The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

My Girlfriend's Brother

James was enthusiastically eating dinner. It was a thick stew made of rabbit and sweet Mexican corn, sopped up with a thick bit of bread that Maria and Dora had baked together that morning. Sirius was finished, but James was deep on his third bowl. "Blimey, I swear, mum, you ought to get the recipe for this!" he exclaimed as he licked his lips and sloshed his bread about the dregs.

Dora looked at Maria with a smirk.

"Slow down, Jamesie," Charlus chuckled, "You'd think you'd never eaten in your life." He turned to Alma, who was giggling beside him, "Just packed away six enchiladas this afternoon in San Jose."

"Its all the fresh air," James said.

Sirius said knowingly, "James has been known to pack away food like this on our camping trips as well. Staggering appetite, you've got, eh, Prongs?"

James smirked. "Asthoundingly staggering."

"Ohhhhh." Sirius grinned.

The others 'round the table - not understanding the puns - laughed at the base value of the conversation, but there was a knowing twinkle in Sirius's eye. 

"Well, I'm going for a walk," Alma announced, standing up and stretching her shoulders as she pulled her hair up.

"Alone?" James asked, looking up. A bit of stew and bread fell off his lip and over his chin. He hurriedly wiped them off. "At night?"

Alma shrugged, "Just through the orange grove." She patted the wand pocket of the flowing woven poncho she wore over her just-tight-enough jeans. "I'll be plenty alright."

James shoved the last of the bread into his mouth and stood up, so fast he knocked Sirius's drink over. "I fancy a walk too."

Sirius looked up at him as he drew his wand to clean it up. James was oblivious to the havoc his motion had wrecked on the table below.

"I'll walk with you Alma." James quickly squared off his shoulders to make his chest appear more broad. More manly.

She smiled and murmured, "What a gentleman," with a slight laugh to her voice. James wiped his mouth again, afraid he might have something more stuck to his chin, but he'd gotten it all the first go. Alma looked about the table, "Well. I suppose we'll both be back in a little bit."

"Have fun!" Ignatus called, "Show James all around. Have an orange or two! Fresh off the tree!"

"If James can fit anything in his belly," laughed Charlus.

James pushed his chair in hurriedly.

Sirius was scrambling to get up, too, "I'll just need to get my boots and then --"

"But you were saying earlier how ruddy tired you are, weren't you Padfoot?" James asked, emphasizing the words meaningfully.

Sirius shook his head, "Wide awake."

"And how your - your legs were hurting?"

"My legs?"

"From... walking around all day barefoot."

Sirius stared at James. James stared at Sirius. There was a battle between their eyes. Sirius insisting to come along, James insisting that he did not. 

Finally Sirius saw he wasn't going to win the argument. He let out a hesitant sigh, "Just... be careful. And don't forget your wand."

"Yes mum," James said. Then pointed at Dora, "Look. My actual Mum isn't even being as much of a worrier as you."

"To be fair, love, I would've said it if he hadn't," Dora replied, smiling.

James rolled his eyes. "Bye you lot." He scurried after Alma, out the front door and into the warm evening air.