Disclaimer: Characters and settings are property of J.K. Rowling. What you don't recognize is mine.
Author's Note: This is not, I repeat, not, the sequel to 'A Marauder's Girl.' Yes, this is set in the Marauder time frame, but it's an entirely different story. The character names might seem familiar, but I've changed quite a few personalities from that story, and this should not be taken as related in any way to that universe. You've been warned.
P.S. This chapter is dedicated to Princess Myra, who is a very faithful reviewer. I love all of my reviewers, of course, but I owe Princess Myra a big one because her reviews ALWAYS get me thinking, and they're thoughtful and long, which are my favorite kind. Thank you, Princess Myra!
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Time Of Our LivesChapter 2 – Of Arrogance and Polyjuice
September 1970
The very first week at Hogwarts was rather difficult for one James Potter. He'd grown up an only child, and as such his parents had lavished their attentions on him, with no one else to take the spotlight. He had some friends, he supposed, but they were mostly the sons and daughters of his parents' friends, like how Emmeline Vance's mother was Delilah Vance, and a very good friend of his mother's, like how Janine Garnet's father was Will Garnet, a very good friend of his father's, like how he'd grown up knowing the Prewett Twins, both six years older than he was.
But being at Hogwarts was different. Janine was the only one of his old friends who was in his year, and he'd gotten lucky enough to have her in his house, too – although she'd confided that she nearly ended up in Ravenclaw, but had bullied the Sorting Hat into putting her in Gryffindor, or so she said – but Janine spent a good deal of time with two of the girls from her dormitory, and a number of girls from other Houses. Thus, she had little time for James Potter. Used to people's undivided attention, James found this new treatment from the general populace at large to be rather disconcerting.
It didn't help that the three other boys in his dormitory were a bit – reclusive, so to speak. Remus Lupin was perfectly nice, but he was quiet and liked to spend time in the library with another boy, Peter Pettigrew, who was ridiculously shy and seemed to flush a bright red whenever someone spoke to him. And then there was Sirius Black. James himself had only ever met one of the Blacks, and that was Narcissa Black and her mother, and then only briefly, but he'd certainly heard enough about them to know to steer clear. He vividly remembered the night his father came home from work in a thunderous mood, to rail at his mother about Orion Black, who was a prat and a pillock and a twat and all other things besides that James wasn't supposed to say. And unless he was much mistaken, Orion Black was actually Sirius's father, not a distant relative.
And so James found himself feeling very lonely and rather neglected, and so he went out of his way to make people notice him. That redheaded girl in his year, Lily something-or-the-other, screeched horribly when he charmed her hair green, and although lots of people had found it funny, she apparently hadn't, and so she avenged herself by charming his quill to scribble nonsense while he tried to do his assignments. He had to admit, it really was a very good charm, and if he'd had much inclination, he might have asked her how she'd done it. Instead, he charmed her books to slam shut each time she opened one, but that was only in late January of their first year, and we are still in September.
Emmeline Vance, who was a third-year Ravenclaw by then, was more than happy to point him in the right direction if he ever got lost and she happened upon him. As she walked him back to the Transfiguration classroom (he had that class first thing every Monday morning, and since he usually overslept, he knew the best shortcut to it and was fully capable of returning to his Tower from there), they turned a corner, chatting companionably, at least until they saw a source of trouble.
James recognized Sirius Black at once, because he was particularly distinctive in that he looked like ever other member of his family. He was being cornered by a tall girl, a Slytherin by the color of her tie, one who bore a startling resemblance to him, only much older. As they approached, James could hear snatches of their conversation.
"It isn't difficult, Sirius. Where's your sense of adventure? You used to be so much fun."
"I'm not gong off getting into trouble," said Sirius stubbornly, "everybody hates me as it is; there's no reason to make it worse!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Sirius, who said they had to know it was you? Now, listen to me. All you have to do is—"
"Oi, Bella, what are you up to?" Emmeline's voice cracked like a whip, and the girl 'Bella' turned, a malicious smirk on her face.
