AN:
What's this? Me actually updating when I meant to, more or less?
Please enjoy the second part of Christmas in Cokeworth.
And have a merry and safe Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
A mini Hogwarts Express ran around the bottom of the tree, sending little puffs of multicoloured steam into the air. James watched avidly, expression like a little boy watching something beyond comprehension. He'd changed out of his pyjamas and into jeans and a red Christmas jumper, Puddlemere United socks on his feet. Remus set out plates with cake and biscuits, tea steaming beside them. Rose descended the stairs and smiled. Now, this, this was Marauder Christmas all over. The curtains were open, showing the fresh snow from last night, while new snow drifted from the sky. Lily was curled up in a chair by the fireplace, reading a book and absently petting Snowflake. Peter sat by the window, watching the snow fall, a large box of Fudge Flies emptying beside him. Sirius sprawled across the couch, alternating between mocking James for his jumper and reading bits of The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Rose and Remus engaged in their usual awful (because they were both too happy to be good at it) game of wizards chess, their own players protesting at some of the atrocious moves they were employing.
"Don't send me!" a Bishop screeched, waving its little hat at Remus. "I'm a valuable piece. Send a pawn, they're supposed to be sacrificed!"
"Shut up" Remus muttered, prodding it along in its journey. Rose's Knight was only too happy to send it trudging off the board in defeat. Remus examined the chessboard, green eyes oddly intense. Rose, meanwhile, helped herself to a mince pie. "Rook to King seven, check."
"I hope you weren't too attached to that Castle, Rem" Rose hummed, taking a thoughtful sip of tea. "Queen to King seven, obliterate it." The white rook tumbled off the board and onto the floor, where Snowflake was only too happy to play with it. James, tiring of watching his choo-choo, came to Remus' aid, levelling the playing field within ten moves. "You're not supposed to take sides, Prongs" Rose protested, watching her Bishop get dragged off the board. James shrugged unapologetically.
"You've won the last two, Astra."
"And Moony won the three before that" Rose reminded him, throwing her hands in the air. James rubbed his chin while he thought that over.
"Well, I'm already helping him now. It'd be rude to stop."
"Knight to Bishop five" Sirius drawled, still engrossed in his book. "Checkmate." Remus examined the board, James chuckling with his whole body.
"Sirius!"
"Three-all" the dog animagus said calmly. "We'll just have to see who wins next year."
"Have I mentioned today?" Rose asked, getting Sirius' attention. He hummed a query and she laughed. "I bloody love you."
Lily stood in front of the fireplace, wand raised but unable to be seen from the windows. Every year, Lily always showed off her talents, and this year it was for the Marauders. She had always called it a Christmas present of sorts - one that took as much planning as a Marauder prank ("and that's what I use my brainpower on, Rosie!"). James, Remus and Peter stood by the couch while Sirius stood near the Christmas tree, all watching Lily. Sirius tiled his head curiously as Rose laid her head on his shoulder, watching the room fill with light and beauty. This was why Lily loved charms, she had a gift, and sharing it made it even better. Stars rained from the ceiling, falling down around dancing creatures (obviously inspired by the animals appearing in Marauder pranks), which changed to fireworks and then a charmed reenactment of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. Unseen behind them, Jim and Violet had returned, and were watching with amazement. Their mothers green eyes were shining proudly, perfectly reflecting the emotion in Jim's smile. Rose felt them smiling, and grinned in pride; her sister was truly the most gifted witch of their age. It was no wonder that she had attracted the eye (and the heart, although he wouldn't admit it) of James Potter, it was only too well deserved. Rose didn't often think it, but she did have to wonder, if Lily was the brilliant one (which she most certainly was), then what in the name of Merlin's sock index was a gorgeous, perfect specimen like Sirius Black doing with her? "Shut up, Rosebud" Sirius breathed, words tickling her ear. She turned slightly to give him a quizzical look. "I can hear you thinking, and I think you're acting like Prongs." Rose shrugged, at least she was in good company. Even if she knew he meant it in the Prongs-is-a-berk way. A silent chuckle shook his body, but he still snaked his arm around her waist and held her to him possessively. "My Rosebud" he murmured, and Merlin but she couldn't help herself from kissing him. That man was entirely too perfect for his own good, or hers for that matter. Objectively, Rose knew that her parents were behind them, more or less, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. Right now, her world had emptied to one, and Sirius seemed quite happy with her kissing him.
