Monday, March 27, 1978
Peter sat on the sofa in James's bedroom, his eyes wide with interest.
"You said you had something to show me? Or was this just a ploy to get me here to listen to a new Quidditch strategy or something?"
"It's nothing to do with Quidditch." James couldn't keep the smile off his face. He pulled the ring box from his pocket and handed it to Peter, trying to conceal his wide grin behind his hand. "I, er, bought this the other day. For Evans, obviously."
Peter stood to open the box and dropped it onto the rug. He scrambled to pick it up, then looked up at James in astonishment.
"You're proposing? Congratulations, Prongs! When did you decide that? And when are you going to do it?" He glanced down at the ring. "Bloody hell. This is the biggest diamond I've ever seen."
James grinned. "Thanks, Pete. I… hang on, what did you ask? Oh, I'm not doing it until we're done with school, but I wanted to get it now in case, well, things change."
He didn't have to clarify, because at this point they all understood. With the constant barrage of bad news plastered across the front page of the Daily Prophet, things could change at any time.
"And I decided a while back, during the Christmas holiday." He smiled as he recalled the crackle of the fire in the common room, the soporific effect of the firewhisky, the excitement bubbling in his chest as he had confided in Sirius.
"You've known for that long?" Peter asked, frowning. "And you didn't say anything?"
"Well, I told Padfoot the day I decided," James said, running a hand through his hair. "And he told Mary, even though he was meant to keep it a secret. And I told Moony at some point, although I didn't actually mean to…"
A flicker of hurt passed over Peter's face, and James's stomach twisted with guilt. He hadn't meant to leave Peter out; it had just happened that way.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to keep anything from you. I just–"
"Don't be silly," Peter said, flashing him a reassuring smile. The hurt James had seen there had evaporated, and he wondered if he had simply imagined it.
"And hey, you're not the very last to know about it," James offered, grinning. "Because Evans still doesn't know."
Peter raised his eyebrows. "Must be tough, keeping it from her. I bet you wanted to rush over there and ask her as soon as you walked out of the shop with this." He closed the ring box and handed it back to him. "I'm so happy for you, Prongs." He clapped him on the back, then sat back down and leaned his head back against the sofa.
"Thanks, Pete." James wrapped the ring box in Sirius's pants and replaced it to its hiding place in the dresser drawer, then returned to his room and sat down in the chair across from Peter. "Hey, do me a favor. If you hear me saying anything when I'm drunk tonight that might ruin the surprise, don't bother with code words or anything. Just kick me, alright?"
Peter laughed. "Will do."
An hour later the six of them were seated at a table in the Leaky Cauldron. Each of them held a shot, and full pints sat in front of them.
"Why is it always tequila with you two?" James asked, eying his shot with distaste.
"Because tequila is always a good idea," Lily said.
"And because it's your birthday," Mary added, raising her shotglass higher. "Tequila is the best birthday drink. Happy birthday, James. Here's to your excellent dance moves and very attractive hair."
"That didn't sound like a very heartfelt toast," James said once they had all taken their shots. "It almost sounded like you were taking the piss and don't like my dance moves or hair at all."
Sirius grinned and clapped him on the back. "Rubbish. We love your hair and your dance moves, mostly because they make us laugh. But only we're allowed to laugh. If anyone else laughs at your dance moves tonight, I'll punch them."
Remus frowned. "Are we dancing tonight?"
James shook his head. "You don't have to dance, Moony. You can just sit there and sip your drink and laugh at me."
"And Evans," Sirius added. "Don't forget to laugh at Evans. She's even worse at dancing than Prongs." He stood up and did an unflattering imitation of Lily's signature move.
Lily scowled. "That's a bit rude."
"The fucking audacity," James said, nudging her and smirking.
Lily burst into laughter and choked on her mouthful of beer.
"I don't get it," Mary said, frowning.
"I didn't tell you about that?" James asked, waving his wand to vanish the beer Lily had spit all over the table. "Right, so we were out at dinner the other night and things got a bit heated between Evans and her sister…"
"Are you having fun, Moony?"
James sat down at the table across from Remus and placed a fresh pint in front of him. Remus cast a dubious glance at the drink, but took a sip when James slid it a few inches closer.
"I'm having loads of fun," Remus said. "Why did you stop dancing? It was amusing me."
"So I could bring you a drink, you ungrateful prat." He took a sip of his drink, then scanned the crowded pub and frowned. "Where's Pete?"
