Author's Note: No, I haven't abandoned this fic, I've just been busy with school and what not. Aaaand the fact that I actually have little clue as to where this story is going. But I guess I can think of it as an experiment of sorts, right? :S
The area around the entrance to the library was a breath of fresh air from the rest of the school halls; serene, empty save for the occasional student making a beeline to the room, afternoon horribly filled with the dullest of schoolwork. Here and there was a first year, a fifth year, the occasional teacher, most of which passed by taking a hurried second look back at Sirius Black. The boy in question was sprawled against the wall of the hallway, uniform untucked and nary a book in sight.
While James had spent his share of time with his nose in a musty book, cramming theories and laws into his head until even the thought of working at the Ministry became unappealing, Sirius did not. He didn't have the patience to sit still in a shiny wooden chair, eyes glazing over as he stared into the black and yellow pages of heavy tomes.
It's not that he wasn't bright, oh no. Sirius' mind was quick, if a bit clouded over by his enlarged ego and years of overindulgence in Firewhisky. He didn't care much for school, and while some saw this as a waste of potential, he has his future success lying outside the expectations as outlined by teachers.
And thus, catching a glance of the handsome boy in the area outside of the library was rare indeed. Yet there he was, a sight that shocked even James as he approached his good friend.
"Alright, Padfoot, I know you said you needed to meet me at the library," he began as he struggled with his pile of textbooks. "But I gotta say, I did not expect you to actually be here."
Sirius was distracted, glancing right and left in the hallway, searching through faces blurring by. "I don't know what you're talking about, I've spent many a late night in here."
"Half undressed and pressed up against a girl, no doubt." James muttered.
"You got me there," Sirius' face brightened as he spotted the object of his search. "James, you got here just on time. Oi, Marlene!"
The fellow classmate approached them with a wary expression. If there was any possibility of Marlene being happy on any level about heading to the library, it was gone upon setting sights on the two boys. "Black, what the hell are you doing here?" She stopped in front of the pair, balancing her books in her arms.
"I'm here to finish the discussion we started this morning."
"Come again?"
"You know, my plan involving getting our two best mates to fuck it out and stop being so annoying." James sighed.
"Black, I'm unsure about the... ethics involved in your... plan." Marlene said, rolling her eyes while turning into the library, voice becoming
"Come on, Marlene, you said you'd help!"
"No, Black, I said I was interested in what you had to say," she snapped. "As much as I hate being friends with someone who acts like a lovesick puppy, I can't do that to my friend."
James' head snapped up, suddenly interested with the topic at hand. "Hold on. She said she likes me?"
"Well, no," she admitted. "But it's just a matter of time, I swear. It might be helpful to speed up the process, I suppose."
"So you'll help us?" Sirius inquired, voice so loud he earned himself many fiery glares as he sauntered through the shelves.
"Look," she started. "I'm meeting Lily here now. I'll talk to her, and if she doesn't listen to me, I might go along with a tamer version of your little scheme." Sirius smirked. "Maybe." She stopped in her tracks and stared the boys straight in the eyes. "I'm gonna go study now with Lily. You will not follow me, you understand?"
"Whatever you say," Sirius said. "Come on, James, we can go study over there." Following what was perhaps the most shocking thing James had ever heard come out of his friend's mouth, he turned in search of a spare table.
"It's yet another day in the wild, and the expedition only gets tougher. We have followed the rare species of Lily Evans into a primitive and somewhat depressing region known as a library. We can only hope that this will be the breakthrough all of us have been hoping for, that this will be-"
"One more word from you, boy, and you're out of the library!"
James had been stupid to believe that Sirius was actually going to be, well, serious about studying. He was naive enough to think that all thoughts of matchmaking and love would be out of Sirius' head the moment he hit the books, and he himself could go back to admiring Lily from afar. No such luck. They had not, in fact, found a table, and opted instead to crouch behind shelves not too far from where Marlene and Lily sat. According to Sirius, it was all for the greater good.
"Sirius, this is ridiculous," James started. "I already know Lily likes to read and that she's friends with Marlene. There's nothing more we can learn from here."
Sirius made a tuting sound. "That's because you're not skilled in the art of deduction," he looked up at the sight of the arrival of the remaining Marauders. "Ah, the boys are here. Shall we can get started?"
Fucking hell, there went his planned afternoon of studying.
So much for the library being a safe haven, of being a place where thoughts could run free and uninhibited. Lily couldn't think, every potential thought being squashed down and ruined by the tiniest of sounds. There was a group of first years a couple of tables over, and the Marauders behind a bookshelf to her left, who, by any chance, may as well been a group of first years by the way they were behaving.
A thump came from the bookshelf, followed almost immediately by a strained yelp. Curiosity growing with every moment, Lily spared a moment to look up from her- er- homework, and tried to make out the shapes fidgeting through the gaps of ancient volumes. Four figures, each more restless than the next, were crouched on the ground, about as impatient as a child playing a drawn-out game of hide and seek.
Not like any of them knew what hide and go seek was. Or did they? No matter how much time she had spent in the magical world, child wizard games were a complete mystery to her.
An offended Hey! reached her ears, sounding very much like an irritated Remus Lupin, then a strangled choke as something heavy hit the ground. That was it, what was going on? Lily leaned over the table. "What do you think they're up to this time?"
"Sorry, who?"
"James and his little group, that's who. Their hiding spot isn't exactly discreet."
"I don't know what they could be up to," she replied through gritted teeth. "It's not the cleverest of ideas, is it?"
Lily eyed her friend. "Is everything alright between you guys?"
"Of course, why?"
"You seem tense all of a sudden. I thought it was my job to hate the lot," Lily joked.
"I don't hate them," Marlene retorted, slightly defensive, voice getting louder with each word. "I just hate how Black always has to bring his entire posse around to carry out his stupid plans for him."
Lily simply stared at her longtime friend. Sometimes, it was best not to ask.
Input of any sorts is very much appreciated! :D
