Hungover mornings
The room was shrouded in the soft morning light that seeped through the curtains, casting a warm glow over everything. It was a stark contrast to the grogginess that enveloped Lily as she reluctantly stirred from her slumber to the sound of James' energetic proclamation.
"Wake up, ladies! A new day full of joy and adventures awaits us!" His voice echoed through the room, too cheerful for the early hour of 7 AM. Lily couldn't help but groan inwardly at the thought of facing the day after a night of indulgence, especially in a camp setting.
From across the room, Mary's voice cut through the morning haze, laden with sleepiness. "How does he sound so energetic this early in the morning?"
Marlene's response was equally weary. "I really don't know. The guy should be hungover after yesterday. God damn."
As Lily reluctantly opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of her friends, their expressions mirroring her own fatigue. With a stretch and a yawn, she finally mustered the energy to join the conversation. "Did you even get any sleep?"
Mary shook her head in response, her movements sluggish. "Nuh uh. That Sirius guy kept me awake, he was singing or something. After we went to bed."
Marlene's laughter filled the room, tinged with exhaustion. "I swear, I'm going to whack his head with my breakfast plate. I heard it too. It was awful."
Lily listened to their complaints as she moved to open the curtains and windows, hoping to invite some fresh air into the room. "So was I the only one who heard a pair of footsteps in the hallway at like 4 AM?" she added, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity.
"I might have heard something," Marlene finally confessed as she swung her legs out of bed and stood up, stretching her arms above her head. "I'm not sure, though."
Before anyone else could respond, another loud knock sounded through the room, signaling James' persistent attempts to rouse them from their slumber. "Ladies, please!" his voice called out once more before he moved on to the next door, his enthusiasm undiminished by their sluggishness.
Mary seized the opportunity to tease her friend a little bit, her playful tone cutting through the morning haze. "Shouldn't you be very excited that James is almost yelling at us?" She turned her gaze to Lily, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "You think he's hot, don't you?"
Lily rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she continued her search for her clothes amidst the clutter of her bag. "I might have gotten the ick from him waking us up at seven," she replied with a hint of sarcasm, her lips quirking into a half-smile.
"As you should. How dare he wake us up this early," Marlene chimed in from across the room, already in the process of pulling her shirt over her head, her movements efficient despite the early hour.
It took them only about fifteen minutes to reach the breakfast table, making them among the first few to arrive. James was already seated, engaged in lively conversation with a visibly hungover Remus, who was nursing a cup of coffee. Peter was also present, looking surprisingly unaffected by the previous night's indulgence, a trait that suggested he might have a high tolerance for alcohol. On the opposite side of the table, Regulus was deeply engrossed in a discussion with Dorcas about a severe injury his horse had sustained several months earlier.
"Go get your woman, Marlene," Mary nudged Marlene playfully, a mischievous gleam in her eye.
Marlene chuckled in response, shaking her head as she reached for a cup of coffee. "I don't have the mindset to be my charming self this early in the morning."
Curious, Lily inquired about the whereabouts of the others as she settled into her seat beside Peter.
"Pandora and Alexi are feeding the horses," James replied promptly, his attention shifting briefly from Remus to the newcomers. "Sirius is still sleeping," Peter added, handing a cup of tea to Mary.
Lily caught a snippet of Regulus muttering something about Sirius's laziness, prompting her to glance in his direction.
"Where are Barty and Evan?" James inquired, turning his gaze to Regulus. "I assumed they'd come along with you."
Regulus merely shrugged in response, his expression unreadable. "They were already gone when I woke up."
About halfway through breakfast, Pandora strolled into the room, closely followed by Evan. Lily only caught a last sliver of their conversation as they settled in.
"Perhaps it's just a reflection of his own insecurities, and he's projecting that onto you," Pandora advised Evan in a hushed tone as she took her seat next to Remus. Evan proceeded to the other side of the table, where he joined Regulus. His response was minimal, indicating he was lost in thought.
James, bustling about, took notice of Pandora's entrance. "Where'd you leave Lex?" he inquired as he rose to dispose of his dirty plate in the dishwasher. "Did you finally sacrifice her to your horsewhisper-gods?"
A soft snicker escaped Remus. "Good riddance, that would mean no more awful dad-music playing here on the radio.
Dorcas interjected with a teasing remark, "You know you also love dad-music, Lupin."
"I did not sacrifice Lex, I'd rather sacrifice someone who would actually mind being sacrificed," Pandora assured in a light-hearted tone, her words punctuated by a playful chuckle. "She told us to come here already; she's just moving some hay bales. With Barty."
"Interesting," Remus remarked casually, taking a deliberate sip of his coffee as if he were an inspector assessing this apparently odd situation.
James returned to his seat at the table with a mischievous grin. "You know what's even more interesting, Remus?" he teased. "Your little adventure from yesterday."
Remus's demeanor shifted slightly, his expression growing guarded. "We do not talk of that, unless you want me to spill all the tea you told me yesterday," he warned with a hint of challenge in his voice.
"Such chatter this early in the morning, didn't you miss me?" Sirius finally entered the room as well, his tone laced with a hint of playful arrogance, his posture radiating confidence.
"Like a hole in the head," Regulus retorted dryly, not bothering to hide his disdain.
"Shut up, I wasn't talking to you," Sirius quipped back at his younger brother, his smirk widening.
"Did you have fun sleeping in and taking a nice and long luxurious shower?" Marlene raised an eyebrow at him as he settled into his seat next to her, her tone tinged with playful sarcasm.
"Of course I did, I'm not going to show up here all smelly," Sirius replied with a grin, his demeanor effortlessly nonchalant.
Lily couldn't help but notice the subtle shift in atmosphere as Sirius entered the room. Remus grew noticeably quieter, his gaze avoiding Sirius's, while Sirius seemed equally intent on not acknowledging Remus's presence.
Peter seemed highly amused by this all, but Lily's attention was quickly diverted as the last two of the group made their entrance, cutting through the chatter with their presence.
"See, unlike that lot," Sirius gestured broadly towards Barty and Alexi as they stumbled in, a playful smirk playing on his lips, suggesting he had picked up on some untold adventure. "I could smell them before they came in."
"That's because we actually did something, hoe," Barty retorted without missing a beat, collapsing into his seat next to Evan with an exhausted yet defiant slump. His words carried a mix of jest and weariness, hinting at the morning's exertions.
Alexi, not to be outdone, immediately launched into a complaint directed at James, her voice carrying across the room about some issue with the haybales. "There's mold because of the heat," she explained, frustration lacing her words, suggesting a morning spent in less than pleasant conditions.
"Girl, you're staring," Mary's voice, filled with teasing amusement, pulled Lily out of her observation. She had been caught in the act, her gaze inadvertently fixed on James.
"I was not," Lily countered quickly, her denial automatic, a blush creeping onto her cheeks at being caught so off guard. She wasn't about to let Mary have the satisfaction of knowing she had been so easily drawn in by how great James looked in the morning sun.