"I'm really thirsty," James complained.

Mrs. Lupin smiled at him. "The water's in the kitchen," she said cheerfully, "help yourself." She carried on with the housework, straightening the pillows on the couch, and occasionally dusting off a few potted plants.

James stared.

He had just realized a truth about himself. I was a truth that he did not find very pleasing.

James Potter had never gotten a cup of water for himself.

At home, if he'd even thought the word water, a house elf would appear at once with a tray. At school, water would magically appear on the house tables; another luxury owed to house elves. Not to mention that when he become thirsty in the dorms, either Remus, Peter, or even Sirius would calmly hand him a glass (James suspected the charm aguamenti.).

He sneaked a glance at Mrs. Lupin.

It wasn't that he minded getting his own water, (he was spoiled, but not that lazy) it was the simply embarrassing fact that he didn't know how to get his own water.

Well, he was not the one to let a small thing like not knowing how to do something get in the way of his doing it. He would find a way to get some damned water.

He walked in the direction that Mrs. Lupin'd seemed to look at when she'd said water,and found himself in a small, clean room. There were some grapes on the counter. James walked over and tried to eat one.

The grape would not come off. It wasn't a grape anyway; the grape-like rubber thing was filled with air.

What kind of a nutter keeps fake grapes in a bowl? James wondered.

Perhaps it was a prank. Yes, that was exactly the type of thing Remus would do. If that was so, then obviously, the fake grapes were obviously placed so obviously, to make him put his guard down. (obviously)

He walked to the large white box in the corner and opened it. Inside, there was a container full of ice blocks.

James recalled Remus once saying that his mother was muggle-born and that she still used some muggle-methods out of habit. Perhaps muggles froze their water to store it more efficiently.

Now that he had succeeded in finding the water, (well, it was really ice, but still essentially water) all he needed was a glass.

He wandered to around the kitchen and opened a random cabinet. It was full of bowls, not cups, but James was getting very tired of this annoying adventure. He took a pretty, white, glass bowl from the cabinet, placed some squares of ice into it and waited for it to melt.

The ice just sat there, mocking him.

James glared at the ice, and decided that placing it on the windowsill would be a good idea. There was a chance that the sunlight would melt it faster.

When he set the bowl onto the sunny spot on the sill, he saw a clear pitcher filled up to about halfway with— .

Ah. So that was where the water was.

James shook his head ruefully and poured the water into the bowl. Although, there was really no need to do so, as the ice had already melted. This was becoming a very tiresome ordeal.

"There you are," Remus said brightly from behind him. "Sorry it took so long, I forgot to pack my— are you drinking from a bowl?"

James grinned, "Yes."

"... Why?"

"Didn't feel like looking for a cup, I guess. Great prank with the grapes by the way..."