Jealously Wears A Green Mask | Jily

2: Rasberry Jam Days

Remus Lupin missed the days when breakfast had been an easy affair. Back when the marauders would plan pranks over toast, or discuss broomstick models and girls instead of Death Eaters and careers. Back when James was still chasing Lily like a really unwanted stray puppy. Back in the days when there had been raspberry jam. He loved raspberry jam, but, alas, the house elves had taken it upon themselves to ... forget the Gryffindor table's raspberry jam. This had been going on since the "End of Exams" party at the end of sixth year ... After far too many glasses of firewhiskey, Sirius had snuck off to the kitchens in search of something to sober himself up. What had transpired next, Remus had yet to find out, but the result was clear: the house elves were blacklisting Sirius. None of the boy's favorite foods would surface atop the table again, Remus was sure of it. And, as with many best friends, the two boys shared a favorite flavor of jam. Remus knew, deep down, that the lack of his favorite toast spread had little to do with the change in breakfast, but the coincidental link between the disappearance of raspberries and the sudden darkening of breakfast was simply too obvious to ignore.

So when Sirius Black, late as usual, slid into the available seat across from him, Remus glared at him.

"You just had to upset the house elves, didn't you?" he grumbled, smearing his toast with what appeared to be grape jelly.

Sirius shrugged, and instead of answering Remus turned to James, 'What's got your knickers in a twist, Prongsie?" he asked, tugging the entire serving platter of bacon towards him rather than just taking the polite amount.

James shrugged halfheartedly, "I think I might have made a mistake."

Peter nodded, "Yup, you probably did."

"You know what's going on, Wormtail?" James asked in surprise.

"No," the smaller boy shook his head, pouring himself some more juice, "I just know you."

Sirius guffawed at that, "Nice one Wormtail!" he managed through a mouthful of bacon.

"Alright Prongs, out with it," Remus sighed, giving up the (not raspberry) jam as a bad job and turning to stare down his friend, "What did you do?"

"I asked Mary MacDonald to the dance," James said glumly, stirring his coffee as though he had no intention of ever drinking it.

There was a long pause as Remus exchanged a look with Peter. He attempted to catch Sirius's eye as well, but the other boy was completely and entirely focused on his bacon; odd, but not unusual behavior for the boy who acted more and more like his dog counterpart each day.

"You're an idiot," Peter informed James bluntly, "A right idiot. This is your first chance of the year to properly ask Evans out, and, since Dumbledore has ended Hogsmeade visits, it might have been the only chance you're going to get this year, which is our last year you know ... and you blew it."

"I know," groaned James, running his fingers through his hair and then cursing; he was pretty sure that Lily hated it when he did that.

"James," Remus said slowly, "Why in your right mind would you ask out anyone other than the girl you're mad about? Do you want me to kill you? How am I supposed to put up with your long Lily-loving rants when I know you didn't even bother to ask her to the dance she's obviously only throwing so you'll ask her out!"

James glared back at Remus, "What do you mean she made up this dance so I'd ask her out?" he demanded sullenly.

Remus rolled his eyes, "She gave us all that big speech about how, since we can't have Hogsmeade visits anymore there isn't any real chance for romance at Hogwarts anymore, how there weren't any opportunities for guys to ask girls out anymore. She wasn't just talking about student morale James!"