"Loo." Remus wiped a bit of condensation off the side of his drink and watched Lily and Mary spin each other around on the dance floor. James and Remus both laughed as Lily almost collided with Sirius and continued dancing, oblivious.
"What a bunch of idiots," James said, a fond grin on his face, but his smile faded as he watched Remus's expression turn melancholy. "You look sad. It's my birthday – nobody is supposed to be sad, just drunk and reckless."
Remus took another sip of his drink and looked at James over the top of his glass. "I'm not sad. I was just thinking that this might be the last night like this for a while. After we leave Hogwarts we might be too busy for drunken nights at the pub."
James raised his eyebrows. "Doubt it. You think Pads will let us stop going to the pub?" He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Besides, I get the feeling we'll need a few drunken nights to counteract the stress of what we'll be doing."
Remus nodded. "I guess you're right."
He continued to stare down into his drink, a slight crease between his brows. James took another gulp of his drink and smiled to himself as Lily attempted to carry Mary piggy-back across the dance floor.
"You never told us what Dumbledore said," James said, the sound of his own voice taking him by surprise. He had been wondering about it for days, but until now he had been reluctant to bring it up. That little preoccupied crease had lingered between Remus's brows since James had told them all about Dumbledore's offer, and then there had been the full moon on top of everything else. James had let it be, afraid to make things worse, but something about the loud music and raucous laughter punctuated by the clink of glasses gave him the courage to speak. Now he waited as Remus set down his drink and took a deep breath, tugging down the sleeve of his jumper with raw, gnawed fingernails.
"He wants me to try to recruit other people with, er, problems similar to mine," he said, a note of resignation in his tone.
"Problems of the furry variety?"
Remus nodded. "I guess a bunch of them live in a sort of, I dunno, commune? Settlement? I don't know what the right word is, but anyway, it's out in a forest in Wales somewhere. He's tried talking to them but they don't want to hear it, so he thinks I'll have better luck getting through to them." He sighed and shook his head, then took another sip of his drink. "I wish I knew why he thinks I'm any more qualified than he is."
"I bet they'll listen to you," James said, shrugging. "You understand what it's like. And you have a sort of calming effect on people."
Remus laughed and nodded at the dance floor, where Sirius was doing a full air guitar solo. "Calming effect my arse. When have I ever been able to calm you two down?"
James shrugged again. "Well, just imagine the shenanigans we'd get up to if you weren't around to remind us that we're being idiots." He ran a hand through his hair and mulled over Remus's mission. "That sounds like it might take a while. How long will you be gone for?"
"No bloody idea." He swirled the beer around his glass and sighed. "It might take me ages to get them to trust me. And there's more than one group of them, except Dumbledore doesn't know where the other ones are. So I expect I'll be gone for weeks, maybe months at a time."
"Well, shit. We'll miss you."
Except for the school holidays, James had seen Remus every day since they were first years. Now they might not hear from Remus for days, weeks, maybe even months once he slipped away to the middle of nowhere. James wondered what sort of missions the rest of them would have to do. Maybe Sirius would be sent away, and for days James wouldn't know whether he was alive or dead. The idea that the four of them would not be together every day made his shoulders slump with sadness. It had seemed so obvious and fitting that they would all join together, and he had imagined standing back-to-back with Lily and Sirius, dueling some faceless Death Eater. But now that he was considering all the implications of joining, the future was daunting.
"Yeah, I'll miss you too," Remus said, his voice a faint murmur as he stared down at his hands. "I've already told Seven that I'll probably have to…" His voice trailed off, but his downcast expression made his meaning clear.
"Pity," James said, thinking of the joy that lit Remus's face every time Seven walked into the room. "I really like you two together."
Remus nodded, his gaze still fixed on the table. "Yeah. Me too."
"Oh, did you already get another drink?" Peter sat down beside Remus, setting a full pint in front of him and grinning. "Oh well. I hope you're thirsty."
"You can have it, Prongs," Remus said, nudging the full pint across the table toward him. "Your drink is less full."
James shook his head. "Nope. That's for you." He nudged the glass back in Remus's direction, hoping the alcohol would ease the tense lines that formed around his mouth and the sorrow that lurked in his eyes. "Like Pete said, I hope you're thirsty."
Remus cast a doubtful glance at the drink, then picked up the half-full pint James had bought him and drained it in one gulp. "One of you might have to carry me back to Padfoot's," he said, pulling the full pint toward him and taking a sip.
