The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

Why's it a Plural For?

Why's it a Plural For?

They didn't go far. They took the knight bus back to the Lupin house and set up camp in the backyard. They had a small fire (James was too nervous of flames now to allow them to stoke it too high) and set their sleeping bags beside it on the ground so that their heads were all together, skipping a tent so they could see the stars as they lay there on their backs.

James had told his mum where they'd gone and why, so when they'd returned from fetching Peter, it was to find the adults had gone to bed, but Dora had left a full array of snacks and treats out on the kitchen table - including a cake, with frosting that read HAPPY BIRTHDAY PETER across the top. Peter had nearly cried at the sight of it and hugged James as tight as he could.

Now they lay in the backyard with the array of food stowed in their bellies, a bit of frosting still stuck to the corners of Peter's mouth, and staring up at the sky, telling Peter all about everything that had happened since they'd said goodbye on Platform 9¾.

Peter was relieved to hear that the letters he'd written to Remus in Iceland had gone unanswered because Remus had come back to the UK, and that the ones he'd sent to Sirius and James had been unanswered after the fire at the Potter's house. He felt bad for James having lost everything - he offered to give James some of his things to help James out, even, but James refused citing the fortune his parents had sitting about in Gringotts. He thanked Peter just the same, though, and appreciated the gesture. Peter nodded vigorously.

Peter was also eager to hear the details about what happened with Lily Evans and how James had gotten to kiss her and he stared wistfully as James described how soft Lily's mouth was and how perfect it had been before the Death Eaters had shown up to interrupt them. "It was everything I've dreamt it would be all of my life," James said breathlessly.

"Are you lot dating then?" Peter asked, eager.

James hesitated. "I... dunno."

"What do you mean you dunno?" Sirius asked, "Of course you're bloody dating. You snog a girl and you're dating, that's how it works."

Remus said, "Is it, though?"

Sirius rolled over and looked at the tops of the other three boys' heads. "Of course it is. If I leaned over and snogged James right now --"

"Don't you dare," James said.

"-- wouldn't that mean I was dating him?"

Remus replied, "He's already your boyfriend."

"He's my harem," Sirius corrected. "Get it right, Moonslice."

Remus looked over at Sirius, "You do know that a harem is supposed to be like the multiple wives of, say, a Sultan or something, yeah?"

Sirius said, "James is enough to seem like many." Sirius reached over and patted James's shoulder.

James said, "Oi, Sultan, I'm not comfortable with your touching me while your wife's right here. I've seen Remus go wolf, and I'd rather not piss him off."

Sirius grinned, "Remus isn't jealous of you, Prongs. Are you, Moony?"

Remus answered, "I already know where he goes on Tuesdays and Bank Holidays, Prongs."

Peter laughed. It felt good to laugh.

"My point is, you should be with Evans," Sirius said. "You should, like, ask her."

"I haven't heard from her since that day in St. Mungo's when she let me sleep with her!" James exclaimed.

"WHAT?" Peter dropped a chocolate bar he'd started unwrapping and it smacked him in the chest.