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James couldn't help himself.
Nathan had set off some countdown in his brain and James knew he couldn't be on the losing side when the time ran out. He'd get his girl. The question of how was still up in the air, but James would figure it out. He always did.
"Ok, so what are you gonna do?" Sirius asked as he bounced a quaffle against the wall. The soft thuds echoed through the room in a soothing rhythm. James felt at home with the sound, like he was on the field, where nothing else mattered.
James scratched his head, "I could kiss her?"
The ball left Sirius' hands and went flying into the side of James' head, "Did that work out last time?"
James let out a groan and sent the ball back into his brother's arms, "What do I do then? Nate's making all these moves. I mean—bloody hell, she kissed him in front of me! Maybe I've misread everything. There's no way she fancies me."
The young Gryffindor resisted the urge to call himself stupid.
No, you're not stupid. You're just fucking whipped.
"Ok, crazy idea," A new voice interrupted his thoughts from the doorway, "Just tell her."
"Horrible idea, Remus. I can't do that." James fell onto his bed in disappointment, the crunch of wood his only reply. "Shit, shit, shit."
Standing up, James pulled the broken wand from his back pocket. He didn't even remember tucking it back there or why he would. He'd been so distracted with thoughts of red hair and mistletoe, he must have shoved it into his pocket in a rush getting ready this morning. But, hell, this was the last thing he needed today.
"Shit luck, huh, Prongs."
The look on James' face almost had Sirius regretting making the comment. But Sirius rarely regretted anything, especially when it lead to something dramatic.
"Absolutely not," Remus let out as soon as he saw the grins growing on his two best friend's faces. "Neither of you are doing it."
"Oh c'mon, Rem, it'll be fun," Sirius smirked.
"We can't do it without you, Mooney," James added.
Remus glared at the pair with his hands placed lightly on his hips. He let out a sigh through his nose. "We're gonna need to fix your wand first, you idiots."
It wasn't the first time, the Marauders were stealing something from Professor Slughorn, but it felt like the most important idea they'd had in a while. James already knew he'd end up with another detention by the end of the day. The ingredients that they were moments away from absconding were kept under heavy watch, or at least what would be considered a difficult task for the average wizard. It was quite obvious that the Marauders were not your average wizards.