"None of your business, Vance; why don't you move along?"
"He's just a firstie, Bellatrix, leave him be."
"He's my cousin, and Sirius isn't scared of me. He and I are just having a nice familial conversation, and it's not your place to tell me how to speak to my cousins. Move along."
"No. Leave him alone, Bella."
"I haven't given you leave to call me Bella, Vance, so I suggest you don't. Aren't you a third-year? You should be terrified to be taking on one of the big, bad, Black sisters."
"Bellatrix, I'm not joking. Be about your business; leave the Gryffindors out of it."
"Haven't I told you he's my cousin?" demanded Bellatrix in exasperation. "It's really none of your business. Move along and stop bothering us."
"You're terrifying him!"
"I'm not terrified," interjected Sirius angrily, "and I don't need a bloody champion!" He turned to his cousin. "I've got to get back to my tower, Bella."
"Sirius, stop fretting, you aren't going to get in trouble for talking to me, just because I'm a Slytherin. And don't take that tone with me, Sirius; what would your mother say?"
"My mother can sod off."
"Don't speak of your elders so; I'll have to tell her you said that. Now listen to me, I'm your older cousin, and you can't go about ignoring me, or I'll tell Aunt Allegra, who will be frightfully upset that you've been avoiding your doting cousins." She gave him a pitying look. "You aren't still upset that I told your mother about your being in Gryffindor, are you? How utterly ridiculous, Sirius; she would have found out eventually."
"You didn't have to tell her so!" he snapped; Bellatrix retorted by shoving him against the wall with a sharp reprimand for his tone. Emmeline immediately protested.
"Stop that!"
"Are you still here? For the last time, move along, Vance."
"You may be a sixth-year, but we'll see you mouth off to McGonagall," said Emmeline firmly. "I doubt she'd be happy to hear that you're manhandling her students, Black. Now go away, or I'll report you for terrorizing the first-years."
"Are you ordering me, a member of the prestigious House of Black, to do something? I think not, Vance. Oh, no."
"Bellatrix Black! Emmeline Vance! What is going on here?" James whipped his head around, to find McGonagall striding towards them. Her eyes swept over the scene: Emmeline full of righteous anger, James a bit confused but at her side nonetheless, Bellatrix with a growing scowl on her face, and Sirius watching the entirely scene silently.
"Nothing, Professor," said Bellatrix in a sweetly unconvincing voice. "I'll see you around, Sirius," she said, adding, "We haven't finished our conversation." Her eyes danced madly as she swept away. McGonagall shook her head.
"I don't know what was going on here," said McGonagall coolly, "and I don't want to know. Mr. Black, are you all right? Do you need to be escorted to the Hospital Wing?"
Sirius scowled. "I'll be perfectly fine on my own, thanks, Professor. I'm not hurt."
"All right, then. Miss Vance, could I have a word with you in my office?" Emmeline nodded and bid James goodbye, leaving the two boys alone in the hall.
"So what happened?" asked James curiously.
"None of your sodding business," Sirius said rudely, rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the wall. Then he frowned. "You're James Potter, aren't you?"
"Yeah; why?"
"No reason. I'm a bit surprised, though. You certainly don't look like a twat to me."
James blinked. "Why would you think I was?"
"Well, my entire family says all the Potters are twats. Except for Uncle Alphard, but he doesn't show at family functions anymore, so I don't know what he thinks." Sirius cleared his throat. "I'm Sirius Black, by the way. I don't think we've ever met."
"We haven't. I met your cousin Narcissa once, though."
"Did you?" Sirius looked curious. "She's not so awful, really. It's mostly Bella that's a right pain in the arse, but only since I got sorted into Gryffindor. I suppose she was the one who told Mother about it. Every Black's ever been in Slytherin," added Sirius. "I'm the only one; even Droma was there."
"Droma?"
