I do not own Harry Potter. Nor to I own Lily or the Marauders or even Lily's cat.
Harry's first word was "Mama"
No one was surprised. James beamed, Lily laughed with joy, Peter gave quiet congratulations, Remus managed a small smile as he sat huddled at their kitchen table sipping tea while Lily treated his post-full moon wounds, and Sirius teased that their little Marauder was on his way to being a mama's boy.
Minnaloushe watched the goings on with her usual detached indifference.
Harry's second word, predictably, was "Da."
James was ecstatic, Lily rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm but smiled anyway. None of the others were there that morning, but they all laughed when James told them, his euphoria contagious.
In the midst of the celebrations, Sirius stepped on Minnaloushe's tail. The result was rather explosive.
Harry's third word was a surprise.
Lily had just brought him out to the living room where an impromptu Marauders Meeting was being held. The toddler had reached out his arms.
"Mooey!"
Lily had stopped short, James had tumbled from his perch on the back of the sofa, Sirius had snorted his butter beer, Peter just sat, blinking, (though he kept one watchful eye on Minna) and Remus had been speechless as he numbly accepted the little boy, who snuggled into his arms with confidence, knowing nothing of prejudice or fear.
Remus had sobbed into the little black curls, bewildering the child.
Harry's fourth word was "Pa-fuh!"
Sirius had popped back into human form, much to Minnaloushe's relief, and preened, Lily bopped him on the head with the newspaper and informed him that she could always introduce him to the joy of Muggle flea treatments if he didn't stop strutting around her house like he owned it.
James had laughed at them all, and snuck off with Harry to go flying in the backyard.
Peter and Remus had been somewhere in the Black Forest in Germany. They were both back a week later, battered and bruised and bleeding, and Remus had new shadows in his eyes that Lily was afraid to ask about.
Harry's fifth word caused some confusion.
James insisted that he meant "broom", Sirius thought that "boom" actually meant "boom" as in an explosion. Peter, when pressed, sided with James. Minnaloushe likely had her own opinions, but was too busy grooming her singed fur to share them.
Privately, Lily thought that, under the circumstances, it could have easily been both.
(Harry's sixth word caused Lily to chase Padfoot around the house with stinging hexes and a rolled up newspaper. Poor Minna got her tail stepped on again. It took almost an hour to coax her down from the attic. The poor cat was getting so very paranoid.)
A/N: Minnaloushe is Lily's cat, the poor thing that Harry "nearly killed" with his child's broom. (Really, I feel sorry for that cat. She lived a very stressful life once her mistress started dating James Potter.) She has a running feud with both Sirius and Peter and a mutual agreement of avoidance with Remus.
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