Whimsical {James Potter}

Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Remmy's Gift

Sirius, Cressida and James wait by the edge of the path as Peter, in his rat form, crawls around the Whomping Willow to find the node they need to press to enter. It seems that the tree doesn't care that much for the smaller animals and as long as Peter stays undetected, he should be fine.

"I can't believe exams are coming up so soon. It feels like we just had them."

"Is that seriously what you're thinking about right now?" Sirius grumbles from her left. His eyes and jaw are set firm as Cressida is accustomed to seeing when he's duelling or around his brother.

Sick of his attitude, Cressida smacks his side with the side of her hand. "Piss off Black. If you're going to be like this then take the damn Cloak and go back to bed like a child."

"What?" he scoffs. "Like I'm the moody one at the moment? You've been swinging around like a bludger for the past few months. One moment you want to cuddle me, the next you're smacking me."

"At least I'm not behaving like a child."

From her right, James steps around her back, his shoulders barging with theirs as they're forced apart. "Alright, alright," he says exasperatedly. "I don't care what either of you has shoved in your socks right now. Sort it out another time."

Cressida swallows her shame, shifting her weight onto the outside foot as though to separate herself even further. The Whomping Willow's branches come to a stiff stop, Peter's human figure re-emerging near the base. She's the first to move, marching towards it without a care if the others are behind her or not. Remus. She needs to focus on Remus.

Peter ducks through the tunnel first and Cressida follows in right after, using her hand to balance as she skids down the dirt ramp. Her smile naturally stretches at the sight of Remus.

"You got down here quick," he muses with a voice that cracks.

Cressida shrugs, resting her hands on her hips as Sirius and James come down the ramp behind her. "I think after five years we're finally getting the hang of it." Tossing her head in the direction of the tunnel, she urges him on with a gentle hand. "Come on, let's get there with time to spare, yeah?"

Remus nods, taking the lead as he always does down the tunnel. Sirius and Peter light their wands, allowing Cressida to hold her arms over her stomach as anticipation begins to grow into discomfort.

Nobody speaks as they make their way to the shack, not even James. Everything becomes awkward once they reach the trap door as the usual routine no longer exists. Remus, none-the-wiser, pulls out his wand and hands it to Peter who is the closest after unlocking the deadlock.

James is the one to step forward, brushing Peter out of the way and though he presses against Cressida's side, his hand holds her in place by the elbow. "We actually have another birthday present for you Remmy." James glances around, trying to smile as he usually does but the atmosphere is too thick.

Cressida nods. "But it's a little hard to show down here, so we're coming up too."

Remus' eyes widen considerably. His head shakes in a feverish manner, eyes darting between them all. "N-no," he stutters. "You can't come up."

They've all seen him transform. Twice now, on accident when they hadn't made it to the shack quick enough. And another time when they peeked through the trapdoor. Neither was a pleasant experience and though Remus was one of their closest friends, none of them has the desire to see it again. At least in their human form.

Sirius, who seems to have lost his attitude on the walk over, strides forward with a smirk. "Yeah, come on. I'm going up." He pushes them out of the way, being the first to climb up the ladder and into the shack.