A/N: Thanks for waiting. Also, I am sorry if parts of this seems repetitive. I've just been piecing together scenes I've put together over the past couple of months to get over this writers block, but also I need this chapter to exist in all its quirks to be able to move on with the rest.
Also Matthew is Sam's son George. Thought I was using too many names of the Weasley's with George and Charlie so I changed his name to avoid doing that. I will go back and fix that in the last chapter when I get the chance. Sorry if there is any confusion in the meantime.
Forks and knives scratched against the plates hungrily in a way that almost made him feel as though he had woken up in the Burrow instead of in the cottage where he had spent a portion of every summer since as far back as he could remember. It sparked something inside of him, though it wasn't a feeling he could claim that he could place as he snook a peak towards the kitchen where his parents were still making their way down the buffet line.
"Do you play football?" Matthew asked Ron what must have been his hundredth question of the day. "I play football!" he announced proudly afterwards. "I cheer for Manchester United. Who do you cheer for? Not the City, do you?"
"That's enough for now, sweetheart," Emily said, cupping her hand playfully over her son's mouth as she sat down next to him, placing her full plate on the table before her. "Ron needs to eat if he is to keep up with your energy at any point during the day," she reminded Matthew who attempted to plead with Ron silently, before his mother brought his attention back to his uneaten plate of food.
"I think he's worse than Dean," Ron whispered to Harry who nodded in agreement.
"Bacon?" James offered, placing a small portion onto the edge of his wife's plate that seemed about ready to overflow with the eggs and fruit he had already piled on for her.
"Have you ever noticed that I am more than capable of being able to serve myself?" Lily asked teasingly as she shuffled past him, placing a kiss on his shoulder before grabbing the steaming cup of tea her aunt had made for her.
James laughed, trying to reach for her just as she escaped his grasp. "I'd never taken notice," he exclaimed. "Can you feed yourself as well?" he asked, returning the kiss as he pulled his chair next to hers.
"Surprisingly I can," she said, making a point to show her husband the eggs she had already began chewing, like a child.
"This is why we don't let you out," Hestia said, pointing her fork at her friend, who proceeded to stick her tongue out once more.
"Alright, that's quite enough," James said, grinning as he clamped a hand over his wife's mouth.
"Mmph me mph mej," they could barely make out as Lily attempted to speak before flinging an egg at both her friend and husband.
"I'm only going to- that's disgusting!" James jumped back, wiping his hand frantically on the napkin that had been on his lap.
"Serves you right," she grinned triumphantly.
"She licked me!"
"James, what have we said about talking-," Sirius reminded until he was caught off guard by the glare coming from every adult member of the Evans' clan. "Sorry," he said, hiding his snicker behind the mug Hestia quickly handed off to him.
"It's all about reading the room," Hestia smiled at him.
"I'll remember that," he nodded in acknowledgement as he dug into the plates of food still warm on the counter.
"Do you have any plans for the day or are we free to monopolize you some more?" Isobel asked warmly, reaching across the table to squeeze her niece's hand, still unable to leave her alone for extended periods of time. "I know this isn't quite what you had expected…"
"It's better," James said, speaking for them both, to which Lily nodded exuberantly.
"We don't usually plan much besides relaxation when we come," Lily explained. "Just an escape from work, before Harry goes back to school and such. Nothing much at all."
"Where is it you go to school?" Emily asked, directing the attention towards the kids who looked like deer in the headlights at the mention of school, Harry and Ron most of all.
"Scotland," Harry choked after a moment and a swift kick from Hermione. "My mum and dad's old school."
Harry watched as his mum and dad continued to alternate their glances between their plates and his aunt and uncle who seemed to become increasingly uncomfortable every moment they were at the table.
"That must be brilliant. Where in Scotland?"
"The highlands," Hestia supplied.
"Did you go there as well?" Emily asked with a contagious grin. She loved meeting new people which may have explained her position as an early years educator.
"We were all in the same house at school," Remus answered this time. "That's where James and Lily met actually," he said with a small grin in their direction, a grin that vanished with their horrified expressions that only became clear to him when Hestia had kicked him under the table and moved her head in the direction of Petunia rather obviously. "Sorry."
Emily glanced at the man curiously for only the slightest of moments before her attention was otherwise diverted to where her elder son was doing something or another to the other boy's meal. "Matthew!" she chastised, rushing over.
"You will have to tell her later," Eva informed James and Lily, "She loves stories."
"Emily actually teaches at a school in London," Sam said proudly. "She just accepted a position at an all boy's school," he said with the largest of grins, gripping her hand in his when she sat down once more.
Lily set her tea cup down on the table's edge. "Oh really? Which one?" she asked, letting her guard down.
"It's nothing, really," she blushed.
Sam shook his head at her. "She's modest," he said affectionately, "Though I'm not sure it's worth mentioning the name seeing as it would probably go straight over your head, having lived in the country for so long," he teased Lily. "How is that small village of yours holding up anyways?" he asked, chuckling at himself for the most part.
Lily glared.
"I though it sounded charming when you wrote," Isobel cut in, giving her son a look as she did.
"She knows I think more of it-."
"Still," Isobel said adamantly. "Lily's been to London often enough. I'm sure she's heard of it, Emily."
They all turned their attention once more to the dark haired woman who grew increasingly uncomfortable in light of the attention. "I was brought on as a teacher at the Sussex School- are you alright?"
Harry nearly choked on his eggs. "Fine," he said once he took a large gulp of water. "I went there, that's all," he said with a soft smile. "Er," he muttered, trying to break the silence that fell upon the room in those quick few seconds it took for him to mutter those words.
"You are in London?" Isobel asked carefully as if she was afraid that if she spoke them too quickly they might disappear. That she might disappear.
She watched as her niece moved food around on her plate like the little girl she used to know. There was so much in her, so many battles fought she would never know about, yet at the same time an innocence existed, a naivety that had been passed over in the midst of a war, a childlike innocence that would likely never fully mature. She watched as her niece's husband reached for her hand like he had probably done countless times before in a way that too made him seem so much older yet so much younger at the same time.
"Lily," Anderson pressed, leaning forward. His elbows resting on the table's edge, he hid his mouth behind his clasped hands that were held in such a fashion he could have been mistaken for praying, though Isobel knew that in many ways that that was just what he was doing. "You've been in London all this time?" he asked with the same cautiousness as his wife before him.
They let out a breath of air they did not know they had been holding when with the slightest nod of her head, her dark auburn locks falling in her face as she did, she gave them their answer.
