Sink or Swim
Story for: targristiel
Title: Sink or Swim
Pairing: James/Remus
Rating: PG13 possibly for language?
Summary: After Lily and James break up, James spirals into a miserable pit of hurt and frustration, and Remus is tired of it.
Additional Notes: I hope this is acceptable, and I'm sorry it's taken so foreverly long to get something to you, but here it is.
Remus had one hand resting on his hip, the other massaging his forehead. “James.”
“Don’t start with me, Moony,” the other boy replied sourly.
“I don’t think it’s too much to ask that you stop destroying my pillow, blankets, and bed hangings,” Remus stated. He was exhausted. He always felt so exhausted, stretched, pulled, and incomplete.
The frown didn’t abate from James’s face. “You didn’t say please.”
“Please, then,” Remus said with a sigh.
“Don’t be so damn polite! I’m burning your pillow, and you’re taking time for your sodding manners!” James spouted off, sending a string of flames at Remus’s bed.
Remus pulled his wand out as quick as lightning, extinguished the flames, and, with a jerk of his wand, sent James flying up in the air, where he left him dangling, wand and glasses toppling to the ground.
“LET ME DOWN!”
“No,” he said calmly, walking over to his side of the room. Before setting his bed on fire, James had been mercilessly slashing his pillow so that there were burned feathers strewn across his mattress.
“REMUS, PUT ME DOWN, NOW!”
“You didn’t say please,” Remus replied, a huge smirk on his face that James couldn’t see. His back was turned to his best friend as he repaired the damage James had done. Remus ignored the angry yells from across the room until his bedding looked somewhat normal again. He just hoped that McGonagall wouldn’t impose a surprise check on the Marauders’ room, as she was prone to do periodically, before the house elves could replace this mess with new things. The elves wouldn’t say a word to anyone about it.
Finally he turned around to a completely red-faced James, who was still hollering himself hoarse. With a flick of his wand, Remus let James fall unceremoniously to the stone floor.
“Wanker,” James grumbled, rubbing his shoulder.
Remus shrugged, “You deserve it. Maybe you’ll have had some sense knocked into you.”
“Since when do you have a say over me needing sense?”
“Shut up, James,” Remus said, striding forward. “Maybe it doesn’t matter to you now, but breaking up with Lily doesn’t mean your life is over.”
James flinched at the mention of Lily’s name, but Remus ignored it.
“You’ve let yourself go, and it’s like you’re not even James Potter anymore. You’re not someone I know.”
“I’m perfectly fine without-”
“No, James, you’re not.” Remus interrupted.
“I’m still doing my homework, still top of the class, if that’s what you care about.”
“Stop making such a bodge job of your life,” Remus finally yelled. “Lily is not the end of the world, and if you think she’s so great as to merit all this moping, then get out there and win her back. Sirius is sick of all this, won’t even talk to you, in case you haven’t noticed. Peter doesn’t want to bother with you when you’re this pathetic heap of bones, and you’re just lucky I care so damn much to say anything anymore.”
“If you’re so brassed off, then don’t bother. Don’t let me trouble you with my turmoil and complete anguish.”
Remus launched himself at his best friend, tackling him onto the bed. James was face down with one of his arms pinned beneath him, and he used his other arm to wildly grab at Remus, punching, pulling, and pushing. “You’re pathetic, Potter. I see why Lily let you go.”
James growled in distress, but Remus continued.
“Why would she want you back, either? All you do know is sit around feeling sorry for yourself, moping, and generally pissing us off with your pitiable state that’s no longer pitiable.”
Screaming in outrage, James finally threw Remus off and pounced unforgivingly on top of Remus, a mask of anger on his face. But Remus saw what he wanted to see in that face. He saw the fire of the fighter his friend used to be two weeks ago. He’d finally pushed James to the edge, and that’s where he needed to be. With James looming inches above him, he finally got to the point of all of this. “It’s time to sink or swim.”
The two were panting, James looming a foot above Remus. The two stared hard at each other for a minute. In an instant, James was attacking Remus with his lips, completely catching Remus off guard. The power of his tirade pushing him on, Remus returned this meeting of lips just as aggressively. He didn’t think he could call this a kiss. It wasn’t like any kiss he’d had before. It wasn’t delicate, it wasn’t secretive, it wasn’t special, it just was, and neither of them relented until they were completely out of breath.
When they were out of breath, James pushed away, sitting up heavily. He looked out the window, and a moment later he glanced back at Remus. Remus sat up next to his best friend, at a complete loss for words.
“What do you say now?” James finally broke through the silence.
Remus blinked before gathering up something for a reply. But he didn’t have one. A mere, “I don’t know,” was all that left his throat. Then, “I’m not her, though.”
“Pretty sure I know that.”
