Losing Game/// James Potter

Chapter 72

There was no burial, no funeral, no wake for Elsie's dad, and it left the brunette girl in a completely shattered state. The holidays meaninglessly came and went for Elsie, the year of 1979 sneaking up on everyone. She watched as the life she had built for herself pass her by, fake smiling her way through the day so she wouldn't be a bother to the loved ones she still had left. But of course, her friends wouldn't let her sink into the darkness. She was a Marauder, and the Marauders stuck together through everything.

And so as January came around, Elsie slowly started finding herself being pieced back together. Her dad may have been killed and her mum may have still been on the run, but she didn't want to miss out on the people she still had left. Especially since she knew what it felt like to have time with someone cut short.

"ELS," the panicking voice of James Potter screamed loudly from the kitchen in the Burrow, interrupting Elsie from bouncing the tiny red head on her lap, "ELSIE, COME QUICK!"

The two promised Molly that they would babysit the Weasley children today, seeing as Arthur was on a mission and Molly hadn't had a chance to breath since popping out her 4th and 5th babies. Currently, Elsie was sitting on the couch in the living room tickling a 2 year old Percy while smiling down at the giggles escaping his mouth. James claimed he was able to handle feeding the twins with the help of Bill and Charlie, but as soon as she heard him shout she knew something went wrong.

Elsie quickly hopped off of the couch with Percy in her arms and ran into the kitchen assuming that something had gone horribly wrong. And as she walked in, she was proven correct...just not in the way she thought.

A large round of laughter fell from her lips as she took in the chaotic scene in front of her. Bill and Charlie were running around chasing after an almost 1 year old Fred, who was now naked and crawling around with his food bowl on top of his head. James was standing there holding a giggling George, who was only wearing a diaper, with a food bowl smashed on top of his head.

"Bloody hell, Jamesie," Elsie slipped out through her laughter, walking up to the messy boy and wiping the food that was dripping down the side of his cheek, "It looks like a war scene in here."

"It is a war scene," James exclaimed while narrowing his eyes and pointing at George before doing the same to Fred, who was now wiggling in the arms of an 8 year old Bill, "Those two decided they would rather fight us instead of eat!"

"Well, we clearly know who has won here," Elsie chuckled while setting down Percy and taking Fred from Bill's arms, "Godric, you'd think that a grown man with two little helpers would figure out how to feed two babies."

"Not them!" James exclaimed while staring at the two babies, "They're troublemakers!"

"Now you know how your parents felt," Elsie playfully rolled her eyes at the boy, earning a round of snickers from Bill and Charlie.

Elsie cleaned all of the boys and the messy floor with a swipe of her wand before redressing both Fred and George. She placed the two babies back into their high chairs and sat down the other 3 boys at the table to give them dinner. The small brunette quickly grabbed a chair of her own and sat down right in front of the two twins, holding a bowl of puréed carrots in her hands.

"Alright, James you've got to keep them distracted so I could feed them," Elsie shot her boyfriend a pointed look before turning back to the two babies that were slapping the table in front of them.

James' mouth flew open as he dramatically whined, "Me?! I could barely make them sit still, how am I supposed to distract them?!"

Elsie scoffed and chuckled, "You're a Marauder, James. You said it yourself, they're troublemakers. So, show them what a real troublemaker looks like."