The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

TONKS!

TONKS!

Sirius and James were wandering through Diagon Alley late in the afternoon on a Saturday late in August. James needed to buy a broomstick for the next term and Remus had been talked into going to the Tonks's and baby sitting little Nymphadora for an evening so Ted and Andromeda could enjoy a night out together, and so Sirius was bored and never one to turn down a chance to look at Quality Quidditch Supplies.

They were kicking about, laughing and goofing off in the shops, getting kicked out of half of them ("stirring up the owls!" in Eyelops, "making too much noise!" in Flourish & Blott's, "YOU AGAIN? Thought I've kicked you out once already!!!" in Nanny's Knitting...) They stopped by Fortescue's for a chocolate frog ice cream float and bought snap-poppers at the new branch of Zonko's just opened up in Diagon Alley and were taking it in turns to chuck the poppers at each other's feet and dancing before they could explode on their shoes and laughing as people glared or they banged into each other and nearly fell over trying to avoid the poppers. James was breathless with delight when Sirius tripped over his untied boot lace and landed arse-first in a giant cauldron outside a shop and couldn't get himself out. James was laughing too hard to pull him out at first, and Sirius had kicked and fallen even further 'til he was folded up like a knife, cursing and swearing, unable to pull his wand from his pocket for lack of mobility and James had laughed all the harder at the struggle...

When Sirius finally was yanked forth from the cauldron by a very disgruntled shopkeeper, he drew his wand and attempted at shooting spell at James that would give him an ass's ears but James expertly dodged it by dancing into a shop which sold used items on consignment.

Sirius joined him inside. "Load of dusty old crap in here, huh?" he said, looking around, "Bloody hell, bet half this rubbish is older than the both of us combined."

James snickered and they walked through the aisles looking at all the old rubbish - cauldrons with caked on years of potion making and slotted spoons made with silver so tarnished they looked like brass. There were old bewitched dolls and used postcards from all over the globe and shoeboxes full of old wizarding photographs that waved and jostled for attention, starved to be seen, for they'd been sitting in dusty attics for far too long unlooked at...

Sirius paused at a wide glass counter full of old jewelry and stared down at it, thinking he might like an earring for his ear - he'd seen it in one of his punk rock magazines and thought it was rather bad ass, and he was now fingering his earlobe as he poked through a bowl of single ear studs when he saw it.

"S'cuse me," he called to the wizard that was dozing lazily behind the counter, a bottle of firewhiskey by his elbow. "S'cuse me, might I have a look at that." He pointed, tapping the glass over the item he was interested in.

"Course..." the shop keeper stood up, wobbly, and meandered over. He struggled with some keys, which jangled loudly as he struggled with finding the key, trying several.

James came over with an old hat upon his head, red and grey tartan with a giant fluffy yarn pompom on top, and a pair of giant round sunglasses. "How do I look?" he asked.

"Fucking fabulous," Sirius replied. "You should definitely get the hat. Wear it every day. I'll look even more beautiful standing next to an arsehole wearing a hat like that."

James smirked, "I was thinking of getting it for your birthday present."

"Well, I mean... nothing is so ugly that my face couldn't save it," Sirius smirked. "I'll make pompoms sexy again."

James took the sunglasses off and folded them up as the old shopkeeper managed to find the key and open the case. He rammed his glasses up his nose. "What're you looking at anyway?" he asked Sirius, leaning in as the shopkeeper leaned into the case and withdrew Sirius's item.