the wand on this news.**
"Uhhu," the two rolled their eyes while James fought back a pleased smile.
Harry had wanted to join in, even as his mind boggled at the idea of siblings, but there was something terribly distracting about it all. Babies though? What connection could he possibly have to that?
"Will you ever stop harping on that?" James busted out laughing.
"I hope you go to her wedding one day, and there's vegetation everywhere," Sirius insisted.
"I'm sure she'd love to have it right in the Weasley's garden," Remus snickered.
"She, says that with such pride," Lily cocked her head in confusion.
"Gonmes aren't venomous or anything," Remus shrugged, "so this could just be something her father taught her."
"This'll be interesting," Sirius said eagerly.
He was not disappointed. "Isn't that what everyone does at a wedding?" Sirius nodded along.
"The only magic they have is to pester gardeners to death," Lily sighed. "They repel every ward you can imagine!"
"Xenophilius seems to think otherwise," James shrugged. "Don't worry love, I'll still get you that jarvey so they'll never be a bother to you."
"And miss out on the urges of gifts being bit by them!" Sirius exclaimed. "Prongs, I'm ashamed of you."
"You burst into Mermish and opera without them just fine," Remus rolled his eyes.
All five of them couldn't help making a face for that. Gnome saliva was likely not a drink to catch on, no matter it's purported abilities.
"Standing out, good gesture, and making a statement," Sirius looked as if he were taking advice for the rest of his life.
"Merlin help the next wedding he attends," Lily said the ceiling.
"He wasn't that bad at ours," James said fairly.
"I was the one who put him in charge of the food!" Lily said. "I saved ourselves a world of trouble, considering the most outrages thing he did was put animal crackers in every bag. You wanted to give him license for the music!"
"He talked me into it during the bachelor party," James said with a hint of remorse.
"Moony, I'm starting to get the impression they don't like me around," Sirius pouted.
"On the contrary dear Padfoot," Remus smirked. "They can't stop talking about how you were the life of the party, at their wedding!"
"Damn straight," Sirius concluded.
"Someone please tell me that's her Patronus!" James yelped at once.
"I'll never be able to get the image out of my head anyways, so yes," Sirius agreed.
"Clearly, she didn't see Bill and Charlie before Molly got a hold of them," Lily snorted.
All five of them burst out laughing hard for that.
"See, Ron can get your name right!" Sirius needlessly reminded Harry.
"He'd better, he spends more time introducing Harry than Harry, who tries to pretend he's some nobody," James reminded.
"Are you lot quite done?" Harry sighed.
"Not even close," Remus promised.
"Umm, she's a Weasley," Lily needlessly pointed out.
James politely shushed her and stage whispered, "that's not the point dear."
"The feeling's not mutual," Harry muttered, considering all he'd heard about this one.
"Is, that a compliment, or..." Harry trailed off in confusion.
"It's a statement, I agree with," James smirked.
"This one's a riot. I'm quite disappointed we never got her commentary on our wedding," James smirked.
"I think we had plenty to be getting on with from Petunia's letter," Lily muttered bitterly. Her sister had not only refused to allow her to be a bridesmaid, but not bothered to attend her own wedding. If there had been any doubt before it had been gone that day of any relationship between the two.
"Ah yes, I remember. It was, vivid," James said through clenched teeth. It wasn't unheard of for a bride to cry on their wedding, but not for this reason. "Certainly made me regret not doing something at hers!"
"Best decision I ever made was having you as my plus one to that place, it was as dreadful as a funeral," Lily shrugged without remorse. "So, apart from you accidentally setting their cake on fire, I think it all balanced out."
"Merlin, what did she do to him the whole time!" Remus asked in concern.
"Insisted on a whole tour of the place, with bonus commentary on every guest, twice," Harry said with remembered dread for Ron recounting it all.
"Now who would be offended by such a thing?" James balked.
"People who need more dungbombs in their life," Sirius smirked.
"Priorities," Remus snorted.
"I'm sure that was their plan all along," Sirius said.
"Ahh mocking, true love at its finest," Lily giggled.
"It's one of the many reasons I fell for you dear," James agreed. "No one else in that school could hurl an endless amount of insults. Surely, I told myself, she'd run out eventually."
