Lions Inside¹ | James Potter

sixteen

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(Dream On//Aerosmith)

4th of January, Friday, 1974

The first week of the New Year was over and the Marauders were exhausted.
Well, most of them.

"SIRIUS I'M GONNA STRANGLE YOU WITH YOUR OWN STUPID HAIR!" Remus roared, running out of the bathroom and storming for Sirius' record player. 

Sirius leapt from his bed and jumped onto Remus' back to stop him. Sirius was almost as tall as Remus now and with him being stronger, he usually won these fights.

Andrea ran forwards and stood between Remus and the record player, her hands up to stop him from stopping their music. 

"Maybe tomorrow the good Lord could take you away!" Andrea and Sirius sang at the top of their lungs. Sirius had loved his Christmas gift and they were currently on the fourth play-thru of his new Aerosmith record. 

They both loved it, finally finding some music they agreed on, but the other boys in the dorm were not loving it as much. Maybe the first time, but they were all sick of it by the second time Sirius started the album. Now they were feeling murderous toward the two.

"SHUT IT!" James yelled; his pillow closed over his ears. "My brain is bleeding out of my ears!" Peter cried; his voice muffled for he was currently under his covers.

"DREAM ON, DREAM ON, DREAM ON! DREAM UNTIL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!" they screamed together. 

Aerosmith had definitely been a good choice for a Christmas gift. James got out of his bed and pulled Sirius off Remus' back. Thankfully, he was still the strongest of the four boys, the only one matching him being Andrea. As he pulled Sirius down, Remus went forward and tossed Andrea over his shoulder before turning the music down to a low hum.

"SING WITH ME SING FOR THE YEAR!" Andrea kept on singing as she swung back and forth over Remus's shoulder. "SING FOR THE LAUGHTER AND SING FOR THE TEAR!" Sirius continued, wrestling against James' grip. 

The two carried the singing third years into the Hallway, quickly slamming the door in their faces, leaving them deserted there.

"DREAM ON, DREAM ON!" they continued as Sirius tried to open the door to his dorm. Finding it locked he fell silent.

"OY! It's my room too!" he cried out. "Learn some respect, then we'll consider letting you in!" Remus yelled back through the closed door. Sirius pouted at the door before kicking it repeatedly, a giggling Andrea behind him. 

A door opened further down the hallway and Sirius quickly ducked behind Andrea as a scowling Jonathan Wood glared at the two of them.

"I know it's Friday but seriously, SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP! I have Quidditch in the morning!"
"We don't have practice tomorrow," Andrea tried to reason but John just shook his head at her, rolling his eyes. "Doesn't have to be a scheduled practice to play Quidditch, Russo," he huffed at her, a look of disappointment on his face. 

Andrea quickly turned on her heels and ran down the spiral staircase, Sirius right behind her.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked, climbing the steps to the girls' dorms. "If you hadn't noticed, I'm homeless. What do you say, willing to take in a stray for the night?" he pleaded, getting down on his knees and literally begging her. Andrea rolled her eyes.

"Put the wounded puppy eyes away. Yes, you're welcome to stay."

As they settled into bed Andrea plucked up the courage to bring up the subject she had been worrying about since the day they got back on the train. She turned to her side and looked through the darkness to the spare bed Sirius had picked.