The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

Marmalade

Sirius's voice carried up the stairs to James and Lily's room and James groaned, rolling over and pulling his pillow over his head. "Oh no. What's he doing here already for?" he moaned as his hands pulled the pillow tight about his ears. "It's too early for Sirius." James paused. "Go keep him busy."

Lily sighed, laying on her back, the space where James had been nestled next to her suddenly vacant as he rolled. She grabbed the blankets, which he'd pulled along with him, and yanked them back to her side of the bed. "He's your friend

"He's your friend, too."

"You were friends with him first."

"Yeah, that's right, I've dealt with him the longest, it's your turn to take up some of the responsibility, Evans."

"Is this what it'll be like when our baby finally comes? Me always changing diapers while you sleep in? Because if you think that, you've another thing coming, Mr. Potter."

James peeked at her with one eye. "If you take over with Padfoot, I'll change as many diapers as you want."

Lily stared at him.

James stared at her.

Lily's mouth twisted in thought.

"What's the matter Evans?"

"I'm trying to decide if diapers are worse than Sirius Black."

James quipped, "Honestly... they're both full of shit."

Sirius was sitting at the table in the dining room, eating sausages and beans that Dora had made, feet up on the chair across from him. Dora now sat beside him, humming and working on some knitting, the ball of yarn sitting on Sirius's lap. He grinned, waving with his sausage-skewered fork as James blearily stumbled into the kitchen, followed by Lily. "Morning Potties," he sing-songed, grinning at them. He raised an eyebrow. "Long night?"

"Mhm," James murmured, "Then we were awakened at the crack of dawn by somebody shouting and singing downstairs, weren't we?"

"Crack of dawn? Please. You should've been up hours and hours ago. Oh wait. No, that's right, too, you've become a delinquient again, haven't you?"

Dora looked up at Sirius with a warning expression.

James murmured, "Says the delinquent of the year."

"Do as I say, not as I do, Prongs," Sirius said. Then, glancing at Lily, he added, "Seems there was a good deal of doing already, though. Lilth, I'm ashamed of you. Not only have you graduated out of the PAH and brutally broken the WWNDJP portion of the club pact but now your hair -- you're breaking the WFAH part, too. I'll be needing your badge back."

"Sirius, shut up," Lily said, sitting and waving her wand to produce a teacup, magicking over the kettle from across the table. James waved his wand for a cup, too, and the kettle poured out Lily's cup, then James's as well.

"What are you doing here?" James asked.

"Do I need a reason to visit my harem?"

"Harem?" Dora Potter looked up, eyebrow raised.

"Before half eight? Yes." James glanced at his mum and flushed.

Sirius grinned wickedly. "Moony went to class this morning to go draw up a storm and he's taken the briefcase with him so I can't even pester Bradley. Thought I'd pop in and visit with mum."

Lily perked up, "Rey's classes started today! Oh I forgot!" She looked at James, eyes shining, "His drawing classes!"

"I thought maybe when you got up you might want to lark about," Sirius added, elbowing James, "We could go hang about by his college and meet up with him after he gets out and --"