"That was beautiful, Evans" James said as the final note faded away. "Masterful charm work. Beyond NEWT level, right Moony?" Remus swallowed his mouthful of gingerbread stag and nodded proudly.
"Even we'd be hard pressed to execute charm work like that" the werewolf confessed honestly, without a trace of Marauder mischief. "It really was beautiful, Lily. Simply breathtaking." Lily blushed bright red, the curse of their fair complexion and red hair, but took a very Marauderish bow. Sometimes, just sometimes, Rose could see how much Lily was like her in some respects.
"I'm sure you Marauders have more tricks still up your collective sleeves" Lily remarked, uncomfortable with the praise from them. Sirius rolled his eyes at her. Some things never changed.
"Of course we do, Lilykins. We are the Marauders, after all. There is so much more to us than meets the eye."
"Except in the case of modesty" Remus muttered dryly. "Then, what you see is what you get; no modesty whatsoever." A cushion made perfect impact with Remus' head.
"Stuff off, Moony." Rose shook her head despairingly at the two of them.
"It's Christmas, for Merlin's sake, behave."
"I am the very soul of good behaviour, Rosebud" Sirius informed her, playfully offended. Rose put her hand on her hip and cocked an eyebrow.
"And Merlin was a Hufflepuff." Sirius' reply came instantly, as she knew it would.
"Better that than a Slytherin."
"Better anything than a Slytherin, Pads" James remarked, nonchalant and calm. Too nonchalant by half. Rose felt a familiar tug on her Marauder senses.
"James Harold Fleamont Potter, what is brewing in that devious mind of yours?" James's mouth opened in an exaggerated expression of surprise.
"Me?" He clapped a hand to his heart. "You woundeth me, fair maiden."
"Only 'twere thee capable of such hurts, Noble Sir." Rose bit back a giggle; oh how she'd missed the Marauder Christmas Day antics.
"Now thou dost seek to wound, Lady" James gasped, happy to be dramatic. "Thine sharp tongue cuts to the bone."
"Sharp tongue?" Rose repeated askance - that really was going to far.
"Listen not to that currish knave, my Lady" Sirius interrupted, smooth as only he could be. James subtly gave him the finger, but Sirius didn't care. "Truly thou speakest the sweetest words ever to fall upon mine ears."
"Enough with the medieval flirting, you two" James shuddered. "Merlin." Sirius smirked widely, springing towards James.
"A duel! I demand satisfaction!" Remus grinned evilly.
"Clearly you're not doing it right, Rosie" the werewolf muttered, James and Sirius duelling around the room. Rose ignored his comment (and the embarrassing looks and sounds her family made - bloody Remus, couldn't keep his quips to himself, not that she blamed him; he was a Marauder), and kicked back on the couch. The morning had been long and exhausting, and while remembering the previous nights activities brought a blush to her cheeks, it couldn't be denied that it had also taken its toll on her energy levels.
"Kick Jamie's arse outside please, Siri" Rose yawned, eyes already closing. "I'm going to take a little nap."
"As my lady commands" Sirius replied charmingly, not helping her blushing at all. A muffled slap (like hitting the back of someone's head) reached her ears. "Come on. Outside, you git. Sleep well, Sweetheart."
