AN: Hey there my loves! I have been sitting on this story for a VERY long time. The idea first came to me when I was very young and trying to flesh out in my mind who Harry's parents really were. In 2009, on a lovely backpacking trip through the U.P., the finite idea for the plot of this story hit me. I have no excuse for why I haven't plucked up the courage to publish until now excepting the fact that I am a semi-perfectionist and have been subtly revising this story every few weeks for the past 4 years. Anyway, I hope that whoever reads this will enjoy and give me feedback! Please reply!
James's POV
James lay contentedly in his bed smiling up at the crimson canopy above his head. Through the cracks in his curtains he could see pure sunlight glinting off of the water jug. The way the light hit it made it obvious that it was at least a little past noon.
Merlin, he hoped he hadn't missed anything too terribly important. But could anyone really blame him for, finally, after hours and hours of studying for his OWLs, catching some sleep? The most exhausting part of the process by far was hiding the fact that he did in fact, study at all. He had a reputation to uphold, after all.
Wormtail had wanted some help studying for his potions exam (remedial potions were held the day after everyone else finished their fifth year exams), but James wasn't sure he could be bothered. Moony had probably helped him out by now anyway.
He grinned again. He didn't think he could handle having Peter around if it weren't for Moony.
Ahh Wormtail, where would he be if it weren't for Moony? Moony hadn't been an instant Marauder either, James reminded himself. Two whole days passed of James and Sirius thinking he was too quiet and reserved to be a decent mate, before Sirius had been placed next to Remus in a charms class and they had emerged laughing raucously, much to Professor Flitwick's indignation.
James didn't know exactly what had transpired between the two to make Sirius so instantly fond of Remus, but the knowledge that his best mate was on board was good enough for him.
Peter on the other hand, had had no such special connection with his dorm mates. In fact, it was a sheer act of Remus's good heartedness that brought Peter into their circle.
Remus had come to lunch one day with a sniffling Peter in tow. Upon further inquiry, Remus had admitted that he had found Peter crying about it being the fifth week of school and him not having any friends, in the boys bathroom.
It all worked out in the end, however. Most people still didn't understand why Quidditch star Potter, as well as Tall, dark, handsome and cool Sirius Black, and kind, intelligent Remus let fat, stupid and mildly irritating Peter Pettigrew trod around after them. The truth was Moony was too kind to tell him off, Sirius didn't want Moony to be upset with him for hexing Wormtail across the lake and James enjoyed the reverent attention far too much.
James rolled out of bed and winced slightly at the cold of the stone floor. He looked around confusedly for the little floor rug that was usually right next to his bed, beside his slippers. He spotted it lying on the floor beside the four-poster bed next to him. He grabbed his pillow, yanked back Sirius's curtains and whacked him once with it.
Sirius cried out and fell heavily to the floor on top of James's rug.
"Oh thank Merlin!" Sirius gasped grinning up at James from the floor, "If your rug hadn't mysteriously appeared here beside my bed, I could have been seriously injured!"
"Damn, Sirius! Why can't you just get your own bloody rug?"
"Psh!" Sirius scoffed, "Yeah, I'm sure my sainted mother would be overjoyed to send me one," He took on a snobbish cold voice and quoted, "And if I ever see you again, I'll swear I'll hex your ungrateful, mudblood loving arse to Dover!" he chuckled darkly, "Ah the love between a mother and her son," He said sarcastically, dropping the accent.
James's stomach twisted with guilt but he made sure not to show it. If there was anything Sirius hated, it was people feeling sorry for him.
"Fine. I guess I know what to get you for your birthday,"
"A rug?! For my seventeenth birthday? No, no, I think you'll decide to get me this out of the kindness of your heart,"
James rolled his eyes but smiled all the same as he offered his best friend a hand and pulled him up off the floor.
"Whatever you say, mate," James said, turning his back to Sirius, "Get dressed, if we hurry we can still make it in time for lunch,"
They ran down the stone steps into the common room where James stopped dead in his tracks, causing Sirius to slam into him.
Lily Evans was sprawled across the hearth-rug finishing up what looked like a History of Magic essay that was due at the beginning of next term.
"Sure you'll have that done in time, Evans?" asked Sirius mockingly.
She looked up, and her face immediately changed from surprise to one of pure loathing.
