BRUTUM FULMEN

@wildfcres​

James wracked his brain for a image of this so-called gorgeous ginger head girl, but he couldn’t figure out who Lucinda had been talking about. Truthfully, the only gorgeous ginger he could think of was Lily, as if his brain was limited to one girl only. “I only know of one fit ginger,” he stated with a grin. “And it’s Remus. So, that’s as far it goes for me. I’m a faithful boy,” he joked, grinning brightly at the brunette.

“I was merely attempting to make it more interesting, you tosser,” James whined, crossing his arms across his chest. “Well, if you’re the expert on this, go on and stick your head in first!” he exclaimed, gesturing towards the bin of apples and water before them.

James grinned at her sheepishly, rocking himself on the balls of his feet as he began to speak, “Well... I haven’t really got saintly intentions. I was actually hoping you’d join to sort of, you know, fuck up and make things more interesting.”

James wrinkled his nose at the older girl, and shook his head, “Definitely not perfect, but certainly not a nerd, either. I’m just a confusing enigma, going about my life,” he replied with a hint of a smile. “Tasted ghastly. And I’m not sure of its toxicity. Can’t be too dreadful, as I’m still alive. For now, at least,” he joked, realizing that he should’ve inquired the poison levels of the plant from Sprout.

“Well, my hypothetical deaths are allowed to be boring, as they are purely hypothetical Besides, I’ll have you know, I can go up two stairs at a time effortlessly, so if anything I’m quite good at stairs.!” James argued, a small impish smile curling onto his lips. “As for my real death, according to our loony divination professor, I’m going to have a quite impactful one. Perhaps I’ll get a statue or somethin’ like that,” he joked with a shrug, imagining a bronzed version of himself erected in Hogsmeade.

James furrowed his brows, frowning at Ted a bit as he watched the boy knock back a drink. “Excuse me, Edward, but you have yet to offer me a sip of whatever it is you’re drinking. Sharing is caring, as they say,” he whined, longingly gazing upon Ted’s drink.

James rocked back in his chair, haphazardly rocking on the back legs of it as he grinned at Ted. “You are the weirdest, and best nerd in the entire world, Teddy boy. Don’t let the world kill your dreams of getting into that bloody section!” he exclaimed, pulling his glasses off of his head and back onto his eyes to also gaze at the locked up bit of the library. “It’s somehow more alluring with the lock. Everything’s sexier when you find out it’s forbidden,” he added, folding his arms behind his head.

James was deeply concerned, never before had he seen Dorcas crumble like the way she had in class. The Boggart before her transforming into something ordinary to James, a man, quite atypical compared to the bizarre parade of clowns, spiders, and snakes the class had witnessed until then. Perfectly boring fears. Perfectly conquerable. He noticed she was unable to collect herself, immediately rushing out before he could even process what was happening. Without even missing a beat, James was several steps behind her, not caring about the frazzled professor they were leaving behind. When he found her, she was curled behind a tapestry, fear still glimmering in her eyes. “Oh,” James responded, taken by surprise by her answer. “That’s... Heavy stuff, Do,” he told her softly, crouching down beside her and wrapping an arm around her. “But listen, it’s not, real. It’s all make believe, that’s what those little buggers do. They just mess with your head, yeah?” he told her softly, rummaging in his pocket for a handkerchief to offer her. “I’m sure your dad’s fine. He’s probably perched up at him behind a newspaper, drinking his afternoon tea, wondering how his blonde genius is doing at school,” James consoled, giving her shoulders squeeze.  

Jame’s paused, realizing that Sirius’ suggestion was far more logical and surely would have resulted in success. His own head hung low, a whine slipping out of him. “I don’t know why I don’t fucking consult with you before I... I do stupid things,” James admitted, blinking back at the boy before him. “You’re truly my better half, as the poets say,” he joked, pursing his lips and smacking his lips in a kiss in Sirius’ direction, “Though our little nerd has respect for the library, so we must break him. We must corrupt him. It has to be done in order to win Lily’s love,” James stated solemnly, folding his hands on the desk and as his eyes searched for Moony on the map between them. “Hey, listen. I don’t like that word. It’s... It’s more intimate than that. It’s a good canoodle. A good canoodle reserved for a good noodle that I happen to like very much,” he stated with a dreamy smile, tickling Sirius’ nose with his quill. 

“Must you even ask, blondie? You should have fetched us a blanket ages ago! I’m bloody freezing. It’s bad enough we’ve been banished from the floor, but these greedy gits couldn’t even give us a blanket? Honestly just disrespectful,” James complained in a half whisper, gesturing around to their friends who were already lost to slumber. He shifted slightly, resting his cheek on Dorcas’ head as his eyes were directed to the fire as well. Well, the lack of fire, really. In the midst of their games of the evening, no one had remembered to charm the fire. Lucky James, lucky Dorcas. “D’you think we could charm some of these sods off the couch and steal one for ourselves? Because honestly, I think we’re the most deserving of a couch. We did win charades, both bloody times! We’re champions, for Merlin’s sake.”

James’ expression softened, the look in Sirius’ face reminded him just how lucky he was to have Sirius in his life. It was a look of alarm, of passion, and of loyalty. He’d meant the comment as a joke, though the actual encounter had been true. One glance inside of James’ teacup, and the professor’s face had turned grim, warning him of a terrible fate to come. As dark as the class had been, James had shrugged it off. A smile lacing his lips. He was one hundred percent of the belief that the only person in charge of his fate, was himself, not some bloody teacup. “Of course it won’t. You’re my guard dog after all, aren’t you?” he joked with a wink, reaching over to gently shove Sirius’ shoulder. “And you wouldn’t be a very good one if you let me die, now would you, Padfoot?”

James maintained his despondent expression, though it took absolutely everything within in to suppress the laughter threatening to burst from within him. He let out a long sigh before allowing his natural expression to shine through once more, grinning at the boy. “That’s possibly the most flattering thing I’ve ever heard, thank you so very much,” James told him, truly touched by Ted’s words. “Though your words have resonated with me and have throughly boasted my ego, I’m still hurt! I reckon you’ll have to spend the next Hogsmeade trip buying me butterbeers to mend my hurt, my boy,” James teased, leaning forward and waggling his brows at Ted.

At the answer to his riddle a look of relief and annoyance at himself washed over his features, causing him to groan and fully lay down, resigning himself to the full extent of the floor. “God, Mary, how’d you come to be so brilliant? Mind if I borrow some brain cells? My last two are busy screaming at me about how stupid I am,” he mumbled from behind his hands which were now covering his face.

“I dunno, Al. I think if I had the all wielding power that those two possess I would throw everyone I could in detention, simply because I could,” James admitted with a small nod, reaching out to tap her nose despite her pout. At her question James grin, turning up his nose in the air as arrogantly as he could. “But of course they do. Lily won’t admit it, but she does love me on some level. And Remus certainly loves me. He admits that daily, though some days its a tad begrudgingly... Even so, he still does.”