CRACK!
  
They landed at the end of the driveway before Ignatus's house, Dora's hands clutching their elbows. She pushed them forward. "Go, get inside," and turned, setting up a shield around the property. When James started to step forward to help, she snapped, "I said to get inside. And wait for me in the living room."

James looked surprised at the sharp tone of her voice and he turned to Sirius, who was already headed for the door. Sirius shrugged. They went in the door and found Maria back already, the little old woman from San Jose with her, looking equally confused and comforted as Maria presented her with food. Her arthritic knuckles gripped her chain of beads and, up close, James saw it was a muggle rosary. She'd been praying.

James sighed and followed Sirius out to the living room, dropping onto the couch. Sirius was leaning against the mantle, grinning. "What are you so happy about?" James asked.

Sirius answered, "Not a thing..."

James said, "I didn't do anything wrong, I don't understand why she's angry with me."

Sirius shrugged. Then, "So... anything happen on your walk with Alma?"

"No," James replied. "She's gay by the way."

"Brilliant," Sirius answered.

"Dunno if that's the word I'd use for it, seeing as I found out just as I was about to make a move, you know..." James said.

Sirius was grinning even harder - if that was possible. "Even more brilliant."

"Knock off," James replied and he chucked one of the cushions from the sofa Sirius's way. But Sirius was too quick, drew his wand from the knot of hair at the back of his head, and redirected the pillow back at James.

Of course it was this moment that Dora walked through the door. Sirius scrambled to get the pillow before it hit the floor.

She stared from one of them to the other with disapproval. "You're both in loads of trouble," she announced.

"What did I do?" Sirius asked, straightening up.

"MARMALADE?"

Sirius grinned.

"MARMALADE?" Dora repeated. "You're facing --- you're facing dark wizards --- wizards actively trying at killing you and you -- you spray them with MARMALADE?"

Sirius replied, "Found themselves in a sticky situation, you could say."

"IT ISN'T FUNNY SIRIUS ORION!" she shouted, "YOU COULD'VE BEEN KILLED! YOU WERE PLAYING PRACTICAL JOKES WHEN YOU SHOULD'VE BEEN PERFORMING DEFENSIVE MAGIC AND IT ISN'T FUNNY!"

Sirius shrank back at the sound of his first and middle name and swallowed back his surprise, "I - I'm sorry, blimey."

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

"That it would stop them," Sirius said honestly. He was looking a bit like a wounded animal and Dora's eyes softened as a result. "I mean -- it - it did, didn't it? They were stopped and Mr. P was able to incarcerate them and..."

"Yes," Dora replied, her voice much gentler. James was looking between them as though watching a tennis match. "But Sirius - that was a very serious situation, don't you understand? You can't be playing about with silly jokes when --"

"It's just I think of those spells faster!" Sirius piped up. "I know them better than the defensive stuff. I - I think of them quicker and... I mean, if it works..."

Dora stared at him very sternly, then, her voice even and firm, "You'll practice defense twice as hard, then. I want you studying it now, even on summer. Do you understand? Until the defensive spells come to you just as quickly as your jokes."

"Yes mum."

"This is very serious," she said, and her voice trembled, "I want you safe. I don't want the day to come when I read in a paper that you -- that --" she took a deep breath. "Just study it."

"Yes mum."

Dora paused a moment, then, "Okay, get up stairs."

"Yes mum." Sirius darted for the door.

James started to get up and Dora turned on him, "Oh no you don't. Not you." Sirius, who paused in the doorway, was looking back. Dora shooed him off, "Keep going, James will join you in a few moments."

Sirius gave James a regretful look, then hurried off.

James shifted uncomfortably.

Dora paced a few turns, then turned to look at him carefully. "And what were you thinking?" she asked, staring down at him.

James looked up at her, "I was just trying to help --"

"I mean leaving the orchard in the first place? Going to San Jose in the middle of the bleeding night without saying a word to your father or I?" Dora demanded.

"I --"

"Let me answer for you," Dora cut across him, "You weren't."

James hung his head.

"You could've been killed."

"I wasn't."

"You could have been," Dora snapped. She shook her head and paced again, wringing her hands as she paced.

James stared at his trainers.

"Not only leaving without telling us - but you tried to fight off those wizards alone! Without any help!"

James looked up, "I sent for help."

