The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

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There were things happening. Like what had brought Remus to London from Iceland? Were Sirius and Remus together again? It certainly looked it from the photo, the way Remus was leaping over into Sirius's outstretched arms like that and all. Where had the motorbike come from? Or the car? And what was Lily Evans doing marauding with them?

Peter put the paper down on the table. His parents were sitting, eating their breakfasts, silent. He looked between them anxiously, at his mum concentrating on her food, and his dad, staring away out the window... Peter licked his lips and thought about saying something - thought about pointing out the story on the paper, thought about asking them if they could perhaps do something together as a family... perhaps take a drive some place and remember what it was like to have fun and feel like they cared about one another. Surely Maggie's madness hadn't driven them so far apart that they couldn't still care about one another, had it?

His father stood up. "I'm going to go in to the office for a few hours," he said. And he put his plate in the sink and left without another word - without kissing his wife goodbye, without a pat on the head for his son. He'd just gone.

Peter looked to his mum.

Honey wiped tears from her eyes and stood up, taking Peter's only half-eaten breakfast plate and her own away and walked over to the sink. She stood there holding them for a moment and Peter stared at her back, trying to decide if he wanted to tell her that he hadn't finished yet... and then Honey suddenly threw the dishes into the sink so hard that one of them broke in half and she left the room, went up the stairs and slammed the bedroom door.

Peter looked down at the paper, at the names of his friends on the page, and he wondered if anyone still remembered him at all...?

"MOONY... OUR REUNION'S MADE THE FRONT PAGE!" Sirius waved the paper at Remus as Remus sank into a chair at the Potter's kitchen table. Sirius was a right ray of light that morning, his skin still tingling from the night before.

Remus took the paper and looked over the news article. "Oh bloody hell," he murmured. There was a photograph, taken from the ground below, looking up to see the car and the motorbike - Remus in mid-leap between the two. It was a muggle photograph they'd used, so it didn't move, and Remus covered his face.

Sirius grinned, "I'm clipping this out and putting it in an album. One day, I'll show our wolf-dog-pups."

Remus blushed and handed the paper back to Sirius.

James was leaning against the counter with a mug of steaming hot tea that was fogging up his glasses as he stared into it, his fingers tight 'round the ceramic. He sighed. He looked slightly less excited about the article than Sirius. He was excited about the reunion, of course, less so about the things he was certain his mum and dad would have to say about the article when he saw them at St. Mungo's in just a short time. He sipped the tea.

Sirius was using his wand to clip out the article. Including the picture.

There came a knock upon the door and James put the tea down and went to answer it.

Sirius looked at Remus, "Front page, Moony."

"I see it," Remus nodded.

James returned to the kitchen a moment later followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Ned Veigler. Ned put his hand on Remus's shoulder. "A flying motorcar, huh?"

Remus looked up.

Sirius flapped the newly clipped article for Ned and Kingsley to have a look at. Kingsley smirked.

Ned Veigler said, "Whatever will Dumbledore think? He leaves you to my car and you go flying a motorcar over London."

Sirius said, "Last time I did something like this, he told me to wear a helmet." He jabbed his finger at the photo, "You can't tell from this 'cos I'd taken it off to snog my boyfriend, but I had a helmet on for the trip. So he ought to think that we did alright."

Ned Veigler shook his head, but he was struggling not to smile.

Kingsley murmured, "You really shouldn't have taken it off until you were back on the ground."

"Blimey, Kings --" said Sirius, "You can't have a romantic mid-sky snog with a bloody helmet on your head, particularly when that helmet makes you look like an overgrown gobstone."

At this, Kingsley Shacklebolt couldn't hold back a rumbling laugh.

Ned Veigler raised his eyebrow at Remus.

"He was a very nice looking gobstone, Professor," Remus said. "And we had our talk. We're alright now. Aren't we, Padfoot?"

Sirius waved the article again, "We snogged. In mid-sky. Caught on camera and everything. Did I mention it?"

James was holding his tea again, watching this whole exchange in silence.

"Well, I'm glad you two got to... er, talk," Ned said, "But we've really got to get back to the castle, Remus."

"Hang on," Sirius lowered the article. "You're leaving?"

"Dumbledore's arranged for Remus to be staying with me until the middle of August," Ned said.

Remus looked at Sirius.

"But... but you've only just got here."

"I know," Remus said sadly, "But I never intended to stay, I can't. I've got to go with Professor Veigler, as Dumbledore's arranged. I'm sure that the Potters have quite enough on their minds without having me here as well." He looked at James apologetically, "I've already caused a good deal of trouble."

James shook his head no. "You haven't, Moony." His voice was quiet.

Remus looked at Sirius, "And I can't just abandon Professor Veigler..."

Sirius looked sad.

"You are welcome to join us at Fallengunder, Sirius," Ned spoke up.

Sirius's eyes flickered to Veigler. "I... am?"

"Yes, of course! That's the whole purpose of Fallengunder, isn't it? Welcoming any who seek its shelter." Ned Veigler smiled, "And Merlin knows it would be helpful to have another wand on the job of repairing the place. It's a right mess."

"You can see our kneazle!" Remus exclaimed.

Sirius made a face at that. "Aren't kneazles just funny cats?"

"They're sort of like a cat, I s'pose, but they're a magical creature."

"I don't fancy cats..."

"You'll fancy our kneazle. He's not like regular cats. And he's orange."

Sirius looked excited - but then his face drooped a little at the word orange in combination with cats. "What about Dorcas Meadowes? And my sessions? I've only just started with the getting help thing and... I mean, I don't know what hanging about St. Mungo's and playing Gobstones with Dorcas is doing to help but maybe she's working up to that bit?" he said, frowning. "I don't reckon stopping when we've not even really begun yet is a good idea."

Remus's eyes dimmed.

Ned cleared his throat, "Well. We do have the Floo Network."

"YES!" Sirius exclaimed, "Dorcas can come to Fallengunder and work on me there. Brilliant. Then I'm free to snog my Moony all the live-long day."

James turned abruptly and put his cup down on the counter and left the room.

Sirius paused, staring after James, looking abashed. "Shit. I forgot that would leave James here alone." Sirius sighed. "I better go talk to him."

Ned Veigler stood up, "No," he said, waving his palm for Sirius to stay where he was. "Let me go talk to him."