"Hi, I've had an idea," Sirius announced, sliding into the seat beside James and bumping the table so that Peter's beer slopped onto the fake wood surface. "We're getting tattoos."
"No we're not." Remus laughed and cast around for something to wipe up the spilled beer. When he found nothing suitable, he used the sleeve of his jumper. "That's a terrible idea."
"I love it," James said. "We can all get the same one. Oh, I know, we can actually get 'I heart Wolfy McWolferson,' except I'm getting it on my arm, because I don't fancy some tattoo bloke looking at my arse."
"Does it hurt?" Peter asked, his eyes wide and anxious.
Remus shook his head and shot James a withering look. "It doesn't matter if it hurts, Pete, because we're not getting tattoos."
"Come on," Sirius urged. "You'd look excellent with a tattoo. Seven would love it."
"Absolutely not." Remus sipped his drink, then made an exasperated sound when Sirius continued to watch him expectantly. "I'll watch while the rest of you get one, but there's no fucking chance I'm doing it."
"What aren't you doing?" Mary asked as she squeezed in beside Sirius while Lily leaned against the edge of the table. Both girls had flushed cheeks and bright eyes, and James lost track of his surroundings for a moment as he watched Lily push a lock of slightly damp hair out of her face. His eyes fell on her left hand as he imagined the engagement ring twinkling there.
"What do you think, James?" The sound of her voice jarred him from his reverie. "Should I get a tattoo?"
"Of course you should. It's my birthday wish that we all get tattoos. Stupid, drunken tattoos that we're going to regret in the morning. I think every Gryffindor should get at least one stupid, drunken tattoo." He tilted his head to the side and gazed at Lily, trying to picture her with a tattoo.
"You've got to do it, Moony," Sirius said. "You can't be the only one left out."
"Sod off." Remus lowered his voice and muttered, "My skin's fucked up enough without adding a tattoo."
"Rubbish," Sirius said, making a dismissive hand gesture. "How about this – if you agree to get one, you can choose mine for me."
Remus raised his eyebrows. "What if you don't like what I pick?"
"Doesn't matter. I'll have to do it anyway." He frowned and added, "But it's got to be somewhere people will only see if I'm not wearing a lot of clothes."
"Well, that's not going to stop people from seeing it," Mary pointed out. "You're naked way more often than the average person."
Remus sipped his drink and considered the matter for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, alright. But I'm going to need to get a bit drunker." He finished his drink in several long swigs, then set down the glass and sighed. "I hope you all know this is a terrible bloody idea."
"Nah, we only have good ideas," James said, downing the rest of his drink and ushering them out before Remus could change his mind.
They stumbled to a Muggle tattoo shop just down the street from the pub. A flickering neon sign with several burnt out letters hung above the door, and a grimy glass shopfront held faded designs of various flowers, tribals, and butterflies. As the door swung shut behind them, a man emerged from the back of the dim shop and blew a stream of cigarette smoke in their direction. Mary nudged Peter and pointed out a tattoo design featuring a topless girl; both of them dissolved into giggles. The tattoo artist watched the exchange and frowned.
"You're all drunk," he observed. James noticed most of his visible skin was covered in tattoos, some bright and fresh, some so faded that he couldn't make them out.
"No we're not," Sirius said, grinning and reaching out a hand to steady Remus, who was about to topple over.
"Perfectly sober," James added, pulling a crumpled wad of bills from his pocket and stuffing it into the man's hand.
The tattooed man examined his handful of money, then nodded and tucked it into his back pocket. "Alright, you're sober. Who's first, then?" He cast a sideways glance at Remus and added, "If you puke in my shop, mate, you're cleaning it."
"He's fine," Sirius said, giving Remus a bracing pat on the back. "Does anyone actually know what they're getting?"
The tattooed man dropped his cigarette into an ashtray shaped like a mermaid, rolling his eyes as James and his friends exchanged blank looks.
"I do," Lily said, stepping forward.
"What are you getting?" James asked, surprised.
She grinned. "It's a surprise."
"So does that mean you don't want me to hold your hand?"
"Of course I do. Just don't peek at the tattoo until it's done." She stood on tiptoe to whisper in the tattooed man's ear, then followed him to the back of the shop and lay down on a vinyl tattoo bed illuminated by a single naked lightbulb. James stood beside her, then widened his eyes in alarm as she unzipped her trousers.
"The tattoo's going on my hip, James, no need to look so shocked," she said, giggling. "Now hold my hand, and no peeking."
