The Stag and The Harpy | James Potter

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{{double update because I'm so freaking excited and sappy!!}}

When James stumbles down stairs he's greeted with an interesting sight.

Sirius, Remus, and Peter are all crowded around one edge of the kitchen table, staring at three packages.

Sirius pokes one with the tip of his wand, muttering, "It's got to be a prank."

"Phoebe wouldn't do that," Peter counters. Remus looks caught in the middle, torn between believing that these packages contain something nice or something that will probably explode in their faces.

James snickers and says, "Go on. Open 'em."

Sirius eyes narrow and he whispers to Remus, "He's fraternizing with the enemy. Should we trust him?"

Remus hesitates, his eyes drifting down to the package. They were all three different. His was wrapped in a pretty gold wrapping paper, Sirius' in silver and Peter's a rich copper. They looked too good to be true. But when he looks up, James smiles encouragingly. So he reaches for his first, Sirius and Peter quickly following.

James grins when they tear through the wrapping paper excitedly, opening the small boxes at the same time. Sirius grins widely, Peter gasping excitedly and Remus stunned into silence.

They each withdraw a pocket watch. Sirius stares at the ticking face before turning it over and barking out a laugh at the pretty engraving. It said 'Padfoot'. His heart swells. Remus smiles at the word 'Moony' on the back of his gold one, peeking over and seeing that Peter's copper one reads 'Wormtail'.

James chuckles when the wrapping paper they've torn to shreds bursts into flames, startling the Marauders so badly that Peter lets out a shriek. She always said James was the dramatic one, yet here she was putting on a theatrical show for the boys. Once the flames burn out, Remus extracts a small note, the looping scrawl matching that on the backs of their watches.

He hands it to Sirius, smiling when his friend reads it aloud,

"Gentleman, the greatest prank of all is that I'm going to be around the rest of your lives to pester you. When I truly came to know Sirius, I thought I was lucky enough to have one brother. I never expected to have three. You've become some of my greatest confidants, and I can't wait to grow old and grey with The Marauders. You're a package deal, so consider this my dowry to marry James. Get ready, lads. We're in for one hell of good time. Love, Phoebe Griffin."

Peter sniffs, quickly swiping away his tears while Remus chuckles and Sirius smiles softly.

James snorts, "Alright, you bunch of girls. We've got shit to do and I'm grumpy because I didn't get a proper shag—"

"Alright!" Sirius cries, hands flying to cover his ears. James just snickers and waves them over, smiling to himself as the boys all tuck their watches into their pockets.

They quickly apparate to Diagon Alley, blissfully unaware of the chaos that had been unfolding at the Burrow all day.

Phoebe stares in awe as Alice wrestles with a gnome before tossing it over the hedge. Marlene grabs the cigarette Phoebe moves to light from her hand, saying apologetically, "Alice told me to not let you. She said no one wants the bride to smell like smoke on her wedding day."

Phoebe sighs and mutters, "Dear Merlin. Thank god this is almost over."

"You have to admit she's done a brilliant job," Lily notes, coming to stand outside next to Marlene and Phoebe. The Veela peers down, smiling at the babies in her arms. Marlene and Lily share a soft look when their blonde friend easily lifts one of the twins and settles him in her arms, asking, "Which one is this, Lils?"