"Andromeda. My other cousin. Fifth-year," he added. "She's a prefect," he continued, and shook his head. "I reckon Narcissa will be one, too. She's usually good at following the rules. Bella isn't, though, she likes trouble too much. Making it and getting into it, that is."
"Oh." James shoved his hands in his pockets. "Er… d'you want to go back to the Tower, or are you heading for the Hospital Wing?"
"The Tower, I reckon, but I've no idea how to get there. I was looking for it when Bella found me." His eyes darkened slightly, then he cleared his throat and continued. "So I hope you know the way back."
"Yeah." He and Sirius started back.
"What was she trying to make you do, anyway?"
"Hex you," answered Sirius at once, causing James to stare at him. "You wanted to know," he said defensively, "and in case you're wondering, I did say no. But only because I don't need our entire house hating me more than they already do."
"Well, you are a Black."
"So? You are a Potter."
"Potters aren't bad. Blacks are."
"Are you a Black?"
"Of course not!"
"Then how would you know?"
"Because everyone says they are!" James refused to look Sirius in the eyes after that, but he'd only just realize how foolish his argument sounded. "Forget it." They walked on in silence for a bit farther. James finally chanced a quick glance at the other boy.
Sirius was looking at him curiously. "I've never met a Potter," he admitted, as though he were seeing a particular interesting magical creature. "I didn't expect someone like – well, a bit like me, I suppose. Weren't you the one who turned that Evans girl's hair green first week?"
"That was me," said James proudly.
"Not particularly inventive, that," said Sirius. James deflated slightly. "If you wanted, we could come up with some ideas to get her good, especially after that whole quill incident." His brow furrowed. "Unless, of course, you'd rather not be seen with a Black."
James paused. "I s'pose I could stand it, for a bit. I'll let you know what I think of you in a week's time – my mum always said not to judge a book by its cover."
Sirius's smile was big, although it had the tiniest hint of derision in it. "Good for you." And as the two boys headed for their dormitory, James found that he didn't really mind Sirius Black so much, mocking smile and all.
X-X-X-X-X
August 1976
James glowered down at the shiny cover of the newest album by the Billywig Stings. He'd heard girls discussing it everywhere, and he vaguely remembered Janine mentioning that she and Lily had tried everywhere for tickets to the Billywig Stings concert in Diagon Alley over last Christmas, although they'd never managed to get them. The album was nearly impossible to find anywhere; why, then, had Lily sent it back to him? Perhaps she'd gotten her own copy?
But that actually was impossible; not even Janine had hers yet. And James had gone through so much trouble to find the stupid album, scouring the stores of Diagon Alley, finding a last copy, and nearly getting into a fight over it, which culminated in him and a fourteen-year-old girl with a very large brother getting kicked out of the store, but only after James had won the fight and bought the record.
Honestly, didn't Evans see what he went through for her?
"Glowering at it won't help," said Sirius idly, shaking his shaggy hair from his eyes. James scowled at him, too. Since getting his own flat, Sirius had taken to stopping by for Sunday brunch with James's family every week, if only to see his best friend and occasionally say hello. James had been nothing short of astonished when Sirius had announced gleefully that he'd got a job in Diagon Alley to help ensure that his Uncle Alphard's assets wouldn't run out before he even got back to Hogwarts. But James had never known Sirius to do an honest day's work in his entire life – at least, that's what he told Sirius – and was therefore completely flummoxed by this turn of events. His job also meant that Sirius and James only had Sunday to fit in all of their mischief making, although James occasionally met up with his best friend in a pub on Wednesday nights.
"Shut it, you." James frowned down at the album again. Since she'd sent it back to him, with nary a scribble of 'no thanks,' even, he'd been sullen and angry. Would it really have killed to her accept his gift?
"Dunno, maybe she thought it would," said Sirius, and James realized he'd spoken aloud. "Or maybe she thought that she'd have to go out with you in return for it."
