✓ | MISCHIEF MANAGED | James Potter V.S. Sirius Black

9 : I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor

"Oh, yeah — I almost forgot." James snapped his fingers, remembering something as he pushed his glasses higher up his nose He stretched a hand out to Remus who snagged the velvet box on top of the treacle fudge and tossed it to James.

Sirius sat up straighter now as soon as his gaze landed on it — he knew that box. He'd seen that before and there was no way James would give that to Catherine.

James grinned lopsidedly at Catherine, handing her the present. "Don't think too much into it. It's just a thank you gift for all the help you're giving me. I mean, Evans isn't a cold witch to me any longer. She's," James paused to find the right word, "civilized. And all thanks to you, Valentine." He winked playfully at her.

Catherine couldn't help but smile, she never knew James was actually thoughtful — excluding the scarf incidents. Maybe he is a good person for Lily, Catherine finally admitted to herself with a delighted nod of her head.

The three other Marauders leaned over in anticipation as Catherine flicked it open. There, inside, was a beautiful ring. A thin, rose-gold band that was dotted with tiny crystals around it and had a gorgeous jade stone in the center, the same color of her eyes.

Catherine gasped as Remus, Sirius, and Peter glanced from her to James with dropped jaws. "Oh, my God." She shut the box closed again and looked at James. "Potter, I can't accept this. It probably cost a fortune — "

James tutted, shaking his head as he took the box from her hands. "Nonsense, Valentine. I just got it back at Hogsmeade from some chap selling some of his bits and bobs." 

Catherine was still touched by his gesture, despite the ring probably being secondhand.

James then took the ring from the box and stretched a palm out to her. "May I?" Catherine hesitated at first before shyly slipping her hand in James's warm one, a zap coursing through their conjoined hands as she forced herself not to jerk away. James fumbled a bit with the ring, nearly dropping it, causing Catherine to laugh before he playfully glared at her. He then successfully slipped the piece of jewelry in her finger. "There you go. Pretty, isn't it? That bloke was quite nice to give it to me for a galleon or two."

Catherine turned red, her lips pulling up to a smile that lit up her face radiantly. "Yes, it really is beautiful. Thank you," she paused, "James."

James beamed and cheekily winked at her. "You're welcome, Catherine."

Sirius's mouth twitched as he tried not to snort over James's ridiculous story of buying a secondhand ring. From Hogsmeade, my arse. That ring was James's mother Euphemia's, and she had given it to James. That was a piece of jewelry that went all the way back to James's great, great, great, great grandmother.

In other words, it was ancient, priceless, and incomparable to any other kind of ring.

And James had given it to Catherine, confusing Sirius like hell. But who gives a fuck anyways about a bloody ring that's old? Yes, that's just it, Sirius thought to himself. It's practically like giving a rock to the girl.

A really pretty rock.

Remus glanced at his watch, pushing himself off the couch as he said, "As much as we would all love to stay here, we've got to get to class. And it's quite the walk to Care of Magical Creatures. I've heard we're handling fire crabs today."

"Oh, those are wicked." Catherine grinned, swishing her wand to send her box of treacle fudge levitating up to her room.

"I have a relative who owns one as a pet," Peter added thoughtfully. "Apparently you need a special license for it."