I'm sure you don't want to hear my excuses about the delays in updating, but double updates for the time being!
The shop was brightly lit, causing more whiplash from the last room into this place and giving no one a chance for a decent landing as they all crashed into shelves of items none would reasonably like to be around.
Peter fell into a barrel of rat spleens, Regulus had a whole jar of bezoars fall on his head, and Lily cried in distress as her hair was tangled up in an array of poppy heads and unicorn tails strung together in the ceiling from the high shelf she landed on.
When Lily got herself down though and looked around at the apothecary, she felt a swirl of emotions for this place even as she put a feather and extension charm on her bag and made her way purposefully around, trying not to dwell on memories of her first trip here with Sev, this had been their favorite shop right off the bat as she went around touching everything she could despite the harassed shop owner chasing them and pleading otherwise.
When she found Frank studying a batch of cauldrons she took her time selecting the most well rounded one and said, "I think I'm actually going to take a leaf out of those boys book and start packing. Couldn't hurt to have a few ingredients on hand, yes?"
"Brilliant," he agreed, "just in case. I'll start looking around for some ingredients if you want to start on supplies, I passed a sign promising some new scales around here."
"Perfect," she grinned. Neither of them were going back on their promise to interact with the others exactly, but why waste this opportunity?
Sirius happily helped Remus to his feet, and then gave a flirtatious grin and let his hand rest on his ass just to amuse himself Remus was sure.
Looking for any petty reason to pick a fight and stop this, but also genuinely looking around first to make sure Padfoot wasn't being an arse, he hissed, "will you stop that!" Sirius immediately dropped his hand, but he still didn't look as chagrined as Remus would hope. "Merlin Sirius, you've been making passes at me under the table how long now, someone's bound to notice eventually. Don't pretend you don't know boundaries!"
"Okay, okay," Sirius finally said with a look of some regret. He knew Remus wasn't a fan of public affection, Moony was one of the few Prefects who annoyed some couples in the Gryffindor common room for taking away points if they got too handsy. Still he insisted, "how are you ever going to relax if you won't bloody have some fun?" He'd checked first too, and there was nobody nearby.
"Maybe I don't want to," Remus snapped.
Sirius looked very annoyed now, and considering it mission accomplished Sirius should avoid him at least for now, stalked off. He could hear Prongs' voice at the front and made a beeline for him instinctively even if that was where Sirius headed too, though Padfoot instead stayed in place just watching him leave, which he did not glance guiltily over his shoulder to see thank you.
Dancing a complicated path up and down isles full of unpleasantly smelly things, he finally caught sight of his mate near the register talking to Smith in surprise and not the person coming up behind him.
"Hey, ah, Remus?"
Said teenager looked over in surprise. Frank had never addressed him so directly, let alone by his first name. The older boy still had an air of awkwardness around him, but he didn't scream bloody murder when Remus looked right at him, so he answered politely, "yeah?"
"You know all about creatures right?" He was clutching something in his hand that was starting to make Remus nervous. What a poor time to have this fight with Padfoot, now clear on the other side of the store, but at least James was hovering nearby.
Remus quickly tried to scold such cowardly thoughts, he didn't need backup to talk. Longbottom had never done anything remotely vicious to him, and he was apparently the more nervous of the two as he just watched patiently for an answer.
"A bit yeah," he downplayed. Frank gave a hesitant smile and Remus was quick to return it out of surprise, deciding to elaborate, "it's a hobby I suppose, with me and my dad."
"So, you know the properties of this?" He asked, now showing in his palm a fang Remus instantly recognized. "I knocked a couple things over when landing, and Lily and I decided we're collecting ingredients for a few possibilities while we're in here, but we're both better at plants than animals. Mind, um, helping?"
"Not at all," Remus agreed at once. He followed Frank back down the aisle as he started pulling containers that were near where he'd found this one and beginning to juggle a few items down into the crook of one arm. A glass jar of newt's eyes, some crushed dragon's claw in a leather pouch, frog brains in a silver preservation vial, and a hefty jar of dragon's blood in an old urn.
Remus was prattling off facts he knew each were used for and properties they enhanced in potions and watching in concern as he kept trying to reach for more.
Frank looked away distractedly from the tin of sardines too far back for easy reach to ask, "Lily's made a mention you aren't a great shake at potions, you really know all this stuff just from studying the animals?"
"Studying the creatures' lives is how most wizards figure out what potions they are useful for," Remus shrugged, reaching out on instinct to balance the glass jar back into the crook of his arm where it was wobbling. Frank didn't even flinch. "It's not remembering all that, it's doing the practical's, I fall asleep so often in the warm classroom and then accidentally skip steps because my eyes are tired and shite."
"Girl in my year has the same problem," Frank nodded, now reaching up on his toes for the stubborn thing and crushing everything to his chest in concentration. "Stays up all night reading and then keeps trying to do it in class, I can't count the amount of times she's set her book on fire. Even when Slughorn confiscates it she's burnt out by then and still doesn't stay awake."
