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chapter five; kisses, friends, and apologies
A couple of drinks in, Marlene and Lily joined the group and they were just waiting for Peter to get there.
When he finally arrived, they were already a bit pissed, and laughing at a story Lily was telling about a patient she had to deal with at the Hospital that had accidentally swallowed a Snitch—how that could happen accidentally James couldn't imagine.
James grinned at his friend as he sat by the head of the table on the boys' side and they all greeted each other. And if it wasn't for the fact that the running bench where he was sitting wasn't big enough for him, Amaya, and Lily, and had them all squeezed in together, he wouldn't have noticed Amaya tense beside him. But he did.
Frowning he looked over at her, the girl that had been laughing and smiling all night, to find her staring at the table, her grip on her glass tight enough her knuckles turned white. James nudged her with his elbow and she blinked up at him—for a fleeting second he saw panic flash in her eyes but it was gone the next.
"You okay, Maya?"
She forced a smile. "Never better, Jamie."
His lips twitched at the nickname but something was clearly going on with her and he wasn't the only one to notice it. As Sirius, Remus, and Peter talked animatedly about the fact Peter's mom was worried he was getting lonely without a girlfriend, James saw Marlene narrow her eyes at Amaya before standing up.
"I need to go to the loo," she announced, before looking at the girls, "Let's go?"
Amaya shot to her feet without hesitation and soon the three girls had slipped off to the bathroom, leaving the four boys behind. James turned to the others and saw Sirius roll his eyes. "Why is it if one of them takes a leak the others have to follow?"
"They're girls, mate," said Peter with a laugh, "There's no understanding them."
Sirius nodded, gesturing around with his glass. "The other day in the library, Amaya snapped at me for breathing."
"You weren't breathing, you were snoring," said Remus, "And I'd snap at you too if you fell asleep while I was reading out loud—"
"That was a convoluted mess—"
"She was reading it so we could understand it—"
"And I do not snore!"
James snorted. "Yes, you do. Why do you think Marlene asked me to teach her silencing charms?"
"So you wouldn't hear us fucking?"
"Like you two care—"
"You lot are helping Amaya?" Peter asked, cutting Remus off, his eyebrows furrowed. "With her task?"