When the tattoo gun touched her skin for the first time, she squealed and tightened her grip on James's hand.
"Padfoot!" she called, glaring across the shop at Sirius. "You said it doesn't hurt!"
"I don't think I actually said that," Sirius said, tapping his fingers against the side of his face. "I never said one way or another."
"Does it hurt?" Peter asked, grimacing.
Lily winced. "Well, it doesn't feel great."
After a few minutes, James's eyes drifted sideways, but Lily squeezed his hand and laughed. "I saw that."
"Alright, fine." James kept his eyes fixed on hers, noticing a flicker of pain cross her face. "You okay?"
She bit her lip and nodded. "I'll be fine."
He frowned. Seeing her in pain bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
"Hey, Evans!" Sirius called from across the shop. "Nice pants!"
James's head whipped around automatically to look, but Lily poked him with her free hand. "No peeking!"
"Don't move, love," the tattoo artist chided her.
"Sorry," Lily said, flashing James a sheepish smile.
When the tattoo was finished, Lily examined it before she allowed James to see.
"Okay, you can look."
He peered eagerly at the reddened skin beside her hip bone and saw a bunch of yellow daffodils nestled there. The bright yellow petals and soft green stems stood out against her smooth skin; they looked so lifelike that he could almost smell soil and the heavy scent of rain in the air. He reached out a hand to caress the delicate flowers, but drew back at the sharp rebuke from the tattooed man.
"Do you like it?" Her smile was wide and carefree, and her eyes were slightly unfocused. He couldn't tear his gaze away.
"I love it. Daffodils." He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face.
"Because of that time last year…."
Her voice transported him back to that spring day they had huddled together under the Quidditch stands to avoid the rain. The drum of the rain above them, her drenched hair plastered to her face, the slight sunburn across the bridge of her nose from the spring sun earlier that day — it was all so vivid in his mind. The hope in her eyes when she mentioned the daffodils blooming by the lake had been all he could think about for days, so when he noticed her fighting off tears after some awful news in the Daily Prophet, he had nipped outside to pick a bouquet for her.
"I didn't realize you'd still remember that," he said, grinning.
"It made my whole week," she admitted. "I always think of you when I see daffodils. And now I'll think about that day every time I look at this."
"Alright, you sentimental sods, out of the way so I can get whatever gem of a tattoo Moony has picked out for me," Sirius said, nodding at the bed Lily was still sitting on. "I like the flowers, by the way, although I thought for sure you'd get Prongs's name in a heart or something."
Lily hopped to her feet. "You have no room to talk about sentimental tattoos," she said, slipping an arm around James's waist. "You and Mary have matching tattoos."
"Shut up, Evans. They're not matching, they're just complimentary."
He beckoned for Remus to join them. "Tell the bloke what tattoo I'm getting. You're going to hold up your side of the bargain, right?"
Remus nodded, a slightly unfocused quality to his gaze as he leaned over to whisper in the tattoo artist's ear.
"Hang on, what was that?" the tattooed man asked, frowning.
Remus laughed and repeated his instructions.
The tattoo artist's frown deepened. "Do you mean…" He beckoned Remus closer and muttered something.
"Yes. That's exactly what I meant," Remus said, grinning. "Cheers."
"That sounds a bit ominous," James said, raising his eyebrows. "I hope Macdonald will still shag you even with a ridiculous tattoo."
Sirius made a dismissive hand gesture. "Of course she will. A ridiculous tattoo will just make the rest of me look better by comparison. Hey, Moony, where is this going, by the way?"
"Oh, I dunno, I hadn't thought about it… Your arm, I suppose?"
Sirius shrugged, then slipped off his jacket and presented his arm to the tattooed man. "Have at it."
To resist the temptation to peek at Sirius's tattoo, James and Lily wandered over to join Mary and Peter as they examined the various tattoo designs displayed on the wall.
"What are you getting, Pete?" James asked.
Peter cast an anxious glance across the room at Sirius and shook his head. "I dunno. Lily, did it hurt?"
"Don't listen to her," Mary said, rolling her eyes. "She has no pain tolerance. It's really not that bad."
The worried crease between Peter's brows did not ease. "But didn't you say you were too drunk to notice the pain when you got your tattoo?"
She shrugged. "Not much drunker than you are now. Anyway, I've given you several suggestions for what you should get, so I don't know why you haven't picked something."
"Sod off, I'm not getting a butterfly—"
"Ooh, I love butterflies," Lily said. "They're so delicate and pretty."
