One Last Adventure
“I will count to ten and you two hide.” James was trying to explain the game to two children who had no idea how to play.
“Hide where?”
“Where I can’t find you.”
“No thank you.”
“It’s fun. The goal is for you to get back to this armoire before me after I find you. Okay?”
“What if you don’t find me?” Lily snorted from the bed at the question, where did they truly think they were going to hide?
“I won’t stop looking until I do.”
“You promise?”
“I promise. Okay I’m going to count to ten now.” James turned around while Lily and Remus watched the two small ones run to find a spot.
“While intoxicated, Sirius is the ultimate hide and seek champion.” Remus whispered to Lily.
“Well, I don’t think it’ll be an issue now.”
“Ready or not here I come!” James shouted.
“No need to shout James.” Lily laughed, leaning back onto the pillow to continue to read.
“Okay, here I come.” James was stalking around like a dinosaur, bringing small laughs from the bed.
“You look ridiculous.”
“You look ridiculous Remus.”
“Money on him struggling to find them?” Remus put his hand out for Lily.
“I’ll bet he loses.”
“I’ll take that bet.”
“Your lack of confidence is disheartening. They’re three.”
“Regulus is two!” Lily ran a hand over her face, did Sirius have to yell that?
“Oh, I heard a voice. Where oh where are you Sirius?” He continued stalking about the room, pretending not to be able to see Sirius or Regulus.
“We should get ready for the day and get breakfast.” Lily muttered, realizing they were all lounging about in their pajamas.
“We have more pressing issues you Lily. What if we’ve lost them forever!” James found it easy to be dramatic, Lily assumed because he was all the time.
“Are you admitting defeat so early James?” Remus played along with a cheeky smile.
“Not yet, we haven’t searched everywhere.”
“I promise you they aren’t behind that stack of books you’re looking at.”
“Don’t help him Remus.” Lily laughed along with how Sirius was trying to find his means of escape.
“Oh look who we have! Sirius!” James pulled back Peter’s covered they heard a squeak of delight as Sirius tried to grab him off the bed, he succeeding. They listened to loud howls of laughter as Sirius was deposited on the bed with Remus and Lily.
“I like this game.” He was out of breath, smiling wide.
“I’m glad.” Lily brushed his hair back as he climbed into her lap.
“Now where oh where is Regulus? Is he here?” James looked behind a trunk, hearing a giggle from behind Sirius’ bed. “Is he here?” He looked in a trunk this time, earning giggles from both boys. “What if I’ve lost him? Lily will you be mad?”
“I most certainly will be James.”
“Well, I must have to find him then. Is he here?” He looked dramatically in Sirius’ covers, “Are you sure you will be upset?”
“I will be. I need him here to get him ready for breakfast.”
“Well, good thing he is here! Regulus!” Regulus giggled madly as he began the attempt to escape James.
“To the armoire! The armoire Regulus!” Lily cheered on.
“Oh my god James is going to lose. Go Regulus!” Remus sat up, realizing he was going to lose his bet, but go Regulus on his little legs.
“I touched it!” He shouted, smiling boldly at the others.
“Reggie won!” Sirius had a huge smile, Lily wished she could pause the moment, seeing him look the same as when Regulus caught the snitch.
“Reggie won indeed! Great game boys!” Lily walked over to swing Regulus around, he was smiling widely.
“That’s why he’s the seeker James.” Remus had a smile on his face.
“He beat me at two years old.”
“In your defense you slammed into the bed.”
“He’s super fast.” Sirius had a smile, joining him and Lily.
“He really is. Now how can we be super fast to get ready for breakfast?” Lily smiled.
“Children! I’m happy I caught you.” McGonagall smiled warmly, looking at the boys who were somehow covered in syrup even though Lily had pre cut their food. She was trying to get Regulus to finish now, besides the fact he was not interested since someone walked up.
“Hi Minnie.” James smiled upwardly.
