Written in QLFC Season 9 Round 9 for the team Falmouth Falcons
Position: Chaser 2
Main prompt: The number 9
Optional prompts: [object] Portrait, [color] Orange, [dialogue] "Can you honestly tell me this is what you wanted?"
Word count: 1432
A.N.- Moody is not 'Mad-eye Moody' because he hasn't lost his eye yet, Andromeda is
Andie.
Warning: One, very mild curse
Rating: K+
The fault in our numbers
O-O-O
"Hey, boss. How's the leg?" James asked Alastor Moody, reaching towards the floo to greet him.
"It's much better but this bloody thing is still unbalanced," replied Moody gruffly, glancing at his prosthetic leg, "I'll have to see Poppy if she can do something about this."
"Thanks for coming. We know it couldn't have been easy. James told me about last week's attack," Lily said, leaning against the kitchen door, an apron tied around her waist.
"It's alright. Didn't have much to do. I will miss my alcohol though. Although the food smells much better than alcohol. What is being cooked?" Moody asked, sitting on the couch in the middle of the living room, resting his staff on the side of its armrest.
"Just finishing up the Orange Angel Food Cake," Lily replied, going back into the kitchen, James following her.
A little while later whispers floated out of the kitchen. "Can you honestly tell me this is what you wanted?" James seemed to ask Lily.
"Well no, but it looks okay, I think," Lily whispered sheepishly.
"Are you cooking Lily?" Moody asked, looking over the magazines on the table, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice.
James's laughter floated out of the kitchen. "No, James is. It's good to know how much you trust my cooking," Lily replied amusingly, walking out of the kitchen to glare at Moody.
"Constant vigilance. Also, Potter is the one who told us about your cooking adventures," Moody replied from behind his magazine, smirking as Lily went inside to scold James instead.
"Who else is coming?" Moody asked a little while later.
"Sirius is coming with Remus and Peter. The Headmaster and Professor McGonagall are also coming," Lily replied from the kitchen just as green flames from the floo lit up the room and Sirius walked in with little Nymphadora Tonks in his arms. Remus and Peter followed suit a moment later.
"Hey, boss. James, Lily," Sirius greeted as Nymphadora went and sat beside Moody on the couch.
Remus sat on the other side of Moody, engaging in small talk as they waited for Lily and James to join them. Peter sat on the sofa beside Remus and began flipping through the magazines.
"Hey, Nymphadora. That's a nice surprise," Lily replied, smiling at Nymphadora who blushed a little, her hair changing to red, matching Lily's.
"I visited Andie, and Nymphadora wanted to see little Harry," Sirius replied, looking around for Harry, "Where is my godson anyway?"
"He's asleep in his crib. Could you get him?" Lily asked Sirius who then went upstairs to get Harry.
The floo again roared to life and Albus Dumbledore walked inside. He greeted everyone and sat on the sofa opposite Peter.
"Minerva sends her apologies. She had to stay at Hogwarts and finish up some work," Dumbledore said, glancing around and saw Sirius carrying Harry downstairs.
"My condolences Sirius. I heard about your mother," Dumbledore said to Sirius, trying and failing to hide a smile. Her treatment of her children was no secret and her death seemed to have relieved Sirius.
"Thank you, Professor. Although, she sneaked one on us and left a magical portrait that I can't seem to remove," Sirius replied with distaste coloring his voice.
"I can take a look later. Some magical portraits are pretty notorious, especially if imbued with dark magic," Dumbledore contemplated, relaxing in his seat
Lily and James came out of the kitchen, having finished preparing the dinner, and sat along with everyone around the table. Nymphadora got up and sat beside Sirius to play with Harry.
"Thank you all for joining us. We are very grateful to have everyone here since we couldn't get Harry to meet everyone," James said, looking at everyone, trying to convey his gratitude. "It's 8 o'clock. Would you all like to start with dinner right now or later?"
Everyone seemed to agree to have dinner later. Instead, they talked about the happenings at Hogwarts, the new session that had started a month ago, avoiding the talk of war.
"Could I interest you all in a game of poker?" Lily asked after the conversations had seemed to come to an end.
Everyone seemed to be agreeing, especially Nymphadora who had gotten bored of adults talking, and also because Harry seemed to be taking a nap.
"Aah it's been some time since we have played a game, isn't that so Alastor?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling, reminiscing about the past.
"Haven't played one since Hogwarts I believe," Alastor replied, smiling as James conjured a pack of cards.
During the game, something shifted in the magic surrounding the house. The magic of Fidelius charm rippled, as though working against something.
"What was that?" Nymphadora asked, letting go of Harry's finger.
"Nothing kiddo. It was just a breeze," James replied, smiling, trying to keep the tightness off his face.
Dumbledore discreetly cast a silence bubble charm over Harry and Nymphadora, the latter not noticing if anything was amiss.
"Did you all feel that?" Dumbledore asked, looking at the adults as everyone nodded.
"Dumbledore, what could it be?" Alastor asked, staff in his hand, looking for any Death Eaters, although still seated, having faith in the Fidelius charm cast over the house.
"I remember my horrendous mother talking about some sort of curse that runs in the Black family. Apparently, we had an ancestor who was Japanese, and in their culture, number 9 is the definition of bad luck because the word looks like the word for death," Sirius replied concernedly, a frown on his face. "Also as I recall, James and I are related and the curse could affect your family and possibly everyone here. Could it possibly be that?"
"Hmm, interesting. Our fears do have a way of manifesting themselves and what we call bad luck could simply be our magic creating some sort of curse according to our fears. It might be possible that our thoughts could literally turn into blood curse if given enough power of thought," Dumbledore said, looking into a distance, gathering his thoughts.
Everyone seemed to have gotten quiet while contemplating Dumbledore's words. Remus and Lily glanced at each other as if asking if the other one had heard of something like that.
"That's absurd. Come on, let's play the cursed game," Peter scoffed, reclining back into the seat.
Everyone seemed to relax a little but the tension was evident on everyone's face. The fact that Dumbledore had given the theory behind the possibility of the curse was weighing on everyone's mind, even though they were highly skeptical.
At that moment Harry's loud yawn dispelled the tension and the game began.
Unbeknownst to everyone, something that had changed would alter the course of their lives.
After a few games and dinner with a dessert of Orange Angel Food Cake, everyone except Dumbledore bade goodbye to the Potters and left. James had asked Dumbledore to stay for a little talk.
"Professor, do you think the curse is true?" Lily asked clutching Harry to her chest. James held her in his embrace as if trying to shield her and Harry.
"It might be true. Unfortunately, our source of information, Walburga Black is dead. Nevertheless, I'll try to find some info about it if it affects the Black bloodline. Rest assured, James might not even have enough Black blood for it to affect your family," Dumbledore assured them and bade goodbye, floo'ing back to Hogwarts, leaving a much calmer couple in his wake.
"Phineas, could it possibly be true? Would the curse affect all those present at the affair?" Dumbledore somberly asked the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black.
"I have heard stories of the truth and the lies that come with this curse, much like any other curse. The most I believe is the that implied that the curses that one bears simply are there to show the path, albeit a hard one, but only leads to the betterment of the world," Phineas replied, a sad expression on his face that seemed to tell that he believed in the curse and what it could mean.
"Thank you, Phineas. That's all," Dumbledore replied and sat on his chair, wondering what the future might bring.