"Sirius, you know…girls, right?"
Sirius swings around on the swivel chair he is occupying. This sounds like an intriguing question.
"Know of them." He grins at James, who shoves his hands in his pockets and blushes.
"What is it you want?"
Sirius is curious. He loves nothing more than teasing James about girl trouble. Nothing. Is James going to submit himself to Sirius's wrath voluntarily? It is almost not worth hoping for.
He slides the novel he's reading under the desk and eyes James, standing in the doorway, looking uncomfortable.
"Well, just…" James shrugs and sits down on his bed, about a metre away from Sirius. Sirius looks straight at him.
"What?" He says it harshly, trying to kick start James into action. "Come on lad, spit it out!"
They both laugh at his army interrogator voice.
James looks up at Sirius.
"I- I need your help." He looks down, shamefacedly, as if admitting to a terrible weakness. Which, in some ways, it is. Asking Sirius for help, you know you've reached rock bottom.
"I'm intrigued." Sirius knows he has to step carefully, when uncomfortable, James tends gets a bit free with his wand. Sirius's mind flashes back to the bat bogey hex incident and he shudders involuntarily. Never again.
"Well it's… Lily's…" Sirius could have guessed it'd be something to do with her. "…birthday."
"And?" Sirius prompts, "are you invited?"
"No." James shakes his head mournfully and Sirius has to fight the urge to laugh. Did he actually expect an invite?
"So what do you want help with?" Sirius perks up, "shall we gatecrash?"
"No!" James is frustrated. Why does Padfoot have to make a joke out of everything? He knew he should have gone to Moony. But that would have involved a letter and Sirius might have found it. Eurgh. He imagines the stick he would get for that.
"No I want you to help me…" James intakes a deep breath and says the rest of the words in a rush, "buyherapresent."
"Be, who, a whatnow?" Sirius asks, a gleam in his eye. In actual fact he knows exactly what James said, he just wants to hear him say it again. Torturing his friends is the only amusement he has in his otherwise dreary life.
"I want you to help me buy-her-a-present." James says, annunciating each word careful, staring out the window, furiously.
"Me?" Sirius is actually quite surprised. He would have thought he'd be the last person Prongs would ask for that sort of thing. He's touched.
"Yes."
"But…why not Moony?" He is genuinely bemused.
"Becauuusse…" James drags the word out, as if talking to the very deaf or the very stupid, "He is at his little home upcountry for Easter, her birthday is the day after tomorrow and you are available."
Sirius scowls. For a second there he thought James might actually like him. Well, those hopes were dashed on the rocks…
"Alright." Despite that, he is quite excited. He has never shopped for a girl before- apart from his disgusting cousins- and is eager for the challenge. Besides, Hogsmead will be nice in spring!
"Fine, tomorrow?" James half wishes he hadn't asked Sirius for assistance, he is wary of the glint in Sirius's eye.
"Tomorrow, great. I'll see you by the clock." Sirius turns back to his book, and James, recognising that he is being dismissed, backs out the room and shuts the door.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"How about this!" Sirius holds up a jewel encrusted box. James looks at it with interest.
"Not bad, how much?"
"Dunno, but look at this!" Sirius flips up the lid and the room is filled with opera singing.
"Turn it off!" James howls, hands over his ears. Sirius shuts the lid, laughing at James's expression. His laughter stops suddenly as he sees who is behind James.
"Miss Blossoms boutique and jewellers. Didn't think this would be your sort of place." Says Lily coolly, removing her hands from her ears. The posse of giggling girls, she always seems to have with her, giggle.
"Oh well…er, I Just-" James blusters, his hand jumping to the back of his hair. Sirius groans and steps in, subtly.
"Would you girls like to come with me? I'll take you for a drink, my treat." He says smoothly, putting his arms round two of Lily's entourage. They- would you have guessed it- giggle, and agree to go with him.
As he leaves the shop Sirius gives James a large wink and a look which means, "Your treat."
James groans. He can't afford to pay for ten girls alcohol requirements- which he's sure are huge- on top of Lily's present. Speaking of which…
"They certainly seemed eager to leave us alone." Lily observes, fiddling disinterestedly with a flashing tiara, from which echoes the words, "I love you…" on a loop. Sort of like James's own brain, James thinks pensively.
"Yeah, well…" James shrugs. He wonders how he can slip his latest Quidditch victory into the conversation subtly.
"I wonder…" Lily turns to him, her lips parted slightly. James stares at them, transfixed. "Do you think that they know something that we don't?"
"I-" James tries desperately to stop staring at her lips, "I don't know what you mean."
"No…" She muses, "I daresay you don't." She puts the tiara down and turns to face him.
"James?" He wonders, with excitement, what she could be asking. For a date? A kiss? A lifetime together?
