The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part One

A Better Bond

Regulus was invited to stay for dinner, and he agreed, having found relief from the tension and anxiety that had filled him up for days. True, there really wasn't much that any of the Marauders could do, but just being in their presence made him feel a bit better. Especially when they did things like include him when they referred to the lot in the room as family, or else refer to their flat as home - his home as well as theirs. 

He found himself helping Alice and Lily pour rice into jam jars and watching as Alice instructed him how to arrange the bluebells and pine just so. They even took his idea - and let him do the charm of - transfiguring some of the rice pieces into little firefly-like lights that glowed inside the jars. "You could do that at the wedding, too," he suggested, "And toss them about among the trees."

"Oh you're brilliant, Regulus!" Lily squealed, and he taught them how he made the rice glow and they gave it a go, making jars full of glowing rice. 

"It's going to look so beautiful, Lily," Alice was practically crying as she said it, and she breathed deeply in the scent of the pretty bluebells dreamily.

"Oi, little brother, if you're sick of hanging out with the females and doing girly things you can come with me and the lads," Sirius announced about midday, "We're going to go get James's tux."

Regulus looked at the flowers and rice and the gooey eyes Alice was making at the lot of center pieces. "Sorry ladies, I'm being summonsed. I trust you'll be alright without me?"

Lily laughed, "We'll be alright. Do me a favor," she added, looking pointedly at Sirius, then back to Regulus, "Don't let any of them talk James into anything ridiculous. The tux ought to be black. Not pistachio. Not raspberry. Not eggplant, turquoise, clementine, halcyon or any other ridiculous color."

"Pistachio was a brilliant color choice, Evans, you're just jealous," Sirius said.

"See to it that the tux is black, Regulus," Lily requested, laughing and pointing at Sirius, "Watch out for that one."

Regulus nodded, then said, "Are you sure? A clementine suit sounds rather fine."

"Oh gods," Lily said, "It's hereditary." 

Sirius grinned, crowing loudly, "I've never been more proud, little brother. Come on."

"I was thinking the raspberry might be kind of intriguing actually," James joked. "Suppose it would clash with my eyes though?"

"A tad," Sirius said. Then, "OOH - how about PERRIWINKLE?"

"Don't worry Lily," Remus said. "At least one adult is going on this outing."

"Perriwinkle is a funny word," James was saying as Remus ushered him, Sirius, and Regulus out the door. "Nearly as funny as cimanonamin."

The door slammed shut behind them.

Lily turned to Alice. "He's going to come back trussed up like a clown."

Alice giggled, "Hopefully Remus will have the final say."

Lily shook her head, "I love Remus to death but he doesn't have a very good track record with talking those two out of anything."

Alice laughed, "I know - Sirius and James have had some influences on Frank, too, before."

Meanwhile, out on the stairway, the lads had nearly bowled over Peter Pettigrew, who was just arriving, carrying a box full of napkin holders that he'd been in charge of bringing, having picked them up for Lily at a shop in Diagon Alley, where she'd ordered them nearly a week before. 

"C'mon Pete, come with us," Sirius said, "We're going to get Prongs a perriwinkle suit with a raspeberry tie."

"Okay, just let me drop these off first," he said, holding up the sack, and running up the stairs.