James stood anxiously in front of the door, ideas running through his mind about what to say. He brought his fist up to knock, but instead kept his hand floating in the air in hesitation. Do I really have to do this? I mean I could just- No. No, I have to do this for Elsie.
In a much more confident manner, his knuckles lightly banged against the door three times. As he heard shuffling, his nerves began to kick up again. When the door opened, James was staring directly into the eyes of a confused Rory McLaggen.
"She's not here, Potter," he casually commented while beginning to shut the door on James' face.
The spectacled boy quickly placed a hand on the door to prevent it from closing while quickly speaking, "I'm not looking for Elsie."
McLaggen looked at him funnily, until his facial expression normalized and he spoke again, "Longbottom isn't here either."
Rory began to shut the door once again, but was stopped another time by James' hand, "I'm not looking for him."
The boy standing in the room put a hand on his hip sassily and raised an eyebrow at James, "Didn't know you and Jay were friends. He just left."
"Well, actually-," James stuttered out while scratching the back of his neck, one hand still placed on the door.
"Bloody fuck," Rory exclaimed all of a sudden cutting him off, a sly smirk forming on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest, "The great James Potter has come to talk with me, hasn't he?"
"Unfortunately," James grumbled while pushing past McLaggen and walking into the room, listening as the door shut behind the two boys.
Rory made his way over to the desk in his room, pushing his things out of the way and hopping up to sit on top of it. He looked at a pacing James, that smug smirk still on his face, and chuckled cockily.
"So, let me get this straight," he spoke out sarcastically while comfortably sitting with his legs spread open, "After all this time of you hating me and keeping me away from Elsie, you suddenly decide to willingly come and talk to me?"
James shyly nodded his head yes while continuing to pace around the room, as Rory simply kept looking at him. He raised his eyebrow, partly in curiosity and partly in amusement at James' actions, and commented, "And to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I-I...well, erm... I-," the messy-haired boy nervously spoke, not knowing how to voice the thoughts in his head.
"Godric, I know I'm good looking but there's no reason to get flustered around me," Rory tutted, finding this entire situation amusing, "You flatter me, Potter."
"Very funny, McLaggen," James bitterly retorted before verbalizing his thoughts, "I need help with Elsie."
"What about her?" He curiously asked the boy who had just stopped pacing and was now looking directly at him.
"I want to be with her her, but I-I've messed up a lot and I've hurt her-,"
"Yeah, no kidding," Rory teasingly rolled his eyes, sarcastically cutting him off.
"Oi, bugger off with that bullshit. Can you just be serious with me at least for Elsie's sake?" James frustratingly pleaded with the boy sitting in front of him, his hands dramatically thrown in the air.
"I can't be Sirius," he playfully winked at James, not heeding his words at all, "That's the git you call your friend."
James threw his hands down to his side and disappointedly shook his head while storming towards the door, "I knew this was a mistake."
Just as he reached for the doorknob, he heard a voice call out from behind him.
"James," Rory genuinely spoke, skipping all formalities, "Just listen you impatient prat."
James turned around and let out a huff, begrudgingly returning to the spot he was in before. Rory, who was now standing right in front of James, stuffed his hands in his pocket and spoke honestly for the first time today.
"You've hurt her, yes. You've made mistakes, yes. And if you've come to me to ask how to fix that, then you're going to be disappointed when I tell you that I can't help," he quietly spoke, a glimmer of sadness flashing through his eyes as if he was thinking back on his own experience, "You can't fix the past, you can't change it."
A frustrated sigh slipped through James' lips as he acknowledged the words Rory spoke to him, knowing he was right.
"But, what you can do is learn from it. Make yourself better from it. Apologizing is only half the solution, the other is acting on the apology...proving that you're sorry and that you've grown. You've got to prove yourself as her friend first before taking that next step," Rory wistfully advised, speaking the words he wish someone had told him after all the things he had done wrong.
"How do I do that? I-I just want to be the best for her," James softly spoke, suddenly beginning to confide in the boy he's never liked.
