Fic: Spring Forward - April 3 & 4
Part 2 - James shares big news with Remus, Sirius, and Peter. (Harry Potter; Pre-Azkaban; PG-13)
Written for wellymuck
Prompt: 4
Title: News of the Day
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,178
Disclaimer: JK Rowling's characters, not mine.
A/N: Series dedicated to lunar_mare for being a cool reader, writer and friend.
Summary: James has a talk with his friends.
Previous: April 1&2
April 3, 1979
James Potter and Peter Pettigrew sat across from each other in a back booth in a dimly lit pub. A small candle on the edge of the table provided enough light to illuminate the boys’ menus.
“I’m supposed to prepare eight pieces, and from those, she’ll choose the best four,” explained Peter. He had been studying art-specifically, painting-for a few months and was scheduled to show some of his works in an art show later in the month.
“Do you know what you’re going to paint, yet?” asked James, rubbing his empty glass.
Peter nodded excitedly. “Yes, I’ve already picked the theme for all the pieces, and she really likes the idea.”
James nodded and glanced to his right, his bespectacled eyes focused on the pub’s entrance. “Where are they?”
Peter gulped down his drink. “They’re probably at Sirius’s doing one of their favorite hobbies.” Peter snickered. “Have you noticed Moony spends all his free time over there? Every time I owl him, I also get a reply from Sirius.”
“Well, they better show up tonight. I don’t care if they are doing other activities. I need to talk to you all about something,” said James as he motioned to one of the bartenders to get him another drink.
Peter traced his finger around his cup’s rim and asked, “James, do you think they do it everyday?”
“I don’t know, Wormtail,” responded James with an uneasy laugh.
“Doesn’t Sirius tell you about it?”
James quickly shook his head. “No, he does not,” he replied emphatically. He glanced at the entrance again and softly said, “Yes, he does but not how many times they do it.”
Peter laughed as James muttered, “Finally.”
Sirius Black and Remus Lupin strolled into the pub and sat in their friends’ booth, Sirius next to James and Remus to Peter’s left.
“Where were you?” asked James loudly. Sirius and Remus looked at each other and laughed. Peter smirked.
“We were eating cake,” replied Remus.
“And you were late because you were eating cake?” inquired James as he pushed his glasses further up.
“Hey, that rhymes. Kind of,” remarked Peter. He waved at one of the bartenders and indicated four drinks for their table.
Sirius nodded. “It was really good cake, James. It had chocolate and whipped cream. Extremely tasty.” A perplexed James stared at him.
Remus noticed James’s look and explained: “Mum made the cake for Sirius.”
James nodded, finally understanding. “Oh, so that means dinner went well. She doesn’t hate you anymore, then?”
Sirius elbowed James under the tabletop.
“What?” asked Remus, his grin fading as he glanced at Sirius. “You told him about my mum?”
“No.” Sirius looked down at the table. “I mean, I mentioned her once.”
“Sorry,” apologized James in a whisper.
“Don’t worry about it. But yes, dinner was nice,” said Remus with a smile. Sirius looked back up at Remus and returned the smile. A waiter approached the booth with their drinks.
James nodded and mumbled a “Good job” to Sirius out of the corner of his mouth. Sirius straightened up. “So what’s up, James?” he asked, sipping his firewhiskey.
A look of pure joy appeared on James’s face as he looked at his three friends. “I’m happy.” When he didn’t continue, Remus simply said, “Good.”
“Things are going well with Lily. Very well, in fact,” said James. “I think I’m going to propose.”
Sirius spit liquor from his mouth. “What-marriage?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, James, that’s big,” commented Remus.
Peter slapped James’s hand. “Congratulations!” he exclaimed.
“I haven’t done it yet, Pete. I’m waiting for the right time,” explained James as he drank.
Sirius wiped his mouth with a napkin that Remus handed him. “Five years from now? What’s the hurry? You’re not even twenty, yet, Prongs.”
“I love her, Sirius. I want to be married to her,” declared a serious James.
Sirius snorted. “Just sleep with her, James. You won’t be so anxious in the morning.” He sipped his drink.
“I already have.”
Sirius sputtered whiskey over the table and on Remus. “Sirius!”
Sirius stared at James. “You what? When?”
James sat up straighter. “Last night.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” asked Peter, swatting James’s hand.
“I’m telling you now,” said James.
“You’re full of surprises today, Prongs,” said Remus. He noticed Sirius’s stoic expression and gently kicked him with his foot under the table. Sirius glanced at Remus briefly before turning back to James.
“How did you convince her?” Sirius asked curiously.