"She still hasn't," Sirius butted in with a contagious smile.
"Lilac's purple, right?" Sirius couldn't help but pause to double check.
"Yes Padfoot," Remus rolled his eyes.
"I was just checking!" He defended. "Didn't want to mess up the visual, that could have been pink after all! Would have clashed with Ron's hair!" He finished with a visible shudder.
"Judging from what we've heard, that was almost a compliment," James snorted.
"Least now we have a visual on Ron's real type," Sirius snickered.
"I do love these conversations, where you can instantly know the gist from the one statement," Remus beamed.
"That's awful!" Lily yelped.
"I, think she might have been, joking?" Sirius offered halfheartedly.
"Trying to keep things normal, I get that," James shrugged with an awkward look on his face.
"Why do I recognize his name?" Sirius muttered, he knew it had come up in some relation to his.
"Oh yeah," he brightened with a snap of his fingers, then put on a mock sorrowful expression. "A tragedy I truly regret, but they all have to go sometime."
"I swear the reaper would make better company than you," Remus rolled his eyes.
"Nonsense, he'd have lopped all of your heads off by now," Sirius sniffed. "You lot should really be thanking me much more for how often I tolerate you!"
"You, tolerate us?" James asked like Sirius had just spoken Mermish.
"You're welcome," Sirius concluded with a smirk before continuing.
As was everyone present in here.
"Imagine what he would have done for his own wedding," Sirius had to wipe a tear away before he could look back at the words.
"I'm sure he treasures that," Lily managed around another wave of laughter.
"Krum?" James asked in surprise.
"How many other Viktor's have we heard of?" Remus snorted.
"I still don't have a good answer for that one," Sirius grumbled his misfortune.
Harry's heart plummeted right out of him as he suddenly wondered if Fleur would have invited Cedric? All the Champions present once more...
"Really, I might have enjoyed that show," Sirius pouted.
"What do you think would have happened?" Remus asked curiously.
"Don't know," Sirius admitted, "but those two aren't fourteen anymore, and I'm guessing Ron would come up with something to show up Krum."
"I don't even think the two are official yet," Lily disagreed.
"This could be the thing to make it official though," Sirius sighed with regret he was missing out on the show.
"That's fair," James said with a little sigh. "I guess it's a good thing the Falmouth Falcons didn't attend like I sent them a letter three years in advance to do. They might have showed me up."
Lily opened, then closed her mouth, shaking her head and muttering that of course he'd done this before they'd even officially been together.
"What a thing to put on the tombstone," Sirius chuckled.
"Right up there with, murdered by groom for trying to invite Insane in the Toadbrain," Remus rolled his eyes.
"Hey, they were an up and coming hit, it's not their fault they had a tendency to cause wart outbreaks," Sirius pouted.
"I think that was their entire goal, but, thankfully Lily remains a voice of reason," James shrugged.
"I've never heard such sacrilege!" Sirius grumbled, continuing not very quietly under his breath how his mate had gone soft.
"Was purple a theme for this wedding, or is this coincidence?" Sirius asked.
"I'm going with theme, purple and gold," Harry shrugged, he hadn't paid it much mind.
"Oh, isn't that charming! I wonder at the enchantment for that," Lily smiled.
"Huh, credit for having multiple talents," James muttered randomly.
"In all celebration, there is life and death," Lily quoted a favorite book of hers, one of the first she'd ever read in the wizarding world.
"Can't be intentional I'm sure," Remus rolled his eyes.
"Exactly how low cut, Harry?" Sirius asked pointedly.
Harry said nothing, his gaze was unfocused and he seemed a long ways off.
Harry struggled for a moment to swallow, to imagine the life he'd left behind in this way. Had he, Ron, and Hermione managed to find any Horcruxes? Were they simply cut off from the world, maybe even each other, with nothing but the mission in sight? The idea was so dismal he almost couldn't breath for a moment, then his eyes caught on his ring again. He couldn't fathom why he'd be wearing such a thing if that were true...
"Harry!" He was jolted back to his dad speaking loudly in his ear. "Wedding's are supposed to be happy occasions! Now stop dwelling on your love life and help me make fun of Sirius'! He's the only one who doesn't have one after all."
