A/N: Sorry for the very long wait! It's been a bit of a hell month, with midterms and all, plus I had a severe case of writer's block, and then the site just wouldn't work (for me). Anyway, won't hold you up any longer…
Chapter 6
"Remus?" Lily exited the kitchen. "Something the matter?"
Sirius rushed to the window. "It can't be…"
"It's all WRONG!" the werewolf cried. He brandished the mangled Daily Prophet at them.
Sirius slumped onto the couch as James peered inquisitively at the paper. The ads were encircled in red ink, then afterwards crossed out, some so violently they slashed holes in the parchment.
"Ah," the Quidditch star managed.
"Stop doing that, grumbled Sirius. "You're scaring the magic out of us." He peeked over James's shoulder. "Wait—you actually considered being Madam Malkin's assistant?"
Remus glared venomously at him.
"Oh Remus." Lily sighed. "Not you too."
"I'll never get a job, and I'm going to end up conducting the Knight Bus along with Ernie Prang!" he wailed.
The girls looked quite helpless—and a bit baffled.
"Either PWS or lack of protein," James muttered. "Moony, calm down and eat—you'll feel much better."
Finally, Remus sank into a proffered chair, before which Lily immediately set a plateful. He started wolfing down the contents.
"How do you feel?" she asked soothingly.
He nodded. "Pass the potatoes." This became a clear sign for everyone else to begin (and resume) eating.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Remus remarked around a mouthful of lamb chop (he was almost back to normal). "Prongs, an owl from your Uncle Bill came by earlier with a letter for you."
"Really? I haven't heard from him in a while," James quipped, sitting up straight.
"It's on the counter," Remus informed him.
James went to get it. " 'Dear James, congratulations on your graduation from Hogwarts,' " he read aloud. " 'I surmise that you must surely be looking for a job now—' "
"Yeah, right," Sirius muttered under his breath.
" 'So,' " James continued in a considerably louder voice as he shot Sirius an annoyed look, " 'I have recommended you to Hippocrates Smethwyck, a good friend and colleague of mine who, sadly, recently lost his latest Trainee Healer to a rather gruesome werewolf attack while the poor unfortunate was tending to one of his outpatients last full moon—' "
Remus cleared his throat a bit uncomfortably. Sirius patted him on the shoulder.
" 'He has been in the market for a new apprentice since, and after I mentioned you to him, thinks you would do splendidly (In return for this favor, he will be covering for me while I take an extended leave to track down Quintapeds). ' "
"Quintapeds?" Lily shrieked. "Is he mad?"
"He does work in Spell Damage," replied James.
Sirius snatched the letter and read aloud its conclusion. " 'Hippocrates would like to meet you tomorrow at nine in the morning for an orientation if you accept the post, and I dearly wish that you do. Simply send your reply back with Phidias, my owl, and I continue to hope that you are well. Signed, William Barnabas Potter, St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Spell Damage Healer-In-Charge.' "
James had gone to the window. "Where's the owl?"
"In the kitchen," Remus responded.
"No, it's not."
"What? Odd." The werewolf rose from his chair.
"It's not here." James lifted the cushions of the couch frantically as if expecting to find a bird stuffed down them. Lily quickly went to help James search the living room, and Nicole headed for the kitchen with Remus. Sirius, left at the dinner table, noticed something.
"Er—Prongs? Do you remember us getting any chicken?"
James looked cross. "No! Honestly, Padfoot, do try to think about more than your stomach at a time like—" He suddenly broke off as Sirius held up what looked horrifyingly like a chicken leg.
"Girls," James choked out, "how exactly did you cook dinner?"
Lily looked puzzled. "Well, we did a spell to get all the meat ready—trimmed, skinned, chopped, de-haired—" Comprehension suddenly dawned. "I must have accidentally gotten Phidias!"
"Of course," whispered Nicole, pale-faced. "The kitchen was really crowded with all the meat…and we were so distracted…"
"Phidias!" James cried. "Nobody touch the owl!"
