Chapter 8: Little Mysteries
James seemed to go through the day in a daze. The only time he actually seemed alert was ironically in History of Magic, which was easily the most boring and pointless class in all of Hogwarts. Remus watched as James squinted through Professor Binns at the chalkboard behind the ghost for a few minutes and then ruffled around in his bag for a clean piece of paper. He shook his quill vigorously for a few seconds and then began scribbling on a piece of parchment. He wrote a line, then crossed it out, then wrote another, then crossed some more out. He kept chewing on the end of his quill and ruffling his hair compulsively. After a while he began to fidget in his chair, as if he was sitting on hot coals, oblivious to the heads that turned and looked at him curiously, aroused out of their slumber or pre-slumber states. Remus stared at James bug-eyed, and then turned sideways to get Sirius's take on the situation.
The skin cells on the right side of Sirius's face were becoming very friendly with the molecules of the surface of his desk. His eyes were softly shut, eyelids gleaming, and his arms hung limply down his sides, fingers curled slightly. His mouth was slightly parted and a tiny pool of bubbly spit was forming near his mouth on the desk.
Remus gagged and then rolled his eyes. He turned back around and watched James aptly for the rest of the period instead of paying to Professor Binns. Not that he ever payed attention, but at least he wasn't taking a snooze.
As soon as class ended, James stuffed the parchment in his bag and hurried out the door. "See you guys at lunch!" he called before his head dissapeared out of sight.
Remus stared at the door vacantly and then turned towards his sleeping friend. He gave Sirius an impatient little shove and was greeted with a nasaly snort. Sirius opened his eyes groggily and said "Wha....?" in a deep, neanderthal-like voice. "Uhh?" he then grunted and blinked a few times, looking around the classroom and rubbing his face. Remus rolled his eyes.
"Sirius no sleep," Remus said, gathering up his books and standing up. Sirius continued to stare at him blankly.
"For the love of Merlin, Sirius, wake up !" Remus cried, annoyed. He was tired and hungry and the last thing he needed was the village idiot staring at him drooling.
Lily found that her day was unnaturally peaceful, and she couldn't figure out why until halfway through dinner. She had just finished her portion of shrimp cocktail Hogwarts style (they HAD to be magical shrimp, muggle shrimp had never tasted this good), and was about to move on to desert when James burst into the Great Hall, hair fluffing up as he ran, and sprinted straight to where his friends were sitting. He sat down breathlessly, not noticing he had caught the attention of many students, and began whispering to Remus, Sirius, and Peter. They all leaned forward in a little huddle across the table; Peter kept lifting his head and glancing around the Great Hall. No one seemed to notice them; probably because this was pretty typical Maruader behavior. To Lily's surprise, an angry looking Remus began yell-whispering at James, who then smacked himself across the cheek. Lily was confused and curious; she did not like being out of the know.
She turned back to her new friend Ted, who most certainly was not her boyfriend, despite the rumors. At least, not yet. She looked at him with wide eyes and whispered, "Do you see them? Whispering. They're up to something." She narrowed her eyes at them again and bit her bottom lip.
"Ugh, Lily, who cares...They're always up to something. Just ignore them," he said. "Hey, did you know the Gryffindor Quidditch team has a spot open for a chaser. I think I might try out. I'm actually quite the chaser. I play on a summer league, scored about 500 goals last year," he said smugly as he waited for Lily to "ooooh" him. After a few unresponsive seconds he shook his head and blinked almost disbelievingly. "Lily?... Hey Lily... I'm sitting right here! Not there. Here ," he said and waved a hand in front of her face, looking quite annoyed. To Lily's ears, his slightly nasaly voice had faded into the low murmer of voices and clinking of forks on plates in the Great Hall. She was still staring at the Marauders with a look of loathing on her face, her desert forgotten. She unclenched her teeth and took a deep breath.
"They better not be up to any trouble. I am sick of putting up with their nonsense. Although... he hasn't bothered me all day... " She mused to no one in particular while staring at James. She then shook her head after a few seconds. "Head boy? Head boy? What the hell was Dumbledore thinking?" Lily spat out incredulously. "He's a stupid git!" A reddish tinge began to creep up her cheeks and her eyeballs started to bulge out of their sockets. Her nostrils flared and her mouth looked like it was fighting with itself to stay closed. A couple students behind her later swore that a very faint swirl of steam floated up from her head towards the fake dark cloudy sky above them.
" STUPID! " she shreiked out suddenly; her body convulsed slightly at the force put into this one word. Her shrill voice shot through the huge room and reverberated off the cold brick walls. Stupid... stupid... stupid....
It was like someone pressed pause and the whole entire scene froze, save for every single pair of eyes that turned to stare fixedly at her now mortified face. Her mouth was open and she was staring straight at...James, her face devoid of any color. She stood up wildly in a flail of arms and legs, grabbing her books and bag in a few fluid motions, and then tore out of the Great Hall in a blur.
