Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry that my updating is sporadic. The only
reason I'm doing anything today is that I'm sick and I'm not able to
concentrate on my math homework right now. So, I'll let you know that I
wrote a little bit for this story today in my notebook that is miles ahead
of this chapter, so that's good news for everyone. I don't think I've got
anything else important to say, so on to the thank yous:
Captain Oblivious- Peter, fly out a window? No, no, that's not for a while. *smiles* Moody as a pirate eh? Avast mateys! *cackles* Savvy? I'll try to post the DM/HG HP/GW story eventually, but I have to sort out a lot of stuff, I'm not writing it in the same way that I wrote this one.
Bell- You'll get Catherine, eventually I hope, thanks for the review.
Celine- Bella and Cath have, what do you call it? Irreconcilable differences, at least on one side of the story. but you have to figure that out on your own.
Me- Sorry to burst your bubble, but this story is slow going in regards to Lily and James getting together, and I can't change it or I would have to change everything about my story. So, you're going to have to be patient. Thank you.
Sissy-6- Thanks; I'm glad you think so. And I'm working on the writing thing.
Goldensnitch3- Thanks. Twice.
MarauderFan4ever- I'm sorry I haven't had the time to read your story, but keep after me and I might get a chance to do so. Good luck on it and thank you for your comments.
JCtigerwolf4e- *SIGH* I'm sorry that things with James and Lily are slow going, but you have to have patience. I'm working through things that need to happen but I'm trying. They're going to have to be friends before I get them together, and that relationship has to be cemented first.
Sngrl482- She might. You never know. Thank you for the great suggestion though.
AndromedaTonks- Doing my best. Thank you for the review. I don't know, at the time I thought she was a year younger and then I realized my misconception and so I can't really change it because it would affect the story.
Okay, I'm losing any possible interesting thing to say to my reviewers unless they've asked questions or said something other than bland comments. so I'm going to have to resort to just mentioning names. Sorry.
Laina3
A.J.D'Angelo
Anarane
Cricketlover- Almost all of Friday night? Wow, I'm honored. And I'm trying to work in more L/J fluff, but it's going to be lacking for a bit. Sorry. Oy, I just realized I'm almost into the note book that I'm writing in. this could get dicey.
Manny2003- Thanks, I'm trying to get the chapters out as soon as possible.
Shadowed.phoenix- Moody is great isn't he? *cackles* I imagine that Hippogriffs may just grin, but you have to catch them on a day that Malfoy hasn't abused them. You like the R/C idea eh? I'm glad. oh, and remember the potions incident for future reference.
I o u a name
MegHarts- He is. it's cute, isn't it?
Prisoner-of-Shadows- *eyes go very wide at length* Thank you so much for the lengthy review, I'm honored you took time to write this. I'm glad you think my AU is believable, that is what I'm striving for most, as well as getting back to canon. Thank you for all the amazing compliments, they're still making me smile. And, I think the reasons my fluff moments are random are because I've read too many fics where the fluff is too much, that and its only been like 4 days since James and Lily met, that's too soon, in my opinion for them to get together.
Don Raphiel- Thank you.
Black-cat-on-the-wall- You'll see when they have their first real kiss, I promise, and hopefully it won't be something extremely over done. I'm glad you're happy about Bella and Lily.
Me
Totoro
Now, on to the story.
Chapter Forty-One: Talk, Jokes and Chit-chat
Outside Sirius led Remus around the house. "What did you want to talk about?" Remus asked curiously and watched a butterfly flutter past.
"Our Animagi forms, do you think Lily knows since she knew about you?" Sirius asked quickly.
Remus looked thoughtful. "Well, Bella doesn't know about it even though she knows I'm a werewolf," he said and scratched his head contemplating the point. "Lily doesn't seem to know and if you ask her you'll have to explain," he replied.
"True enough. How did you ask Lily?" Sirius said quietly and looked over at Remus.
"Well, she was telling me that it wasn't my fault for her coma and that she needed to accept that she knows things that she shouldn't, like the tomato thing," Remus said and his nose scrunched up when he mentioned 'tomato' before he continued. "I asked if she knew anything else about me and she just sort of remembered," he said quickly.