"If we hadn't gotten there when we did --"

"But you did!"

"BUT IF WE DIDN'T!"

James's face was red, "What was I supposed to do?" he demanded, "Let them kill all the muggles?"

"Your father would've --"

"-- BEEN TOO LATE," James cut her off. His fists were balled, "I'm sorry but you're WRONG. You're wrong. I shouldn't have just stood by and waited. I asked for help and then I jumped in to save that muggle man. They would've killed him and dad would've been too late to save him."

Dora's face was red, too. "YOU COULD HAVE DIED."

"HE WOULD HAVE DIED!" James argued.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT MUGGLE MAN, YOU DON'T KNOW HIM, HOW COULD YOU RISK YOUR LIFE FOR --"

"FOR THE LIFE OF ANOTHER?" James yelled, and he stood up, they were facing one another. "TO SAVE A LIFE? WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M GOING TO DO AS AN AUROR, WHEN I GRADUATE HOGWARTS? WHAT DO YOU THINK I'VE DONE EVERY OTHER TIME I'VE FACED YOU KNOW WHO?"

"YOU CAN'T KEEP RISKING YOUR LIFE LIKE THAT!" she wailed. "I CAN'T LOSE YOU!"

"I SEE HOW YOU WERE IN SLYTHERIN!" James yelled, and he turned in frustration and let out growling groan of anger. "Bloody hell. I can't believe you expect me to just --" he shook his head, "Bloody hell."

Dora was sobbing. "You're my little boy, James."

"I'm NOT a little boy," James said, turning around. "I haven't been a little boy in a very long time, alright? And I'm certainly not one anymore. If I was before, I certainly wasn't after spending a MONTH in Voldemort's mercies, while NONE OF YOU NOTICED I WAS GONE."

Dora looked as though she'd just been slapped.

"So maybe if I'm killed in the future, you can just... go and get Severus Snape and have him be your son. You won't notice the difference." James turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Dora crying in the living area as he climbed the stairs. He felt bad and nearly turned back, but he was just so angry, he couldn't bring himself to do it. A great deal of emotions were bubbling up and twisting inside him, things he hadn't allowed himself to feel before, or that he had even realized he felt at all.

Sirius looked up as James passed him at the top of the stairs, where he'd been listening in. Sirius's eyes were just as wide and wet as Dora's. "I'm sorry," he murmured, "That I didn't notice."

James shook his head and went on down to the bedroom they were sharing and let himself in, throwing himself at the bed and closing his eyes.

Sirius came in after him a moment later, and he sat down on his own bed, staring at his boots for a long moment. "I swear to you, I wouldn't ever let that happen again."

James pretended not to hear him, keeping his eyes closed.

"I wouldn't. If anything happened to you again, I'd... I'd be right there. Hell or high water, James. I swear that to you."

James felt his throat tighten.

"And I wouldn't bloody let the fucker go again, either. Voldemort - or anyone else - lays a finger on you again and I'll bloody kill 'em."

James opened his eyes, "Nobody's given me credit for it."

"What?" Sirius looked at James.

James sat up and faced Sirius. "Nobody's given me credit. Mum and Dad still treat me like a helpless kid. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, Slughorn, Urquart... none of them even mentioned it... It's like I didn't -- like I didn't do anything special. As though every sixteen year old boy is kidnapped and manages to fight Voldemort's worst torture curses for a month." He ran a hand through his hair, "It's as though what I did... like it didn't matter. I didn't get a mite of recognition for it. And then tonight -- tonight, I saved peoples lives. I saved that muggle man's life."

Sirius nodded.

"And I got in trouble for it."

"Yeah."

"It isn't fair, Sirius."

"I know."

James sighed. "I dunno. I feel like such a... an idiot... asking for attention. It isn't so much that I want recognition or attention or... I just want people to stop underestimating me. I'm not a child anymore. None of us are. We grew up a long time ago. All of us. The rubbish we've been through. Yet not a bloody one of them have acknowledged it." He shook his head, "I just want credit where it's due."

"I understand," Sirius nodded. "I want it for you, mate."

James stood up and paced a moment. Then, "Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"Reckon your motor bike could get us home?"

Sirius hesitated. "Your mum would kill us."

James raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I reckon it could."

James grabbed his bag and started stuffing things in quickly.