Remus was woken at 11pm by Harry whimpering upstairs. He cautiously got up off the sofa, intending to try and calm the baby before he woke his dad. But just as he put his foot down, he stepped on one of the many toys littered around the lounge. And it was a squeaky one.
James woke with a start, sitting up so fast his glasses flew across the room and smashed into the stone fireplace. Remus repaired them for him, and he put them back on, rubbing his neck.
"I think we're going to end up with some serious physical damage if we sleep on that sofa again." He commented.
They woke Sirius, then they all trooped upstairs. They levitated Harry's cot into James' room, (with Harry safely in James' arms), then they got the spare mattress down from the loft.
James headed off nervously to sleep in the double bed, casting a sound shield on the room so Harry's fussing wouldn't wake hypersensitive Remus, while Sirius and Remus enlarged the mattress so it was big enough for the two of them.
It might have been big enough but it certainly wasn't comfortable. Sirius twisted and turned to try and get settled, aware that even the smallest movement woke Remus. His friend was curled up and feigning sleep, but he could see his brown eyes shining in the darkness.
Sirius considered charming the mattress to be more springy but he was so tired he'd probably end up accidentally bouncing Remus into the ceiling. Then he had an idea- Padfoot could sleep anywhere. The big black dog turned round 3 times then immediately fell asleep.
-
Much to his alarm, Remus woke up to a wet black nose inches from his face. However the momentary panic quickly subsided when the dog gave a uniquely Sirius snore.
Leaving the snoozing canine, he made his way downstairs where James was already making breakfast. Sirius joined them soon after.
"So I was thinking, I could go to town and get some supplies for-"
"Stop right there Prongs, you spent all of yesterday running around the ministry and I don't think the day before was exactly relaxing either. You've had a hell of a weekend so why don't you have a day of just doing nothing? If divination is to be believed I had a dream in which a goat ate Big Ben which apparently means it'll be sunny today so let's just spend this nice day in the garden."
"Is that honestly in the textbook?" Remus asked in disbelief.
"The only one I ever remembered." Sirius confessed, "The ingestion of a European landmark by a cloven hoofed herbivore will lead to fair weather."
"That's oddly specific." James laughed. "And surprisingly positive for divination."
"So we're agreed, a day in the sun?"
"Definitely." Remus confirmed, "And I've decided I'll let you do it Padfoot."
"Do what?"
"My hair."
Sirius grinned.
"Awesome, do you know any detangling spells Prongs?"
"I thought you knew what you were doing?" Remus said, sounding very alarmed.
"My locks are always kept in pristine condition; it'll take magic to dematt your mop."
"Lily's got a massive spellbook upstairs. She got it as a gift for finishing NEWTS so there's loads of complex stuff in there." James confirmed swiftly, placing himself between an indignant Remus and foolhardy Sirius.
-
However, it turned out that there weren't any hairdressing spells in Lily's book, so Sirius resorted to the muggle way.
As it was such a nice day, James had got out Harry's mini broomstick so he chased the shrieking baby around the garden, to the detriment of quite a few of his terracotta pots.
Instead of using the shower to wet Remus' hair, Sirius simply squirted a jet of water out of his wand, completely soaking his client.
"That was unnecessary Pads." James reprimanded from where he was trying to untangle Harry from the rose bush.
"No, it was revenge." Sirius disagreed as he dried Remus clothes with a quick charm.
He sat the werewolf between his legs, charmed a comb to be unbreakable and then James cast a numbing spell on Remus' scalp which he'd seen Madam Pomfrey cast countless times on players who'd had bludgers dent their skulls.
Sirius got to work with the comb, and a peace settled over the garden, interrupted only by the occasional smash and Remus' answering "Reparo!"
After about 10 minutes Sirius was done with the comb. Remus' curly hair had practically doubled in volume, so he looked like he was being swallowed by a small golden cloud.
"Looking quite fluffy there Moony." James commented.
"I wonder if you were an especially furry werewolf?" Sirius pondered.
"I don't know." Remus admitted, "Padfoot's always been a very long-haired dog so it would make sense."