"Well, that wouldn't work with this situation," Sirius said lightly and plopped down on the grass carelessly.
"No, it wouldn't," Remus agreed and joined Sirius on the ground.
"What should we do?" Sirius asked quietly before he lay back to look at the clouds passing over head.
"Nothing. If she knows she'll say something, if she doesn't, well, it's probably best," Remus said and joined Sirius in his cloud watching.
A moment passed before Sirius said, "I haven't done this since I was little," and he sighed wistfully.
"You did this?" Remus said quietly as if surprised.
"Yeah, in Grimmauld Place, when my family was being decidedly annoying I would lay in the backyard and look up at the clouds imagining I was anywhere else with a different family," Sirius said quietly. "I would watch the clouds and pick things out in the shapes, like dragons and dogs and things," he said and looked over at Remus. "After what happened sixth year and I found out that I wasn't expelled for my outstanding display of stupidity and you weren't talking to me and James was downright pissed, I went out on the grounds and just lay there," Sirius said with sad eyes.
Remus sighed. "I forgave you along time ago Padfoot, why are you bringing this up now?" he asked quietly.
"I still haven't forgiven myself Moony," Sirius said quietly and looked back up at the clouds.
Remus sighed again. "You should," he said and looked at Sirius' handsome profile.
"I know, I probably will eventually, but I still feel horrible," Sirius said sadly.
"Don't. It was ages ago in the scheme of things. The only person who probably still hates you for that is Snape," Remus said honestly. "In fact, he's probably the only person who ever really did," he said quietly after a pause.
"You didn't hate me?" Sirius questioned calmly.
"No, I couldn't. You were one of my best mates. I had to forgive you. I might have been angry or depressed about it but I couldn't hate you, even if I tried," Remus said with a sigh.
"You tried to hate me?" Sirius asked with wide shocked eyes as he looked at Remus.
"For about ten minutes, but it wasn't possible," Remus said slowly. "It's impossible to hate you, your simply too likeable. And besides that, Snape was a slimeball," Remus said and grinned at Sirius.
Sirius laughed. "Yes he was. He couldn't keep his abnormally large nose out of our business, or anyone else's for that matter," he said and snorted.
"What do you think would happen if he ever got a hold of the Map?" Remus asked curiously.
"That would mean he'd have to go back to Hogwarts and get it from Filch," Sirius muttered darkly. "Can you imagine, Snape teaching? That would be a laugh. He'd swoop about like an overgrown bat and take points off everyone but the Slytherins," Sirius said and cackled.
Remus snorted. "For talking, heck, he might even take points off for breathing," Remus said with a laugh.
"What would he teach?" Sirius said thoughtfully as if seriously considering the possibility.
"Hmm, I don't know. I hope not Defense," Remus said and scrunched up his nose at the thought.
"Probably Potions, he could sulk about the dark, dank, dungeons and feel right at home," Sirius said and then burst out, "He'd probably sleep upside down!" and then he cackled and couldn't stop.
"That's appalling," Remus said but he was laughing too. But a loud crash and the sound of breaking glass brought them out of their conversation.
"What in the name of Merlin," Sirius said and they jumped up and ran around the side of the house pulling their wands from their pockets as they went. That's where they saw Peter sprawled in a bush underneath one of the library windows and Lily and Arabella were looking down on them with a mixture of horror and amusement.
Arabella and Lily had moved from Summoning Charms to Banishing Charms in about ten minutes. Lily was learning very fast. She was attempting to banish a cushion from one of the chairs that was lying on the table near the door and she said the spell just as Peter walked in the door. The spell hit him instead and he flew throw the window with a crash. Lily and Arabella rushed over to the window to see if Peter was okay. Sirius and Remus came around the side of the house. "Is he okay?" Lily asked looking horrified with one hand near her mouth.
"Ow," Peter said groaning and trying to climb out of the bush unsuccessfully.
"Oh help him!" Lily said and Sirius and Remus helped Peter to his feet.
