Dedicated to xBrinaxx, a fan of my writing, good author and fellow Sirius/James shipper. (Where've you gone?)
(Re-written)
mel·an·cho·li·a (n.)- Extreme depression characterized by tearful sadness and irrational fears.
"Come on Prongs! Read it!" Sirius said to his friend, stuffing the pamphlet into his face. It was a hot and sticky summer afternoon and this was the last thing James felt like dealing with. It pushed it away. "Please?"
James sighed and snatched the pamphlet away, looking at the first few lines for a few seconds before shoving it back.
"No Padfoot, I'm not performing some wacky tests or participating in your schemes, I'm working." James said irritably as he punched something into the muggle machine, trying to figure out how to work it. He would probably earn more pay and do a better job at wizard job, plus something on his resume after school, but after comparing it with the humiliation of everyone at school knowing, he'd decided it wasn't worth it.
"It's not wacky!" Sirius protested. "It's probably not even going to do anything to you."
"Exactly, because I'm not doing it."
"But look at the pay, 5 Galleons per test!" Sirius protested once more. "Think of all the pretty things you could seduce Evans with it..." He poked at the pamphlet again. He knew James' weak spots and poked at it. James felt his resolve crumbling and held onto it best he could.
"Nice try, but you're on your own for this one. Besides, I already have a job." He said somewhat remorsefully (only having a job because his parents had made him take it by cutting off his pocket money and refusing to buy him a new broom) and Sirius, spirits still not dampened, turned around and started to walk out.
"Okay... enjoy your Summer working Prongs..." He said in a singsong voice as he smirked at the ugly purple uniform his friend had to wear. He was about to exit the restaurant when James called him back, unable to handle the pressure. Sirius had know he would cave and James felt like cursing the smug look on his face as he returned.
James stared at his feet as he talked.
"I'll take the job with you." He said and Sirius screamed in triumph and laughter as he watched his friend blush, making some of the customers shoot him strange looks and stop eating. The ones in the queue behind him took a step back.
"Potter, what are you doing?" The manager, a big boy about nineteen or twenty asked him gruffly. The manager who'd picked on James since day one. James looked up into his purple moustachioed face. "Is there a problem?"
"Yeah, there is, I quit."
"You shouldn't have done that."
"What? It's hot. And who doesn't like icecream?"
"I'm sure he likes icecream Sirius, just not on his head."
"Well he was going to hit you. And you did call him a Prat, so you started it." James just shook his head. "So, are we going to do this?"
"I obviously have no choice. I'm not in the mood to face the wrath of my parents unemployed..." James said as they walked down the empty muggle street, crumpled pamphlet in his hand. "It's not fair, why don't you have to get a job but I do?" He complained and Sirius smirked and just pulled a tongue at him.