Shadows of Loyalty

Chapter 7

The morning’s playful chaos was far from over. James, still riding the high of laughter and adrenaline, wiped a tear from his eye and shot a glance over at Sirius and Regulus, who were now sitting at the table, attempting to catch their breath after the ‘assault’ by his protection dogs. The brothers had leaned their leather jackets over the back of their chairs when they came in, a fact that had not escaped James’s sharp eyes.

“Oh, we’re not done yet,” James muttered to himself, his grin widening mischievously.

Sirius noticed James’s expression and immediately narrowed his eyes, sensing the trouble that was about to come. “James, whatever you’re thinking... no.”

Regulus, still rubbing his sides from the earlier dog ‘search,’ looked up at Sirius’s warning. “What is he—oh no. What now?”

James whistled softly, catching Liesel and Zora’s attention. They instantly perked up, tails wagging in anticipation of their next task. He pointed at the jackets draped over the chairs and gave his next command, this time with that same mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

“Mädchen, bringen!” James called out in German, the command for "retrieve." The two Belgian Malinois were off in a flash, bounding across the room toward the jackets.

Sirius’s eyes widened in mock horror as he watched Liesel charge toward his precious leather jacket. “Oh no, no, no, James! Not the jacket!”

Regulus wasn’t far behind in his protests. “James, if Zora chews through my jacket, you’re buying me a new one!”

But James just leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed as he watched his dogs in action, clearly enjoying the situation far too much to stop it now. “Don’t worry, boys. They’re professionals,” he said, his grin wide enough to reach his ears. “They won’t chew... too much.”

Liesel reached Sirius’s jacket first, grabbing it carefully in her mouth and bringing it back to James as if it were the most prized possession in the world. She pranced over, tail wagging like mad, clearly proud of her work. Zora did the same, retrieving Regulus’s jacket just as delicately, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she trotted over to James.

James accepted the jackets from both dogs, patting their heads as a reward. “Good girls. You’re naturals.” He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Sirius and Regulus, both torn between exasperation and amusement.

“Give it back, Potter,” Sirius grumbled, standing up and extending his hand toward his beloved jacket, his voice laced with both frustration and a hint of fondness for James’s antics.

Regulus, though more composed, was still glaring at James, holding out his hand as well. “You’ve had your fun. Now return the goods.”

But James wasn’t about to give up that easily. With an exaggerated shrug, he tossed both jackets over his shoulder, holding them hostage. “Hmm, I don’t know. I think my girls deserve some kind of reward for all their hard work, don’t you?”

Sirius folded his arms, giving James his best ‘Black family scowl,’ but even he couldn’t hold it for long. “Fine. What do you want, Potter?”

James tapped his chin as if deep in thought. “Well, I think it’s only fair that we add a little more fun to this morning. How about you two go through one more round of dog ‘search’ duty before you get your jackets back?”

“Another round?” Regulus exclaimed, half-laughing. “You’re mad.”

“Probably,” James admitted, his grin not faltering in the least. He looked down at Liesel and Zora, who were still sitting at his feet, waiting for their next command. “But it’s a fun kind of madness.”

Sirius sighed dramatically, though a smile was already creeping onto his face. “Alright, fine. One more round. But if I end up with a dog slobbering all over me again, you’re going to regret it.”

“Oh, I’ll take my chances,” James said with a laugh, turning to give his dogs the command. “Such!”

And just like that, Liesel and Zora were off again, circling Sirius and Regulus as if they were the prime suspects in some kind of grand, imaginary investigation. This time, the dogs seemed to take their task even more seriously, their noses sniffing diligently at every pocket, sleeve, and seam.

Orion and Walburga, who had been quietly observing from the doorway, exchanged amused glances. Walburga, arms crossed, chuckled softly. “James certainly knows how to keep things lively.”

Orion nodded, his eyes glinting with approval. “I haven’t seen Sirius and Regulus this... animated in a while. It’s good for them.”

The Black brothers were, indeed, more animated than usual—laughing, squirming, and trying to fend off the overly thorough ‘search’ from the eager dogs. Liesel gave a particular nudge at Sirius’s waist, making him let out a sharp laugh as he wriggled to escape.

“Alright, alright, I surrender!” Sirius gasped between bouts of laughter. “Call them off, James! You win!”

Regulus, managing to escape Zora’s search only slightly better than his brother, was also chuckling. “I’ll admit defeat too. Now give us our jackets back.”

James, satisfied with his little victory, raised his hand and gave the final command. “Abbruch!”

Liesel and Zora instantly stopped, returning to sit by James’s side, tails wagging and looking quite pleased with themselves.

James tossed the jackets back to Sirius and Regulus with a grin. “There you go, boys. Well-earned, if I do say so myself.”

Sirius caught his jacket and immediately checked it for any dog-related damage, though there wasn’t a single scratch or bite mark. “You’re lucky they’re so well-trained, Potter.”

“Very lucky,” Regulus agreed, shrugging on his jacket with a dramatic flourish, though the smile on his face gave him away.

James just chuckled, leaning back in his chair as he scratched behind Luna’s ears. “Admit it, you had fun.”

Sirius and Regulus exchanged a glance before Sirius sighed, his expression softening. “Yeah, alright. It was fun.”

Regulus nodded, still smiling as he leaned against the counter. “But don’t think we’re letting you off the hook so easily. Next time, we’ll be the ones giving the commands.”

“Oh, I’d like to see that,” James shot back with a grin. “But I doubt you could handle these girls as well as I do.”

The banter continued, light and easy, the room filled with laughter as Orion and Walburga finally joined the group around the table. The morning had started in chaos, but now, it felt more like a game—an unspoken bond formed through playful rivalry and shared amusement.

And for James, with his loyal dogs by his side, the day was off to a perfect start.