Hmm... this one's kind of short. Only 1228-ish words.
Chapter 29: Essay
After all their classes were over and dinner was eaten, the Marauders retreated to their room.
"We need to celebrate!" Sirius proclaimed.
"Celebrate what? Did you pass that quiz from McGonagall?" Remus asked.
"Haha." Sirius said dryly. "James has something that needs celebrating."
"What?"
"Moony. You ask too many questions." Sirius said thumping Lupin on the back. "Now. Prongs, would you like to share with them what you've decided?" James smiled.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because, no offense, but Lily should know before you lot. And I swear Padfoot if you tell them, I will pound you." James threatened. Sirius frowned at him.
"Come on chum! Tell your best mates." Sirius encouraged gripping Remus' cheeks between his thumb and fingers. Lupin pushed him away forcefully.
"What is he going on about?" Remus asked.
"Nothin." James said pulling out a Charms essay he needed to finish. Sirius spread himself across his bed.
"Shit. Hey Moony," Sirius began after seeing James' homework. "Could you help me with something?"
"No." Remus said instantly. He was sitting on his own bed already in his pajamas with a book under his nose.
"Please! I've almost finished, I just need you to proof it." Sirius begged.
"Is it that Herbology essay?" Remus asked. It had been assigned before break and due the next morning.
"It might be." Sirius admitted sheepishly. Remus shook his head getting absorbed by his book.
"Please, I can't fail it. McGonagall will kill me."
"He's not going to help you Padfoot." James told him.
"You can help me."
"Nope. Lily helped me with it before we left. I can't let you copy it or she'll kill me." James explained scribbling out a sentence that was hardly legible.
"What about you Worms? Did you finish it?" Sirius asked. Peter nodded.
"Over break." he squeaked.
"Where was I when you lot were getting all this work done?" Sirius demanded.
"I believe your exact words were, 'I'll be off snogging Mary,' or 'Rather dead than in the library'." Remus said.
"The library?" Sirius asked. Remus looked at him expectantly. "You sure spent a lot of time in the library."
"I was tutoring Ambre." Remus explained.
"Tutoring her?" Sirius asked.
"Yes. I was tutoring her in Transfigurations and Dada."
"You knew this Padfoot." James told him.
"How is Ambre?" Sirius asked.
"Fine I guess. We haven't talked much since school started up again after break. Ivy took over."
"Remus and Ambre." Sirius said slowly. As if testing out the sound.
"There's nothing between us."
"What!" Sirius said loudly making James look up from his essay.
"Nothing between you? You spent every second you could with her!"
"To help her."
"She couldn't have been that stupid."
"She's not stupid." Remus defended.
"When's the next full moon?" James asked. "I have to make sure I don't have head duties."
"Next Thursday." Lupin answered.
"ESSAY!" Sirius screamed. "Help me!"
"No." Remus said stubbornly.
"James?"
"I told you. I can't."
"Anyone?"
"Face it, you'll just have to do it yourself." James told him.
"Do you think Mary will be willing to help me?"
"I thought you were dumping her?" Remus asked.
"I am. But that doesn't mean I can't get a little school work done first."
"You shouldn't use her like that." James warned.
"I'm not using her. I'm...making the most of what I have."
"You're using her." James said ending the essay.
"I am not. But really, do you think she'd help me?" Sirius asked desperately.
"A galleon says she won't." James said.
"A galleon says she will." Sirius disagreed.
"What do you say Remus?" James asked.
"She won't."
"Pete?"
"Won't."
"I'll show you." Sirius told them. He left the room with such purpose it was almost scary. James and Remus exchanged a look barely shared with Peter. James followed Sirius to the common room where Ivy and Ambre were finishing up their weekly review and Mary was gossiping with a younger student named Rory.
"Hey cuteness." Sirius said greeting Mary with a kiss on the cheek. Sirius had a different pet name for every girlfriend he had. There was Sugar, Babe, Julie (the girls name was Maradith, it lasted a day), Plum (A week), Sweetie, Hey you (One date, short lived) and many more.
"Hey. What are you doing down here?" she asked.
"I was just thinking about how much I miss you."
"Huh." Mary said looking at Rory. Sirius sat down on the arm of the couch. He bent down whispering something in her ear. She giggled shaking her head. He murmured something else following it with a kiss. She smiled shaking her head. James caught a, "Please," from Sirius and a, "No." from Mary.
There was more kissing until Mary pushed on his chest. Sirius backed away grinning. He said something more causing Mary to just look pissed.
"Good night Sirius." she said marching off to the dorm.
"So a galleon each?" Sirius asked. James muffled laughter as he nodded. "Shut up." Sirius instructed.
"What were you gambling on?" Ambre asked.
"He was trying to get Mary to help him with a Herbology essay." James explained.
"And you bet a galleon that he couldn't do it?" Ambre guessed. James nodded heading toward the stairs. When he entered the room Remus was laughing at Sirius who looked sour.
"Ambre's down stairs." James informed Remus. Lupin almost closed his book, but then just shrugged trying to look indifferent. Sirius threw James a galleon before throwing himself on his bed.
"Do you think if I got suddenly ill I could be excused from this stupid essay?" Sirius asked his pillow.
"Probably not." James answered playing with the snitch Lily'd given him. Peter watched as he let it go, then caught it easily.
"Prongs?" Sirius asked several minutes later. After Peter had fallen asleep and Remus' curtains were pulled tightly closed.
"Hmm?" James was barely awake himself, but still fiddling with the snitch.
"What are you thinking about?" With this James looked at Sirius. He was lying on his bed, sheets thrown everywhere.
"Nothing." Then, "Lily."
"Ah." Sirius nodded. "I think she's on your mind more now than when she hardly talked to you."
"Nah." James disagreed, but he wasn't sure this was true. He let the snitch go, allowing it to zoom around the room.
"Are you going to go see her?"
"Nah." Sirius rolled his eyes figuring that within minutes he'd have his invisibility cloak on and be at the infirmary.
"If I bet a sickle that you'd be gone in ten minutes whose side would you be on?"
"Yours."
"Say hi to her for me." Sirius said flopping over. "But lock up that bloody snitch first." James stood up grabbing the little orb as it zipped past his ear. He placed it back in it's box then grabbed his cloak.
James is so...cute? Desperate? Love struck?...Tell me what you think and Review!