"Why don't we head outside for a bit," Charlie said almost immediately to the younger ones at the table, all of whom, besides the youngest boys, had been glued to the other end of the table till that moment. "Harry," he prompted.
"Alright," the boy said rather slowly, pushing away from the table in an odd display of synchronization with his two mates and cousin who followed suit immediately.
"I'll fill you in," Sam told his brother who gave him one last look as he reached for his infant daughter from his brother's lap.
"Sam," Anderson said eerily quietly. "You as well."
"No," Sam argued. "She is as much my family as she is yours. Charlie and I both deserve to be here, and since he has graciously stepped out, I will stay."
Lily looked a little taken a back by the fierceness of her cousins speech to stay, a speech that left his own mum and dad looking at him slightly differently. "You should…stay I mean," she said softly.
"Lily," Sam said, his voice cracking. "I can't speak for mum or dad but know that as shocked as I think we are all by this…you have been so close all this time," he shuddered at the thought, "I am not angry with you…either of you."
"You can be," she said.
"I know," he said with the faintest of grins.
Anderson watched the interaction between his youngest son and niece with half-interest, not fully able to share the feelings of his son as hard as he tried. He let his fingers dig into his temple against which his hands had been placed as he continuously tried to register the shock that fell upon him. It didn't make sense. Why?
"There is a lot I couldn't tell you about what was going on with the war," his niece said, staring him straight in the eye. "You said it aloud," she whispered when he seemed shocked once more by her answer.
"Start from the very beginning," Isobel requested.
Lily took a deep breath at the same time James looked at her, asking with his eyes if she needed him to help, a question she shook off. He slid his arm around her waist, letting his forearm rest on the chair behind her comfortably.
"Voldemort had been a presence in our world since I got to Hogwarts, but he wasn't on the radar as much as he was towards the end, as much as he was when you were all brought into this all. Except Tuney that is," she said, glancing quickly at her sister who seemed to be observing her with a vacant expression. "He was…"
"Voldemort wanted blood purity," Sirius spat.
"He wanted the Wizarding World to purge itself of any dirty blood," Hestia explained further. "He believed, like one of the founders of Hogwarts, that only Wizards of pure blood, only witches and wizards who had come from other wizards were deserving of magic. He was…"
"Indescribable, really," Remus said, shivering at the thought of the snake-like man.
"He wanted to get rid of people like Lily, and-."
"Emme, if you remember her, Sam," Lily said, addressing her cousin once more.
"I remember."
"So this Voldemort…" Anderson muttered.
"James and I joined the resistance along with Remus and Sirius when we were out of Hogwarts…Hestia's parents moved her out of the country as soon as they could. They didn't want her to die like so many others around us were," Lily said, quickly summarizing Hestia's absence. "That part really isn't important much though," she sighed. "I don't know where I am going with this anymore."
"What it comes down to," James picked up immediately, "Is that what we were doing was dangerous but it was nothing we felt we could not do. It was the only choice if we wanted all we knew to remain-."
"Merlin you make it sound so drama- ow!"
"Shut it," Hestia grumbled at Sirius. "Sorry, proceed."
"When your mum and dad died," James was talking solely to Lily this time. "When they died, as you know well, she shut down and none of us left here thought she was going to come back. It hurt you immeasurably," he said to his wife, "and you," he said, looking at his wife's family, "You were all she had left of her family. Lily came to me just before the wedding-."
"You dragged me to the couch," Lily interrupted grumpily.
"You're not good at communicating when you're stressed," he reminded her.
"Ha," Sam chuckled.
"Like your father," Anderson said with a small grin.
"I couldn't lose you too," Lily said, finally letting all the tears flow.
James pulled her chair as close to him as he could, pulling her onto his lap and gently caressing her cheek, brushing her hair out of her tear tracks.
"You wouldn't have-."
"Uncle Anderson!" Lily said more angrily than she meant it to sound, "It was a war. People were dying. Innocent muggles, people like you were being killed mercilessly without a chance to even defend themselves. Many who had any association to anyone who fought with us. One of my best friend's was murdered with her entire family and she was one of the best in our class at Defense Against the Dark Arts. She was dead!"
"Shhh, breathe Lils," James whispered softly.
"Marlene died?" Sam asked solemnly, breaking the silence.
They all nodded.
"When I saw you all at the wedding it made me realize how much I couldn't afford to have your deaths of all people on my hands," she said, speaking once more in her usual controlled tone. "So I slipped away. I needed to push you away. All of you," she said, looking at her uncle once more, "Because I could not and cannot lose you. I can't have my world hurt you."
"It got worse after that too," Sirius prompted.
"How?" Isobel asked, incredibly nervous as she wiped tears from her cheeks.
"Lily and James, during the battles encountered Voldemort himself."
"But you're here," Sam interrupted, "So it can't have been too bad. Could it?"
The silence was all he needed.
"Oh."
"After Harry was born there was a-."
"Remus, no," James said quickly, his friend giving him a questioning look as a result. "You've forgotten that the lot of them are notorious eves droppers."
"Just the first part," she whispered to her husband who nodded in agreement. "Voldemort wanted to kill Harry."
"Why?" everyone seemed to ask at once.
"There was a prophecy- Sam!"
"I'm sorry, it just seems so- sorry, go on," he corrected himself.
"There was a prophecy," she said again, "That said that the one who would have the power to vanquish Voldemort would be born as the seventh month dies…"
"Harry was born on the 31st of July," James explained.
"And that the one to vanquish him would be born to those who had thrice defied him," she finished.
"Which you did," Anderson and Isobel concluded at once.
"One. Two. Three times," Sirius remarked.
"I think they got that, Sirius."
"Right."
"James and I had to make the choice to go into hiding with the help of a spell that would make our home disappear. Make us disappear."
"It requires a secret-keeper, someone who will be the sole person who knows the location of your home. Someone whom you would trust with your life," James practically growled.
"I can tell them the rest if you want to go find Harry," Lily suggested, but he shook off the thought. "We asked Sirius," she said, guiltily looking at Sirius who nodded before proceeding.
"I was more than willing to help," Sirius said, "But-."
"Oh I do not like where this is going," Isobel sighed.
"But anyone who had ever known James or I, even seen us in passing knew how close we were. They would know it was me. So I suggested that-."
"Peter."
"That he be the secret-keeper instead. They wouldn't suspect him."
"They didn't have to," Hestia grumbled.
"He betrayed them to Voldemort in October, 1981," Remus said quickly. "And then he got Sirius sent to prison."
"He found you?" Anderson asked.
Lily and James nodded. "He did, just as we were going to go out."