"You okay Pete?" Sirius asked trying to stifle any laughter. Peter just groaned again. Sirius sighed and pointed his wand at the shattered window. "Reparo!" he said and the glass flew back into place with out so much as a scratch.
Remus and Sirius helped the limping Peter around the house and were met by Lily and Arabella at the front door. "Bring him to the kitchen," Arabella said and they brought Peter and sat him down in a chair. "Peter, are you hurt?" Arabella asked crouching down near his chair.
"I don't think so but my arm is a little achy," Peter mumbled, his eyes were closed as he held out his right arm where there was a small gash.
Arabella sighed, "Get me a clean towel," she said and Lily rushed out coming back a few moments later with a clean towel that she handed to Arabella. Arabella wrapped the towel around Peter's arm and secured it with a spell. "If it keeps bleeding we might have to take him to a healer," Arabella said and Peter whimpered.
"Peter, I am so sorry," Lily said with wide eyes.
"D-don't w-worry a-about it, I w-walked right into it," Peter said with a weak smile.
"I'm still sorry," Lily said quietly.
"We'll put up a sign," Sirius said and raised his hands as if seeing it before his eyes. "Practicing Witch: Beware of Windows!" he said.
"Sirius!" Arabella said and made to smack him, but be ducked and caught her arm spinning her around.
"Yes Bella?" Sirius questioned as he wrapped his arms around her and Remus, Peter and Lily tried hard not to laugh.
"Never mind," Arabella said and sighed as she tried to move away.
Sensing her movement, Sirius got a devilish gleam in his eye. "Feed me!" he said without warning and spun around with Arabella still close to him. "And nobody gets hurt!" he said and cackled, resembling a madman.
"Let me go!" Arabella said and laughed as Sirius bit her neck. "Ah! He's a vampire!" she shrieked and laughed despite herself.
"Feed me!" Sirius said again and Remus snorted.
"Okay, okay! I'll feed you, just don't eat Bella," Lily said while laughing hysterically.
Sirius then proceeded to spin Bella away from him to Remus and then grab Lily around the waist. He took one of her hands and danced gaily around the kitchen that was now full to bursting with laughter. "What shall we be eating?" he asked as he spun Lily away from him.
Lily was flushed and laughing as she gently pulled her hand from Sirius'. "What would you like to eat?" Lily asked as her laughter slowed and she caught her breath.
"Anything, as long as there is no garlic in it," Sirius said and winked before bursting into laughter.
"Oh stop!" Lily said and giggled. "You all make sure the library isn't permanently damaged and I'll get lunch ready," she said and pushed Sirius out of the kitchen.
"I'm sorry about him," Arabella said and massaged her neck where she'd been bitten briefly.
"Oh, don't worry about it, but I would check a mirror if I were you Bella," Lily said noticing that there was a purplish blemish forming there.
Arabella looked confused and walked out to the entrance hall where a mirror was hanging on the wall. She saw the blemish and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Sirius Black! You gave me a hickey!" she exclaimed and headed to the library where Sirius was sitting in chair smiling innocently.
"Oh Bella, it's nothing but a harmless little love bite," Sirius said with a charming smile.
"I should get you for this Sirius, I really should," Arabella said glaring at Sirius as she walked closer to his chair.
Remus walked into the library and said, "Please keep any shows of affection to the privacy of your own room," and he sat down where he'd been sitting earlier and opened the book he'd been reading.
"I'll get you later Sirius," Arabella said for the courtesy of not blinding Remus.
"Where'd Peter get to?" Sirius asked and watched as Arabella sat down next to him.
"He went to change, his clothes were all messed up from his travels out the window," Remus said lightly as he flipped through paged trying to find his place, again.
"I can't wait to tell James. It's really rather funny," Sirius said and laughed.
"No, you dancing around the kitchen is rather funny. Peter could have been seriously injured," Arabella said sternly.
Sirius sighed. "Yes I know Bella, but he's fine," He said and ran a hand through his hair.
