The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

Magically Modified Flight Goggles

"Are you sure you're alright, Mum?" James pressed. He darted back across the room for the third time, fixing the blanket on Dora Potter's lap. "Odair offered to go and cover for me if I needed him to and there's nobody in the world I'd trust better at the job than Odair, apart from maybe Longbottom and he's --"

"I am more than fine, Jamesy," Dora insisted. She was sitting in a chair by the window in her room at Mungo's. "You heard the mediwizard! There's not a bit of flint in my lungs, not a scale on my back, and not a single symptom. And if I go on this way 'til tomorrow we can go home and get on with life! I can make you your tea set!" She was beaming. "I'm telling you, your Father healed me."

Or else Mopsus has been 'round, James thought.

"You're sure you don't want me to stay?" James pressed.

"James so help me Godric, I will hex you if you don't go to your flying lessons and help that little girl you've been on about for the past two weeks. I mean it."

"Alright, relax mum, no need to go into attack mode... Alright. I'm going." He started for the door again.

"James Charlus Fleamont Potter!" she snapped.

He stopped and spun 'round, "What? What am I in trouble for now?"

She gave him a Look, paused, then tapped her cheek with one finger, tilting her face meaningfully.

James smiled and trotted back and bent down, kissing her face. "Have I mentioned that you're the most brilliant mum and I love you so much?"

"You might've mentioned it a time or two," Dora said, smiling. She turned and kissed his cheek in return, too.

James met Lily and Sirius in the waiting room. "Don't worry, I'll keep a good eye on Mum while you're gone, Prongsy," Sirius promised James. "Took the day off from Spillers to spend it with Mum." He hugged James and patted him on the back. "I've brought loads of games." He tapped his jacket pocket and grinned.

"Very good. She'll enjoy that quite a lot, I'll reckon," James said, "Thanks."

Downstairs in the hall of floos, Frank and Alice were waiting for James and Lily. "How's she doing?" Frank asked as James and Lily approached and they all turned to head for the bank of hearths along the wall.

"She says she's healed," James said.

"Healed!" Alice exclaimed, "Of dragon pox?"

James shrugged, "That's what she says. I dunno. The mediwizards are sayin' it's a miracle. They don't know what to think." He didn't tell them about her claiming it'd been his Dad who had done it. "If she's still not showing any symptoms in the mornin' they say she can go home."

Lily was beaming, "Isn't that marvelous?" she asked Alice, who nodded eagerly.

"Nobody deserves a miracle more than the Potters," Frank said, smiling as he put his arm 'round Alice's waist and directed her to one of the floos.

They took the Floo Network to Hogsmeade, coming out in the Three Broomsticks, where they had a quick breaky before leaving Frank and Alice and the other three walked up to the castle. The path seemed shorter than it had when they were kids and James once again marveled at how different Hogwarts seemed when one was no longer a student there anymore. Although it was still big and beautiful and felt home-y and safe, the castle no longer had the imposing, overwhelming feeling it had once held.

He glanced over at Lily as they walked and he said, "Feels like Seventh Year all over again, doesn't it?"

Lily looked over at him and nodded, "It does."