June
"Oh, Lily, such wonderful things!" the wheezy voice exclaimed. I know that voice. James hurried through to the dining room.
"Peter!" he cried. The mousy little man straightened. James pushed his glasses back up onto his nose.
"James! Oh it's great to see you!"
"And you, old friend!"
"Well, I heard from Alice that Lily was having a baby too. So I went 'round to the baby boutique to pick up two gifts and I ran into Remus and Sirius. So I came with them to drop off my gift." He indicated a small box wrapped in silver.
"And the rest of this stuff?" James asked, indicating the table. Bibs of every color and design, bottles, rattles, pacifiers and teething rings covered it.
"These are from Remus!" Lily held up a sheet set. Pink, blue and yellow puppies played across a white background
"Oh, yes. That was the closest design we could find to werewolves. Apparently there's not much demand for werewolf-adorned baby items," Peter explained.
"Can't imagine why?" James added, trying not to laugh at Peter's serious expression.
"No, neither could Remus."
"And everything else?"
"Is from Sirius!" Lily said with a burst of laughter.
"You're joking?" James stared at his wife. She shook her head no, beaming at him.
"But look at it all!" James sifted through the pile. "We have most of these things already."
"Oh, lay off, James," Peter interrupted, "He's so excited about the baby. I've never seen him happier."
James smiled. "Where is he?"
"He's out back with Remus; gardening." Lily said.
"Gardening?" James' eyebrows crept towards his hairline. Lily frowned slightly and nodded. "What do you know about this?" he asked, turning to Peter. The shorter man shrugged his shoulders. But the smile on his face gave it away. He knows. "Alright. Seeing as how neither of you are talking."
James continued through to the backyard. Their cottage sat close to a small thicket of trees. They lived close enough to the Muggles that the hum of traffic could be heard in the distance. Lily's Muggle family had come for regular visits as often as they were able. However, once her parents had past away, Lily's sister had made it clear she wanted nothing more to do with them.
James stopped in mid-stride. Remus and Sirius had used magic to dig a hole in the center of his manicured lawn! They were now dropping a spindly sapling into the hole. "What in the name of Merlin's beard are you two doing?" he asked, descending upon them.
"Oh, James! You're home early!" Remus said.
"Not early enough, apparently," he indicated the tree.
"You don't like it?" Sirius asked.
"I. . ." he watched Sirius' smile falter. Remus flicked his wand and the hole filled with dirt, the turf returning to its rightful place around the little tree.
"Too late, now," he said, a peaceful smile on his face.
"Too late, now!" Sirius echoed, his smile returning.
"I like the tree," James said after a moment. "But what's it doing here?"
"It's for Harry," Sirius answered.
"You bought my son a tree?" Sirius nodded.
"A wand wood tree," Remus said, "Well, eventually," he added, staring at the scrawny sapling.
I will not smile. "Remus, go help Lily, please. You and I will talk later." James stared at Sirius, pinning him to the spot until Remus had gone. He motioned for Sirius to join him and started across the garden.
"It is a bit overboard," Sirius said with a sigh. "I just," he paused, searching for his next words, "needed to do it." James led them off into the thicket. He bent and retrieved a small branch, stripping the bark from it as he walked. Sirius pulled a handful of leaves from a low-hanging branch. James waited him out, watching him shred the leaves. "I'm just spoiling him," he finished.
"Is that all?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean living my life for me."
"Oh," Sirius hung his head, "I'm doing it again, am I?" James nodded. Sirius shrugged. "How can I not? I've always lived through you James. What did I ever have of my own? A mad mother, an abusive father. Dinner if I was lucky. I never knew how a real family behaved until I found yours." Sirius stopped. James pulled up as well.
He continued, "Family dinners where parents talk to you, listen to your opinions, care about your day. Sleep-overs. Outings. I had none of that. I could never hope to have it. And now," he turned to stare behind them at where the house sat, "a wife, a child, a home."
"You could still have those last ones, Sirius," James said.
He snorted, "Oh yes? Can you see the first date?" He pitched his voice high, feminine, "Oh yes, I love working at the ministry and what is it you do?" James smiled as Sirius continued in a debonair tone, "Ah well, I am a foppish playboy, disinherited heir of the Black Family. I spend much of my time roaming the country-side, searching for antiques and fine wines. In my spare time I work as a hit wizard for this secret Order determined to stop the take-over of our country by the dark wizard, Voldemort. Heard of him, have you?" Sirius smiled sadly and sighed.
"But you could put it more gently," James suggested.
"It wouldn't make any difference. No matter how I put it, eventually you'd call me on the mirror, 'Padfoot! We got a live one! Get your flea-bitten butt down here!'" James laughed at the impression. "You and Frank are the lucky ones. Your wives joined the Order before you married. They already knew what they were getting into. I could never ask someone I loved to do this." He turned back around. His gray eyes smiled, hiding a pain James knew was there.
But it's such a ghost of a life. "Padfoot--"
"It's what I want, James. It's all I want. Sharing your life is my life."
"But you bought my son a tree."
"Think of it as an investment. Wand wood can be very lucrative."
"Sirius--"
"Serious. My family owns a whole grove of wand trees. Very nice returns."
James smiled at the pun. "And the stuff on the table?"
Sirius chuckled, "Ah, Remus wanted to get something. Well, there's only one wizard baby supply store in the area. We were going in and Wormtail was on his way out. He and Remus went on a quest for werewolf inspired designs. And you know I can't just sit around or window shop. So I grabbed some stuff while I was waiting for them."
James threw what was left of his stick into the bushes. "Let's head back," he said.
"Hang on! What did Dumbledore say?" Sirius fell in step beside him. James was silent a long time. How can I choose between my friends and my boss? Doesn't he realize what he's asking me to do? He already knows the choice I'll make. He knows Remus' choice, Sirius' choice.
"He's furious," he said. "He wants you and Remus out tonight. And he wants me to take leave; at least until Harry is born."
"No. What did you tell him?" Panic edged his voice. James studied him. You can't think I threw you out? My best friend?
"I told him I would take leave; Lily really needs me anyway and that I'd pass on the message to you and Remus."
"So you're leaving it up to me and Remus to defy Dumbledore? Thanks, James."
"Don't mention it."
They had reached the house again. Lily and Peter set the table after the others cleared away the baby supplies. James, Remus and Sirius trudged upstairs, arms laden with Sirius' purchases. After stowing the supplies, the three friends stood in silence, surveying the nursery James and Lily had set up for Harry.
The walls and ceiling were painted a perfect sky blue. Here and there, dotting the room, Lily had painted Quidditch balls; Quaffles and bludgers. A perfect golden snitch painted above Harry's crib fluttered its silvery wings.
Sirius laid an arm across Remus' shoulders. "Dumbledore wants us to leave," he said.
Remus nodded. "I was wondering when he'd finally ask? He has to have known we were here from the first."
"It wasn't so much asking you to leave," James said, "as issuing an ultimatum."
"Get out or else what?" Sirius asked.
"Or else he won't be held responsible."
"What does that mean?" Remus asked.
"That you're on your own if you aren't going to play along." James answered.
Remus snorted, "Is that all?"
"How will we ever survive all alone?" Sirius laughed, throwing up his hands.
"Are you three coming down for dinner?" Peter called up the stairs.
"Coming!" they shouted back down as one.
"Are you on your own if we stay?" Remus asked James as they filed downstairs.
"Of course not. I'll have my two best friends to keep me company."
With a chuckle, Sirius reached over and rumpled James' short, black hair.