James laughed and replied, “I didn’t trick her! We know we’re going to get married eventually so we both agreed to it.”
Remus and Peter smiled at him while Sirius shook his head in amazement before asking, “How was it?”
“I’m not telling you. That’s private.”
“Come on, you prat, I told you about mine,” said Sirius.
“What?” asked Remus, looking questioningly at Sirius. “Is that true?”
Sirius reddened. “I’m never telling you anything again, big mouth.”
“He only tells me the good parts, Remus,” clarified a smirking James. Sirius flicked James’s glasses, and Remus rolled his eyes.
Sirius extended his hand to James. “Welcome to the club.”
“Thank you, sir,” said a madly grinning James. He shook Sirius’s hand and then extended his own to Remus, who shook it firmly.
Peter took a large swig from his glass. “Great; I’m getting left out again.”
Remus patted Peter’s shoulder. “It’ll happen for you, too, Peter. Just wait.”
“Ten more years isn’t too long, is it, Pete?” asked Sirius. Peter stuck his tongue out at him.
“Hey, what about your art professor? You said she’s young, and you’re always talking about her,” suggested James.
“I respect her, and I love her work.” Peter finished his drink and set the glass down. “I’ve also met her boyfriend, something Lestrange.”
Sirius wrinkled his brows. “Rabastan Lestrange?”
Peter thought for a bit before saying, “Yes.”
“His brother’s married to a cousin of mine,” said Sirius. “They’re not nice people.”
“See? You might have a chance with her, after all,” said Remus.
Peter shrugged. “There’ll be plenty of time for that later.” He looked at James. “Are you really going to ask Lily, then?”
James nodded. “I have to ask her parents first, of course. And I’ll need a ring. And then there’s the planning, the invitations, and all that.” He looked at each of his friends. “But yes, I am going to ask her.”
“Let us know when it does happen, yeah?” asked Remus.
Sirius stood. “I think we should stop talking about all this marriage nonsense and head over to my flat for a piece of cake,” declared Sirius with his hands on his hips.
“Who wants cake when there’s liquor?” inquired James.
“The cake is chocolate, James. And did I mention the whipped cream?””
James laughed and stood. “All right, all right. Even I can’t resist whipped cream.” He, Peter, and Remus followed Sirius out of the booth. Sirius leaned close to Remus and whispered, “Sorry for blabbing.” Remus nodded. “I know.”
The four friends walked out of the pub and into the night.
Written for wellymuck
Prompt: 4
Title: News of the Day
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,178
Disclaimer: JK Rowling's characters, not mine.
A/N: Series dedicated to lunar_mare for being a cool reader, writer and friend.
Summary: James has a talk with his friends.
Previous: April 1&2
April 3, 1979
James Potter and Peter Pettigrew sat across from each other in a back booth in a dimly lit pub. A small candle on the edge of the table provided enough light to illuminate the boys’ menus.
“I’m supposed to prepare eight pieces, and from those, she’ll choose the best four,” explained Peter. He had been studying art-specifically, painting-for a few months and was scheduled to show some of his works in an art show later in the month.
“Do you know what you’re going to paint, yet?” asked James, rubbing his empty glass.
Peter nodded excitedly. “Yes, I’ve already picked the theme for all the pieces, and she really likes the idea.”
James nodded and glanced to his right, his bespectacled eyes focused on the pub’s entrance. “Where are they?”
Peter gulped down his drink. “They’re probably at Sirius’s doing one of their favorite hobbies.” Peter snickered. “Have you noticed Moony spends all his free time over there? Every time I owl him, I also get a reply from Sirius.”
“Well, they better show up tonight. I don’t care if they are doing other activities. I need to talk to you all about something,” said James as he motioned to one of the bartenders to get him another drink.
Peter traced his finger around his cup’s rim and asked, “James, do you think they do it everyday?”
“I don’t know, Wormtail,” responded James with an uneasy laugh.
“Doesn’t Sirius tell you about it?”
James quickly shook his head. “No, he does not,” he replied emphatically. He glanced at the entrance again and softly said, “Yes, he does but not how many times they do it.”
Peter laughed as James muttered, “Finally.”
Sirius Black and Remus Lupin strolled into the pub and sat in their friends’ booth, Sirius next to James and Remus to Peter’s left.
“Where were you?” asked James loudly. Sirius and Remus looked at each other and laughed. Peter smirked.
“We were eating cake,” replied Remus.
“And you were late because you were eating cake?” inquired James as he pushed his glasses further up.
“Hey, that rhymes. Kind of,” remarked Peter. He waved at one of the bartenders and indicated four drinks for their table.