Nat King Cole's The Christmas Song played softly in the kitchen, the delicious smells of cooking turkey and roasted chestnuts spreading through the house. Unlike Hogwarts, the Evans' had their Christmas meal at dinnertime, to perfectly round out a wonderful day. Jim had retreated to his den, trying to escape the mealtime insanity by feigning important work. Violet was finishing off dinner herself, refusing to let the others help. In the living room, the Marauders and Lily were enjoying the remainder of the afternoon. Remus had pulled a Marlene and appropriated her record player, appointing himself as the MC of the day. Currently (and by threat of severe bodily harm to his person if he didn't), he was playing David Bowie's Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars album. Lily, never Bowie's greatest fan, was suffering through it while penning a letter to Marlene, while Rose smiled widely. James and Sirius were playing some variation of wizards chess that only they understood, Peter cheering for both of them depending on who seemed to be winning. "We were there, weren't we?" The rat animagus spoke up. "Summer before third year?"
"July 3, 1973 at the Hammersmith Odion" Rose remembered, seeing the concert in her minds eye.
"I hate Glam Rock, but that was a great concert" James agreed, somewhat wistfully. Lily choked on thin air.
"You were there?! You told Mum and Dad that you were staying at the Potter's!"
"We did, Lily" Remus offered calmly.
"Yeah, we just went to the concert while we were there."
"Not helping, Peter" Lily said through gritted teeth. "Anything could have happened to you."
"Perhaps" Rose conceded, not going to apologise. "But it was David Bowie."
"And that justifies it" Sirius added smugly. And it did, everyone knew that Rose loved David Bowie's music more than anyone else's.
"And Ringo Starr was there" James piped up. "He was backstage with Bowie."
"And that's the only reason James was happy he turned up" Remus smirked, James screwing his face up at him.
"Merlin's beard" Lily shook her head. "Any more concerts you five have gone to?"
"Um, we caught Elton John's Louder Than Concord Tour in May this year" James shrugged, as if it wasn't anything big.
"And we saw Bowie again on his Isolar Tour at Empire Pool around the same time" Sirius mused, the only time they saw him at the time when he snuck out to join them.
"I hate you all" Lily grumbled, unable to believe their luck.
"If you've finished discussing concerts I didn't know you took my daughter to" Jim announced, surprising them all. Peter started so violently that he spilled his drink on himself. Sirius cleaned it with a wave of his wand.
"Your daughter loves David Bowie" Sirius informed him, as if he could miss the fact that her room was covered in posters of the man. "I'll take her to as many of the man's damn concerts as she wants. They're actually quite enjoyable." Jim looked at him and rolled his hazel eyes.
"Marauders." James raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Go on, you lot, outside."
"It's freezing out there, Dad" Lily shivered, not inclined to move. The Marauders echoed her sentiments. Jim was unmoved.
"Move."
Grumbling under their breath about dictatorial ex-lawyers and soon-to-be ex-judges, the Marauders trooped outside into the snow. Their breaths fogged the air in front of them, mixing with the smoke from the cigarettes James and Sirius promptly lit. Rose huddled deeper into her winter coat, cursing the cold with a plethora of anatomically impossible things. It was colder than Hogsmeade during a blizzard. Lily, smiling smugly, had been allowed to stay in the warm house, but the Marauders had no choice in the matter whatsoever. Jim led the way towards the garage, where he'd spent the majority of their stay so far. Rose knew that her father kept motorcycles in there, remnants of what he called his wild youth. What exactly that 'wild youth' entailed, she preferred not to think about; he was her father, after all. "It's a beautiful evening" James murmured, looking around. "Pity we can't make this a transformative experience."
"Quit it with the puns, Prongs" Remus grumbled, stamping his feet in the snow. "I can't feel my nose." James made a show of exaggeratedly peering at his face.
"Trust me, it's still there." Jim smiled at their antics, using their distraction to open the door of the garage.
"Inside" Jim called, waving them all in. Rose dashed in first, shivering from the cold outside. Her body tingled as arms encircled her waist, pulling her gently against a warm body. She instinctively leaned into the warmth, a familiar chuckle rumbling through her. Sirius. The liberty he was taking should have infuriated her (much like the man himself did on some occasions), but he was so warm and comfortable and safe, and there was nowhere she would rather be. Besides, she'd always loved being in his arms.
