Author's Note: Sorry about not getting a chapter up yesterday everyone; it was raining pretty much all day and everything I tried to write came out terribly depressing.
Maddiegirl- Thank you for the review, I'm just happy that I don't think too many of my 'the the' typos are coming out into the published version. I start typing and then think about things for a bit and pick up right back on the same word. :D
And Saffygirl- Don't worry, James and Sirius won't feud forever. :)
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"Hey Remus?" James called softly, his voice breaking the relative silence of their dormitory. He didn't really expect an answer, but there was something on his mind and he felt like Remus was the best person to go to.
Remus, on the other hand, had been lying awake behind the scarlet curtains that shielded his four-poster from the rest of the room battling with a secret he knew he could never share with anyone in the room. Shaken from yet another attempt at formulating a reasonable sounding excuse for his absence from school that would start tomorrow evening, he sighed and pulled back the curtains, looking across the aisle to James' bed. "Yes, James?"
"Oh, you're still awake then?" he asked, settling his glasses on the bridge of his nose and tugging back the curtains, revealing a rather tired-looking Remus who was staring at him expectantly. "Well I was just wondering…Mary didn't conjure up that needle all on her own, did she?" he asked, expecting Remus to deny it.
But instead the other boy shook his head. "No, she didn't James."
"But who-?"
"Sirius. When you three showed up, he saw how flustered she was getting and just wanted to give her a boost of confidence, I guess."
"But what if she can't make one in class on Monday?" James asked, shooting a glance at the gently snoring figure in the bed next to Remus.
In the half-light that poured in from the window, illuminating their room, it was hard for James to see how anyone could be angry with Sirius. His face was peaceful and his dark curls hung loosely about his face. He looked so happy, much happier than James had ever seen him awake, and the boy sighed. Why did Sirius have to be so difficult, he caught himself wondering for what had to be the eighteenth time in two days.
"That will be his burden," Remus said softly, he too was gazing at Sirius who twitched in his sleep, rolling over as he grunted something about muffins. Remus chuckled, turning his attention back to James as he muttered, "Always thinking about food, isn't he?"
James nodded, smiling sadly. "Hopefully it won't come to that," he said softly, noticing Remus nodding in agreement.
"I think he believes that Mary can do it if she just relaxes, but she can get so flustered it's hard for her to do that. One little failure or difference and she clams up. So maybe if she thinks she's already done it…she'll actually be able to do it. At least I think that's what he's going for."
"So you don't think he did it to make her fail on purpose?" James asked, voicing his other issue.
Remus looked over at the other boy sternly. "No matter what you may think of Sirius, I don't think he'd intentionally hurt someone he cares for. Whether he knows he does or not," he added, recalling how closed his new friend could be.
"Yeah well he hit me with that pillow rather hard," James muttered, suddenly interested in a crack in the stonework that was going up the windowsill.
"Really, James, a pillow? Is that all you're mad about?"
"No," James said hesitantly. "I'm mad that he can't seem to apologize when he's been out of line. He practically drenched Peter in porridge when all I was trying to do was cheer him up."
"For one thing, James…I think Sirius was so upset at that point that he didn't even notice he'd hit Peter with anything and did you ever stop and think that maybe cheering up wasn't what he needed?"
James shot Remus a surprised glance. Not need cheering up? No, that thought hadn't occurred to him at all. After all, everyone needs cheering up when they're upset, right?
"Sometimes people just need to get glad in the same shoes they got mad in," Remus said simply, sliding back under the warm covers.
James chuckled a bit at that phrase. "Where'd you get that from, Remus, a biscuit box?"
"My mother," he said tartly and shut his eyes, practically begging for sleep. It was hard to be peeved at someone who was feeling just as awake as you were.
"Oh." James suddenly caught himself wondering if his mother had said anything like that. He tended to ignore her when she got to talking like that. You're too patient, Remus, James thought, disbelievingly as he gently tugged his glasses from his face and set them back on his nightstand. Blinking to readjust his eyes, he smiled at the scarlet blur directly in front of him and said, "G'night Remus."
"Good night, James," Remus whispered back, finally drifting off into an uneasily sleep.
--
Weirdly, Sirius Black was the first to rise in the morning. "Oi, why didn't anyone wake me up?" he asked as he blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes, surprised to see Remus still in bed. Well isn't this interesting? he thought, a mischievous glint entering his grey eyes as he began rummaging in his bag for a quill.
