Sirius and James were excitedly moving through the training center, punching at each other and jumping about in celebration. Sirius was hooting and hollering about spending the entire afternoon outdoors and James suggested a long walk along the embankment. They were so caught up with their celebrations that they nearly ran directly into Mad-Eye Moody and Albus Dumbledore in the hall of floos.

"Congratulations, Mr. Black, on your victory and freedom," Dumbledore said jovially upon seeing Sirius there in the corridor. "I am most honored to have been witness to such a compelling trial, with such favorable results."

Sirius smiled, "Thank you sir. I'm honored you came."

"It is a part of my job as a member of the wizengamot, Sirius," Dumbledore replied. He pulled a bag of lemon drops from his pockets and held the bag out to Siris and James, "Lemon drop?"

"No thank you, sir," Sirius replied as James shook his head, not meeting Dumbledore's eyes.

Dumbledore looked curiously at James as he tucked the bag away, "Very well then." He sighed heavily, "I do wish I could talk longer - to catch up - but I do have quite a lot happening back at the castle at the moment... It seems I've yet another Defense Against the Dark Arts position to fill this year..."

"What happened to this year's professor?" Sirius asked, "Dead, quit, or elsewise sacked?"

"It seems he was preparing for the final exams and he was led away into the Forbidden Forrest by a hinkypunk... Professor Kettleburn has been searching for him, but we've not yet located the dear man... and unfortunately the Ministry is requiring I name his replacement as quickly as possible."

"Damn those hinkypunks," Sirius muttered.

Dumbledore nodded, "And in addition to the robbery of my Defense professor, it seems I'm also in need of a temporary flying instructor and Quidditch referee as Madam Hooch has been selected to assist in setting up a Quidditch program at Uagadou."

"In Africa?" James asked, speaking for the first time, surprise clear in his tone. "Madam Hooch is going to Africa?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said, "The headmaster at Uagadou mentioned to me that the students there were terribly interested in learning more about Quidditch, having seen footage from the most recent World Cup and they wanted to start a quidditch program at the school this year, but were unsure how to go about preparing for such a thing. Upon talking with Madam Hooch, we determined that this was an excellent opportunity for Hogwarts and Uagadou to strengthen ties and our dear flight instructor has volunteered to go and assist Headmaster Namazzi in setting up the program."

"That's so cool," James said.

Dumbledore smiled, "It is indeed cool, Mr. Potter." 

They bid each other farewell, then, Dumbledore congratulating Sirius once again, and then disappearing through the floo network, headed back to his office at Hogwarts.

Mad-Eye Moody congratulated Sirius as well, and lumbered off back to his own office down the corridor.

"Wonder what Uagadou is like," James said.

"Dunno," Sirius answered.

They got their powder and chucked it into the floo, disappearing off to the Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow so that James could change before they went and informed Remus Lupin of the win.

Remus and Bradley were in the kitchen when they heard the sound of a barking dog outside.

The shaggy black dog was sitting on the park bench across the road next to the lean form of James Potter, changed into a t-shirt and jeans, leaning back and grinning up at the kitchen window, through which he could just see Remus Lupin's curious face peering out. He waved.

"Oh!" Remus jumped back. "Bradley, come on!" 

Bradley looked up from his drawings, "What?"

"Come on, we're going outside!"

"Outside?"

"Yes! Come on!" Remus was buzzing with excitement. He dashed up the hallway to the bedroom and grabbed a bag which he'd put together containing Sirius's boots, leather jacket, jeans, and hot pink Please Return to Remus Lupin shirt. He stopped at the door across the hall and slapped his palm against it. "Wormtail? Wormtail? Are you in there?"

The door opened and a groggy-looking Peter Pettigrew opened the door a moment later, his eyes heavy and face pink from sleep. "What's happ'n'n?" he asked.

"Sirius is free," Remus said, excitement fraying his voice, "And we're all going outside to play - come on!"

Peter blinked himself awake, then nodded and turned into the room again really quickly, "COMING!" he said, "Just let me get dressed very fast!" 

