Chapter 24: A Photo-Op in '81
"Lillian! Be a dear and get the door, would you?" Sirius called to his practically sister-in-law as he heard the chime of the bell.
Lily nodded and weaved her way through the crunch of people now gathering inside of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Crossing into the foyer, she ignored how the heralding of a new arrival had triggered the curtained portrait of Sirius's late mother, who was now screeching about having Muggle filth gathering in her home and getting mud on the dragon-skin carpet. Pulling the doorjamb to, Lily scanned the empty street for a moment and then happened to glance down.
"Peter! Thank goodness! What a lovely surprise!" She had to bend down a little to give her husband's good friend a hug as she ushered him in. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick!"
"Top-secret undercover mission for Dumbledore, Lily. Very hush-hush!" Peter lied smoothly, squeaking. Lifting his gaze to hers, he mumbled meekly. "I truly am sorry to have missed your and James' wedding. I'm sure you looked splendid!"
Lily beamed at the stout little man kindly. "Never mind it. So long as you've come to this…." She turned back to the doorway leading into the kitchen and called gaily to her husband, "James, dear, come quickly!"
"I'm coming! ….. I'm coming!..." James bustled in from the kitchen, adjusting his glasses along the bridge of his nose. Immediately upon catching sight of Peter, the man let out a roar of delight and ran to tackle his good mate.
"There you are, you ruddy git! Where the bollocks have you been?" Peter looked a little flustered by the exuberant greeting so Lily answered for him.
"Top-secret mission for Dumbledore, love. Undercover."
"Really?" James drew back, appearing impressed, almost like he wouldn't have quite believed it of little Peter Pettigrew. "Albus has you working as a double agent then?"
Peter turned red, eyes shifting a little. "You could say that…"
"Well, jolly good! Imagine - our Peter, behind enemy lines! I should like to hear more about it! Or can you not tell us?"
Peter shook his head. "Sorry, mate. I've got sources and assets that need protecting, you understand."
"Fine, fine! Come on; Sirius will freak!" And the husband and wife team led their friend towards the lights of the kitchen, Peter craning around his best mate to talk to Lily in low tones.
"I've only just been extracted recently, and I don't get too much intel from the outside, but… did you really have a baby?"
Lily beamed radiantly and nodded, while James chortled with pride.
"Yes. A boy. He's…. goodness, just about a year already, isn't that right, dearest?"
James nodded. "Molly Weasley's looking after him at the Burrow. Frank and Alice's boy, too. Neville."
"Alice and I gave birth only one day apart!" Lily squealed. "Can you believe it, Wormtail?"
Peter's beady eyes blinked rapidly, and he seemed to turn a little pale. "Gracious!" he yipped. "And you say Molly is minding them, 'long with seven little ones of her own?"
"Indeed. She should open up a nursery and run it out of her house! Course, Burrow would have to be reinforced to meet fire codes, more likely…." Sirius cracked. He greeted Peter by way of a punch to the arm. "That's for missing our best mate's wedding, prat!"
"Sirius," Lily crooned, softly chiding. "Leave the poor boy be! You know how we can had to keep things very quiet…" She didn't notice how Peter was listening to her with almost intense interest.
At this moment, Dumbledore's gaze swiveled onto the gathered group of reunited Marauders. Unnoticed by everyone except for the newest arrival, the Headmaster of Hogwarts was now studying Pettigrew with a keen eye, maybe even a little suspicion. Albus put it out of his head.
"Ah, Peter. Good. I think that is everybody. Can you check the rolls, Alastor?"
Mad-Eye Moody's artificial eye scanned the roll of parchment in less than half a second. "Yup. Pettigrew's the last one!" He hobbled over to the kitchen table with his walking stick, as other Order of the Phoenix members also drifted into the center of the room, gathering around. The grizzled Auror took in the two young mothers of the group – Lily Potter and Alice Longbottom – with a bit of grudging acceptance.
"Can't see the necessity of having two young mums here, with tykes waiting at home…"
Lily folded her arms across her chest crossly, sniffing. "How very chauvinistic of you, Alastor…" while Alice nodded firmly at her side.
"Now, now, Alastor," Dumbledore admonished, all with a twinkle in his eye. "Alice and Lillian have just as much a right to be here as our…. undercover operative Peter here." There was something off about the way he said this phrase, and also how he seemed to scrutinize Peter, if not quite look right through him. Peter folded into his chair quietly. "Now, if we are all present and accounted for, I hereby call this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to…. well, order." Hearty chuckles went up around the room, mostly from the men and Dumbledore's eyes danced.