James remembered the previous day's events with a flash. He'd just been messing with little Snivellus after exams got out, when Lily had come to intervene, which of course, was what he had wanted. James couldn't think of a better way to get her attention, and Merlin had she looked beautiful with her flaming hair whipping around her pale face, her emerald eyes blazing with hatred, or, as James liked to think of it, passion. But hell, had she been angry. Even after Snape had called her mudblood she was still angrier with James. Her little Slytherin, Death Eater friend, who went around cursing muggleborns for sport, had called her that foul name, and she was still angrier with James. And she wondered why he hated her dear Snivellus.
"Sure you got enough sleep?" she returned glancing at the large grandfather clock standing near the portrait hole and startling James out of his memory.
"Well, Miss Evans," James drawled "we needed our rest after some late night… celebration," he flashed her, his trademark cocky grin, while Sirius 'partyboyed' implicatively behind him.
Lily made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat and stood as if to go, and it surprised them when instead of making for the portrait hole she marched right up to them.
"You both talk yourselves up, but I bet you've never done anything but make other people's lives miserable!" she spat.
"I'll have you know," replied Sirius arrogantly over James's shoulder, "that we have done plenty,"
"Together? Well how sweet! I had no idea you two were monogamous, but tell me," she paused, "who's on top?"
"We are not gay," James said exasperatedly for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Yeah," Sirius chimed in, "and even if we were, we would definitely not be monogamous,"
Lily rolled her eyes at that last comment while James looked perplexedly over his shoulder at Sirius.
"Hmmm…," Lily replied, "I guess I just find it hard to believe that either of you could find anyone else to sleep with,"
"Oh yeah?" countered James, "Should I start listing names? Liz McDonnell,"
"Slut," Lily provided offhandedly.
"Whoa," Sirius laughed, "stepping out of your comfort zone Evans?" Lily's eyes didn't move from James's.
"Fine!" James said, "Anna Dobrev,"
"Quidditch groupie,"
"What's your point?!"
"My point is," Lily defended, "That they're both so easy that I could probably go up to either of them and ask for a shag and they'd do it,"
"Well," James argued back, "That doesn't say much about their character. I think you'll find most people wouldn't deny you, Evans," his eyes narrowed, "But I see what you're saying… I need a challenge…" he edged closer to Lily, but she didn't back down. "What'd you say Evans," James whispered huskily, "you up for it?"
Lily's lip curled and she stalked away from them towards the portrait hole.
"Oh come on now, Evans," James taunted, "stay a while, I like talking about dirty things with you,"
Lily spun around, "Oh yeah? Then how about this? Go wank yourself," Without another word she swung her leg over the small wall into the corridor and disappeared, letting the portrait hole slam shut behind her, much to the annoyance of the Fat Lady.
"Shit," groaned Sirius, "We've missed lunch. Bet the Hag did it on purpose,"
"Not to worry," assured James, in a far better mood even then before, after talking to Lily, "I'm sure the house elves saved us something. We can eat out by the lake,"
"Marvelous, I bet Remus and Wormtail are already out there. Now you can go tell them all about your conversation with Evans and twist it until it sounds like she was coming on to you," he replied as he stepped through the portrait hole and headed in the direction of the kitchens.
"She was coming on to me," James insisted, "Any day now and she'll realize it for herself and stop hanging 'round with Snivellus,"
"Well that last part's already been taken care of, ever since he called her a mud-," James shot daggers at him with his eyes, "well- you know, she's been keeping clear of him,"
James's ears perked up, "Really? But… she didn't even tell him off yesterday!"
"Yeah, well I guess she was still pretty upset over it, Lorelei said she started crying as soon as they got back up to the dormitories, and didn't stop until just before dinner,"
It was bizarre that Lorelei Hartwick, one of Lily Evan's best friends, was also Sirius's… something. Come to think of it James honestly had no idea how to describe Sirius and Lorelei's relationship. They weren't together, or so they adamantly claimed, but they certainly didn't act like your average teenage boy, girl friendship either. In times like this however, it was extremely handy indeed.
"You're kidding," murmured James in disbelief, trotting down a staircase.