"I'm the opposite of delicate and pretty," Peter said, grinning. "And I'd look like an idiot."
"So why don't you go for this," Mary suggested, pointing at a length of barbed wire. "If you want something that makes you look tough."
Peter shook his head. "I don't think I'm the barbed wire type."
"Well, I'm not sure what you want from me, Peter." Mary blew a lock of hair out of her face and turned to Lily, her eyes widening. "You haven't shown me yours yet!"
They admired Lily's daffodils for a minute, and then Sirius waved them over to see his finished tattoo.
"Moony, I love it!" He twisted his arm to get a better view of the ukulele topped with a red cowboy hat that stood out just below his shoulder. "It's my best nonsense in one tattoo."
"I thought you might like it," Remus said, a grin spreading across his face as he leaned against the tattoo bed. "I was going to go with I heart Wolfy McWolferson, but I thought it might give people the wrong idea."
"Did you by any chance call it a ukiluki?" Sirius asked.
"I might have. But this bloke knew exactly what I meant."
"You go next, Elbow Patches," the tattoo artist said, indicating that Sirius should get up and give his seat to Remus. "I'm not sure you'll be on your feet if you wait until the rest of this lot gets tattooed."
"I'm fine," Remus said, but he sat down in Sirius's vacated seat anyway. "None of you look until it's finished. I want it to be a surprise, too."
He frowned, sneaking a glance at the tattoo artist, then unbuttoned his cardigan and removed his left arm from the sleeve. The tattoo artist didn't so much as blink at the scars that extended from Remus's shoulder all the way down to his wrist. Apparently, he had seen things much more shocking than a few scratch marks.
While Remus described his tattoo idea and the tattooed man got to work, the others studied the tattoo designs on display and made further suggestions for Peter, each one less helpful than the last. James was trying to convince him to get a pair of interlocking hearts when Sirius looked over at Remus, then bounded over to peer at his new tattoo.
"I was going to call you over in a second," Remus said, jerking his arm out of Sirius's grasp.
Sirius shrugged. "I'm impatient." His face split into a grin as he read the words curling around Remus's arm. "You would."
"Is that the first line of The Hobbit?" James asked.
Remus nodded, a sheepish grin brightening his face. "I figured if I had to get a tattoo, this one wouldn't be so bad."
"I love that!" Lily exclaimed.
"You pull it off," Mary said, nodding thoughtfully. "I'm honestly still shocked you agreed to it."
Remus shrugged. "I got to torture Padfoot, so it was worth it." He looked around at Mary, Peter, and James. "Who's going next?"
James laughed, realizing he hadn't put any thought at all into what sort of tattoo he wanted to get. Peter fiddled with the sleeve of his shirt, staring at the tattoo gun with wide eyes. Mary looked at both of them, then shrugged and sat down beside Remus.
"I guess it's me. And there's no need to keep mine secret until the end. I'm getting a David Bowie lightning bolt on my wrist because it goes with my other tattoo and it doesn't feel like the sort of thing I'll regret in the morning, but I guess we'll have to wait and see to know for sure."
They stood around as the tattooed man bent over her wrist to ink a bright red lightning bolt. To Mary's credit, she didn't even flinch. While Lily looked on, grimacing as the needle dug into Mary's sensitive skin, James smiled to himself. He knew what he wanted for a tattoo after all. When she stood up and held out her wrist for everyone to admire, James took her place on the tattoo bed and rolled up the sleeve of his t-shirt.
"What are you getting?" Lily asked, her face lit up with drunken enthusiasm.
"You'll see. I want it to be a surprise." He nodded at Sirius. "Don't let her look until it's done, alright, Padfoot?"
He waited until Lily had wandered over to the other side of the shop before he gave his request to the tattoo artist. The needle vibrated against his skin, but he barely felt the pain. As soon as it was finished, he craned his neck to see Lily's name written across his upper arm in curling script.
"Typical Prongs," Sirius said, shaking his head in exasperation.
"Oh, James, I love it." Lily reached for his hand, beaming down at the tattoo. "Don't laugh, Padfoot – you're just jealous he didn't get your name."
When James stood up, Peter gulped and took his seat, his face white.
"Do you want me to hold your hand?" Mary offered.
Sirius snickered , and Peter glanced sideways at him and frowned. "Nah, that's okay."
"Don't be stupid, you look like you're about to pass out." She gave Sirius's shoulder a gentle shove. "Don't be an arsehole, Black. All of you, over there by the window. It's less stressful if you don't watch."
