James Potter (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alotofgood) wrote2011-05-16 12:08 am
alotofgood) wrote2011-05-16 12:08 am
Entry tags:
025. 25 august 1976.
August 25th, 1976 — Evening
'Red Lion' Muggle Pub
London, England
Honestly, this feeling is hardly new.
Neither is the drinking.
But somehow ... somehow this is worse than all the other times.
Somehow, it bloody effing hurts more than all the other times.
After the rather disastrous early evening at The Leaky Cauldron, James dragged Sirius out before he could get them all butterbeers. He's sure he probably looked a bit ... well, insane when he told Cliona 'sorry' and that they had to go. Now.
And also angry.
But mostly insane.
"Let's find Remus and Peter," he says, when they've gone back out into the street. "We should — we need to get out of here."
"What's happened, Prongs?" Sirius asks, trying to pull James to a stop.
But James simply shakes him off.
(This is — unbelievable.
It's unbelievable.
Stupid, really.)
"I was —" James does stop, and quite suddenly too. Sirius nearly collides into him. "I was stupid, Padfoot. A complete idiot."
"... okay." Sirius studies his best friend. "You can't've been that stupid."
"I was."
"How?"
James doesn't answer. He's far too angry to answer. Or maybe insane. He doesn't even think he cares anymore which one it is because it's not the point.
They find Remus and Peter at Flourish & Blotts, which is — honestly — the last thing James needs, if Jeremy Flourish himself decides to make an appearance, offering them assistance on some book or another.
Luckily for both of them, he doesn't seem to be there.
And Remus, with a new book on shield and protection charms, looks from Sirius to James, then back again when he notes the change in their demeanor.
Surprisingly, it is Peter who asks, "Are you all right, James?"
James merely shakes his head. "We're going to a pub tonight, boys. Drinks on me. All night."
"The Lea —"
Sirius gives Peter a very severe warning sign, and Peter (smartly) drops the suggestion.
"Where, then?" he asks, instead.
"I don't know," says James. "Somewhere outside of Diagon Alley. Maybe — oy, Sirius. What was that place you and I went to the last time? The Muggle pub where you met whats-her-face."
"Nicola? That's the 'Red Lion'."
"Right." James marches forward with fresh deliberation. "There. We're going there."
"And then are you going to tell us what happened?" Remus asks.
James doesn't reply.
The pub is busy when they get there, but Nicola — upon recognizing Sirius Black — manages to snare a table for them with a surprisingly short wait.
"Pitchers of beer for you lot, then?"
"Yeah — thanks," says Sirius. "And keep them coming."
"Of course."
They settle into their seats, Peter looking a bit wary. He glances from his left to his right as though something might suddenly come out of the woodwork and bite him.
It only distantly occurs to James that this is probably Peter's first time in a Muggle pub, but he doesn't really care right now. If he can't bloody deal with it, he can bugger off.
They're all quiet until Nicola returns with pitchers and mugs. She looks expectantly at Sirius, but Sirius — bless him — doesn't seem at all interested in her tonight.
She leaves, obviously a bit put out.
Remus sets his things down. "All right, you've brought us all the way here and none of us have questioned your judgment, or your reasons. What happened this evening, James?"
Realizing that he's run out of distractions and excuses, James gulps down the first pint of the night, then tells them everything he can, leaving out the bits about Harry.
(Which, James realizes, is a huge part of why all of this stuff right now bothers him.
And it's bollocks that he can't tell them.)
Remus attempts to say something encouraging, like, "She'll come around, I'm sure. It might take a bit of time, but she'll realize how brilliant you are."
Peter adds a word or two of optimistic support.
Sirius, on the other hand, says, "D'you know what, maybe you needed Evans to tell you this so you could finally move on. Think of all the girls you've missed out on snogging while you were hung up over her. All those girls fancied you."
"That's not helping," Remus says.
"How's it not? It's true, isn't it?" Sirius shakes his head. "All that time wasted on a girl who led you on, only to tell you 'thanks but no thanks' — well, it's rubbish. You deserve better than that."
"It's not that easy," says James. "It's ... it's complicated."
"So? Get rid of that complication. To hell with Evans, anyway. She's brought us nothing but trouble ever since you started fancying her."
James doesn't say anything, only continues to drink.
"Look, mate. I know it's hard, and it's probably going to be shit for a good month or two ... but you'll get past this. You'll get over Evans. And then — well, we'll have the old James back. The fun James. The James who —"
"— who used to hex Severus Snape for fun? Who used to curse anyone who got in his way, or because he got bored? The James who punched your brother in the face?" James shakes his head. "I can't go back to that. I don't ... think I want to."
"But you were carefree then."
"I was stupid." James stares into his mug. "Not that I wasn't stupid again tonight."
Remus looks sympathetic, or as much as it's possible to look sympathetic on many, many pints of beer. "James ..."
By the end of the night — and it's been a long, long night — the four Marauders stumble out of the pub in pathetic shape.
It doesn't completely numb the ache in his chest, but it's bloody good enough for now.
And it's worth the horrible, horrible hangover awaiting them tomorrow morning.
