Thursday 18th September 1980
Longbottom Manor, 14:00
Mary couldn't hide the look of distaste that crossed her face as Neville let out a wail.
"He's okay, he's probably just a bit cranky," Alice assured her as Neville was whisked away by a House Elf. "It's about time for him to go down for his nap and he prefers his crib for that."
Neville rarely slept in her arms; he was just a baby who liked to be on his back to sleep.
"I deliberately chose to visit after he was a newborn so he would be more interesting," Mary complained.
Alice couldn't help but frown at that. Neville was plenty interesting to her, after all. He was learning to do so much every day. He actually reached out his arm to her the other day!
"He is interesting," Alice said defensively.
Her baby was! He was the most interesting thing in the whole world. He did so much every day and he was just amazing.
"I fail to see how a drooling thing can be interesting. If you wanted that you should have gotten a puppy, like my little darling."
It was then that Marry reached down to pat the little fluffball at her feet, which barked shrilly. Her husband had got it for her. It was a purebred something or other, Alice couldn't remember from the gushing letter Mary had sent her a few weeks ago.
Apparently, she had always wanted one though this was the first that Alice was hearing about it. Huh. It must get lonely in that big house of Mary's with her husband doing business and playing politics all the time. She was surprised that Mary didn't have a baby on the way yet but some people did have a harder time of that than others. Alice counted herself extremely lucky that she had Neville within the first two years of their marriage. Now the Longbottom family had an heir and there wasn't any pressure put on her.
Not that there had been any blatant pressure. No heavy hints or anything like that but Alice knew that Augusta and Trevor had been anxious for a grandson, considering the current climate and Frank's decision to become an Auror. Alice didn't blame them. She understood what her say was, no matter what her mother liked to say.
"I love my baby," Alice told her passionately. "He's so sweet and adorable and I just love watching him-"
"Well," Mary said heavily. "I suppose it's just as well that you find him interesting. You'll be spending every day with him for the foreseeable future."
Alice flinched, both at Mary's dislike of her baby and knowing her friend was going to thoroughly disapprove of her immediate plans. Mary, noticing this, narrowed her eyes.
"What, Alice?"
"Well, I'm not exactly going to be at home this time in six weeks..."
"What?" Mary shrieked, making Alice flinch and her little puppy go whining for cover under the chair on the opposite side of the room - Alice hoped it didn't soil itself.
She didn't say anything while Mary spluttered and jabbed a finger at her.
"What do you mean?" Mary eventually managed to get out. Alice looked away. "Alice."
"It's just that... well, when a Healer declares me to be all healed up, well, uh, I'm... goingbacktowork," she finished in a rush.
"Excuse me?" Mary demanded. "I don't think I heard you right. Did you just say you were actually going to continue being an Auror?"
"Yes," Alice said in a small voice and then she cleared her throat and said more confidently, "Yes. I am."
"Are you insane?"
Alice frowned at her. "No. I'm not. I-"
"Because you must be," she was interrupted. "If you're actually going to continue this silly Auror nonsense."
"Hey, it's not silly!"
"Of course, it is. I told you before, people like us don't do jobs and we certainly don't become Aurors," Mary said with a sneer. "Sure, maybe you felt like you had to do something noble like that but you have the perfect out now! You have a baby!"
"We really don't have enough Aurors," she tried to explain.
"And I fail to see how this is your problem."
"Because I am one."
"And now you're a mother."
"I can be both. I am both."
"I don't see how you can be a good mother while you're an Auror."
Alice didn't know why every time Mary said Auror that she made it sound like am inappropriate word. It was a very serious, very much needed job. There was absolutely nothing wrong with being an Auror and nor was there anything wrong with her wanting to go back to being an Auror. But it did bring up a very valid worry of hers she'd had ever since she had started thinking about going back to work. Leaving her child behind all day. And not even for consistent hours sometimes.
"I'll still be able to be a good mother," she said unsurely.
Something that Mary picked up on right away.
"How on earth can you be one when you aren't even going to be here with him?"
"He has his nanny Elf!"
Of course, he had his nanny Elf, just like all upper-class, pureblood households. Frank had had one, as had Alice and Sirius and James. It was pretty normal. The nanny elf took care of the child most of the time while the parents got to spend time with their child. It was quite a nice set up. And not at all unusual.
"And how are you supposed to supervise her when you aren't here?" Mary asked imperiously. "You do need to make sure that he is being taken care of correctly. That he's being raised as an heir to an important family. He's a Longbottom, Alice."