"Yes?" His voice is barely above a whisper.
"Is…" She pauses and looks down, embarrassed. It must be something personal, thinks James with glee.
"Is…Sirius single?"
Huh?
"W-what?" James splutters. She can't be attracted to Sirius of all people? Sirius who has made every sexist, degrading comment about her possible, who has teased and tormented James for liking her, who has listed her faults in great detail when James is low? That same Sirius?
"Oh, not for me." Lily says quickly, blushing slightly.
"Oh, well…not that I'm bothered. I- I don't know.". It seems a rather pathetic thing to say. Why doesn't he know? Why is Sirius's love life so much more or a mystery than his? He is sure Lily can list the dating history of every girl in Gryffendor. The thought brings a redness to James's cheeks. He has the overwhelming urge to take his glasses off and clean them- they're becoming rather steamed up- but resists it.
"No…" Lily laughs slightly, as if she could read his mind, and her eyes twinkle brightly, "Anyway," she continues, "the reason I'm asking is that, you know my friend Skye?"
James doesn't but he can assume she was somewhere, giggling.
"Yeah?"
"Well, she totally rates Sirius."
Rates? What does rates mean?
"Oh, right?"
Lily ploughs on, looking deeply like she'd rather be somewhere, anywhere, else. The worst thing is, James realises that she only spoke to him because of her friend, not from any real desire.
"So," lily continues, "she wants to know if he like…rates her?"
"Well…" James isn't really sure how to answer this. Sirius likes pretty much anything with legs and a half decent tan. He supposes he will be perfectly interested with dating one of Lily's friends. But James is worried for himself. Sirius is not exactly the most commitment prone fellow and James would hate to see his- fragile though it may be- relationship with Lily ruined because Sirius breaks up with one of her friends. But then again, agreeing to the plan will make Lily happy. And making Lily happy is one of the things James has strived to do almost all his life. Well, since third year. He will have to risk it. Not for himself, or for Sirius- but for Lily.
"Sure, I'm sure he's interested." He's sure she must be unaware of the internal battle that went on inside his brain. It's probably better that way.
"Well, if you could check with him, that would be great." Lily looks at him earnestly, her big green eyes glittering mesmerising. James promptly forgets everything he's ever thought, felt or heard.
"Absolutely, sure, sure." James stammers.
Lily smiles and touches him on the arm.
"Thank you James, I really appreciate it." She lets go of his arm and turns to walk out of the shop. James watches for a moment before shaking himself alert. Just as she reaches the doorway, he calls out,
"hey Lily!"
She turns to look at him.
"Yeah?"
"Have a happy birthday!"
She smiles at him, a genuine smile that makes his knees go weak, before swinging out the shop, with a little jingle. James stands there, alone in the midst of all the females, staring straight at the door, for several minutes.
Lily likes him! Lily touched him! He and Lily had a conversation! He replays the whole thing back in his head over and over until, finally, Padfoot comes to shake him out of his reverie.
"James? James, you okay?"
James turns to look at him. Sirius looks pleased with himself. I suppose who wouldn't, thinks James reflectively, he has just spent half an hour in a bar with lots of- giggling- girls.
"What happened then? A la Lily?" Sirius asks as they move to walk out the store. James shrugs, shoving his hands deep in his pockets.
"Nothin' much."
"Come on! You were in there for a while, what did you talk about?"
"I don't want to talk about it okay?"
James feels bad about blocking Sirius out but he really, really wants to preserve this memory as it is, without any of Sirius's jokes or innuendoes or- "that must mean she wants to have sex with you!". It was a precious moment and he wants it to remain the same for ever.
They're nearly at the castle before James turns to Sirius.
"Bye the way," He says conversationally, "What do you think of Skye?"
"Skye who?" Sirius asks, looking at James.
James hasn't the faintest idea.
"I- I can't remember."
"Well, what's she look like?"
"She's…" Damn. James wishes he'd paid more attention earlier. "Blonde?" He's sure at least seventy percent of the clique had been blond. The odds were on his side.
Sirius considers this. His last girlfriend had been a brunette. Maybe he should play the field, colour-wise.
"What about her?"
"She really rates you." James pulls a face, as if to say, Beats-me-why! Sirius bites his lip in confusion.
"What the fuck does "rates" mean?"
James sighs. Sirius is so eloquent.
"I haven't the faintest idea."
"Oh."
"yeah."
They continue in silence once more.
"You think I should ask her out?" Sirius wonders.
"I think that, yeah."
"Fine."
"Fine."
"Bye the way, James?"
"yeah?"
"What did you get Lily for her birthday?"
"Fuck!"
This was kinda crap, but I was bored. Hope you like- even if you don't, it was fun to write. Just while I search for inspiration for my other stories. Please R & R. Thanks, Zellahxx