Peter walked into the library a few moments later. He had heard what Sirius sand and it made him angry. "Hey," Peter said as he walked in and scanned their faces. Sirius had a twinkle of humor in his eyes, Arabella was looking grim and Remus looked closed off from all of it; his nose stuck in his book eyes moving back and forth across the page.
"Hey Peter, let me have a look at the towel," Arabella said gently referring to her makeshift bandage. Peter showed his right arm to her and she examined it closely. "Well it's not seeping but let me know if you feel light headed or dizzy," she said and smiled at him.
"Will do," Peter said quietly and sat down wondering if any of them suspected he was betraying them. He concluded that they didn't or he'd already have been shipped off to Azkaban, or dead.
"How long to you think Lily will be?" Sirius asked as his stomach growled demandingly.
"Probably not long but with that pit of a stomach who knows what she's decided to make," Remus replied as he turned the page of his book, something about experimental cures for lycanthropy. Some wizard had been researching for ages after his son had been bitten and he's dedicated his life to trying to find a cure. He wasn't having much luck. Remus sighed and pushed the book away. It depressed him.
Sirius noted Remus' sigh and looked at the cover of the book. He sighed too. "Hey Moony, you want a game of chess?" he asked quietly.
"You'll just cheat Padfoot," Remus said dryly and looked at Sirius with his pale gray eyes.
"Me, cheat? What do you take me for?" Sirius asked with a mock-hurt tone to his voice. "C'mon. It might be entertaining," he said quietly.
"Oh alright," Remus said and stood up to talk over to where the chessboard sat dormant.
Sirius got up and followed Remus leaving Arabella and Peter sitting quietly while the two of them played wizards' chess.
About twenty five minutes and two games later, Lily came into the library. "Lunch is up," she said with a smile and walked back toward the kitchen where she was followed by Sirius who was in a particularly gleeful mood. Lily didn't want to ask why. Sirius sat down at the table and eyed the good sitting there with a gleam in his eye. Remus and Arabella came in next followed by a sad looking Peter; which everyone took to be because of his Gran's death. They sat around the table and started to eat. It was tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches.
"The one and only way I'll eat tomatoes," Remus said and smiled at Lily kindly.
"I know Remus," Lily said and smiled back.
There was light conversation through the meal and Peter, who finished first, excused himself quietly and left the kitchen with slumped shoulders. When his footsteps where heard climbing the stairs Lily asked, "Is he okay?"
"No idea," Sirius said worriedly. "It's probably just grief," he said quietly and Arabella nodded.
Remus looked thoughtfully at where Peter had been sitting and wondered if grief was all that was on his mind. Remus shook of the thoughts and refocused his mind on the conversation which had turned to Quidditch with Sirius telling Lily about the game and describing in detail several of the games he'd attended before moving on to those he's participated in at Hogwarts with James as Chaser.
Upstairs Peter sat dejectedly on his bed. He parents were too busy to come home and attend a family members' funeral. It made Peter both resolutely depressed and extremely angry. He was expected to great all of his grandmother's friends and mourners in two days and he wouldn't know half of them and barely knew the other. He wanted to scream and rant and rave but that wasn't something a Pettigrew did, it was unbecoming and disgraceful to the family name; a value that his dear old formidable grandmother had instilled in him for all of his life. Scenes were for those of unsavory parentage or blood to cause.
Peter fell back on his bed and glared menacingly at the ceiling. Sirius was mocking him because of an accident that wasn't his fault and hew was going to tell James and it would become some stupid joke that would be brought up at every moment possible. 'Wormtail, the amazing flying rat, or something idiotic like that,' he thought to himself. It frustrated him to always be at the butt end of every joke and he was sick of it. Living in such close quarters with Sirius and James was going to be the end of him and he knew it. Voldemort would destroy him if he ruined the meticulous plans he had put into motion. "It wouldn't be much longer," Peter whispered hopefully.