"I had just taken off up the stairs to grab something I can't even recall now when I heard Lily scream. She had had Harry downstairs by the door."
"James came running with his wand out but Voldemort was too fast. He knocked James out. He fell over the railing, right at my feet. I thought he was dead," she cried, pulling his arms tighter around her waist as though she could never be close enough for true comfort. "He told me to step aside, for reasons I don't think I'll ever know, but I couldn't."
"Of course not," Isobel sided.
"He-he-."
"He sent the killing curse at Harry or Lily, or both," James said, jumbled. "We don't know who it was intended for, we just know it didn't work. It rebounded and killed him instead."
"Voldemort died and I-I dragged James and Harry to outside, out of the crumble that our cottage was quickly becoming. We went to mum and dad's," she said with a faint smile. "Our headmaster found us there eerily quickly. He asked what happened and once we explained he told us he had everything in place for when we were ready."
"Ready for what?" Anderson asked.
"Ready to go back to the world. We had been in hiding for a little more than a year," she explained. "He wanted us to go to a heavily populated area. He found us a house, and jobs and everything we needed."
"He brought us to Knightsbridge," James concluded.
"And you're still there?" Isobel asked, the hope coming back into her voice.
Lily nodded.
"So your son went to the Sussex School?" Vernon piped in, finally finding his voice.
"Until he was eleven," Lily said quietly, ignoring her brother-in-law's gaze, focusing intently on her sister.
"And then he went-."
"Yes," she said, cutting him off before the name would set Petunia off.
"I-."
"Vernon," Anderson said more sternly than Lily had ever recalled hearing him.
His sons and nieces, his nephew-in-law and their friends sat back in their chairs as if they were the children being disciplined. He was surprised to see his eldest niece focusing her attention onto her own brother-in-law.
"There is no quick fix for any of this," he said softly, his voice strong despite this. "But there are kids out there on the beach you have all loved your whole lives. Claire and Jonathan would have loved nothing more than to be grandparents to Dudley and Harry, but since they can't be here were going to make both of those boys, and our grandkids, feel as if they were. I don't want to hear another word about any of these petty fights," he said, fixating his stare on his nieces, "We all know it's not as worth it as you might think."
"Now go get changed," Isobel said, ushering them with a smile once more. "I think I heard Matthew mention a football game on the beach earlier."
It took a moment before any of them made to move, even Vernon who seemed taken aback by the words that had been spoken to them; the instructions set out. Slowly the scraping of wooden chair legs and benches against the old floorboards of the cottage echoed throughout, dishes piling on top of one another before the tell-tale sound of them hitting the metal of the sink. Lily held tightly to her husband's hand as they gathered with their friends towards the more secluded area of the kitchen, near the door that would lead them to their own cottage.
"Lily, James, hold on a moment," Anderson called, reaching for her hand.
"We weren't going anywhere fast," she assured him. "We will meet you back there," she told the others.
"Thanks for that," he said, bringing them to the vacant living room, indicating for them to sit down on the couch opposite from him, the one Harry had been lounging on much earlier that morning. "I-uh-."
"Is this about what just-."
Anderson shook his head, but then changed his mind, nodding slightly. He smiled a little at his own nervousness. "You and I sweetheart," he said, reaching for his niece's hand. "This shouldn't be that hard…"
"I didn't say it and I should have," Lily fretted, gripping his hand tightly. "I never wanted to hurt you, or Aunt Isobel…anyone. I thought I was doing the right thing-."
"Don't you dare for a minute apologize for protecting your family, Lily."
"I didn't realize that it could hurt you," she went on anyways, "I-I though that if you were just safe from it all. If no one could see any connection to me then you would be safe from hurt. But it happened anyways…"
"Lily, Lily, Lily," Anderson sighed. "You can't go through life without getting hurt."
"But-."
"You and I, Lily, have dealt with a lot, climbed mountains even, literally," he chuckled at the memories that no longer pained him of the months following the burial of his brother and sister. "I wanted to talk to you because even though we haven't had time yet, we will get to it though," he smiled as did she, "To understand what your life is now, what is happening in your world, I need you to promise me something.
I need you to promise me that whatever the state of your world or ours, that you will…that you won't go again."
"Uncle A," Lily pleaded softly.
"I'm speaking for myself-."
"And myself as well," Isobel said, rushing out of the kitchen in such a flurry the three of them couldn't help but giggle.
"We are speaking for us alone," he said, holding his wife, "If it's bad, your cousins, their families…they can stay out of it. But you are ours, and we want you to- we need to be a part of your world, Lily. We need…want so desperately, to be allowed to be part of your life, your family," he said with a smile to James, "Unconditionally."
"Think fast!"
Was all he heard before the football nearly collided with his face, his book quickly dropping to the floor at his feet effectively losing him his page. He adjusted his glasses ever so slightly on the bridge of his nose.
"What in Merlin's name-."
"What a peculiar phrase," Anderson noted as he chuckled and picked up the ball that had rolled it's way back to his feet. "Not going to sit there all day, are you, son?"
James chuckled, shaking his head as he heaved himself out of the comfortable chair, tossing his book back into the still forming cushions — what he believed to be the soul of a good chair.
"Would not dare, now would he when his wife's-," Charlie teased mercilessly as he sprinted down the stairs in his swim trunks, towel draped over his shoulder and sunglasses already in place.
"Your cousin, need I remind you," Anderson said as he shoved the man in passing. "Right as he may be," he added with a wink to James, a man who needed no further convincing once Lily came into play.
"I'll be there in two shakes of a lamb's tale," he called after.
"Of course you will," Eva giggled, her accent still present in her voice as she tried in vain to catch up with her youngest son who was off running to the beach with nothing but a nappy on.
"Reminds me of Harry here when he was younger," James said fondly before skipping the steps and taking off to the accommodations where they had set up camp.
He came back out within moments, emerging onto the beach just down from the small deck. The entire entourage had taken over the sandy shore that overlooked the channel. A few umbrellas were dug into the sand, though quite a ways apart as he noticed that yet again his dear sister-in-law and her husband separated themselves, though not far away enough that they couldn't carefully observe the teenagers who were gathered with the few who could claim to be younger than them and his wife's cousins and uncle.
"Where are your two goons, mate?" Sam questioned as he very nearly tackled James into the sand the moment he saw the man.
"Probably being smart and hiding from the lot of you," he said as he shoved the man away from him.
"I don't think that you quite understand the significance of this match," Charlie accused him.