"Shame we're doing this now so we can't find out." James sighed, followed by, "Not into the fence Harry!"
"What length do you want it Moons?"
"What I had at Hogwarts, actually a bit shorter."
"Bit more specific please Moony." Sirius requested. "I know you'll blow your top if I get it wrong. Like this?" He suggested, indicating a length with his fingers.
Remus nodded and Sirius picked up the scissors, which Remus had insisted on after discovering he was planning on using the severing charm, which worked on limbs just as well as hair.
-
Barely two minutes later, Sirius gave a cry of alarm, which Remus immediately replicated an octave higher.
"What have you done? I swear Sirius Orion Black if you have mucked this up you'll have less hair than a murtlap when I'm finished with you!"
"Calm down Moony you still resemble a mop. Prongs, I did not know you had a cat."
"Look Harry, it's Batty!"
"Who's Batty?" Sirius asked, now thoroughly confused.
"The cat, a neighbour gave her to us when we first moved in. I thought she'd run away after the attack."
Remus had now also spotted Batty. She was a pretty cat with long tufted ears and a heavily furred tail. She also was the exact same shade of red as Lily's hair. No wonder Sirius had shouted, he'd obviously thought he'd caught a glimpse of his friend's dead wife, which was enough to give anyone a shock.
-
Sirius had soon finished Remus' haircut.
"You did a really good job." James said, in admiration.
"Don't sound so surprised." Sirius responded with mock indignation, despite being equally as astonished at his success.
"We're very impressed Pads." Remus agreed as he vanished the sandy curls littering the lawn. "Although your customer service leaves a lot to be desired."
-
After they'd eaten lunch, Remus continued reading his book in the weak sun, while James and Sirius tried to teach Harry how to fly in a straight line.
"Why are you always bickering with him?"
"Who?" Sirius asked, as he caught Harry.
"Remus. You keep on picking fights."
Sirius didn't respond, noticeably busying himself with trying to turn round the tiny broomstick.
It was only after Harry had flown between the two of them 3 times that he finally answered.
"I just want to be familiar with him again, we hadn't seen each other in so long I just want to be back where we were 3 years ago. When we could argue all day long but go to bed knowing we still loved each other."
"I know what you mean. But I think you'll be better friends if you try hugs instead of insults. If I was him, I'd be getting a bit sick of the constant chiding. Anyway, why aren't you doing the same with me, we haven't seen each other for an equally long time."
Sirius glanced significantly at James.
"Your wife just died James, I might not be very tactful but even I know you don't tease a recent widower."
"Oh." James was taken aback. It had always been the marauder way to tease your mates through pain. Some of the more shameful examples being mocking a rose hued Remus after Peeves turned the entire Hogwarts bandage supply irreversibly pink, and a similar reaction when Peter accidentally melted the fancy watch he'd just inherited. It was nice to know Sirius knew the limit. Multiple times a day the fact of Lily's death would suddenly hit him, leaving him reeling until he was called back to earth by daily life. It was worst in the mornings when he realised anew that she was gone, a moment made all the more terrible by the fact that he would invariably dream of her.
"Thanks Pads."
"Don't mention it." Sirius responded gruffly. "I think Harry might be getting a bit dizzy. Why don't we give him something to chase?"
"I've got a snitch." James suggested.
-
Remus joined them, and they took it in turns to run with the snitch. Like all snitches, it was enchanted to only fly within the area of a quidditch pitch, but that was a much bigger area than James' garden, so they tied a piece of string around the tiny gold ball to prevent it flying off.
It worked for the most part until it got stuck in the rose bush and "accio" only got it even more stuck. Eventually a quite disgruntled Sirius was sent in as Padfoot to retrieve it. When he transformed Batty looked like she'd had a heart attack and immediately took off into the field beyond the garden.
"If anything it should have been Prongs." Sirius complained once he'd emerged, covered in leaves. "He could have got it out with his antlers.
"I've not got much control over them." James admitted. "I once tried to get a tea towel down from a high shelf and broke a window."
"Anyway, you're a dog." Remus teased, "fetching is what you're meant to do, isn't it boy?"