A/N: Yeah. so, I'm trying to work on this story, but I've got a lot of homework I need to get done. So this is going to be the last chapter for a bit. I'm truly sorry about that. but I have to concentrate on my homework or I'll fail and then graduate even later then I already am. So please, I beg everyone to be patient with me and the delays. School is always hard on a writer, especially one who messed up and is now paying for it. I will get the next chapter out as soon as possible. But my math homework has priority. Thank you very much for reading and reviewing! ~Frankie~
Captain Oblivious- Peter, fly out a window? No, no, that's not for a while. *smiles* Moody as a pirate eh? Avast mateys! *cackles* Savvy? I'll try to post the DM/HG HP/GW story eventually, but I have to sort out a lot of stuff, I'm not writing it in the same way that I wrote this one.
Bell- You'll get Catherine, eventually I hope, thanks for the review.
Celine- Bella and Cath have, what do you call it? Irreconcilable differences, at least on one side of the story. but you have to figure that out on your own.
Me- Sorry to burst your bubble, but this story is slow going in regards to Lily and James getting together, and I can't change it or I would have to change everything about my story. So, you're going to have to be patient. Thank you.
Sissy-6- Thanks; I'm glad you think so. And I'm working on the writing thing.
Goldensnitch3- Thanks. Twice.
MarauderFan4ever- I'm sorry I haven't had the time to read your story, but keep after me and I might get a chance to do so. Good luck on it and thank you for your comments.
JCtigerwolf4e- *SIGH* I'm sorry that things with James and Lily are slow going, but you have to have patience. I'm working through things that need to happen but I'm trying. They're going to have to be friends before I get them together, and that relationship has to be cemented first.
Sngrl482- She might. You never know. Thank you for the great suggestion though.
AndromedaTonks- Doing my best. Thank you for the review. I don't know, at the time I thought she was a year younger and then I realized my misconception and so I can't really change it because it would affect the story.
Okay, I'm losing any possible interesting thing to say to my reviewers unless they've asked questions or said something other than bland comments. so I'm going to have to resort to just mentioning names. Sorry.
Laina3
A.J.D'Angelo
Anarane
Cricketlover- Almost all of Friday night? Wow, I'm honored. And I'm trying to work in more L/J fluff, but it's going to be lacking for a bit. Sorry. Oy, I just realized I'm almost into the note book that I'm writing in. this could get dicey.
Manny2003- Thanks, I'm trying to get the chapters out as soon as possible.
Shadowed.phoenix- Moody is great isn't he? *cackles* I imagine that Hippogriffs may just grin, but you have to catch them on a day that Malfoy hasn't abused them. You like the R/C idea eh? I'm glad. oh, and remember the potions incident for future reference.
I o u a name
MegHarts- He is. it's cute, isn't it?
Prisoner-of-Shadows- *eyes go very wide at length* Thank you so much for the lengthy review, I'm honored you took time to write this. I'm glad you think my AU is believable, that is what I'm striving for most, as well as getting back to canon. Thank you for all the amazing compliments, they're still making me smile. And, I think the reasons my fluff moments are random are because I've read too many fics where the fluff is too much, that and its only been like 4 days since James and Lily met, that's too soon, in my opinion for them to get together.
Don Raphiel- Thank you.
Black-cat-on-the-wall- You'll see when they have their first real kiss, I promise, and hopefully it won't be something extremely over done. I'm glad you're happy about Bella and Lily.
Me
Totoro
Now, on to the story.
Chapter Forty-One: Talk, Jokes and Chit-chat
Outside Sirius led Remus around the house. "What did you want to talk about?" Remus asked curiously and watched a butterfly flutter past.
"Our Animagi forms, do you think Lily knows since she knew about you?" Sirius asked quickly.
Remus looked thoughtful. "Well, Bella doesn't know about it even though she knows I'm a werewolf," he said and scratched his head contemplating the point. "Lily doesn't seem to know and if you ask her you'll have to explain," he replied.
"True enough. How did you ask Lily?" Sirius said quietly and looked over at Remus.
"Well, she was telling me that it wasn't my fault for her coma and that she needed to accept that she knows things that she shouldn't, like the tomato thing," Remus said and his nose scrunched up when he mentioned 'tomato' before he continued. "I asked if she knew anything else about me and she just sort of remembered," he said quickly.
"Well, that wouldn't work with this situation," Sirius said lightly and plopped down on the grass carelessly.