Sirius visibly pouted. "I could get married to anyone I want to right now, I choose otherwise!"
"Uhhu, you keep telling yourself that," James snorted.
"I never got the point of someone named William going by Bill," Sirius muttered, mostly for himself. "Wouldn't they just go by Will?"
"Odd traditions, like naming purebloods after stars," Remus pointed out. Sirius made a face at him and quickly dropped the subject.
"It all sounds so beautiful," Lily beamed for the pair while she kept having flashbacks to her own, right after they'd been inducted into the Order. It was their last day to truly live before they turned and faced the war.
"All seems to be going seamlessly," James congratulated.
Harry frowned and muttered to himself, hand creeping to his wand without any idea why. His family was all still laughing and joking with each other about weddings and didn't even notice.
"I can't imagine such a wish," Sirius snorted. "Surely he wants to hear every lovely detail she can provide!"
"As much as I'd love to hear from your mother," James crinkled his nose.
"Prongs, don't speak about Euphemia like that! Our mum would be so disappointed in you," Sirius scolded with a completely straight face.
James put his hands up in surrender and peaceably apologized.
"Why does that happen so often?" Lily huffed.
"Wonder where Ginny is," James said suggestively, causing Harry to visibly blush.
"This should be interesting," Remus smirked.
"Here I thought Hermione had better aim," Lily giggled.
"I wish," Harry huffed, rubbing his shin.
"Damn, I really wanted to hear that," Sirius pouted.
Harry couldn't help but smile pleasantly at all the happiness surrounding the air. This was a much better memory than the Yule Ball had ever offered him of so many dancing and laughing people.
"She'll start a new dance routine in no time," Remus said with certainty.
"Can you bring her along on this mission," James turned to Harry and pleaded. "Ginny could make some good too, oh, even Neville, he proved himself more than capable! How about-"
Harry forced a laugh, though he knew his dad wasn't kidding, and turned pleading eyes on Sirius. He watched sadly for a moment, before saving him and reading on loudly.
"Ron's really grown up, hasn't he?" Lily smiled to herself, thinking of the rotten first year who'd driven a girl to tears for his careless words.
"If only that had happened three years ago," Sirius rolled his eyes. "Those two could have saved themselves a world of problems."
"All things in time," Remus shrugged. "I don't think Ron even would have admitted he'd like to have danced with Hermione until after she pointed it out to him, at which point he would have denied on principle."
"I still don't think ol Lav-Lav was necessary," Harry muttered.
"The best answer any of us have gotten," James snorted.
"Look who got his name right," Sirius applauded.
"Like anyone's going to remember in five seconds," Harry huffed.
"Hope he doesn't give his presence away again, or Luna will be out of a job," Remus chuckled.
"That's a bit harsh," James snorted. "Who hates the color yellow that much?"
"Oh," they all muttered, but couldn't think back to what Harry had said. It hadn't been very descriptive.
"You guys don't recognize it?" Harry asked eagerly.
"No," Lily admitted, "sorry love."
"Grindelwald had a sign?" Sirius asked in surprise.
"I've never heard of such a thing," James agreed with a very confused expression.
"I wonder why Krum does!" Remus demanded.
"My History of Magic is eluding me," Lily admitted with a shrug, "where did he originally base his power out of? Bulgaria maybe?"
"Or maybe Krum's a fan," Sirius joked.
"Woah," James muttered quietly.
"Can you imagine such a thing," Lily paled in shock. "If Voldemort had done something like that to the school, that couldn't be erased?"
"Slytherin did, but at least he didn't put it on display," Remus said in disgust.
"Rightly so," Sirius scowled, he knew he would have joined in.
"None of this is linking back to the Lovegoods though," Lily insisted. "I can't imagine they're actually supporting Grindelwald!"
"Maybe Xenophilius thinks it means something else," Harry offered.
"Yeah, yeah after everything we've heard, that does make sense," Remus winced. "Still, I wish he'd think before he did something like that, you'd be surprised what can be taken as innocent and quickly made hurtful." He couldn't help but stop for a moment with a grimace, and Harry winced internally for how often he would have heard one too many jokes in a school corridor he'd be forced not to react to. "Krum's proving this point."
"You're doing as well as anyone," James offered, he couldn't say much else either.