Sirius and Remus looked extremely green. James spun, horrified.
"Moony—you didn't eat the owl, did you?"
"No!" squeaked Remus. "All I had was that side of lamb!"
James sank onto the couch. "Oh no, what am I going to do? We cooked the owl! Uncle Bill will kill me!"
Sirius and Nicole were gingerly removing owl parts from the plates and placing them in a trash bag solemnly. Lily looked painfully guilty.
"James, I am so sorry—"
"It wasn't your fault," James mumbled absentmindedly.
"James—"
"It's all right," he said a bit harshly.
Lily looked wounded.
"Prongs, cool yourself," Remus warned as he came to stand beside her. "There are ways of handling this. No need to take it out on her."
James let out his breath in a huge whoosh, before sighing. "I'm sorry, Lily. I—just wasn't thinking straight."
Lily stepped into his embrace. "Forgiven. I'm sorry for being so careless."
He buried his face in her hair. "Wasn't your fault, love."
Remus, meanwhile, was pacing as the wheels in his brilliant brain turned.
"Hmmm…you people fancy a trip to Eeylops?"
xxxxx
The five pushed through the doors of the Diagon Alley shop.
"Mad kids," grumbled the wizened old shopkeeper as he staggered to the counter. "I should be in bed!"
"We're really sorry, sir, but it's a really big emergency," Nicole said.
"What did Phidias look like again?" James asked Remus as he peered at the various cages filled with soft hooting.
"Not so much in right now," wheezed the shopkeeper. "The others are off hunting."
"Horned owl," Remus responded.
"You're not being very specific, son," remarked the old man as he went through the cages. "Hundreds of horned owls. I need more details."
"Phidias was a bit young," Remus remembered. "Amber, with black spots."
"Hmmm." The shopkeeper rubbed his stubbly chin and ventured a bit further in. "I recently got a young horned owl in that fits that description. She's very well-tempered, very speedy, very accurate."
"That a bird or a weapon?" Sirius ventured.
The shopkeeper brought down a cage a few seconds later, where a beautiful owl was preening itself.
"She?" James held up the cage to examine the bird.
Sirius let out a chortle. "I think she'd be more of a Phidiasa."
James whipped out his money bag and handed the shopkeeper payment for the owl. "Thanks again, sir." He peered at the little creature, who was now staring at him inquisitively.
"Now—let's hope Uncle Bill doesn't notice anything different."
xxxxx
James sat down at the kitchen table, writing his reply to his uncle's letter. Lily and Sirius were admiring their newly-acquired pet, who was also very friendly and playful.
"She's so cute," sighed Lily as she ruffled the owl's feathers. "I hate to give her up."
James sealed the letter. "Well, we haven't got a choice. We have to give Uncle Bill an owl back." He let the owl nibble at his finger. "Oh, I'm sorry, Phidias." The new owl hadn't really taken to her new moniker, but James had managed to convince her that it was for the best.
Sirius looked very forlorn. "I want to keep her too."
"We can always look for another owl at Eeylops if you two want," James offered. "We need a house owl anyway."
"It won't be the same," admonished Lily and Sirius at the same time.
James lifted the owl. For such a small creature, she had done something miraculous—uniting the usually-sparring pair that consisted of his best friend and his girlfriend. Sadly, he attached the letter to Phidias's leg and told her to stay with Uncle Bill. "Good bye, then, old friend."
With a soft hoot, the owl soared out the kitchen window.
XXX
A/N: I continue to give thanks to God for His wondrous works in all our lives.
To my reviewers:
you know who (i am)- Yes, I do, in fact, know who you are.
LupinLover99- I knew I had you guys with that ending! Sadly, Remus getting a girlfriend is not currently in his plans, but who knows:wink: Haha, I'm glad you like his pj's!
Arista Ramabra, Ketta dragontamer, and webling-girl05- Thanks!
Wilty- Because I can…bwahaha.
Happy Halloween, folks!