Moonage Daydream [Stand-alone vers]

Halfway There

"I failed the practical for sure— It wouldn't even blow up! Why do bowling balls have to have holes—"
Peter shoved his hands irritably into his pockets as he whined. From beside him, James snorted.
"How else would you pick them up, moron-" There was an eruption of giggles as Peter shoved him to the side, grumbling. James stumbled, but righted himself with a bright laugh and flicked Peter's shoulder. "Oh c'mon Petey cheer up— We've finished half our exams! loosen up a little!"
"Yeah, Pete, they won't hold you back." The boy turned around, looking worn. A blonde girl grinned right back at him with a shrug of her shoulders. "If they do, I bet you'd fit in quite nicely with the fourth years. You might even be on the taller side, relatively speaking, eh?" Peter raised his middle finger, turning pointedly back around as Marlene giggled, Dorcas rolling her eyes fondly.
"You're incorrigible.." Sirius heard her mutter. Marlene winked, letting an arm fall clumsily around the other girl's shoulders.
"It's like a job to me. If I didn't keep him humble, who would?"
There was a chorus of 'me.' from all present except for Lily. Peter pointed at her for emphasis.
"I'm ditching the lot of you. Don't expect any other damn birthday cakes, you're awful." They all laughed, James ruffling Peter's sandy hair.
Sirius beamed at him as they reached the Great Hall, nudging softly into his shoulder until finally he was coaxed into smiling back.
"You know we adore you, Petey." The boy shook his head, waving Sirius off as he set his bag down on an empty seat of the Gryffindor bench.
"Yeah yeah.."

The chunk of the Gryffindor table the group of them took up was substantial. Not just because there were eight of them, but because when they were together they were far livelier than they ever were in their own separate groups.
Sirius, Peter, James, Mary, and Marlene were heatedly discussing the upcoming match against Slytherin while Lily, Dorcas, and Remus sat nearby in what seemed to be a very engaging conversation about whatever Lily's new book of the week was. They talked and laughed and ate far too much, briefly unburdened by the looming stress and thoughts of stuffy exam rooms.
Sirius was personally quite pleased with the current seating arrangements. Every time he felt Remus shifting next to him, deep in discussion with Lily, he felt a little tug in his chest at the thought that the boy had chosen to sit right next to him for no reason other than that he'd wanted to—
James too seemed elated, his eyes unable to keep themselves from glancing to his left where Lily sat, brushing her hair out of her face as she spoke. The two of them were shoulder to shoulder, which, to some might not seem like anything to keep record of, but Sirius didn't think he'd ever seen her willingly take a seat next to James since this spring. Not in his memory at least— He had to stifle a smile every time the boy stumbled over his words, feeling her jostle him.

It was a stupid sort of happy— A thoughtless kind that was somehow sweeter than most because it just all felt so easy. Especially when everything all year had seemed complex and difficult. It was nice, even for a brief moment, just to have some peace, the water beginning, for once, to settle.