My darlings!
I got some of the nicest guest reviews on the last chapter and since they don't have accounts I can't PM them and tell them how much their reviews meant so I just thought I'd sneak it in here. (I do answer guest reviews on my tumblr, just as a tiny reminder for anyone who may not know.)
I've been planning this chapter for...over a year and a half? Well more I knew I wanted to have it and I had pieces of it written.
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Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and only the story line and any OC's belong to me.
For muddier waters because I'm still smiling like an idiot over the fact that she's reviewing every chapter she reads xxx
Thursday, February 26th, 1976
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
A whizzing sound buzzed in Draco's ears as James tossed Draco's snitch in between his hands. For some reason Draco had thrown it at James a few days ago: his brother caught it with ease, and James turned it around in his hands before quirking an eyebrow at Draco—who merely shrugged and strolled away.
James had kept it, and a habit of throwing it up in the air had quickly formed—he'd already started to attempt more elaborate tricks as of last night: letting it sail upwards before he quickly plucked it out of the air. The snitch twirled around in the air seemingly at the Potter boy's whims and fancies.
Classes had just finished up for the day and the two boys were currently alone in a somewhat secluded corner of the library—trying to finish up their Care of Magical Creatures homework for Professor Kettleburn.
Sirius had somehow finished his already (and pulled a prank on the Slytherins), and Peter had disappeared twenty minutes ago into another section of the library with a massive pile of textbooks to assist in writing his essay—whispering loudly over his shoulder that he was not to be disturbed by any of their shenanigans please and thank you.
James shook his head fondly and murmured, "that's no fun," to Draco—but they left him to his own devices as requested.
James tossed the Snitch up in the air once more, but just as his hand was about to close around it, Draco's fingers moved just that much quicker, and the grey eyed boy was gazing at his brother as he rolled the Snitch between his hands.
"Brilliant catch, Draco!" James praised with wide eyes. "That's why you're our Seeker...and why I'm so proud of you," James batted his lashes at Draco, reaching out towards his brother making kissy faces.
"Sod off," Draco said loudly, playfully shoving James away as a broad grin lit up his face. Both boys flinched when a loud 'shhh' came from the other side of one of the massive bookshelves. The smile on Draco's face slowly faded and his expression grew more somber—there had been something bothering him the last couple months, but he told himself it wasn't his place and that he shouldn't interfere.
Draco's gaze was firmly secured on the golden ball in his hands, he tapped his index finger against it once before holding it out to James—who accepted it, but concern was now laced through his features as he made note of Draco's expression.
"What's wrong?" James asked softly, scooting forward in his chair, resting all of his weight on his forearms and shifting some of his parchment on the table around in the process.
Draco heard a soft sound of distress and glanced around until his gaze fell on a tiny Hufflepuff girl—a first year he was guessing. For a brief moment he contemplated going and over and helping her out, but then Emmeline rounded the corner—upon spotting the girl in distress she swished and flicked her wand that was already delicately held in her hand, and the girl lifted off the ground.
The young witch looking around in surprise, but as soon as she figured out what was going on, she hastily grabbed her book. Emmeline gently lowered the girl to the ground—who thanked her profusely—and sent the Hufflepuff off with a kind smile.
Emmeline Vance spun on her heel and faced one of the other wall to ceiling bookcases: her hazel eyes scanned the wall of books, tucking a short lock of her newly dyed lavender hair behind her ear as she waved her wand and drew one off of the top shelf—the book settled itself onto Emmeline's large stack of thick books that were currently floating and trailing behind her.
"Draco?" James said softly, and Draco snapped out of his dazed examination of the quirky Ravenclaw.
Draco exhaled deeply and shifted in his seat so he was facing their table again, his attention being drawn back to the spread of materials across their table. He really didn't know how to broach this particular topic.
Draco's eyes flicked from the heavy textbook that they were using for their assignment, then to his abandoned quill on his own pile of neatly stacked parchment, over to the tip of James's ink stained fingers on his right hand—James had retrieved his own quill in the moments that Draco remained quiet—finally up to James's face, flooded with worry.
"Holly."
"Holly," James repeated dumbly, eyebrows furrowing in blatant confusion, carefully resting the snitch and his quill on the table before falling back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap.
"Mione is still upset with you and Pads, even if she won't say anything. You should just go and apologise to the girl."
