When I Come Around

Ship: RL/SB

Disclaimers: Still not mine. It's not a songfic but the inspiration came from Green Day's "When I Come Around"

January 14th, 1976

"Hey Evans! EVANS!"

Remus rolled his eyes as he watched his friend James stumble headfirst into yet another embarrassing situation. James had seen the pretty redhead walk into the Great Hall, and wasted no time in getting up to greet her, with a handful of strawberries and his wand.

"Think he'll do it this time?" asked his other friend, Sirius.

"Not a chance," Remus replied softly. "He's good, but not that good."

But still James headed onward, though Lily Evans had already turned around and begun walking the opposite direction. "I've got you something!"

"If it isn't a restraining order I don't want to see it!" she screamed, turning on him. He smiled; that was a reaction James always seemed to enjoy.

"No, I've got you a present, Evans, a real one." James pointed his wand at the strawberries in hand, which did nothing at first, but then exploded from within and splattered all over both James and Lily's robes.

She didn't say anything for a moment, but then a look of horror swept across her face. "POTTER!" she screeched, advancing on him, her wand outstretched. James backed up.

"Easy now, Evans. That's not what was supposed to happen..."

"What was he trying to turn them into this time?" asked Sirius.

"Roses," Remus replied.

"It would've been easier if he would've just transfigured some boring flowers into roses," Sirius pointed out.

"James has never chosen the easy path."

Now James was looking positively frightened. Lily had him pinned against the wall, with her wand at his neck. Apparently she decided that would cause too much trouble, because instead she lowered her wand and punched him in the side of the face. James recovered well enough, gave a toothy grin, and returned to where his friends were sitting. "She digs me."

"If by 'digs,' you mean 'is digging your grave,'" Sirius commented idly.

At this moment a squat, heavy-set boy came over to their table. "Oooh, did it work, James?" he asked. James just pointed at his eye, which was steadily becoming darker and darker. Peter shrugged. "Well, I bet you'll do better next time!"

"You'd better, or Peter might just die of disappointment." Sirius rolled his eyes. "Why can't you go find yourself your own girlfriend, and stop wasting your time ogling over James?"

Peter's face fell a little, but Remus knew that he was used to it by now. Still, Sirius never was very nice to Peter, and that had to get a little depressing after a while. He decided to change the subject. "Are we still on for tonight?"

"No, Moony, we're backing out on you," Sirius said sarcastically, but with a smile. "Of course we're still on. There's nothing else interesting to do around here. Besides, we wouldn't leave you all alone in the Shrieking Shack. Who knows what ickle goblins might decide to scare you?"

Remus gave a short laugh. "Or rather, who knows what ickle goblins I might decide to scare?"

"Good point," Sirius flashed a smile. He had a gorgeous smile...for a guy. Remus could see why all the girls were all over him.

Speaking of all the girls...

Miranda Delva, a busty 5th year Ravenclaw, had just began the walk to the Gryffindor table, her eyes fixated on Sirius. Sirius had not yet noticed; he was busy stuffing his plate with breakfast. Miranda, however, was not daunted. She came up behind him and whispered something in his ear that none of his friends quite caught. Sirius gave a sly smile. "Yeah, sure," he whispered back. He then cleared his throat. "If you gentlemen will excuse me, I have pressing business to attend to...unavoidable, you understand."

Remus rolled his eyes, hoping Sirius would catch it. Hoping Sirius would correct his deviant ways. Hoping Sirius would stop flirting with and taking advantage of every damned girl in the school. He, of course, did not. He left with Miranda, grinning foolishly, not missing a chance to grab her ass right before they got out of sight. Remus half-heartedly returned to his meal.

"Something wrong, Moony?" asked Peter.

"Lost my appetite," he muttered, "Full moon, and all..."

"Are you sure you're not wanting a little action, too?" asked James with a wicked face. "Because I can set you up with some lovely ladies..."

"No thanks, I think all of your efforts are best spent on Evans," said Remus, forcing a smile. "I'm going to the library to study."

"It's Saturday!" James protested. "Why don't you come practice quidditch with me?"

"No thanks," Remus smiled. "Someone has to have their Potions essay done, or else none of you will have a paper to copy."

And with that, Remus left the hall.

The best thing that could be said about the library was that absolutely nothing in the least bit out of the ordinary could occur there. Sirius had said so himself, justifying his statement by merely the fact that, "Pince is one old boring hag." James, he was sure, would've agreed at the time also, but was busy staring at Evans. Again.

Remus dropped his books on the table, eager to empty his mind of anything but the Boil Cure Potion, as he needed a full roll of parchment on it.

The boil cure potion, he wrote, is created by adding dried nettles, crushed snake fangs...

The library door had just swung open, and in walked Sirius and Miranda. Remus rolled his eyes. If they were going to be immature, could they at least do it where he wasn't trying to work?

Stewed horned slugs, and porcupine quills, which are to be added after the cauldron is taken off of the fire...

"Hey Remus!"

"Hi Sirius."

Remus fixed his stare on his parchment, trying to think of something to write so he wouldn't look stupid just sitting there. Vaguely he remembered the spell to cause boils was 'furnunculus'...

"Want to come play quidditch with James and I?"

Remus looked up skeptically to Sirius, who still had a firm grasp on Miranda's rear. "No thanks, I've got an essay to write."

"Come on, Moony, live a little!" Sirius clapped his hand on his shoulder. "You can write this tomorrow!"

"Or I could do it now," he said, "And play quidditch any time."

Sirius gave him a sly smile. How he hated that smile. "Miranda's going to kiss whoever scores the most goals..."

"Well that's no feat, if you're having Peter keep again," Remus said irritably. "Go on, have fun."

Sirius shrugged. "Suit yourself." He and Miranda turned to leave. Before they made it to the door, Remus could've swore he heard the girl whisper something about a broom cupboard to Sirius. Steeling himself, Remus began work once more on the potions essay.

Three ounces dried nettles, ten ounces crushed snake fangs, Sirius Black is an awful git...

It took a minute before he realized what he had wrote. Hastily he charmed away the offending words.

Four stewed horned slugs, twenty porcupine quills, I'm going to smash Sirius's face in if he doesn't get his hand off that girl's arse...

Again he charmed away the offending words. Why did it matter so much? What difference did it make if Sirius refused to grow up? They would still be friends, and Sirius hadn't changed since they had became friends...things were the same as they'd always been...he would just have to stop being so uptight, that's all.

With renewed confidence, he continued his potions essay uninterrupted.