A Literal Scrapbook

by Claire Whitmore

A scrapbook is messy, it's full of everything, an essence of what was. It has the smiles, the sadness and the moments when you laugh for no good reason and just want to be with someone loved. This is the Marauder's scrapbook, literally. It's a big bundle of warm fuzzy blankets, cheap wine and the comic section of the paper on a rainy day, just in the form of drabbles. R/S and J/L

14. Waltzing Matilda

"Come on everyone!" Encouraged Sirius. "Sing it with me!"

James had his arm wrapped around Lily's waist, Alice and Frank's hand were intertwined, Remus sat with his head resting on Sirius' knee, Peter sat next to Marlene, all huddled around the campfire, illuminating their smiling faces in the dark.

" Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,

Under the shade of a Coolibah tree,

And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boil,

You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me .." Everyone sang, Peter being slightly out of time than the others but the spirit was still there. Sirius, with a bottle of butterbeer in his hand, stood up, with Remus in the other and began to dance clumsily, Remus's hand on his waist and Sirius's arm draped over his shoulder, the bottle of butterbeer had dropped onto the grass beside Lily.

"Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,

You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me,

And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boil

You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me!" Everyone had picked their favourite tune, well, by favourite it is to be assumed that it is the favourite one in the ranking of most amusing. Lily, Marlene, James and Peter had picked a sort of chant, clapping with the beat, Frank and Alice had erupted into a harmony. Sirius and Remus were dancing around in a circle, to an amusing funeral march.

"Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong

Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee

And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tuckerbag

You'll come a Waltzin-"

"CRAP, WHAT WAS THAT NOISE?" Jumped Marlene, cutting the cheerful chorus to a sudden halt.

James, valiantly, stood up, leaving his friends, his girlfriend and the 'civilised' world as he investigated the noise in the bushed nearby.

"It was a jolly jumbuck." James rolled his eyes and he sat down.

"A what?" Asked Marlene.

"A jolly jumbuck... Australian slang for sheep, McKinnon." James rolled his eyes, he could be so arrogant sometimes. "Must have escaped from that Muggle farm we passed on the way here." He assumed.

"Why don't we shove it in your tucker bag?" Suggested Remus, smirking.

"Oh shut up." Said Lily.