Chapter Fourteen
James lay spread-eagled on the seat in the carriage, his hand fiddling with his hair as he absentmindedly chewed on a lollipop. As he watched the landscape pass outside the window Regulus passed by their carriage door once more and Sirius frowned. “Cocky sod,” he heard him mutter. “I wish my family would just get over themselves. The only half decent ones are Alphard and Andromeda… And now Alphard’s dead and Andromeda’s been disowned.”
“Are you complaining about your family again?” James asked over Sirius’ incessant muttering.
“I’m always complaining about my family,” he replied. “They’re rotten.”
James made a noise of agreement, saying, “I really don’t blame you Padfoot,” and turned over to where Remus wasn’t. “Dammit,” he frowned, “I forgot that Moony was up in the Perfects’ Carriage.”
“Don’t you mean the Prefects’ Carriage?” Peter interjected.
“It was a joke Wormtail,” he sighed as Sirius laughed, “because they’re all Prefects… and to be a Prefect you have to be perfect.”
“But you’re a Prefect Prongs…” Pettigrew replied slowly.
Sirius caught James’ eye and they both shook their head in indulgent amusement. “I know I am Peter,” he replied, “but I’m the Quidditch Captain, a place of high honour bestowed upon the coolest people in each house. The extreme athletic ability required to be the captain cancels out any possible undesirable social consequences of being a Prefect.”
“I don’t understand,” Peter replied as Sirius hit him lightly on the head. “Stop being obnoxious,” he laughed. “The only person who cares about you is you.”
James snatched the Snitch from where it hovered just above his head and pouted. “Now that’s not true,” he replied, “there seems to be a large number of girls who hang onto my every word.”
“Oh Merlin not this again!” Sirius moaned as he curled up on the seat. “Other girls may like you but only one who matters to you hates your guts.”
“I don’t think you’re in a position to mock me on these considering the fantastic dressing down that you got from Jones,” James said.
“Yeah but we’re friends now,” Sirius replied. “In fact, just to prove that, I might go and see her in her carriage.”
“I’ll come with you!” he cried, rolling off the seat and collapsing onto the floor on all fours.
“Down boy!” Sirius said, placing his foot on James’ forehead. “You can’t.”
“Why not? I want to see Lily,” he moaned.
“Lily probably doesn’t want to see you though,” he pointed out, “besides, she’ll probably be in the Prefects’ Carriage.”
“Fine, I’ll accompany you on your way because I am a wonderful friend,” James said, pushing Sirius out of the door and turning to face Peter. “What are you going to do then Peter?” he asked.
“Oh… I’ll just wait here,” he said as he eyed up the sweets James had left behind and wriggled in his seat.
“Okay then, if you say so,” they said as they left and ambled through the corridors of the train, ducking under Fanged Frisbees which pupils had managed to keep away from Filch, parchment aeroplanes which flitted from carriage to carriage, dodging a plant someone had stolen from the Herbology greenhouses which kept trying to grab their ankles and weaving through the few people who were milling around in the hall.
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The Next Great Adventure (A Marauders Fan Fic)
Fanfiction(Companion piece to Dwelling on Dreams) James Potter has been Lily's enemy since the first day that they both started at Hogwarts. She has never been interested in his being his friend but, when they and their friends return for their fifth year at...
