post-005. january 1976.

[alotofgood]

January, 1976 — 20:27 hours.
Hogwarts, Scotland.
Gryffindor Common Room


The common room is crowded as always, littered about with its usual suspects: Quidditch enthusiasts, Quidditch players, students trying to get a bit of reading done before bed, students catching up on homework with their friends, gossiping Gryffindor girls sharing idle secrets, and of course —

The Marauders.

They are by the fireplace tonight. Remus Lupin is, for the first time, without a book. Instead, he fiddles about with a half-eaten chocolate bar as though his fingers are hopeless without One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi to occupy them.

James, Sirius and Peter sit comfortably on the floor playing Exploding Snap, the tops of their heads visible to anyone over the other side of the couch.

"You've missed one," Remus points out to Sirius, just as Peter earns himself another point and another card explodes with a loud snap!

"I know that," growls Sirius frustratedly in response. "I've played Exploding Snap before, you ninny."

"'Ninny'?" James repeats, with a snort of laughter. "My, my, Pads. By the decreasing quality of your insults, I'd say you've got yourself a case of 'Sore Loser'."

"I wouldn't talk if I were you. You're not far behind me; Peter's got us both beat."

Peter looks positively pleased with himself as he earns another point (snap!) and the cards start shuffling at an even quicker pace.

James lets out a sigh just as Sirius throws his hands up in frustration.

"Lost," Sirius grumbles. "All right. You're up, Moony." He straightens up to switch places with Remus.

Truth be told, their sour moods are due entirely to the fact that this time next week, the three of them (James and Sirius made sure to leave Remus completely out of it, as he was both a prefect and an unwilling participant in their schemes) are to be serving detention.

Filch had grinned like a madman with a wand stuck up his arse when he last passed them in the hallway on their way to Transfiguration.

"You know what," says James, "I bet Filch'll make us clean out the entire owlery."

"Or the cauldron cupboard," Sirius says, cringing. "D'you know how many bloody cauldrons we have at this school? Countless!"

"But the owlery, Pads. There's just so much — well, you know."

"Poo."

"Yes."

"I dunno," says Peter. "I wouldn't mind it as much so long as we're not sent outside." He shudders. "It's cold out, you know, and I do hate dealing with ... ah — creatures."

"All that owl poo — it'll be disgusting!" James goes on woefully, ignoring Peter.

Comments

[lilium_evansiae]

But there's no denying there'd be a certain poetic justice to it.

Lily would, really, be perfectly happy never again speaking to or in any other way acknowleding the existance of any of the boys playing cards in front of the fire, son from the end of the universe or no son from the of the universe.

Unfortunately, that's not an option. Because she ran into Crispin Rivers on her way out of the library, and he has given her a message to deliver.

"Lupin," she says, without sparing so much as a glance for his companions. "Rivers and Lewis and McGonagall want to see the Gryffindor prefects tomorrow. Four o'clock in the Transfiguration classroom. Apparently, certain recent events need to be discussed."

It's then, and only then, that her eyes dart to Potter and Black and Pettigrew for a second.

[alotofgood]

Remus glances up from their game just as Peter snags another point beneath his nose and cheers. The explosion is unexpected enough that Remus jumps.

"— hmm? Oh. Right. Right, of course," he says. "Thank you, Lil — er. Evans."

James, Sirius and Peter have the gall not to look guilty.

Sirius, from his seat (recently Remus' seat), snaps off a piece of chocolate and pops it into his mouth. Casual. Uncaring.

It's James who says, "All right, Evans?"

[lilium_evansiae]

Lily turns very slowly to look at him.

It's been a fairly hellish day and a half to be Lily Evans, really. Because all anyone has been talking about is the prank at lunch yesterday, and a ridiculous number of the comments have been of quite undeserved admiration for the idiots who pulled it off.

Lily finally went and took an hour-long bath in the prefects' bathroom, because at least that limited the number of people she might have to talk to, and as long as she kept her head underwater, at least it was quiet.

Though quiet was problematic, too, because then she was left with just her thoughts, and frankly, they kind of terrify her.

But it had been a while since Potter and Black and company had gone that far out of their way to go after Snape, certainly since before she'd met Harry, and she'd thought, well, maybe ... maybe, after whatever exactly happened with the Whomping Willow in the fall ... maybe they were over it. Potter has even, occasionally, shown momentary glimpses of something like sensible thought and consideration. And she'd started to think, well, maybe ... maybe ...

But there's no way, is there?

