Ineffable | J. Potter

Six

She watched as Filch's expression changed dramatically from one of content to one of hostility as James stepped up to the front. It was a look reminiscent of Severus Snape, but Catherine knew it was probably well deserved.

James and the rest of the boys held a great deal of animosity to only two people in the entirety of Hogwarts: Argus Filch and Severus Snape. And both of them always found themselves being tortured endlessly by the foursome (Cath only helped when it came to Snivellus). She didn't particularly know why the hatred for both of them was there, but Remus had once told her that they hated Filch because he was an arse who ruined the fun and they hated Severus because he was an arse who had a better shot at Lily Evans.

And of course, if anything gets in the way of James and Lily Evans, it must be taken down.

"Sure you didn't forge this? It doesn't look quite right to me," Filch inquired accusatorially.

James scoffed loudly as if he couldn't believe the absurdity of his questioning (even though he'd been caught forging his mother's signature before). "I'm quite certain that's my father's writing, it's not my fault he writes like a spaz." he shrugged. "Something you both have in common I suppose."

"What did you just say to me?" Filch asked angrily, stuffing the slip into his file roughly.

"I think he just called you a -- " Sirius began but was interrupted by a nosy redhead wearing an emerald green dress and her two friends.

"Hi Mr. Filch, good day?" Lily smiled sweetly at the man as she delicately handed him her piece of paper.

"Um, excuse me, there's a line here," Sirius complained to the girls who'd cut in front of about twenty people to get to the front.

"You're excused," Marlene McKinnon said harshly, winking as she flipped her hair sassily.

"Oh my gosh, I had no clue!" Lily exclaimed as she noticed the whole queue of people behind her. "Mar you said there wasn't one."

"Whoops," Marlene shrugged, walking away without a second glance. Feeling that her friends weren't following her, she stopped when she reached the large oak doors and turned back. "Are you coming or not?"

Lily looked at a loss for words as she began walking away, apologizing to everyone she saw including James, Who'd finally made his way over to where Catherine was to wait for his friends. It didn't take much longer before all five were strolling along the path into the small village.

"You know," James began, smiling gingerly,  "Lily really is an adorable thing. She had no clue about the line or anything. Did you see her apologize to me?"

"She apologized to everyone mate," Remus said absentmindedly, as though he didn't care about what James was saying.

"I honestly don't see how she didn't notice the line. She's book smart, I guess, but she's so damn ditzy," Catherine added, sending a small scowl toward Sirius, Remus, and Peter when James wasn't looking.

"I really don't understand what's so great about her, she can be quite the bitch sometimes," Sirius said casually.

"I don't know, there's just something about her. You know, like that time she bumped into me on the train, oh, and um, when she was reading that book in the library. And she loves pudding for dessert." He smiled, laughing to himself, but stopped abruptly when he noticed his friends' bewildered expressions. "Or so I've noticed."