"No, it wouldn't," Remus agreed and joined Sirius on the ground.
"What should we do?" Sirius asked quietly before he lay back to look at the clouds passing over head.
"Nothing. If she knows she'll say something, if she doesn't, well, it's probably best," Remus said and joined Sirius in his cloud watching.
A moment passed before Sirius said, "I haven't done this since I was little," and he sighed wistfully.
"You did this?" Remus said quietly as if surprised.
"Yeah, in Grimmauld Place, when my family was being decidedly annoying I would lay in the backyard and look up at the clouds imagining I was anywhere else with a different family," Sirius said quietly. "I would watch the clouds and pick things out in the shapes, like dragons and dogs and things," he said and looked over at Remus. "After what happened sixth year and I found out that I wasn't expelled for my outstanding display of stupidity and you weren't talking to me and James was downright pissed, I went out on the grounds and just lay there," Sirius said with sad eyes.
Remus sighed. "I forgave you along time ago Padfoot, why are you bringing this up now?" he asked quietly.
"I still haven't forgiven myself Moony," Sirius said quietly and looked back up at the clouds.
Remus sighed again. "You should," he said and looked at Sirius' handsome profile.
"I know, I probably will eventually, but I still feel horrible," Sirius said sadly.
"Don't. It was ages ago in the scheme of things. The only person who probably still hates you for that is Snape," Remus said honestly. "In fact, he's probably the only person who ever really did," he said quietly after a pause.
"You didn't hate me?" Sirius questioned calmly.
"No, I couldn't. You were one of my best mates. I had to forgive you. I might have been angry or depressed about it but I couldn't hate you, even if I tried," Remus said with a sigh.
"You tried to hate me?" Sirius asked with wide shocked eyes as he looked at Remus.
"For about ten minutes, but it wasn't possible," Remus said slowly. "It's impossible to hate you, your simply too likeable. And besides that, Snape was a slimeball," Remus said and grinned at Sirius.
Sirius laughed. "Yes he was. He couldn't keep his abnormally large nose out of our business, or anyone else's for that matter," he said and snorted.
"What do you think would happen if he ever got a hold of the Map?" Remus asked curiously.
"That would mean he'd have to go back to Hogwarts and get it from Filch," Sirius muttered darkly. "Can you imagine, Snape teaching? That would be a laugh. He'd swoop about like an overgrown bat and take points off everyone but the Slytherins," Sirius said and cackled.
Remus snorted. "For talking, heck, he might even take points off for breathing," Remus said with a laugh.
"What would he teach?" Sirius said thoughtfully as if seriously considering the possibility.
"Hmm, I don't know. I hope not Defense," Remus said and scrunched up his nose at the thought.
"Probably Potions, he could sulk about the dark, dank, dungeons and feel right at home," Sirius said and then burst out, "He'd probably sleep upside down!" and then he cackled and couldn't stop.
"That's appalling," Remus said but he was laughing too. But a loud crash and the sound of breaking glass brought them out of their conversation.
"What in the name of Merlin," Sirius said and they jumped up and ran around the side of the house pulling their wands from their pockets as they went. That's where they saw Peter sprawled in a bush underneath one of the library windows and Lily and Arabella were looking down on them with a mixture of horror and amusement.
Arabella and Lily had moved from Summoning Charms to Banishing Charms in about ten minutes. Lily was learning very fast. She was attempting to banish a cushion from one of the chairs that was lying on the table near the door and she said the spell just as Peter walked in the door. The spell hit him instead and he flew throw the window with a crash. Lily and Arabella rushed over to the window to see if Peter was okay. Sirius and Remus came around the side of the house. "Is he okay?" Lily asked looking horrified with one hand near her mouth.
"Ow," Peter said groaning and trying to climb out of the bush unsuccessfully.
"Oh help him!" Lily said and Sirius and Remus helped Peter to his feet.
"You okay Pete?" Sirius asked trying to stifle any laughter. Peter just groaned again. Sirius sighed and pointed his wand at the shattered window. "Reparo!" he said and the glass flew back into place with out so much as a scratch.