"You're not the boss of me, Macdonald," Sirius said, sticking out his tongue, but he led the way over to the door anyway. "She's too soft sometimes," he muttered, watching Mary give Peter's arm a reassuring pat.
James noticed the smile on Sirius's face despite his words, but didn't bother pointing it out. There was no point, when Sirius would only scowl and argue. Instead, he drew Lily to him and kissed her, tasting beer and firewhisky as her lips pressed against his.
"I can't believe you got my name tattooed on your arm," she murmured when he pulled away. She gazed up at him, a relaxed smile on her lips as she reached up to adjust his glasses.
"Come on, it's me. What else would I get?" His hands rested on her waist, slipping underneath her jumper to trail along the soft skin above her waistband. He breathed in the scent of her shampoo, the floral aroma drowning out the stink of stale cigarettes that pervaded the shop. The sound of Sirius's voice drifted up to him, but he ignored it, focusing on Lily's bright eyes and the warmth of her body.
"You'd look nice with one of those butterflies," she replied, moving closer and twining her hand in his hair. "On your lower back, maybe."
She moved in to kiss him again, and he closed his eyes, savoring the intimacy of the moment until he felt a hand shaking his shoulder. He drew back from Lily and turned to look at Sirius.
"Don't worry, Prongs," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "You keep snogging while I help Moony."
"Don't need any help," Remus mumbled, his eyes drooping as he leaned against Sirius. James hastened to drape his other arm around Remus's shoulders.
"You're right," Sirius said, smiling wryly. "We'll just let go, then. I'm sure you'll be fine to stand up on your own."
"Do it," Remus urged, listing to the left until Sirius grabbed the back of his jumper. "I can stand up just fine."
"Evans, tell us if he looks like he's about to puke," James said, trying to assess the pallor of Remus's skin in the dim light of the tattoo parlor.
"I'm not."
"Don't listen to him," Sirius said. "He's rounded the corner into the drunk Moony zone and is no longer a reliable source."
"This might be your fault, Lily," Remus said, pointing an accusing finger at her with an unsteady hand. "Or maybe it was Mary. Whoever bought the tequila shots. I don't think I get along with tequila. I was fine and then all of a sudden these tossers won't let me stand up on my own. It's too…" He turned sideways to look at Sirius, his eyes narrowing. "What word am I looking for?"
"No idea," Sirius said, chuckling. "I'm not inside your head."
Remus nodded. "Probably for the best. I don't recommend it. Although I bet it's less scary than what goes on in your head. Anyway, I'm really fine. You can let me go." He tried to wriggle out from Sirius's grasp, flinging his arm out and knocking over the mermaid-shaped ashtray. Glass and cigarette ash scattered all over the floor, and the tattoo artist let out an indignant shout.
"Sorry!" Remus dropped to his knees and scrambled to pick up the broken pieces. He swept the shards into a pile, then drew back when the jagged edge of the mermaid's tail pierced his skin and sent a drop of blood splashing onto the mess of cigarette ash.
"Leave it, Moony, for fuck's sake," James muttered as he attempted to haul him to his feet.
"You lot had better go," the tattooed man called, casting a dubious glance at Remus. "If you're too drunk to stand up, you're too drunk to be in my shop."
"I am standing up," Remus said, peering through half-closed lids as he leaned against James's shoulder. The knees of his trousers were streaked with ash and several bright red spots of blood.
James knew he should steer the group out of the shop, but his legs didn't seem to be cooperating. Everything had a slow, fuzzy quality as though time was stretching out.
"You've got to go," the tattoo artist repeated, nodding at the door before turning to Peter. "Sorry I didn't get to yours, mate, but that ashtray was a fucking family heirloom–"
"Family heirloom, my arse!" Sirius said.
"Come on," Lily said. She grabbed James's hand and tugged him toward the exit.
"But Pete didn't get his tattoo," Remus said, looking at Peter with wide, sad eyes.
"It's okay," Peter said, sagging with relief. "I can, er, get one another time."
"Ugh, Moony, your jumper smells like old beer," Sirius said, wrinkling his nose as he turned sideways so the three of them could maneuver through the door.
"No it doesn't." Remus sniffed his sleeve, then burst into laughter. "Okay, yeah, it kind of does."
The fresh air was a welcome change after the stale, smokey interior of the tattoo shop. James breathed deeply, then grimaced as Remus's hand knocked against his new tattoo. Bloody hell, Moony.
