I've had this in my laptop for quite a while. I was waiting for the courage to post this but, since I have yet to find it, I'm jumping in blind. My very first story here on . I'm sorry for my English, as it's not my mother tongue there's bound to be some mistakes. I hope it's still enjoyable, though.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter franchise nor any of its characters and, sadly, I never will. The inspiration for this little thing came from an anonymous post I found on the internet... I just tried to put it into words.
James sighed.
It wasn't as if he felt unhappy, per se.
He wanted to see his mom and dad again, he wanted to sleep in his childhood room again and generally he missed his house, but he had found something there at Hogwarts – something he wasn't quite willing to let go, not even for just a couple of months.
James had found friends.
Remus Lupin. Peter Pettingrew. And, of course, Sirius Black.
Granted, they weren't his only friends. He had a lot more back at Godrick's Hollow as well, but these three boys were something else, something special. For starters, they were wizards like him. The boys back at home were Muggles through and through, and while James had never particularly cared – and he wouldn't start caring now – having three wizard friends who were also his age had a lot more potential in terms of fun.
Take Remus, for example. The sandy-haired boy was incredibly smart, not only in the bookish sense – even if he, along with Sirius and James, had ended up taking the second spot in the ten of the best students of the year, bested only by Lily Evans. But it was way beyond that. It was only thanks to his sharp mind and his unwillingness to get detentions that James and Sirius hadn't been caught after pulling a prank on somebody (or the entire school) half of the times. Both the raven-haired purebloods would always remember that memorable time Remus managed to save them all by arguing with McGonnagal of all people, using his hilariously iron-clad understanding of the rules in their favor. He had remained so collected, polite and respectful all the while that the Transfiguration Professor had just surrendered and let them go.
Remus was fun to hang around with, as with his dry sense of humor he was the only one besides Sirius who could keep up with James' banter and crazy ideas, actually giving useful inputs to bring the two dark-haired boys schemes to new heights. That, and when Sirius had declared he liked Remus within the end of their first Charms lesson, the other boy had smiled brightly at both of them – a smile that would have melted a Slytherin's heart faster than anyone could say quaffle.
As a bonus, he was the one who kept the other three somewhat in line, making sure that they had actually done the assigned homework ("You already get enough detentions without coming to class without your work done, you gits!"). Sirius hadn't particularly liked it, but thankfully James had been able to mellow him enough to accept it. And, Remus was incredibly good at tuning out Sirius' whining about homework dictators and fun-stealing stuck-up bookworms.
There was just that little peculiarity of his… Every month he'd disappear without fail with some excuse or another (Sirius would have called him out on it, but both James and Peter had convinced him not to). When he came back he seemed more exhausted than ever – and James was sure he could count more scars on him than at the beginning of the year.
Then there was Peter. He hadn't been an intentional addition, to be perfectly honest, a stray that one of James' own strays (Remus) had collected because he felt sorry in always seeing him alone. Sirius had just shrugged in that tolerant way of his – he wasn't one to take pity on people easily, but James and Remus had made it work anyway. And once Peter had felt comfortable enough, he had been quite the surprise – like the time when he actually earned his spot in their little group.
That time, even James' imagination, Sirius' wits, and Remus carefulness hadn't been enough to escape an irate Professor Sprout. She was about to give them detention when Peter had started to wax poetical and tear-jerking excuses for their stunt ("really ma'am, they did it for me, my owl isn't feeling good and I'm so worried I can't sleep at night! They are my friends and just wanted to cheer me up, you see? I know it wasn't fun for the Mandrakes, but please, Professor, can't you just forgive their hearts of gold for this once? I'll take detention myself if it's necessary, but please, don't punish them!").
After Professor Sprout had let them go, walking away from them while blowing her nose in a very suspicious way, Peter had turned to the other three boys with red cheeks and a timid smile. "I think that went well!" he had said. "Well?" had asked James, a huge smile slowly forming on his lips: "That was bloody brilliant, Peter!". Sirius was laughing his ass off and nodding, and Remus had that satisfied smile that said more than a thousand words. Yes, Peter was one of theirs, alright.