"Nope," Sirius replied, in a voice far too chipper and all knowing for James's liking, "What I've learned in all my years of experience with women is that even if it looks like they're not woefully upset over something potentially woefully and dramatically upsetting, they probably still are,"
"Why, thank you for your words of wisdom. I guess I just thought Evans was kind of an exception to that rule,"
"I think she is in most cases. Even if anyone else called her… that, she wouldn't have been too phased, but not only was she sticking up for him, she's always been a good friend, even when they got put in rival houses and everyone expected them to hate each other,"
James stopped dead in his tracks and looked at his friend with a look of concern and complete confusion, "Uhhh, Sirius?" He peered into his eyes as if looking for peculiar dilation, "why are you being so… insightful? Is everything all right?"
"What? Oh! Naw, I'm just quoting Lorelei pretty much word for word,"
"Oh! Had me worried there for a moment,"
When they rounded the last corner to the kitchens they saw a rather paunchy boy scratching at the red apple in a large portrait of a bowl of fruit so aggressively that soon he would tear the canvas.
"Oi, Wormtail!" Sirius shouted out, making the mousey boy jump, nearly out of his skin.
"Oh, thank Merlin, it's you two!" he squeaked out, in relief, "The door is broken! What if they changed the password to get in?!" he asked in terror, his eyes widening to twice they're normal size.
"It's the pear, you idiot!" Sirius reprimanded with disgust, while James, shaking his head pushed past Peter, and tickling the pear which giggled and turned to a doorknob.
"Honestly Wormtail," James said as he pushed through into the massive kitchens, "You've sneaked down here to get food since the moment we taught you how-"
"Biggest mistake of my life," grumbled Sirius.
"-How, exactly, is it that you can't even remember which piece of fruit opens a ruddy door?" asked James, bending down to pat an exuberant house elf affectionately on the head.
"Speaking of your pathetic excuse for a memory," chimed in Sirius, "How did your remedial potions go?"
"Yeah, seriously mate, how many times do they let you retake that class before they just snap your wand in two, tell you that they're very sorry, but they've obviously made an oversight, and you appear to be a squib?'"
"Haha, very funny," Peter grunted as he shoved cakes, offered by the scrambling house elves into his mouth.
While Sirius leaned up against a wall watching Peter, with a look of undisguised repulsion on his face, James leaned down to speak to the closest house elf, "Hello, Thimpy,"
"Mr. Potter sir!" the elf squeaked in excitement, "What mights Thimpy be a doing for young Master Potter, sir?!"
"Well you see," explained James, "Master Black and I were up very late last night fretting about our exams-" James looked behind him to flash a grin at Sirius, "-and we were so tiered that we seem to have slept right through lunch!"
The elf's eyes glistened in sheer joy, "Why Master Potter, sir! Thimpy shall fix you and young Master Black lunch right away, but," Thimpy lowered his voice in conspiratorial tones and beckoned for James to lean closer, "But," Thimpy said glancing over James's shoulder at Peter, who was still stuffing his face, "What of the fat one?"
"Hmm," James mused, "Yes… I believe we better cut him off before he hurts himself… if he comes down here again… and actually manages to let himself in… just… ignore him,"
"Thimpy understands, Mr. Potter, sir!"
James and Sirius strode out of the castle joking and laughing raucously, holding more food than they could ever manage to eat, with Peter scrambling to keep up behind them.
"Afternoon, Remus! Isn't it a lovely day?" James said, beaming, sill reveling in that warm, delicious, end of exams glow. Now he was well rested, well fed, and had already satisfied his Lily Evans fix for the day. Now he could fantasize about her properly, without any exact details, such as the placement of her freckles, getting blurred in his mind.
"Hmm," mused Remus distractedly, not bothering to look up from his book, "rather late in the day…"
"Oh come now, Remus," James chided, reclining back onto the grass and closing his eyes, "It's the first day off exams. No need to leap into action."
"Yes… I don't foresee any leaping in your near future."
"How did you do on your Divination exam?" Sirius asked over James.
"Oh you know…" said Remus, offhandedly, "Probably got an O. With her as a teacher all you have to do is rant on about how you or James here are going to die painful and untimely deaths, and your passing the class in almost guaranteed."
"I wonder what Trelawney would do if either of us actually kicked the bucket…," mused Sirius.
James snorted, "Probably drive McGonagall mad, with righteous and all knowing 'I told you so's,'"
"Why can't she either leave or die already?"
"Nearly Headless Nick says she's taught here for over eighty years!" piped in Peter, nearly bouncing in his exuberance over knowing something of seeming importance.
"I think she is leaving soon, Sirius," answered Remus, completely ignoring Peter's previous comment, "but don't get too excited, I hear her granddaughter is interested in the job and alike to her in both talent and personality."