"Cold" she murmured, for his ears alone.
"I know, Sweetheart" Sirius replied, equally as softly. "But it is winter."
"I would never have guessed" Rose snarked sarcastically. "Here was me thinking we lived in New Zealand and were enjoying a nice summer Christmas."
"That sounds like an idea" James grinned, peering at the various tools Jim kept. "What do you say? Christmas 1978, we go to New Zealand. Enjoy a summer Christmas for once."
"You'd be miserable, Prongs" Remus pointed out, quite reasonably to his mind. "You love white Christmases."
"True" James inclined his head. "However, as you do rightly said Mr Moony, I also like being able to feel my face."
"Why?" Sirius smirked, a shit-eating grin following. "With a face like yours, I'd be glad not to feel it."
"Piss off, Black" James scowled, Rose sharing a laughter filled glance with her father.
"Why are we in here, Dad?" Rose asked, cutting seamlessly through the Potter/Black glare-off. Jim raised his eyebrows at her in what she thought was surprise.
"I thought you of all people would know, Rosie" Jim replied easily. "It was your idea, after all."
"My idea" Rose repeated blankly, realisation hitting her as her father looked pointedly around. "Oh Daddy, you didn't?"
"I most certainly did, Rosie" Jim grinned, looking ten years younger and very much like her.
"Did what?" Peter wondered, looking almost afraid to ask.
"This" Jim winked, grandly lifting a large cloth and throwing it away. Sirius' mouth dropped open.
"What in Godric's name is that?" James demanded, squinting through his suddenly foggy glasses.
"It's a 1959 Triumph 650 T 120 Bonneville" Sirius said, amazed. "Perfect condition. Beautiful."
"I'm glad you think so" Jim smiled, twirling the keys around his finger. And Lily said she had no idea where Rose got her Marauder side from. "She's yours. Merry Christmas." Rose glanced at Sirius and immediately broke into a fit of very Marauderish giggles. He looked like he'd been clubbed over the head by a troll. "Rose" her father chided, the tone having no impact on her laughter. James poked Sirius, finally succeeding in breaking him out of whatever fugue he'd fallen into.
"Merlin" Sirius breathed, looking at a loss for words. "Jim this is-"
"Certainly worth less than the presents you gave my daughter" Jim said firmly. "And that doesn't matter. It's a gift. One that Rose suggested and you more than deserve." Sirius surprised Rose by laughing bitterly.
"How the bloody hell do I deserve this?" James looked pained, as if he had expected something like this. But he tugged Remus out of the garage and had Peter follow with nothing more than a look. Rose was aware of that peripherally, her focus instead on Sirius. He looked haunted, guilty, tired.
"Siri?" She moved towards him, but her father shook his head, doing so instead of her.
"Okay" Jim said calmly, ever the good listener. "Tell me why you don't think you deserve all this and more?" Sirius' grey eyes fixed on Jim's with a frightening intensity.
