"Hiya."
"Are you not up yet?"
"What time is it?"
"Nearly eleven."
"That means I've slept for almost eleven hours."
"Alright for some. What're you up to today?"
"I dunno really. Can't you come home and get into bed with me?"
"I'd love to, but I sort of have to stay here."
"Ugh."
"I'm sorry baby."
"It's not you, I just got another rejection letter."
"Which one?"
"The one at that car place."
"You didn't want that one anyway."
"Exactly. I can't even get the jobs that I don't want. Do you think it's because I'm Welsh?"
"Don't be silly. Look, you've just gotta keep going. Get on the internet and start looking now."
"I will. I'll do it right now, straight after Loose Women."
***
Essex, England
"Hiya!"
"Hi."
"Alright?" Remus looked up from his magazine.
"Yeah, how was karate?"
"It's Jujitsu, darling." Euphemia placed her bag down.
"What's the difference."
"We are defensive." Euphemia started to tidy up the rubbish on the table next to Remus. "Had your breakfast then?"
"Well, sort of. I had a brunch I did. I got up so late, I set the alarm for ten but didn't get up until gone eleven. I thought I was too early for lunch but too late for breakfast, so I just had a banana. If anything, that made me more hungry. I ended up having a sandwich, some cereal and a yoghurt."
"I'm not being funny Rem, but you want to get a life. What you said just now was really boring. I switched off after banana."
"Sorry."
"You want to get out of the house. I know, why don't you come fencing with me tomorrow?"
"I'd love to, but we're going to Barry."
"Oh god, the scan. What's the latest with James and Lucy."
"Last we heard, he was going to meet her after work and try and win her back, but we haven't heard from him since."
***
Barry Island, Wales
Sirius and Remus left the fish and chip shop holding hands. They walked a little way before Sirius let go and stood in front of Remus.
"Where am I standing now?"
"It's the bus stop for Sev's coaches."
"Yeah, but what happened here on this very spot?"
"I dunno."
"Right, when did I drive down here to Barry and you got off a bus right there?"
"Oh god."
"Remember?"
"We said 'I love you'." Remus smiled.
"Yeah."
"And I said, 'If you say it first, I'll say it back'."
"No, that's what I said."
"Oh yeah." Remus thought for a moment. "That was so long ago."
"Only five months."
"Is that all? It feels like ages."
"Does it?"
"I just mean a lot has changed."
"I guess."
"Like I don't live here anymore. I never thought I'd move out of Barry."
"I never thought I'd come back here. I only came down that first time so I could shag you again."
"Sirius!" Sirius laughed as Remus slapped him playfully on the arm.
***
Barry Island, Wales
"They didn't have no beef and onion so I just got you a chicken and mushroom, is that okay?" Remus ask Lyall as himself and Sirius placed the food bags on the kitchen counter.
"That's fine, love." The back door opened and Poppy and James stepped into the kitchen.
"Only us."
"That's your battered sausage and chips, and that's Lily's battered sausage and chips." Sirius handed James two portions of chips.
"Cheers." James passed Lily her food. "Do you need salt and vinegar or anything?"
"Nah, I'll wait for curry sauce." James sighed.
"What is it with the Welsh and curry sauce?" James turned to Sirius. "You don't have it do you Pads?"
"No, it's rank."
"You're worse than Northerners and gravy. What's wrong with just having a dry chip?"
"I physically can't eat chips without curry sauce." Remus said as he sat down at the table in-between James and Sirius.
"I mean a bit of mayonnaise or something, fair enough. That's swimming in it." Sirius said nodding at Remus' food.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright on Poppy's sofa?" Lyall asked James as he sat down on the sofa next to Lily. "You can have my bed if you like, I'll go over."
"It's fine."
"He's slept on worse." Sirius laughed.
"I slept in a wheelbarrow once."
"What's wrong with your spare room?" Remus asked.
"Oh of course, you won't have seen it. I've given it a complete makeover, haven't I Lyall?"
"Oh I'll say."
"I've turned it into an office."
"This is when it hits me hardest." Everyone turned their attention to Lily.
"What?"
"The no smoking." Lily pointed at her chips. "This is when I'd normally have a cigarette."
"But you're still eating?" James said as he opened a can of Pepsi.
"I know."
"She has the sausage and some chips, has her cigarette and then goes back for the last of the chips." Remus explained.