“Don’t call me that. How was your mother yesterday? She seemed quite cheery.”
“We had loads of fun. We had them play a lot and we just enjoyed seeing her.”
“I’m glad, now I have two potions from Horace.” Lily and Remus held their breath slightly, looking up.
“I thought you said it would reverse itself?” Remus asked.
“It will, but we can definitely do it faster with this potion.”
“A professor gave us it, I’m guessing it is safe?”
“Yes Miss Evans, incredibly safe. I assure all of you.”
“It won’t hurt them? Like be painful?” Remus asked concerned.
“No, it won’t be. It won’t be predictable once they drink it though. I recommend drinking it before bed.” She smiled at how sticky the children looked, she appreciated the fact she was much higher up than them.
“They will tonight, thank you.” Remus said to her.
“I will be happy to see both of you soon.”
“We will see you soon professor.” Lily smiled widely before returning her attention after she felt a small, sticky hand get her hair.
“Have a very pleasant day boys.” She walked away and the group smiled at each other.
“We have to find Peter to tell him.” James said looking about the great hall.
“He’s in the library.” Remus supplied.
“How do you know that?”
“He told us he had to go when we were up at three am.”
“I forgot we were up then.”
“I haven’t.” Lily muttered softly, trying to not sound annoyed with the fact she had yet to sleep through the night in five days.
“Me either.” Remus added, rubbing the sleep from his eye yet.
“Well what should we do today?” James asked.
“How about we just go outside, it’s lovely today.” Remus mentioned.
“Yes! Outside!” Sirius stood up ready to run.
“Ah, ah, ah. No, sit your bottom down. Finish that pancake and then we can go wash our hands.”
“Such a mother.”
“Says the one and only mother hen James.”
“I will not argue that today only as I have been a mother hen the past week.” Lily snorted at the response.
“You always are.”
“Remus have my back here.”
“Lying isn’t my specialty.”
“Traitors. Say it with me Sirius, traitors.” He had picked up Sirius to stick his tongue out at Lily and Remus.
“Hard to tell who the child is.” Remus had earned his giggle from Regulus as he stated it. James grimaced as sticky hands finally hit him.
“How’d you wear more syrup than eat it?”
“I ate a lot.”
“Okay, bit gross there Sirius.” James sat him down, grabbing a napkin, wetting it, and scrubbing his skin off.
“Wipe him off while you’re at it.”
“Orders, all we get are orders.”
“I’ll start giving orders if you’d like.”
“No, no I’m okay. We’re good, you do that enough when he’s big.” She rolled her eyes making her move to wipe of Regulus while Remus attempted to wipe the table some.
“Okay, I’m voting we go outside for a while then eat lunch, I’m thinking ice cream.”
“We can give them the antidote around lunch, just before they nap.” Lily chimed in.
“Or we can wait for bed, what if it takes longer?”
“James, you out of everyone should want them back faster.”
“They’re having fun, just for the afternoon.” Lily rolled her eyes.
“How could I not guess that.” Lily laughed lightly.
“Hear me out.” James was stating was Lily was brushing through wet hair.
“Whatever it is, no.” She heard both boys giggle. Remus was currently looking like a wet dog as was James. Bath time wasn’t going exactly well tonight.
“We sneak into the prefects bathroom with them.”
“James! We aren’t breaking the rules.” Remus turned around.
“We’re already soaked, come on throw some swim shorts on them and we can let them actually s w i m.” He stated each letter out loud, Remus’ palm met his forehead.
“James, I can think of a million reasons on why that’s a bad idea.” Lily stopped to look him in the eye. James, grabbed Sirius from her and stood up holding him.
“But I can think of two really good, maybe even perfect, reasons to say yes.”
“James, Sirius already got his bath.” James set him down, with that same cheeky grin on his face.
“Sirius do you want to go swimming?”
“Yes!”
“Don’t ask him!” Remus yelled.