"Because I failed in the one area you trusted me" Sirius replied passionately. "You trusted me to keep her safe, happy and out of danger. You could see how- and I failed that. My cousin, my birthday, Hogsmeade" Sirius spat it bitterly. "She might not blame me, but I sure as hell do." Rose covered her mouth, keeping in the noise of distress she longed to release. Sirius cut his gaze to her, looking at her without seeing her. "I still see it sometimes. You can't imagine how it destroyed me watching but knowing there was nothing on Merlin's magical Earth that I could do to stop it. The largest part of my world and there was nothing I could do-"
"Your Professor McGonagall wrote to me" Jim stated, startling Rose (and Sirius too, by the look of it). "When I read what happened, I was terrified. But I read on. The rubble fell on you instead of my daughter. You sat beside her, calling her back to us, even when it seemed hopeless. You held her when she screamed and when she cried and when the nightmares got the better of her." Rose felt her mouth drop open; she didn't know what had really happened, Sirius wouldn't- couldn't tell her. "You got disowned by your own family because you couldn't become what they wanted of you; because you love my daughter. You brought her back to us, and you make her happier than I've ever seen her. I don't see any of that as a failure." Jim pressed the keys into Sirius' hand. "This is yours. Merry Christmas." With that, he left the garage, Rose still staring helplessly at the man she loved. She watched, detached, as he ran his hands over the bike, a broken light in his gorgeous eyes. As suddenly as a lightning strike, Sirius turned, walked two strides to her side, and crashed his mouth to hers in a desperate kiss. Hurting from what he had been going through, Rose let him take what comfort and reassurance he could, her hands fisting the warm material of his jumper. Sirius pulled away first, dropping his head onto her shoulder, body heaving with unvoiced sobs. Rose ran her hand through his hair, murmuring whatever nonsense came to mind, not realising that it was the lyrics to his favourite song.
"I love you, more than I could ever, ever express" Sirius said, voice hoarse. "Watching her doing that to you, Rosebud-"
"I know" she breathed, finding the words true. "Every time you came back from that awful place, I could see the pain and the suffering they'd caused you and I wanted, want nothing more than to curse them all to the very depths of hell. But at the end of the day, Remus helped me realise that no matter what we've gone through, what matters is that we're here now; happy, safe and together."
"Godric, I love you" Sirius growled, eyes burning fiercely. "Only you, Rosebud, would talk Jim into giving me a bike for Christmas."
"I couldn't think of anything else to top Dorian Gray" Rose shrugged, reveling in the bark of laughter that prompted.
"Come on" Sirius said, pulling away from her regretfully. "I suppose we better go prove that we haven't gone mad in the last fifteen minutes."
"In a minute" Rose hummed, pulling his lips back to hers. She wasn't in any hurry. And neither, it seemed, was Sirius.
In true Marauder fashion, not a word of what transpired in the garage was mentioned when Sirius and Rose returned to the house. Remus raised an eyebrow at the mess that was Rose's hair (Sirius did seem to have a fascination with it), and James might have smirked just a bit too wide to be entirely innocent, but that was just the way that life with the Marauders went. Sirius slipped off to offer sincere thanks to Jim, Lily even managing not to look scandalised at the thought of a Marauder on a motorbike, not that she had much choice in the matter. Sirius returned to Rose's side, lacing his fingers with hers, and started to loudly sing wizarding Christmas carols with James making up funny alternative lyrics. Rose couldn't be sure, but she was almost positive that they all started giggling at Lily's improvised Oh Come All Ye Boxes Of Crystallised Pineapple. Clearly she was still annoyed about the fiasco that was the Slug's Christmas soiree; Snivelly, spiked punch and Lily did not a good party make. "No, no, no" Peter laughed, wheezing for breath. The eggnog was flowing quite freely at this point. "We have to do Grandma Got Run Over By A Puffskein."
"That one's just silly, Wormy" Rose giggled, high on the seasons happiness. "What about Hark! The Herald Werewolves Sing?"
"No, no, definitely not" Remus vetoed, no trace of a glare in his eyes. He waved his cup of eggnog gleefully. "What about Rudolph the Red Nosed Unicorn?"
"It's Red Nosed Thestral, and you know it, Remus John Lupin" Rose mock-growled, unknowingly resting a hand on Sirius' thigh while leaning forward to point accusingly at her best friend. Sirius coughed awkwardly, forgoing his eggnog and taking her hand in his.
"How about we stop butchering Christmas songs and see what the wireless has in store for us?" James suggested, subtly using his quidditch Captain tone.
"Boo" Peter tossed a bright orange cushion at James, hitting him square on the nose.
"Nice shot, Wormtail" Sirius applauded, Peter beaming at the praise. "But I must agree with the soppy Flobberworm that is our intrepid leader. We must to the wireless."