James leaned forward again.
Title: Sink or Swim
Pairing: James/Remus
Rating: PG13 possibly for language?
Summary: After Lily and James break up, James spirals into a miserable pit of hurt and frustration, and Remus is tired of it.
Additional Notes: I hope this is acceptable, and I'm sorry it's taken so foreverly long to get something to you, but here it is.
Remus had one hand resting on his hip, the other massaging his forehead. “James.”
“Don’t start with me, Moony,” the other boy replied sourly.
“I don’t think it’s too much to ask that you stop destroying my pillow, blankets, and bed hangings,” Remus stated. He was exhausted. He always felt so exhausted, stretched, pulled, and incomplete.
The frown didn’t abate from James’s face. “You didn’t say please.”
“Please, then,” Remus said with a sigh.
“Don’t be so damn polite! I’m burning your pillow, and you’re taking time for your sodding manners!” James spouted off, sending a string of flames at Remus’s bed.
Remus pulled his wand out as quick as lightning, extinguished the flames, and, with a jerk of his wand, sent James flying up in the air, where he left him dangling, wand and glasses toppling to the ground.
“LET ME DOWN!”
“No,” he said calmly, walking over to his side of the room. Before setting his bed on fire, James had been mercilessly slashing his pillow so that there were burned feathers strewn across his mattress.
“REMUS, PUT ME DOWN, NOW!”
“You didn’t say please,” Remus replied, a huge smirk on his face that James couldn’t see. His back was turned to his best friend as he repaired the damage James had done. Remus ignored the angry yells from across the room until his bedding looked somewhat normal again. He just hoped that McGonagall wouldn’t impose a surprise check on the Marauders’ room, as she was prone to do periodically, before the house elves could replace this mess with new things. The elves wouldn’t say a word to anyone about it.
Finally he turned around to a completely red-faced James, who was still hollering himself hoarse. With a flick of his wand, Remus let James fall unceremoniously to the stone floor.
“Wanker,” James grumbled, rubbing his shoulder.
Remus shrugged, “You deserve it. Maybe you’ll have had some sense knocked into you.”
“Since when do you have a say over me needing sense?”
“Shut up, James,” Remus said, striding forward. “Maybe it doesn’t matter to you now, but breaking up with Lily doesn’t mean your life is over.”
James flinched at the mention of Lily’s name, but Remus ignored it.
“You’ve let yourself go, and it’s like you’re not even James Potter anymore. You’re not someone I know.”
“I’m perfectly fine without-”
“No, James, you’re not.” Remus interrupted.
“I’m still doing my homework, still top of the class, if that’s what you care about.”
“Stop making such a bodge job of your life,” Remus finally yelled. “Lily is not the end of the world, and if you think she’s so great as to merit all this moping, then get out there and win her back. Sirius is sick of all this, won’t even talk to you, in case you haven’t noticed. Peter doesn’t want to bother with you when you’re this pathetic heap of bones, and you’re just lucky I care so damn much to say anything anymore.”
“If you’re so brassed off, then don’t bother. Don’t let me trouble you with my turmoil and complete anguish.”
Remus launched himself at his best friend, tackling him onto the bed. James was face down with one of his arms pinned beneath him, and he used his other arm to wildly grab at Remus, punching, pulling, and pushing. “You’re pathetic, Potter. I see why Lily let you go.”
James growled in distress, but Remus continued.
“Why would she want you back, either? All you do know is sit around feeling sorry for yourself, moping, and generally pissing us off with your pitiable state that’s no longer pitiable.”
Screaming in outrage, James finally threw Remus off and pounced unforgivingly on top of Remus, a mask of anger on his face. But Remus saw what he wanted to see in that face. He saw the fire of the fighter his friend used to be two weeks ago. He’d finally pushed James to the edge, and that’s where he needed to be. With James looming inches above him, he finally got to the point of all of this. “It’s time to sink or swim.”
The two were panting, James looming a foot above Remus. The two stared hard at each other for a minute. In an instant, James was attacking Remus with his lips, completely catching Remus off guard. The power of his tirade pushing him on, Remus returned this meeting of lips just as aggressively. He didn’t think he could call this a kiss. It wasn’t like any kiss he’d had before. It wasn’t delicate, it wasn’t secretive, it wasn’t special, it just was, and neither of them relented until they were completely out of breath.
When they were out of breath, James pushed away, sitting up heavily. He looked out the window, and a moment later he glanced back at Remus. Remus sat up next to his best friend, at a complete loss for words.
“What do you say now?” James finally broke through the silence.
Remus blinked before gathering up something for a reply. But he didn’t have one. A mere, “I don’t know,” was all that left his throat. Then, “I’m not her, though.”
“Pretty sure I know that.”
James leaned forward again.