“Swimming?” Regulus questioned from the tub.
“See, we can’t disappoint them.” James had a huge smile.
“You’re dead James Potter!” Lily shouted.
“Can we go Lily?” Sirius looked up at her with big eyes.
“Remus, Remus, he’s doing the eyes.”
“Stay strong Lily.”
“They’re the puppy dog eyes.”
“Lily.”
“Go look at Remus.” She directed Sirius.
“Mus, can we go swim?”
“Lily! He’s doing the eyes!”
“I know Remus.”
“Shit, Lily!”
“I can’t break his heart.”
“James, you’re going to be dead.” Remus muttered.
“Swimming?” Regulus smiled.
“I think we’re going swimming.” James had a huge smile.
“I didn’t say yes yet!” Lily shouted.
“Yeah, we’re going swimming. Come on let’s get ready!” James took his hand and dashed out.
“Have they done this before?”
“As another perfect, I cannot inform you of that.”
“You were involved!”
“It was really late and some, you know, drinking may have been involved. Come on Reg, guess we’re swimming.” He stood with the boy, ignoring how soaked everything was getting.
“Remus! I never knew this.”
“I wasn’t supposed to tell.”
“Who had the idea?”
“James.”
“Did you all just take a bath together?”
“No, we do that without drinking, great place to gossip.” Lily began cackling, “shut up.”
“I’m sorry, I’ll be good, I’ll be good.”
“We just made it bottomless until we tired out some.” She kept laughing as they went to get ready to some extent. She was tying her hair up.
“So your late night escapes aren’t just when he’s pint sized?”
“I wouldn’t call seven thirty necessarily late.” James muttered as he turned to look at her.
“I can’t wait to bring this up later.”
“Please don’t, Peter will be mortified.”
“That’s what is going to mortify him? Me finding out you guys went for a swim?”
“No that we gossip in the tub.”
“I didn’t know that.” The look on James’ face was worth it when she began laughing again.
“I swear Remus told you.”
“He did. But I wanted to mess with you.”
“Maybe Evans is really like you after all.” Remus was laughing, turning to look at one an other.
“We forget this conversation ever happened.” James stated.
“Oh hell no we don’t.”
“Evans! There are children!” James jokingly covered Sirius’ ears.
“Says the boy who has cursed this entire week.” Remus laughed as they began walking out of the dorm.
“Okay, we have to be very sneaky. Very, very sneaky. Sneakier than stealing cookies, sneakier than staying up late, sneakier than playing with toys after you’ve been scolded, and even sneakier than trying to listen to the grown ups. So let’s be quieter than a mouse and be sneaky like a snake.” James had his finger over his mouth as he led the way. Lily smiled at his antics of being sneaky, being over dramatic to make it more fun for them. They rounded the corner together and they were home free. They five of them bolted to the bathroom, James shut the door. “Brilliant, absolutely brilliant old chaps, look at us now.” Lily laughed as James ran to turn the taps on the massively over sized tub.
“Can either of you swim?” Remus suddenly asked, both shook their heads no.
“Enjoy getting in the water boys, maybe you should have changed too.” Lily laughed a little as she toed her shoes off fore rolling her jeans up to place her legs in over the side.
“Evans you aren’t joining us?” James gawked at her.
“No, I’m not joining you in the tub.”
“She’s no fun boys.” James got in no issues, taking Sirius and Regulus from the edge.
“I don’t want to get in either.” Remus muttered.
“Remus you are joining us?”
“I like this sweater.”
“Take it off.”
“Why didn’t you take off your swearer James?”
“I didn’t think that far ahead.”
“I hope they don’t forget this.” Lily laughed as Remus stripped his tops off to get in the water with them, at least James took his shoes off.
“Can you charm the bubbles love? Make them change colors.”
“Course Remus.” Lily said casting the basic charm. She placed a one way silencing charm as well as the giggles were becoming loud.