James stared at him blankly before glancing over the man's shoulder to where his wife and Hestia were walking back towards them along the beach. "No probably not," he agreed, "But you were right about my wife," he said with a wink before playfully pushing the man into the dune just as he had done before he ran at top-speed towards his wife who seemed torn between running for her life in the opposite direction of her husband or giving up in a fit of giggles.
"James Potter!" she screeched as she took off towards the water in a last minute decision to choose the former.
"Did you ever actually return from your honeymoon?" Hestia called after them, grinning still at the sight of her best-friend and her husband who were still helplessly in love.
"Are you joining in Jones?" Charlie called to her, challenging her with every word he uttered.
"You don't think I'd let them beat you without me, now did you?" she teased, catching the ball with ease when he chucked it at her.
"Who said they were on a team together?" Charlie questioned.
"Oh well I assumed that you would rather like the chance to take back the victory you lost so many years ago," she said simply, shoving the ball back into his arms as she went to stand by Eva who couldn't help herself as she laughed at her husband's conflicting expressions.
"Hestia, you know we haven't really…well at least Ron hasn't ever played football before, right?" Harry said to her in a low voice, hoping no one else can hear.
"Well if that's the case, dear nephew," Charlie said loudly, having been eves dropping quite proudly, "Then a rematch is exactly what I came here for."
"You realize your completely outnumbered, right?" Ron commented.
Charlie took another glance at the group assembled before him. Emily and Eva, the former with his daughter bouncing in her arms, were standing next to Hestia, Remus and Sirius. 3-2, not bad, he weighed in his head. He looked at his brother's sons and shook his head, they'd be too young. That left Harry, Dudley, Ron and Hermione.
He turned to Ron with a wicked glimmer in his eye.
"This can't be good," Eva said, shaking her head.
"If I recall correctly-."
"That's unlikely," Remus and Sirius both snickered.
Charlie shot his wife a smirk before making his way to stand directly before Hestia who refused to back down from his gaze, matching it even, standing her ground with her arms crossed across her chest. "If I recall correctly," he said enunciating every word, "the teams last time didn't involve either of these two…which means they're fair game."
Hestia shrugged nonchalantly. "Doesn't bother me, Charlie," she drew out his name. "I don't need them to bury your arse in the sand."
"Oh I like her!" Eva exclaimed with Emily nodding exuberantly at her side.
Charlie shook his head. Women.
"Get over there then, you lot too," he instructed to the rest of them who lazily assembled themselves where he had pointed for them to go. "Jones here seems to have proclaimed herself captain of the losing team. I, naturally, am captain of the winning team."
"I want to be on her team!" Matthew exclaimed.
"Me too!" Jonathan said following his brother's lead, movements and all.
"Traitors," Charlie said, tossing the ball at them, which they took off after.
"Watch it," Emily warned before Charlie ruffled her hair up with a nice handful of sand in retaliation. "Get a move on."
"Oh this ought to be interesting," Lily said as she slipped into the back of the group.
"I choose Sam!" Hestia called out.
"Not fair, but alright, Lily, over here!"
Lily's face dropped. "You're joking, right?"
Charlie shook his head, pulling her over to his team's side.
She shrugged. "Well if you want to lose."
"We won't," he said confidently.
"Eva!"
"Honestly woman," Charlie glared at Hestia. "Sirius."
"James."
"Are you insane?" Harry called out. "Why would you put them on separate teams?" he said as he pointed to either of his parents. "They're going to end up killing one another!"
"Harry," his mum admonished. "We're not that bad," she said.
"Yeah tell that to all the board games locked up at home, or the ones you threw in the fire," he said straight out.
"Hey, it deserved it!" James jumped in.
"Oh you were losing. Just admit it already!"
"Emily!"
"Thank-you," Harry exclaimed loudly.
"Remus!"
James and Remus high fived.
"Dad!"
"I'm not getting involved," Anderson shook his head, playing with his granddaughter in the sand.
"Wimp," Emily said.
"Alright then," he said, wiping the sands off his shorts as he hoisted his granddaughter up, the girl squealing as he did. "Looks like my little girl is going to go in her play-pen for a bit," he said as he softly placed the laughing girl into the pen they had dragged onto the beach earlier. "What team am I on again?" he asked, glancing between the two groups.
"Here, dad," Charlie called him over.
"Your mum better be playing then," he said to his son in passing.
"We'll get her when she comes out," Charlie promised.
"Ron," Hestia called.
James and Remus high-fived the boy who looked elated at the prospect of being with them.
"Hermione."
"Harry."
"Dudley."
"Hey! What about us?" Matthew demanded.
"Matthew you're over here-," Charlie called, "And apparently Jonathan too…" he added once the little boy followed his brother to his uncle's side.
Emily and Sam both shrugged, not bothering to split them up.
"Let the games begin, Charlie," Hestia said, shaking his hand before the teams split up.
"Not hiding from Charlie are you dear?"
Isobel patted her niece's leg as she sat down on the sunny edge of the chaise lounger Lily was currently curled up on, absorbed in her book.
"If anything I'd say he's the one hiding," she responded after getting a good look at those gathered on the beach to see her older cousin missing.
"Never has been able to take a loss well," Isobel snickered, recalling all the sports games she'd been on the sidelines of praying desperately that her son's team wouldn't end up losing. "I blame Anderson for that," she said, a slight twinkle in her eye.
"I've sat my car outside your house, just down the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of you or Uncle A. Wandered the halls of the gallery and on the street where I knew his office used to sit. I could never find the courage to ring the door after everything I did…after everything you did for me."
Isobel considered the woman before her, whose eyes couldn't meet hers. "Darling," she said in a manner that to Lily reminded her so much of her mum. "I can pretend to know what you've gone through but I can't. None of us can. All I know, all I can understand is that we can not dwell on the past, on the 'what ifs', especially when any of the 'what ifs' we have asked in the past since the day we knew we'd lost you are irrelevant now that you're here," she said as she reached up to brush her niece's hair back behind her ear.
Lily grasped her aunt tightly, resting her head on her aunts shoulder and nestling herself in her long blonde locks.
"I forget how young you are when I see Harry, and the others. All of you are still so young," Isobel sighed as she held her niece. "I hope you are proud of who you are, dear. More than anything I hope you're proud."
She wiped her tears as she sat back. "He terrifies me, every day," she said with a little laugh as she watched Harry race Ron on the beach, each with one of the younger cousins clinging to their backs. "But-."
"I have always felt the same about the four of you," Isobel chimed in. "Now, Anderson and I wanted to tell you that tomorrow night, that's Saturday correct? Yes. On Saturday we are sending the younger adults," she said with a smile, "Into town for a night out, while we spend some one on one time with the kids…and that includes Dudley and Harry and his sweet friends."