"I know my own last name, Mary. Frank and I trust our nanny Elf," Alice said firmly.
She had been Frank's and Alice wasn't going to hear a word against her. She was the sweetest thing ever and knew exactly how to take care of a child. More than Alice did. It was fascinating to watch her. Alice had tried to replicate what she did but with nowhere near the same amount of success. Let's just say she won't be pinning a nappy on again any time soon.
Mary just sniffed at her, giving her a disbelieving look. Alice didn't like that look, it made her feel all uncomfortable and guilty inside.
"I just need to go back to work, Mary. Surely you can support that?"
She needed to go to work and be active in stopping Dark Wizards. It was the first place she'd ever felt like she was doing ten right things instead of just making the motions. She wanted that back.
Mary just sniffed at her.
Sunday 21st September 1980
Godric's Hollow, 16:00
"Just look at them!" Sirius said gleefully, carefully backing away after he had set Cassie in her little baby chair.
It was set just opposite Harry's, so that the two babies could see each other while still being supported appropriately.
The two babies were staring at each other and wriggling. And neither of them were crying, which was an achievement in James' books. This didn't stop him from being thoroughly amused by Sirius' antics.
"They are cute," James allowed.
"They're more than cute! They're going to be best friends, just you see!" Sirius said confidentially.
"Already got a marriage contract drawn up?" James joked.
A dark look flickered across Sirius' face which started James.
"No. There are going to be no marriage contracts for my little girl."
"Hey, hey, I was only joking," James tried to sooth his now agitated friend. "You know the Potters don't do marriage contracts."
Yes, it was fairly recently that they didn't but they still didn't. No, thank you. Marriage for love and that's that. No interference from pieces of parchment. Sure, it might have worked for Frank and Alice but they were the lucky ones. So many weren't. And it just felt kind of weird to James, using parchment to organise something like love but maybe that was just him.
Sirius sighed. "I know. It's just, well..."
James nodded solemnly. "A touchy subject. I get it."
There was a brief moment of silence as they both thought about marriage contracts and how they'd both managed to avoid them. Well, James hadn't exactly had to avoid one - his parents didn't even try, but je was pretty sure that Sirius avoided one somehow. The Black family definitely made use of marriage contracts, for political gain only. It didn't matter what either party thought, it wasn't about them. Which is how you got a whole Andromeda Black and Ted Tonks situation but he digressed.
"Cassie and Harry are still adorable," Sirius said, perking back up. "Look at them looking at each other!"
Names looked down at their babies and he supposed you could say they were looking at each other. Or were getting distracted at something behind them. Who could really tell with babies? He loved Harry but babies were definitely strange.
"I'm pretty sure that babies can't see defined shapes yet," James said.
"And how do you know that?" Sirius demanded.
"It was in one of those muggle baby books that Lily got," James gestured to the stack of said books that still called the floor their home.
"You actually read those?" Sirius chuckled; his good mood restored.
"Hey, I wanted to see what was so interesting in them!"
Lily read them all through her pregnancy and she was still reading them. Apparently, they went through the entirety of early childhood as well.
Sirius laughed at him and James pulled a face.
"Hey! They're useful!" He protested, not that that helped matters - Sirius just laughed harder.
Thursday 25th September 1981
Marauder Flat, 17:00
"Come on, Peter, it will be fun," Sirius urged.
"I really don't think-"
"You were the one who was complaining that we weren't spending time together anymore," James reminded him, backing up Sirius.
"I didn't mean we should be doing it like this! I just meant without babies. You know, just us all hanging out."
"And that's what we'll be doing!"
"Yeah, literally."
"Now you're just being dramatic."
"You're being ridiculous."
"I thought you wanted to have fun, Wormtail."
"I do! I do! But not like this!"
"Oh, come on. Live a little."
"What about Severus?" Peter asked, looking around for the unofficial, sort of Marauder but not seeing him. "Why is he allowed to get out of it?"
"Because I have a will to live," Severus said blandly, coming out from the kitchen while munching on am apple.
"I have a will to live!"
"And I need to get a report to my Potions Master in an hour. Which I have yet to finish."
"And yet you're eating an apple," James teased.
"I can fix that," Sirius said with a smirk, grabbing the apple from Severus' hand as he walked past and taking a massive bite out of it.
"Hey!"
"Mine now," Sirius said unrepentantly. "Unless you want it back?"
He held out the apple and stuck put his tongue which had some chewed up apple still on it. Severus gave him a disgusted look.
"I'm going to finish my report," he grumbled.
"Have fun!" James said brightly only to get a dirty look as he left.
