What if James and Lily lived?

Chapter 21 - The Tennis Club

Anxiously, Remus ran around his house. What had he signed himself up for? Glancing at the clock, realisation kicked in; he has a mere five minutes before James showed up at his door.
No backing out now.

'Really James,' he pondered. 'A tennis match. You shall be the death of me.'

A set of knuckles rapped itself on his front door, accompanied another set of knuckles far smaller than the average man's. Harry's.

Bless his little soul.

James radiated confidence; a smile sculpted by the Gods and a cheeky gleam in his eyes. Finally it had returned after years of worry. It seemed to have taken a permanent resident in James eyes once more. He looked younger, yet more manly and sophisticated. His hair was still an undetermined wild mane, but at least he was in his tennis outfit, matching with his joyful son, who was delightfully hitting Remus plants and shrubs with his tennis racket. Practise, obviously. "Ready Moony?"

Smiling Remus ruffled Harry's hair and headed to the car, after locking his house. Oh what a day this would be.

*****

"Round the corner, Prongs, there's a free parking space."

"Sugar," muttered an annoyed James. "That's the third time this has happened. Do I have mug written on my forehead? Actually don't answer Harry. I saw your lips ready to form that sentence. We've agreed that you always have to boost Daddy's confidence. Not tear it my little reindeer."

Harry nodded his head happily, much to James dismay, as he threw his head down in frustration and accidently honked the car horn, causing quite a few people to send stares in their direction. Remus sat still, unable to form a sentence.

"Sugar...? Sugar...? Did you, James, the man that literally got several detentions in one day for cursing profoundly just say ... sugar?" Bewildered. Bewildered was the only way Remus could describe his emotions.

A sheepish grin formed on his face, and he eased his hand into his hair, a habit he had grown oblivious to. "Yeah, about that. Turns out my little reindeer copies me a 'tad' too much. Lily's placed me on a no curse ban. She placed some spell on me that if I do it anywhere, even when no ones around, I somehow get a pile of pie thrown in my face."

The car was silent.

Besides Harry playing with the seatbelt in the back mumbling about everything and anything; James shifted in his seat, until he met Remus' gaze. The man could barley contain his laughter. Soon James joined in after a slight offended look. 

"Oh, she has a habit of doing that. Remember fifth year. And the time you bought this car without her permission. Merlin. You can't get anything passed that women."

Both men climbed from the vehicle, Harry between them and walked towards the country club entrance. Odd stares where given to them, James believed it was because of him and his sons matching outfits; they were obviously jealous... at last it was not that.

"Potter, Miss. We're meant to be playing Dursley at half twelve today. He said for us to just get signed in and then go to field two, is that correct?"

"Mmmm, I do have got here. Mr Potter, Field two is out those doors and to the end of the corridor. You're signed up to a practise room before you actually go out."

Nodding, Remus took Harry and lifted him up. He was their spirit cheerleader, and he needed to conserve his energy. Harry had already wasted half of it in a serious yet severely ferocious battle with the seatbelt. "And, before you go, may I just say how wonderful it is, that two should feel so brave walking in, holding your sons hand, not caring what everyone else thinks. Your great role models." She flashed them a sweet smile before returning her eyes to her work.

James and Remus turned around and the realisation struck. "We're not in a couple. I'm happily married, and this is my son. Remus, is just one of my best friends since we were twelve."

Everyone in the room, turned to stare. Some muttering "sure" and "whatever," while rolling their eyes, as if it wasn't their first time they've heard that before. However, the biggest person that was shocked was an acting Remus.

"Honey. Really? Is this because I said I didn't like you staying out all night with the boys? Shameful. You should be deeply ashamed. I have needs you know. You try raising a little boy who needs both his parents on your own. Hmph." Remus turned at his heel and walked out of the reception, with his head held high, with a giggling Harry running to keep up with his uncles long strides.

"Daddy's in trouble," he kept repeating, a broken record. "Sugar!"

James fought back the laughter. 'May as well continue on the act," he thought. "Sweetie pie, I'm sorry. I promise to do better," he shouted running through the doors and down the corridor to Remus. One could describe the scene as an episode in an asylum.

When the two caught up, they couldn't refuse the entrance of the laughter. "Honey? Really Remus. I'm better than that, I feel so cheap, I deserve something better. Like the list of names I came up for Lily in school."

"Please. Half of them were hideous. No one should ever call someone their ginger fox, or their little patch of grass. And Sweetie pie, nobody wants to be called that, Prongs. Maybe we should refer back to that list, it might do you some good."

James began to roll his eyes. "You'll understand when you find the one. But anyway, I'm thinking a firecracker ending, are you in? Something memorable otherwise why else are we doing it?"

Smiling, Remus reached for the door handle. "Funny, I was about to say the same thing. These country club members won't know what hit them. The Marauders are a force to be reckoned with. Hogwarts learnt that. The outside Wizard World knows it. It's time for the muggles to learn a little bit about us!"