"Okay, so does everyone know the plan?"
James received nods of agreement back but decided to reiterate just once more to be absolutely sure his accomplices understood. "Sirius, you're getting the tights. Peter, you're on the hairbrush. Remus, you need to grab the travel cup. Got it?"
He received yet more exasperated nods, but at least now he could be sure everyone knew what their task was. He flipped open his pocket watch, blanching when he saw the time on its face.
"Guys, it is currently 0814. We are already running fourteen minutes behind schedule." He continued on muttering to himself, "Going to have to make up for that, we can't be finishing late, that would be ridiculous."
He shook his head and flipped back the casing on the watch before shoving it back down into the depths of his pocket. "Time to move."
As one singular entity, they all cast a disillusionment spell and strode out of the room. They stuck to the sides of the corridors, crouching away from any person they were unlucky enough to cross, but finally they had made it to their intended location: the Gryffindor girls' rooms.
It was empty—just as planned.
They all cancelled the charms on themselves and got to work.
Remus dove for the bedside table, as did Peter. Together, they ransacked the draws searching for their respective items. Sirius, on the other hand, had made himself well at home with the top draw of Lily's dresser.
"Oh, Jamie! You wanna take a look?" Sirius whispered before whistling.
James blushed. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Sirius. We are here on a mission, so get on with it."
Sirius huffed before he proudly held up a pair of tights. "Ha, I win."
"Sirius, this is not a competition. Now pass them here and go help them two." He gestured towards Remus and Peter, who seemed to have gotten waylaid by some hair-bands.
"Hey, why can't you go there, all high and mighty, and help search?"
"I am the planner and overseer of this mission, and as such, I must be on the look-out constantly. I must be the eyes and ears and nose and—"
The door started opening.
"Fuck. Guys, hide, we can't be seen!"
Remus went for the large wardrobe while Peter fled for what he could only assume was the bathroom. Not seeing any other choices free for him, James dropped to the floor and wriggled under the bed before he suddenly bumped into something, no, someone.
"Sirius! What are you doing here? This is my hiding place. Piss off and get your own."
"No, Jamie boy, this was my hiding place first. I think you'll find you should piss off."
James went to retort but was silenced as the bed above them creaked and groaned as someone sat down. He held his breath.
He silently prayed that they would get up and leave soon, that they hadn't somehow seen the ruckus caused amongst the room before they'd had time to put it to rights.
His poor plan was just falling to pieces.
Reaching down, he grabbed his pocket watch once more, ignoring the incredulous stare Sirius was giving him.
Damn.
It was 10:40 already; how could they already be so behind schedule?
The person on the bed didn't move. None of the boys dared to breathe.
At one point, it got so dull that James simply set his head down in his arms just to give his neck a moment's rest.
How was he supposed to know that he'd just fall asleep? He had been up so late the night before planning this to perfection that sure, he had been a little tired, but he hadn't expected to just fall asleep in the middle of the mission!
Sirius shoved him, causing him to jolt up and give his head a good whack on the rungs of the bed.
"Ow, oh, Merlin—"
"James, move! Now! I don't know when she'll be back and we need to go!"
"What? What! Shit! Okay, okay, I'm moving, grab the others, I'll get the rest, we need to go. Now."
James pushed himself up with shaky limbs, aching with pins and needles from being stuck in one position for too long. He shook himself out before springing into motion and he watched Sirius do the same from the corner of his eye. Quickly, he grabbed the hairbrush and travel cup from where they had been hiding in the depths of the drawer before shoving everything else back into what he hoped were their rightful places.
He regrouped with the others by the door as they all threw on a quick disillusionment charm, and as one, they jumped on the stairs and slid down them as it turned into a slide. Ignoring the alarms now blaring, they ran from the room, shoving anyone and everyone out their way.
As long as they weren't seen, it wouldn't matter.
Panting, they ran through the hallways back to the Come and Go room where they had started off.
James sprinted up and down the hallways for the door to appear before they all shoved their way in and only slumped down to the floor when the door finally closed shut with a decisive slam behind them.
James breathed in and out heavily on the floor as he released the goods he had clutched to his chest. He placed them down lightly beside him before, once more, drawing out his pocket watch.
"Bollocks. How can it be that fucking time already? Remus! Look at this for me!" He threw his watch at Remus, who only just managed to catch it before it hit him in the face.
"Could you fucking not, mate?" Remus growled at him before flipping open the damn thing. "It says it's twenty past three? What you got your knickers in a twist for? It's right, not broken or anything."
James let out a very undignified screech of dismay. "But the potion takes at least five hours to brew! This is all going to the dogs! My perfect schedule is in disarray."