James seemed to go through the day in a daze. The only time he actually seemed alert was ironically in History of Magic, which was easily the most boring and pointless class in all of Hogwarts. Remus watched as James squinted through Professor Binns at the chalkboard behind the ghost for a few minutes and then ruffled around in his bag for a clean piece of paper. He shook his quill vigorously for a few seconds and then began scribbling on a piece of parchment. He wrote a line, then crossed it out, then wrote another, then crossed some more out. He kept chewing on the end of his quill and ruffling his hair compulsively. After a while he began to fidget in his chair, as if he was sitting on hot coals, oblivious to the heads that turned and looked at him curiously, aroused out of their slumber or pre-slumber states. Remus stared at James bug-eyed, and then turned sideways to get Sirius's take on the situation.
The skin cells on the right side of Sirius's face were becoming very friendly with the molecules of the surface of his desk. His eyes were softly shut, eyelids gleaming, and his arms hung limply down his sides, fingers curled slightly. His mouth was slightly parted and a tiny pool of bubbly spit was forming near his mouth on the desk.
Remus gagged and then rolled his eyes. He turned back around and watched James aptly for the rest of the period instead of paying to Professor Binns. Not that he ever payed attention, but at least he wasn't taking a snooze.
As soon as class ended, James stuffed the parchment in his bag and hurried out the door. "See you guys at lunch!" he called before his head dissapeared out of sight.
Remus stared at the door vacantly and then turned towards his sleeping friend. He gave Sirius an impatient little shove and was greeted with a nasaly snort. Sirius opened his eyes groggily and said "Wha....?" in a deep, neanderthal-like voice. "Uhh?" he then grunted and blinked a few times, looking around the classroom and rubbing his face. Remus rolled his eyes.
"Sirius no sleep," Remus said, gathering up his books and standing up. Sirius continued to stare at him blankly.
"For the love of Merlin, Sirius, wake up !" Remus cried, annoyed. He was tired and hungry and the last thing he needed was the village idiot staring at him drooling.
Lily found that her day was unnaturally peaceful, and she couldn't figure out why until halfway through dinner. She had just finished her portion of shrimp cocktail Hogwarts style (they HAD to be magical shrimp, muggle shrimp had never tasted this good), and was about to move on to desert when James burst into the Great Hall, hair fluffing up as he ran, and sprinted straight to where his friends were sitting. He sat down breathlessly, not noticing he had caught the attention of many students, and began whispering to Remus, Sirius, and Peter. They all leaned forward in a little huddle across the table; Peter kept lifting his head and glancing around the Great Hall. No one seemed to notice them; probably because this was pretty typical Maruader behavior. To Lily's surprise, an angry looking Remus began yell-whispering at James, who then smacked himself across the cheek. Lily was confused and curious; she did not like being out of the know.
She turned back to her new friend Ted, who most certainly was not her boyfriend, despite the rumors. At least, not yet. She looked at him with wide eyes and whispered, "Do you see them? Whispering. They're up to something." She narrowed her eyes at them again and bit her bottom lip.
"Ugh, Lily, who cares...They're always up to something. Just ignore them," he said. "Hey, did you know the Gryffindor Quidditch team has a spot open for a chaser. I think I might try out. I'm actually quite the chaser. I play on a summer league, scored about 500 goals last year," he said smugly as he waited for Lily to "ooooh" him. After a few unresponsive seconds he shook his head and blinked almost disbelievingly. "Lily?... Hey Lily... I'm sitting right here! Not there. Here ," he said and waved a hand in front of her face, looking quite annoyed. To Lily's ears, his slightly nasaly voice had faded into the low murmer of voices and clinking of forks on plates in the Great Hall. She was still staring at the Marauders with a look of loathing on her face, her desert forgotten. She unclenched her teeth and took a deep breath.
"They better not be up to any trouble. I am sick of putting up with their nonsense. Although... he hasn't bothered me all day... " She mused to no one in particular while staring at James. She then shook her head after a few seconds. "Head boy? Head boy? What the hell was Dumbledore thinking?" Lily spat out incredulously. "He's a stupid git!" A reddish tinge began to creep up her cheeks and her eyeballs started to bulge out of their sockets. Her nostrils flared and her mouth looked like it was fighting with itself to stay closed. A couple students behind her later swore that a very faint swirl of steam floated up from her head towards the fake dark cloudy sky above them.
" STUPID! " she shreiked out suddenly; her body convulsed slightly at the force put into this one word. Her shrill voice shot through the huge room and reverberated off the cold brick walls. Stupid... stupid... stupid....
It was like someone pressed pause and the whole entire scene froze, save for every single pair of eyes that turned to stare fixedly at her now mortified face. Her mouth was open and she was staring straight at...James, her face devoid of any color. She stood up wildly in a flail of arms and legs, grabbing her books and bag in a few fluid motions, and then tore out of the Great Hall in a blur.