Chapter Fifty-Seven: Toe Rags and Tactics

"Well blimey, Sirius I think Nymphadora and Harry are both ridiculous baby names." James laughed as he versed Sirius in a game of chess downstairs in the common room. It had been nearly a week since Drommie had told him about the baby that was killed and the one that survived. Since Sirius realized Ted was sort of an ok bloke, and that Remus and his cousin had absolutely no taste for names whatsoever.

"Why I think Harry is a wonderful name! Why are you discussing baby names anyways?" Lily asked coming over and watching their game.

"Harry? You're joking!"

"No, I'm not. It's a name that dates all the way back to medieval times and there's royalty named Harry. Not to mention several medieval wizards who were all great duelists."

"Really?" James asked sounding intrigued despite himself.

"Yes, perhaps you would know that if you paid attention during History of Magic." James rolled his eyes in response to that and Lily pursed her lips. But she must of really wanted something out of them because she didn't stomp off like she often did after more than a few seconds of conversation with James.

"Now why are you two discussing baby names?" She asked again and James looked to Sirius to answer, which was a big mistake.

"Well, of course, we are discussing when James and I adopt our children. It's never too early to think of the future with someone you are madly in love with!" He cried out dramatically making James go red and tip over his chair with his feet. Sirius went sprawling across the floor laughing, and despite being embarrassed initially, James was laughing now too.

"But dear I won't have our children be named Harry and Nymphadora I simply won't allow it." He played along, as Sirius uprighted his chair again, grinning wickedly as Lily crossed her arms looking peeved.

"Then we need to break up! You know how important naming our son Harry is to me. After the song, I'm Just Wild About Harry!" James gave him a confused look and Lily covered her mouth letting out a sharp laugh.

"Sirius how on earth do you know about that song?"

"Muggle music is absolute magic! My uncle gives me lots of old records." He wasn't sure how to feel about her comment and expecting judgment he knew he sounded defensive. But instead of saying it was ridiculous of him to like muggle music and he should study, or something equally obnoxious she gave him a bright smile.

"Have you listened to Doris Day? My mum loves her!"

"A poet who speaks to my heart!" He exclaimed despite not knowing who that was, just to irritate James, which it did.

"Oi, you two aren't allowed to get along!"

"Why ever not Potter? I have the right to get along with whoever I want. You certainly have no say over me" Lily replied, in a cold tone that would suggest one should proceed cautiously. Sirius smirked, enjoying James' talent at saying precisely all the wrong things around Lily. It was truly an art, like watching a masterpiece unfold. James looked nervous the color draining from his face.

"I didn't mean you couldn't. You're a girl er..a lady and of course, you can get along with whoever. Well not whoever but…"

"What do you mean not whoever!" Lily snapped. James looked at Sirius for help and he shrugged his shoulders smirking at him.

"Fine, you get along with anyone and everyone. Bloody hell I don't know Lily! Why do you always have to be so sensitive about this stuff?"

"I'm not sensitive Potter you are just a clueless oaf who…."

"What he means Lily is you can't get along with me because James is very jealous. He's worried you'll steal me away. You'll have to find your own man to have children with." He cut in taking pity on his friend and catching Lily off guard as he had intended. She went red as a tomato looking between the two of them. James grinned at Sirius appreciating the rescue.

"Oh, you two are insufferable just insufferable. I pity whatever woman ends up with the likes of either of you! Now, where is Remus?"

"Why does having kids make you think about Remus?" James asked, a slight edge to his voice. Lily went pink which made James glower.

"Who cares about that James! What do you mean where is he? He said he was going to study with you." Sirius cut in immediately worried. Lily went back to her normal color and shook her head twisting her hair around her finger.

"Yes he was supposed to but he wasn't there. It's not like him to forget. Plus he seemed a bit sickly at breakfast."

"You stare at him all throughout breakfast?" James muttered and Sirius kicked his chair giving him a look.

"It's the twentieth." He whispered to James.

"The twentieth? What does that have to do with anything?" She asked, but James was now paying attention instead of sulking.

"Would it kill him just to let us know when he's leaving?"

"Leaving? You mean to go see his mother?" Lily asked but neither James nor Sirius was listening to her at the moment.

"He's worried we'll stop him obviously," Sirius muttered, wishing he had been given the chance to. He knew it was around the time when Remus disappeared but he didn't think it would be this early.

"Why would you two stop him?" Lily asked her frustration rising.

"Huh? Oh, you're still here Lily?" Sirius asked, just now realizing she had been paying close attention to their conversation.

"Yes, I'm still here! Now can one of you fools answer me!" Sirius was pleased, only a little bit, that Lily seemed to now know quite a bit less than any of them. He knew better than to rub it in, if only because then she'd confront Remus who would be mad at him.

"We've been trying to keep track of when exactly Remus leaves." Lily raised her eyebrows looking taken aback.

"That is...surprisingly a good idea." She admitted reluctantly, with far more surprise than Sirius felt was necessary, he and James had brilliant ideas all the time!

"Course it is." James perked up, looking pleased by the recognition. Lily looked amused for a second before she rolled her eyes.

"You're still a bunch of nitwits though. Now, why wouldn't you let Remus see his mother?"

"Because of his studies obviously."

"Oh please, Potter you don't care about studies. Which is why I am currently beating you in everyone!" She gloated not all that subtly. Sirius felt bad knowing James' slight decrease in school was because of how much he had been worried about him and Remus. He shot Lily a dirty look.

"Now who's the nitwit! Remus cares about his grades."

"Yes well, I didn't think you were capable of caring for anyone despite yourself." She taunted and James went red, his arms now crossed in a similar fashion to Lily.

"Course I care. I'm a wickedly smart and extraordinarily handsome and caring person." He gave her a cocky smirk that caused her to go scarlet.