Mary pushed a strand of hair out of her face and eyed Remus uncertainly. "Are we going to be able to make it back to your flat, Black?"
"We'll make it just fine," Remus said. He sniffed his sleeve again and frowned. "Why does it smell like that?"
"We can maybe make it," Sirius said. "But we've got to go now."
James and Sirius set off down the sidewalk, dragging Remus along between them.
"Pick up your feet, Moony," Sirius complained. "Fuck, how are you this heavy? You're the skinniest person in existence."
Remus gave a muffled groan and continued to drag his feet. His head slumped sideways onto James's shoulder, and his body sagged, limp and ungainly.
"I wish we could help," Peter said from behind them. "Is there something we can do to help?"
"Pete, how the fuck are you going to help?" Sirius snapped. "You going to carry his feet?"
"We can be your moral support," Mary suggested, clapping her hands and cheering. "You can do it! I believe in you!"
"Thanks, Mary, now he doesn't feel so heavy," James said, laughing so hard he almost lost his grip on Remus's arm.
"Hang on." Remus put his feet down and brought them to a grinding halt. "Just, hang on a moment."
"No hanging on," Sirius said, giving his arm a tug. "If we stop we might not ever start again."
Remus groaned again and stared down at the sidewalk.
"Use your words, Moony," James said, amused. "Why are we stopping?"
"Because," he said through gritted teeth, "I'm about to puke on your shoes."
"I'd prefer if you didn't," James said, edging his feet out of the danger zone.
"Well, I would too," Remus began, but the rest of his sentence became another vague groan.
"Mind your shoes, Pads," James muttered.
"Why have we stopped?" Lily asked.
But before James could speak, Remus answered Lily's question by lurching forward and vomiting all over the sidewalk, his shoes, and the front of his jumper.
"Fuck." James jerked Remus upright before he could slide down into the puddle of sick, then sighed and glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the group. "I don't think we're going to make it after all."
"Is it on my jumper?" Remus mumbled, his head now lolling onto Sirius's shoulder. "It is, isn't it?"
James leaned forward and examined the soiled jumper, then looked at Sirius and grimaced.
"It's, er, not that bad."
Remus sighed. "You're lying. I can tell."
"It's fine, Moony, we'll clean it, just like we cleaned my jacket that time," Sirius assured him.
"I'm sorry, Prongs. I fucked up your birthday."
"No you didn't." James sighed and gestured to Peter. "Pete, can you get the Knight Bus here?"
"They won't let Mary or Padfoot on," he said, shaking his head. "They got banned for improper bed use last time, remember? And they probably won't like the look of Moony, either, to be honest."
"You can leave me here," Remus said, his head slumping forward onto his chest.
"Moony, shut the fuck up," Sirius said, chuckling. "No one's leaving you here."
"Seven would murder us," James added.
Remus snapped his head up to look at James, his pale face full of alarm. "You can't tell Seven about this! It's too embarrassing."
"We won't," James assured him.
"Although I dunno what the problem is," Sirius said. "She's seen you wearing that stupid bloody jumper and she still wants to shag you. Compared to that, puking on the sidewalk is hardly even embarrassing. Hey, Pete, come take my place for a minute."
"Where's he going?" Peter asked as he draped Remus's arm around his shoulders and watched Sirius jog down the sidewalk. "Ugh, your jumper really does smell."
"I'm sorry," Remus moaned.
"It's alright." Peter looked around, then nodded at Mary and Lily. "Will you stand in front of us for a minute? I'm going to try to clean him up a bit."
Sirius rejoined them as Peter finished cleaning the worst of the vomit from Remus's jumper.
"I got us a taxi," he said, a cigarette gripped between his fingers. "I'm not sure how we're all going to fit, but we'll manage. We'll have to walk to my flat from the Leaky Cauldron, but we can make it. " He turned his head to exhale a long stream of smoke away from Remus, then tossed the pack to Mary.
James and Peter led Remus away from the section of sidewalk that was spattered with vomit, then eased him down to sit on the curb to wait for the taxi. Lily sat down beside James and took his free hand. Love you, she mouthed.
"I love you," he said aloud, not caring if any of them heard and teased them for being sentimental. Her eyes shone in the flickering streetlights, and her slightly tousled hair fell down around her shoulders, and she was just so bloody beautiful.
When the taxi pulled up a few minutes later, James and Peter heaved Remus to his feet and began to help him into the front seat.