Remus laughed in surprise and finally offered as he came down to balance back on his feet with his prize, "like me to take some of that?"
"Oh, yeah," he eagerly agreed, better than making two trips.
Mindlessly passing the lot along, Remus began juggling it all in confusion, he'd only been offering to take the two bigger items. Something burned so unexpectedly, he sent the blood crashing to their feet, coating both of their pants in it instantly. The newt's eyes and fish rolled and flopped away in all directions, while the silver vile remained pressed to the palm of his hand for a few moments longer by the leather bag hooked onto his thumb before he shouted in pain and shook those off too.
Frank startled in surprise, slipping a bit on the slick floor and catching himself on a shelf just as James and Alice rushed over in concern.
Alice put her hand on her boyfriend's elbow to help steady him while James instantly went to Remus, who was doubled over clutching his hand and breathing through his teeth in pain. James's eyes landed on the little culprit still rolling innocently amongst their feet, and shoved Moony instinctively behind him while looking at Frank incredulously. While standoffish, he'd never been so cruel to him. "The hell do you mean by that?" He snapped in disgust. "I ought to transfigure you into a pretzel!"
"I, what?" Frank looked legitimately confused at what had happened though, already tempering off some of his anger, while Alice was scowling at Potter bowing up to her boyfriend like that deterring him from saying anything further, like the actual spell.
Instead he turned around and gently grabbed Remus' wrist, who was already trying to tuck it up his sleeve and promise, "it's fine Prongs, really-" despite his watery eyes and tight voice barely choking out the words.
James was having none of that and gently uncurled Remus' fingers from where they were trembling just above his palm to see the now shiny red mark in the perfect shape of the silver that had laid against his skin. James hissed in anger at how deep it looked, like it had been pressed in, but by the time he turned around trying to figure out where some dittany in this place would be, it was being pressed into his hand by Sirius with a furious expression barely being held together.
The others had come over at the noise and some put the situation together faster than others. James began dabbing the medicine in while Sirius held himself ramrod straight and watched only James, fearing any further movement on his part would cause him to do something he might regret, the look of pain on Remus' face burned into his mind needed no silver to linger for him.
A decision that almost seemed worth it when Remus was straightening back up moments later flexing his hand as it started to fade except for the faintest glimmer to show what had happened, and then used the same hand to brush against Sirius' fingers while telling James, "thanks."
Prongs nodded and turned back to face Longbottom with far more apprehension than the glowering Sirius was doing, his arm held protectively up still as a barrier while Remus caught Sirius' fingers and gave them a purposeful squeeze to which Padfoot returned before dropping his hand and saying quickly before anyone else as Sirius properly looked at him, "he didn't do it on purpose." As if, for just a moment, he'd forgotten he was talking to a werewolf... Then his eyes widened as he really looked at Frank, who finally seemed to have realized what happened himself as he looked guilty from the floor and back. "You really didn't, did you?"
"No," he said instantly. "Didn't even occur to me-" then he stopped with the same exact look as Remus.
"Wow," James finally dropped his arm while drawing the word out comically. "Okay then. I don't take back the pretzel threat though, let that be a warning," he grinned, like he was actually trying to turn around and tease him like nothing had happened.
Frank decided that was better than acting on the threat, his mind was still boggling on Sirius not having done worse. "Duly noted," he promised.
James patted Remus' arm one last time before casually waving his wand to clean up the mess, the vial sailing into his hand to be put back on the shelf.
Peter finally cleared his throat and spoke to no one in particular for the awkward silence, "don't worry, you're not the first person to do that. Last week in potions Grace Wilkes passed him a silver spigot and he screamed bloody murder, Prongs cursed her tongue to swell up in her mouth for three days in retaliation, and to distract the rest of the class."
"I didn't hear about that!" Sirius yelped in protest, before he went cross-eyed and took an uneasy step away as he realized why. He hadn't been speaking to them last week, and had only sporadically remembered what class to be in he'd been so out of his head. It was almost a miracle he'd even been there at the start of this mess. Merlin that felt like such a lifetime ago now...
"Must be awful, having to constantly be on edge just to be handed something," Frank said remorsefully. "I am sorry."
"I know," Remus said at once, rubbing his thumb into his palm absentmindedly and taking that step back towards Sirius without even thinking. "Don't worry, I told James off for that and refused to get him out of the detention Slughorn gave, they're a little..."
Protective, the word hovered in the air, and who could blame the two purebloods who knew better than anyone how others would react to their friend. Most students could find a picture in the papers of a werewolf, and the silver burned into their skin from Ministry interrogations splashed across the page when they actually caught one, bragging they were one step closer to catching the infamous Greyback.
Lily certainly hadn't questioned any of this in that exact class, she'd just thought Wilkes had accidentally splashed or burned Lupin and Potter had been an arse as usual, or Black had turned down her advances and they chose this moment to get her back, or just sheer boredom on Potter's part in a class he so disliked.