The other three watched on with various levels of amusement and/or concern as James continued to mutter to himself as he drew out of his robes his carefully folded plan they had all been going by.
Then, as if by magic, James suddenly stopped and stood up. "Well, come on guys, we have a plan to catch up on and it must be done tonight." And with that, he strode further into the room to sort out his potion brewing.
James had been at his hastily thrown together potion-brewing station for the last three hours, and now it was time for the most crucial part. He carefully extracted four hairs from the bristles, making sure none of them snapped and that they were all carefully placed into the boiling potion.
He held his breath and watched as it turned from a cerulean-blue to a deep indigo.
Next, he picked up the tights, frowning to himself he held them out over the top of the potion. Then he shook them vigorously seven times watching with slight disgust as dust puffed out from them and fell into the cauldron.
It turned from the nice indigo it had been to a dark murky brown and James couldn't quite blame it.
Finally, he picked up the travel mug. This was the most important part. He took up his wand and muttered the incantation under his breath, "Inde sume materiam cujus erat homo."
He drew his wand back from the mouth of the travel mug and watched as two droplets formed in the air away from it; with a swish and flick, they were in the cauldron too. The murky brown switched to a blush-pink.
He cheered inside but couldn't show his glee in any other way in case he disrupted the energies of the potion.
He sat back carefully. It would be another long two hours wait.
A puff of smoke distracted James from where he had been patiently staring at the pocket watch, silently scrutinizing each second that the hand ticked away.
It was done!
The colour had remained that same blush-pink and he couldn't see any irregularities.
He glanced once more at the watch—20:10—it was time to go.
He bottled a vial of the liquid and ran out, not bothering to wake any of the others, who had long since fallen asleep by the fire they had conjured.
Dinner in the Great Hall would end at half past. He couldn't waste precious time on such trivialities; he didn't need any of them for this part anyway.
He ran through the hallways, down the stairs and through the great doors to the hall.
He glanced down at the watch still clutched tightly in his hand—20:14. There was still time.
Glancing around, he eyed Lily at her usual place on the table and strode over.
"Lily! Look! Over there!" he shouted, pointing over to the Professors' table.
As covertly as he could when Lily looked away, he dumped the contents of the vial in her cup.
Apparently, it hadn't been covert enough because when Lily spun around was when the screaming started.
"James Fleamont Potter! You despicable toerag! I have had it! I am calling the DMLE and you are going to rot in Azkaban for this!"
"Wait, Lils, please, let me explain!"
"No! I have had it up to here with you trying to get my attention. I let you get away with it up until now but, seriously? Drugging me! You will be lucky to see the light of day again after I'm done with you!"
A crowd had started gathering around them with growing looks of disgust and horror aimed at James.
"Please, Lily, let me just explain," he begged her desperately.
She hissed at him, seething, her magic rolling in waves with her fury. "You have one sentence."
"It isn't what you think it is; I realise how bad this now looks, but seriously, it's Felix Felicis, but it's an adapted recipe that is keyed to you."
Lily huffed. "Is that why you stole my things?"
"You know about—yeah, no, not important right now. Yes, I did borrow your things but only so I could get your, erm… Essence?"
She glared at him even more, but James did think it may have lessened slightly.
"Leave! Nothing to see here!" When nobody moved at her word, she snarled. "Move!"
The crowd made the correct and smart decision to back away now before tempers flared anymore, leaving James and Lily to talk alone.
Lily glared. "Talk."
"So, erm, you know that I like you, but, I, you, you see…"
"No, James. I don't see."
"Well…" he mumbled the rest of his sentence under his breath, his face turning a bright red as his blush spread from his cheeks and turned the tips of his ears pink.
"James. Speak up. I don't have all evening."
"I said I just wanted you to have a really nice day and that would be it. I'll leave you alone now. I just saw you were a bit sad the other day and I wanted you to have a good day, okay? And then I would be done, I'm not going to pester you anymore and I'm sorry for ever bothering you."
"James… I…"
James bowed slightly and turned to leave.
"Wait, James. I wouldn't be adverse to spending some time together. Maybe some revision?"
It was as if a spark had relit inside his heart turning what had been nothing but a smouldering ember dying out into a fully fledged bonfire.
He smiled softly. "I would like that, if you would like that too?"
She nodded, now grinning. "I would, but only after you return my things. Washed."
He grinned back. "It's a deal."
THC/The Houses Competition.
Round 6 - Standard
House - Ravenclaw
Class - Potions
Theme chosen - Misunderstanding somebody/something.
Prompt(s) chosen - [Time] 8:14/20:14
1976 words (wordcounter .net)