James and Lucius sat glaring at each other in the Transfiguration classroom.
"This is all you're fault, Potter!" The Slytherin hissed, holding a bloody tissue to his nose.
"If you hadn't messed with Harthwood, we wouldn't be in this situation, you blonde arse!" James growled back, a purple bruise starting to form around his left eye.
"That filthy little Mudblood -"
"Do not even think of finishing that thought, Malfoy!" James bellowed, standing up so quickly that he threatened to knock over the desk in front of him.
McGonagall just happened to walk into the room at the exact moment the bespectacled boy was preparing to throttle the boy next to him.
"Mister Potter! Would you kindly sit down!" She reprimanded him sternly.
James immediately fell back in his chair, too terrified of the older Witch to try testing her patience when he was already in trouble.
Lucius snickered at him.
"Mister Malfoy! If I hear another rude sound from you, points shall be deducted!" McGonagall snapped, effectively shutting him up.
"Now, because of the unacceptable actions that occurred in the courtyard, the two of you will be serving detention after classes every day until the Christmas break begins!" The Professor said, flicking her wand to send parchment and quills towards the boys. "It is my understanding that you are both struggling to keep up with History of Magic, so take this time to review."
"But, Professor!" Lucius squawked. "That is almost a month away!"
"Correct, Mister Malfoy," McGonagall gave him an unimpressed look.
"You cannot possibly expect me to deal with that imbecile for so long!"
"And you think I want to be stuck with you? Pompous arse!" James yelled.
"How dare you! Manky Gryffindor!"
"Manky - oh, you barmy ferret!"
"Wanker!"
"Daft Cow!"
"Take that back!" Lucius gasped, rage boiling in his every fiber.
"Bloody chance of that!" James snarled.
"ENOUGH!" McGonagall shouted in outrage.
Both boys turned to her with wide, horrified eyes.
"I expect more from a Gryffindor, Mister Potter! Now, as punishment for this outburst, you will both clean the bathroom in the sixth corridor of the third floor! And I expect for it to be spotless before dinner!" McGonagall said, squinting at them from behind her spectacles.
"But Professor -"
"Not another word, Mister Malfoy!" That was the end of their discussion.
They stood from their seats and scampered out of the Transfiguration classroom before some other form of punishment was thrown at them.
"Bloody hell! The third-floor toilet smells worse than the Stinksap Kettleburn keeps around!" James groaned once they were far away from the Witch's hearing.
"It is repulsive! I can not believe that I, a Malfoy, am being forced to slum it with the likes of you!" Lucius whined.
"Shut it, Ferret! The faster we do this, the faster we are done, and can get away from each other!" James said, sending a glare at him.
"Fine, Potter!" Lucius snapped.
*********
The older Witch heaved sighed when the large door shut behind her troublesome students.
McGonagall wondered how long it would be before one of them hexed the other?
This was the tenth time Potter had been sentenced to detention, and they weren't even to the Christmas holiday.
"The Potter family will be the death of me, I swear to Merlin," She sighed again, falling into her chair.
*********
James didn't want to see another bar of soap again in his life!
His mother wouldn't be happy with this notion but at the moment, he didn't give a dragon's arse.
He was sick of soap and bubbles, of blonde ferrets and dirty water.
But on the bright side of things, the toilets in that revolting loo were all sparkling clean, and it was just before dinner started.
"Curse Malfoy and his slow arse! No one can scrub a tub as quick as I can!" James muttered to himself, a bitter edge to his voice as he limped down the Grand Staircase.
A slippery floor made of stone was not pleasant to land on, and he had done just that.
Five bloody hours had passed since the courtyard, and James was bordering on desperate to see how Harthwood was doing.
He hoped that she didn't take anything that tosser had said to heart.
"Damn, Malfoy!" He hissed as he tried to wipe the image of a wand being pointed at her from his mind.
James had sworn to himself that he would never allow something like that to happen again.
Not to her.
As the Great Hall came into view, he spotted Remus, Sirius, and Peter waiting for him just outside the doorway.
A wide smile appeared on his face at the sight.
Sirius saw him first and called out loudly, "There 'e is! Prongsie! How was the loo?"
Remus rolled his eyes but smiled at his friend.
Peter chuckled. "How did it go? Malfoy still alive?"
"Barely," James grumbled dejectedly. "Come on, lot, let's eat. I'm sure there will be some Ravenclaws waiting on us."
He had said this in a teasing tone directed towards Peter, but he truly hoped that a certain Ravenclaw with strawberry hair would be waiting to see him.
********
Adelaide was indeed waiting for James.
She sat next to Royan, and Harriette, who had come to sit with them from the Hufflepuff table.
Della was trying to search the space around them for her boyfriend; the term was still foreign to her but delightful all the same.
Alexander, on the other hand, was trying to figure out how to ask Remus to consent to become his Sidekick in Life; preferring this term over boyfriend because he didn't want to be friends with him, that was for sure.
Della brightened when she caught sight of Peter's mess of mousy brown hair coming towards them.
"Here they come!" She chirped.
Adelaide sat up and forced her hands back down when they rebelliously moved to straighten out her braid and the trindles that hung around her face.
Harriette stifled a giggle as she watched her younger friend's cheeks start to heat up.
"Hello, love," Peter greeted Della as he swooped down to place a soft kiss on the tip of her nose.
Della beamed at him and elbowed Sirius in the ribs when he attempted to sit in Peter's designated spot.
"Ow!" Sirius yelp, wisely moving further down the table.
Remus slid in beside Alexander and flashed him a grin. "Evening, Lark."
"Lupin," The blonde Ravenclaw replied, his voice sounding like velvet to the young werewolf next to him.
James was the last to sit, and when he did, he was direct across from Harthwood.
Her beauty mesmerized him, and he wished, not for the first time, that he could just pull her to him and kiss her.
Was it strange that he simply wanted to hold her? Was that something one had to hold themselves back from doing?
What would she feel like in his arms? Heaven, surely.
Adelaide lifted her eyes from her plate, and their gazes met.
His heart stopped, and her breath hitched.
A golden feeling seemed to surround them, and they both felt as though a curtain had been thrown open, and a new and wondrous light had brightened everything in the room.
Neither could explain what had happened, but both would agree that it was magical.
A/N
This one goes out to @Ava_avacodo!
I tried to finish this one up quickly tonight for you!