The start of a new term never failed to put James Potter in high spirits.
He enjoyed school (and he wasn't half bad at it). He liked the smell of new textbooks—a brand new quill set. He loved the consistent stream of conversation and people around him, and most importantly, he loved his Marauders.
James never fancied being alone. He found the quiet rather unsettling.
"Where'd you go?" Sirius poked his head through his curtains.
"Just for a walk," James flashed him a smile, "talk in the morning? Yeah?"
"Yeah, ok. Night, Prongs." Sirius disappeared back into his curtains as James shrugged off his cloak and kicked off his shoes, tucking the Marauder's map into his trunk.
James loved sharing a room.
"Night Pads."
It was September 1st, 1977, the first day back of the Marauder's final year at Hogwarts.
James slipped into his fourposter, Peter's snoring from the bunk to James's left filling the room.
However, sleep didn't come.
James rolled over with a frown.
He didn't know what had compelled him to go confront Regulus Black, nor did he know why Regulus Black was walking the corridors with Penelope Frank at three sixteen in the morning.
It shouldn't have caught his attention. He shouldn't have even thought twice, he didn't know Regulus Black, and anything he did was none of James's business.
"I hope you do, Potter."
He had said it with the same expression that was a constant on Sirius's face before he ran away.
A mask of disinterest and a lack of emotion hiding the desperation that signature grey eyes betrayed.
"He's just like them" Sirius had said on the train, "their golden son, their pride. He's just like them and he's proud of it."
"Don't you think he might want out as bad as you did?" Remus asked.
Sirius shook his head, "he's right where he wants to be. I'm telling you, he already took the mark."
Regulus's white forearm had proven otherwise.
The memory still plagued him in the morning.
"What is the matter with you?" Remus asked, shoveling forkfuls of eggs into his mouth.
"Nothing," James smiled, "are you boys ready for our best year yet?"
Lily looked over and rolled her eyes, "silly me to think you guys matured at all over the summer."
"Who us?" James gasped, "Evans, that would be a tragedy."
She smiled slightly, turning away, "how Dumbledore appointed you as Head Boy over Remus is beyond me."
James laughed, throwing an arm around Remus's shoulders.
"Too posh for the likes of me," Remus drawled.
"Our ruffian," Sirius howled.
"Oh, knock it off," Marlene scolded, "Remus is just a big softie, he wouldn't hurt a hair on anyone's head!"
"Marls," Sirius snorted, "have you seen his face? He didn't get that by just walking into a wall."
"You should really get that checked out, Doll," Mary frowned at Remus's black eye, "it's all puffy."
"You should see the other guy," Remus grinned.
"Oh! Don't encourage them!" Lily reached over the table to whack him.
