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Mar. 21st, 2007 12:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
floweranzaChapter 1 - The Children
James sighed, leaning back in his chair. The wooden legs gave a stressed creak, and he winced in sympathy. The boy ran a flustered hand through his hair, ruffling the strands into further messiness. Students nearby murmured silently, and the quiet rustle of the library washed over James and said, 'Sleep.' Truth be told, he probably needed it.
The past night, Sirius had dragged him and Peter on a kitchen run, and upon the way had somehow managed to tread on Mrs. Norris’s tail as she’d stalked by. “Bloody hell, Sirius!” was all James had gotten out between the cat’s yowls as Filch swept toward them. And they had somehow scrambled away, but… James was tired. Fifth year was difficult, and though it could be said that good grades went to James Potter without much studying, that was a bit far from the truth. Sirius, too. He knew the other boy sometimes stayed up late into the night, studying madly for an exam the following morning, rustling the pages and scratching ink on the page in a rapid scrawl. Intelligence was intelligence, but it came with effort. Remus helped.
Remus was scary with that professor-face.
Shuffling the books in front of him, James tilted himself back upright. Only two hours of sleep were exactly what he hadn’t needed, but it wasn’t as though he wouldn’t be just as stressed otherwise. Things were getting worse, and though Hogwarts itself might have sheltered the younger students – anyone above fourth year knew what was going on, they received the papers every morning and read them, they’d been around when it had started. The war.
James’s parents were both prominent Aurors. The Daily Prophet brought news of injured or killed Aurors almost every week, and James worried constantly. He bit his lip. I really should get back to studying… He could forgive Sirius. His relatives were difficult. Sirius just needed to be on the move, constantly, so he wouldn’t be beaten down. James could understand that.
Studying. Worrying could come later, after all – he was fifteen, he had three great friends, he was gorgeous and intelligent and talented, if he could say so himself. Worrying could come later. But he knew, deep inside, that ignoring the outside world would not make what was happening go away.
*
“Reeeemus,” Sirius moaned, “you’re killing me.” He threw a quill tip at his friend, who adroitly dodged it without tilting his head up from the book.
“I’m working, Padfoot—“
“You’re barmy! It’s October, it’s not even Halloween yet, it’s still nice out and we can go and do something, get some butterbeer, maybe.” He was winning Remus over. Slowly, but still - slow and steady and he could be out moving, not just sitting here stupidly stagnating over nothing like his mother had accused him of. No future? Hah, you slag, I’ll show you no future.
“No, Sirius,” and he looked and saw Remus shaking his head, “Work. Don’t you have work to do? Some girl to chase? And where’s James, anyway?”
“Jamesy-boy is either sleeping or studying, I dunno which. He’s been tired. And—no birds this year for me, Moony.”
Remus was smiling languidly. “Oh? Sworn off the thrill of the chase?”
“Pfft. As if I couldn’t get enough of that without seeing Prongs mooning over Evans every day.”
“Right. Well, then —“
“Moony, my dearest Moony, the brightest light of my life —“
“Sirius!” But his friend was laughing and he grinned in victory. Maybe he was wrong, but he couldn’t possibly be, really. Hogwarts and his friends could erase the horrible memories of the summer, and Remus’s laughter could replace Regulus’s cold dismissal and his mother’s piercing shrieks. He decided that there was just something about it. As he gazed at Remus, whose laughter had dwindled down into that quiet smile, Sirius felt the sudden urge to fix everything. He had time.
He had his entire life before him.
*
James felt sympathy for Remus relatively often, and it all had to do with one Sirius Black. It wasn't like he'd go save Moony from the clutches of that maniacal idiot though, he thought, grinning. The story of how they had befriended Remus Lupin (very forcefully, though that was all Sirius' fault) was often told by Sirius, accompanied by expressive faces and whirling hands and the distinctive 'then we shoved him down'ta the kitchens and fed him and he was ours! Haha, isn't that funny? ...Evans, you're really not amused? Ow!' which was repeated whenever Remus did something extraordinarily nice for Sirius.