Sirius nodded. “It was really good cake, James. It had chocolate and whipped cream. Extremely tasty.” A perplexed James stared at him.
Remus noticed James’s look and explained: “Mum made the cake for Sirius.”
James nodded, finally understanding. “Oh, so that means dinner went well. She doesn’t hate you anymore, then?”
Sirius elbowed James under the tabletop.
“What?” asked Remus, his grin fading as he glanced at Sirius. “You told him about my mum?”
“No.” Sirius looked down at the table. “I mean, I mentioned her once.”
“Sorry,” apologized James in a whisper.
“Don’t worry about it. But yes, dinner was nice,” said Remus with a smile. Sirius looked back up at Remus and returned the smile. A waiter approached the booth with their drinks.
James nodded and mumbled a “Good job” to Sirius out of the corner of his mouth. Sirius straightened up. “So what’s up, James?” he asked, sipping his firewhiskey.
A look of pure joy appeared on James’s face as he looked at his three friends. “I’m happy.” When he didn’t continue, Remus simply said, “Good.”
“Things are going well with Lily. Very well, in fact,” said James. “I think I’m going to propose.”
Sirius spit liquor from his mouth. “What-marriage?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, James, that’s big,” commented Remus.
Peter slapped James’s hand. “Congratulations!” he exclaimed.
“I haven’t done it yet, Pete. I’m waiting for the right time,” explained James as he drank.
Sirius wiped his mouth with a napkin that Remus handed him. “Five years from now? What’s the hurry? You’re not even twenty, yet, Prongs.”
“I love her, Sirius. I want to be married to her,” declared a serious James.
Sirius snorted. “Just sleep with her, James. You won’t be so anxious in the morning.” He sipped his drink.
“I already have.”
Sirius sputtered whiskey over the table and on Remus. “Sirius!”
Sirius stared at James. “You what? When?”
James sat up straighter. “Last night.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” asked Peter, swatting James’s hand.
“I’m telling you now,” said James.
“You’re full of surprises today, Prongs,” said Remus. He noticed Sirius’s stoic expression and gently kicked him with his foot under the table. Sirius glanced at Remus briefly before turning back to James.
“How did you convince her?” Sirius asked curiously.
James laughed and replied, “I didn’t trick her! We know we’re going to get married eventually so we both agreed to it.”
Remus and Peter smiled at him while Sirius shook his head in amazement before asking, “How was it?”
“I’m not telling you. That’s private.”
“Come on, you prat, I told you about mine,” said Sirius.
“What?” asked Remus, looking questioningly at Sirius. “Is that true?”
Sirius reddened. “I’m never telling you anything again, big mouth.”
“He only tells me the good parts, Remus,” clarified a smirking James. Sirius flicked James’s glasses, and Remus rolled his eyes.
Sirius extended his hand to James. “Welcome to the club.”
“Thank you, sir,” said a madly grinning James. He shook Sirius’s hand and then extended his own to Remus, who shook it firmly.
Peter took a large swig from his glass. “Great; I’m getting left out again.”
Remus patted Peter’s shoulder. “It’ll happen for you, too, Peter. Just wait.”
“Ten more years isn’t too long, is it, Pete?” asked Sirius. Peter stuck his tongue out at him.
“Hey, what about your art professor? You said she’s young, and you’re always talking about her,” suggested James.
“I respect her, and I love her work.” Peter finished his drink and set the glass down. “I’ve also met her boyfriend, something Lestrange.”
Sirius wrinkled his brows. “Rabastan Lestrange?”
Peter thought for a bit before saying, “Yes.”
“His brother’s married to a cousin of mine,” said Sirius. “They’re not nice people.”
“See? You might have a chance with her, after all,” said Remus.
Peter shrugged. “There’ll be plenty of time for that later.” He looked at James. “Are you really going to ask Lily, then?”
James nodded. “I have to ask her parents first, of course. And I’ll need a ring. And then there’s the planning, the invitations, and all that.” He looked at each of his friends. “But yes, I am going to ask her.”
“Let us know when it does happen, yeah?” asked Remus.
Sirius stood. “I think we should stop talking about all this marriage nonsense and head over to my flat for a piece of cake,” declared Sirius with his hands on his hips.
“Who wants cake when there’s liquor?” inquired James.
“The cake is chocolate, James. And did I mention the whipped cream?””
James laughed and stood. “All right, all right. Even I can’t resist whipped cream.” He, Peter, and Remus followed Sirius out of the booth. Sirius leaned close to Remus and whispered, “Sorry for blabbing.” Remus nodded. “I know.”
The four friends walked out of the pub and into the night.