attached | james potter

thirteen: rainy breakfast

Chapter Thirteen

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"Language!" Lily chided Sirius as he set down his goblet loudly on the table, causing the plates nearby to clatter. His expression was incredulous as he stared across the table at Brooklyn, who'd just stopped at the Gryffindor table where the marauders were seated to inform them that the Quidditch practice that morning would not be cancelled.

"Believe me, I had the same reaction," Brooklym muttered, hiking her bag higher up her shoulder. "Anyways, be there or get kicked off the team."

Peter was starting to look relieved that he wasn't on the team, while Remus sighed in defeat. "Alright. Thanks."

Sirius, on the other hand, still looked outraged. "But—"

"Arthur's words, not mine," she cut him off, shaking her head helplessly.

Opposite her, James shrugged nonchalantly, spooning some cereal into his mouth. "If I were captain, I'd have done the same thing."

They all stared at him.

"What?" He asked, raising his eyebrows questioningly. "Is there something on my face?"

"Are you mental?" Sirius burst out, pointing up towards the bewitched ceiling, which displayed exactly what the sky outside looked like at that exact moment. It was currently swirling in a dark, ashy grey colour, with thick, almost opaque clouds floating about. Thunder rolled and boomed so loud that they could barely hear each other, and every now and then, there was a bright flash of lightning.

"It's raining enough to fill up fifty Black Lakes, plus a hundred bathtubs, and you think it's okay to let us fly out in that?" He spluttered, looking at James as if he'd just grown seven heads.

"Well, yeah." The bespectacled boy frowned, turning to Brooklyn, who was still standing there. "Don't you?"

"Er— no. Sorry, but I'm not completely psycho."

James smirked, folding his arms and leaning back smugly. "Which is exactly why I'm going to be Captain next year, not you, Jones."

She rolled her eyes. "Cocky, much?"

He seemed pleased (albeit a little taken aback) that she was speaking to him now instead of avoiding him, and his smirk widened. "But you love me anyways."

"You wish," she muttered, glancing sharply at Lily, who was trying her best to hide a smile. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we've got to go—"

"Oh, leaving us so soon? But you just got here," James said disappointedly, then pointed down to the empty seat opposite him. "You could at least stay and have some breakfast."

"Er, no thanks, we—"

"—would love to," Lily cut her off abruptly, taking the seat opposite Remus and giving Brooklyn a pointed stare. Brooklyn bit her lip, recalling the conversation she'd had with Lily two nights ago. The redhead had definitely been right about one thing, avoiding James wasn't going to help her figure anything out. So, with a sigh, she reluctantly plopped her things down on the bench and took a seat next her best friend.