Note: For Prongs, as Prongs has finally seen 'Master & Commander'. +Grins+
Good show!
Another Note: This is short. Damn. I'm sorry. +Shakes head sheepishly+
+++
While Peter's snores only just began to even out rhythmically, James peered up at the grey blur – his glasses sitting on his nightstand – that was his ceiling.
'And next time I want BRAINS in a girl, I'll go after Evans.'
Sirius's words echoed oddly in his ears – James tossed about, moving his position onto his left side, head resting on his arm, which, in turn, lay on his pillow. Lily Evans? Sure, probably the prettiest Ravenclaw – the prettiest girl in the whole SCHOOL, James reasoned silently – but he didn't LIKE her. Not really. It was really something of a joke – pretend to like the pretty red-head (red-head didn't do her justice, actually – garnet- haired, James decided, was nearer the mark), with her flashing green eyes (that didn't suit, either – sparkling jade orbs...), just for a laugh.
The Gryffindor Chaser contemplated his prior thoughts and scowled. 'Good God,' he moaned inwardly. 'I _do_ like her.'
He rolled over once more, successfully entangled his legs in the sheets, and rested his chin on the pillow, his arms wrapped about the cushion protectively. So, he liked Lily Evans. So, what? James frowned. Lots of boys probably liked Lily Evans – hell, she was a lot finer than any of those Blacks; Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Andromeda didn't hold a candle to Lily.
'What am I _thinking_?' he rebuked silently. 'I am a Quidditch star now! Condemned to a life of bachelorhood – of debauchery! Not to be tied down to one garnet-haired, sparkling jade-orbed girl!'
James groaned and shut his eyes, set on slumber. He was also set on another thing – to NOT like Lily Evans.
However pretty she might be.
+++
The next morning, James dragged himself unwillingly from his four-poster. Peter was still breathing gently from beneath several twisted comforters, and James left him there to sleep a little while yet. On the direct other side of the dormitory, however, his two other friends were wide-awake. James slogged wearily towards them, amending his spectacles on his nose, ill fitting as they were on his thin face. "Whazzat?" he mumbled tiredly as he saw Remus collapse once more in a fit of laughter.
Sirius looked up from his mournful gaze towards Remus, still holding a piece of paper that read, 'What am I going to do???' "Do 'bout what, Si?" James muttered as he fought back a yawn.
Sirius clamped his mouth shut and shook his head vigorously – had James thought it possible, he would have said an expression of doubt shrouded his features. "Cor, what's goin' on?" James said, looking at Remus.
Remus sat up again and wiped what James believed to be tears from his eyes. "Sirius – O, Godric..." He took a deep, shuddering breath. He gave a mournful glance at Sirius, whose mouth was agape with protest. Lupin frowned at seeing this and shook his head. "Eh... I'm sorry, James," he said finally. "He doesn't want you to know – aw, damn." He scowled. "I've to keep a secret? From JAMES?" Sirius nodded fiercely.
James looked at Remus in shock. "WHAT?" he cried, aghast. "A secret? You – you CAN'T!" He looked prepared to throttle the little goody-goody – as a matter of fact, that seemed like a favourable option...
Remus shook his head again. "I can't. I'm sorry, James," he said apologetically. "I mean, 'tis his own business – if he wants to let you know..." He trailed off lamely, and loosened the sweater from his waist and wrenched it over his golden head.
James stared, his voice lost and expression as a victim of numerous Stunning Spells. "Lupin," he murmured in a last ditch effort. "C'mon, you HAVE to tell me..." 'Though Remus would not leave the safe hold of his sweater. "Sirius?" He shook his head forcefully, and James scowled. "Fine!" said James resentfully. "Go on your OWN way, then – keepin' secrets, my arse... You can go whisperin' about my back without me, then."
With those final words, he stalked away towards Peter. Sirius opened his mouth to call out to his best friends, but closed it again. Remus's head appeared from the neck hole, and gazed after James. He mouthed wordlessly, and looked to Sirius for an explanation. He, however, could not give one: Sirius was just as astonished as the werewolf.
+++
"Unprovoked, completely off my guard – hey, are you listening?"
Sirius looked up from his plate, mournfully stockpiled with potatoes and nodded plaintively. Certainly, Remus and Sirius were the best of friends (undeniable), 'though Sirius generally joked, laughed with James, whilst Remus was either talking to Peter (who consented immediately) or had his nose in a book. Master Black took a chalkboard (provided by the Muggle Studies professor) and scribbled a few words.
Remus peered at it, squinting his eyes so as to see. "'Godric'," he read, "'does Potter have PMS?'?" Lupin blinked and frowned. "Not funny, Sirius..."