Potter didn't particularly look like he regretted it, but there was also something in his face Lily had never seen before, a question for nobody here as his eyes flickered around for the book. She didn't really think Harry would begrudge his father for this particular instance, but it was fascinating he was finally asking at all. He caught her eye suddenly, and there was that usual gleam of awe, before it clouded over once more and he turned back to his mates, whirling Sirius Black around and forcefully breaking his eye contact with Frank while muttering something about getting back into Diagon Alley for some fresh air if they could. His best mate did not relax as usual, but didn't protest being dragged off. Lupin went too with a small smile, catching Frank's eye one last time without dropping it as he followed them.
Pettigrew and Regulus offered to help Frank collect more ingredients, and she smiled softly and turned away to go find that book. It really was nice to understand why he was such an ass.
Mercifully the door opened onto the cobbled streets and James finally released him properly so he could take off for the ice cream shop.
"I wasn't going to do anything," Sirius could hear the lie in his own voice as he followed more slowly behind than usual. He well knew if both hadn't scolded him for trying last time he would have in a second.
"We know Padfoot," Prongs sounded a tad pandering, but his smile was genuine as he teased. "Better safe than sorry though, if we had shoved that vile up his nose, it might have gotten stuck there! He'd be even more of an arse!"
"I don't think he's that bad," Remus rolled his eyes, but Sirius could hear the hesitance in his own voice, vouching for him. He was still rubbing absently at his palm, it must be tingling something awful still. "We never have bothered to try."
"Maybe I don't want to," Sirius huffed with the stank eye at Moony, not exactly feeling better when he flinched. He wasn't even sure how a stupid accident like that could happen, but it sure as hell wouldn't have if Remus wasn't being such a ponce right now and he'd been there! No way in hell would Remus have just casually grabbed that, and he would have made sure of it if that had somehow been foul play.
Moony jogged up next to James to try the door to Florean Fortescue's Parlor, which did not open, but they all lounged around in the warm chairs outside anyways.
James still watched between the pair for a moment, rapping his knuckles to his own beat on the table, but when Sirius didn't start humming a tune along, he stopped and offered, "listen Padfoot, better he forget sometimes than be a raging arse about it the rest of this, right? He's eased up a lot since you kept Moony off him."
"I suppose," he agreed more out of obligation than anything. He did relax up some when Moony finally stopped rubbing at the now completely faded mark and closed his eyes in the warmth. Tipping his chair back with one foot, using the other to mimic the beat Prongs just had, he forced himself to unwind too. James grinned at the challenge and started tapping a fast pace on the table he was sure he'd fall over trying to copy, but the two managed to keep the game up the rest of the chapter while Remus listened, smiling softly in the bright light.
Alice gave her boyfriend a quick kiss before going along with Lily, the two stopping to collect a few more ingredients and dumping them in her selected cauldron before stuffing it into her now bulging bag. She summoned the book to her, but Alice caught her arm before she could start.
"Hey Lily, I just want you to know, um, well Frank told me you were really holding back telling me what you thought about my involving with those Marauder boys, and I just want you to know you don't have to do that."
Lily flushed in embarrassment, she hadn't said that to Frank, or out loud at all.
"Look," Alice said soothingly, "I don't know what it's been like with you and Snape, but I promise I'll listen. I won't always agree, but please hun, don't hold back like that. It's what I'm trying to get through to those idiots, feelings fester."
"Thanks," Lily told her sincerely, she'd hated feeling so insecure and biting her tongue before, but she'd been very put-out with herself since she started all this. It wasn't just trusting Frank to help her with collecting ingredients, normally a task she could do blind, and by herself. She didn't trust herself anymore.
She knew she needed to get confidence back in herself somehow, she just wasn't sure where to start, it felt far too overwhelming while still constantly dealing with every other problem going on. She knew how she would have done it, make a few remedial potions to get herself back on track until she was back to her advanced level more confident than ever, but none of that was available to her during all this.
Her independent streak was going to leave her feeling very alone though if she didn't fix that now. "I want to help now though," she told her honestly. "You were right to do so, couldn't hurt to try." She finally glanced down at the chapter title just as Alice smiled and plopped down on a step stool to listen with her, so she jumped up in concern when Lily flinched in surprise at the chapter title.
"More of Snape's shit huh?" Alice easily deduced from that now common reaction of him.
"A nickname he gave himself," Lily quietly agreed. "I thought it was lovely at the time, him embracing his half-blood heritage like that. I can't imagine how Harry's going to hear about that, clearly he despises everything to do with lower forms," she finished bitterly.
Lily sat down on the wide stool in exhaustion and Alice sat next to her, holding her in a half hug as they found out how this came to be. She found herself smiling at the end it was something as silly as his potions book, she had her own copy of course and she denied finishing the chapter for ages as she sat around telling Alice of their wild experiments and many failed attempts because of them all with some hilarious results Madam Pomfrey had taken ages to fix in the two.
By the end they were laughing spiritedly and Lily already felt better than she would have thought possible.