Except that there is. There must be. Because she's met their son.

And cannot -- she cannot, and she was up most of the night trying to -- see how James Potter is ever going to change into the sort of person she'd want to marry.

And maybe ... maybe that means she's going to be the one to change. Into the sort of person who would want to marry James Potter.

And she doesn't want to be that person.

Ever.

So she turns very slowly to look at him, her eyes meeting his for a moment, expression cold and closed off.

And then she turns to go.

[alotofgood]

James turns to his friends, a helpless expression on his face.

Peter shrugs.

Sirius shakes his head, giving him a 'Oh, buggerfuck — you're in trouble now' look of sympathy. Or something.

It's Remus who tells him, "Well, you can't exactly blame her, can you? Sniv —" He shakes his head, as though chastising himself for using the nickname. "I mean, Severus is sort of her best friend."

"Yeah, but — it's not like we'd never done anything to him before," James argues, loudly so she can hear them. "And it's not like Snape's innocent either."

[lilium_evansiae]

And hear him she does.

Doesn't mean she's going to acknowledge that she does.

There's no reaction to speak of, really, except that her shoulders get stiffer than they already very.

And she's thrown a half-step off her stride.

[alotofgood]

"Come on, Evans," he says, sighing loudly.

He turns away from his game of Exploding Snap to look after her.

And noting that she's already left their general vicinity, James swears under his breath and gets to his feet.

"Be right back, mates."

The others simply nod, watchful and (some more than others) concerned.

"Evans!"

[lilium_evansiae]

"What, Potter?"

[alotofgood]

He raises his hands before him, surrendering.

Bloody hell.

"Can we talk?"

[lilium_evansiae]

"No, we can't.

"There's nothing you have to say to me that I want to hear.

"And the only thing I have to say to you is that you're a bully, James Potter, and you disgust me."

[alotofgood]

"Blimey, Evans!"

He rubs his face.

"What's gotten into you?"

[lilium_evansiae]

"You know, if you're as clever as you seem to think you are, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Parts of it, anyway.

Enough of it.

[alotofgood]

"All right," he says, letting out a breath. "Fine. I get it. You're upset about what we did to Snivel — Snape.

"We've got detention for it, if that makes you happy."

[lilium_evansiae]

"Yeah, because this is what I look like when I'm happy. Well spotted, there, Potter.

"You and Black wear your detentions like some kind of warped badges of honor, like you're proud of the trouble you cause or something."

[alotofgood]

Be that as it may ...

"I don't know why you bother defending slimy gits like Snape," James remarks. "For a so-called best friend, he doesn't really act much like one, does he?"

[lilium_evansiae]

For a second, it's like the floor is falling away.

Or like she's been hit with a stunning spell.

Because ... because ... no, she won't even finish the thought.

"You don't know him.

"You never have."

[alotofgood]

"No, I don't," James agrees. "But I know best friends; I've got three of them.

"So I know what it's like to have them, and I know what it's like to be one."

[lilium_evansiae]

"And you're arrogant enough to assume that I don't know those things, because you wouldn't have chosen the person I chose as a best friend.

"Well, you know what? I wouldn't have chosen Sirius Black."

[alotofgood]

James sighs loudly, resisting the urge to snap at her for the quip about Sirius.

For all their arguments, for all the times they give each other a hard time over some issue or another, James knows he wouldn't have to hesitate to take an Unforgivable Curse for Sirius Black — and he knows Sirius would do the same for him.

They're brothers, even if they come from different families.

"Right. Thanks, Evans, for twisting my words."

[lilium_evansiae]

She hadn't been trying to insult Black. Not really.

Just to point out that the reasons people are friends are not necessarily evident to a third party observer.

"I don't even know why I'm still talking to you."

[alotofgood]

James still stands by what he'd said.

Snape is a slimy, greasy git, and from what he's seen, he hasn't been anything like a friend to Lily, let alone a best friend.

(And he's in Slytherin.)

"All right, fine," he says. "I suppose I've said all I've needed to anyway."

[lilium_evansiae]

But then there's a lot James Potter hasn't seen, isn't there?

He gets a sad not-really-a-smile from Lily.

"I wish you had, actually. But you haven't.

"I don't think you know what you need to say.

"Good night, Potter."

[alotofgood]

James doesn't bother with that.

He hasn't got a clue what Lily's talking about anyway, talking cryptic like that.

"Good night, Evans," he says before he's heading back to the Marauders.

(Where things make sense.)