"I wouldn't have wanted anything in return!" protested James hotly. "It was a gift!" He did not add that he'd scribbled an extra note at the bottom of the birthday card he'd sent, a note that asked if she'd go out with him sometime before the end of the summer. "Anyway, it's not like she can do better than me," said James crossly. "D'you remember last year, when she went out with that idiot Bertram Aubrey?"
"Yes, I remember." Sirius's voice was dull. "We made his life hell for a week until they broke up. What was it, two Sunday morning detentions for that?"
"Only one. We got the other one from something else we did, I think." James scowled. "And he was a prat; he deserved it. Walking around with that big head, thinking he's so much better than the rest of us…"
"As if you're not exactly that way," muttered Sirius under his breath, but James continued his tirade as if he'd forgotten Sirius was in the room.
"I mean, I suppose I can be a bit of a git—"
"Got that right," interjected Sirius.
"—But really, I'm good-looking, I'm funny, I'm brilliant, and I'm a Quidditch player! Why can't she see all that?"
"Dunno," said Sirius again, "but if I had to hazard a guess, it might have something to do with the fact that your big head tends to get in the way."
"I haven't got a big head."
Sirius rolled her eyes. "Do you even listen to yourself when you speak? I mean, really, do you? Because I get this impression that you say things without hearing them."
"Sod off, Black!"
Sirius shrugged, completely unaffected by James's minor temper tantrum. "All right, carry on whinging, then."
"I am not—"
"James, do try not to shout, would you? You're frightening the house-elf," said Mrs. Potter, coming into her son's bedroom. "Oh, hello, Sirius, I didn't even know you were here. Staying for brunch?"
Sirius sent her his most charming smile. "Don't I always?"
"Yes, I suppose you do. James, I've got your clean underwear, here, so please don't leave it on the bed. I want it put away before you two come down to eat, understand?"
James gave her a horrified look. "Mum, that's my underwear!"
"I know it is, you silly boy, didn't I just say so?" To James's intense shame, she deposited it all on the bed, very close to Sirius, affording the other boy a prime look at the top one, patterned with quacking ducks. Sirius fell, rolling on the floor laughing, as James's cheeks went bright red.
"Mum, please."
"For goodness' sake, James, it's not like Sirius hasn't seen them before. I had to do both of your laundry last year when he was living here, didn't I? Now do like I said, put them away." James mumbled something very rude under his breath. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that, but don't let me catch you saying it again. I don't suppose you boys are going out today?"
"No, why?"
"Well, tea's at our house today, and I'd rather you weren't here for it. Quite a few families will be stopping by and after the last time's fiasco…"
James vaguely remembered something about roller-skates and bananas. He grimaced. "Right. We'll pop off to the park and play some Quidditch, yeah?"
"That would be lovely." Mrs. Potter beamed at her son. "Come back by six, all right? Your father's managed to get off of work early today, so I'm sure you'd like to see him. And brunch will be ready in just ten minutes, and I want all of your clean clothes put away before you come down."
"Yes, Mum." James looked resigned. "You already told me."
"Did I? Good. You shouldn't take your house-elves for granted, James," she chided. "Binky isn't here to be your personal slave, dear. She's here to help out, but not to do everything. Don't you ever forget that, James."
"Yes, Mum," he said, the picture of a dutiful son. "Can you go now?"
Mrs. Potter wasn't at all affronted by his less-than-subtle attempt to get rid of her. "Yes, yes, I'm going." As she made her way to the door, she coughed several times. At once, James was seized with concern.
"Mum, you all right?"
"Yes, yes, dear, I'm fine, just a bit of allergies, nothing to worry about. Ten minutes, James." She smiled warmly at Sirius before exiting. Just as the door closed, James heard her cough again, followed by a sneeze.
Sirius waited until he was absolutely certain that Mrs. Potter had completely disappeared from earshot. "I think she's in love with me," he said off-handedly. "But she doesn't want to admit it around you. I could see it. She wants me."
