Three more prompts from Chelsey.

XVI

(Fabian and Gideon – running)

"Run!" Gideon yelled, and his brother needed no second telling. The two of them ran as fast as their legs would carry them, until both of them could run no more. They collapsed at the edge of the wood, chests heaving, gasping for breath.

"Is he coming?" Gideon gasped, once he was able to speak, and Fabian struggled to sit up and look back along the lane.

He shook his head. "Nope!" he said with a grin. "I think he gave up."

Gideon cheered and pulled a rosy red apple from his pocket. He polished it on his sleeve, and took a huge bite.

"I don't blame him for being mad really," he observed. "He really does grow better apples than anyone else around here."

xxxxx

"Run!" Fabian yelled, and his brother needed no second telling. The two of them ran as fast as their legs would carry them, until both of them could run no more. They made it to the corner and leant weakly against the wall, chests heaving, gasping for breath.

"Are they coming?" Fabian gasped, once he was able to speak, and Gideon risked a swift look around the corner.

He shook his head. "No!" he said, sounding relieved. "I think we lost them."

Fabian managed a weak grin.

"I don't blame them for being mad really," he observed. "You Know Who won't be pleased at all when he finds out those idiots let us listen in to their meeting."

XVII

(Tonks – love song)

Tonks scowled at the parchment and scribbled out what she had written.

"Rubbish!" she muttered fiercely. "Utter utter rubbish!"

She stood up and prowled into the kitchen in search of something - preferably something fattening and unsuitable - to eat. She unearthed a helping of apple crumble from the pantry and added a scoop of ice cream and a generous helping of custard. Then she went back and added two more scoops of ice cream.

She made herself a mug of tea - strong, not much milk - with a longing look at the bottle of wine standing by the cooker. As if he knew what she was thinking, the baby kicked.

"Okay, okay, I know," Tonks grumbled, stroking her swollen belly. "I'm sticking to tea, alright?" She glanced out of the window at the full moon and shuddered. She resisted the impulse to check her watch or the kitchen clock. She knew there was a long way to go till morning without doing that.

Still, she would keep her jokingly made promise to Remus and write him a love song to read in the morning when he was recovered enough to do anything.

She groaned as she sat back at the desk and looked at the fresh blank parchment.

Ah well, she thought grimly, as she set down her bowl and took a mouthful of tea, it would make him laugh if nothing else.

So she began to write.

XVIII

(Remus – shield)

"What you reading, Moony?" James' voice is loud and impossible to ignore. Besides, Remus knows that he will go on and on and on if he pretends that he hasn't heard. So he sighs and holds up his book for the other boy's inspection.

James gives a low whistle. "Le morte d'Arthur," he intones gravely. "Gentlemen, we have a scholar amongst us!" Sirius and Peter laugh, and Remus scowls as he returns to his book.

"It's interesting," he mutters, but not with any conviction that he will convince his friends. He knows them too well. He tunes them out and escapes to the world of knights and swords and shields, a world of chivalry.

Despite his absorption, he looks up at a light tread and the hint of the smell of roses.

Lily comes over and perches on James' lap, smiling round at all of them. Remus smiles back at her, but then returns to his book, his shield against the world tonight. To a time and a place where loving your best friend's girl was somehow simpler to deal with. He does not look up again.