Disclaimer:
I don't own these characters or this setting. Joanne Kathleen Rowling,
Warner Brothers, and I Can't Believe You're Reading My Disclaimer do.
Dedication: To Lauren, for teaching me so much about love. And to Katie, whose undying love of L/J fluff inspired me to write some of my own.
Introduction: This is chapter two. Um.the idea for the phone call in this chapter was what gave me the backbone of this fic. I just had to work one chapter backwards and one forwards, and I was done! So I guess what I'm trying to say is that this will be the most genuine of the chapters, fashioned only from instinct and whimsical inspiration. Enjoy!
Froze Over
Claire looked a little surprised but grinned. "Sure."
And that was it, James realized. Just like that, they were a couple. Of course Sirius would have it so easy while James just had to go and say something stupid right when he got his chance.
James's thoughts turned to more immediate matters. He realized they would want to go and be with each other now, but didn't want to leave him alone. Claire put a hand on his shoulder and he looked up into her face.
"I'm sorry," she said sincerely.
"I know," James said, his voice hollow. "It's okay."
Claire still looked a little sad and worried, but moved her hand from James's shoulder to Sirius's hand. Sirius grinned involuntarily and looked toward the gates out of the grounds.
"The carriages are here," he said. "Let's go find one."
"Okay," said James, trying to sound cheerful. "Oh, look, there's Remus and Peter!"
"Where?" Sirius asked.
"Just over there, by the Whomping Willow," said Claire, also spotting the pair of figures making their way across the grounds. "Let's hurry and meet up with them!"
The other two agreed and they walked quickly towards the Whomping Willow to catch up.
"Oi!" yelled Sirius when they came within hailing distance. "MOONY! WORMTAIL!"
The two turned and their grins were visible even from far away. Peter's sandy blonde hair was shining so brightly in the late morning sun that it hurt James's eyes. They waited until the other three caught up, and Padfoot jumped on the first oppurtunity he had to introduce Claire, even though technically they already knew her.
"Moony, Wormtail, this is Claire, my girlfriend. Claire, these are Peter and Remus, but we call them Moony and Wormtail. Oh, and James is Prongs."
"Sirius is Padfoot," Remus added.
"What funny nicknames," Claire remarked. "How ever did you come up with them?"
"Random draw via what we call the Selection Ceremony," said Peter lightly. The other Marauders nodded fervently in agreement.
"Okay," said Claire. "Do I get one too?"
"Yes, I guess so," Sirius said, looking at Claire thoughtfully. Then he turned to the rest of the group. "When should we have the Ceremony, boys?"
"How about when we get on the train?" James suggested. Remus and Peter concurred.
"The jury is still out on your nickname," Sirius announced to Claire. "Until then, we'll use your regular name -"
"- As dictated by the constitution of the Marauders," Remus continued.
"Which is what we call ourselves," Peter concluded.
Claire smiled. "The Marauders," she repeated softly. "I like it!"
"Good," said Sirius. He offered Claire his arm, which she took, laughing at his mock elegance. "Let's find a carriage, shall we?"
"We shall," said the other four, laughing.
***
Half an hour later, the five of them found an empty compartment in the train and settled in. As Sirius helped Claire secure her trunk, James nonchalantly plucked one of her hairs and tucked it into his pocket before sitting down next to Remus. A moment later Sirius and Claire sat as well.
"Prongs," said Claire thoughtfully, "Do you take Muggle Studies?"
"Yeah, I do," James replied. "Why?"
"Do you know how to use a telephone?"
"Yes."
"Well, I have Lily's phone number. Would you like it? Maybe you could try calling her over the summer,"
"Okay," James said.
Claire scrawled the number on a piece of parchment and passed it to James, who accepted it gratefully and put it into the pocket that was not already holding Claire's hair.
"Thanks, Claire," he said. "Which reminds me - we need to find out what your nickname is. Moony, Wormtail, would you please join me in the corridor for the Selection Ceremony?"
"Of course," Remus said, as he and Wormtail rose to their feet. "Sorry Claire, no Marauder is allowed to witness their own Selection Ceremony."
"As dictated by the constitution of the Marauders," James went on with a grin.
"Which is what we call ourselves."
"We don't need to repeat that part, Wormtail," said Sirius, rolling his eyes.
"Right. Sorry."
Prongs, Wormtail, and Moony stepped out into the corridor and seated themselves on the floor across from the door into their compartment. Prongs withdrew the hair from his pocket and his wand from his robes. He was going to perform a spell he had learned while studying with Sirius to become Animagi. It allowed you to use one of a person's hairs to see what his or her Animagus form would be, even if the person was not an Animagus.
