"I think it's cute." Charlus echoed Dorea's words from earlier, chuckling quietly as
his wife glared at him.
"Just ignore him," Sirius encouraged the parents. "We had to spend eight hours on
the train listening to his nonsense."
"Goodness, James, darling, did someone give you something?" Dorea felt his
forehead. "Mia, was he poisoned?"
"Unfortunately not." Mia stared at her brother, still lost in the midst of his stupidity.
"This is all him."
"She hit me," James said dreamily, staring up at his father with a proud look on his
face as though he had just won the Quidditch Cup.
Charlus blinked, holding back another chuckle. "Who hit you? That little redhead?"
"Smacked him hard, too." Sirius barked out a laugh. "It was hilarious."
"Yeah." James smiled, not catching on that he was being teased. "Did you see her
eyes when she did it? Prettiest shade of green I've ever seen in my life. Mum, can we go to
Diagon Alley? I want to get her something for Christmas!"
Dorea frowned, concerned. "Umm... maybe later, dear. I'd like to get you four
home, maybe put a charm on your face." She turned James's cheek to examine it closely.
"Your eye looks a little swollen."
"You think it'll bruise!?" James asked excitedly and pulled away from his mother as
though she had already raised her wand to put a glamour on him. "I'll wear it like a badge
of honour."
"Eight hours, you say?" Charlus asked, looking down at Sirius.
Sirius smirked. "I almost wished I'd gone home to my parents, sir."
Charlus laughed. "That bad?"
Mia rolled her eyes. "I almost went home with Sirius to his parents."
The Potters and accompanying strays waited in line for the station's Floo to open,
and one by one, each of the children arrived through the fireplace in Potter Manor,
followed by both parents. Sirius looked unaffected by the surroundings of the house, but
Remus's eyes were wide.