RP: Boys' day out

[tt_james]

Date: 24 March 2002
Characters: James, Remus, and Sirius
Setting: World's End Pub
Content: TBD
Status: Private : Open

James arrived at the pub a little before noon, not wanting to make his friends wait and pretty sure his reputation for lateness had most likely always driven Remus up the wall (as it had with Lily, he'd learned). He said hello to Lisa and Paul (the grumpy kitchen worker was actually a nice enough guy, especially if you were on Lisa's good side, which James made sure to be) and then took a booth in the front corner and faced the door to keep an eye out. Not that the place was very busy - they had brunch but not a huge selection and James figured the younger people of the settlements weren't necessarily the 'brunch set' like there had been back in London.

Lisa brought him three menus and a coffee and he ordered a bloody mary - it was brunch after all - and waited for Remus and Sirius to arrive. Part of him was nervous, especially as he'd decided to tell them about himself and Lily and he was afraid Sirius might take him to task to make sure he didn't screw things up. He'd also recently heard that an Auror named Nymphadora Tonks had come through the Portal and according to the datapad, she'd been married to Remus at some point. In a way, he hoped he and Remus could commiserate - both had children they'd never known and a wife they didn't realize they'd had, right? And everyone needed a friendly ear sometimes, what else were best friends for, even over space and time and death?

Comments

[tt_james]

"And that's the question of the hour!" James announced with much fanfare.

"So, fess up Moony, you said you saw her, you said you're the one to tell her all the details, so what gives?"

[tt_remus]

Remus stared at the pair of them. "There is nothing to tell. I told her everything I read. That is all. She's nice." Remus was not digging all this attention.

"Since when have you been a watch-a-novie guy and not a 'let's-snog-and-make-up-our-own-plot?" He was trying to turn the tables back on James. Or Sirius. What was Sirius doing with whom?

[tt_james]

"She's nice. Please." James rolled his eyes to Sirius.

"And I'm a movie guy because I like movies, and the snogging is strictly between Lily, me, and Leo." He didn't know why he threw in the kneazle, but it seemed appropriate.

He eyed Lisa at the bar and gestured for another round.

[tt_sirius]

"Of course she's bloody nice. She's my cousin," Sirius pointed out indignantly. "I still haven't seen her since she arrived. I've been over on Australia working on the bloody Floo network."

He winked at James, nodding slightly back to Remus. "What's this I hear about Ginny Weasley spending time with you, Moony? Is that all 'research'?"

[tt_remus]

If there was ever a quicker way to make Remus blush, he didn't know. He instantly turned red. "It's research. I'm fairly certain she is not interested in me. I'm old and ... wolfy." Remus was nearly stammering. How he had actually missed this when the others were gone. WHY did he miss this?

He turned to Sirius, "What's going on with you, Padfoot? Any ladies woo'd by you? Surely you aren't all innocent."

[tt_sirius]

"You are old," he stated firmly, arching an eyebrow. He hadn't missed the enthusiasm in Ginny's voice when she'd talked about the upcoming moon or Remus. "I'm not about to ask her - give her the wrong idea, there. I'm asking you."

Sirius downed the last of his drink and glanced over toward the bar. "Woo'd? Right, because ladies just love Azkaban escapees, Moony," Siriurs replied dryly. "I'm lucky Lily looks at me without flinching."

[tt_james]

"You both are," James added with a smile at the pair. They we're old, but he loved them just the same and it felt as if things hadn't changed at all, even if it'd been nearly twenty years since they thought they'd last seen him.

"Wait, who's this Ginny girl? Not Arthur and Molly's daughter? Isn't she their youngest?" He asked, feeling woefully out of the loop.

"And as for you, Padfoot, I remember more than one of our classmates falling over themselves to get to you, a stint in Az doesn't change that, especially when you come out a hero of the war, right? Though I will say, paws off Lily," he laughed, joking.

[tt_remus]

"In my defense, I'm not as old as Sirius." Remus stated flatly, taking a drink. "And yes. Ginny is Arthur and Molly's youngest. I know. But apparently if I had continued on my life in the other world, I would have ended up with someone just a few years older than 21."

Remus suddenly felt like a dirty old man. "I'd think a stint in Azkaban would be more looked upon than someone cursed with being a werewolf. Speaking of which... Do you two want to run around on Wednesday evening keeping me in line?"

Remus was master of changing subjects. "Lily has a good heart, I doubt she'd ever shy away from either one of us, no matter what."

[tt_sirius]

"Neither of you are as old as I am," he growled good-naturedly. Sirius didn't mind that, not as much as one might think. "Then you are interested in her for more than this research," he declared, a hint of disapproval in his tone. He didn't approve. Not in the least. Ginny had been unfailingly kind to him. "I don't care about your age, Moony. I care about her not crying on my shoulder."

He shrugged. "A stint in Azkaban is only romantic to those who weren't losing their memories to Dementors every day," he stated grimly.

"If this is the research thing on Wednesday, I'll be there, if only to keep Ginny out of trouble," Sirius answered glancing over to James.

[tt_remus]

Remus frowned, was his record with women that bad to where Sirius would voice his disapproval? "I didn't say I was pursuing anything. She's a pretty young woman. Her interest in this research has me interested." Remus felt annoyed. Who was Sirius to say anything?

He chose to stay quiet. Personally, he'd rather a spell in Azkaban than having to be a werewolf. He'd take that. If the requirement to be cured was 20 years in Azkaban, he'd take it.

[tt_james]

James sat back and watched his friends go back and forth as if they'd been doing this all their lives, not just for their teenage years. Remus and Sirius both seemed younger now than when they had walked in and he couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face as he listened.

Lisa brought out brunch items and he thanked her, not interrupting the boys. Best barmaid he'd ever known, that was for sure.

Digging into his food he finally interjected and indicated they should do the same, "For what it's worth, Moony, if you like the girl go for it! It's like the normal rules of time and age apply around here," he shook his head and then pointed his fork at Sirius, "And as for you, glum dog that you are, haven't we decided this is a second chance? I won't have my best friend dwelling, even if it is Azkaban, so what can we do? Is it that you want a lady friend and haven't found one?" He waggled his eyebrows and took another grinning bite of his ham.

[tt_sirius]

Sirius took the plate and glass from Lisa with a nod and a thank you, pausing in his talk with Remus for a moment. "Ginny is a friend. A young, impressionable friend," he retorted sharply. No, he did not approve of Remus having anything more than a scientific interest in Ginny and he sure as hell wasn't going to back down from that.

James interrupted and Sirius sighed. Damn Prongs for using his own words against him. "I don't need your matchmaking, Prongs," he growled. "This isn't a contest to see who can get the prettiest girl and even if it was, there's no second chances for me. Not... not like that. Be happy with Lily, that's all I ask."

[tt_james]

James laughed loudly, "You're damn right it isn't a content because we all know Evans is the most beautiful witch any of us have ever been on the wrong end of a wand for. Point and match."

"And besides," he continued, "Who said I was going to try to match you up? I can't do all the work for you." He shook his head as if it made perfect sense.