"Whatever, Padfoot." James returned to studying the Billywig Stings album, wondering what to do with it. He wasn't much for popular music. "Oi, Sirius, d'you want this?" He waved it in the air.
Sirius yawned. "Not particularly, but there's this girl that keeps coming 'round to the apothecary, and I can't get rid of her. It's like she wants a bloody commitment from me, or something. Maybe if I shove it off at her, I can bribe her into leaving me alone. I mean, honestly. You snog a girl once, and she expects bloody marriage…" James roared with laughter at that.
Some things would never change.
Several hours later, both boys had grabbed their broomsticks and headed out, only to decide halfway to the park that they didn't want to play Quidditch after all. Sirius suggested a trip to Diagon Alley, just to check at things round the apothecary, and so that was where they found themselves at approximately half past four.
James bent low over a barrel, swinging his broomstick over his shoulder. Sirius cast him an annoyed look. "Oi, you, watch where you're sticking that thing."
"That sounds so wrong," his friend replied, and grimaced down into the barrel of newt tails. "I think some of these might be rotting, mate."
"What?" Sirius shoved James out of the way and sniffed gingerly. He stood up, chagrined. "Damn it, they are. I'll have to ask Arnie to replace them."
"Arnie?"
"Arnold," explained Sirius. "Our regular delivery boy, though he's not so much a delivery boy as a delivery man. Must've failed all his O.W.L.'s; I don't reckon he ever got past the fifth year at Hogwarts. As bloody bright as a rock, he is."
"What, so it's his fault?"
"He's supposed to make sure our supplier gives us good quality!" said Sirius indignantly. "And I introduced him to Janine, too. The arse."
"You introduced him to Janine?" asked James, mystified. "What for?"
"Well, he's been a bit depressed since his bird left him – no surprise, really, she probably got fed up with his insufferable stupidity – so I thought, you know, if he met a pretty girl who was interested in him—"
"Was Janine interested in him?"
"Not in the least, but she acted the part. It got him to stop whining about his darling Angela for a bit, but then when he realized Janine was never going to owl him ever again, he started whining about her instead. Wants me to set them up."
James looked amused. "How did she act the part? I can't picture her particularly interested in anyone, unless it's that git Travers."
"Too true, although you know, she had a mad crush on Malfoy back in first year?" James looked revolted. "I know, but even Droma had a thing for him when they were younger. 'Till she met Ted, anyway. Janine likes Ted an awful lot, too, says he has big doe-eyes and she loves his shaggy brown hair… is Ted good-looking, you think?"
"What, your cousin's husband? I wouldn't know; I don't swing that way. Is Janie aware that Ted's married?"
"Very much so. I heard Meadowes pointing it out to her; Janine mentioned something about him leaving Droma for her. She was kidding, though," added Sirius, smirking. "I told her Ted wouldn't leave Droma for Circe herself, and she seemed quite put-off."
"Maybe she wasn't joking, then."
"That's too bad for her," said Sirius, pursed his lips, and added, "and Travers too, I suppose. Let's go into the back room."
"Ooh," said James, batting his eyelashes in a terrible imitation of a girl. "I didn't know you felt that way about me, Black."
"Sod off, Potter," Sirius retorted companionably, and then grabbed his sleeve. The back room turned out to be a laboratory.
"What the hell d'you need a lab for? Don't you just sell the ingredients?"
"Well, the old man who owns this place has his Potions mastery too, and he spends his time in obscure experiments while poor lads like me run the front of his shop."
"Oh." James leaned over a cauldron and sniffed. He made a face and nearly retched. "What's this?"
"Polyjuice Potion, I think."