"Sirius, what are you doing?" Remus asked, looking down at Sirius over the edge of his bed.
"Oh sorry, didn't wake you did I, mate?" Sirius asked as he shook the feather in his hand, apparently satisfied as the tip wiggled alarmingly.
Remus shook his head and sighed. "No, I've been up for a while. Couldn't sleep," he added rolling back over to stare at the ceiling.
"Well this should liven you up," Sirius said cheerily as he slunk over to James' bed and leaned over him, shaking the long wispy feather of the quill just before his nose.
The boy sneezed and his hazel eyes opened groggily. With a small start, James was aware of something bending over him and reached for his glasses. But as soon as he got them on, Sirius had dropped down below the bed and James, confused, leaned over the side to see where the thing had disappeared to and caught a faceful of feather as Sirius shook it in his face, laughing.
"Haha! Got you, Potter!" Sirius said grinning as he stared up at James from the stone floor.
"Why you!" James rolled out of bed and onto the other boy whose eyes widened a bit as he saw the small boy descending upon him. But he was unable to move, laughing as hard as he was.
"Gerroff!" Sirius muttered, pushing the smaller boy off of him, both panting on the cool stones. Sirius had gotten the wind knocked out of him but he pushed himself to his feet, casting a disapproving look at James. This falling on top of him thing needed to stop, he decided as he shook Peter and Frank awake.
"Where's Remus?"
"Oh I got up first," Sirius said in response to the question. "So I get to be the bearer of bad tidings," he added, shooting an unhappy glance at the clock. "We're almost late to breakfast."
The other boys laughed. Sirius really did always think of his stomach, didn't he?
"That what woke you up, Sirius?"
"What?" he asked, as he pulled on a pair of jeans, dressing quickly.
"Oh just that it's already been, what, 12 hours since you last ate?"
Sirius clutched the bedpost for support. "Don't remind me," he said, weakly.
The dorm was filled with laughter as the other boys, except Remus, began getting dressed as well.
As Sirius slipped his black loafers on, he cast a glance over at Remus. "Remus…I don't need to wave a feather in your face do I?"
"No, you guys head on down…I think I'll try and catch up on some sleep."
"Oh, alright." Sirius looked a little crestfallen and James sighed.
"Oh come on, you," he said tugging gently on Sirius' arm. "We'll bring you back something to eat, Remus. Providing Sirius doesn't eat it all that is," he added trying to bring a smile to the two boy's faces.
"That's right, mate. They won't be able to say we let our friends starve!" Sirius said happily latching onto James' idea as they headed down and out onto the Grand Staircase.
"You lot got your essays finished?" Sirius asked placing a hand lightly as the staircase shuddered under his feet.
Peter squeaked and hugged the railing while Frank and James just sat down to enjoy the ride-hopeful that the staircase would deliver them to the First Floor.
James shook his head, bidding the tall boy to take a seat on the stair beside him. "Nah, we spent the day exploring the grounds, for the most part."
Sirius nodded as he walked up the flight of stairs to sit next to James, ignoring Peter's terrified squeaks at his decision. "Oh lighten up, Peter," he muttered irritably. "Yeah, I did a bit of exploring after that session in the library. That big tree by the lake is
perfect for climbing," he added with a small smile. That was yet another thing he'd never been able to do at home. How could you when your mother made you dress like you were ninety and threatened to hex you if you got dirt on your clothes?
"Really?" James asked, surprised that they hadn't thought of trying it out. "Good spot mate," he said, flashing Sirius a small smile. "About the library-that was wicked how you let that mental librarian have it, smashing up her books like that. Kind of wish I'd thought of that too," he added softly.
Sirius grinned. "Just following my instincts," he said trying to downplay his actions. "Would've shoved you back out the door anyhow though," he added with a small chuckle.
"Why'd you do it?" he asked, though grateful for Remus' thoughts on the subject, he really felt as though he needed to hear it from Sirius. Remus was right; he really didn't understand what went on in that closed head of his.
"Well I didn't want the mad librarian to massacre all of you," he said with a small snort.
"No I don't mean that, I mean with Mary-"
"Have you been talking to Evans?" Sirius asked sharply, anger tainting the edges of his voice.
"N-no." Not that James didn't want to talk to her…she just always managed to get out of sight before he could start a proper conversation. "I was wondering and then Remus and I talked about it last night and-"
"Remus told you?" Sirius looked hurt and James winced…that wasn't quite what he meant.
