Lions Inside¹ | James Potter

seven

-//-

(Queendom//AURORA)

4th of September, Tuesday, 1973

"Heads up," James said, nudging Andrea with his elbow. 

She looked up and saw two owls heading towards them, the white snowy owl landing gracefully in front of James and the old tawny owl crash-landing into Andrea's bowl of soup, spilling it everywhere. She grumbled to herself as James and Sirius laughed themselves silly.

"He's half blind and senile. I don't understand why dad won't just accept defeat and retire the poor thing," she sighed, waving her wand, trying, and failing to clean up the spilt food around her.

"Why are they coming now instead of at breakfast?" James questioned, unfolding the letter that he had received with his owl. 

It was lunchtime on Tuesday after their first Care of Magical Creatures double lessons and James and the Russo's family owl were the only ones who were visiting the Great Hall at this hour.

"If we start questioning our parents' methods, we'll never get out of that rabbit hole," Andrea chuckled. She untied the letter from her family owl's leg and quickly read through it.

Patatina,

Fleamont is incredibly proud of you that you made Gryffindor. He said you wouldn't be welcome for Christmas if not. He said it was a joke, but I know better. On the other hand, I'm just glad I was wrong about you being a squib.

Both Mia and I received outraged letters from the pair of you and we get it, we really do. We're sorry that we lied and kept things from both of you. But unfortunately, we can't answer your questions - Not yet anyway. Perhaps when we see you for Christmas.

Have a good term, patatina

P.S. Warn James that Mia plans a taglio di capelli for Christmas.

Amore da,
Papá

She looked up from her letter and turned to James beside her. Silently, they traded letters and read through the others. "Wow. So, you have no secrets, huh?" Peter chuckled from across from them.

"No but it seems our parents are keeping some," James muttered, brows furrowed as he read through the letter Marco had sent Andrea. The very aggressive letters they had written and sent during lunch yesterday must have arrived the night before, and their parents had been quick to respond back.

"What could be so secret that they can't tell us in a letter but have to wait until Christmas?" Andrea grumbled, mostly to herself. The letter Mia had sent James went along the same lines as the one Andrea had received from her dad, also mentioning to congratulate Andrea on making the Potters proud of another Gryffindor in the family.

"Why are they being so secretive?" Andrea questioned James, handing him his letter back. "And why, oh, why - would my mother want to give me a haircut?" James asked in horror, running his hands through his floppy, black hair. Andrea picked up her letter and whacked him over the head with it.

"What?! My hair is just as important as their secrets. Imagine if it was your hair hanging in the balance," he defended, brushing said hair dramatically off his forehead. Andrea rolled her eyes and went back to wiping up the spilt soup on the table the Muggle way.

"Priorities here, dummy," she grumbled. "I don't know, Andie. Beats me. More pressing matters, I can't believe your dad still calls you patatina," James sniggered. Andrea held up her fork in a threatening gesture.

"Watch it, pulce," she glared. James glared back. "If anyone here has a flea issue it's Sirius. Just look at that mane on his head." At his words, Andrea and James turned to look at Sirius. Pouting, Sirius picked up his spoon and looked at his reflection, fluffing his curls.