"That'll be nice for them."
"And for you too, I hope."
Lily smiled.
"Wonderful," Isobel said, clapping her hands. "That settles that. Your sister and her husband are also to attend, so I hope that you will-."
"We will behave. I feel like a child," she pouted.
"You are, dear. Even if you have one of your own," Isobel reminded her grinning. "Are the kids alright to go out with Sam on the boat he borrowed?" she asked before taking her leave.
"Up to them. James and I are alright with them going. Make sure to ask-."
"I know," Isobel said, glancing at her other niece. "I'm headed there next."
"I'd forgotten how loud he could get," Eva sighed as she leaned next to Lily who smiled at her company.
"I don't think my eardrum will ever quite forgive him," she laughed, recalling Charlie's more rambunctious childhood days.
"My husband," Eva said fondly.
"And this darling," Lily said fondly with a twinkle in her eye as she let her finger gently touch the little girl's cheek who was practically asleep in her mother's arm.
"Do you want to hold her?" Eva asked eagerly.
Lily smiled softly as she set her glass down and outstretched her arms. There was something quite beautiful about the way the baby's head felt in the crook of her arms as she snoozed, barely fidgeting as she adjusted to the new embrace in which she was so comfortably held. Lily rejoiced in the way the tiny fingers grasped her own when she had been trying to ensure none of her long locks would tickle the baby's face.
"She likes long hair," Eva said, helping Lily a little by pulling her hair back over her shoulders. "I haven't had mine down since she was born," she sighed melancholically as she reached for Lily's wine glass and took a sip.
"Harry did too," she grinned, planting a kiss on the baby's head as she gently swayed unconsciously to the sound of the waves washing up onto the sand.
"He is an incredible kid, Lily," Eva said, glancing back to the indoors that was still bursting with noise from the family game night. "Where can I get one?" she teased.
Lily smiled as she sighed, her head shaking. "You know I'm still not sure," she admitted proudly, "I think though, that she is quite incredible herself," she said, bringing her attention back to the darling in her arms.
"We waited a long time for her."
She looked at her cousin's wife with morbid curiosity, seeing in her face so many of the same emotions she had felt a little less than a handful of times in her life. The happiness and sorrow mixed into one, fighting desperately to beat the other out, no matter what it takes. The heartbreak of knowing what it's like to-
"Harry wasn't," Eva tread carefully, her hands clasped over her mouth.
Lily shook her head fiercely. "I'm so- I- Eva," she breathed, each word breaking. "I- I should have known," she cried, the baby beginning to squirm in her arms.
"When are you going to stop apologizing?" Eva chastised.
"When I feel like…I don't know," she said, sighing as she swayed back and forth in attempts to keep the baby calm and unknowing to her own growing emotions and anxiety.
"She makes everything brighter."
"I know the feeling."
"Lily!" Sirius' loud voice erupted from the room causing the woman to groan as she gently handed back the sleeping girl.
"That'll be my cue. Come on, Sirius. Can't let them win now, can we?"
"You sure you should be drinking that?" the man questioned as she settled next to him on the floor.
"Perfectly fine. Is it our turn?" she asked, moving on.
Sirius eyed her curiously.
"Quit oggling her already would you and get a move on," Hestia said, wacking the back of Sirius head before depositing the dice in his outstretched hands.
"You're on a roll today, eh Jones?" Sirius said, with a wink.
"Let's not rub it in," Charlie protested from his pity corner on the couch.
"We'll get em back, don't worry Uncle Charlie!" Matthew promised.
"You're supposed to be in bed," Sam said getting up to pick his son up from his hiding spot behind the chair that Dudley and Ron were currently perched on the edge of, swinging him over his shoulder before taking the stairs two at a time.
"Every night," Emily grumbled, resting her head on the edge of the table. "Oi, would you go already?" she said two-seconds later, as she watched Sirius contemplate the board before him.
"Oi, patience," he rebutted.
"Oi let's stop with the oi's already," Remus demanded.
"Ha! That gives us seven!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Darling," Lily said, checking the dice, "That makes three."
"No it doesn't."
"Do we have to do this every time?" Hermione grumbled.
"But it's seven!" Sirius pouted.
"Just give it to him," James moaned. Sirius seemed pleased at this.
"He's not even drunk! He's smirking," Dudley pointed out.
"Hey! Whose side are you on…uh, who are you again?"
"Were on opposing teams, of course he's not on your side," Ron pointed out.
"Weasley. Shut it."
"Sirius!" the adults all admonished him.
"What now?"
"Whose turn is it?"
"Give it here," Remus said, then tossing the dice to Charlie.
"No, it's our turn."
"Is not, we're next."
"Who decided again that we wouldn't just go in a circle?"
"That was way too logical."
"I vote we go set up a fire on the beach."
"Me too."
"Agree."
"Let's go."
"Isn't Uncle A and Aunt Isobel already out there?"
"Let's get them!"
"Thanks, mum. That hit the spot," Sam sighed, leaning back in his chair as he rubbed his belly, his wife not missing the opportunity to slap him on the stomach teasingly as he did. "Ow!"
"I'm glad someone jumped at the opportunity," Lily grinned, "I'm a bit too far to do much," she sighed jokingly sending her cousin a wink as she raised the wine to her lips.
James joined in, teasing Sam, though noticed Sirius get up out of the corner of his eyes. He watched as his mate placed his dish in the sink where Harry and the others were already attempting to do the dishes though the young ones racing about didn't help matters much. Sirius stood leaning against the column in the centre of the room staring. James followed his gaze, which didn't look exactly friendly, but not menacing either…more questioning if anything he supposed, surprised to find he was staring at Lily who seemed to be eying him back, her brow questioning as well. He knew her well enough, both of them well enough to know neither knew what was going on. His wife's eyes mets his and she smiled before both of their attentions and everyone else's were distracted by the crash of a plate on the floor and the screams of the younger ones, clearly startled by the sound.
"It's alright, it's alright," Isobel hushed, picking up her young granddaughter who had been crawling about. "Shh, it's okay darling, granny's got you," she cooed, rocking the girl back and forth as she walked towards the living room, giving the others a chance to assess the situation.
Sam was on the ground looking after Jonathan who besides being startled was alright and was quickly up off the floor, to search for a broom as his dad requested. Charlie had Matthew though, already sat up on the counter, assessing his leg that got a few small shards of the plate embedded in the back of his shins.
