Eighty Twenty

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The door opened.

"Prongs?" Sirius said in surprise, he blinked at the woman beside James before his eyebrows moved together and his eyes narrowed slightly, "What're-"

"You invited us, remember?"

"Yeah, but..."

I didn't think you'd show up, let alone with her.

That's what he meant to say but thankfully, Sirius knew better than to say it out loud. He just stared at them. He was wearing a dark shirt and blue jeans, his hair looked ruffled and messy and he had some odd red and white splotches on his shirt.

James with that tight smile carrying a bottle of whiskey, that would no doubt be empty before the main course was finished and Lily who stood just behind him; her lips pursed in... something, though her distaste at the situation was very clear in her eyes.

James cleared his throat, "Well, are you going to let us in or what?"

"I... yeah?" He hesitated before he finally stepped aside and let them in. James let Lily walk in first before he followed. He took a moment to let out a soft sigh as they stepped out from the cold and into the warmth of the house. Always warm, these days Grimmauld Place is mere a shadow of the dark oppressive opulent prison it had been under the care of Walburga Black. Bright and open and... warm. Sirius and Regulus made sure to have the renovations started the second their parents weren't around to stop them.

There was a smell in the air.

The smell of a wood fire firstly, but more than that... food. A warm home cooked meal. James could smell meat, spices; basil, turmeric, garlic and chillies, ginger and cinnamon. He couldn't help but shut his eyes for a brief moment.

Merlin it smelled amazing.

"Sev and I just got done with dinner."

And that almost immediately ruined it.

James opened his eyes and resisted the urge to frown or... pout the way his face was begging to do.

"You were cooking?" Lily asked and Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Sev's been teaching me. Work keeps us both busy." Sirius then turned around to lead the way into the dining room, but James could see that soft smile spread over his lips just as he did, "It's nice to just find things to do together sometimes."

Lily's lips pursed even tighter as she took her cloak off and handed it to James, who took off his own and then put both on the coat hangers by the door. The red silk robes she wore almost seemed to swirl around her as she moved to follow Sirius, that red hair curled into these beautiful complicated twists that went down her back and around her face. She looked beautiful as always and as always, James couldn't help but pause to admire her. About four months pregnant now, but looking at her you'd never be able to tell. Emerald green glanced back at him, narrowing in annoyance and James resisted the urge to sigh as he followed.

She doesn't want to be here. He knows she doesn't want to be here and yet, every time he announces that he's going to Grimmauld Place she insists on coming along even though she doesn't want to be there.

"Sev, James and Lily are here."

"What-"

They turned the corner into the dining room just in time to see Severus Snape, standing by the large dining table. With one plate in hand as he set down the other, the raven seemed to pause at the sight of them. There was a dish cloth on his left shoulder, over the white button up shirt he wore with dark jeans, the shirt had an orange splotch over the right side of his chest that seemed to have been hastily cleaned up, the jeans seemed to have some flour on them. Snape's hair was up in a messy bun, strands hanging around his face and brushing against his neck. There even seemed to be a bit of flour on the tip of that oddly shaped nose. He looked a mess.