good things fall apart • sirius black

Future weddings and firewhisky

    "Happy Christmas Eve by the way. I'm glad Cyrus said you guys are coming round tonight still. I thought maybe he wouldn't want to this year." James had smeared ink on his face from taking notes out of the books, his hair sticking up in all different directions, even messier than usual, "Mum keeps asking about Lily. Wants me to invite her to the New Year's Eve party... fat chance."

Ellie noticed the hopeless tone in James' voice. He'd tried the day after the ball to talk to Lily, to explain everything, but she wouldn't have any of it. When Lily Evans wanted to ignore someone, she could do it well. And the red head wouldn't even listen to Ellie explain the situation, she was far too caught up in the fact that James ruined what could've been a very wonderful night.

    "...She'll never speak to me again, will she?"

    "You know what she's like, I'm sure she'll let it go eventually." Ellie joined her best friend on her bed, nudging his shoulder gently, "Besides, Snivellus probably made up some utter codswallop about why you punched him. I bet he told Lily that he was doing nothing wrong and you just decided to beat him up for sport. Once she knows what really happened, she'll have to get over it."

James still looked deflated. The night of the ball hadn't turned out like any of them had hoped, but it had certainly seemed the worst for James. The messy haired boy thought that, besides her little wobble, Ellie had come off virtually unscathed. She'd had a good time with Sirius, and he would still talk to her, but James had a good time with Lily and now she wouldn't even breathe the same air as him - it was all a total disaster.

    "How is she supposed to find out the truth when she won't even speak to me!" Collapsing back dramatically onto the bed, James sighed. The situation couldn't possibly get any worse, "I'll die alone... That's it. I'll be completely and pathetically alone forever. I couldn't possibly marry anyone else because Lily Evans is the only one in the world for me. I'm going to have to watch her marry and have stupid, little slimy children with Snape, whilst I and the Potter name wither away into a pile of forgotten dust!"

Ellie stifled snickers, James truly was a drama queen, and he dragged his hands over his face. Knocking his glasses crooked, he squirmed around on the bed as if he wanted it to eat him whole.

    "If worse comes to worse Jamie, I'll marry you." Patting his back, Ellie chuckled watching James' face remerge from within all of the blankets.

    "You would? You'd go against your free and single philosophy for me?" The messy haired boy looked rather like a lost puppy, eyes wide and glassy, a big pout on his lips and then suddenly an emotion flashed over his face faster than Ellie had time to register it, "YES!"

He leaped up, nearly toppling over from the uneven surface, throwing his hands in the air. Ellie blinked furiously, trying to keep up with whatever was going on in his mind, but she just found herself laughing at his ridiculousness.

    "That's perfect! Then we can be super cool and get amazing jobs. I'll become Head Auror at the Ministry and you can be some really sick Dragon trainer or famous Quidditch player for the Holyhead's, and we'll totally outshine the teacher's pet twins!" Ellie snorted as James pulled her up to stand with him, twirling her around in a haphazard fashion, "You're the best Cubs! I'm gonna go tell mum!"

James leaped off the bed, rushing to the door after grabbing all his work, nearly throwing ink all over Ellie's mattress. How his mind worked, she'd never know, but no one would ever be as dramatic as James Potter that was for sure.

    "I'll see you tonight. And don't write to Lily and tell her! This is our secret plan to take them down." Calling over his shoulder as he left, James practically sprinted back down the gravel path out of the tiny walled garden, leaving Ellie doubled over in hysterics, "Bet you didn't see that one coming Evans..."