Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the show so please don't sue.
A/N: This is going to be very AU and there will be some slash in this. If you don't enjoy, I won't force you to read! In this, James is Bisexual, Sirius is bisexual, Remus is straight and Lily is Straight. If you haven't noticed, no Peter and probably no Voldemort! Oh how I love AU! Will eventually be JamesLily, SiriusOC and RemusTonks. However, until then, James will be with a few guys but nothing too graphic, nor will he stay with them. Right, now that's out the way, onw ithe the prologue!
Diagon Alley has many streets branching off it; some bad like Knockturn Alley while others hold secrets so few people know about; worlds that children should never know about including some others that only the most observant would be able to find. This is the world where James Potter lived; the world of fantasy, sex and greed. Where bodies are sold to the passion of the night and those who sell themselves are simply nameless, faceless bodies to be bought at will.
The Bird Call was a reputable place. Set in the red light district, if you wanted the best and in a clean establishment where no one would ask your name, simply your need, this was the place to go. The rich, the young, the elderly, the desperate, all frequented the old building. It was a small cream building that seemed to blend into its background with only a small sign on the front claiming this was The Bird Call, however inside was a completely different story. It was far larger with many branches coming off the main reception area, and each branch holding many rooms with the workers; their own personal quarters at the far back out of the view of the cliental. And so, this is where we join James, in his quarters, thinking.
Lying on his small bed, he stared at the ceiling, as he had done many times before. A day off, it hadn't happened in while, but he mused, everyone needs a break at some point, and at least this way he was awake enough to go into the main alley, somewhere he hadn't been for a while.
The room was small and cramped; it wasn't as though he was to spend much time there he thought humourlessly, just to sleep after a hard night. The walls were a pale grey colour as though they had been something else a long while ago, but the colour had faded so much it was impossible to tell. He could always use his wand and change the colour, but it was rare he was in the mood to re-decorate. The bed was narrow and only big enough for one person. This he had though transfigured, making sure the mattress was as soft as possible with the nicest sheets and blankets he could conjure.
The rooms each of them were given only held the very basics, anything else you had to provide, not to mention you were forced to share with someone else. Two meals a day were also included, or rather take out of their pay, and the third they had to go and buy themselves, hoping somewhere at the times they were awake was open. The most local shop though had picked up on this trade and was open all the odd hours those who worked at the Bird Call needed.
Rolling off his bed, he looked around the simplistic room. In one corner was a chair and small table with a few days worth of newspapers on it, the window in which the owl delivered through was directly above the table, while to one side of it was his roommate's bed and his few possessions.
James' chest of draws, on top of which was all his meagre possessions, a few pieces of jewellery and a few books sat at the foot of his bed while a few yards away was his door. Just enough for someone to survive he thought as he rummaged through his draws for some clothes, after all it wouldn't do to go out in public naked!
He wasn't a bad looking person, a trait few possessed with this harsh life, with charcoal black hair that seemed to have a mind of its own as it flew off in every direction no matter how much James tried to tame it. His face was kind without a hint of a beard, instead he seemed to have an air of mischievousness about him with his smooth grin and twinkling hazel eyes, somewhat obscured by his thin wired glasses. His body was slender, not an uncommon look in this line of business with few scars from the years, whilst having a slight build to him that suggested he played some kind of sport from time to time. In actuality, he and some others, when they were awake enough had their own Quidditch games, him playing Chaser for his team. They practiced once a fortnight with a match every two months, a perfect way of relaxing here and caused a bit of laughter as all who worked there came to watch.
Deciding on a pair of boxers and some old brown robes, he hid his wand in the special sleeve in his robes before picking up his small bag of gold and tucking it into a pocket. Shutting the door as he stepped out, he cast a strong locking spell, not that there was anything of value to steal, it was mostly the principal of the thing and then began walking down the dimly lit corridor, greeting those few who were still up.
Reaching the reception, he waved cheerily to Maggie, the receptionist and a good friend of his. She was a young, brunette with purple streaks through her hair which was very different to her pale blue eyes, she wasn't a short person, but was still smaller than him and came up to his shoulder.
Maggie was the lady every person had to see if they wanted to use the services there, she decided who went with whom depending on taste, age, preferences and looks. She was a lady who had seen it all, she was the one who stopped things if they became too rough or dangerous, along with Al, the heavy set bouncer, she heard all the stories of what went on in the rooms as well as the fantasies of the clients, including the ones she turned away. At the young age of 23, she was a bright young woman who was friends with all who worked there, taking it upon herself to mother them as well as laugh with them. Many asked why she was working there of all places at her age and with her intelligence and looks, to which she always smiled and changed the subject, refusing to tell anyone but her closest friend the true reason why she stayed, but to all who worked there, she was one of them, even if she wasn't a prostitute herself.
Stepping outside he squinted into what he considered to be far too bright light, and began to meander his way to the bustling street, only his pale skin suggesting he wasn't used to the day, the thoughts of what book he could get next filling up his mind.