Green Eyed Shadows

First Signs of Friendship

"So, anyway I was sitting there, doing my business, ya know? And I hear someone come in and wash their hands. Well, this wouldn't normally bother me, but this person—when they left they put all the torches out! Now, what kind of idiot would take the time to put all the torches in a public loo out? So I'm sitting there, in pitch blackness with my pants around my ankles and I'm thinking about how to get out of this mess. Then, I feel around for the toilet paper and pretty soon I'm off feeling the walls trying to find my way out of the place—didn't even manage to find a sink to wash my hands first. But eventually I found the door and got out. It wasn't until I was halfway down the corridor that I realized I could have just used my wand for some light."

James and Remus stared at their friend with open mouths.

"You gonna eat that?" Sirius asked eying Remus's plate of cookies hungrily.

Remus blinked a couple of times, as if clearing out the cobwebs and shook his head. Sirius grabbed the plate excitedly.

"I ask how work is without me and you tell me that?" James asked finally.

"Well," Sirius said spraying cookie crumbs across the table, "it happened while I was at work."

James was about to comment when Remus nudged him lightly. "Don't bother. Sirius will always be making connections that normal people couldn't begin to understand. Just let it go and be glad he didn't tell you about the latest muggle soap opera he's watched."

James just nodded then a look of confusion passed his face.

"What?" asked Remus, who read his friends' faces easily.

"Why would anyone make an opera about soap?"

"Never mind," said Remus telling himself he was not surrounded by stupid people, only ignorant ones.

Next Scene—well not necessarily next, but after the one above

James was walking down the halls whistling the Gryffindor fight song to himself when he saw an unpleasant sight. Well, not completely unpleasant. A group of three Slytherin boys had circled around a Gryffindor first year and were taunting her about her red hair. Now, the part of James's mind went straight to how cruel children can be today!, but another part went to oh, look at her kick his shin! Heeheehee, injure the Slytherins! He was about to interfere and severely make a dent in Slytherin's amount of points but the Head Girl got there first.

"Hey! Fifteen points from Slytherin. Three on one is an act of cowardice. Now get back to your common room before I take off any more points."

As the boys ran off towards the dungeons the young girl looked at Lily in confusion. "I thought the Slytherins were your friends," she accused.

For a moment Lily didn't answer and James didn't think she was going to, but then, talking in almost a whisper, he heard her.

"I care for them, certainly. But sometimes, even the people closest to you can be led down the wrong path. I guess, you have to put your beliefs before your friends sometimes in order to do what's right.