"Merlin, Moony! How is it that you came to know so much about dear Professor Trelawney's personal life?"
"I agree," chimed in James, "it seems suspicious at best, Moony, old boy."
"And to think, I thought you were doing better in that class than James and I because of your work ethic!"
"The shame, Remus!"
"What would your mother think?"
"For Merlin's sake! I am not sleeping with the Divination Professor!" Remus snapped, loudly enough to startle a group of second years into looking up at him, and then dissolving into a fit of giggles.
"Brilliant!" Sirius guffawed, "they'll have the story 'round the castle by dinner."
"Wonderful," Remus chuckled in a pained sort of way, "just what I need. Maybe now a girl will actually come with me to the end of year party if they hear that I'm sexually experienced."
James and Sirius stared blankly at Remus for a moment before he spoke again, "Oh! I forgot to tell you two, Dumbledore just told us all at lunch that there's going to be some sort of end of term party for everyone in fifth year and over.
James found himself detaching himself from his friends' conversation and fantasized about himself dancing around the great hall with Lily… preferably in rather revealing and tight fitting dress robes…
"James?" said Sirius in an amused tone, while Remus grinned and Peter snickered in the background.
"Hmm?"
"And who are you going to ask, James?" asked Remus in a voice of mock puzzlement.
"What? Were supposed to have bloody dates? I thought the purpose of this was to relieve stress. And anyway, I think Evans's really starting to see things my way."
"Hmm… as wonderful as that sounds… I'm putting my money on consistency. Why in hell would Lily start liking you now?" Sirius pointed out blandly while smiling invitingly at a group of giggling girls sitting close by.
"Because!" James said, as though it were obvious, "I defended her honor! Women dig that."
"Hmm," pondered Remus thoughtfully, "It didn't really seem that she was 'digging it' before… but who am I to talk! Girls I'm perfectly friendly with come up and slap me across the face all the time!"
"Really?" asked Peter, looking surprised.
Remus sighed exasperatedly, "No, Wormtail. That is what we would call sarcasm."
Peter's face flushed slightly and he settled himself back into the shade.
"Sorry mate," said Sirius, "I'm going to have to agree with Moony on this one. She ruddy hates you."
"Thank you- Padfoot," James said coldly, in clipped tones
"Just saying, mate." Responded Sirius comfortably.
"Well, if you'll excuse me," said James grumpily, standing up and brushing off his trousers, "I need to go formulate a plan."
Sirius and Remus watched in amusement as James walked huffily back up to the castle running his fingers through his hair, as was his habit.
"So," Sirius asked, turning to Remus, "When is this?"
"Uhhh," Remus muttered, marking his page and setting down his book as he thought, "well it must be in the next week or so, before we go home. I think Dumbledore's scheduled a Hogsmeade trip for Saturday so we can get dress robes and everything."
"Dress robes? What the hell for? This sounds like the worst bloody 'party' I've ever been invited too. Why Is so bloody formal?"
Remus shrugged, "I think it was the Heads' idea,"
"And by that you mean the Head Girl's idea," Sirius scoffed, "Well that settles it,"
"Settles what?"
"We have to set up a prank"
"Sirius, don't be ridiculous, James wouldn't even want to mess this up, he's too bent on impressing Lily,"
"Fine," Sirius said disappointment clear on his face.
Suddenly, it brightened, "We'll just get the houselves to slip some 'Ogden's' in the drinks! Nothing too destructive!" He added after seeing Remus's stern look, "Just enough to keep it interesting!"
"Well all right, I suppose it's safer than anything else you'd think of,"
"That's the spirit, Moony!" said Sirius, clapping him on the back and standing up, "Well, I'm going to go ask Lorelei who I should ask to this thing."
Remus sighed exasperatedly, "Why don't you just ask her?"
"Psh," Exclaimed Sirius, "she'd laugh, think I was kidding and then say no anyway,"
Remus cocked an eyebrow.
"Not that I want to go with her or anything," Sirius said quickly before Remus could get the wrong idea.
"Right," Remus said, nodding sarcastically.
"Well, off I go."
"See, you," Remus chuckled as Sirius jogged back up to the castle.
AN: Well, what did you guys think? I don't even know if people read fanfiction anymore! They had better, because it's the best community for nerdy writers on the planet!