“Lily! Lily come!” Regulus was attempting to half swim over to her, she bent over to grab him.
“No sweetheart I’m being the life guard.”
“Why?”
“To make sure James and Remus don’t accidentally drown.”
“We won’t?”
“Of course not, I’m watching super close, here let me throw you to Remus.” A vigorous head nod as she counted off before she gently tossed him back to Remus.
“Sirius, go get her.” Lily eyed as Sirius kicked off of James rib cage, doubling over before doggy paddling over to Lily as well.
“I’m starting not to trust you.” She teased him as he kicked off of her shins.
“Remus take ‘im for a second. I’m hopping up with Evans.” James passed him off as he came to the edge and hopped up to the edge with her.
“Can’t believe the water is up to your chest.”
“You never come here Evans?”
“Honestly no, but it does seem like a mini pool.”
“If you make it deeper it’s loads of fun.”
“James don’t you dare!” Remus yelled helping them catch bubbled.
“I’m not.”
“I’m with Remus.”
“He really got me in the chest.”
“Your rib cage.” Lily corrected.
“Can you check it?”
“I’m not that dense, Potter.”
“It actually hurts Lily.”
“Not by the water.” She got up and looked at him, he nodded and got up with her. She walked towards the sinks and started looking.
“It hurts right here.”
“It might get bruised, but I don’t think it’s anything serious you cry baby.”
“Come here, one quick kiss.”
“No, you aren’t getting me wet you soaking wet rat.”
“Just one, here, we can hold our arms out.” She rolled her eyes, finally agreeing.
“You are the neediest person I know.” She rolled her eyes.
“Don’t hate me!” He quickly grabbed her and hauled her on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“James! James Potter! James! Prongs! Don’t you” she was cut on as he awkwardly jumped down into the tub. He dropped her under the water rapidly. She could hear the squeals of delight of her being in the water.
“I love you.” She stood up, soaking wet, hair dripping. She responded by splashing him.
“I see Lily joined us.” Remus had a huge smile while laughing.
“I see Lily joined us.” She mocked back, splashing him next. Commotion continued, laughter was to be had, they we’re beyond drenched in their day clothes, and Lily finally managed to drag herself out.
“it’s getting late boys. I know two little ones who should be in bed soon.” She called out, feeling like a drenched rat as she ringed her hair, she looked up to the sinks noticing a cat peering down at them. She paled slightly, she could swear the cat winked at her, almost giving them permission for their antics. She smiled thankfully at the cat, realizing that maybe their professor was watching them closer than she realized over the past week.
“Lily I don’t wanna go to bed.” James handed her Sirius, she held him close to her, still looking at the cat. Sirius waved slowly with a shy smile at the cat.
“I know baby, but now that we’ve properly soaked the bathroom, I believe you’re nice and clean. Probably very, very sleepy too.” Remus dropped Regulus off at her as he walked over to grab his sweater, Remus nodded to the cat.
“Not sleepy.” Regulus added for emphasis, they both were heavy against her.
“Sure we aren’t. You brought towels right?”
“Yeah we brought two.”
“You only bought two towels James?”
“Yeah.”
“We’re absolutely soaked.” Remus glared as Lily handed him Sirius.
“You’re absolutely dense.” She took a towel harshly from him and wrapped Regulus in it.
“I didn’t think it through.”
“Obviously.” Remus glared as they began their decent back to the room, running a little faster and carrying their shoes this time.
“We didn’t get caught! See masters of success.” James said as he closed the door.
“You are absolutely soaked.” Peter sat up and looked at them.
“We went swimming!” Sirius said from behind Lily and James.
“You went swimming?”
“Yeah!”
“Heard about your late night adventures too.” Peter turned red at that.
“Why are you soaked?”
“James only brought two towels.” Lily stated.
“You guys are wizards.” Peter said slowly. Lily and Remus turned to James.
“You moron!” Remus said first.