Prongs lay the hair on the flat palm of his left hand and held his wand in the other. Moony and Wormtail leaned in closer to watch. Touching the tip of his wand to the thin blonde hair, James muttered the spell.
For several seconds, nothing happened. Just as Remus and Peter begun to believe it hadn't worked, the hair began to smoke. Then the wisps rose a few millimeters above Prongs's palm and arranged themselves into the shape of a tall, graceful female deer.
"So that's her Animagus form," Prongs declared. "What nickname can we derive from it?"
No one said anything as they stared hard at the doe.
"It's got two white stripes down its back," Remus finally declared. "What about White Stripe?"
"That sounds good," James said.
"Agreed," said Peter.
They stood up and reentered the compartment. From the looks of it, Padfoot and Claire had been involved in a fast-paced discussion of Quidditch, but Claire stopped what she was saying when she saw the other three come in.
"Well?" she asked.
"White Stripe," James announced.
"Do you like it?" Peter wanted to know.
"Yes," Claire smiled. "Yes, I do."
***
Fast forward a month and a half. After debating it for the aforementioned length of time, James determined to call Lily. He picked up the receiver in his right hand and used his shaking left hand to dial. He had the parchment with Lily's number written on it, but he didn't need it. It had been engraved into his brain, the work of a thousand and one tortured readings. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead as the ringing sounded in his ear. He was standing next to a chair (he was at his parents' house for the summer), but he decided to remain standing. She picked up.
"Hi Lily. This is Prongs, I mean James, James, my name is James."
James decided he might want to sit down after all.
Lily didn't say anything, so he went on.
"Um, I guess I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what I said at the last day at Hogwarts. I didn't really mean it that way."
James trailed off. He wanted to say, "Even though you're not conventionally pretty, I still think you're beautiful," but he couldn't. He couldn't give her his heart just yet, knowing she probably wouldn't give hers back. She spoke into his ear - he imagined for a moment that she was there next to him, talking to him, looking him in the eye. Then, somewhat abashed by what she had said, he continued. He had to try again. It was so important to him.
"So, uh, I was wondering if you might reconsider and go out with me."
James paused for her answer, which she promptly gave.
"Okay," he said nervously, unfamiliar with the Muggle expression she used, "And, um, when exactly do you expect hell to freeze over?"
She hung up on him.
Dedication: To Lauren, for teaching me so much about love. And to Katie, whose undying love of L/J fluff inspired me to write some of my own.
Introduction: This is chapter two. Um.the idea for the phone call in this chapter was what gave me the backbone of this fic. I just had to work one chapter backwards and one forwards, and I was done! So I guess what I'm trying to say is that this will be the most genuine of the chapters, fashioned only from instinct and whimsical inspiration. Enjoy!
Froze Over
Claire looked a little surprised but grinned. "Sure."
And that was it, James realized. Just like that, they were a couple. Of course Sirius would have it so easy while James just had to go and say something stupid right when he got his chance.
James's thoughts turned to more immediate matters. He realized they would want to go and be with each other now, but didn't want to leave him alone. Claire put a hand on his shoulder and he looked up into her face.
"I'm sorry," she said sincerely.
"I know," James said, his voice hollow. "It's okay."
Claire still looked a little sad and worried, but moved her hand from James's shoulder to Sirius's hand. Sirius grinned involuntarily and looked toward the gates out of the grounds.
"The carriages are here," he said. "Let's go find one."
"Okay," said James, trying to sound cheerful. "Oh, look, there's Remus and Peter!"
"Where?" Sirius asked.
"Just over there, by the Whomping Willow," said Claire, also spotting the pair of figures making their way across the grounds. "Let's hurry and meet up with them!"
The other two agreed and they walked quickly towards the Whomping Willow to catch up.
"Oi!" yelled Sirius when they came within hailing distance. "MOONY! WORMTAIL!"
The two turned and their grins were visible even from far away. Peter's sandy blonde hair was shining so brightly in the late morning sun that it hurt James's eyes. They waited until the other three caught up, and Padfoot jumped on the first oppurtunity he had to introduce Claire, even though technically they already knew her.
"Moony, Wormtail, this is Claire, my girlfriend. Claire, these are Peter and Remus, but we call them Moony and Wormtail. Oh, and James is Prongs."
"Sirius is Padfoot," Remus added.
"What funny nicknames," Claire remarked. "How ever did you come up with them?"
"Random draw via what we call the Selection Ceremony," said Peter lightly. The other Marauders nodded fervently in agreement.