"We will clean this up later, why don't you go take Jonathan down to the beach," Anderson suggested, shuffling his way through the crowd of adults.
"We-."
"It's ok, Harry," James assured him, "Just an accident."
Harry nodded. "Hey Jon. Want to come play a game with us?" Harry asked upon seeing the boy come back, his face solemn as he held up two brooms. "Matthew will be right out, I promise," he said, reaching for the boys hand.
Jonathan grasped it, though his gaze didn't leave his crying brother till they'd rounded the corner onto the deck and out of view. "It's my fault," he admitted to Harry.
"I was the one who dropped it," Harry said, trying to take away the boy's guilt. "Matthew is going to be fine," he tried to say in his most convincing voice.
"How-how do you know?"
"Tell you a secret," Harry said, the boy nodding his head eagerly. Harry learned in and whispered, "My mum, Lily, she has secret healing powers and she will make sure that Matthew's leg won't even look like it has been hurt."
The boy seemed to consider this. Then his face lit up. "My mum has powers too," he said.
"No way!" Ron said, coming up next to them. "What kind of powers?"
"The really strong powers!" Jonathan said proudly, jumping as he did.
"Wicked!" Ron said acting all excited.
"Yeah! She's healed everything!" Jonathan exclaimed before looking down at his legs. He kicked his leg up and reached his little hand out to point at a scar on his leg. "See! When I fell off my scooter she made it better! It doesn't even hurt now!"
"Wow!" both boys said at once.
"What's the hold up? I thought we were going to play a game?" Remus said, coming down the beach towards them.
"Is Matthew all fixed up?" Jonathan asked quickly.
"All better! Lily and your mum are just checking him over."
"Ok."
Lily nodded at Emily and Sam.
Emily picked Matthew up so he was standing, exposing the injured part of his legs to where Lily could see them from the other side of the counter. The boy still had tears streaming down his sweet face, even as his grandpa and dad made ridiculous faces at him, and tickled his little rounded stomach.
"Mummy!" he cried out again before moving his mouth to shout once more when suddenly he calmed.
"It's alright, darling. Everything's alright. See," Emily soothed him, helping him straighten his leg out to see that the pieces of plate were removed from his leg and the bleeding had stopped.
The curious thing peered over the edge of the counter to see the blood that he had seen earlier was now gone and the shattered plate was all cleared up.
"See, you're all set, bud," Sam said, picking Matthew up and putting him on his shoulders. "What do you say we go find your brother then?"
The little boy nodded slowly.
"He looks like he's going to fall asleep, dear thing," Emily sighed. "That's seriously brilliant though," she said to Lily. "How did you do that?"
Lily shrugged. "Just what we do," she said softly.
"Well thank-you," Emily said not pressing further. "He really cannot stand bandages. Irritate him to no extent, as well as Sam and I. Every time he has to have one we find it stuck to the furniture within hours. Blood and all," she said with a shake of her head.
"Harry did that too," she admitted, glad he was well past that now.
Emily laughed at that before following Sam and Matthew down to the beach.
"Tonight's the night then?"
Sirius rolled his eyes as James came up next to him on the deck. "You make it sound like I'm getting shagged which couldn't be further from the truth."
"If it was the truth-"
"You know for a fact incest has never been directly frowned upon in the Black household, especially if it is a means by which to keep our blood pure," he reminded him with a grin.
"Ah, yes. That." James nodded. Stumped.
"I'll be taking off this afternoon, head into town maybe, pick something up for her. Maybe not."
"Not nervous are you?"
"Not at all, it's Andy after all."
"So care to tell me why you were giving Lils that look?"
"Jumped right into that one, didn't you?"
"Come on," he said, nudging his elbows. "Looked like you two were ready to have a stare down, one that I don't think there would be a winner of the way you two were going at it."
Sirius grinned, eying his friend. "Remus says you'll tell us all in due time."
"Due time? Tell you what?" James asked, confounded.
"You could just tell me now you know. I can keep a secret," Sirius said.
"Yeah, I know. But oddly enough," James said, throwing his hands up flustered, "I couldn't even begin to imagine what in merlin's name it is that you think I have to tell you. Besides what it is that I tell you. And as for the secrets, you just messed up the one for the party!"
"Ok then," Sirius said, "Secrets that matter. That was just a party, I was talking about before."
"I'm only pulling your leg."
"Well then don't."
"Alright, alright. Got your point."
"You will tell me though?"
James stared. "Yeah, sure thing," he said, patting Sirius on the shoulder before leaving him be.
The last echoes of the cracking sound accompanying him as he appeared out of thin air in a side alley of Birmingham startled him for a moment as he shook his head, bringing him back to the present. He could feel the dull ache in his muscles he was certain would be stiff by the time this dinner was through, keeping it in mind to pay it back to James once he got back to the Evans' cottage in Gerrans. He took check, making sure nothing had fallen out of his pockets as he stumbled about the alley before daring to poke his head out and gain his bearings. The street seemed rather packed for a dreary Tuesday evening in early August, patrons flooding out of various restaurants and pubs that littered this street in the city's eastern end his cousin had oddly picked out for them to meet. He tugged the piece of parchment out of his pocket as he took off in the direction he presumed the place scribbled down before him to be only to turn around two seconds later and proceed the opposite way down the sloping street.
"Leave it to Dromeda," he shook his head, the rain flicking off of his curling locks like a wet dog, a fact which made him chuckle to himself as he squeezed himself down the small alley on which appeared to be the only entrance to this hole she had likely dragged him to as a joke.
He pushed with his full weight against the door handle made sticky by one two many pints spilled, stumbling over the step only to fall at the feet of woman wearing long, dark blue robes.
"You always knew how to make an entrance, didn't you, Sirius?"
"Wouldn't be myself if I didn't try," he quipped as he gathered Andromeda Tonks into a long hug. "You've got yourself quite the hole in the wall here," he remarked scanning the room as he held her tight.
"This? Hardly," she laughed, a sound that made him grin. "What?" she asked, catching his gaze.
He shrugged, grinning an almost wicked grin that cracked her up.
"Care for a drink before we head out then?" she asked, him moving on quite easily.
He paused for a moment, momentarily taken off guard before nodding and pulling up a stool next to her at the bar where she was already settling down.
The conversation flowed easily between the two as they gulped down whatever the bartender had placed before them, Andromeda having asked him to keep out any important details really until they had left which left him mainly listening as she discreetly as possible filled him in on her and Ted's adventures over the past many years. "…And Nymphadora is nearly done though I find it hard to believe she'll pass all the exams quite as easily as she will undoubtedly pass anyone that asks for disguise…" she shook her head fondly as only a mother could.