James jerked back, his eyes slightly widened. "Mate, you do know this stuff is closely regulated by the Ministry, right? More to the point, does your boss know it? You've got to obtain this special sort of license and everything—"
"Yeah, I know," replied Sirius unconcernedly. "I doubt the old man cares, though. Hey, don't tell your dad, yeah? I mean, he's a good guy and all, 'course, but he does work for the Ministry, and it might cause some trouble 'round here if he lets that slip—"
"Dad wouldn't let it slip unless he meant to," answered James. "But come on, Sirius, with things the way they are… I mean, they've got a right to regulate it. You heard about those awful murders where the man was supposedly in China but his wife was murdered and they said he did it? Dad reckons that someone had used Polyjuice to trick people, but there's no proof, so the poor sod's in Azkaban anyway."
"Yeah, I heard," said Sirius quietly. "Bad times, Jamie, but what can you do? Anyway, old man Jones is a good guy. Got a daughter who goes to Hogwarts, you know – she's a Hufflepuff, I think, and she's a second-year or something."
"He could be Imperiused," insisted James worriedly. "Maybe you ought to—"
"James." Sirius's voice was hard. "Don't you think that I, of all people, would notice that?" James knew what he meant; Sirius had told him, once, that the older, more traditional families that were like-minded as the Blacks often put Imperius or something similar on their children to get them to behave in good company. "Anyway, Jones acts the same as he always has since I met him when I was eleven. Don't worry about it."
"Okay," said James, still looking unconvinced. "If you say so."
"I do say so. Anyway, I just wanted to pop 'round to see how things are going. Everything seems to be in order; d'you still want to go the park by your house and play Quidditch?"
James pursed his lips. "Nah, forget it. Mum should be done with her little tea party soon anyway, I reckon, so we could just hang around Diagon Alley…" The two boys moved to the front of the store, and found a girl with long honey-blond hair bending over the same barrel of newt tails that James himself had inspected.
Glancing up, hazel eyes dancing, Dorcas Meadowes said rather casually, "Oi, Black, you work here, don't you? Because I think these newt tails are rotting."
"Off-duty today, Meadowes," replied Sirius just as casually. "Let someone else deal with it." Someone else called Arnie, thought James. "What's a lovely lady like you doing in my side of town?"
Never mind that Diagon Alley was really nobody's side of town, James reflected, but Dorcas said sweetly, "I appreciate that you're trying to chat me up, Black, but I make a point to never do the same boy twice." James pulled a revolted face. "Ooh, sorry, Potter. Didn't quite see you there. Summer been good so far?"
"Up until you said that, yes," said James, pretending to gag. "I never want to know that aspect of your life ever again, Meadowes."
"All right, all right." She grinned at him. "How fares the spurned lover, then?" James gave her a puzzled look. "Lily's present," she clarified. "She told me she sent the Billywig Stings album back, the silly girl. D'you still have it?"
"Yeah," said James, puzzled, drawing it out of his pocket. "Why?"
"Well, if she's going to be an idiot, I'm not. How much did you pay? I'll buy it off you."
"Forget that, Meadowes, take the damn thing," said Sirius, snatching it out of James's hands and tossing it to her. She gave him a surprised look, and then smiled.
"Why Black, that's very thoughtful of you. And I didn't think you possessed a thoughtful bone in your body."
"Shows what you know."
"Apparently. Learn something new every day, don't we?"
"Bloody Ravenclaws and their learning habits," said Sirius good-naturedly. "I ought to show you how to have a good time, Meadowes."
"You have, Black. After-O.W.L.'s party in the end of fifth year? We snogged and you were utterly unromantic about it afterwards."
"I've been told that," admitted Sirius without a trace of shame. "What can I say? Girls are fun in the moment, but really, what's the point? I'm bloody seventeen; it's not like I'm looking for a soul mate. Girls," he added with some disgust, "are always blathering on about commitment. You weren't, though," he added appraisingly. "I liked that about you. And Evans doesn't, obviously, but then she thinks I'm an arrogant pillock."
"Which you are," interjected James.
