A/N: This is a one-page story I wrote for my English class. The limit was indeed one page, meaning this isn't nearly as good as I wanted it to be. I would edit it more, but I would rather work on Distant Memories, my actual good story, than this one-shot. This story is written in interior monologue (GASP LITERARY TERM, MY TEACHER WOULD BE PROUD) and is pretty much James's thoughts inside his head as he sits on his bed the last day of Hogwarts. I really hope you all like it!
Once upon a time I could look into her emerald eyes and see layers of hatred. I could look at her flaming auburn hair and see little cackles of electricity protruding from her head. But I can't anymore. Because, as odd as this may sound, we grew up. We grew up to become friends after hardships, and we grew up to look beyond what we knew, or rather, what we thought we knew.
The white bed in the dormitory is soft, and it is where I sit now, waiting for the train to finally take me away from this comfort. Five years from now, I'll probably look back with smiles and regret at all the funny things that happened. But today, today is my last day at this comfortable school that I call home. For seven years, I've lived here, and for seven years, I've found myself. From that first day on the train until now, it's been nothing but laughter, tears and joy. I have four great friends that have been with me all through school. First, there's Sirius, my partner in crime. Next, there's Remus, a studious, gentle guy that happens to be a werewolf. Then, there's Peter, a loyal friend that supports me in everything I do. Lastly, there's Lily. Lily. She hated me. She hated me for the longest time, because I was too vain and too much of a rule-breaker to try to act like anything other than an ego-trip on a broomstick.
But things changed. This past year, we were made Head Girl and Head Boy. Why on earth anyone would choose me as Head Boy is beyond me, but it happened. I started to see past the stubborn redhead, for whom I've always held a secret crush. She started to see past the jerk with the messy black hair and thick glasses. It took some time, but it happened. We fell in love. It wasn't a perfect relationship, but every little problem seemed to make us stronger, take us deeper into each other's souls. We understood each other like best friends, only we were more.
But best friends, that was an entirely different story. The Marauders, we called ourselves. The past seven years we went around like we owned the school. We pranked, we laughed, we were carefree. But we had a bond stronger than anyone could ever imagine. We weren't just friends – we were brothers. We risked our lives for each other. When Remus told us he was a werewolf, Sirius, Peter and I became illegal Animagi to accompany the werewolf one night out of every month. We didn't care that the werewolf was capable to tearing us to bits. We never thought about that. All we ever thought about was poor Remus battling himself as the bright round orb arises in the dead of night every twenty-nine days.
Through these past seven years, I found friends I would give my life for. I've found a love that makes me love life every day. I've learned about the world around me, been through near-death experiences that have made me a better person. But most of all, I found myself within these people that I considered family. Finally, I have truly lived.