"The wireless can wait" Violet announced, standing in the doorway with flushed cheeks. "Dinner is ready."
"Thank Merlin" Lily smiled widely. "I'm famished." She turned and pointed dangerously at Sirius. "Not a word, Black." Sirius affected an innocent expression.
"Your mistrust cuts me to the core, Lilykins."
"Behave" Rose grinned, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "She has good reason." Sirius seemed to be about to formulate a response, Remus quickly cutting over him.
"Don't be so dramatic, I'm hungry." James gasped in horror, widening his eyes behind his glasses.
"Merlin preserve us. A hungry Moony out of its native habitat."
"Dinner" Violet called, her motherly tone brooking no argument.
"Yes ma'am" Remus replied immediately, all but dragging everyone into the warm dining room.
Dinner was a noisy affair. Remus and Lily brought Violet up to speed on the more sedate aspects of life at Hogwarts; talking over classes, homework, professors and friends. At the other end of the table, Peter and Rose listened (and ended up laughing most of the time) as James and Sirius regaled Jim with tales of their awful and criminally inept Defense Against The Dark Arts Professor. "So, of course" James was saying, mischief in his eyes. "We had no choice but to prank the living daylights out of old Grim Grimhorn."
"Your hands were tied" Jim deadpanned, James throwing his head back in laughter.
"Exactly" Sirius made a complicated little gesture with his hands, the chestnuts floating down the table to him. Asking for anything was apparently beyond him.
"What did you five do to the poor man?" Jim asked, forehead wrinkled in faux-worry.
"Nothing he didn't deserve" Peter smirked, blue eyes dancing.
"Just lots of little things to really drive him up the wall" Rose grinned, Sirius leaning back in his chair with a self-satisfied expression. "We got the House Elves - Lenny, Splotch, and Twiddle - to short-sheet his bed every night for a fortnight, introduced a niffler into his rooms, put itching powder in his underwear, changed his shampoo with super glue-"
"Rosie's idea" James interrupted, swallowing a mouthful of turkey. Rose inclined her head, accepting the credit for that one.
"Then" Sirius smirked, not bothering to hide his most mischievous smirk. "We might have escalated a little bit. We charmed-"
"You charmed" Remus cut in, smirking widely. Sirius narrowed his eyes but continued.
"Fine, I charmed all his books to display inventive rhyme, and-"
"I encouraged his do it yourself Gnomish books to teach him a selective and important core vocabulary" James smirked, looking like the villain from a Bond film. Lily blanched but laughed anyway.
"You're the reason that Professor Grimhorn tried to have a conversation with Dumbledore and ended up swearing at him in front of the entire School?!"
"Guilty as charged, Lily-flower" James agreed, insufferably pleased with himself. "He deserved it."
"You made him swear at Dumbledore?" Remus looked horrified. "Why wasn't I there to stop you?"
"You were feeling a bit under the weather, mate" James explained sheepishly. "Pads and I felt it best not to interrupt you when you were ill and trying to deal with your Furry Little Problem."
"That is a pathetic excuse, James Potter" Remus glared, for once not looking worried that his secret might get out.
"Don't be such an ignoramus, Rem" James smirked, waving his hand carelessly. "We did what had to be done. For the good of the Marauders. We're not going to let some awful Ministry approved moron tell us what we are or aren't qualified to learn. We are the bloody Marauders, if anyone decides what we learn, it's going to bloody well be us."
"Hear, hear" Peter cheered, saluting with a forkful of roast potatoes.
"Rousing speech, Prongs" Sirius drawled, looking singularly unimpressed. "A true masterpiece, really. Now eat your turkey."
"I just gave a heartfelt speech in defense of our honour and our magical capabilities, and you tell me to eat my turkey" James smiled sarcastically. "That really makes me feel all warm inside, Pads." Sirius cast his eyes heavenward.