“In my defense I forgot too.”
“I was the only one exempt here! I was raised muggle!”
“You guys seriously didn’t think to do a drying spell?”
“Clearly not Peter! We’re soaked yet!”
“Hope you don’t catch a cold.”
“Why didn’t any of us remember!” Lily looked annoyed as James began drying off before doing Lily’s charm for her as an act of “please forgive me for chucking you in the water with us before forgetting we’re all witches and wizards and making us run cold, wet, and barefoot through Hogwarts”.
“I love my friends. I love my friends. I love my friends. I love my friends.” Remus was muttering as he walked over to his trunk to find pajamas.
“Are we just all sleeping together tonight? Or are we trying to sleep apart?” James asked as Lily was changing Regulus.
“Together!” Was shouted by Sirius.
“Together I guess. Do we need James?”
“Yes!”
“These damn kids. You two need to drink that potion! I almost forgot. Remus can you be a dear?” Lily called out behind her.
“Already on it.”
“At least someone is responsible.” Lily muttered to Regulus. She finished Regulus and walked over to James’ trunk.
“Oi! Is my trunk joint now?” He asked.
“You really want to have this fight?”
“No I do not.”
“We can have this fight.”
“Why did I saw anything?”
“Remus! Let me borrow a shirt!” She made eye contact with James who was rolling his eyes.
“James say something?” Remus returned from the bathroom.
“Yes he did.”
“I don’t want to point out the obvious…”
“You don’t need too.”
“Apparently he wants to sleep on the floor again.” Peter chimed in.
“Apparently.” Lily added. Remus threw her a shirt and she stuck her tongue out before running to change in the bathroom.
“Do you all want to team up against me?” James placed Sirius with Regulus.
“It sure seems that way.” Peter smiled, Remus walked over to Regulus and Sirius.
“I know you don’t like me when you’re big, but I need you to know how much I care about you and love you. Come around now that we have no secrets okay? Sirius, I love you and you know that. Please don’t bottle things up.”
“We aren’t doing sappy goodbyes Remus. They’re waking up with us.” James handed them each a potion. Their faces pulled as they drank it, James handed them each a piece of chocolate as Lily came out.
“It’s not the same.” Remus crawled under his covers. Lily crawled under the covers with the boys she had parented for the past week. Regulus got situated on her chest as he slept last night.
“I love you sweetheart. I’ll see you in the morning okay? Don’t run right off.” She kissed his head, and smiled sadly at him, the boy never came around. “Now Sirius, I beg of you, don’t wake us up at the crack of dawn like you’ve been doing. I love you baby, but I really need some sleep.” Sirius and Regulus were both barely keeping their eyes open.
“Night Lily. Love you.” Sirius whispered to her, she bent to kiss his head.
“Love you.” Regulus agreed, she cuddled him close. Sirius was someone she could still cuddle tomorrow if she had the desire, Regulus was a different story.
“I love both of you, it’s time to sleep though.” She let him nuzzle by her neck, she hoped their mother had laid like this at one point, she hoped a lot of things, but the first one was that they felt loved the past week.
“What did I say about being sappy?” James laughed, crawling into the other side of Lily.
“Not to be.”
“Exactly.”
“Goodnight everyone.” Remus said as he called out nox.
“Good night.” Rang through their dorm. Lily laid there with James looking at the projection they had up for the boys to look at, she noticed both boys fell asleep. She kissed their heads one more time before preparing to fall asleep.
“We could have some you know?” James whispered to her.
“What?”
“After school. We could have some kids.”
“James, we don’t think like that, we’ve talked about this.”
“I know, but like you looked great as a mum.”
“So did you.” James snorted at her response.
“You don’t always have to joke you know?”
“We agreed after school we can talk about this. I’m not before.”
“I love you.” James smiled in the darkness, hoping she would reply.
“I love you too.” They fell into an easier sleep then they had all week.