"As if you're one to talk. And Janine doesn't blather on about commitment, either. I mean, not that we're in a relationship or ever had been, but whenever she wants to talk to me, it's usually about Quidditch." He looked thoughtful. "Or what a bloody prick Jamie here is being to the lovely Miss Evans. Or sometimes about class, I suppose. And there was that one time we were talking about—"
"Don't recount every conversation you've ever had," said Dorcas, looking cheerful. "So where are you handsome fellows off to?"
"Oh, the usual – slaying dragons, sweeping damsels in distress off their feet," replied Sirius with a straight face. "You?"
"Oh, the same," she answered. "Only I suppose I wouldn't be sweeping damsels off their feet, would I? As you already know, I don't swing that way."
"Come have a drink with us," offered Sirius. "We can trade stories about our blissfully boring summers. I worked at this apothecary. See? I've already detailed my entire boring summer. How was yours?"
"Good, actually, you'd be surprised," said Dorcas. "I went to a bar two nights ago. It was fun. I got pissed and disappeared with a bartender name Bob." She frowned. "Or Rob, possibly. I think we might have had an argument over that, and I can't remember which it was. Lily would know, of course, so I'll just ask her."
"Evans was there?" James asked eagerly. Dorcas gave him a pitying look.
"You are a bit like a following puppy, aren't you, Potter? Yes, she was there. And she went off with Lucius Malfoy," she added thoughtfully, ignoring the stricken look on James's face. "Which I find a bit odd, particularly as she doesn't like Malfoy. Of course, he's very fanciable," she continued. "Ooh, those handsome gray eyes make me grow weak in the knees…"
"If you like ice princes, I suppose," said Sirius. "Anyway, he's practically engaged to my cousin Narcissa. She only graduated a year ago, though, so they've only had a year of proper courtship. I expect we'll be hearing wedding bells anytime now. Although I suppose I might tell Narcissa that he's going off with other girls behind his back."
"No, I think he only wanted to talk."
"Oh, is that what they call it these days?" Dorcas made a face.
"Anyway, I think she came in rather quickly, told me to use a condom, and then took off. She seemed markedly clear-headed, considering the amount of alcohol she'd consumed." Dorcas looked thoughtful. "Ooh, I do hope she got home all right. I never called to check."
"She's fine, I'm sure. I'd pity any idiot who tried to mug Evans; she'd probably snap him in half. Terrifying, she is." Dorcas rolled her eyes; Sirius continued undeterred. "By the way, what's a condom?"
"Bit like a contraceptive charm. Except it's not always guaranteed to work."
"Neither are the charms," said James. He was beginning to feel very left out of this conversation. "But I guess that's only if you cast them incorrectly."
"Right. So what about you, Potter, what've you been up to?"
"Nothing," said James despairingly. "I spent bloody forever trying to get that stupid album for Evans, and then she goes and sends it back."
"At least it's not going to waste!" said Dorcas bracingly, a cheerful smile on her face. "After all, I seem to be benefiting, don't I?"
"Oh, piss off," said James. "It was meant for Evans. Face it, Meadowes, you're just old hat compared to her."
"I suppose, from your opinion, everyone is," shot back Dorcas. "By the way, had a date since you've started pursuing Evans? No? Didn't think so," she said sweetly. James glowered at her; Sirius snorted. "So what was this about a drink?"
"You alcoholic," said Sirius. "I was joking; it's the middle of the day."
She looked insulted. "First off, I'm not an alcoholic, I just like to drink. And it's hardly the middle of the day, Black, it's nearly five o'clock." She sighed. "But I do have to get home, regretfully. Daddy imagines I'm such a good girl," she said, "and I was able to get out two nights ago by pretending I was sleeping over at Janine's house; I just had to tell him that she doesn't have a phone because she's wizarding and he had no way to check up on me. He's a Muggle," she explained for their benefit. "And though Mum's a witch, she's at a conference in Geneva, so there wasn't much she could do at the time. But I'd need a proper excuse this time."
"Tell him you're sleeping at my flat," said Sirius with a grin. Dorcas looked surprised.
