swim || remus lupin

champagne problems

James looked at the food distastefully and then back up at Remus, who tilted his head in the same mothering way that James often did after full moons. James sighed and picked up a piece of bread.

Remus smiled satisfactorily and turned back to the stove.

"Where's Lily?" I asked when James had made it through two pieces of toast.

"Asleep," he answered. "I didn't want to wake her... Neither of us really slept last night."

I nodded carefully.

"How's Harry?" James asked. "Didn't keep you up, did he?"

"No," Remus said. "Seems like he was the only one who did sleep last night."

James looked over to me with a glimpse of his maternal self and I smiled weakly.

"Hello?" Called a voice from the living room.

"In here, Pads!" Remus called back.

Sirius walked into the kitchen and tossed his leather jacket over one of the dining table chairs. He placed a six-pack beside it and ran a hand through his hair, walking over to stand beside me against the counter.

"You brought beer for breakfast?" Remus asked. Sirius shrugged.

"I felt weird coming empty handed," he said.

Remus shook his head but turned his attention back to his cooking.

"Alright, Carter?" Sirius asked, looking down at me. I smiled slightly and nodded.

"It's Lupin now," corrected James with a small grin. Sirius shook his head.

"It'll always be Carter to me," he said.

James's words, though, seemed to have drawn Sirius's attention to the boy beside me. Sirius's brows pushed together and he reached over to pick up a piece of toast from James's plate.

"What's up, Prongs?" He asked. James's smile faded instantly and he broke his gaze away from Sirius, looking instead at his lap.

"We'll talk about it when everyone gets here," I interjected, placing one of my hands over James's and then looking to Sirius with a slight smile. Sirius seemed discontent with this answer, but he didn't push any further, instead he moved over to the stove to talk to Remus.

"Thanks," said James quietly.

"'Course, Jimmy," I answered, and he smiled half of a James Potter smile.

There was a soft knock from the living room and I slid from my chair to go and get it.

"Morning," said Peter, who was standing beside Alice and Frank and was bouncing Neville in his arms.

"Hi guys," I smiled, standing aside so they could all come in.

"Is everything alright?" Alice asked as we made our way to the kitchen. "That letter seemed a bit... "

"Ominous," Frank finished. I laughed a little.

"Just something I thought we should talk about in person," I said vaguely.

"Sure," said Alice. "That helps."

When the three new guests laid their eyes on James, they knew something was wrong. And after waiting nearly an hour for Marlene and Dorcas, everyone was growing restless about what bad news was waiting.

"Maybe we should just eat," said James.

"Are you sure?" Remus asked. James nodded and moved from the kitchen island to the longer dining table, pulling a beer from the pack that Sirius brought.