"I was hoping, foolishly obviously, that if you had some turkey in that ever-open gob, then you might shut the Salazar up for five minutes" Sirius explained. James flipped him the double V's. Remus tossed a bit of bread roll at him, eyes twinkling brilliantly. James smirked back, settling back into his seat with a content smile.
"I can't believe you five" Lily glowered, finally understanding. "You're trying to run Professor Grimhorn out of school!"
"He's doomed anyway, Evans" James shrugged carelessly. "We're just helping him on his way."
"This isn't the sort of thing that should happen with want of encouragement" Sirius added, smirking his most mischievous Marauder smirk.
"I don't want to know" Lily decided swiftly, holding both her hands up.
"Of course not" Remus agreed easily. "You need plausible deniability. You're a prefect after all." Lily gaped at him in disbelief.
"So are you!" Remus conceded her point with an easy smile.
"True" he said, calmly setting down his cutlery. "But I'm a Marauder first and foremost; we don't get plausible deniability." He tilted his head like a wolf scenting prey. "Detentions, on the other hand..."
"Don't be such a girl, Moony" Sirius laughed, teeth flashing. "You're the mastermind behind many a Marauder prank." Remus gave him his dryest, most infuriatingly superior smirk.
"Did I give you the impression that I was complaining, Padfoot?" Sirius remained unmoved.
"Constantly."
"Good" Remus smirked, satisfied. "I'm doing my job well then."
"Boys" Rose interrupted tiredly. "It's Christmas, remember?"
"So no starting food fights that end with flaming puddings down Slytherin's pants" James and Sirius chorused, Jim chuckling at the mental picture.
"Don't worry, Rosebud" Sirius continued. "We'll behave until the crackers get pulled." He waved a large red one in demonstration. "Then, I can make no promises."
"We'll take what we can get" Lily muttered, returning to describing winter at Hogwarts for their mother.
"Is it really that beautiful, Rosie?" Violet asked, her own emerald eyes wistful. Rose broke away from a playful Classical versus Bowie debate with Remus (he had the oddest musical taste), and smiled.
"No description could ever do it justice" Rose assured her, seeing it in her minds eye. "It's like something out of a fairytale, and it glitters, Mum, like tiny specks of diamond." At a glance, Remus picked up the thread, always happy to make people see Hogwarts like he did.
"There's a covered wooden bridge that we spend a lot of time on, crossing between the clocktower and the sundial garden" his eyes grew wistful, wishing he was there. "It has the most beautiful view of the mountains and the grounds, but it's so quiet, so still. If I had to pick the most peaceful place in Hogwarts, that's the one I'd choose."
"Midnight" Sirius said, voice oddly quiet. Rose could see him picturing himself there. "Under the Beech tree in the grounds. Nowhere more peaceful than that."
"The quidditch pitch" James decided, nodding once. "It's the place where I go to put things in perspective. There's almost no problem you can't solve by thinking on the quidditch pitch."
"When I want peace, I go to the waterfall near the quidditch pitch" Lily murmured softly. "I find it a good place to reflect on things."
"The Attic" Peter shrugged unashamedly. "They're big and nobody can ever find me in there."
"Rosebud?" Sirius asked teasingly. "Do we need to ask?"
"Not everyone here is a Marauder who always knows where to find me, Siri" Rose playfully chided.
"So where is our Rosie's peaceful place?" Violet asked, taking Rose somewhat aback. Her Mum had always been closer with Lily and Petunia, but she never doubted that she loved her.
"Me?" Rose repeated, eyes twinkling. "Top of the Astronomy Tower. Any time of day or night. There's an orrery and star charts and-" she clamped down on her enthusiasm. Nobody at Hogwarts actually enjoyed the trial that was Astronomy class. Even her fellow Marauders found it a bit taxing at times. Although, she granted that it was after she made them traipse all the way up there on a whim. "I like it up there."
"It is a lovely view" James conceded.
"Ha!" Peter scoffed. "You're scared of it because Padfoot keeps threatening to chuck you off there."