Last but not least, Sirius. Charming, witty, silver-tongued Sirius, way too mature and disillusioned for his age. And a surprisingly creative and humorous prankster, once he had started responding to James inputs. At first he had simply followed around his new friend, apparently perplexed but amused by James constant energy and enthusiasm. But whatever James had done he must have done it right, because a week hadn't passed before the first: "Hey James, you wanna…?" of many had left Sirius' lips. From that moment on, Hogwarts and its students, ghosts and Professors had trembled under their unstoppable force, and James had never felt more free, more alive, more happy in his life. Sirius too, apparently – his always pale face was now a bit more colored, his mouth was finally smiling or grinning and not always frowning, and that was that spark in his eyes that told James more than a million words ever could.
And while James loved both Remus and Peter, what he had with Sirius was something else. He didn't even need to speak, Sirius always understood what he was saying (or not saying) with a simple glance at his face – and it wasn't long until James found out he could do the same with Sirius.
"Does it bother you?" he had asked, actually unsure for the first time in his life. What if Sirius didn't want that… What had that Slytherin said?… Uncannily intimate relationship between them? But Sirius' silver eyes had widened at the question like they always did whenever he thought James had said or done something stupid, and James had let the matter go, reassured. The Slytherin had suffered a Sirius-branded prank not two days later, but that was neither here nor there. James had yet to say it out loud, but he had long since realized that what he had with Sirius went above and beyond a simple friendship – it was like having met a long lost brother.
So, you see, James wasn't unhappy about going home, but he knew he'd miss the other three terribly, even for just two months.
He sighed as Professor Dumbledore got up for the Final Day Speech, but shook his head a bit when silver eyes to his right, on the other side of the table, peered at his face curiously.
"Another year has passed" began the Headmaster with a gentle and mirthful smile: "It was a year of great conquests, new discoveries, laughs and mischief".
His azure eyes were swiping on the golden-and-red clad Hall, and if they rested a moment longer on James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter no one dared to giggle about it.
"Hopefully, you have learned new fascinating things – that no doubt you will forget over summer, but such is life –, bringing luster to your academic careers" the Professor continued: "And, of course, forged bonds that will last across time and space".
There was another brief pause, and the four Gryffindor boys smiled at each other, promises and fondness in their eyes.
"There would be a million words I could send you off with, but I think we all are starving and in need of food" chuckled Dumbledore: "So, let me just say this to you: aim for the stars!".
In future years, James would maintain that what transpired right after the Headmaster had uttered those words was one of the greatest achievements of the (yet unnamed) Marauders.
Everything happened in a second, and yet so in slow-motion that he didn't miss a single detail.
He could feel his lips stretching in laughter, he could see Sirius' suddenly horrified face turning to him, he could feel the mashed potatoes under his fingers and hear clearly the splat they made as they impacted with Sirius' face and hair.
A beat of utter silence passed.
"JAMES POTTER!".
James would have found hilarious that Sirius and Professor McGonnagal had roared his name at the same time, but he was too preoccupied with ducking a lamb leg directed at his glasses – he managed to avoid it for an inch, even if the sauce did splatter on his face and robes.
There was no time to cringe at the fact that it had hit a seventh year Slytherin right in the nape, sending him face first into his already full plate.
And there was definitely no time to cry over the spilled food as utter chaos began, roasted turkeys flying, peas and radishes being transformed in projectiles and people screaming, some hiding, some laughing and throwing food.
There was only Lily Evans shrieking with turnips in her hair and Snape chocking with a carrot up his nose, there was only Dumbledore doubled over with laughter, there were only the Heads of the Houses trying to end the impromptu fight without getting targeted with food.
There was only Remus' groan (and his broad grin, although he'd deny it when asked) as he dragged under the table a squeaking Peter, who was already red with Worchester sauce – courtesy of a now covered-with-food-from-head-to-toe James.
There was only Sirius' powerful laughter, his eyes shining like stars.
There was only everything.
So, there you have it (*nervous sweating*). Hated it? Liked it? Meh? Either way, please let me know. Constructive criticism is much appreciated :)