"Ah what it must be like to change your appearance at will."
"She uses it mainly to amuse her father most of the time," Andromeda sighed. "So much potential…"
"She's training to become a bloody Auror under Mad-Eye bloody Moody, Dromeda," Sirius exclaimed, "What else could you possibly want."
His cousin glared at him before throwing her hands up in defeat. "I know, I know, Ted says it too."
"Sounds like a smart man, not that I ever doubted."
"Untrue."
"Just that once, he sounded mad going on about that contraption. Almost as bad as Arthur Weasley," he remarked.
"Arthur Weasley? How are you affiliated with Arthur Weasley of all people?" she asked, her face amused.
"Larger detail," he responded simply causing her to roll her eyes, tossing change down on the counter as she did.
"Right then, let's go," she said, gracefully sliding off the stool and out into the alley.
He followed her as she easily maneuvered her way further down the alley that he was now certain was growing smaller with each step they took. He sighed with relief when she turned into a space that was much larger and turned around to face him with an all too familiar grin. He shook his head, glancing around them once before taking her hand as she apparated them to a place he suspected was out of the city centre of Birmingham.
"Ah, good, he's home," Andromeda said perkily as she picked up the long skirt of the robes she wore leading him down the gravel path towards the cottage set off of the country road they had landed upon.
Despite the warm weather that seemed to be settling down upon the English midlands he could still see wafts of smoke swirling out of the chimney as they strode nearer. It was hard to make out the exact outline of the place his cousin called home but he already knew anything would have been better than her own childhood home which had startled the life out of him since he was a child.
"Have you and Ted always lived here?" he asked, having failed to say anything since the moment they had begun down the car path.
Andromeda looked at him over her shoulder, laughing a little at his attempt at small talk as she did. "Yes, since Nymphadora was born, we stayed with Ted' parents before that… you really do have an awful memory you know," she teased.
"Right," he nodded, the memories of visiting her last, and making fun of her daughter's awful name flooding into his mind.
"Let's hope he remembered to get dinner started," she said as she pushed open the door, her answer immediately wafting into their nostrils the moment they passed the threshold. "Ted!" she called at once.
He rubbed his shoes, sand still stuck to them, against the front mat before brandishing his wand to clean them instead. He'd been muggle-ing it for far too long, he'd decided, almost content to take a break as he was ushered further in. The house was warm, thanks to the fire which he saw now had something brewing above it. Warm coloured walls surrounded him as he settled into a comfortable, oversized sofa that was crowded with a mix-match of cushions. The front room was large enough, only slightly bigger than the one James and Lily had in London. He glanced for a moment at the stairs that had been near the door they'd come in, half expecting his cousin's husband to—
"Well I'll be!" Ted exclaimed, "If it isn't Sirius Black," he said joyously as he scuttled around the chair's opposite to him, embracing Sirius in what he gathered to be a long overdue hug. "I can't tell you how excited Dromeda was to receive your letter-"
"Did Nymphadora say whether she'd make it or not?" Andromeda asked as she set down the mail she had picked up to sort through, discontent to not see a letter from her daughter mixed in there.
"I'm sure she'll be along if she told you she was earlier," Ted assured her, "And if not she's probably shut up at the ministry practicing her stealth or whatever it is she is most likely to fail," he said with a laugh, turning back to Sirius, "Girl's a hopeless klutz," he grinned, quite proud.
"That's for certain," Andromeda agreed. "Can I get you something to drink, Sirius?"
"Some fire whiskey if that's not too much," he requested.
"Not at all, not at all!" Ted said, "Please take a seat. If Dora is coming home she'll be here any minute," he said, joining him on the sofa. "Now tell me, how've you been? We were glad beyond belief to hear of your release from that awful place. Couldn't believe you'd ever been sentenced in the first place when everyone knew how close you and James had been. Just didn't make sense to me. Dromeda though…bright woman she is knew it was your family that made them believe it without question, or trial for that matter-"
"Take a breath dear," Andromeda chastised, teasingly taking a seat across from them. "Don't want to frighten him away before he's even had a chance to settle in. I think it's safe to say, as I said earlier, we are glad you are here."
"I can drink to that," he agreed.
He felt a gust of warm summer breeze hit his exposed neck, followed by what sounded like pots and pans being hit by a toddler.
"Nymphadora!" Andromeda shouted.
"Bloody hell! You knew I was coming home, why would you-"
"Girls!" Ted exclaimed stopping them both.
"Sorry," they both mumbled at once, though continuing to avoid each other's glances. Sirius' laughter filled the silence that settled, which was soon followed by a high-pitched shriek from Nymphadora as she remembered the cause for that very night.
"Sirius bloody Black!"
"Ah so I did manage to leave an impression-"
"Not a good one," Andromeda remarked teasingly in her sternest of voices.
"But an impression nonetheless," he grinned returning the embrace Nymphadora had gathered him in.
"Haven't missed anything then. have I?" she asked eagerly, whipping off her coat which he noted she'd failed to place a water-repellent charm upon as he and the others were showered in specks of water flying off of it as she tossed it over the back of the couch before bouncing down onto it. Her child-like demeanour still very much present, Sirius was glad to note.
"Nymphadora!"
"Oh, alright," his niece grumbled, pulling her wand out of her clunky boots and with a quick wave sent her coat flying to the coat rack before quickly tossing her wand carelessly onto the table on which she had just rested her feet. "Well go on then," she said, shoving Sirius' arm.
He smiled at her for a moment, thankful as he had been only a few years before when after almost ten years in Azkaban his godson had welcomed him back, albeit too formally for his liking, like he'd never truly been gone in the first place. "Where to begin?" he posed the question, tapping his finger against the scruff of his chin.
"Well we know why you were thrown into Azkaban and that you got out but I think we'd quite like to know-"
"Start with the trial and then everything since!" Nymphadora suggested enthusiastically cutting her mother off.
"Why not?" he shrugged. He thought for a moment… "Though it'd be difficult to explain without discussing James and Lily before-"
"Alright…" all three seemed to agree skeptically, his cousin's voice in particular carrying a more unforgiving tone than the others.
