One Last Try [HP Jamione fanfic]

48. Stay, Stay, Stay

A/N: Some answers to questions people have been asking, and some steps are taken in the right direction!

26th June 1978

Lily pushed her key into the lock of Sirius' new flat.

He and Remus had finally moved in on Sunday, leaving James and Charlus alone in the large and too empty Potter Manor. Lily had gone to collect her final things from her parents house the night before, hoping she could reconcile with her mum whilst she was there. Sadly it hadn't happened, so the night she'd spent there had been incredibly awkward. She'd left as early as she could that morning and apparated to Diagon Alley, making her way quickly down one of the small alleys off it that led to the small Wizarding living community where most of her friends had found flats.

She turned the key, glad to see it worked as it was supposed to, expecting to open the door to an empty flat - Sirius had said he was going for lunch with 'Dromeda, Ted and their young daughter with the unfortunate name today, and Remus had just held up the job section of the Prophet wordlessly when she'd asked on Saturday what his Monday plans were. She ignored the sensible voice whispering to her as she adjusted her hold on her stuffed bag, that maybe moving in with Sirius and Remus was a silly move on her part.

She pushed the door open and stopped in shock at the sight that confronted her, her prior worries confirmed in the strangest possible way. She hadn't been sure what to expect, but if someone had asked her, this would never have made the list.

Remus stood in the middle of the living room of the flat, staring at Lily - shock and guilt brimming in his eyes. He shifted awkwardly under her incredulous gaze. There in front of him was a large, almost bear-like black dog, a small grey rat resting atop the dog's head. Both animals had turned to stare at Lily too, as though they were intelligent enough to recognise the sudden awkwardness suffusing the room. Lily knew she was probably just anthropomorphising the two animals, but what else was she supposed to think.

She stepped fully into the room, and closed the door behind her as she dropped her heavy bag by the door. It shut with a loud snick that filled the awkward silence.

"Uh- Remus?" She started, but before she could say anything more there was a loud crash from the back of the flat where the bedrooms were located. "What was that?" She demanded, pulling her wand quickly and taking a defensive stance.

"Look, Lily. Just- don't panic."

She hesitated and stared at Remus with trepidation. Before she could ask what exactly he was talking about, the source of the crash answered her unspoken question. Coming trotting down the hall - though perhaps trotting was too light of a word to describe it - was the biggest stag she'd ever seen in her life, toting an otter that was scampering up its back to its head.

"Remus!" She exclaimed, horror dawning suddenly, "What the hell is going on?! Why is there a STAG in our flat?"

"Lily-" He started and then trailed off.

"Scratch that! Why are there four wild animals in our flat?!" Lily stared at him when he couldn't muster up any more words, waiting for some kind of explanation. She turned to look back at the animals, unnerved by how very strange they were all acting. She didn't know much about wild animals, but she was pretty sure this wasn't how stags or otters (or rats and dogs) acted. She wasn't even going to try and work out how on earth Remus had gotten the huge stag's antlers through their normal sized front door.

For a long moment Lily thought she might have been slipped something, because nothing could explain what in Merlin's name was happening here.

When she next looked back at him, he was staring down the dog in a strange threatening way and muttering something, "Pads, you're gonna have to show her." He finally said, louder so she caught it. Her brow furrowed further - wasn't Pads the silly name the other Marauders called Sirius? Remus threw his hands up when the dog didn't answer him (an even more unnerving thought - especially because Remus genuinely looked like he expected the dog to), and turned a glare on the stag and otter, "I wipe my hands of this, it's up to you guys." He waved his hands at the animals and collapsed back onto the sofa. Lily blinked, worried more than a little for his sanity.