𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄
chapter seventeen; Never One Without The Other
" Something wrong, Prongs? "
JAMES POTTER WAS beginning to grow annoyed that Madeline made a friend out of Remus Lupin. Sirius and Peter had been on the receiving end of his rants, endless complaints about the new friendships complete with wild hand gestures
"She can't just take my friends," James shook his head, "Bloody needs to find her own."
"She has her own mate, it's not like she's stolen Moony from us."
"But she has!" James threw his hands up, "Where's he now?"
"He's not missing out on much," Peter defended weakly, "I mean, we're just sitting around."
"Sure, but we always sit around together!"
"Honestly, Prongs, you're making a big deal out of nothing."
Remus then came hurrying into the door before James could question Sirius defending his little sister. The Lupin boy had a small, ever-present smile on, rifling through his jumpers hurriedly.
"Alright, mate?"
"Fine, yeah," Remus smiled at Sirius, "You?"
"Alright," Sirius nodded suspiciously, watching Remus grab a striped jumper before hurrying back to the door, "Busy today?"
"Just hanging out with Maddie," He nodded.
James scoffed loudly, earning Remus' full attention.
"Something wrong, Prongs?"
"Not at all, just have fun with Madeline."
Remus nodded, taking a deep breath and switching his jumper between his hands. "We're playing quidditch with Blue and Declan, you're welcome to join."
"Why would I join?" James grumbled, crossing his arms.
"Because Maddie's really upset about quitting the team and she wanted to play a game before the pitch was always booked," Remus shrugged, "She didn't think you lot would want to play.
A frown was carved deeply onto Sirius' face in a split-second.
"You're welcome to join us," Remus repeated, "We're starting soon though, so hurry it up."
ϟ
"Did the Firewhiskey hit me already, or has Remus brought company?"
Madeline furrowed her brows at Kai, before turning to where he was looking. Sure enough, three figures were following Remus Lupin.
"Oh, no," Madeline mumbled, hand tightening around her broom, "No, no."
"I can tell them to leave," Bluebelle offered, "Eagles only?"
"Hey, Mads," Sirius called out first, making the Potter girl pause her response, "Playing quidditch with four people?"
"Scrimmage," Madeline said, at a loss for words it was shocking she even managed that.
"It's not even," Bluebelle announced, crossing her arms as the boys came to a halt.
"I'll sit out."
"No," Remus frowned at Madeline, "This is your game, Mads."
"Come on," Sirius said loudly, "Pete can referee."
Madeline looked to the boy for confirmation. "I don't like flying." Was his simple response.
"Maddie, James, captains, pick teams!"
"Actually," Remus said, coughing loudly to halt Kai's movements, "I wanted to be on Blue and Kai's team."
"Rem, what the—"
"Rem?" Sirius and James questioned at the same time, both wearing disgruntled expressions at Madeline's newfound nickname for their friend.
"Hey, I get to beat Maddie," Kai said, taking a large step back, "I'm okay with it."
"Are you gonna start?" Peter yelled from his place in the middle of the pitch.
"Yeah!" James called back, looking to Madeline. "If we lose it's your fault."
"Thank you, James," Madeline said sarcastically, scoffing before launching from the ground.
"She's in a mood."
"You both are," Sirius responded before taking to the air as well.
"No, I'm not!"
The group had decided not to use bludgers, Bluebelle and Madeline were keepers, for the chasers Remus, Kai, James, and Sirius. It seemed almost fair, as one chaser on each team was a full-time one, but Bluebelle's keeper's skills were lacking, whereas Madeline's had improved over the summer.
Madeline had lived up to the reputation Kai had given, not letting him or Remus get a single goal. Until Sirius began distracting her.
"Mads!"
The brunette gave Sirius a confused look as he slowed at the rings. James was busy at the other end of the pitch, trying to get around Kai to have the room to make a goal.
"What?!"
"Are you avoiding me?"
"No!"
"It seems like you are, and you're hanging out with 'Rem' which, by the way—"
"Sirius!" Madeline cut him off harshly, "Play the game!"
Sirius was briefly shocked into a still state, before turning around and continuing the game. Madeline had shrugged off the conversation rather quickly, her mood lightening when Kai blew raspberries for blocking his goal.
"I wasn't aware the pitch had been booked."
James Potter nearly toppled off of his broom right then and there. Usually, McGonagall was berating he and his friends so stopping the game to join her on the ground was instinct. The Ravenclaws followed suit of the Marauders, eventually, all seven students surrounded the professor.
"We didn't think it would be a problem," Madeline began to explain.
"It's not," The woman responded, "You're this restless for the season to start?"
"Oh, I'm not playing this year."
"What?" The woman looked downright horrified by the information.
"I'm just. . . not the best," Madeline lied quickly, "Want to give Ravenclaw a good chance."
"To lose?" The Potter girl elbowed Kai harshly, causing him to wheeze, and Bluebelle to giggle. The whole interaction was watched with a slightly amused eye from McGonagall.
"You've only played a year. Students don't just quit quidditch, Madeline."
"What can I say, I'm a pathmaker," Madeline smiled weakly, unnerved by the pitiful looks she was receiving from her peers and the calculating one from McGonagall. "I have to go, though, so if you're gonna go yell at anyone, yell at James."
"Is there a reason to?"
"Isn't there always a reason to?"
James' jaw hung open as Madeline rushed off the pitch, McGonagall trying her hardest to conceal a smile.
"Isn't the pitch only supposed to be used by the—?"
"Traitor!" James harshly cut off Bluebelle, pointing a finger at his head of house.
"I beg your pardon?"
"James is feeling under the weather," Sirius said loudly before James could dig himself into a deeper hole, the raven-haired boy securing an arm around James' shoulders, "I should get him to the hospital wing, actually, excuse us."
McGonagall watched the boys leave with a raised brow, Sirius no longer looked like he was supporting James, more like he was dragging him away in a headlock.
"I'm not sick!"
"Yes, you are, and the disease is jealousy!"
"What?!"
James wiggled for a moment, making Sirius sigh and release him. The Potter boy stumbled back for a second, raking his hair with his hand absentmindedly before speaking.
"Why is everyone on Maddie's side?!"
"Because she's going through a rough time, mate," Sirius barked out a sarcastic laugh, "She's not stealing anyone or anything from you. We're the only people in the whole school who believe her over those arseholes, and are nice to her."
"Believe her—?"
"You're angry, it's valid," Sirius cut James off yet again, "But you know Maddie didn't do anything. You wanted to kill Keeler and Hughes a couple days ago."
James crossed his arms, glaring at the grass stubbornly.
"We're all she has right now," Sirius repeated, less anger in his voice. He clapped a hand on James' shoulder, making the boy look up, "Now's your chance to be a good brother."
James' face melted instantly. He hadn't even thought about how horribly irritating the situation must have been for Sirius; whose little brother hated him. James was there, throwing away the chance Sirius would've killed for.
So he did the rational thing.
Sirius stumbled back slightly at the sheer force James had thrown himself into a hug. He froze for a moment, before embracing his best friend back with equal force.
"You're my brother, Sirius, you know that?"
"Yeah. . . You're mine, too."
( AUTHOR'S NOTE. )
James & Sirius are the ultimate
brotp I said what I said