Shadows of Loyalty

Chapter 9

James leaned back in his chair, still wearing that familiar grin, the kind that always hinted at some brewing mischief. He lazily scratched behind Luna’s ears, the golden retriever looking up at him with her usual calm, steady presence, while Liesel and Zora sat nearby, still eager for the next command. The atmosphere in the room had calmed after the earlier round of amusement, but James wasn’t quite finished stirring the pot.

Looking across the room, he locked eyes with Sirius, who was still catching his breath after the "butt search" ordeal. Regulus was sitting on the edge of the table, leaning back and sipping his tea, his legs swinging casually as he tried to recover from laughing so hard.

With a mischievous glint in his eye, James casually called out, “Sirius, do me a favor and grab me some breakfast, would you?”

Sirius, who was starting to relax again, narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, pretending to be offended by the request. “Why should I?” he asked, his voice dripping with exaggerated indignation. “Am I your servant now, Potter?”

James chuckled, his grin widening as he straightened up in his chair. “Well,” he began, his voice low and teasing, “I just thought you’d like to stay on my good side after everything you’ve been through this morning.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow, leaning against the kitchen counter as he crossed his arms. “And if I don’t?”

James’s grin turned wicked, and he raised his eyebrows suggestively. “If you don’t,” he said slowly, “I might have to call the girls for another round of... search and retrieval.”

Regulus snorted into his tea, trying to suppress his laughter. Sirius, on the other hand, stared at James for a moment, trying to decide if he was serious. Liesel and Zora, as if sensing they were the topic of conversation, perked up slightly, their tails wagging as they looked between the two men.

Sirius scoffed, shaking his head. “Oh, you wouldn’t dare.”

James leaned forward, his grin never faltering. “Wouldn’t I? I mean, you saw how thorough they were last time. They did a pretty great job, didn’t they?”

Regulus burst out laughing, nearly spilling his tea. “You’re in trouble, Sirius.”

Sirius glanced down at the two Malinois, who were now fully focused on him. He groaned, rubbing his face. “You’re really going to do this, aren’t you?”

James shrugged nonchalantly, his voice dripping with faux innocence. “I mean, I’d prefer not to. But if you’re going to be difficult, I think a little... encouragement might be in order.”

Sirius shot a playful glare at James. “And by ‘encouragement,’ you mean sending those two after me again?”

James nodded, his grin turning devilish. “Exactly.”

Sirius held up his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright! No need for a repeat of that.” He stood up and started heading toward the kitchen, muttering under his breath with a dramatic roll of his eyes. “I swear, James, you’re insufferable.”

James leaned back in his chair, watching Sirius with amusement as he made his way to the counter. “I like to think I’m resourceful.”

Regulus, who had finally stopped laughing, looked between the two of them, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Sirius, you do realize you’re letting James win, right?”

Sirius glanced back at his brother with a playful glare. “I don’t care, as long as I don’t have to deal with another ‘search.’”

James couldn’t help but laugh, enjoying every second of Sirius’s reluctant compliance. “You know, I’m glad we can resolve these things peacefully,” he said, his voice full of mock diplomacy. “It’s always nice when we can come to an understanding without any... unpleasantness.”

Sirius, now rifling through the kitchen cabinets for some bread, shot back, “Unpleasantness for whom, exactly? Because I seem to remember it was pretty unpleasant for me and Reg.”

Regulus nodded, though he was still smiling. “He’s not wrong, James.”

James shrugged, clearly unconcerned. “You survived, didn’t you? And now, Sirius is being a proper mate and fetching me breakfast. I’d call that a win-win.”

Sirius grabbed a loaf of bread and slammed it down on the counter with a dramatic huff. “Yeah, yeah. You’ll get your breakfast, Potter. But don’t think I’m going to forget about this.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it,” James said, his grin never leaving his face.

Sirius busied himself with preparing a simple breakfast, all the while muttering under his breath about “ungrateful Potters” and “bloody dogs.” Regulus, still seated on the table, smirked as he watched his brother’s theatrical grumbling.

“You know, Sirius,” Regulus began with a chuckle, “you’re taking this much better than I expected.”

Sirius waved him off, a smirk of his own tugging at the corner of his lips. “Oh, I’m just biding my time. There will be payback, trust me.”

James, overhearing, chuckled as he called out to Sirius. “You can try, but I’ve got my girls on my side.” He gave Liesel and Zora an affectionate pat on the head, the two dogs wagging their tails as they looked up at him, clearly pleased with their earlier work.

Sirius finally finished preparing breakfast, turning around with a plate in hand. “Here you go, your majesty,” he said sarcastically, handing the plate to James with a dramatic flourish.

James accepted the plate with an exaggerated nod of thanks. “Thank you, Sirius. I appreciate your cooperation.”

Sirius rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the smile creeping onto his face. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get used to it.”

Regulus, still watching with amusement, took a sip of his tea and shook his head. “You two are ridiculous.”

James took a bite of his breakfast, grinning as he looked between Sirius and Regulus. “Maybe. But at least we’re entertaining.”

Regulus couldn’t argue with that. As Sirius sat back down at the table, the air in the room felt lighter, the earlier tension completely gone, replaced by the comfortable banter and playful rivalry that always seemed to follow James and Sirius wherever they went.

James leaned back in his chair, still grinning as he finished his breakfast. “You know, Sirius,” he said casually, “I really do appreciate it.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious. “Appreciate what?”

James’s grin widened. “Not making me send the girls after you again.”

Sirius groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Don’t remind me.”

Regulus snickered. “I have to admit, it’s pretty amusing watching you squirm.”

Sirius shot his brother a look. “You’re no better, Reg.”

James chuckled as he gave Liesel and Zora another pat, feeling a sense of satisfaction wash over him. The morning had gone exactly as planned—well, perhaps with a bit more amusement than expected—and he couldn’t help but relish in the playful dynamic between him, Sirius, and Regulus.

“Shall we do it again tomorrow?” James asked, his tone light but teasing.

Sirius and Regulus groaned in unison, but the grins on their faces said they were more than ready for whatever mischief James might throw their way next time.