The Next Great Adventure (A Marauders Fan Fic)

Chapter Sixty Nine

Chapter Sixty Nine

Cassie and Sirius appeared that evening, just like always, and Lily, lounging on the sofa, grinned as she watched them chatter. James was waving his arms around as he shouted jubilantly at Sirius and Harry was giggling, his eyes following the movements from where he sat in Cassie's arms.

"No but I'm telling you Prongs," Sirius interrupted, just as loudly, "if you had the tail of a Blast-Ended Skrewt then you'd have to have something really cool to counter that, and not even dragon wings would work."

"Padfoot," he sighed. "Padfoot, Padfoot, Padfoot. Blast-Ended Skrewts can mess you up; imagine if they could fly. If it were a Flobberworm then fine, I agree with you, nothing can save it but Skrewts are nasty buggers."

"You can tell he never paid any attention in Care of Magical Creatures," Cassie muttered.

"I'm not sure I even took it," Sirius laughed. "I certainly don't remember turning up to any of the classes..."

"Did you turn up to any of your lessons?" Lily teased.

Sirius gasped. "I am mightily offended by that Lily Evans," he said. "I will have you know that I managed to make at least two of my lessons a week."

"And Transfiguration," James added.

"Well of course, missing Transfiguration is just not done. McGonners would have come to the dorm and transfigured me into a newt, then kept me in a jar on her desk and personally hand delivered me to each of my lessons. Not that I would have minded of course - quality time with my favourite woman is always delightful."

"What, even when you're a newt?"

"Newts," he told Cassie, "are a highly intelligent species who will, I predict, one day contribute far more to society than we currently believe they are capable of."

"Alright Sirius, hand over the Firewhiskey, you've had more than enough now," Lily sighed.

"Who are you, my mother?" He grimaced and shook his head. "Terribly sorry Lilypad darling, you're nothing like my mother so don't take it personally. I wish I hadn't brought her up now. I need another drink to get her out of my head. Come here Harry, distract me."

"He can't walk Padfoot," James replied. "And even if he could, he has no idea what you're saying."

"Honestly," he sighed, "it's almost as if nobody wants to listen to me! They take one look at my handsome face and decide that nothing of any importance is going to come out of my mouth - which is horribly wrong by the way, as I'm sure you all know because look at me - and turn their bloody ears off."

"He's a baby Sirius, he doesn't care about you."

"Oh not this drivel again. Everyone loves me."

"Not if you don't shut up soon," Cassie muttered, earning herself a playful slap on the arm.

"You wound me," Sirius pouted.

"Well your face wounds my eyes."

That evening, once Harry was in bed, Lily lay beside James with her eyes shut. She was just drifting off to sleep when she felt a soft finger hover near her nose. James, almost certainly still drunk from their celebratory drinks after they won the game, was lightly tracing her features. She opened her startlingly green eyes and looked at him before laughing; his hair was ruffled and his glasses were falling off his face because he was lying on his side. "What are you doing?"

"Just memorising your perfection," he said with a wink. "You have such soft skin."

"I love you too James," she giggled.