"Oh, you have a flat, do you? You must entertain people all the time. We should have a party." She smiled. "You, me, and a bottle of Firewhisky."
"That's a party?" said James skeptically.
"Three's a crowd, Potter. So sorry – but you're not invited."
Sirius smirked. "I thought you never did the same bloke twice."
Dorcas shrugged. "I might make an exception for you."
Sirius pretended to mull that over. "Interesting though that prospect sounds, I'm afraid I'm going to have to respectfully decline. Perhaps a rain check?"
Dorcas smiled, cat-like. "Perhaps," she allowed.
"Well, come on, then, make up another excuse." Sirius smiled. "I've got work tomorrow, but I reckon my boss won't notice if I come in hung-over; he never does. You, me, a bottle of Firewhisky. Not at the flat, obviously, but other than that, it sounds good?"
"You'd abandon Potter?"
"Are you joking? Since Evans sent back the album, he's been wallowing in his misery." He cast James an amused look. "Maybe you ought to come. Do you good. Get out and get smashed with the two of us." He threw an arm around Dorcas's shoulder. "It'll be fun," he wheedled.
James gave him a weary look. "I'll never manage to get away from my parents."
Sirius laughed. "That, my friend, is why you have me."
X-X-X-X-X
A/N: So, here is the second chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed this one! I'm not going to write James's POV as often as I do Lily's, I think, but I figure it was important to get into his head at least once early on in the story. I don't really like the title of this chapter, but I could think of nothing else. On a bright note, though, I have quite a few of the following chapters already written so it may not take as long for the update, schoolwork willing. We'll see. So… A few important things happened or came up in this chapter, although it may not seem like it, but I'm not going to tell you what they are. Brownie points to you, however, if you ever figure out what said important things are. Aside from getting into James's head, there should be two more. One is fairly obvious. I like to hope that the other one isn't.
I got a couple of questions in reviews, and I can't remember all of them, but here's what I do remember:
- Janine doesn't seem very different! OR Janine is still a slut! Give it time. She's not the same; I mean that. Her only boyfriend is Quincy Travers. She does not cheat on him. They do, however, break up periodically, and in those instances, she goes on dates with them. To clear it up, though, Janine's not the same girl in that she won't go off and snog madly/shag every guy she comes across. And she's not as girly, a bit less bratty, but still spoiled. You'll see those traits, I hope. Eventually.
- Are Sirius and Janine ever going to get together? You'll just have to wait and see, won't you:)
- Janine and Dorcas are your typical boy-crazy girls. How about someone more down to Earth? You didn't think those were Lily's only friends, surely, did you? Her other friends are somewhat more down-to-Earth. Although I do have to say, my friends and I are certainly boy-crazy, but I'm as down-to-Earth (or I like to think I am) as most girls, sometimes more so. JKR mentioned, when asked if anybody else every liked Lily like James did or something like that, anyway, that she was a popular girl, and I intend to make her so. And if you ask me, this Lily is much more likeable than AMG's Lily.
- I liked the characters from AMG! So did I. I still do. I just happen to like these characters as much, if not more so.
- Is the title taken from Green Day's song? Yes. Sort of, anyway. Don't you love that song? I do.
- When is this fic set? Right now, it's before their seventh year. I'll have a time frame at the beginning of every chapter (and sometimes in between, if it switches) so remember, in my universe, MWPP and Lily graduated in 1977. Use that as your guide – there will be a lot of flashes to the past, like at the beginning of this chapter.
- How old is Malfoy? Five years older than our heroes. For reference, so is Bellatrix; Andromeda is four years older, and Narcissa is two. The Black family will come up quite a lot in this story, as well as certain other minor characters that have been mentioned in passing during canon, and to whom I've decided to add some depth. But the ages of the Black sisters are somewhat important, I think. So just FYI.
- Is there a reason Rob the bartender looks like James? No. He's a random character. He won't appear as anything beyond the bartender of the Serpent's Tongue. There is no depth to him. At all.