"Potter, Elsie just wants to be loved the way she loves," Rory admitted, his eyes dramatically going wide for emphasis as he continued speaking, "And for some reason that I will never comprehend, she wants that love from you."
"But, how do I love her like that?" He sincerely asked after cracking a small smile at the joke Rory had made.
"You're joking, right?" Rory looked at James in disbelief, completely surprised at what he had asked.
James shook his head no, before Rory let out a laugh in astonishment, "Let me put it this way, Potter."
He paused while taking his hands out of his pockets in order to use them to emphasize his words, "You managed to make Lily Evans, the girl who hated your guts, have feelings for you because of how much love you showed her. I mean come on, for seven years you were able to produce all this strong love for the wrong girl.
James looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, not knowing where Rory was taking this conversation. Rory laughed at the oblivious boy before continuing.
"Now, Potter. Imagine how much love you can show the right girl," he spoke as James dawned a face of realization, "As much as I hate to admit it, if anyone knows a thing about bloody loving someone it's you."
The two boys let out chuckles at this last statement, the hatred for each other slowly disintegrating as they stared at one another.
"You know, you're an alright bloke, McLaggen," James flashed a crooked smile at the boy in front of him.
"I still don't like you," Rory genuinely smiled back at him, his actions contradicting his words.
"Sure," James nodded at him appreciatively before leaving the room, keeping Rory's advice in mind. Be her friend...show her just what it means to be loved by James Potter...
The rest of the day passed by normally, the most normal it had been in months for the group of friends. James and Elsie were finally talking again, therefore leaving everyone in better moods. The 5 Marauders found themselves cooped up in the common room on the couch right in front of the fireplace, relaxing from the exhaustion of the day.
Elsie had her head in James' lap and her legs thrown over both Sirius and Remus who sat next to her, Peter on the other side of Sirius. James was lowly humming while braiding tiny strands of Elsie's hair, basking in the happiness it brought him since he hasn't gotten to do that in so long. The group was in the middle of a conversation, when a group of Gryffindors slid through the Portrait entrance with paled expressions on their faces.
Frank and Alice settled themselves down in one arm chair while Lily and Marlene did the same with the other one, all them them eerily remaining quiet.
"Is everything okay?" Elsie suddenly sat up at seeing the horror etched onto her friends' faces.
Nobody said a word, until Frank finally worked up the courage to string together a sentence, "There was another attack...a first year Ravenclaw lost their entire family. W-we just witnessed the poor kid getting told the news."
A round of sad gasps came from the Marauders' mouths as James wrapped a protective arm around Elsie out of habit, pulling her closer to his body.
"S-she's only 11 the poor thing," Alice quietly spoke, sadness flashing through her eyes, "I couldn't even imagine a child growing up without their parents, let alone any family."
James' eyes grew wide as he shook the thought out of his head, "That's a life I would never even wish upon my worst enemy."
Silence filled the room as everyone nodded in agreement, nobody knowing what to say. The only noise filling the room was the crackling sound of the fireplace, until Sirius decided to break the silence.
"What do you think our kids will be like?" He shot out, hoping to change the topic to something lighter.
"A next generation of Marauders..." Lily's eyes jokingly widened in fear and she shook her head while continuing, "All I have to say is good luck, Hogwarts."
Sirius tutted while pointing an accusing finger at the red-head, "Another round of pranksters would be a blessing for this school."
"Especially if they're anything like you guys," Marlene snorted while agreeing, "We all know McGonagall has a soft spot for you lot."
"Well, my kid will be just like me...handsome and athletic, the next quidditch star!" James enthusiastically exclaimed while puffing his chest and flexing his muscles jokingly.
"Don't forget big-headed," Remus teasingly pointed out playfully.
"And dramatic," Peter laughed out, adding onto Remus' comment.
James crossed his arms and pouted like a 5 year old as Elsie chuckled at him while ruffling his hair, "And they'll definitely have bad eye sight...it's practically a Potter tradition to wear glasses."
