All in the Family

Chapter 79: The House-Elf Liberation Front

To Stitches: I completely agree with everything you said. There is a one-hundred percent chance James used some of his more, hospital worthy, pranks on anyone he heard asking Lily out, and though he fixated on her a bit and declared her his love, we're never actually given a reason why. They're more like Ron and Hermione than Harry and Ginny. They're two very obviously different people, so if they did stay married they would have had to work at it. Would it have lasted? I like to think so, but it's more than fair to assume otherwise as well. Thanks so much for all your commentary!

Their landing seemed to be louder than usual, as Alice crashed into a hard floor once more, she noted how surprisingly cold and smooth it was, and the banging residing all around her as she tried to quickly sit up echoed, along with one person screaming in pain.

She reached up blindly, sensing more than seeing something on her left and trying to pull on it to help her to her feet, but then yelping in her own intense pain as something crashed onto her head. She released it and fell back to the floor, now wincing and cursing in even more pain as she rolled onto her back instead and looked up at a stove. She'd pulled it open on her head, explaining the deep painful throbbing that was occurring, but at least the screaming had somewhat stopped, so as she carefully raised it back up and scooted carefully away to try getting to her feet once more, she was much more careful about how.

They were in a kitchen, a very large one. There were four long islands all with steaming pots, simmering pans, and hot stoves piping away for a fresh meal, and they'd landed in the middle of it. Remus Lupin was across from her, eyes streaming in pain as he rubbed at his freshly burned arm, she winced in sympathy as she realized he must have landed on the overturned gravy dripping on the counter. There was a casserole with hash quickly turning brown in the oven she'd just collided with, and sizzling bacon grease wafted the whole area from the warm fireplace behind them Frank had almost landed in. She hurried to his side while he winced and cursed, brushing soot from his robes and saying how he'd be happy never to be near fire again after all this.

"Who on Earth has a need for this kitchen?" Lily asked in fascination, prodding at a pot full of nearly three dozen simmering eggs ready to be shelled not far away.

"You mean you don't know?" James Potter all but materialized behind her, that same smile back on his face they hadn't seen in quite a while now as he indulged himself in his favorite past time, harassing her.

She just looked to him in silent exasperation, clearly aware whatever she said he'd continue anyways, and so he did. "We're in the Hogwarts kitchen!" The grand gesture he used to say as much was actually worthy of the environment.

Alice had guessed as much, it was a Hufflepuff tradition to find the place without hints from anyone else because they were all told how close it was to their dormitory. So far she'd been slacking on that, but now she'd be the second in her dorm to do it.

"I didn't really think Hogwarts had a kitchens," Frank blinked in surprise. "I thought the food just, appeared."

"It's a Gamp's Law thing, that's not possible," Potter disagreed with a friendly enough smile that still looked superiorly smug to them as he finished, "you'll learn about that in Transfiguration much later."

Sirius Black, apparently deciding a kitchen wasn't dangerous enough he needed to stay as a dog, called out to him as a distraction and he took off with one last lingering look at Lily.

The four Marauders converged around Remus, who was still nursing his burning arm, but then as they looked around they realized once more someone was missing.

Regulus had found himself in what must be the pantry, more food in here than there had been wands at Ollivanders, he couldn't imagine an army going through this amount in several lifetimes. Still, he could hear the others conversations and even louder landings and was traversing the space curiously to get out when he came across the wrong kind of door. It was diminutive to him, but Kreacher would fit through just fine, and this curiosity beat out the others as he knelt down to pop it open. He poked his head in and smiled in delight upon what he found, and considered going in to explore more and keeping this to himself when he heard Sirius start calling out for him.