"I thought she was dancing?" Sirius said innocently. "Poor dear can't have a moment of peace."
"Considering this conversation, that's almost fair," Remus smiled.
"Oh hey, looks like you put that one together," James cheered.
"Like, a day after you guys got it in five minutes," Harry huffed.
"We're finding all this out in days, not years apart," Sirius reminded with a shrug.
"Plus we already recognized Gregorovitch's name," Remus said fairly.
"It's who you know, not what you know," Lily giggled.
"That's why it's called a fan magazine," Sirius declared with innocence. "I'm sure some fan just assumed as such and spread the story, and soon enough it was as true as any fact."
"Think I could spread the rumor Hickory is Crookshanks?" Harry asked with a laugh, as he watched the cat hop up onto the fireplace mantel.
"Are you saying my cat has a squashed face," Lily pouted.
"No, but they're both scarily smart," Harry shrugged.
"I'd buy it," Sirius smirked. "I've seen your mad cat run into quite a few walls face first after some speck of dust or another."
Lily huffed and got up to fetch her cat, who squirmed right back out of her arms and pranced from the room, causing all the boys to laugh harder and her to simply sigh.
"Not lately," James shivered at the idea of the mans current circumstances.
"I find that very hard to believe," Sirius huffed. "Everyone likes to say they're the best at what they do, but as mythical itself as wandlore is, I don't think there is a true expert."
"That's clearly not going to stop Voldemort from trying," Remus sighed, hoping this Gregorovitch could run fast.
"Does his future husband count?" Sirius asked.
"Sirius may be the brightest star in the sky, but not in this room," Remus hissed quietly at him, smacking the back of his head for emphasis as Harry winced. Sirius pouted, but recognized Harry still wasn't up for those jokes with his future so uncertain.
Harry couldn't help a grudging laugh with everyone around him.
"Hyping yourself up there a bit?" James couldn't help but tease.
"For all I know, it could be true," Harry said innocently. "She could have hooked up with Neville on the train-ride home."
"Nah, that's bound to be Luna! The two get along swimmingly," Sirius announced, and the look on his face made Harry wonder how much he meant that.
"Yes, he really did," Remus answered Harry's look. "He spent quite a bit of time getting rid of girls he no longer wanted to date by setting them up with others."
"Juniper Carnell thanked me for setting her up with Presley Hannick, I think those two discovered some new species of puffapods together," he smirked.
"Yes, and Lucy Macavoy still hasn't forgiven you for that date with Christopher Widdershins," Remus rolled his eyes, finishing with a stage whisper to Harry, "never go to a pub on a dare, it only ends in disaster."
"Especially the Hobgoblin Pub," James agreed. "That's a part of Hogsmeade I'm glad you hadn't found yet."
"What was he just implying about Luna!" James huffed.
"I think they're a bit young for him anyways," Remus grumbled.
Sirius opened, then closed his mouth, thinking better of that one, for once.
Lily scowled and grumbled a few things in protest, hoping Krum would skiv off now.
"Priorities," James sighed.
"The trouble of your two best mates dating," Remus agreed quietly, he had plenty of memories because of this fact he could never look at again.
"I'd find it perfectly innocent for you to cut in," Sirius offered.
"I don't think Ron would feel the same when he finally looked away," Harry sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and honestly wishing he had seized this moment.
"That is true," Lily agreed.
"Muggles are missing out," James shrugged.
"I think I envy them that," Sirius huffed. "Muggle's are lucky they don't have to chase down a drink."
"Makes it more satisfying when you catch it?" Remus chuckled.
Sirius very obviously, and needlessly, wolf whistled. Harry laughed anyways.
"Isn't this the same song about Odo dying?" Harry asked, the memory of Slughorn singing it rather vivid.
"The very same, not a particularly good wedding number," Sirius agreed.
"But that was helping with your cover story!" James protested.
"He thought I owed him money," Harry shrugged.
"Ah, never mind then, I avoid Sirius when he does that too," James chuckled.
None of them really knew much about Doge. They recognized him of course, but he wasn't a particularly frequent member of the Order, most of them got the impression he was there as a friend to Dumbledore for sit ins rather than contributing much at the meetings. This should be, interesting.
Sirius face palmed.