"No, you are an arrogant toe rag!" She shouted and left, once more the one who got in the last word. Sirius was too busy laughing hysterically at the insult to hear what James muttered under his breath in reply.

"Toe-rag she called you a toe-rag that's brilliant that is!"

"Piss off Sirius," James grumbled.

"Piss off yourself Potter." He shot back with a grin his friend reluctantly returned. "You have to admit that was pretty good."

"I hate girls. Especially stupid Lily Evans. I feel bad for whatever sorry bloke ends up with her!" He huffed, clearly wishing he had come up with that retort when she was standing there.

"Well let's hope it's not Remus then mate. Imagine having to deal with her for the rest of our lives." James laughed at that and they went back to their game, Sirius trying not to worry about Remus and making a note to himself to tail Remus better next month.

….

Around the end of the month of May, days after Remus had returned and answered the questions they asked him with short answers, was a day Sirius had been looking forward to for a long time.

"Today is the day boys! Look alive!" He shouted racing with James down to the Quidditch pitch. Peter and Remus followed quite a distance behind, both considerably less thrilled about today. Which was absolutely bonkers to him! After all, he couldn't think of a single thing that was better than a scrimmage Quidditch game during flying class! He was so excited, and he had to be one of the first people to arrive if he wanted good brooms for him and his friends. Which is why James and Sirius had made Peter and Remus come with them over half an hour before class.

"If only they were this punctual to their other classes." He heard Remus sigh to Peter once the two of them had caught up.

"James we got here before the Professor. Now what?" He asked his only other sane friend, who was the appropriate amount of excited about this.

"Now mate we wait." So they did sprawling themselves across the pitch and coming up with ridiculous titles and stories for the clouds that drifted overhead.

"Oooo that one if a quaffle!" James gestured happily to a slightly roundish cloud.

"James the last three clouds have been quaffles." Remus laughed. It was good to hear him laugh as Remus had been rather touchy the past two days with Sirius, though he had no clue why he hadn't even asked an insensitive question this time!

"That one is what happens when a toad mixes with a cat." Pipped up Peter gesturing to a cloud that looked, well certainly not like that.

"No Peter that's clearly a dragon." James cut in.

"Finally a non Quidditch related cloud!" Remus cheered with exaggerated enthusiasm. Sirius couldn't see any of them since he was laying on his back like the rest of them, but he heard James laugh.

"A dragon who guards the vault where the best broom prototypes in the world are kept." Remus groaned and James laughed louder, Sirius following suit.

"Well, that one is a large mug of butterbeer." Peter tried again pointing to a cylinder-ish shaped cloud.

"No, that one is a deformed broom." Sirius cut in.

"Now you two are just trying to drive me nuts." Remus sighed but sounded amused despite himself. It really was a great day whatever he had done to annoy Remus must have been forgiven and Sirius had a good feeling about today, it was the kind of day where everything would go just perfect.

"But ...I'm not…" Peter began to say, however just then Professor Yasin finally arrived.

"Goodness, you boys sure got here early. Wanted first pick of the brooms no doubt." The young man chuckled at them. Sirius scrambled to his feet, beat only by James. Both of them grabbed two good brooms each, so the four of them would have four out of the five brooms that were the best models available out of the school brooms.

"Professor can I just say this is an amazing idea for a class." He was sure to make sure their Professor knew this, hoping he would be their Professor next year and they would get to do this again. Of course, he and James would be on the Quidditch team, but there was no harm in more Quidditch.

Plus he wanted to see the full extent of Peter and Remus' skills. Not that Peter had any, mediocre at flying at best. Remus was often even worse than Peter, but sometimes, towards the end of class when he finally calmed down enough on the broom to actually fly, he was quite a bit better than just average.

Not that he'd ever be as good as him and James, but they had been discussing, if this game went well, how they could convince Remus to tryout next year. It was a long shot, but Sirius was convinced the team would be good for him. He spent far too much time inside after all. James had been the first to point out that it was probably part of the reason he was so pale.

"I bet if we can get him more active he could be healthier." James had pointed out, and so the idea was born.

He walked over to the boy who, like always was far to stiff to start out with on his broom. He passed Peter who was wrestling with his broom that kept bucking him.

"Careful Peter. If you're going to break the broom then at least get one of the worst models." He shouted as he passed him.

"Sirius I think he could use your help." Remus pointed out. Normally James would be the one tasked with helping Peter, whose brooms really didn't seem to like him, but he was currently talking to their Professor no doubt trying to secure his place on the team next year already.

"He'll figure it out. Besides you also need help." He patted Remus' broom who just looked confused and a bit irritated again.

"I don't have much of an interest in flying. Peter has mentioned several times, he wants to be on the team so I really think you'd do better helping him." Sirius ignored him and the feeling that Remus was trying to get rid of him, and got on his broom gesturing to himself at how relaxed his posture was.

"I've seen you fly better for little sprints, and it's always at the end of class when you finally relax. Just try to relax beforehand and you might actually enjoy yourself." And be good enough to at least be a backup for the team, he added to himself silently. Remus fought him over it a bit more but finally agreed to attempt to relax, if only so Sirius would go help Peter who had been pleading for help for several minutes now.

"Peter quit holding your broom so tight. Good Gryffindor you've got to actually sit properly. I don't get why we have to go through this with you every time"

"Thanks, Sirius." Peter squeaked relieved as the broom finally stopped tossing. "Do you think if I practice over the summer I can be on the team with you and James? He was going to say something, probably not the nicest, but he looked habitually at Remus who was giving him the 'behave yourself' look.

"Sure thing mate. If you practice enough." Peter brightened up his smile much wider. As Sirius walked back to his spot, students pouring in for class now, he thought to himself that Peter would have to spend every last minute practicing to get to that point.