Remus and Sirius helped the limping Peter around the house and were met by Lily and Arabella at the front door. "Bring him to the kitchen," Arabella said and they brought Peter and sat him down in a chair. "Peter, are you hurt?" Arabella asked crouching down near his chair.
"I don't think so but my arm is a little achy," Peter mumbled, his eyes were closed as he held out his right arm where there was a small gash.
Arabella sighed, "Get me a clean towel," she said and Lily rushed out coming back a few moments later with a clean towel that she handed to Arabella. Arabella wrapped the towel around Peter's arm and secured it with a spell. "If it keeps bleeding we might have to take him to a healer," Arabella said and Peter whimpered.
"Peter, I am so sorry," Lily said with wide eyes.
"D-don't w-worry a-about it, I w-walked right into it," Peter said with a weak smile.
"I'm still sorry," Lily said quietly.
"We'll put up a sign," Sirius said and raised his hands as if seeing it before his eyes. "Practicing Witch: Beware of Windows!" he said.
"Sirius!" Arabella said and made to smack him, but be ducked and caught her arm spinning her around.
"Yes Bella?" Sirius questioned as he wrapped his arms around her and Remus, Peter and Lily tried hard not to laugh.
"Never mind," Arabella said and sighed as she tried to move away.
Sensing her movement, Sirius got a devilish gleam in his eye. "Feed me!" he said without warning and spun around with Arabella still close to him. "And nobody gets hurt!" he said and cackled, resembling a madman.
"Let me go!" Arabella said and laughed as Sirius bit her neck. "Ah! He's a vampire!" she shrieked and laughed despite herself.
"Feed me!" Sirius said again and Remus snorted.
"Okay, okay! I'll feed you, just don't eat Bella," Lily said while laughing hysterically.
Sirius then proceeded to spin Bella away from him to Remus and then grab Lily around the waist. He took one of her hands and danced gaily around the kitchen that was now full to bursting with laughter. "What shall we be eating?" he asked as he spun Lily away from him.
Lily was flushed and laughing as she gently pulled her hand from Sirius'. "What would you like to eat?" Lily asked as her laughter slowed and she caught her breath.
"Anything, as long as there is no garlic in it," Sirius said and winked before bursting into laughter.
"Oh stop!" Lily said and giggled. "You all make sure the library isn't permanently damaged and I'll get lunch ready," she said and pushed Sirius out of the kitchen.
"I'm sorry about him," Arabella said and massaged her neck where she'd been bitten briefly.
"Oh, don't worry about it, but I would check a mirror if I were you Bella," Lily said noticing that there was a purplish blemish forming there.
Arabella looked confused and walked out to the entrance hall where a mirror was hanging on the wall. She saw the blemish and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Sirius Black! You gave me a hickey!" she exclaimed and headed to the library where Sirius was sitting in chair smiling innocently.
"Oh Bella, it's nothing but a harmless little love bite," Sirius said with a charming smile.
"I should get you for this Sirius, I really should," Arabella said glaring at Sirius as she walked closer to his chair.
Remus walked into the library and said, "Please keep any shows of affection to the privacy of your own room," and he sat down where he'd been sitting earlier and opened the book he'd been reading.
"I'll get you later Sirius," Arabella said for the courtesy of not blinding Remus.
"Where'd Peter get to?" Sirius asked and watched as Arabella sat down next to him.
"He went to change, his clothes were all messed up from his travels out the window," Remus said lightly as he flipped through paged trying to find his place, again.
"I can't wait to tell James. It's really rather funny," Sirius said and laughed.
"No, you dancing around the kitchen is rather funny. Peter could have been seriously injured," Arabella said sternly.
Sirius sighed. "Yes I know Bella, but he's fine," He said and ran a hand through his hair.
Peter walked into the library a few moments later. He had heard what Sirius sand and it made him angry. "Hey," Peter said as he walked in and scanned their faces. Sirius had a twinkle of humor in his eyes, Arabella was looking grim and Remus looked closed off from all of it; his nose stuck in his book eyes moving back and forth across the page.
