Harry was absentmindedly chewing Blotchy's ear while listening to what was happening in the kitchen. It was mostly his mum giving instructions while stuff was being moved and falling. Occasionally, everyone would laugh.
Unknown to Harry, who had been thinking hard about this 'birthday' thing and sometimes napping, it was 10:58 am.
Lily came back into the room and picked up Harry and Blotchy. "Okay, hun, bathtime!"
Harry spat out Blotchy's ear. 'BATHTIME?!?! It should be PLAYTIME!!' Harry was horrified - he knew 'bathtime' meant. He dropped Blotchy into the playpen and began squirming. "DADDY! DADDY!"
"Alright, I guess James can give you a bath. I think he's figured out the difference between toilet paper and baby towels, dishwashing soap and shampoo, and how to plug the tub without a glob of...guck. Hey, James."
"What?" James asked.
Lily carried Harry to kitchen where he actually stopped squirming.
'What in the house is happening?'
Jasmine was standing on top of Sirius's shoulders - both were extremely wobbly - who was standing on top of a small spinney stool. James was trying to steady them while Remus was handing Jasmine streamers as he untangled them - it was a miracle they hadn't ripped by now.
Every one of them had small scrap papers, pieces of tape, bits of glue, and what Harry thought was called 'silly string' all over them.
"Couldn't have just magic?" Sirius grumbled.
"I happen to think it looks better when done by hand," Lily said matter-of-factly. "James, Harry wants you to give him his bath."
"Oh, okay."
"No! Wait 'til I"...too late.
James had moved to take Harry before Lily could take his place in steading Sirius. The stool spun and Jasmine toppled over as Sirius crashed into the wall. In effort to steady herself, however, she grabbed Sirius's hair, who, in turn, screeched like a little girl, fell, swung out his arm, and winded Remus, who fell on top of them. The streamers flew into the air and slowly fluttered down on top of the three Marauders.
"Oops."
Jasmine was the first to recover her voice. "Potter, I'm going to hurt you, and Sirius, if you want to live, I suggest you get your big a-r-s-e offa me!"
"Oh, sorry, that's me," Remus confessed.
"Sorry, Pads. Okay then, Remus, if you want to live... thank you."
Remus, Sirius, and Jasmine untangled themselves and got up, looking at James.
"I'm going to go give Harry his bath now." James grabbed Harry and ran up to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
James put Harry down and he made a mad crawling dash for the undersink cabinet. 'I'm not going down that easy!' He opened the door and crawled behind some bath toys - in the way back.
"Harry, no!" James yelled as he tried to stop Harry from hurting himself or getting stuck.
Harry chuckled to himself as he watched his father get down on his hands and knees and try to crawl in after him.
He got stuck.
When James found that he was stuck half-in half-out of the undersink cabinet, he knew transforming would be no good - the antlers would not help at all.
"LILY! LILY! HELP! YOUR SON'S TRYING TO KILL ME! LILY!"
Meanwhile, Harry crawled out of the cabinet through the other door and crawled as fast as he could to the door and down the stairs as his mother and godparents came in the bathroom.
"Just as Harry made it to the playpen, he heard, "And where do you think you're going?"
Remus picked up Harry, who found himself looking into a smiling face.
Harry quickly made the face Sirius had taught him to 'get out of trouble in school', or, for now, got out of bathtime.
Remus took one look into Harry's big, round, sad, innocent, green eyes and felt his heart melt. When he saw Harry's bottom lip quiver into the 'puppy dog pout' he said, "Aww...Harry. Well, I can't take you up to your mother for a bath now."
'Yes!' Harry stared to smile.
"I'll just get someone cold and heartless to. Hey, Jas!" he called up the stairs.
"Yeah, what?" she answered back.
"Come here a minute."
"What?" she asked, now in the same room.
"He's using the 'Sirius Technique'. I can't take him to a bath now."
"Okay, will in a sec. I just have to get the butter first."
'Butter?' Harry thought. 'That yummy yellow goop that's fun to play with?'
"Butter?" Remus questioned.
"Hmhmm," Jasmine nodded. "A bit of a dilemma upstairs, and while, yes, we could use magic, Sirius thinks this would be funnier, and I have to agree. So Lily went to grab my Marauder Shame Camera."
Harry looked up at his godmother, now holding him. 'Wow, I musta done a better job at getting Daddy stuck than I thought! Worthy of The Camera!'
He was extremely happy with himself, his work going into the Marauder Shame Photo Book, but Harry figured that when his daddy and godparents had taught him about - what was the word? pranks? - his daddy had never figured he'd pull one on him!
One tup of butter, a lot of protesting, and a dozen pictures later, James had been successfully removed from the undersink cabinet without magic, and was in need of a shower himself.
Harry was beside himself with laughter at the sight of his father covered in butter, trying not to squeal too girly as he walked to his and Lily's bathroom and it spread underneath his clothes. Everyone else was too.
A/N: What'd ya think? And if you like Blotchy, he will return at least once in 'To Lose It All'.
I've finished writing the next chapter, i just need to type it. =)
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