He gathered up his things and shoved a Sugar Quill between his lips, chewing absently on it as he trotted out of the library. Lily Evans brushed past him abruptly, going the opposite way, and he noticed the grimace that marked her pretty face as she caught sight of him. James pushed the disappointment inside him down and grinned winningly; the girl rolled her eyes just before she turned the corner and out of sight. 'Bugger,' he thought, 'missed it again,' and stubbed the ground moodily.
The overcast October sky spilled dim light through the arched windows in the hallway. The atmosphere was subdued, which James thought gave him and his mates all the more reason to be loud and raucous. Even if the younger students weren't entirely aware of what was going on outside the castle walls, the tension in the air of the Wizarding World was rather unavoidable.
He trudged through the stairways and tunnels, absentmindedly stepping over trick steps and avoiding the tunnels that tended to turn into solid stone on Mondays and Thursdays. James greeted a few people who called out to him in the hallways as he passed, and exchanged a rather cold glare with Regulus Black in front of the entrance to the Great Hall. About five minutes more of walking brought him to stand in front of the Fat Lady.
"Good day, Potter," she remarked rather dryly. James was convinced that she was secretly rather fond of him, but simply hid it to maintain a good reputation to the other portraits. He stepped into the common room and was immediately beset by one supremely annoying Sirius Black.
"There you are - yes! Our team of vigilantes is complete! Let us go forth and pillage, my good man!"
"Eh," said James. "What exactly are we pillaging?"
"Things!"
"You bright little ray of sunshine, you. Now, please do remember that in... about five minutes, it'll be lunchtime. We can charm potatoes to fling themselves at Snape, if we haven't done that already. Hey, where's Peter at?"
"Potatoes! And no bloody clue, old chap. Oi, Remus," Sirius shot over his shoulder, "do you know where Peter's gotten himself to?"
James sighed, leaning back in his chair. The wooden legs gave a stressed creak, and he winced in sympathy. The boy ran a flustered hand through his hair, ruffling the strands into further messiness. Students nearby murmured silently, and the quiet rustle of the library washed over James and said, 'Sleep.' Truth be told, he probably needed it.
The past night, Sirius had dragged him and Peter on a kitchen run, and upon the way had somehow managed to tread on Mrs. Norris’s tail as she’d stalked by. “Bloody hell, Sirius!” was all James had gotten out between the cat’s yowls as Filch swept toward them. And they had somehow scrambled away, but… James was tired. Fifth year was difficult, and though it could be said that good grades went to James Potter without much studying, that was a bit far from the truth. Sirius, too. He knew the other boy sometimes stayed up late into the night, studying madly for an exam the following morning, rustling the pages and scratching ink on the page in a rapid scrawl. Intelligence was intelligence, but it came with effort. Remus helped.
Remus was scary with that professor-face.
Shuffling the books in front of him, James tilted himself back upright. Only two hours of sleep were exactly what he hadn’t needed, but it wasn’t as though he wouldn’t be just as stressed otherwise. Things were getting worse, and though Hogwarts itself might have sheltered the younger students – anyone above fourth year knew what was going on, they received the papers every morning and read them, they’d been around when it had started. The war.
James’s parents were both prominent Aurors. The Daily Prophet brought news of injured or killed Aurors almost every week, and James worried constantly. He bit his lip. I really should get back to studying… He could forgive Sirius. His relatives were difficult. Sirius just needed to be on the move, constantly, so he wouldn’t be beaten down. James could understand that.
Studying. Worrying could come later, after all – he was fifteen, he had three great friends, he was gorgeous and intelligent and talented, if he could say so himself. Worrying could come later. But he knew, deep inside, that ignoring the outside world would not make what was happening go away.