Sirius looked down again at his food, just as crestfallen as before. Things simply were not the same without James, or even Peter, who James had dragged away towards the forbidden girls side of the table. Sirius glanced over to the dreaded region, where things were not going particularly well.
"Well?" said a red-haired girl questioningly, faint disdain written across her features. "What d'you want, James?"
James opened his mouth and asked silently for aid as he peeked at Peter. "Er... I –" James closed his mouth again.
"Well?" Lily Evans repeated, a little kinder.
"Will-you-go-out-with-me-on-Saturday?" he blurted at last. James had finally succeeded in turning his cheeks the colour of a turnip, which contrasted dangerously with the dark of his hair. Lily didn't reply, and James wilted in the time that she looked at him in awe. "C'mon, Pete," he muttered, turning away.
"Yeah," said Lily with a shrug. "Sure, why not, James? Hogsmeade, huh?" James nodded wordlessly as he turned about again. "I'd be happy to." Certainly, it was mostly out of pity, but why not?
James nodded again and turned away, Peter scurrying at his side. A ridiculous, soppy grin had exploded across the Chaser's features. A particular habitant of the Slytherin table did not share this expression, however.
"How charming," sneered Severus Snape, lowering a book from above his face with a scowl. "So, this is how the mating process of an idiot begins – they track down the female, and utter a torrent of stupidity until the victim feels so BADLY for them, they cannot help but accept their advances." He smirked. "Charming," he repeated.
James glared at Snape; anger rose in his formerly embarrassed cheeks. His hazel eyes narrowed, and his lips moved to form a hiss. "I'll not take that from you, SNIVELLUS," he murmured dangerously. Peter gawked at James, uncertain of what to do – generally, it was Sirius at James's side, egging him on, threatening with him.
"And what are you going to do about it, Potter?" Snape jeered icily. "Please, do tell – I'm vaguely interested."
James looked as 'though he were about to jump Snape, there and then, had the teachers not been present, not some furlongs away. "I'll deal with you later," he muttered before turning away.
"O, later? After you've fetched your thesaurus and figured out how exactly to say what you DO mean, I've no doubt." James's ears were now a comely shade of scarlet.
"Duel," James snarled out of the corner of his mouth. "I'll kick your sorry arse from here to Ushant..."
"I look forward to it," Snape murmured with a disarming smile. He was not, however, supported by his housemates – they were looking lazily at James, wondering who would be the victor: the enemy, or the scapegoat?
Another Note: This is short. Damn. I'm sorry. +Shakes head sheepishly+
+++
While Peter's snores only just began to even out rhythmically, James peered up at the grey blur – his glasses sitting on his nightstand – that was his ceiling.
'And next time I want BRAINS in a girl, I'll go after Evans.'
Sirius's words echoed oddly in his ears – James tossed about, moving his position onto his left side, head resting on his arm, which, in turn, lay on his pillow. Lily Evans? Sure, probably the prettiest Ravenclaw – the prettiest girl in the whole SCHOOL, James reasoned silently – but he didn't LIKE her. Not really. It was really something of a joke – pretend to like the pretty red-head (red-head didn't do her justice, actually – garnet- haired, James decided, was nearer the mark), with her flashing green eyes (that didn't suit, either – sparkling jade orbs...), just for a laugh.
The Gryffindor Chaser contemplated his prior thoughts and scowled. 'Good God,' he moaned inwardly. 'I _do_ like her.'
He rolled over once more, successfully entangled his legs in the sheets, and rested his chin on the pillow, his arms wrapped about the cushion protectively. So, he liked Lily Evans. So, what? James frowned. Lots of boys probably liked Lily Evans – hell, she was a lot finer than any of those Blacks; Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Andromeda didn't hold a candle to Lily.
'What am I _thinking_?' he rebuked silently. 'I am a Quidditch star now! Condemned to a life of bachelorhood – of debauchery! Not to be tied down to one garnet-haired, sparkling jade-orbed girl!'
James groaned and shut his eyes, set on slumber. He was also set on another thing – to NOT like Lily Evans.
However pretty she might be.
+++
The next morning, James dragged himself unwillingly from his four-poster. Peter was still breathing gently from beneath several twisted comforters, and James left him there to sleep a little while yet. On the direct other side of the dormitory, however, his two other friends were wide-awake. James slogged wearily towards them, amending his spectacles on his nose, ill fitting as they were on his thin face. "Whazzat?" he mumbled tiredly as he saw Remus collapse once more in a fit of laughter.
Sirius looked up from his mournful gaze towards Remus, still holding a piece of paper that read, 'What am I going to do???' "Do 'bout what, Si?" James muttered as he fought back a yawn.