And the yelling from his mum, when she learns why they've skived off her dinner that evening.
'Red Lion' Muggle Pub
London, England
Honestly, this feeling is hardly new.
Neither is the drinking.
But somehow ... somehow this is worse than all the other times.
Somehow, it bloody effing hurts more than all the other times.
After the rather disastrous early evening at The Leaky Cauldron, James dragged Sirius out before he could get them all butterbeers. He's sure he probably looked a bit ... well, insane when he told Cliona 'sorry' and that they had to go. Now.
And also angry.
But mostly insane.
"Let's find Remus and Peter," he says, when they've gone back out into the street. "We should — we need to get out of here."
"What's happened, Prongs?" Sirius asks, trying to pull James to a stop.
But James simply shakes him off.
(This is — unbelievable.
It's unbelievable.
Stupid, really.)
"I was —" James does stop, and quite suddenly too. Sirius nearly collides into him. "I was stupid, Padfoot. A complete idiot."
"... okay." Sirius studies his best friend. "You can't've been that stupid."
"I was."
"How?"
James doesn't answer. He's far too angry to answer. Or maybe insane. He doesn't even think he cares anymore which one it is because it's not the point.
They find Remus and Peter at Flourish & Blotts, which is — honestly — the last thing James needs, if Jeremy Flourish himself decides to make an appearance, offering them assistance on some book or another.
Luckily for both of them, he doesn't seem to be there.
And Remus, with a new book on shield and protection charms, looks from Sirius to James, then back again when he notes the change in their demeanor.
Surprisingly, it is Peter who asks, "Are you all right, James?"
James merely shakes his head. "We're going to a pub tonight, boys. Drinks on me. All night."
"The Lea —"
Sirius gives Peter a very severe warning sign, and Peter (smartly) drops the suggestion.
"Where, then?" he asks, instead.
"I don't know," says James. "Somewhere outside of Diagon Alley. Maybe — oy, Sirius. What was that place you and I went to the last time? The Muggle pub where you met whats-her-face."
"Nicola? That's the 'Red Lion'."
"Right." James marches forward with fresh deliberation. "There. We're going there."
"And then are you going to tell us what happened?" Remus asks.
James doesn't reply.
The pub is busy when they get there, but Nicola — upon recognizing Sirius Black — manages to snare a table for them with a surprisingly short wait.
"Pitchers of beer for you lot, then?"
"Yeah — thanks," says Sirius. "And keep them coming."
"Of course."
They settle into their seats, Peter looking a bit wary. He glances from his left to his right as though something might suddenly come out of the woodwork and bite him.
It only distantly occurs to James that this is probably Peter's first time in a Muggle pub, but he doesn't really care right now. If he can't bloody deal with it, he can bugger off.
They're all quiet until Nicola returns with pitchers and mugs. She looks expectantly at Sirius, but Sirius — bless him — doesn't seem at all interested in her tonight.
She leaves, obviously a bit put out.
Remus sets his things down. "All right, you've brought us all the way here and none of us have questioned your judgment, or your reasons. What happened this evening, James?"
Realizing that he's run out of distractions and excuses, James gulps down the first pint of the night, then tells them everything he can, leaving out the bits about Harry.
(Which, James realizes, is a huge part of why all of this stuff right now bothers him.
And it's bollocks that he can't tell them.)
Remus attempts to say something encouraging, like, "She'll come around, I'm sure. It might take a bit of time, but she'll realize how brilliant you are."
Peter adds a word or two of optimistic support.
Sirius, on the other hand, says, "D'you know what, maybe you needed Evans to tell you this so you could finally move on. Think of all the girls you've missed out on snogging while you were hung up over her. All those girls fancied you."
"That's not helping," Remus says.
"How's it not? It's true, isn't it?" Sirius shakes his head. "All that time wasted on a girl who led you on, only to tell you 'thanks but no thanks' — well, it's rubbish. You deserve better than that."
"It's not that easy," says James. "It's ... it's complicated."
"So? Get rid of that complication. To hell with Evans, anyway. She's brought us nothing but trouble ever since you started fancying her."
James doesn't say anything, only continues to drink.
"Look, mate. I know it's hard, and it's probably going to be shit for a good month or two ... but you'll get past this. You'll get over Evans. And then — well, we'll have the old James back. The fun James. The James who —"
"— who used to hex Severus Snape for fun? Who used to curse anyone who got in his way, or because he got bored? The James who punched your brother in the face?" James shakes his head. "I can't go back to that. I don't ... think I want to."
"But you were carefree then."
"I was stupid." James stares into his mug. "Not that I wasn't stupid again tonight."
Remus looks sympathetic, or as much as it's possible to look sympathetic on many, many pints of beer. "James ..."
By the end of the night — and it's been a long, long night — the four Marauders stumble out of the pub in pathetic shape.
It doesn't completely numb the ache in his chest, but it's bloody good enough for now.
And it's worth the horrible, horrible hangover awaiting them tomorrow morning.
And the yelling from his mum, when she learns why they've skived off her dinner that evening.