"Okay," said Claire. "Do I get one too?"
"Yes, I guess so," Sirius said, looking at Claire thoughtfully. Then he turned to the rest of the group. "When should we have the Ceremony, boys?"
"How about when we get on the train?" James suggested. Remus and Peter concurred.
"The jury is still out on your nickname," Sirius announced to Claire. "Until then, we'll use your regular name -"
"- As dictated by the constitution of the Marauders," Remus continued.
"Which is what we call ourselves," Peter concluded.
Claire smiled. "The Marauders," she repeated softly. "I like it!"
"Good," said Sirius. He offered Claire his arm, which she took, laughing at his mock elegance. "Let's find a carriage, shall we?"
"We shall," said the other four, laughing.
***
Half an hour later, the five of them found an empty compartment in the train and settled in. As Sirius helped Claire secure her trunk, James nonchalantly plucked one of her hairs and tucked it into his pocket before sitting down next to Remus. A moment later Sirius and Claire sat as well.
"Prongs," said Claire thoughtfully, "Do you take Muggle Studies?"
"Yeah, I do," James replied. "Why?"
"Do you know how to use a telephone?"
"Yes."
"Well, I have Lily's phone number. Would you like it? Maybe you could try calling her over the summer,"
"Okay," James said.
Claire scrawled the number on a piece of parchment and passed it to James, who accepted it gratefully and put it into the pocket that was not already holding Claire's hair.
"Thanks, Claire," he said. "Which reminds me - we need to find out what your nickname is. Moony, Wormtail, would you please join me in the corridor for the Selection Ceremony?"
"Of course," Remus said, as he and Wormtail rose to their feet. "Sorry Claire, no Marauder is allowed to witness their own Selection Ceremony."
"As dictated by the constitution of the Marauders," James went on with a grin.
"Which is what we call ourselves."
"We don't need to repeat that part, Wormtail," said Sirius, rolling his eyes.
"Right. Sorry."
Prongs, Wormtail, and Moony stepped out into the corridor and seated themselves on the floor across from the door into their compartment. Prongs withdrew the hair from his pocket and his wand from his robes. He was going to perform a spell he had learned while studying with Sirius to become Animagi. It allowed you to use one of a person's hairs to see what his or her Animagus form would be, even if the person was not an Animagus.
Prongs lay the hair on the flat palm of his left hand and held his wand in the other. Moony and Wormtail leaned in closer to watch. Touching the tip of his wand to the thin blonde hair, James muttered the spell.
For several seconds, nothing happened. Just as Remus and Peter begun to believe it hadn't worked, the hair began to smoke. Then the wisps rose a few millimeters above Prongs's palm and arranged themselves into the shape of a tall, graceful female deer.
"So that's her Animagus form," Prongs declared. "What nickname can we derive from it?"
No one said anything as they stared hard at the doe.
"It's got two white stripes down its back," Remus finally declared. "What about White Stripe?"
"That sounds good," James said.
"Agreed," said Peter.
They stood up and reentered the compartment. From the looks of it, Padfoot and Claire had been involved in a fast-paced discussion of Quidditch, but Claire stopped what she was saying when she saw the other three come in.
"Well?" she asked.
"White Stripe," James announced.
"Do you like it?" Peter wanted to know.
"Yes," Claire smiled. "Yes, I do."
***
Fast forward a month and a half. After debating it for the aforementioned length of time, James determined to call Lily. He picked up the receiver in his right hand and used his shaking left hand to dial. He had the parchment with Lily's number written on it, but he didn't need it. It had been engraved into his brain, the work of a thousand and one tortured readings. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead as the ringing sounded in his ear. He was standing next to a chair (he was at his parents' house for the summer), but he decided to remain standing. She picked up.
"Hi Lily. This is Prongs, I mean James, James, my name is James."
James decided he might want to sit down after all.
Lily didn't say anything, so he went on.
"Um, I guess I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what I said at the last day at Hogwarts. I didn't really mean it that way."
James trailed off. He wanted to say, "Even though you're not conventionally pretty, I still think you're beautiful," but he couldn't. He couldn't give her his heart just yet, knowing she probably wouldn't give hers back. She spoke into his ear - he imagined for a moment that she was there next to him, talking to him, looking him in the eye. Then, somewhat abashed by what she had said, he continued. He had to try again. It was so important to him.
"So, uh, I was wondering if you might reconsider and go out with me."
James paused for her answer, which she promptly gave.
"Okay," he said nervously, unfamiliar with the Muggle expression she used, "And, um, when exactly do you expect hell to freeze over?"
She hung up on him.