Lacerta Black -- James Potter --

35

trigger warning: illness and vomiting 

Halloween was on a Monday, so the group of friends decided to celebrate the Sunday before, a bad move on their part as their hangovers were sure to be brutal. They all sat around the Head dorms with pillows and blankets strewn about the floor since James was not going to let any of them walk to their common rooms whilst drunk. 

Dorcas, who had grown close with Marlene, was laying across the blonde with a cup in her hand. They were sat on the floor, with the Gryffindor leaning against the couch that housed Lily, Tonya, and Remus. Mary was trying to teach Lacerta a muggle dance called the time warp while James watched fondly from the loveseat, he was cuddling Sirius on. 

The absence of Regulus was something that laid heavily on the group - especially the siblings who seemed to always be at odds with one another. Sirius who was certain that he'd been right about Slytherins after all and Lacerta who was tired of his shit. Frankly, James was feeling stretched thin trying to keep all of his friends happy while balancing Quidditch captain and Head Boy.

Remus who was always lashing out on him due to his monthly transformations or getting pissed at him for asking him to attend a Quidditch game or how he was feeling. 

Peter who started getting short with the group due to his struggling with his studies as he desperately wanted to get a good score on his NEWTs and always got annoyed with James when he tried to help or sympathize. 

Sirius who despised his siblings and weighed James down with the negative words about his girlfriend and was taking all of his anger out on his friends or pranks that went too far that James had to either stop or clean up. 

Lily who was stressed about the attacks on muggleborns and got mad whenever James tried to comfort her because he was a pureblood and couldn't possibly understand what she was going through. 

Marlene who was angry at the world and often acted out during Quidditch before getting in argument with James when he tried to correct her. 

Remus was a werewolf, Peter was falling behind the rest of his class, Sirius just lost his brother, Lily was afraid she was going to wind up dead, and Marlene was scared for her friends and family as well. They all had the right to be angry and James was angry too.

Lacerta seemed to be the only one who could see James ripping at the seams. She would listen to him when he needed to talk, massage his tense shoulders after a harsh practice, help him with his homework and even take on some of his Head duties to help. He didn't know why that pissed him off so much. 

It started with little things at first. She was writing too loud, she was always leaving her books on the table, she wasn't there right when he got to the dorm. They were just petty fights that always ended with him apologizing and her going to her room for alone time. When he would wake up, she would be cuddled into his side.

Of course, she knew that he was taking his frustrations out of her since she was the only one that was noticing. It wasn't fair, but if he just started bickering with everyone else, they wouldn't know why. They would get mad at him and leave. She understood that he was going through something and wanted to help in whatever way she could. 

As he watched her swivel her hips with a tipsy laugh, he felt guilty. She had been so patient with him for the past few weeks, but she also didn't take his shit. She argued back, not letting him be a complete ass but not holding it against him either. He swallowed down a large gulp of his drink. His stomach twisted painfully with the emotion, making him rub at his torso. 

When the song ended, they fell to the ground dramatically as the group cheered for them. James jumped up, ignoring Sirius pouting at the loss of his cuddle partner. He held out a hand for them both to take. 

"Thanks James!" Mary giggled, stumbling over to a chair. 

"Hey Potter," Lacerta smiled as she pressed her face into his neck. She had to get on the tips of her toes to do so and he found it adorable. "Come to dance with me?"

"Always," he twirled her away from him before pulling her back. Enjoying how her curls would spin around her head as she smiled widely. He felt dizzy just watching her. "I'm very smitten with you Miss Black."

"Smitten," she scrunched up her nose. "Must be the love potion I snuck into your breakfast."

Lily snorted, "Potters been in love with you since he was eleven. There's not a world where you need to slip him any potion to make him like you."

"That's a sweet thought," Lacerta hummed as James blushed a bright red. He glared at Lily for saying the word love, not wanting to scare away his girlfriend. 

"Stupid idea," Sirius rolled his eyes, making the group look at him. 

The full moon had only been a couple nights ago, but Remus was still on edge and in pain. He was the one to call the boy out on it. "What Sirius? If you have something to say, then say it."

 "Fine," the long-haired boy sat up fully to face them. "I think you're all stupid for dating Slytherins. What are you going to do when Lacerta runs back to Selwyn with her tail between her legs begging him to take her back? What will you do when they leave or take the fucking mark?"

It was clear to everyone that he was talking about Regulus. That he was hurt. But it wasn't fair for him to bring the others down for one person's doing. "Mate, stop," James sighed. He was so fucking tired. "I know that Regulus--"

"I don't give a shit about Regulus," Sirius was drunk. When he stood up to face James he nearly fell over. "I'm trying to look after you. My real brother because you're so fucking thickheaded--"

"Sirius!" Lily shoved him back. "Why do you have to be such a bloody arsehole?"

"Didn't you learn your lesson with Snape? Well, I learned mine and I'm not going through it again," Sirius said, wiping at his eyes.

"He's right," Marlene said. "Slytherins, minus the three in here, are no good."

"I'm not doing this," Tonya brushed herself off as she stood. "This was supposed to be a good night and now you are all being dicks."

"No, no," Remus stood up, making them all stand up so that they were on the same level. "I think we need to hash it out right now."

James felt so sick to his stomach that he was going faint. Lacerta grabbed his arm, trying to take some of the weight off of him. "James? Are you alright?"

He realized that the turning in his stomach wasn't just anxiety. He felt a sharp stabbing, making it difficult for him to breath as he clutched his abdomen. Lacerta was saying something in his ears, but the ringing was too loud for him to hear. She lowered him to the floor, grabbing a bin as he emptied his guts. 

His face was nearly white as he profusely sweated. She was brushing his fringe out of his face, using her shirt to wipe the sick off his face. 

"Will you all stop it!" Lacerta screamed at them. The yelling stopped as she summoned a rag and a glass of cold water. She tried to clean the sweat off of his face. "One of you get Pomfrey before I shove my wand up your arses."

"What did you do?" Sirius pushed her away.

She shoved him right back with a furious look on her face. "What did I do? What did you all do? Making James your personal punching bag when all he tries to do is help you? For weeks, he hasn't been able to fucking sleep or eat because all you guys do is take your anger out on him!"

The group stared at her in silence. Dorcas and Tonya, feeling wildly uncomfortable since they had nothing to do with the boy's condition, had been the two to get a Professor and Pomfrey. McGonagall quickly conjured a stretcher that they placed the boy on as Lacerta talked to the mediwitch quietly. 

The three started out the door when their friends tried to follow. Lacerta whirled on them with fire in her eyes. "Don't you dare try and follow us right now! I understand that you're all concerned, and he'll be just fine, but figure out your shit before you talk to him again. I'll write to his parents while you work it out."

The door slammed, leaving the group in awed silence as Lacerta wiped away any evidence that she was upset before going to join her boyfriend in the hospital wing.