The moment the kitchen was completely empty, Thalia slumped into her chair, allowing the exhaustion she felt so deeply in her bones to show for the first time that night.
"He looks so much like James." she said quietly.
"He does, doesn't he?" Sirius said with a smile.
Thalia hummed, "Lily's eyes."
"He talks like her, as well." Remus added.
Thalia got up with a heavy sigh, shrugging off her cloak and throwing it at Sirius who let out an indignant "Ouch!"
"That how you treat a lady in your house, Black?" she asked, now stood by the cabinets, opening them at random.
"What lady?" he replied childishly, despite having levitated her cloak over to the hangers already.
"Ah hah!" Thalia exclaimed, holding up three bottles of firewhiskey proudly.
"Uh.. should you be drinking?" Remus asked, very carefully.
"Well, I ain't doing this sober." Thalia replied stiffly, giving no further explanation as to what 'this' is.
"Shall we move this to the sitting room?" Sirius suggested, and his old friends nodded their agreement.
"Tell me about him." Thalia demanded as soon as she secured her seat at the biggest armchair by the fire. "Harry."
"He's brilliant," Remus began softly, "bright head on his shoulders, and very capable, kid conjured a corporal patronus at thirteen!"
"Did he?!" Thalia gaped.
"Wicked on a broom, as well," Sirius continued proudly. "I saw. Might even be coming for your title, Ash."
"He's a seeker?!" Thalia grinned.
"Since first year," said Remus. "McGonagall told me."
Both Sirius and Thalia gasped at that.
"Blimey.." she trailed off.
"He's best friends with the youngest Weasley son, Ron-"
"Bloody brilliant kid, by the way, stood on a broken leg to defend Harry. To death." Sirius cut in. Thalia sputtered.
"-and Hermione Granger, possibly the brightest witch of her age."
"Right.. Right, I'm glad he had them, at least." Thalia said bitterly, and reached for the bottle of firewhiskey, pouring a rather large glass. "So Mad-Eye said Harry's been through.. several near death experiences since his first year. And that.. that he was there when Vol-Voldemort came back."
Sirius and Remus shared a look and both leaned forward to fill their own glasses.
Remus cleared his throat,
Remus cleared his throat in that special Remus way, and suddenly they were fourteen in the boys's dormitory again, and Remus had just looked up from his book and grinned that mischievous, wicked grin reserved only for his friend's eyes. The one that no teacher would ever imagine on quiet, polite, little Lupin's face. He would clear his throat and they'd all drop whatever they were doing to listen attentively, because Moony's just figured something out, and that usually meant that they were in for an exciting week.
Thalia blinked rapidly and she was back.
Now Remus cleared his throat to tell her about the various gory ways the son of their late best friend had nearly been killed over the past four years.
Thalia didn't speak a single word throughout the entire story, and by the time Remus was done, they'd finished two bottles.
Though to be fair, Remus, Sirius and Thalia had always been the best out of everyone at holding their alcohol. And in hindsight, she didn't think they would've dared speak of half the things they did the rest of the night without a little liquid courage.
YOU ARE READING
The Fifth Marauder ~ HP
Fanfiction"..In the past, it was often the Dark Lord's pleasure to invade the minds of his victims creating visions designed to torture them into madness. Only after extracting the last exquisite ounce of agony, only when he had them literally begging for dea...
