James looked at the beautiful colours on the canvas, almost as beautiful as the girl he was painting. He knew Lily would probably call him a dork if she found out that he was painting a picture of her without even having her model for him, but he knew her face well enough to know what it looked like without having it in front of him. His theory was that if you loved someone, you would never forget them. If you did, then it wasn't really love, was it?
He had just finished her eyebrows when the door to his outside workshop opened, revealing his mother, her hair in a low bun and her white dress looking far too large for her small frame.
James had never really looked at her properly, never really looked at the way her eyes formed wrinkles when she laughed, and even when she didn't, they wouldn't go away. He noticed the way her mouth had lines when she smiled, and the way her skin looked a little too big for her bones. Her hair was thin too, and the colour had changed from a light brown to a dark grey. He had always known his parents were older than most people's his age, but it was only now that he really saw it.
''Hey, honey. What're you painting?'' His mother said, sitting down in the wooden chair that James was standing beside. He shrugged.
''Nothing much, just a random painting,'' He said. His mother raised an eyebrow. She could always tell when he lied.
''Hmm. You've never put this much effort into a 'random painting' before, have you?'' She said, smirking at him, knowing she caught him out in his lie. She may have been old in age, but she wasn't in heart. He pretend-glared at her, then rolled his eyes, setting his brush down on his easel so he could talk to her better.
''Look, it isn't 'just some random painting', its actually of a girl who's really important to me.'' He said, and his mother laughed.
''Me, then?'' She jokingly asked, raising an eyebrow as he glared at her.
''Yeah, of course, because you have green eyes and red hair.'' He said sarcastically. ''No, not you, mum. My girlfriend, Lily Evans.'' As his mother stared at him in half-shock, half-amusement, he thought about how nice it was to say the words 'my' and 'girlfriend' and 'Lily Evans' in the same sentence.
''Oh my god, James! Why didn't you tell me sooner? I would've invited her for dinner and gave her presents!'' His mother said, her hand over her heart like she was swooning over them.
''That's exactly why I didn't tell you.'' James said, rolling his eyes, which made his mother pretend-glare at him.
''Oh, shut up, you. I can't believe it! Our little Jamesy! Oh, it seems like only yesterday that I was the girl you wanted to marry!'' She said, wiping a tear from her eye as James scrunched up his nose.
''First of all, I'm not moving away, she's my girlfriend, not wife, and second, ew. How long ago did I say I wanted to marry you? No offence, but I can't imagine anything worse!'' He said, and she laughed.
''Honey, neither can I. But you know how kids are,'' She said, smiling at him. And he did know how kids were. He was best friends with Sirius, after all.
''Whatever, mum. You're still trying to marry me for my sexy hair.'' He said, winking at her. She laughed.
''Hon, your father has hair of his own, and I'd much rather his hair over yours.'' She said, and James gagged, like he always did when his mother and father were acting 'lovey-dovey', as he and Sirius described it.
''You're so gross. And leave me alone, I need to finish this for art class.'' He said, squirming away from her arms that were trying to envelope him in a hug. Mrs. Potter rolled her eyes.
''Calm down, love. I only want a hug from my grown-up baby boy.'' She said, standing up and opening her arms, which James stepped into gratefully, even though he pretended to do it reluctantly. ''I love you, y'know.''
''Yeah, yeah. I love you too, mum. Now shoo, I need to finish this and you're distracting me.'' He said. His mother winked at him and shimmied her hips.
''Good to know I still have that distracting effect on the boys!'' James gagged again, and his mother laughed. ''Oh, grow up, James, I was young once, too. Now don't forget to always be a gentleman.
''Yeah mum, I will.'' He said, rolling his eyes every time she stepped back into the little workshop.
''And invite this Lily over for dinner sometime soon!'' She called, and James grinned as he shook his head. He heard his mother laugh and walk away, before turning back to his work, and starting again on Lily's beautiful eyes.
-.-.-
Two hours later and feeling tired, James made his way up to his bedroom, his eyes red and tired and his arms sore from painting. He threw open his bedroom door without knocking, his eyes expanding in shock and disgust before he closed them shut again.
''FUCK!'' James shouted, throwing an arm over his eyes. ''Jesus Christ! I go out of the house for two hours, and when I come back, you two act as if you're trying to make some sort of mpreg baby! You disgust me! I need to bleach my eyes! Fuck! Fucking fuck! Oh my fucking god, I hate you!'' James said, falling to the floor, his face red, his hand over his eyes as Sirius and Remus pulled on their boxers and t-shirts.
''Well sorry that I like to fuck my boyfriend. Maybe knock first?'' Sirius said, rolling his eyes as Remus glared at both of them, his face red.
''I can't believe you just saw us doing that.'' He said, shaking his head.
''Saw what? Your dick inside of Sirius? Yeah, I fucking saw that! EW I AM SO DISGUSTED!'' James said, and both Sirius and Remus rolled their eyes.
''Mate, stop over-reacting. It's not like we were orgasming or anything.'' Sirius said, and James glared at him, flopping face first on his bed, which, thankfully, was untouched by the other two boys.
''I am going to die,'' James said, smacking his face repeatedly on his mattress.
''No need to bash your brains in, mate, Remus was going to go anyway.'' Sirius said, and Remus nodded, shrugging on his brown leather jacket, looking sad.
''Yeah. I have to check up on mum, see if she's okay before I do anything else.'' He said.
''By doing anything else, you don't mean Sirius, by any chance?'' James said, and Remus rolled his eyes. Sirius lightly punched him on the shoulder, before turning his attention to Remus, wrapping his arms around his waist.
''Baby, they'll be fine.'' He said, kissing Remus on the forehead. Remus shook his head, looking sad.
''And if they're not?'' He said, and Sirius wrapped his arms around him tighter.
''Then you can move in here with me and James.'' He said.
''Oh joy! More gay sex for me to walk in on!'' James said sarcastically, groaning and burying his face in his pillows.
''Grow some balls, James.'' Sirius said, rolling his eyes.
''I will once you stop sticking yours in Remus' asshole!'' James said, and Remus started laughing. Sirius glared at James, biting back a smile.
''You're just jealous.'' He said, and James laughed.
''I don't think that's it, mate,'' He said, and Sirius laughed too, before kissing Remus on the lips and giving him one last hug.
''See you baby. Stay strong and call me if you need, yeah?'' He said, and Remus nodded, bending his head down so he could get on Sirius' level, since he was about five inches shorter than Remus.
''See you, Padfoot. You too, Prongs. I love you, James, but you really need to get used to the fact that Sirius and I like putting our dicks in each other.'' He said, walking out, and James shouted so loud that he was sure Remus could hear him from the front door where he probably already was.
''MY POOR HETERO EARS!'' He said dramatically, and Sirius laughed, pulling James up from the bed and to his feet as he heard the front door close.
''Come on, Prongs. We need to go pick up Lily, remember?'' He said. And James sighed.
''Oh, yes. Too bad I won't be able to focus on her when I'm too preoccupied with you and Remus shoving your dicks in every hole you both have.'' He said, glaring at Sirius who just laughed.
''Yeah, yeah, stag boy. Go on, your date is probably waiting.'' He said, rolling his eyes as James pulled on a denim jacket.
''Whatever, Padfoot. See you in a couple hours.'' He said, walking towards the door. ''You better not be fucking when I get back!'' He shouted from the doorway, to which you could hear Mrs. Potter's faint, 'language, James!' and Sirius laughing.
''No guarantees, Prongs.'' Sirius said, and James rolled his eyes, closing the door behind him as he stepped out towards his car.
-.-.-