The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part One

The Remedy to Being Pensive

The dinner was a smashing success.

Frank held up his pastille scarf to cover his and Alice's faces as their lips met in a kiss, but this didn't stop the others from shouting their encouragements and whooping and clapping and Alice giggled into Frank's lips as he wrapped one arm around her and flipped the bird at the others, turning redder than a Weasley boy's hair.

They had dinner, talking and laughing, jokes and joyful banter falling across the table and filling the flat in East London. The place seemed to glow with the comradarie contained in the walls and James stretched his arms over the chair backs as they talked 'round the table, dinner settling in their bellies, his arms up behind Lily on one side and Sirius on the other, legs crossed under the table. There was dessert and Alice told Frank about the preparations and Sirius regaled the group with impressions of James doing impressions of a flamingo at the tuxedo shop.

"He best not have that suit on at the wedding, Sirius Black, or I'll have your head for it," Lily wagged her finger, laughing.

"As will I!" Alice said, "We've worked way too hard at this wedding and I won't have it ruined by an eyesore of a suit."

"I did look good in it, though," James said, "I have to admit."

Lily said, "You'd look good in a flour sack but it doesn't mean you're getting married in one."

Sirius grinned. "I'd pay to see it if he did... What a jaunty little house elf he'd make."

James laughed, "I rather feel like one this past week."

This led into having to explain to Alice and Peter what he meant by that, leading into the whole story of the visit to Fallengunder, the Chainwright Theatre incident, the argument with Mad-Eye Moody and the curious understanding of Mr. Underhill.

"Was he insinuating not to trust Dumbledore?" Frank said, pulling a face, "What an insane thing to say. Not trust Dumbledore! What a rip. Underhill's mad."

James shrugged, "He seemed pretty convicted on it. Dunno, I s'pose he's probably been wronged in some way... Dunno."

"So what are you going to do now with yourself?" Peter asked.

James shrugged. "I honestly don't know, Pete. Six or seven years ago I would've been saying that I was going to go out to be a pro Quidditch player." He smirked. "I'll think on it, but I'm sure Evans will keep me busy, isn't that right, Evans?"

"Mmhm," Lily hummed, and she kissed his cheek.

"Yeah real busy, I'm sure," Sirius murmured, grinning, and he winked at James in a very obvious, theatrical manner. 

"You're such a bloody dog!" Lily squealed, and they all laughed - though only the five of them knew just how funny it was.

James said, "Actually, there is one thing that I was thinking of that might be something the lot of us could do together, perhaps, if the rest of you are up for it."

"What's that?" Frank asked, reaching for another helping of the pie that Lily had made for their dessert. 

"Well, see, it's like this... When I visited Fallengunder, well, there's a lot that the castle there could do with by way of enchantments that would make the whole operation a lot easier. I thought perhaps the lot of us could go up there and work some magic, so to speak, and perhaps give'em a bit of a Christmas surprise. What do you think?"

He told them more about the conditions of the school and how Elva Greenwood had described the students. "I reckon the Ministry's really done some shoddy stuff and wouldn't it be nice to show'em that not everyone has forgotten about them? I mean, isn't goodwill and helping others that are in need of it what Christmas is all about?"