after dark || James Potter

A.D. 1:12

 Lucinda Sparrow is a perfectionist through and through – a quality that often got her in trouble with her best friend.

"Alright, the full moon is tonight, so we have to get everything in order," she starts, listing things off in her head, "we have to be in direct moonlight, with phials ready. You do have the phials right? And the other ingredients? We'll be going to the spot near the lake by sundown."

While a bit endearing, the boys couldn't deny that it was becoming a bit annoying, as that was all they've been hearing for the past week. Unlike James and Peter – who kept their thoughts to themselves – Sirius couldn't help the annoyed sigh that escaped his lips, "Cindy, we know. Will you quit worrying? This is the third time you've asked us this week. We've studied this for three years, I'd like to think we know what we're doing without all your nagging."

Lucy huffed, "I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly." A bit snarkily, she adds, "If you don't want me to, I'll just get out of your way, then."

Before they could reply, she rolls her eyes and walks out of the Gryffindor Common Room where they had been killing time for the past few hours. Remus had already gone with Madam Pomfrey the night prior, as he was already feeling the effects of the full moon, which meant that it's only been her with the other three boys for the whole day.

Honestly, Lucy knew that she was becoming a little too overbearing, but she couldn't help it – she wanted everything to go perfectly for the boys. She doesn't know what she'd do if anything went wrong with the very illegal magic they were doing. And, of course, there was also the fact that it was them who had asked for her assistance in the first place.

That was why it stung when Sirius told her to shut up about it. She was just worried, but it doesn't seem like the rest of them were. Didn't they understand how many things could go wrong with even just the simplest of mistakes?

It didn't seem like it.

She knows it was a silly thing to get this aggravated over (to the point of walking out on her friends), but she has a hard time suppressing it because she absolutely hates it when people make her feel like her worries were no big deal when they were, in fact, very much valid. It's always been a pet peeve and to hear Sirius – of all people – make her feel that way makes it a hundred times worse.

Instead of going to the Room of Requirement, she headed to her own dorm, which was empty for the holidays. She hasn't been in Ravenclaw Tower since the break started, as the boys made her stay with them (they had a spare bed in their dorm for reasons unknown to her, she was sure it had something to do with their old roommate getting sick of them, but who knows), and she didn't have the heart to refuse when they had asked.

Maybe she just needs time on her own, to be honest. Lucy always got terribly irritable when she's been around too many people for too long. She always needed time for herself because if she doesn't, she becomes too sensitive to everything that her emotions go south fast.

Sighing, she shakes her head. Nothing a nap can't fix, she tells herself, as she pushes the door to her dorm open and heads straight to the bed by the window.

Back in the Gryffindor Common Room, Sirius Black sighs for the seventh time since the brunette walked out on them (James has been counting, as he had nothing else to do – he wanted to play chess, but Peter was horrible at it, and Sirius was too busy being a grump to play).