"How are all of you going to fit in here, then?" the man asked, frowning at the six of them. "I mean, most of you are skinny, but still. I think you're going to need a second cab."
"No we're not." James finished settling Remus in the front seat, knocking his head on the doorframe in the process, and pulled his remaining Muggle money from his pocket. "We can fit. We're not going far." He pressed the wad of cash into the cabbie's hand and gave the address, then grinned.
"Is that one going to puke in my cab?" he asked, casting a dubious glance at Remus, whose head was leaning sideways against the window.
"No," James assured him, hoping this was the case. "Pete, do you think you can squeeze into the front with Moony? Unless you'd rather sit on Padfoot's lap."
Sirius raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "Absolutely fucking not."
Peter scowled but opened the door and wedged himself between the floor and the seat. Laughing, Sirius climbed into the back seat and pulled Mary onto his lap. James slid in through the other side and scooted over so Lily could join him.
"You comfy up there, Wormtail?" Sirius called, and Peter's hand appeared from the front seat to give a thumbs up. James reached over Lily to roll down the window, and Sirius followed his example. As the cab set off down the street, chilly air tugged at their clothes and blew away the unappealing combination of cigarettes, beer, and vomit that filled the car. Lily rested her head on James's shoulder and sighed, her breath warm against his neck.
"Can you turn on the radio, mate?" Sirius asked, reaching around Mary to tap the cab driver on the shoulder.
"I don't like the radio," the cabbie snapped.
"Alright, guess we'll have to sing, then," Sirius said before raising his voice and singing, "Ground control to Major Tom…"
"Padfoot, he's going to kick us out of the taxi," James whispered, nudging him, but then he heard a crackle of static followed by a blast of music, and Sirius stopped singing "Space Oddity" and instead joined in with the radio.
"Come on, Prongs, this is a good song," Sirius said. "Macdonald, you know this one."
"I don't think I do," she said, bobbing her head to the music. "It's catchy, though."
"Evans?" Sirius asked.
"No, sorry."
"I've got you, Pads," James said. "It's been such a long time…"
He pulled his wand from his pocket and used it as a microphone until Lily nudged him and gestured at the cab driver. Sirius and James leaned their heads together and sang along, the icy night air whipping their faces. Sirius played imaginary drums on the top of the cabbie's head while James performed an air guitar solo punctuated by Lily's laughter. They clapped along together and shouted the lyrics out of the window to the cars and confused pedestrians. As the song came to an end, James threw his arm around Sirius to sing the final words, so full of blinding happiness that he forgot everything besides the whine of the guitar and the incessant beat of the drums.
When they drew to a halt outside of the Leaky Cauldron, the disgruntled cab driver glared at them before driving away. Laughing, they stumbled into the courtyard behind the pub to activate the entrance to Diagon Alley. They made their way down the street, Remus supported between James and Sirius again while Peter, Lily, and Mary brought up the rear. By the time they tumbled through the door of Sirius's flat even James was out of breath. They deposited Remus on the couch before collapsing onto the floor,
"Are you going to sleep there, Moony?" Sirius asked once he stopped gasping for air.
Remus didn't answer, but rolled over to face the couch cushions.
"I guess that's our answer," Lily said as she knelt on the rug in front of Remus.
"Are you seeing this, Prongs?" Sirius said, nudging James as Lily unbuttoned Remus's jumper and struggled to remove it. "Evans is tearing Moony's clothes off."
"Oh, shut up," Lily said. She studied Remus's t-shirt, bending close to sniff it before wrinkling her nose and pulling it over his head. "He can't sleep in this — it's covered in puke."
"Don't tell him you did that," James said. "He'll be even more embarrassed."
Lily tucked a blanket over Remus's bare torso, then added a second for good measure. "Fine. Tell him you ripped his clothes off, then."
The rest of them wandered off to bed. Peter was already snoring on the bunk bed when James and Lily slid into bed together and flicked off the lights.
"Happy birthday," Lily whispered, reaching for him in the dark. "Did you have fun?"
James remembered Lily spinning Mary around on the dimly-lit dance floor, the bright yellow flowers contrasting with her pale skin, and Sirius beaming as they had serenaded the London street. He ran his thumb up and down Lily's hand and listened to the soft sound of her breathing. On nights like these, he found it hard to believe anything sinister was happening out there.
"It was brilliant." He leaned in to kiss her, then pulled her close and drifted to sleep with the Boston song still playing in his head.