𝗽𝗶𝘅𝗶𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄, james potter

04. THE LIST

CHAPTER FOUR
✧
-: seventh year :-

─ IN WHICH THE FIRST 
DAY CONTINUES

. . .

THERE WAS A SHEET OF PARCHMENT, folded into quarters, burning a hole in the breast pocket of James's school shirt. He couldn't exactly explain it, nor could he bring it up with his friends because, well, that would mean he would have to explain that somehow, somewhere along reading the list, he decided to follow the advice.

It was a stupid idea - it was so, so stupid, but somehow he thought that somewhere along the way Sirius might not have actually lost his mind amongst all the girls and cigarettes and drink. He managed to find his way to Remus, did not? If there was one prevailing thought in his mind, it was that acute awareness that Sirius somehow knew what he was talking about, and wasn't always completely talking out of his arse.

There just seemed to be some kind of potential in that scrawled note. He remembered it now, the night when it happened, and he certainly hadn't thought of it since. They had gotten considerably drunk that night, and Peter had gotten all touchy-feely and emotional about this Hufflepuff girl with that name... that name... the name that James could neither pronounce nor remember in the year above.

And Peter, who James knew to be almost consistently bumbling and had been ever-so nervous before girls, had at least managed to bag... the Hufflepuff girl for a while. And he even knew how to pronounce her name, which was an esteemed feat in their group. He had been the one to convince Sirius to divulge all of his almost-forgotten heterosexual secrets to his friends, after all.

But he didn't dare think about the note as he delivered McGonagall's long-lost homework to the staffroom as quickly as he possibly could, in hopes of actually having some of the precious free time that morning break provided remaining by the time he caught up with his friends. Succeeding, he arrived at the Great Hall with just over ten minutes to spare, finding Sirius, Remus and Peter at the Gryffindor table.

"Gentlemen." James dug his hands into his pockets as he approached the group of three. "Second breakfast, Moony?" He asked, as he watched Remus wolf down a bacon sandwich. Sirius was sat next to him on the table, dishes, mugs and cutlery pushed haphazardly behind him to make room.

"He's still recovering from the last full moon." Sirius replied, as it seemed his boyfriend was altogether too busy to. "We have Potions at the end of the day, by the way. Slughorn came over looking for you."

"Brilliant." James let out a sigh. That was exactly what he needed; he had finally gotten back in his groove since Lily had broken up with him, and a plan formulating - a plan that definitely wasn't based on that stupid list that Peter had lost during copying his homework - and now Professor Slughorn was going to be hanging around him constantly. "He can't just leave me alone, can he?"

"That's what you get with a big ego." Peter hummed, and Remus hid his laugh through another bite of sausage.

"Shitting hell, Peter, not you too!" James whined. "I've got it badly enough with those two, but now you're joining in too?"

The other three laughed at that, the sight on the Potter's face something of a picture.

"Mr Black, the tables are for eating on and the benches for sitting on, not to rest your feet." McGonagall's sharp voice interrupted their laughter, just as James was gearing up for another round of insults.

"C'mon, Professor." Sirius drawled, although he looked like he was already sliding forwards, ready to get off the table. "Do you really expect me to sit amongst all the peasants?" He asked. Remus looked up, just as he was smearing ketchup over his second bacon butty. "Not you, Moony, the rest of them."