"Now it's time for us to have some fun!" Sirius pronounced.
Peter looked nervous at this.
Streets of London, 19:00
It turned out that Peter had a right to be nervous. Considering that their night ended with them standing in a ragged line in front of a muggle police officer looking very, very sheepish.
"Now," the police officer said very sternly. "You do realise that it's against the law to have three people ride on the back of a motorcycle at the same time?"
"Wait, three?" James said in a panicked tone, looking around.
"Yes, three. There should only be-"
"We've lost Peter," Remus said what the three of them were thinking. "We've actually lost Peter."
"No, we couldn't have," Sirius said, firmly in denial as he shook his head. He's right here, he has to be right here."
He actually starting looking around, much to the bemusement of the police officer.
"He's really not here," James said with wide eyes, panic beginning to dawn on him.
"Sir, I really have to tell you that-"
"No time for that," James said, brushing the man off. "We have a missing person here! Isn't that more important than us riding a motorcycle."
"No, I mean, of course-"
"We need to go find him," Sirius said, taking a step away to peer down an alley.
"Sir, please don't move. I need to-"
"He could he hurt," Remus talked over the man. "What if he's unconscious."
"He shouldn't be..."
"He fell off the back of the motorcycle, James!"
"Right! That's it!" Their long-suffering police officer bellowed at them, attracting the attention of the general public. "All of you, come with me."
The three Marauders looked at each other before deciding that it probably was in their best interests to follow him. It wasn't exactly ethical to wipe his memory for this.
And that was how the three of them ended up in a muggle police station, locked behind bars.
"How the hell are we supposed to explain this to our significant others?" Remus asked, head in his hands.
Godric's Hollow, 20:00
"I can't believe you lot," Lily seethed. "I really can't believe you. What exactly did you expect to happen? I mean, really? Do any of you have a brain in those 3mpty things you call skulls?"
"Hey," they all said weakly in protest but knowing they didn't exactly have a leg to stand on.
"I'm pretty sure they all just share one braincell and pass to around as required," Severus offered lazily from the sofa, highly amused by this while exchange.
He was even munching on a packet of crisps as he watched them.
"Is there a reason why you're here?" James bit out.
"To watch the chaos, unfold," Severus responded with a smirk.
James rolled his eyes at him but couldn't say anything else as Lily stepped closer to him.
"All four of you. On a motorcycle?"
"Uh... yes?" James said, wincing.
Why did it sound like such a bad idea when she said it?
"Do you realise how dangerous that was?" She demanded, waving her arms around.
"We had protection Charms around and on us," he argued.
They weren't that stupid, after all. None of them wanted a trip to St Mungo's. Moody would ride their arses so hard for a stunt like that. Though, the look Lily was giving them might still send them to St Mungo's.
"And there was no harm done," Remus said helpfully.
Which wasn't helpful at all, which he realised as Lily turned to him with a glint in her eye.
"No harm done? You lost Peter!" She gestured at him. "He's probably hurt and traumatised because of this stupid stunt!"
"I really am fine," Peter chose this moment to pipe up making everyone turn their heads to him.
He ducked in embarrassment, obviously painfully aware of the bruising down the side of his face. He had bumped into something before he managed to apparate in thin air. Quite impressive for him, actually. And he had no other injuries except maybe to his pride. And a twisted ankle from landing funny as he apparated.
"You are not fine," Lily scolded him. "You fell off a motorcycle."
"And he's fine!" Sirius reiterated but shrunk backwards as she glared at him.
"And you ended up in jail."
"How did you even get caught?" Marlene asked. "You were on your flying motorcycle." Sirius mumbled something and Marlene put a hand to her ear. "What was that."
Sirius sighed and looked around at the Marauders who were studiously avoiding his face.
"We weren't using the flying function," he muttered, ducking his head down.
That would have been a good idea, in hindsight but turning around sharp corners in the London backstreets was way too fun.
Marlene stared at him in exasperation.
"You are an idiot."
"You shouldn't be encouraging them!" Lily exclaimed.
"They wouldn't have been caught if they were flying!"
"Peter still would have been hurt!"
Peter looked like he didn't know whether or not he should be insulted at this or not.
Harry chose this moment to let out a loud wail.
"See?" James said quickly. "Harry doesn't like you shouting at us."
"Harry doesn't like the fact that his father is an idiot," Lily hissed as she picked their son up and started to sooth him. "Here, there, Harry. You're going to have to get used to the ridiculousness your father gets up to."
"Hey!" James protested but was quelled by a sharp look from Lily much to everyone's amusement.