/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟓.𝟟.𝟥

"war is what happens when language fails." ~ Margaret Atwood

~january 1976~ ((continued))

Artemis hadn't hung out with James in a long time. There was no animosity between them, but James was almost always with Sirius and Artemis wanted nothing to do with that. One night, however, Sirius was out- Artemis didn't know where- so James asked if she wanted to sneak out with him.

"Let's dung bomb Filch's office," he said excitedly as the two of them raced down the hallway in James's invisibility cloak.

"We should set up another trap for Bellatrix, those are always fun," Artemis shot back. She'd missed these conversations. The constant one-upping each other to see who could find the best prank.

James let out a raspy, childlike laugh. "Or- or we could slip Mary's cat into McGonagall's office so she has a friend when she transforms."

"Or," Artemis said excitedly, "Let's replace the meringue for tomorrow's pie with shaving cream and get the whole school."

James stared at her in wonder. "You impress me more every day, Blake."

"Come on, Prongs," Artemis said, and grabbed his hand, pulling him back down the passageway to the stairs.

The two of them laughed the entire way to the kitchens, not caring much if they got caught. They stopped in the boys' bathroom for a second to grab a few cans of shaving cream and Artemis marveled at how different it was from the girls' room before James pulled her back out.

When they got to the kitchens, they headed straight for the cabinet they knew held large mixing bowls. "Just put it all in," said Artemis, breathless from the run. "Then we'll take the actual meringue up to the common room and have a feast."

"Sounds good to me." James shook up a can of shaving cream and started filling one of the bowls with it, Artemis doing the same right beside him.

They were silent for a few minutes, and then James looked over at Artemis. "You know..." he trailed off.

"What?"

"I wish you and Sirius would just talk."

Artemis frowned and tried to make the shaving cream come out faster. "Shut up, Prongs, I don't want to talk about this."

"He really wants to be your friend again, you know."

She shook her head. "No, he doesn't. The rest of you want us to be friends again. Sirius and I are just fine the way we are."

"You might be, but he's not," James said softly. "He gets all quiet when we bring you up and won't take his eyes off you when you're around. Come on, just be friends again, Art, please? Even if it is just for us?"