"The night when Voldemort attacked James was knocked out and Lily, well from what I gather, was incredibly shaken up once she'd managed to get them out of the house before the whole thing collapsed on top of them all. Whatever happened, I just wanted it on the record," he said glancing at Andromeda, "That they were directed by Albus Dumbledore to go into hiding, so to speak, and stay away from the Wizarding World, till Harry was ready to go to Hogwarts. Dumbledore believed it was in Harry's best interest to stay away…to not know… to be raised a muggle. It was the safest thing. So he set them up in a house in London. To be frank it looks a lot like Grimmauld Place… much happier times had at their place though that's for certain. Dumbledore never told them about what had happened when he located them at Lily's parents home the next day. From what I gather when James tried to ask his question was avoided. He's never forgiven himself really for not pressing further. I've forgiven him," he said clear as a bell to the otherwise silent crowd.
"Hmm," Andromeda hummed disapprovingly.
"Anyways, when they did find out I don't think James and Remus- who'd he'd finally seen again when Lily and James ventured to Hogwarts after they set Harry off on the Hogwarts Express for his first year," he smiled at the thought, "I don't think they slept a wink till the trial which I finally got after James and Lily showed themselves to the minister who had conveniently forgotten what his predecessor told him of their unique situation-"
"If she even did… never liked her much. Not that Fudge is any better truthfully," Ted interrupted.
"I tend to agree," Sirius said, "All three of them looked sleep deprived at the trial. Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw them. I thought they'd died. Never heard otherwise. I got out anyways because of them and their testimonies, most of it's a blur really. Everything else got eclipsed once they got me out of there, in the sun and back to their place.
Stayed with Lils and James for a while, Remus too. Felt a bit like a teenager with those two again…have to admit it felt nice after everything. Got to hear all about Harry and his life, although between us it sounded pretty dreadfully boring albeit the only reason it wasn't was because he's my godson and he lived really. Kid went to an all boys school, had a few friends, did muggle stuff. Lils worked as a nurse thanks to her potions knowledge and understanding of the muggle world. James, couldn't even tell you what he did. Every time he tried I felt myself nodding off. All very…normal, so unlike the two of them. They still have it rooted in their system…it's strange sometimes. To know them but to not know them at the same time. You should see James-"
"Sirius, you're rambling," Andromeda reminded him with a small sad smile.
"Right," he said, "That's all there really was. James and I both have jobs at the Ministry now. Both feel the need to blow it up everyday when we leave-"
"Doesn't sound like he's changed all that much then," Tonks chided.
"In that manner, not at all," Sirius said proudly. "Remus is at Hogwarts teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Lils is working between St. Mungo's and her old job, just in case any magical cases stumble in by accident, they thought they could use her there. And then Harry is at Hogwarts, Gryffindor and the seeker for the Quidditch team— youngest in a century and could give his dad a good run for his money, though James would admit himself that seeker was the one position he could not stand. That's about it."
The three of them stared at him blankly.
"What?"
"You missed the whole thing with Peter Pettigrew."
"And the Chamber of Secrets."
"Not to mention the one Hestia Jones whose shacking up with you," Tonks grinned with a wriggle of her eyebrows.
"Alright, alright, and don't think I don't know what you're doing," he said, the last remarked at Tonks specifically. "But I'm going to need a little more of this," he said tapping his now empty glass.
"That can be arranged," Andromeda smiled, getting up and taking his cup.
"This feels like old times," Hestia practically screamed in Lily's ear.
The two friends were parked beside the stage, drinks in hand, and their eardrums ready to explode from the speaker they had found themselves uncomfortably near. Neither really noticed the drumming in their ears growing, not when they had the pleasure of watching their friends and Lily's husband and cousins getting sloshed at the bar across the way.
"Except we would've needed Em to sweet talk us in."
"I think you'd have done just fine on your own," Hestia said, clanking her glass with Lily's.
Lily grinned widely.
"I'm just thankful Sirius is gone for the night. Can't seem to stop bloody badgering me about what I don't even know. It's- it's like he thinks James has gone and got me knocked up or something," she said with a laugh as she accepted the shot James had brought over to her, relishing as the burning liquid hit her throat.
"Thought it might help numb the pain when your eardrums eventually burst," he spoke loudly into her ear.
She kissed his cheek sloppily but it made him grin nonetheless.
"What is it you were saying about knocked up?" he asked, leaning in close again, with a mischievous grin.
"Oh shove off you cow," she teased, pushing him back slightly.
"It's been a while since I've heard that," he grinned lopsidedly.
"Seems to be the theme of the evening," Hestia remarked, cheersing his glass with a bang, making their drinks slosh all around.
"Whose knocked up though?" he asked, insistent.
Lily rolled her eyes laughing. "Remember what I said about Sirius, love?"
"Ah. Yes. That." James nodded, though his actual understanding of what was going on had both of the women questioning him.
"'Ah. Yes. That.' What is Merlin's name does that mean?" Hestia exclaimed. "You are, aren't you?"
"What a funny expression"
"Oh go snog your girlfriend," Hestia yelled at the man who'd been a thorn in her side all evening.
"I am what?" Lily asked loudly.
"You're pregnant! He's right, right?"
"Merlin you're all daff!" Lily exclaimed with a laugh. "Gone completely round the bend! Have you not seen how much I've drank- drunk- drank? What is it?" she couldn't decide, shaking her head of the matter. "Where in the world did you all go that has got such an absurd idea stuck into your minds and made you think its real?"
"Apparently you weren't drinking. Then that shag fest-"
Lily blushed and laughed at that, shaking her head in embarrassment.
"-And you two like refusing to admit to your…actions," she said with a suggestive grin. "And well you never dissuade him, any of us. He's even convinced Remus!"
Lily and James burst out laughing.
"He's not immune to any of this," James remarked with a chuckle, "You should know. He's not- whose that bug thing from that-"
"Jimminy Cricket," Lily offered.
"Yes him from Harry's old story books!"
"Oh I used to love that story!" Hestia said excitedly, tugging on their arms.
"I'm not drunk enough for this," Lily declared. "I need more shots. I think I'll go ask Charlie to buy me some," she said, giving Jame a kiss on the cheek and then turning to Hestia to do the same, not wanting to leave her out, just about to walk away when she saw the guy from earlier staring. "That's right, we're all together-" she started after him, chasing him through the club.
"My wife, everyone!" James exclaimed proudly.
"So she's not…?" Hestia asked for good measure.
"I'm honestly not drunk enough for this either," he admitted, giving his glass a good glance before holding it to his lips and tossing his head back to ensure every last drop had indeed been drunk. "But come with me," he said, dragging her with him, "Let me tell you all you need to know, and overtime I finish a sentence, we will take a shot," he said. "I'm really not drunk enough for this."
"Why do you both feel the need to be drunk?" she groaned as they wove themselves through the crowd, bumping into more people than they were able to miss.