Remus ran back down the hallway and Bradley was standing by the door, hopping foot to foot. The dog was still barking outside and Remus excitedly grabbed his jacket from the hook by the door and within seconds Peter was 'rounding the hallway and the three of them were out and headed down the steps into the alley below. They passed the man who owned the curry shop downstairs and slipped out onto the road. Remus ran across to the bench, the dog bounding in circles beside it as James laughed and stood up.

Remus threw himself toward the dog, landing in the grass in a motion that would normally cause him a great deal of pain - especially so close to the full moon - but the pain was only marginal compared to the excitement coursing through him as the dog leaped upon him and started licking his face with excitement, tail wagging. Remus laughed and hugged the dog 'round the neck.

People passing by chuckled, amused by the happy boy greeting his dog on the grass. 

Bradley jumped up on the bench and stood there, watching, and Peter yawned and stretched, still honestly partly asleep as he watched Remus and Snuffles celebrating. "He's worse than the mooncalves," Bradley said as Snuffles wriggled and shook and wagged all over Remus Lupin's torso.

James laughed.

When Remus and Snuffles had finished, James strode over and pulled Remus to his feet, and Snuffles rushed off across the park, dashing madly over the grass, going as fast as he could, a streak of fluffy black fur, running wildly. Bradley was running, too, though the dog was running literal circles around the little boy, but Bradley did do a couple somersaults across the grass and the dog barked and rolled along side him.

"Bloody hell," James said, "That's a lot of pent up energy."

"Yeah, he's been going mental," Remus said, "No way to get all that energy out when you're cooped up inside all the time... We tried running him in the suitcase, but it's not the same as being out of doors, although it did seem to help sometimes but Sirius just has a lot of energy in him and if he's not able to expend it somehow --"

"You lot have had no problem expending energy," Peter yawned, "I can hear you expending energy all the way from my room!"

Remus flushed as James guffawed and put his arm 'round Peter's shoulders. "Nice one, Pete."

The three lads followed after Bradley and Snuffles through the park, winding their way among the grass and trees, laughing as the dog plowed his way through a whole flock of pigeons, sending them up into flight like a gray explosion as their wings flapped and they took off every which way. Snuffles barked and spun about in tight circles, leaping and snapping playfully as the birds scattered, his tongue lolling out merrily.

"Siris Black and those damn birds," Remus muttered.

Bradley was running through the square, shouting and waving his arms, too, in what could only be described as the human boy version of what Snuffles was doing.

It was a marvelous afternoon - the four Marauders, plus Bradley, made their way through the entire park and having made the loop 'round there, they walked down Lambeth Road to the Embankment pathway at the bridge and started North along the Thames. Bradley pointed at the boats in the water and Snuffles ran through several more large groups of pigeons, sending them up like signal flares. About halfway between Lambeth and Westminster bridges, Remus ducked into a public toilet with Snuffles and emerged a few moments later with Sirius, dressed in his favorite outfit, the borrowed clothes bagged and tucked away in his bottomless leather jacket pocket.

James bought them all lunch from a cafe and they sat 'round a bench overlooking the city across the water, eating and sharing bags of crisps so they all got to try the different flavors they'd each picked. The sun shone on them and Sirius shook out a cigarette from his pack, lighting it up and crossing his legs, his free arm around Remus's shoulders as he blew smoke and they talked and laughed, Bradley cracking jokes right along with them, his face flushed with the excitement of being included as seamlessly as if he had always been among the lads. They had a great deal of nostalgic fun, all their classic jokes fresh to his ears. It was nice, Remus would say later on, hearing the surprise in the laughter that burst from Bradley as the lads joked about - like a reminder of a new perspective or a second chance.

They kept on and eventually Remus's knees were bothering him and James laughed and hoisted Remus up on his back, and Sirius did the same with Bradley and they raced each other down the pathway, Remus and Bradley pretending they were horse racing, Sirius gasping out a commentary on James's wonky running and claiming a victory for Bradley as he out trotted James to the corner by Westminster Bridge, where they paused to point out Big Ben to Bradley.

The walk back to the flat brought them down Westminster Road, past Lambarth North Underground and back south down Kennington to the flat, where they turned and climbed the steps in the alleyway back, tired. Sirius was still buzzing with excitement, however, and even as the others stepped inside, he hung back on the steps and had himself another smoke. James stayed outside with him, leaning against the wall, trainers up against the railing as Sirius stat two steps above him.

