James knows that his school bag is boring and unoriginal, but he never would have thought that it would result in an afternoon of storming around the school looking for the thief.
He supposes that it all started at break - he'd ditched his bag in the usual place, outside the lunch room with everyone else's. With a thousand or so similar looking bags shoved into a corridor, it was really no surprise that his was taken by someone else, and that he had taken that somebody else's.
James had gone about his normal break time, scoffing down a packet of crisps and debating about whether Arsenal had any chance of coming top of the league this season. He had then dragged Remus from his chocolate bar to take him to Physics after the bell had rung, and grabbed the first poor, unsuspecting grey rucksack that he saw.
Remus and James had met Sirius and Peter at the end of the corridor, and walked up three flights of stairs together, James oblivious to the fact that his bag didn't weigh half as much as it normally did.
And then, the inevitable. The boys had sat down in their seats at the back of the classroom, and James had opened his - or not his - bag.
An immediate groan escaped from James' lips, "Fuck."
"What?" asked Peter, still sucking on the straw coming from the top of his juice box.
"This isn't my bag, I must have taken someone else's," James scowled and ran a hand through his hair.
At this point, the teacher comes in and of course, it's a substitute. Mrs. I'm-so-boring-and-annoying-and-worst-teacher-ever (in Sirius' words, at least) introduces herself, and orders the class to take their textbooks out.
Wordlessly, Sirius shoves his book in between James' and his own desk, so that they can share. This is all well and good until the substitute's silhouette is looming over their tables, a suspicious look on her face.
Sirius rolls his eyes as James explains. "I'm sorry, Miss, but I've taken somebody else's bag, so we have to share."
The substitute glares and James wishes hopelessly that Ms. McGonagall wasn't off sick. "Well, Mr..."
"Potter."
"Mr. Potter, this won't do. I won't have you sharing books in my lesson."
"It's not your lesson," James wants to say, but he keeps his mouth shut and tries not to retort.
"Go and find your bag and then come back."
Sirius snickers as James gives a curt nod to the teacher who turns her back and walks away.
"I'm copying off you later," James mutters to Remus, who laughs as James shoots a subtle middle finger up at the teacher as he leaves the classroom.
Walking slowly through the corridors, James comes to the conclusion that this has to be the most irritating day he's had in a while. Not only is it mid-February, with freezing weather and badly insulated hallways, he can't even leave school. His phone is in his stolen schoolbag and if he doesn't have that, he can't text any of his mates to formulate a plan to get out. Instead, he's wondering about, looking for a bag thief.
James' stomach rumbles and he glowers. He sits down on the floor outside an art room and puts the unknown bag on his lap.
"Maybe," he mutters to himself, "There's food inside here."
His hunger and curiosity overtake his morals (he can just buy more food for the culprit later, right?) and James zips open the bag. Ruffling around, he draws a few deductions about the bandit. Firstly, it is a girl. He can tell this from the blue hairbrush he finds, and the long red hairs that are tangled into the bristles. Also, she is organised. Her books look very neat and tidy, and all her belongings are ordered. Lastly, that her name is Lily. James doesn't think that this is very helpful – Lily is a fairly common name, and there are over a thousand people in his school. Who doesn't write their surname on their books?
Then, he hits gold – there is an abandoned cereal bar in the section of Lily's bag that contains her pencil case. Smirking to himself, James unwraps the bar and discovers happily that it is chocolate flavoured. He is just about to take a glorious, guilt-ridden bite when he hears footsteps and an angry voice.
"Oi! That's my bag!"
Like a deer in the headlights, James has been caught red handed, and there is a red headed girl standing over him, livid.
Abruptly, James stands up and zips up her bag with one hand, still holding the cereal bar with the other. "Sorry," he says, "I was just –"
"Who do you think you are, nicking my food? I've been looking for my bag all fucking afternoon, and then I come here and you're happily eating my cereal bar –"
"Well actually, I hadn't started eating it yet, so –"
"Does it look like I give a shit? You're the one who stole my bag, and –"
"Excuse me? I've been walking around all day looking for my bag, and you just skip in here and tell me that I'm the thief? You're the bag thief!"
"No, you are!"
"You are!"
"Oh, shut up! The teachers will be out any second because you're so damn loud!"
James scoffs and steps forward, narrowing his eyes and lowering his voice, "I'm the loud one? What world are you living in, Lily?"
"Oh you're just so full of – hang on," she pauses, stabbing a finger into his chest, "How did you know my name?"
"I looked at your books." James blurts out, and he blushes uncharacteristically.
Lily huffs and slides down the wall, slumping onto the floor and locking her jaw in a scowl. After a few seconds, James plonks down next to her and they glare at the opposite wall together. What kind of a girl comes up to you and shouts at you when she stole your stuff?
Lily is the first to speak. "I'm sorry, you know. For yelling at you."
"I'm sorry for stealing your bag." James admits.
"I'm sorry for stealing yours."
"I'm sorry for nearly eating your cereal bar."
Lily laughs and pulls it out of his hand, snapping it into two. "Here," she says, and she passes him half of it.
James smiles and accepts it, munching happily until it's all gone.
"What's your name?" she asks, leaning her head against the wall.
"James Potter. And you're Lily...?"
"Evans."
"Cool."
"Yeah."
James laughs and says after a moment, "That was a really stupid argument, wasn't it?"
"It was. But I've successfully missed most of Geography, so..." Lily shrugs, smiling.
"So maybe it was worth it."
"Maybe."
Lily passes James' bag over to him and he does the same.
"I really need to get a new bag." James says, and Lily nods in agreement.
"So do I. But I'm kind of glad you stole mine, because that was a really boring lesson."
"And you got to meet me." James smirks, and Lily smiles.
"Yeah, that was a definite upside too."
There's a slight pause, and then, "Hey, Lily?"
"Hm?"
"I've got History tomorrow, period three, and I really don't want to go."
Lily catches on instantly. "Really? What a coincidence. I wonder what would happen if I accidently stole your bag during break, just in time for my awful Chemistry lesson..."
James nods seriously, "It would be such a disaster. I mean, I'd have to leave History and go looking for you."
"And I wouldn't be able to find you for ages, so I couldn't go back to Chemistry."
"I guess we'll have to see. It could happen, Lily. You never know." James winks at her and she snorts.
"You, James Potter, are a terrible influence."
He nudges her, "And you, Lily Evans, are the bag thief."