Cursed Child Years 1-4 | Marauders Era

115 | An unclear Hogsmeade Dream

An unclear Hogsmeade Dream

Saturday 18nth November, 1974

James couldn't stop pacing from one end of the dorm to the other. He couldn't stop the panic he was feeling. He couldn't even tell if the emotions running through his head were good, or bad. Was he ready for this? Would he make a complete idiot of himself? Would he say something horrible to her? What if she changed her mind?

He double checked his outfit, for the one hundredth time within the hour. He'd been awake a half hour before the other Marauders to make sure everything was actually real, that he looked exactly what Lily deserved and to calm himself down. But now that the others were awake and dressed, waiting for James to stop panicking and to stop pacing back and forth so that they could go to breakfast... he wasn't ready anymore and he certainly didn't think he could do this anymore.

James stood in front of the mirror fixing his tie again. He undid the tie and then re-tied it once again, and again and again. No matter how many times this process repeated itself, James felt as if something was wrong, that there was definitely something he was forgetting.

"James, mate, you look fine alright?" Peter sighed from where he and Sirius were sitting on the bed.

"But that's just it! I don't want to look just fine for Lily! I want to look perfect for her. She asked me! I didn't even ask her to Hogsmeade today, so I've already messed that up!"

"Only because Mary was in her ear telling her to get a grip and just ask you. Merlin it's so obvious you two like each other, it was never going to happen with you two on your own and no one pushing either of you to just step up. Mary did good and got you this date. So hurry up, lose the tie and come with us to breakfast," Remus said with a small grin and a hint of irritation behind his voice.

"You really think I shouldn't wear a tie, Moony?"

Remus nodded but before he could speak, Sirius interrupted. "It makes you look like a posh twat."

Peter nodded his head beside Sirius in agreement. "He's right, you look a bit like an idiot with it on..."

"You couldn't have told me this half an hour ago?!?" James snapped, turning his head in their direction briefly before looking back into the mirror to Remus's reflection. "What do you think, Moony?"

"I think Lily will like it, plus, it'll give her something to readjust other than your glasses if she wants to be nice to you," he shrugged before standing. "I'd say wear it but if she looks at it funny or asks you about why you're wearing it, then take it off."

James nodded before tightening the tie for the final time and turning away from the mirror. He already felt slightly lighter without stressing himself about his outfit and his hair and his tie.

"Are we ready to go to the final ten minutes of breakfast now?" Sirius asked, sitting up straighter.

"Yep," James gave a reassuring smile to a skeptical looking Peter before heading for the door. "C'mon then!"

With that demand, Sirius lunged towards the door and was out of sight, down the stairs to the Common Room before Peter and Remus had even reached the door that James was holding open for them. Once Remus had made it out of the dorm, he waited as James followed and closed the door and together they walked side by side down to the Common Room, down the corridors, the moving staircases and then sat beside each other at the Gryffindor table.

"Move over, El. Let Moony sit next to his girlfriend," Sirius smiled and he pushed her to the side, squeezing himself, James and Remus in between herself and Alice.