*
“Reeeemus,” Sirius moaned, “you’re killing me.” He threw a quill tip at his friend, who adroitly dodged it without tilting his head up from the book.
“I’m working, Padfoot—“
“You’re barmy! It’s October, it’s not even Halloween yet, it’s still nice out and we can go and do something, get some butterbeer, maybe.” He was winning Remus over. Slowly, but still - slow and steady and he could be out moving, not just sitting here stupidly stagnating over nothing like his mother had accused him of. No future? Hah, you slag, I’ll show you no future.
“No, Sirius,” and he looked and saw Remus shaking his head, “Work. Don’t you have work to do? Some girl to chase? And where’s James, anyway?”
“Jamesy-boy is either sleeping or studying, I dunno which. He’s been tired. And—no birds this year for me, Moony.”
Remus was smiling languidly. “Oh? Sworn off the thrill of the chase?”
“Pfft. As if I couldn’t get enough of that without seeing Prongs mooning over Evans every day.”
“Right. Well, then —“
“Moony, my dearest Moony, the brightest light of my life —“
“Sirius!” But his friend was laughing and he grinned in victory. Maybe he was wrong, but he couldn’t possibly be, really. Hogwarts and his friends could erase the horrible memories of the summer, and Remus’s laughter could replace Regulus’s cold dismissal and his mother’s piercing shrieks. He decided that there was just something about it. As he gazed at Remus, whose laughter had dwindled down into that quiet smile, Sirius felt the sudden urge to fix everything. He had time.
He had his entire life before him.
*
James felt sympathy for Remus relatively often, and it all had to do with one Sirius Black. It wasn't like he'd go save Moony from the clutches of that maniacal idiot though, he thought, grinning. The story of how they had befriended Remus Lupin (very forcefully, though that was all Sirius' fault) was often told by Sirius, accompanied by expressive faces and whirling hands and the distinctive 'then we shoved him down'ta the kitchens and fed him and he was ours! Haha, isn't that funny? ...Evans, you're really not amused? Ow!' which was repeated whenever Remus did something extraordinarily nice for Sirius.
He gathered up his things and shoved a Sugar Quill between his lips, chewing absently on it as he trotted out of the library. Lily Evans brushed past him abruptly, going the opposite way, and he noticed the grimace that marked her pretty face as she caught sight of him. James pushed the disappointment inside him down and grinned winningly; the girl rolled her eyes just before she turned the corner and out of sight. 'Bugger,' he thought, 'missed it again,' and stubbed the ground moodily.
The overcast October sky spilled dim light through the arched windows in the hallway. The atmosphere was subdued, which James thought gave him and his mates all the more reason to be loud and raucous. Even if the younger students weren't entirely aware of what was going on outside the castle walls, the tension in the air of the Wizarding World was rather unavoidable.
He trudged through the stairways and tunnels, absentmindedly stepping over trick steps and avoiding the tunnels that tended to turn into solid stone on Mondays and Thursdays. James greeted a few people who called out to him in the hallways as he passed, and exchanged a rather cold glare with Regulus Black in front of the entrance to the Great Hall. About five minutes more of walking brought him to stand in front of the Fat Lady.
"Good day, Potter," she remarked rather dryly. James was convinced that she was secretly rather fond of him, but simply hid it to maintain a good reputation to the other portraits. He stepped into the common room and was immediately beset by one supremely annoying Sirius Black.
"There you are - yes! Our team of vigilantes is complete! Let us go forth and pillage, my good man!"
"Eh," said James. "What exactly are we pillaging?"
"Things!"
"You bright little ray of sunshine, you. Now, please do remember that in... about five minutes, it'll be lunchtime. We can charm potatoes to fling themselves at Snape, if we haven't done that already. Hey, where's Peter at?"
"Potatoes! And no bloody clue, old chap. Oi, Remus," Sirius shot over his shoulder, "do you know where Peter's gotten himself to?"