"That was delicious!" Jim announced out of the blue, pushing his plate away from himself. Violet smiled lovingly at him, Rose looking away uncomfortably. Sweet Merlin, that was something she did not need to see.
"Would you like some help cleaning up, Mrs E?" Sirius asked charmingly, already on his feet. Rose saw his brilliant plan and helped at once, soon laden down with plates and platters. Lily and the other Marauders soon followed suit, letting Violet and Jim have a few moments peace.
Rose flopped onto the couch, groaning in relief. After dinner, Violet had insisted on them all taking a walk around the local park. The casual exercise had turned into two hours chatting with some of the very people Rose hoped to avoid at the annual Cokeworth Christmas Pageant. She could've sworn that she'd seen Tobias and Eileen Snape before Snivelly's parents realised they had something better to do. She smothered another groan with a cushion, so glad to be home. Seeing the elder Snape's had effectively brought an end to the evening, Jim and Violet going up to bed as soon as they got home. James and Sirius were in the garage, working to make Sirius' new motorcycle fly, Remus was curled in his chair with a new book, and Peter and Lily had followed the elder Evans' example. The silence in the house was total, nothing but quiet breathing and the odd rustle of paper. "I really hate it here, Rem" she sighed, feeling Remus' gaze fall upon her. "It'll always be my childhood home, but it doesn't really feel like home anymore. Home isn't quiet and dull and boring and still. Home is magic and mischief and moons and Marauders." Remus looked at her, eyes unreadable in the light from the Christmas tree.
"I know" he said eventually. "I think it's a part of growing up. Home changes, becomes what's important, what makes you feel safe and like you belong." He marked his page and set his book to the side. "Hogsmeade truly awakened us to the war, to what we know we're willingly going to face in a little more than a year. That kind of realisation" Remus shook his head. "We went from mischief makers to sixth years who lost that carefree innocence. Safety isn't something as tangible as our parents, our childhood home. Old ideals. Lucky thing is, we're a pack. Rely on each other before everyone else. Dumbledore thinks that's why we coped so well with the aftermath of Hogsmeade."
"We're Marauders, so we're made of sterner stuff?" Rose queried, not exactly bitterly, but not without bitterness. Remus met her gaze with eyes that looked almost brown with pointed belief.
"It's not every thirteen year old witch or wizard that decides to become an unregistered animagus just to keep a werewolf company every full moon" he murmured without judgement. "And there's even fewer who'd dare to do so under the cat-like gaze of Minerva McGonagall."
"Touche, Remus" Rose smiled. It was a slight smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Oh, Rem" she sighed. "Sometimes I get so scared."
"We'd be insane if we didn't" he replied wisely, never afraid to admit weakness to her. "I mean, look at us. Not even of age, and we're facing war. A war against dark wizards with dark magic, dark creatures, and Godric only knows what other obstacles will be thrown in our way. What was that Godric Gryffindor said? Courage is" Remus snapped his fingers, trying to remember. Rose drew a mental blank too. A sigh carried over to them from the doorway, James and Sirius looking dirty but happy.
"Courage" James stated, a certain gravity to his words. "Is not the absence of fear, but rather the realisation that something is greater and more important than what you fear could ever be."
"Strange bastard, your ancestor, Prongs" Sirius drawled, dismissing the cloud that had begun to gather.
"He was mates with Slytherin for a while" James admitted, eyes twinkling. "That's bound to drive someone potty."
"And so neatly explains generations of potty Potter's" Remus smirked, lazily deflecting James's reflexive hex. "Have we got plans for tomorrow?" Rose felt a spark of worry as both black haired Marauders wore identical cunning smirks.
"Yes" Sirius acknowledged, holding up a finger to stall the inevitable questions. "But we're not saying a word until we get there. It's a surprise." Try though Rose did, she couldn't get Sirius to say what the surprise was. Not even after James and Remus retired for the night.
Thank you for reading!