"Bloody hell that felt good," Sirius said, meaning their long afternoon.

James smiled, "Yeah it did."

"I miss the grounds at Hogwarts," Sirius said, "Only thing that could've made our walk better was if it had been through those bloody woods and those sandwiches had come from the Three Broomsticks." 

James nodded, "Mmm, Rosmerta's corned beef hash. Could go for a big plate of that about now."

"We ought to visit sometime."

"We ought." James's eyes were closed.

Sirius drew a deep breah. "I realize the alley smells like garbage, but it feels fresh to my nose."

James laughed and leaned his head against Sirius's knee as Sirius took a pull on his cigarette.

Sirius reached down and patted James's hair, staring at the top of his head. A smile spread over James's face. James looked up at Sirius, and, catching him with a very serious expression on, James asked, "Alright, Padfoot?"

"I'm alright, Prongsy." Sirius paused. "And you?"

"Underhill did great today," James commented, "Don't you think?"

"Yeah, he did."

James said, "Can you imagine being so bloody good at something so useful as advocacy like that? I wish I was better at it, or had more to do with it than I do. I mean, I suppose I helped a bit being his assistant and doing some of the copying and all that but I that was mostly Underhill who's done such a brilliant job and I just -- I was in awe, honestly, because all that seemed to come so natural to him, you know? I mean I know you were innocent anyway but Underhill really did a grand job of putting it into proof."

They were quiet a moment.

"I don't reckon anything in the world comes as naturally to me as Underhill made all that look."

"To you?" Sirius laughed, "Galloping gargoyles - have you met yourself?"

James opened his eyes and looked up. 

"Bloody everything looks like it comes natural to you, James. I know it doesn't really... I know you don't think you're as fucking amazing as you are, but you're mad if you think you don't at least look like you know what you're doing all of the bleeding time."

"I don't feel like I do."

"I know that." Sirius paused. He knew that now more than ever, though he'd always known to an extent.

"I just wish that being an auror felt as natural to me as that looked, how's that? I wish I had the ability to give something that I am good at to other people like the way Underhill did that for you today."

Sirius blew out a mouthful of smoke.

"Like Madam Hooch volunteering to go and help the Ugandan school set up their quidditch program. What a bloody awesome opportunity that is, right?" James said, "Imagine. Getting to do something so meaningful as that for someone! And by playing QUIDDITCH no less! Bloody hell, if only there was a way to save the world playing quidditch, I'd do it in a second, I swear."

Sirius studied James.

"You don't like the Ministry."

James shook his head.

Sirius leaned forward. "You ought to apply."

"Apply?" 

"For the flying instructor position."

"I'm sort of employed by Underhill. Because he was going to get you off, remember? Which he's done?"

"Yeah but --"

"And becoming an auror is a full time job, Sirius, it isn't like I have a load of free time to --"

"Becoming an auror is but just being Underhills assistant without the training bits wouldn't be full time, would it?"

James stared at Sirius. "I - I suppose not."

"Nor would being a flying instructor. It's what? Eight classes a week? About an hour per class? Plus refereeing a match every couple weeks?" 

James stared at Sirius, leaning forward - the realization that perhaps Sirius Black wasn't completely mad, that maybe this really could be something do-able, if the circumstances were worked out just so...

"Two part-time jobs... and you'd be there to do your training with Oliver Kent during the term, too, you were worrying about how to do the training with him if you were working full time at being an auror --"

"How did you know I was worried about that?" James asked, realizing he hadn't yet mentioned this worry to anyone.

Sirius shrugged and took another drag of his cigarette.

He leaned back against the wall again, his eyes drifting skyward. 

"You were really great when you helped out that time with the firsties flying lessons, remember?" Sirius asked. "The year the DWO started. And wouldn't it just be poetic as fuck, you back at Hogwarts, teaching the kids how to fly again as you train your first one toward what could become a pro career?"

James looked up at Sirius.

"Talk about changing somebody's life with a skill that comes natural to you, 'ey?"