"Hey Peter, let me have a look at the towel," Arabella said gently referring to her makeshift bandage. Peter showed his right arm to her and she examined it closely. "Well it's not seeping but let me know if you feel light headed or dizzy," she said and smiled at him.
"Will do," Peter said quietly and sat down wondering if any of them suspected he was betraying them. He concluded that they didn't or he'd already have been shipped off to Azkaban, or dead.
"How long to you think Lily will be?" Sirius asked as his stomach growled demandingly.
"Probably not long but with that pit of a stomach who knows what she's decided to make," Remus replied as he turned the page of his book, something about experimental cures for lycanthropy. Some wizard had been researching for ages after his son had been bitten and he's dedicated his life to trying to find a cure. He wasn't having much luck. Remus sighed and pushed the book away. It depressed him.
Sirius noted Remus' sigh and looked at the cover of the book. He sighed too. "Hey Moony, you want a game of chess?" he asked quietly.
"You'll just cheat Padfoot," Remus said dryly and looked at Sirius with his pale gray eyes.
"Me, cheat? What do you take me for?" Sirius asked with a mock-hurt tone to his voice. "C'mon. It might be entertaining," he said quietly.
"Oh alright," Remus said and stood up to talk over to where the chessboard sat dormant.
Sirius got up and followed Remus leaving Arabella and Peter sitting quietly while the two of them played wizards' chess.
About twenty five minutes and two games later, Lily came into the library. "Lunch is up," she said with a smile and walked back toward the kitchen where she was followed by Sirius who was in a particularly gleeful mood. Lily didn't want to ask why. Sirius sat down at the table and eyed the good sitting there with a gleam in his eye. Remus and Arabella came in next followed by a sad looking Peter; which everyone took to be because of his Gran's death. They sat around the table and started to eat. It was tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches.
"The one and only way I'll eat tomatoes," Remus said and smiled at Lily kindly.
"I know Remus," Lily said and smiled back.
There was light conversation through the meal and Peter, who finished first, excused himself quietly and left the kitchen with slumped shoulders. When his footsteps where heard climbing the stairs Lily asked, "Is he okay?"
"No idea," Sirius said worriedly. "It's probably just grief," he said quietly and Arabella nodded.
Remus looked thoughtfully at where Peter had been sitting and wondered if grief was all that was on his mind. Remus shook of the thoughts and refocused his mind on the conversation which had turned to Quidditch with Sirius telling Lily about the game and describing in detail several of the games he'd attended before moving on to those he's participated in at Hogwarts with James as Chaser.
Upstairs Peter sat dejectedly on his bed. He parents were too busy to come home and attend a family members' funeral. It made Peter both resolutely depressed and extremely angry. He was expected to great all of his grandmother's friends and mourners in two days and he wouldn't know half of them and barely knew the other. He wanted to scream and rant and rave but that wasn't something a Pettigrew did, it was unbecoming and disgraceful to the family name; a value that his dear old formidable grandmother had instilled in him for all of his life. Scenes were for those of unsavory parentage or blood to cause.
Peter fell back on his bed and glared menacingly at the ceiling. Sirius was mocking him because of an accident that wasn't his fault and hew was going to tell James and it would become some stupid joke that would be brought up at every moment possible. 'Wormtail, the amazing flying rat, or something idiotic like that,' he thought to himself. It frustrated him to always be at the butt end of every joke and he was sick of it. Living in such close quarters with Sirius and James was going to be the end of him and he knew it. Voldemort would destroy him if he ruined the meticulous plans he had put into motion. "It wouldn't be much longer," Peter whispered hopefully.
A/N: Yeah. so, I'm trying to work on this story, but I've got a lot of homework I need to get done. So this is going to be the last chapter for a bit. I'm truly sorry about that. but I have to concentrate on my homework or I'll fail and then graduate even later then I already am. So please, I beg everyone to be patient with me and the delays. School is always hard on a writer, especially one who messed up and is now paying for it. I will get the next chapter out as soon as possible. But my math homework has priority. Thank you very much for reading and reviewing! ~Frankie~