We were mates.
It was always the four of us, inseparable from the beginning to the end. We pissed in each other's chips more than we probably should've, but it was alright.. we were mates. We grew up together, in the same neighbourhood of Ayr, south of Glasgow. We played together, we got pissed together, we were even going to push daisies up together. We took care of each other, because that's what mates do. We loved each other, because that's what mates do.
We were mates.
I remember one evening, just before we were all going to leave school and start our own lives. We were sitting in the pub, and we'd just downed our fifth round. Moony went to fetch our sixth round, and I was about to introduce a pact with my bezzy mates. Dear Moony handed out the pints, and I pawed my bevvy, clearing my throat.
"I've got an announcement, guys." Damnit, Prongs.. can I speak? Impatience was always one of my vices, as many a female had been kind to point out. I peered over the edge of my pint at the ruddy-faced boy, who was nervously fumbling for something in his pocket. He pulled out a small black-velvet box, his hand shaking, his smile nervous and quavering. "I'm going to ask Lily to be my wife." Ball and chain, Prongs.. ball and chain. I smiled, averting my eyes as he opened the box. I heard Remus shout "Blimey O'Reilly, James!" That was it. I took a swig of my Guinness and sighed to myself. I was angry, yeah. I felt like I could beat seven shades of shit out of someone. But we were mates. I couldn't be angry forever.
"Hey, Padfoot.. you had something to say, aye?" My eyes grew wide, and I forced myself to swallow another swig of Guinness. I felt like a bat on a sticky wicket.. what I wanted to say was a lot less important than getting married or something. I sighed and launched into some impassioned speech about being mates forever, and ended up pouring out my worries over losing the best mates a guy could have. Wormtail smiled at me and punched my shoulder. "We'll all be mates, Sirius.. from now 'til never."
We were mates.
I remember the wedding, and James and Lily smiling and laughing. I swear, they were glowing. James wanted me to be the best man. I don't remember too much of the details of the wedding.. too many White Russians'll do that to a bloke. I had a bang-up time though, seein' everyone so happy.
We were mates.
Halloween night of '81, I was in my flat, Beeb programming blaring from the telly. I heard a knock at the door, and it nearly made me brick it. I clambered over to the door and jumped back in surprise. Rubeus Hagrid, at my flat! In the middle of the night!
"I need the bike, Sirius."
"The hell's wrong with walking?"
"It's the Potters. You-Know-Who." You can imagine how much I hesitated. I showed him the bike and sent him off, struggling to remain on my feet. My knees were shaking, my mouth was dry, and I felt like I could vomit. I staggered back inside and curled up on the couch, waiting for some news.
It didn't take long for me to figure out what'd gone wrong.
Wormtail.
We were mates.
I look back, and I see that Peter always wanted to fit in with the rest of us blokes. He wanted to be just like us, smiling and laughing and.. accepted. It was his downfall. He was approached with a better offer, and he left us.. turned against us. I had to find Wormtail.
It didn't take long; he was out on a crowded street in the middle of the afternoon, but I found him anyway. He saw me, and he saw his escape. "James and Lily, Sirius...how could you?" Next thing I knew, people were on the ground, some screaming, some forever silent. I panicked and ran.
We were mates.
It was always the four of us, inseparable from the beginning to the end. We pissed in each other's chips more than we probably should've, but it was alright.. we were mates. We grew up together, in the same neighbourhood of Ayr, south of Glasgow. We played together, we got pissed together, we were even going to push daisies up together. We took care of each other, because that's what mates do. We loved each other, because that's what mates do.
We were mates.
I remember one evening, just before we were all going to leave school and start our own lives. We were sitting in the pub, and we'd just downed our fifth round. Moony went to fetch our sixth round, and I was about to introduce a pact with my bezzy mates. Dear Moony handed out the pints, and I pawed my bevvy, clearing my throat.
"I've got an announcement, guys." Damnit, Prongs.. can I speak? Impatience was always one of my vices, as many a female had been kind to point out. I peered over the edge of my pint at the ruddy-faced boy, who was nervously fumbling for something in his pocket. He pulled out a small black-velvet box, his hand shaking, his smile nervous and quavering. "I'm going to ask Lily to be my wife." Ball and chain, Prongs.. ball and chain. I smiled, averting my eyes as he opened the box. I heard Remus shout "Blimey O'Reilly, James!" That was it. I took a swig of my Guinness and sighed to myself. I was angry, yeah. I felt like I could beat seven shades of shit out of someone. But we were mates. I couldn't be angry forever.
"Hey, Padfoot.. you had something to say, aye?" My eyes grew wide, and I forced myself to swallow another swig of Guinness. I felt like a bat on a sticky wicket.. what I wanted to say was a lot less important than getting married or something. I sighed and launched into some impassioned speech about being mates forever, and ended up pouring out my worries over losing the best mates a guy could have. Wormtail smiled at me and punched my shoulder. "We'll all be mates, Sirius.. from now 'til never."
We were mates.
I remember the wedding, and James and Lily smiling and laughing. I swear, they were glowing. James wanted me to be the best man. I don't remember too much of the details of the wedding.. too many White Russians'll do that to a bloke. I had a bang-up time though, seein' everyone so happy.
We were mates.
Halloween night of '81, I was in my flat, Beeb programming blaring from the telly. I heard a knock at the door, and it nearly made me brick it. I clambered over to the door and jumped back in surprise. Rubeus Hagrid, at my flat! In the middle of the night!
"I need the bike, Sirius."
"The hell's wrong with walking?"
"It's the Potters. You-Know-Who." You can imagine how much I hesitated. I showed him the bike and sent him off, struggling to remain on my feet. My knees were shaking, my mouth was dry, and I felt like I could vomit. I staggered back inside and curled up on the couch, waiting for some news.
It didn't take long for me to figure out what'd gone wrong.
Wormtail.
We were mates.
I look back, and I see that Peter always wanted to fit in with the rest of us blokes. He wanted to be just like us, smiling and laughing and.. accepted. It was his downfall. He was approached with a better offer, and he left us.. turned against us. I had to find Wormtail.
It didn't take long; he was out on a crowded street in the middle of the afternoon, but I found him anyway. He saw me, and he saw his escape. "James and Lily, Sirius...how could you?" Next thing I knew, people were on the ground, some screaming, some forever silent. I panicked and ran.
We were mates.