All in the Family

Chapter 151: Birthday Surprises

No extra updates until I mention them again. Sorry, super busy with real life!

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It was like finding themselves in a furnace, nearly everything in here seemed to be a violent shade of orange: the bedspread, the walls, even the ceiling. Then Lily realized that nearly every inch of the shabby space was covered with posters of the same seven witches and wizards, all wearing bright orange robes, carrying broomsticks, and waving energetically.

"The Chudley Cannons," Potter shouted in delight. "Wasn't this Ron's favorite team?"

"We are back at the Burrow already," his best mate affirmed as he glanced out the window to the garden, a bright morning sun shining down on them all.

"Merlin what a waste of a detour," Peter grumbled. "Could have just left us here couldn't it!" He was scowling at the ceiling as if demanding of the powers that be why they'd been pitched around as if that had ever helped anything.

Regulus pulled himself off the orange bedspread, which was emblazoned with two giant black C's and a speeding cannonball. "Hope this means he and Hermione finally make up."

Alice had found herself slipping over a pile of comics that all seemed to feature The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle right into Lupin's lap, and Frank found himself nearly falling down the stairs he tried to open the door so fast to get some space, the place was definitely not big enough for the eight of them to continue lounging in here for any comfort.

Lily nabbed the book before she followed him out, the bright silver spine standing out easily in here as they got some leg room. She hesitated uneasily in the doorway though when she saw Lupin was clearly going to stay behind, scrunching himself up uncomfortably in the window, his maroon sweater seemed to fit him as bad as the other two now, like he'd lost weight or something even worse since he put it on. How close to a full moon was it? He looked so ill at ease and she wished she could offer him some kind of comfort like his mates had done for her, but she still wasn't sure enough of herself to be pulling a stunt like that. Potter and Black were staying behind though, sitting under the sill and keeping him company but not demanding his involvement, and she watched just a bit of the tension ease out of him as he smiled down at the pair.

They were all still too full from their feast of a breakfast to really rummage for food, but Alice and Frank began prepping sandwiches for the road anyways while Lily sat on the window down here next to Erroll who had a partial tied to his leg addressed to Ron. He'd fallen asleep without even taking off yet, and she smiled and stroked the bird's gray feathers for a few moments before starting on Birthday Surprises.

"Lad's finally turning of age, wonder if it'll add any maturity to him," Peter said softly as he stretched before sitting at the table.

"Sirius'll be a hundred and still send everyone dungbombs for their birthday," Regulus stated. All five of them got a good laugh out of that, which echoed up the stairs as Lily began.

"Glad to hear they're all enjoying themselves," James said with a grin at the still open door.

"Who doesn't love a good birthday bash, it's supposed to be full of the best kind of surprises!" Sirius enthusiastically agreed.

"Doesn't make it a national holiday no matter how many petitions you sign Padfoot," Remus muttered, still looking out the window, but they could hear the smile in his voice.

James and Sirius beamed to have gotten a normal response out of him and continued in the same way, Remus' biting sarcasm still occasionally but quietly interjecting just for them. They all looked down in pity when the words stuttered uncomfortably over Harry's potions class mentioning poisons and bezoars, but she rallied herself remarkably fast, none of them were surprised. Her voice remained steady and level, she'd always been a stubborn one and that streak was as much a help as it was a hindrance when faced with a memory like that.

Remus was starting to put little tears in the creases of the paper he kept bunching it up so much in his pocket and forced his hand to stop. His action felt like an acceptance of his fate, it was almost easier to at least know an outcome he'd picked for himself now and he'd still have them in the meantime, that was abundantly clear as he watched his idiots fondly just like always.

Moony finally took his hand out of his pocket and even really started to relax when the cauldron cakes were mentioned and smacked his lips appreciatively at just the thought, letting one leg dangle down now. Sirius shifted unconsciously and leaned against him, waving his hands energetically as he told of that being something he'd learn to cook in any way possible.

Prongs didn't seem to think it so funny anymore when they were all bluntly reminded of the love potion Romilda Vane had slipped in there and the awkward silence hung for a few moments before Remus quietly spoke, "I still owe you payback for that, don't think I've forgotten," while giving Sirius a friendly nudge with his shoe.

"I'll double team with you," James raised his hand and beamed as Remus high-fived.

Sirius looked legitimately concerned at these two pranking him with no clear way to get out of it in these conditions, but all three were distracted by Harry, Ron, and Slughorn winding up in the same office, and a very particular bottle getting mentioned- "Oh shit!"

All three bounded to their feet and all but fell on each other as they went down the stairs in concern. They made it down in time to see Lily trying to keep up a brave face not to give up the book, but failing at it and finally giving up to turn into Alice's shoulder as Harry began describing in detail what happened to Ron.

Nobody wanted to even look at the book. If Ron died from that like Lily had come so close to doing...

Peter snatched up the book with another apology, but he didn't need to be good at magic to read a book! He could still help in this way to find an answer, it was better than just hanging in suspension wondering.

Harry, remarkably, did what even their Potions teacher had not. James fell against the wall in shock and pride for his son even as the rest of the guilt tried to ease away as he replayed it all in his head again, even the bloody teacher couldn't always react in time...

Lily breathed again when Ron did, but Alice kept rubbing her back and she didn't even think to pull away as her trembling slowed.