The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

Soothing Salve and a Good Laugh

"AND THOUGH THE TEA IN OUR LOVE KETTLE'S GONE COLLLLD... DARLING DON'T LET OUR LOVE GROW MOLLLLLD... I'M GIVING YOU ALL THAT I'VE GOT, OOO BABY LET'S PUT THE STEAM BACK IN THE OLD TEA POT!" 

"Sirius! Shut up!" James yelled, laughing as Sirius's voice rose loudly, carrying through the trees. He laughed, his arm around Remus's torso, supporting him up as they walked through the trees. Peter scrambled along beside them, humming with excitement along in tune with Sirius's obnoxious singing. "You're a stronger man than I am, Moony," James said to Remus, his eyes shining bright with the thrill of the brisk morning air.

"I dream of murdering him sometimes," Remus said dryly, "But I always remind myself just how bloody bored I'd be if he wasn't around."

"How bored we'd all be," James said.

Sirius was far ahead of them in the woods, and they could hear the sound of his tromping along, breaking branches and blasting away debris that blocked the pathway with his wand, making an easy passage along for Remus. 

"PUT MY HEART BACK ONTO THE FIRE BAYYYYYY-BAYYYYYY, STOKE THE HEAT, TURN UP THE DESIIIIIIIRE...."

It had been nearly a year since they'd been out this way and the path they'd used was overgrown and rough, and Remus's knees were hurting, but despite the knees, he was having the time of his life as he leaned on James for support. He smiled at the back of Peter's head and squeezed James's hand on his shoulder, listened to Sirius and that feeling like coming home after being away for a long, long time overcame him.

The Howling House they'd built in James's basement was wonderful. It was great being able to go some place that wasn't a bomb shelter or a cage or even the Shrieking Shack, but this - this being out in the woods stuff - this was the way things were meant to be on a full moon night. He did feel bad that Bradley Scamander wasn't coming along with them - but Lily and Dora were going to spend the day with him before it was time to go into the suitcase and Bradley had been terribly excited about that - and it had been a horribly long time since the four Marauders has been out on a camping trip together, just the four of them, and to be honest Remus had missed it quite a lot.

"Nearly there," James encouraged him, grinning. 

Remus didn't mind. Despite the pain shooting through his knee caps with every step, he sincerely wouldn't have traded the walk to the camp site behind the old Dumbledore house for anything in the world.

"LADS OUR FIRE RING IS STILL HERE!"

"Hooray!" Peter squeaked and he bolted into the trees ahead with delight, clapping his hands and jumping through the brush in the direction Sirius's voice had come from.

James looked at Remus, "Express ride?"

"Sure why not," Remus said.

James ducked out from under his arm, transformed with a CRACK! and knelt, in stag form, for Remus to climb aboard. Remus wrapped his arms around the stag's neck and they were off - the stag running through the trees at top speed, using his antler's to thrash away the branches so they wouldn't hit Remus. He honked and Remus laughed as he pressed his face into the warm, bristly hair along the thick neck of the stag.

It felt like they were back in fourth year as they broke into the clearing. Sirius was laying across a log, singing that stupid Celestina Warbeck song still, and Peter was scurrying about, collecting branches and sticks and piling it up to make a campfire in the ring of stones they'd laid about a hundred camping trips before. Sirius had already tossed about the tents - popping them up by magic - and engorgioed the cooler full of food that Dora and Lily had sent along with them. The morning sun was up over the field, a breeze shivering over the long grasses below, making a natural music that would serve as their backdrop for their adventure.