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chapter seven; hypothetically useful
James was holding back a grin by the time the Order meeting ended. It wasn't as if they'd gotten assigned a mission, not exactly, but they were waiting for one—that was better than nothing.
Moody had been barking through the whole hour and though he was paying attention James wasn't exactly listening— his mind was divided between the Order and hearing the Prewett twins relating their most recent encounter with a particular violent pair of Death Eaters, and Amaya Santoro, who was currently, not like it was anything new, seated in the library in his house.
Though his attention was immediately brought back when Moody barked, "And you four morons, have to prepare."
No one needed any clarification, but ever the cheeky sod, Sirius feigned confusion, "Who?"
Moody had growled and launched into the explanation of their mission. The Order had people tailing some known Death Eaters and some people they believed to be Death Eaters, and they believed they were close to finding a spot where common occurrences happened and where they most often met up—it wouldn't be a meeting spot for serious stuff, more like a Death Eaters after work club to decompress, at least that's what James gathered.
Thus, they believed that the four morons were good enough, and inconspicuous enough to eventually do a steak out and observe interactions, to see if they could spot anything unusual or useful.
The meeting had ended on a slightly somber note, as the younger members were grimly warned that if they hadn't been confronted by now by someone in You-Know-Who's league for recruitment they should be careful, and ready for said encounters.
Most people who denied the recruitment were killed, and so they were told not to go out alone, keep to themselves, and avoid places where the Death Eaters might be. But even that warning didn't tamper down James' excitement.
"We're gonna do something, lads," he had said, clapping his friends' shoulders once the meeting was over.
The members of the Order started to file out of Longbottom Hall and James and his friends, plus Lily and Marlene were left, taking up the vacant seats at the dining table.
"Technically you might do something," teased Lily.
James clicked his tongue. "Nope. I'm not going to hear any negativity, Evans. We're finally being useful."
She merely shrugged her shoulders with a pretty smile that used to make his insides warm and a full-blown grin to grow on his face. At the moment it did nothing more than pull a smile out of him.
Perhaps he wasn't resigned to accepting they'd never be anything more; perhaps he was truly over the redhead. And even if he wasn't, James liked having her as a friend.