Sirius clamped his mouth shut and shook his head vigorously – had James thought it possible, he would have said an expression of doubt shrouded his features. "Cor, what's goin' on?" James said, looking at Remus.
Remus sat up again and wiped what James believed to be tears from his eyes. "Sirius – O, Godric..." He took a deep, shuddering breath. He gave a mournful glance at Sirius, whose mouth was agape with protest. Lupin frowned at seeing this and shook his head. "Eh... I'm sorry, James," he said finally. "He doesn't want you to know – aw, damn." He scowled. "I've to keep a secret? From JAMES?" Sirius nodded fiercely.
James looked at Remus in shock. "WHAT?" he cried, aghast. "A secret? You – you CAN'T!" He looked prepared to throttle the little goody-goody – as a matter of fact, that seemed like a favourable option...
Remus shook his head again. "I can't. I'm sorry, James," he said apologetically. "I mean, 'tis his own business – if he wants to let you know..." He trailed off lamely, and loosened the sweater from his waist and wrenched it over his golden head.
James stared, his voice lost and expression as a victim of numerous Stunning Spells. "Lupin," he murmured in a last ditch effort. "C'mon, you HAVE to tell me..." 'Though Remus would not leave the safe hold of his sweater. "Sirius?" He shook his head forcefully, and James scowled. "Fine!" said James resentfully. "Go on your OWN way, then – keepin' secrets, my arse... You can go whisperin' about my back without me, then."
With those final words, he stalked away towards Peter. Sirius opened his mouth to call out to his best friends, but closed it again. Remus's head appeared from the neck hole, and gazed after James. He mouthed wordlessly, and looked to Sirius for an explanation. He, however, could not give one: Sirius was just as astonished as the werewolf.
+++
"Unprovoked, completely off my guard – hey, are you listening?"
Sirius looked up from his plate, mournfully stockpiled with potatoes and nodded plaintively. Certainly, Remus and Sirius were the best of friends (undeniable), 'though Sirius generally joked, laughed with James, whilst Remus was either talking to Peter (who consented immediately) or had his nose in a book. Master Black took a chalkboard (provided by the Muggle Studies professor) and scribbled a few words.
Remus peered at it, squinting his eyes so as to see. "'Godric'," he read, "'does Potter have PMS?'?" Lupin blinked and frowned. "Not funny, Sirius..."
Sirius looked down again at his food, just as crestfallen as before. Things simply were not the same without James, or even Peter, who James had dragged away towards the forbidden girls side of the table. Sirius glanced over to the dreaded region, where things were not going particularly well.
"Well?" said a red-haired girl questioningly, faint disdain written across her features. "What d'you want, James?"
James opened his mouth and asked silently for aid as he peeked at Peter. "Er... I –" James closed his mouth again.
"Well?" Lily Evans repeated, a little kinder.
"Will-you-go-out-with-me-on-Saturday?" he blurted at last. James had finally succeeded in turning his cheeks the colour of a turnip, which contrasted dangerously with the dark of his hair. Lily didn't reply, and James wilted in the time that she looked at him in awe. "C'mon, Pete," he muttered, turning away.
"Yeah," said Lily with a shrug. "Sure, why not, James? Hogsmeade, huh?" James nodded wordlessly as he turned about again. "I'd be happy to." Certainly, it was mostly out of pity, but why not?
James nodded again and turned away, Peter scurrying at his side. A ridiculous, soppy grin had exploded across the Chaser's features. A particular habitant of the Slytherin table did not share this expression, however.
"How charming," sneered Severus Snape, lowering a book from above his face with a scowl. "So, this is how the mating process of an idiot begins – they track down the female, and utter a torrent of stupidity until the victim feels so BADLY for them, they cannot help but accept their advances." He smirked. "Charming," he repeated.
James glared at Snape; anger rose in his formerly embarrassed cheeks. His hazel eyes narrowed, and his lips moved to form a hiss. "I'll not take that from you, SNIVELLUS," he murmured dangerously. Peter gawked at James, uncertain of what to do – generally, it was Sirius at James's side, egging him on, threatening with him.
"And what are you going to do about it, Potter?" Snape jeered icily. "Please, do tell – I'm vaguely interested."
James looked as 'though he were about to jump Snape, there and then, had the teachers not been present, not some furlongs away. "I'll deal with you later," he muttered before turning away.
"O, later? After you've fetched your thesaurus and figured out how exactly to say what you DO mean, I've no doubt." James's ears were now a comely shade of scarlet.
"Duel," James snarled out of the corner of his mouth. "I'll kick your sorry arse from here to Ushant..."
"I look forward to it," Snape murmured with a disarming smile. He was not, however, supported by his housemates – they were looking lazily at James, wondering who would be the victor: the enemy, or the scapegoat?