The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part Two

Quidditch in the Yard

James suddenly came bounding down the stairs with his old Hogwarts Quidditch gear strapped on, including a beaters' helmet strapped on under his chin.

"What in Godric's name are you doing?" Lily asked, looking at him warily.

"Pick up Quidditch," James announced, tugging the strap under his neck tighter. "Hullo Tonkses!" he called, waving to them.

"Quidditch you say?" Ted said, and he patted Andromeda, "You ladies have fun gossiping. I'm going with James."

James laughed, "C'mon Ted, we've always room for another!" He waved and Ted hustled after James out the backdoor, the same way Nymphadora had gone running.

Lily shook her head as the boys went out the door. "I swear, boys and their quidditch."

"You'll never talk it out of them no matter how old they get," Dora said, shaking her head. "Til his dying day, Charlus was on and on and on, mad about quidditch!"

"Yeah and James never stops with quidditch especially," Peter, who was sitting at the island and hanging about with Lily and Dora in the kitchen. He was enjoying himself as the taste-tester and merrily took one of Dora's butterscotch cookies fresh from the oven, grinning because usually it was James or Sirius who got the first one but this time - this time it was him!

Outside in the yard, Nymphadora had shot across the grass like a pink blur 'til she ran smack into Remus Lupin's legs and clutched her arms about his waist. He looked down in surprise at the sudden new fashion accessory. "Well, hullo," he said in surprise at the sigh of the pink haired head pressed against his side.

"Well what's that you've got there, Moony?" Sirius Black's voice carried over her from behind and Tonks doubled her grip onto Remus's side. "Catch a little pink bird, did you?"

Remus looked up and met Sirius's eyes. He shrugged. "Dunno, seems a shy little bird, doesn't it?"

"Hey Nymphadora," Sirius said gently as he touched her shoulder and she looked up at him. "Hi. It's me, your favorite cousin." He bent down and looked into her eyes.

Tonks clung to Remus, "Hi."

"Hey I like your hair," Sirius said.

Nymphadora's eyes met his.

"And hey you've got your grey eyes. Very cool. Grey eyes are the best."

She smiled.

"ALRIGHT YOU LOT!" James announced, "I found another player for us."

"You ridiculous idiot," Sirius said to James, standing up, and laughing at him with all the gear on, "What do you think we're going to do, beat the daylight out of you?"

"Actually, I'm rather hoping you might," James said.

"Oh you want it rough today, huh Potter?"

"I've never played at being keeper before and I need some practice so I can get Oliver Kent shooting quaffles at me and be a bit of a challenge to him scoring goals. Everything I'm reading is that he needs to be well rounded in skills on a pitch. I thought you lot could take it in turn throwing balls at me."

Sirius grinned wickedly. "I'll throw balls at you anytime, Prongs."

"Only on Tuesdays and Bank Holidays," James replied casually and moved on before Sirius could play the line further. He reached down and patted Nymphadora's pink hair, "Hullo, Pinky," he said.

She pressed her face back into Remus's side, flushing at the name Pinky. She kinda liked it, but she had only met James a few times and was shy. Remus smelled warm and safe.