"Ow!" Sirius cried as the sewing machine he was currently using punctured his finger. Professor Dobson, the muggle studies teacher, ran up to see Sirius' current injury and quickly decided this was a job for Madame Pomfrey.
"I'll be right back class; I need to escort Mr. Black to the hospital wing. Please Behave!" Professor Dobson looked to James Potter as he said this. As soon as the door closed behind them, the class erupted with noise.
"Why did we even take this class?" James sighed. He grinned as he looked to his remaining friends watching as that attempted to sew. Peter was currently tangled in his thread and was quite a comical sight as no one would help him. Remus was reading; he refused to sew and no one seemed to be care. James glanced down at his own project, a tangled mess of thread and fabric attached to his machine.
"What is that supposed to be Prongs? And to answer your previous question, look up." said Remus, looking up from his book.
James looked up to a view of red hair. "Oh right, Lily" he said getting a stupid look on his face as he stared at her. Why she was taking this class when she was muggle-born was a mystery. She was too busy sewing and laughing with her friends to notice James staring at her. "Well Moony, I as to your question about my project, its Lily's birthday soon and I wanted to make her a present. Since her book bag broke the other day I decided to make her a new one. Then she will have to love me" He announced proudly.
A snort was heard from Peter. "Well good luck with that plan Prongs" he said
"Wasn't it your fault her bag broke?" Remus asked, grinning.
James' smile fell, "I was trying to be a gentleman and carry her books for her. Is it really my fault she wouldn't let go?" H turned back to his project and tried to get the machine to let go of it.
"This would be so much easier if we could just use magic!" cried a frustrated James a few minutes later.
"Using magic would defeat the purpose of the class Prongs. Remember, its muggle studies." said Remus shaking his head.
"Right, I guess…but still!" said James
Moments later the bell rang signaling the end of class and he beginning of lunch. The remaining Marauders quickly ran from there seats and out of class to the Great Hall, well Peter hopped. James and Peter began stuffing their faces with food while Remus ate more carefully. About halfway through the lunch period, Sirius returned with his had as good as new.
"Padfoot! You're back! How's the hand?" exclaimed James as Sirius sat down.
"Well for a moment there I wasn't sure I was going to make it," said Sirius seriously, "but I got a cool scar!" he yelled and thrust his hand into his friends faces.
Remus laughed after seeing Sirius' scar; a perfect circle on his index finger.
"Girls will be even more in love with me when I tell them I have a scar from battle." Sirius said triumphantly.
"From what battle, Padfoot, the attack of the sewing machine?" James laughed.
Sirius said nothing and continued his lunch.
A few days later, the marauders were once again in muggle studies. James was actually making progress on his project and Sirius had been forbidden from using the sewing machine and was currently attempting to handsew. Remus was resting in the hospital wing for the full moon that night and Peter claimed to be ill and had missed the class, but James and Sirius knew it was because he didn't want to be tangled in the threads again.
"Ow!" yelled Sirius suddenly causing James to look up from his sewing.
"What happened Padfoot?" he asked
Sirius thrust his finger under James' nose. "I poked myself! Again! See!" He waved his finger.
James looked to see a drop of blood where he had been pricked.
"Tell me, is it fatal? I can't look!" Sirius cried out dramatically.
"No, you prat, its jut a little blood. I think you'll survive." James said shoving Sirius' hand away.
"Prongs?" Sirius asked cautiously. "Will you kiss it better?"
James just looked at him. "Why don't you go get some girl to do that? I'm sure she would have sympathy for you."
"Brilliant!" Sirius cried and made his way over to a blonde Hufflepuff.
James watched as his best friend flirted with the girl, causing her to blush. Then his gaze traveled to Lily, who was currently sewing and talking with her friends. James sighed, it was her birthday in two days; he would never finish in time. He got back to work and surprisingly James found that by the end of the class his project was completed. Without the distractions of his friends he had managed to finish it early. He took his project to the professor to be marked and Professor Dobson was impressed.
"Why, Mr. Potter, I had no idea of your talent" she exclaimed.
"Yes!" James proceeded to do his happy dance all the way to lunch.
"I finished it guys!" James yelled as he sat down with Sirius and Peter for lunch. "Now to give it to Lily."
"Good luck with that one Prongs. She never accepts you gifts." said Peter laughing at his friend's antics.
"Wait and see Wormtail. She will accept this gift. I know she will." James said confidently.
"So you've got a plan then?" Remus asked, looking amused.
James faltered, "not yet, but it will come to me." He finished triumphantly.
The conversation ended and the silence was filled with the sounds of students eating lunch.
"I've got it!" James yelled abruptly. "I'll give it to her anonymously"
"As if that will work Prongs." said Sirius looking skeptically.
To the Marauders surprise, Lily loved the new book bag and began to use it immediately. She was puzzled as to who would give her such a nice present anonymously and her friends all thought she had a secret admirer, which to an extent were true with the exception to the secret part. James gloated over his win for weeks after Lily's birthday but the other Marauders had the last laugh. It seemed James, after seeing how happy Lily was with his present, couldn't help himself and revealed him as the present giver. This earned him a slap in the face and a soft whisper of "Thank you James" that only he could hear as she walked past him to her next class.