"No…no I figured it out and asked Remus about it."
"Oh." Sirius seemed to settle down a bit after that. "She just needs a bit of confidence, that's all," he said with a dismissive flick of his hand.
"You're sure about that?" James asked him, hazel eyes determinedly holding his grey.
"Of course! She was doing perfectly fine before you three came in and messed up her rhythm. I know she had it but she just doesn't perform well under pressure, generally speaking. So I…stepped in."
The stairs docked, thankfully, at the first floor landing and Sirius smiled, pointing off down the hall where Mary was chattering excitedly to a group of first year Hufflepuffs as they walked in to breakfast. "Look-see how happy she is?" he asked, a satisfied smile on his face as he grabbed his bag and headed off down after them.
"What will you do if she fails?" James asked, calling as he headed down the stairs after him.
Sirius turned and allowed James to catch up to him. Leaning in close, he growled, "She won't. And if she does…I'll just have to tell her," he added resignedly.
"So you're banking on her getting it right?"
"Basically," he said, beaming. "Like I said before, James, I know she can do it."
"Right. Hold up, Sirius," he added, looking back to see Frank struggling to detach Peter from the banister.
"You'd think he'd get used to that," Sirius said, sighing exasperatedly.
"Well it is only our third day," James said, coming to Peter's defense.
"True," Sirius said waiting until Peter and Frank were heading their way before he headed off to breakfast, disappearing into the Great Hall.
Impatient, isn't he? James thought with a small sigh as he lead Frank and Peter into the Great Hall for breakfast. Sitting with Sirius, Frank and Peter were surprised at how much he and James could put away.
"Save some for Remus, guys," Frank said, jokingly.
"Oh right!" Sirius said, showering him with bits of half-chewed toast and began shoving pieces of buttered bread into his schoolbag.
"Mr. Black, dare I ask what you are doing?" A stern voice said and Sirius hastily zipped his bag closed, smiling winningly up into Professor McGonagall's face.
"Well Remus was feeling a bit under-the-weather, so James suggested that we bring him up some breakfast."
To his, as well as James' surprise, Professor McGonagall nodded, her expression softening instantly. Of course the poor boy was feeling under the weather, today being what it was. With a flick of her formidable wand hand, a delicately wrapped parcel appeared on the table before him. "Take that up to him. I'm sure it's a much better rounded breakfast than a few pieces of toast."
As Sirius began pulling the toast back out of his bag, he sniffed the parcel. "That smells delicious, Professor!"
"Now about your detentions-" she began, settling back into teacher mode.
James and Sirius shared a look, they'd forgotten all about their detentions from the little scene at breakfast two days previous. James pushed away his porridge, half-finished, to stare at her.
"Your detentions," she continued, gazing severely at both of them. "Have been moved to tonight in light of certain conflicts; instead of spending the time cleaning out my menagerie, the two of you will spend some time polishing trophies in the Trophy Room with Mr. Filch." She overlooked the horrified glances they cast at one another and continued, "I believe that a good lesson in hard work and cleaning should give you a taste of what it would have been like for Mr. Filch had Mr. Black decided to respond in kind to your flinging of porridge, Mr. Potter."
James winced. How much thought did this woman put into her punishments?
"You will meet Mr. Filch on the third floor landing at six o'clock. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, boys," she added, smiling at Frank and Peter.
Sirius and James groaned as she withdrew, heading back toward the staff table at the front of the Great Hall.
"The Trophy Room?" Sirius said, disbelievingly. "I bet there're hundreds of bloody trophies in there."
"Got that right, mate. We'll be trapped in there forever!"
"Maybe you shouldn't get in trouble then if you can't handle it!" A voice said rather snobbishly from up the table and James caught a good look at Lily Evans who stared at them a moment longer before she picked up her things and left the Great Hall.
"Oi, if we'd wanted your opinion, Evans, we would've asked!" Sirius called rather loudly after her. "Hmm, best get this back up to Remus before it spoils," he added, poking the floral bundle with a long finger.
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End Note: I'm really thinking about starting the next day off with Snape as the main. Yep, I'm gonna suck up all that Gryffindor Pride and try and stick it in a closet for the next few chapters. :D
Maybe it'll be more like a recap, actually. More like Snape's PoV/feelings on what's been happening. It probably wouldn't be more than two (maybe three chapters if I allow him to start the next day) it'll be…fun…for me, I think. Thoughts?