A Conversation in the Common Room
Written by Firefly of Earth,
as part of the collection at The
Marauder's Pensieve™
"I cannot believe you! You... you... you traitor!"
James Potter, seventeen and generally brown and messy, was at this moment a fuming, cherry apple red. His thick and very unkempt dark hair was at last very appropriate for the occasion, as he was waving his arms around lividly like a madman.
James huffed, readjusted his round glasses and continued his ranting.
"How could you go out with her? When you... when you... You knew me and... and..."
"James, get a hold of yourself," said a calm voice, issued from the object of James' tirade. The other boy, Remus Lupin -- although known more affectionately as Moony by his best friends-- was reclining on the common room sofa, looking rather pale and tired. He swept some of his sandy hair out of his eyes and peered intently at his classmate, roomate and best friend.
"It wasn't what you're thinking at all."
"Right," retorted James hotly, "You just went out with Lily because the two of you wanted... wanted to study!" Sarcasm was not particularly fitting for James when he was angry (and furiously jealous).
Quite suddenly, a chuckle issued from a corner of the room, and a dark haired boy stepped into the light cast by the dimming fire. He, James' and Remus' other best friend, was similar in age, but starkly different from the other two. Sirius Black had a rough and fiery look about him. More vivacious than the generally tranquil Remus and more suave than the now livid James, who was still rough around the edges -- though affectionately so for his closest friends and especially for someone in particular.
"Actually, Remus and Lily really were just studying. And if you'd been paying more attention on the Quidditch field, you would've seen it. Sorry mate," said Sirius seriously, even though the chuckle was still apparent in his sparking eyes.
"Well... well... what about that date at the Three Broomsticks?" roared James defiantly, "You were drinking butterbeer together and laughing... and... and..." James could barely think straight now that he had the image of his best friend being so close to the girl he had liked since year one at Hogwarts.
"All right, James. Calm down," said Remus, still reclined and relaxed, especially in contrast to the fuming James, who was just about bouncing off the walls. Sirius shoved the frantically pacing James into the nearest seat, hoping to get his best friend to start listening to reason.
"You're right, we were on a date, at the Three Broomsticks and tonight, near the Quiddit--," continued Remus, but he was abruptly cut off as James yelped a furious and oddly surprised, "What!?" James had known that his best friend was very close to Lily, but he was still hoping that it was a rumor or a misunderstanding.
"Shut up, Prongs," said Sirius exasperatedly, yet affectionately, "Just listen."
"They were dates," continued Remus, "but I didn't know that until tonight.
"Lily invited me to the Three Broomsticks after you and Sirius decided to have another bout with Snape. We bought our butterbeer and sat around talking -- about you. Then this morning Lily asked me to help her with her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework. She asked me if we could study near the lake, and I agreed to it. I didn't know that she meant for the two occasions to be dates until she said so tonight."
"And I bet you just loved going out with her," grumbled James.
"Sure Prongs. I just loved that my date could talk about nothing but my best friend," said Remus, in a suddenly amused sort of way.
A slight smile crept upon James' sullen face, replacing the scowl he wore only a few minutes ago with a silly half-grin.
"That's right," said Remus, now smiling too, "All Lily could talk about was what an idiot and show off you are, how you mess up your hair, how you play with the snitch --"
"So she was just complaining about me," James interrupted, rather dejected again.
"Maybe, but that means you're all that she thinks about, Prongs," said Sirius, who was sitting next to James, with a wink and a grin.
"Well, she's still going out with Remus," said James bitterly.
"Do you honestly think that I would go out with the girl whom I would love nothing more than to see with my best friend?" asked Remus a bit impatiently. Before anyone could answer, he continued, "When I realized that Lily considered it a date, I called it off. Now she thinks I'm completely incomprehensible -- just like the rest of you," he added with a twinkle in his eye.
"But... but it means she obviously lik--," started James, still confused and jealous that Lily had technically dated Remus before she had him.
"She obviously likes you," cut in Remus before James could finish his thought. "Think about where she wanted to meet me, Prongs."
"The Three Broomsticks and the lake."
"No, the Three Broomsticks where you would be after fighting with Snape, and the lake near the quidditch field, where you would be for tonight's practice," stated Remus matter-of-factly. "I think she wanted to meet you more so than she did me, although she would never admit to it." Remus knew that this was the line that would solve all of tonight's arguments, and any that might surface in the future.
And sure enough, comprehension suddenly dawned upon James, and in the next moment he was beaming.
"You stupid git," laughed Sirius, throwing one of the nearest sofa pillows at James. But James was too ecstatic to have heard it.