Holly had been mouthing off about a week ago, nattering on about how Hermione was a slag and a grade A slapper, 'do you see how short her skirt is? She's probably shagging all the Gryffindor boys in her year, and who knows who else...I wouldn't be surprised if she's even shagging her brothers.'
James slumped down in his chair: he and Sirius had been the only ones of their friends to hear what the younger Gryffindor girl had been spouting. So, they took it upon themselves to defend Hermione's honour by leaving a nasty Dung bomb in Holly's bookbag—it was safe to say that she hadn't said anything bad about Hermione since.
"Holly had it coming," James grumbled lowly, stubbornly turning his head away from his brother, absently cracking his knuckles.
Crack.
"It's more than that though, James," Draco insisted in a severe tone, leaning forward and shooting his brother an imploring look. "This year you've been hexing students for no reason—"
Crack.
"Kevin was publicly bad mouthing Mary, and even though she didn't want to worry me, she recently told me that he's been jeering at her and throwing out sexual comments whenever he sees her...when I'm not around," James snapped harshly, hazel eyes ablaze as sat up straighter, his head swivelling at breakneck speed and his gaze locked on Draco's. "Gerald was nicking things from Peter and he didn't want to make a fuss so he didn't say anything."
Crack.
James's chest began to rise and fall heavily, wisps of steam appeared to be whistling out of his ears and Draco sat back and calmly regarded his angry and frustrated brother.
"The other times…" James trailed off, the wind knocked out of his sails, and he deflated slightly, sinking into his chair, and he continued in a rather quiet voice, "the other times I don't know why I did it. I did it cause I could...it was immature and childish and I don't...I don't know why I did it."
James was so small and ashamed in that moment, his eyes lowered onto his lap—he was wringing his hands anxiously, and his leg was now bouncing to some unknown, uneven rhythm.
Draco took a deep breath, those words sounded all too familiar, for a moment he let his mind wander, drudging up what were now old memories. Fifteen. The first time I was fifteen. Umbridge. The Inquisitorial Squad. Draco snorted mentally. I was a right shite wasn't I? I have no right to judge James since I was much, much worse. Salazar, I was horrid and rotten to pretty much everyone.
Draco regarded his brother, and the only thing that came to mind was, I don't want to see him end up hated like me. A blurry blend of voices surged to the surface from a deeply buried section of his mind, echoes of the hissing hate they spewed at him in those months after the war. Die, death eater scum! Worthless! Wretched. Disgusting.
Draco involuntarily shuddered, the anxiety that once gripped his heart reared its ugly head, and he breathed in and out deeply. He wasn't the same person anymore. Draco pressed his lips together in a thin, white line. I am not the same person. James, he'll grow out of this, he isn't a bad person, he's just done some bad things.
Draco reached out and placed a hand on James's shoulder—one of the many reasons why he wasn't the same person anymore, James made him a better person—he cocked his head to the side and said, "James. Those are terrible things, but Hermione can handle Holly, and then some. Kevin is a sodding prick, and I'll let Marly know so she can make sure that Mary isn't ever alone—and then I'll tell Professor Flitwick about his way out of line student."
James's eyes slowly rose to meet Draco's as the grey eyed wizard continued, "Peter. Pete is going to have to learn to stick up for himself—not that I'm not incredibly proud of you sticking up for your friends..." Draco paused, before putting special emphasis on the next words out of his mouth, "I'm so proud." James scrunched up his nose, a ghost of a smile stretching its way onto his face.
Draco sighed heavily, squeezing his brother's shoulder, "as for everything else...we're fifteen, Jamie."
James snorted, his mouth twisting to the side, "you're sixteen."
Draco let out a short, breathy laugh, "git. You know what I mean."
Draco made sure that James eye met his once more before he finished, "we're going to fuck up and do idiotic things. It's pretty much guaranteed. The key is to learn from our mistakes. Well, that and maybe don't hex people for the fun of it."
James frowned deeply at the last comment, but nodded curtly nonetheless.
"I'll try to be better, to stop hexing people," James promised, his hands unwinding from each other—one of which reached across the table to delicately grasp the golden ball in between his fingers.
James half bent his arm, bringing the snitch fairly close and then he stared down at it, his distorted reflection peering back at him. "I'll try."