AN: So, d'you think James will feel better? Read on…
Chapter 13: Detention
Sirius' POV:
"You two will be cleaning the trophies. Without magic."
James and I groaned simultaneously.
"But Professor, I thought you said you were happy that James was feeling better," I said.
"I am, but that does not excuse what you did to Charters today in class. Wands!"
We handed over our wands reluctantly and began scrubbing at the trophies. After a few moments, McGonagall left and James looked up at me, expectantly.
"Well, then, spit it out."
"What?"
"You obviously wanted to say something, or did you just want to get me in detention?"
"Oh, right." I paused, wondering how to phrase what I wanted to say.
"Look, James, I- well, I guess, er, I- I'm sorry for being such a big-headed git and ignoring you and letting you get depressed and- well…. Yeah."
He looked at me and grinned, actually grinned. "I hoped you were going to say that."
We grinned at each other for a few moments, then I reached over and pulled him into a hug. If we were girls, we probably would have started crying, but as it was, we just hugged.
"I missed you, Padfoot," he whispered.
"I missed you too, Prongs."
I turned back to the trophies and winced. "Didn't we do this fourth year?"
"Yeah, really. How often do trophies need to be cleaned, anyway?"
"Once a week, by the looks of these."
We glanced at each other, trying to keep a straight face, but soon gave up and started laughing for all we were worth.
In a moment, though, I had a question for him. "Hey, Prongs?"
He abruptly stopped laughing. "Yeah?"
"How did- well, what I mean is I've been such a git all this time and you've been so mopey and depressed, and well… How is it that suddenly we're friends again?"
Prongs looked at me, with sadness in his eyes. "Our friendship's always been a part of me since we met. I think it was just waiting for you to come back. I've been too chicken to try to be friends again myself. I just thought that maybe you didn't want to be friends anymore, and I didn't want to find out if it was true. Because if it was… well… Things were already hard enough."
Now it was my turn to be sad. "I thought you knew that I'd never not want to be friends with you. We're best mates, and always will be, right?"
"Right." We hugged again, and I thought I saw tears come into Prong's eyes. Or maybe it was just my blurred vision from my own tears.
James' POV:
Padfoot and I walked back up to the common room together, arms around each other's shoulders. We were laughing and joking as we came in, and Moony and Wormtail looked puzzled. We explained that we had made up, and I saw Moony's face light up. I looked over at Lily, and she grinned at us. I felt my stomach flip over.
Moony's expression saddened a little, as if he could sense what I was thinking.
I stretched. "Well, I'm exhausted from all that scrubbing. I'm off to bed."
Padfoot agreed, and we started walking to our dormitory. "Wait a sec, Prongs," he said, and anticipating what he was going to do, I walked more quickly. Not quickly enough, however, as I got a glimpse of Lily and Padfoot kissing goodnight.
My mind flashed back to two nights previously when I had kissed Lily goodnight, unbeknownst to her.
I walked faster.
Remus' POV:
Thank you, Lily.
James has been lifted out of his pit, thanks to you talking to Sirius, and then him talking to James.
That is to say, he's mostly out. You still have a spade, and are digging.
Sirius is pouring bucketfuls back in, yes, but you're making some headway. You're still deepening it.
And yet, I think I'll thank you again anyway. So:
Thank you, Lily.
Thank you.
AN: Yay! James is feeling bet-ter! James is feeling bet-ter! But, as you can see, it's not a full recovery yet; and I can't guarantee that the mopeyness won't come back occasionally.