"It's agreed," Remus nodded along. "We're never to share any secret with Harry, he's bloody awful at them!"
"I've got some really bad news for you two then," James snorted while Harry rolled his eyes. He'd made a decision to trust someone so he could have an actual, proper chat.
"Oh, well, Harry's not the only one on the list then," Lily chuckled.
"Aww," Lily cooed sadly, she couldn't imagine outliving all of her friends.
"That would have been an interesting letter," Sirius muttered.
"Doesn't help the man doesn't count himself," Remus huffed. "Most people aren't even sure he exists outside of rumors."
Harry shifted uncomfortably at the idea of rumors about Dumbledore, he had a bad feeling that was going to happen a lot for quite some time.
"I prefer beetle," James sneered.
"A descriptive one though," Sirius offered.
"He was nicer than I would've been," Lily sniffed.
"I'm terrified of you two at war, Hermione scared me enough," James chuckled.
"What ones I have," Harry sighed.
"Err, no, most people don't understand that," Remus told him simply. "They'd rather just believe what they're told and not look farther."
"I can't say that's not better sometimes," Lily sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. The lies she'd lived through part of school had given her a few more years with her best friend before she'd been forced to see the truth. She still wasn't sure if those memories were worth keeping.
"Glory this woman's awful!" Lily yelped.
"Hard to believe she's a Weasley," James grumbled.
Harry fought back the urge to remind them Molly used to as well, but couldn't quite suppress an eye roll at his parents. He didn't disagree with them.
"We're well aware," Sirius grumbled, it had clearly been on Harry's mind more than he was letting on.
"Make a break for it while you can Harry!" Remus stage whispered.
"The spry little flamingo here will only make things worse," Sirius agreed.
"It's not helping your cover she doesn't recognize you," James happily changed the subject.
Harry grumbled at them to stop with that, he had more important things to pay attention to right now.
"Excuse me!" Remus spluttered in shocked disgust.
"I'm not the one making things up here Moony, I promise you that," Sirius scowled down at the print. Honestly, the things people could say about one another! That wasn't a joke, that was heartless nonsense!
"At least Muriel continuing to call him that is helping his cover," Lily offered weakly, but she was glad she was ignored, that wasn't helping now.
"I still can't get past she managed all this after he died," James seethed, "so clearly this source isn't reliable. Otherwise they'd have said all this when Dumbledore could argue his side."
"I'd certainly believe him over any of these others," Remus snapped. "Elphias was actually Dumbledore's friend!"
Lily bit down on her lip hard to stop herself pointing out friends didn't always have the clear picture, evidence was all over this future.
No one bothered wasting breath anymore on this gag, Sirius was too invested in this.
"Rubbish, absolutely smoldering and reeking, dung," Remus was saying none-too quietly.
Sirius was going on around him anyways. He agreed with Moony, but still couldn't shake off this idea in his head he and Dumbledore could be sharing a certain burden, of ignoring what went on in a house to save yourself. He'd left Regulus to a gruesome fate when he'd gone off with Prongs, had something similar happened to Dumbledore? It would explain why the Potters had never mentioned such siblings of Dumbledore in any factual kind of way.
"Clearly we can't trust a word of this Lancelot then, if he'll spill things of the strictest confidence," James spat.
"I can imagine," Lily sighed as she brushed at her hair. Doge was trying his best, but there was only so much one could do when there were two sides to a story. Dumbledore's friend would keep trying to have his side heard, and ignored as the rest of the world swallowed the gossip.
James and Lily fought back a wretched look, but couldn't quite hide the sudden fear in their eyes. They had never been able to answer themselves how Dumbledore had left Harry with them with any kind of consciousnesses, had never checked on their son and seen what he was forced to live with and made another decision. Was this finally the reason? He'd over looked it once before, so what was once more? They exchanged a broken look and were quite glad to keep these thoughts to themselves, saying them aloud would make it far too real.
Sirius couldn't help but stutter on that for a moment, clamping his teeth hard together to stop himself saying he could believe it of some. His own mother, for example, would likely have drowned any child of hers that dared to be a squib.
