Chapter three

James Harold Potter had been staring at the redhead since she had walked in with her mum. Eyes wide and staring, mouth almost touching the floor he said, "Wow. She's pretty."

The boy with longish black hair beside him had been watching the spectacle since his best friend had stopped paying attention to their conversation. James now looked as though he was some kind of trance. This had to stop.

"James. James? JAMES!"

Snap, back to reality. "What?"

"You've been staring at that redhead forever quit it."

"Why?" James asked with his eyebrows raised as if it wasn't obvious to him.

"Because you have a girlfriend, Girlfriend!" his friend exclaimed.

"And?"

"Do you want your eyes clawed out?"

"Not particularly."

"Then stop staring at her."

James heavily sighed and turned to face his friend. "Fine… Sirius?"

"Yes, James?"

"How do you tell if you're in love?" he inquired. Sirius wasn't sure if that was one of his jokes or if the bloke really meant it. Sirius hoped he was asking about his girlfriend, not the pretty little redhead he'd been staring at.

"I don't know buddy," he answered looking the raven-haired boy straight into his hazel eyes.

"But you've had five girlfriends!"

"And you've had ten," he pointed out. He rolled his eyes as his friend looked at him wanting an answer. "Honestly I don't know! Ask Remus or Peter!"

"Peter? Ask Peter? Sirius, you need mental help," James cried incredulously shaking his head.

Sirius thought about it for a second. What had he been thinking to tell James to ask Peter about love? The bloke hadn't even had a girlfriend yet for God's sake! "You're right and I was only kidding."

"Yeah right," James laughed and stole a glance at the redhead.

"What's going on, Sirius, James?"

Remus Lupin had walked up to the two friends to find them arguing. Something that was typical and came as of no shock to the boy. James quickly turned to Remus and repeated his question, "Remus, do you believe in love at first sight?"

"Love at first sight?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah."

"Why?" He continued to push the matter.

"Because…" James' sentence dropped and he looked toward the girl. Remus' gaze followed and he sighed.

"James, buddy, you have Avril."

"I dumped her," James shot back defensively.

"Did you?" Remus said, but again, wasn't shocked by this. "James you have to stop dating people for a couple days. You still have six more years to date all the girls in our year."

"Aw! But Remus, that's no fun!" James cried in protest.

"Remus is right, you should stop. Those poor single girls," Sirius said in mock seriousness. And then nodded sadly to back up his act.

"Sirius you should to, you're worse."

"Nah, I'm better. I've had less girls, which in a way is bad," he contradicted.

James immaturely stuck his tongue out and made a face at Sirius. Sirius returned the gestured and Remus sort of growled at them.

"KIDS, cut it out!"

"Yes Daddy."

"Sure Remus."

"Sirius!" Remus exclaimed in protest of being called 'Daddy'.

"What did I do now, Daddy?" Sirius moaned.

"Stop it!"

"Guys," James sighed.

"Make me," Sirius said sticking his tongue out.

"Guys," James repeated becoming irritated.

"I will!"

"I bet you couldn't!"

"Guys STOP!"

"Party Pooper!" They cried in unison and James rolled his eyes irritably and in mock maturity.

"Guys I'm gonna go," he said standing from where he and Sirius had been sitting.

"Where?" Remus said sliding where his bottom had just vacated.

"To break up with Avril," James said with a sigh.

"Be nice."

"Yeah, I will," he replied stealing one more glance at the pretty little girl before he left. Sirius and Remus watched him head home and Sirius shook his head looking at the girl.

"Who is she?"

"Some pretty little redhead. I'm almost positive she's a first year," Sirius said with a critical glance a Remus.

"Newbie, huh? We're going to have to help her," Remus suggested.

"Jamesie'll jinx us faster than we can say 'Expecto Patronum,'" Sirius replied.

"He can't do anything, but beat us to a bloody pulp. It's the summer," Remus said.

"Not for long," Sirius disagreed. He stood abruptly and wiped some crumbs from his shirt. "I'm going to go, I'll see you on the train. Don't do anything stupid."

"You should've said that to James and yourself, not me," Remus laughed. "See ya."

The two boys departed each watching the redhead on their way out. They both knew, that this wasn't the last they'd being seeing of her.