BETTY, sirius black

salt air, and the rust on your door

025. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
salt air, and the rust on your door

          "BATTERIES, do we have batteries?" James asked melodramatically, making the Marauders around him want to burst into laughter. His unruly curls were stuffed underneath a muggle Boy Scout's hat he had gotten from a muggle thrift store, along with the corduroy fanny pack that was wrapped around his pelvis. His chest was adorned with a tropical button up that Lily had originally bought for a joke, but he had taken extremely seriously, as well as the khaki shorts that rested around his waist. On his feet, he wore his calf length Gryffindor socks, as well as the flip flops he had bought from the bait shop thirty minutes prior. "Flashlights are the optimal source of light during a camping trip, you know. And about forty seven percent — "

          "Please, Godric, no more camping statistics." Remus sighed, quickly stuffing the neatly folded up map, courtesy of James, into his backpack. "I'll probably Avada Kedavra my face if you keep on like this, mate."

          "You gave us batteries anyways." Lily sighed, packing the newly purchased pack of double A batteries into the side pocket of her duffle bag. "Why I teach you four about muggle things, I'll never know. We're able to use our wands anyways, James."

          James scoffed, crossing his arms as he shifted onto his hip. "It's safety procedures, Flowerpot. You never know when muggle things will come in handy." He placed a finger over his chin. "Petal, am I forgetting something? Are we forgetting anything? I feel like we are. We're probably — damn it..."

          "Just tell him he's doing great." Peter whispered to Lily, nudging her in the side as an oblivious James double checked the travel list in his hands. "That's what Sirius and I do, anyways."

          Lily nodded, furrowing her eyebrows. "Where is Sirius, anyways?"

          "He went to Susan's last night after the pub." Peter shrugged. "He hasn't been back to Moony's since."

          "Blankets!" James snapped, startling the group from their prior positions. "It's always the bloody fucking — "

          "The bloody fucking what?" The Marauders heard from behind them, a smile making it's way to Lily's face as an ecstatic Saiorse, as well as a giggling Mary, was practically skipping towards them, her hand grasped tightly in the latter's. Her fiery red tresses had been chopped to her shoulders, a slight pink tinge dusting her cheeks from a sunburn from the day before. She had left the apartment she had shared with her sister at about seven in the morning, grabbing an early breakfast to collect her cool. After all, she was going to be around the Marauders for four days straight.

           The group was waiting outside of Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, expecting for Ren and Rory to arrive with a cab of some sort to leave for the beachside. They had been there for about twenty minutes, each of their eyes rolling a mile a millisecond as they had put up with James for that long.

          "Ah, yes, Saiorse!" James smiled, hooking an elbow around her neck. "How shall we proceed without yours and Moony's boy toys? I vote that we should apparate, but that's just my humble opinion on the matter at hand — "

          "James?" Saiorse asked, patting his hand. "Please, Merlin, shut the hell up."

          A chours of thank yous erupted throughout the group as James scoffed at the girl, yet their praise was cut short. The boys, and girl, that the group was waiting for had finally apparated to the venue.