Remus looked very much the same, more diminished than he had even right before the full moon. What he wouldn't give to not have to think of any of this, his own doubts and suspicions of Dumbledore being piled atop this new mess. He didn't know what to cling to anymore, even as he tried to convince himself it didn't matter, any of it! The man he knew had still existed at some time, had allowed him of all creatures to attend school! It shouldn't matter what led to that man...
"Guilt manifests in many forms for many reasons," Remus said calmly enough, and Harry nodded in agreement, thankful at least someone was trying to keep an outside perspective. He wished he could be as much, all of this was making his head swim, the truth of it all overlapping with such an immeasurable migraine for the knowledge he couldn't put together yet.
"Of course you will," James said coldly. For all Muriel knew she was dumping all this on a kid who had just lost their Headmaster and a dear friend of his, the woman most certainly did not have a willing audience but she just kept going!
"Why would you assume it's her?" Lily asked in as normal a tone as she was capable of right now. "Bathilda's not an uncommon name."
"It was on my mind, watching Hermione go through those books," Harry shrugged in answer.
"Never knew that," James muttered in surprise.
"Wouldn't have made me want to read the stupid book more, so I still don't care," Sirius huffed.
"Ooh, I wouldn't say that," Lily whispered. Dumbledore's foray into memories last year had made it quite clear what the mind can hold onto. She'd demand to see this source herself before she believed it, but if some close personal friend of Dumbledore's parents had witnessed all this, it would be far more proof than an outsider friend of Albus' like Doge.
It only took a moment for them to remember why this would be so impactful to Harry, their final resting place. All five of them sank back into their seats with only silence to accompany this news. They'd had plenty to say about this future, but nothing good about this.
"Actually that, sort of makes sense," James quietly reasoned. "When Dumbledore asks us to go into hiding, he'd, want us to go to a place he knows."
"Maybe even his old house?" Lily asked awkwardly.
"I, could almost imagine agreeing, we'd be..." he trailed off, no one needing him to finish. The desperation was already a presence in their every word lately, to save their son from what was soon to happen. If they'd never had forewarning of this, but just had the news dumped on them in a years time Voldemort was coming for them, for their son, they'd have taken whatever help Dumbledore offered with open arms.
"Not something I'd want to share really," Sirius whispered. He'd imagine being angry at this quite easily, if Dumbledore had just slipped that into conversation to Harry. While his godson deserved to know everything there was on James and Lily, it should come from a place of love and understanding, not commiseration.
Harry shook all over, clutching his head and begging these thoughts to leave him be. He came back too with his mother and father still here for him now, and he'd cling to this as long as he could.
"I can't blame him Harry," Remus finally managed in defense. "It's not a history one would be proud of, certainly to go bragging about, let alone," he gestured needlessly to his parents. If Harry expected Dumbledore to say this, that was like he was asking his old headmaster to share every little anecdote of everything James and Lily had ever done. It wasn't Dumbledore's place, but then, they'd all been wondering for quite some time just what place Dumbledore did have in Harry's life. It wasn't unreasonable for the boy to want to clutch to this sudden connection, he had so few.
Harry didn't respond, he was so lost in his thoughts he couldn't imagine what would pull him from them any time soon.
It took Sirius a moment to realize what he'd just read, he had to shake his head around for a moment and readjust. That had been some pretty heavy accusations about the Dumbledore name, and now Hermione had popped back up to speak of laughing and dancing again. Even he couldn't manage such an abrupt mood shift.
"All the interesting things happening around you, can't bother to take note of," James tried his hardest to laugh off, to pout at his son and grumble at him for not enjoying himself more while he had the chance. Harry didn't even notice.
"Didn't even realize he hadn't been named in attendance," Remus tried to awkwardly laugh off, but he'd hardly the breath to spare, no one could imagine what such a personal message could be interrupting now.
They certainly wouldn't have guessed that.
HPHPHPHP
Hope you guys enjoyed! This is the last enjoyable chapter, or well, most of it was. Now it's all down hill from here...
*Okay, but, does anyone else picture Remus as a stoner from time to time? Because if anyone needs a way to unwind and get the munchies, it's this guy.
**Lily's not pregnant by the way, the timeline doesn't work, but I keep making jokes like this because I've heard some rumors about her supposedly being so when she died. JK has neither confirmed nor denied this, but I love the idea, so I keep hinting at it.