There was much to be discussed: Death Eater raids, troop movements on the part of the giants.
"Now, as to the matter of the werewolves…" Dumbledore was saying.
As if on cue, a hale gentlemen came bursting into the kitchen, looking all a-flutter. His chestnut hair was wet and plastered to his forehead, suggesting his emergence from a heavy rain outside.
"Sorry, I'm late, everyone. Devil of a storm out there…"
"Remus!" Beaming, Lily rose from her place and floated into the arms of her dear friend, hugging him around the neck and pecking him on the cheek.
Dumbledore smiled softly, along with James. "Another one of our assets safely recovered, I see. Welcome, Remus, my boy…"
Rounding the table, a lovely and even more relieved Mary MacDonald nudged, indeed almost shoved her best girlfriend aside, her Irish smile frolicking with radiant relief.
"My turn…." Smirking, she seized Remus by his shirt collar, amused at how he was blushing, flustered.
"Hullo, love."
Mary smirked. "Hey there, yourself, fiancé." And she kissed the man deeply, full on the mouth and in full view of everyone.
"Mmmm – Mary, really!" Remus spluttered when they broke apart. "People are staring!"
Mary shrugged. "Then let them stare." She kissed him again, tenderly and chastely this time, before taking him by the hands and guiding him over to the table. "Come here, sit by me! We're anxious to hear your report!"
Somehow, Remus was able to give Dumbledore and the members of the Order a debrief all while his bride-to-be sat straddling his lap.
"Greyback is still the undisputed Alpha among the packs. He's hungry for more audacious….. feedings, as the wolves call it. I will…. have to track the lunar patterns closely to best predict when and where they're going to move…"
Listening, Lily leaned into her husband's warmth. "How perfectly dangerous!"
James nodded grimly. "Well, if anyone can do it, old Moony can…"
After all the agenda items had been discussed, Dumbledore requested that everyone gather for a picture. Lily huddled with her husband along with Sirius and Peter in the back, third row.
"Oi! Moony! Quit snogging your girl and bring her over here with us! The Marauders, together again!" Sirius called.
From where he was with Mary in the front row, Remus turned back with a helpless, sheepish grin. "Sorry, old boy. My hands are full!" Mary chose this moment to pull him down into a full-blown snog, causing James, Sirius and Peter to all roar with laughter.
Lily raised a hand to her mouth to hide a pleased smile. "I think it's sweet…"
"Think that Irish pixie will make an honest man of our Moony?" James wondered aloud.
"I should hope so, mate," Peter chirped, some of his old humor finally making an appearance. "None of us are getting any younger!" His eyes appeared oddly sad, though.
"Shut up, you lot! Watch for the diggy bird! On three! And for the love of Godric, SMILE!" Alastor bellowed. "One, two, three!"
The camera bulb flashed.
The meeting finally adjourned very late, members hustling to gather their cloaks. Peter dashed out of there unusually quickly; he was the first one to leave. Smirking impishly, Mary MacDonald all but dragged Remus up the stairs to one of the bedrooms on the second floor.
Lily turned to Sirius, smiling sadly. "I daresay you don't mind a little shagging going on under your roof, do you, Padfoot?"
Sirius grinned cheekily and waggled his eyebrows. "Never do, my girl! Doesn't matter whether I'm one of the ones fooling in bed or not! About time Remus earned himself a lay! Speaking of which, my door is always open to you two lovebirds if you need a night away from Harry. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do, eh, poppet?" He winked at her. Lily merely smiled and rolled her eyes at his crude humor.
"Sirius…. You know James and I have to keep laying low. It was an effort just to sneak over here for this meeting!" Even so, she inlaid her hands over his and squeezed them. "Write to us, won't you?"
"Plan on it, love." Grinning, the friends leaned in and kissed cheeks, before Sirius moved on to pump James's hand.
"Now, get on! Molly will be waiting up for you with the baby!"
James shrugged on his cloak. "Bet Knuts to Galleons Frank and Alice have already beaten us there. To pick up Neville."
Smiling, Lily looped her arm through her husband's as they stepped onto the front stoop of Grimmauld Place, the rain still coming down in sheets. "Reckon so. Now come on, love. Let's go get our boy."
"Wait!" And James turned back to Sirius for one last manly hug. Sirius grinned softly.
"Love ya, Prongs." And he watched the Potters safely slip out into the street, huddled under an umbrella before both turned on the spot, waved to him and Disapparated.
Keeping his hand raised in farewell, Sirius couldn't explain it then, but he couldn't help but wonder if he had just said goodbye to his best mate and his lovely bride for the last time.