SMILE LIKE YOU MEAN IT | james potter

xxv. the breakout

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"MORNING," JAMES GREETS REMUS AS HE enters the kitchen. Remus looks up from his book, smiling briefly and going back to his coffee. James makes himself some toast and a cup of coffee, and a cup for Sirius too, setting it on the table.

"Morning all," Sirius says, yawning as he sits down next to Remus. "Cheers Prongs, you know me so well."

James grins as he bites into his toast.

"Plans for the day folks?" Sirius says. "Perhaps some gardening?"

"In this weather? Are you mad?" Remus says. "It's pouring rain."

"Oh, I suppose it is," Sirius says. "Bagsy the paper when it arrives by the way. I'm itching to do the crossword."

"I got you a crossword book when I... in your care package," James hastily amends as Remus sends him a dark look.

"It's not the same Prongs," Sirius says. "Nadya not up yet?"

"She's been up, she went to get her books," Remus says. "A while ago, come to think of it."

"She's probably waking Polaris up or something," Sirius says, chuckling to himself. "It's half nine, she should be up anyway."

"Polaris likes to lounge in the morning," James says. "She'll emerge in an hour or so, she's probably awake."

Sirius nods, his head snapping up at the owl tapping on the window. He hums loudly as he gives the owl its money and sits back down with the paper, taking a large sip of his coffee. He spits it back out as he reads the front page.

"What?" James says. "What have they said this time?"

Sirius shakes his head, the paper shaking as he reads it. James' lips fall into a frown as he gets up from his chair, his worry growing as Remus reads it over Sirius' shoulder and goes as pale as a ghost. He peers over Sirius to read, his mouth falling open as he does so.

MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN

The Ministry of Magic announced late last night that there has been a mass breakout from Azkaban.
Speaking to reporters in his private office, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, confirmed that ten high-security prisoners escaped in the early hours of yesterday evening, and that he has already informed the Muggle Prime Minister of the dangerous nature of these individuals...

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Sirius mumbles, handing the paper to Remus and putting his head in his hands.

"Who's broken out?" James asks. "Anyone important?"

Remus gives him a withering look. "I'm pretty sure they're all going to be fucking important, considering they're death eaters."

"I meant, anyone that we should wo- you know what nevermind," he says hastily.

"Okay, it says Dolohov, Rookwood, Travers, Mulciber, Rabastan Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange." Remus swallows thickly as Sirius grabs his hand. "And Bellatrix Lestrange."

James feels himself growing faint, sitting down quickly in case he collapses altogether.

"The other three are in the middle of the paper," Remus says, but James doesn't listen as he reads them out. Bellatrix is setting off a million alarm bells in his brain. How the fuck is he going to tell Polaris?