Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) Book Three (Marauders Era)

Chapter One Hundred-Eleven - Desire

Author's note: After much thought I decided to start updating on Sundays instead of Tuesdays. Previously it didn't make much difference since I worked night shifts, but now that I have a 8-4 job, I always feel super rushed on Tuesday mornings. Since Sundays are always free for me now... we are going to be getting chapters on Sundays!

CW: emetophobia.

-x-

With the game and James's birthday behind them, the next thing coming up were the end-of-term exams and then the holidays. Remus dreaded the latter more, and considered trying to stay at Hogwarts for the two weeks. His mother would be dreadfully unhappy and throw a fit... and he wasn't sure if he could handle that at the moment. So when he got a letter from his mother on the morning after James's birthday, he wrote back promising to be there.

"I hope you can find an owl soon," Peter said after Muggle Studies as he and Remus went to the owlery, so Remus could send the response back. "Oh! Not that I mind you using Cocoa, I don't. Erm, that's not what I meant at all."

"I know it isn't," he promised. "I hope I can too." If he wasn't able to find one soon, he hoped he could somehow get the money back to his friends so it wouldn't be a wasted gift. Then again, he wasn't even sure if there was an expiration date on the certificate. Probably not, unless the shop went out of business.

By the time they got back to where James and Sirius were, James had finished Remus's little story and was ecstatic about the whole thing. He and Sirius were reenacting the bit where King James had vanquished the giant snake (called Snivellus, of course). James pretended to stab Sirius, and Sirius flopped on the ground letting out dying hissing noises until he lay limp, tongue hanging out. He then demanded they all call him King James for the rest of the day, and during lunch transfigured a bunch of napkins into a shiny gold crown.

He marched out of the Great Hall with Sirius skipping ahead of him, hands cupped around his lips as he made fake trumpet noises. Peter and Remus were both giggling a lot; it was a bit embarrassing... but it was James and Sirius. When he turned and told them to carry the hem of his robes they both bowed and obeyed, laughing harder.

In Transfiguration, McGonagall told him to please take the crown off and James argued that it was 'inspirational' for him as hadn't he done such a fantastic job making cloth look like real metal? He took the crown off and whacked it against the desk, and it gave a ringing sound like metal.

"I was only practicing for this class," he said, putting the crown back on. "Aren't I a good student?"

"Please remove the... hat."

"Is there a rule against wearing hats?"

"There is, actually," Remus whispered to him. "Only pointed hats are allowed, unless there is an exception from the teacher, or else headgear is needed for medical or religious reasons in which you need a healer's note. It was put into place in 1905 when a student wore a four foot tall—"

"Pomfrey said I have to wear my crown," James said loudly, cutting Remus off.

"Why?" Lily asked before McGonagall could say anything. "To stop your head from getting any bigger? Because I don't think it's working."

The class laughed and James rolled his eyes. "That's enough, Miss Evans," McGonagall warned. "Mr. Potter. The hat."

"Crown."

She sighed. "Please remove your crown."

James took it off again. "Of course, Professor. Anything for you."

He wore it right after, and Flitwick didn't even ask him to remove it; instead he summoned the crown off James's head, and told him he could have it back after the lesson was over.