"And, that messy Potter hair, too," Sirius smirked while leaning back into the couch, "Not everyone can have hair as perfect as mine."
"Yeah, yeah, but imagine the Longbottom child," Marlene rolled her eyes laughing and pointed towards Alice and Frank, "They're going to be a bloody saint if they're anything like you two."
Both Alice and Frank blushed deeply as Elsie took the attention of off the two lovebirds, "Well, I just hope my child has a good group of friends. People they can count on...just like I have you gits."
Everyone let out a round of laughter at her sentence as Lily asked the next question, "Reckon they'll be friends, our kids?"
"If they're anything like their parents," Alice softly spoke with a smile on her face as she looked around at the group, her eyes landing on Frank as she finished her thought, "Then absolutely."
"And, that's why we're going to fight this," Sirius strongly commented, speaking to the whole group, but directly staring at Elsie, "So our kids won't have to."
The group of friends wordlessly nodded in agreement, Elsie sending Sirius a determined look. James suddenly got up and walked over to Sirius' record player that was brought down into the common room. He flicked through the selection of albums before deciding on the one labeled Greatest Hits Of ABBA. He placed the record onto the player, and smiled as music filled the room.
"Well, for now let's just enjoy the little time we have left at Hogwarts," He smiled at his friends before rushing to pull them all off the couches to dance, "Let's forget about the war tonight."
Within minutes, the group of 9 Gryffindors found themselves up on their feet swaying to the music. James, Peter, and Sirius were screaming ABBA lyrics at each other while recklessly jumping around. Alice and Frank were in their own world rocking in each other's arms. Lily, Marlene, and Elsie were forcibly moving Remus' limbs in a rhythmic motion, trying their best to make the tall boy dance with them. And even though he would never admit it, he was secretly enjoying it.
As "Take A Chance On Me," began playing through the room, Elsie couldn't help but feel a pair of eyes on her. She was currently lifting Remus arm and spinning under it when she stopped mid-spin at what she saw. James was staring directly at her as Sirius and Peter jumped around him. When he saw that Elsie was staring back at him, a smile grew on his face and he began singing to her.
"Take a chance on me"
He began making his way over to her, continuing to the sing the lyrics to her.
"Gonna do my very best, baby can't you see"
She was frozen in her spot, butterflies eating away at her, as she watched her best friend playfully dancing his way towards her.
"Gotta put me to the test"
He stopped directly in front of her, holding his hand out for her to take just as the perfect lyrics came next.
"Take a chance on me"
She eagerly took his hand as he spun her into his arms, her back pressed up against his chest. Laughter began slipping through her lips, James uncontrollably smiling as the beautiful sound rung in his ears. He brought his lips down to her ear and whispered "You love me?"
She tilted her head to the side in order to look him in the eyes, finding herself saying the words she hadn't said in a while, "To the stars and beyond, Jamesie."
He chuckled and brought his lips back down to her ear once again, "Good...then, take a chance on me."
Elsie looked up at him in shock, not knowing what to say. However, even if she wanted to respond, James didn't give her the time to. He immediately spun her around again, both teens getting lost into the song with the rest of their friends.
For the rest of the night, that's how the 9 Gryffindors stayed. It may have been childish to be dancing and singing while dark times stormed around them, but for tonight they didn't think about it. They didn't think about Voldemort and his followers, they didn't think about the dangers that lay ahead of them, they didn't think about the deaths that surrounded them. Instead, they simply danced around the fireplace, basking in the love they felt from their friends. After all, they were still kids. And, kids should have no place in fighting a war.
If only this was the case...
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AUTHORS NOTE:
Here's a nice little wholesome chapter for y'all...a calm before the storm if you will;)
Thought Bubble:
THEY WERE LITERALLY ALL KIDS. IN BOTH WARS, ALL FUCKING KIDS. That breaks my heart. It was just a bunch of kids fighting for what they knew was right, a lot of them to the point of death. Screw you Voldy. Pick on someone your own age.