Imperative (A Marauder's Era Fanfiction)

Chapter Four - James Potter

Madeleine sniffed again as she wiped a tear from her eye, focussing intently on the large textbook in front of her to avoid thinking about... anything. The potions disaster still echoed in her mind, only made worse by her appearance at lunch.

The great hall practically fell silent once she walked past the large wooden doors. Every gaze in the room focussed on her as she stepped slowly towards an empty part of the Slytherin bench. Surely the whole school hadn't heard about the potions disaster? It appeared as if they had.

She tip toed around the corner of the room, hoping to blend into the shadows as she attempted to sit down at her house table. "Oh its you!" The annoying high pitched voice spoke from her right. She turned around slowly to see Katie glaring at her along with her other cronies. A blond haired girl from the other side of the table offered Madeleine a sympathetic glance before turning back to the book placed precariously under her bowl. Madeleine sighed deeply before reaching out to take a small piece of toast, keeping her head low to avoid attention.

"That was brilliant James!" A loud shout came from doorway as everyone's attention was suddenly drawn away from Madeleine and onto the two Gryffindors standing in the entrance to the great hall. They waltzed down the hall and sat down ungracefully next to some other Gryffindor first years. The noise started up again as everyone turned back to their conversations, many talking about how successful and talented the two Gryffindor pranksters were.

Madeleine had now had enough, picking up her bag she swung it over her shoulder and marched from the room, oblivious to the gazes of James Potter and Sirius Black.

She blinked again, trying to focus on the words swimming around the page but it was impossible. She checked around her quickly to make sure no one was watching her in this corner of the library. Thankfully they weren't. What was this book even about? Herbology or something? Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she rested her head onto the pages of the book, wondering how long she could remain hidden in this corner of the castle. Surely they wouldn't miss her in charms? She had read chapter one of her textbook already and spoiler alert, it was about levitating charms.

"Hello." Her head shot up like a bullet out of a gun at the sudden intrusion, mind scrambling wildly for an explanation. Her eyes were suddenly wide with distress. "Sorry!" He laughed slightly as he took a seat next to her, draping his arm lazily over the back of the creaking chair. "Didn't mean to scare you quite that much." He teased.

Madeleine scowled as she looked across at his face. It was that overconfident boy from potions again. Potter or whatever his name was. The cause of her problems, almost. "Leave me alone Potter." Madeleine slammed the cover of the book angrily before scraping her chair back noisily in an attempt to leave.

"No wait." He rushed, placing a hand on top of the heavy book to stop her from moving it, attention fixed upon her. "I just came to say that i'm genuinely sorry."

She rolled her eyes at his insincere words, taking in the emotions displayed on his face. "Sure. I don't care anyway, by tomorrow everyone will have forgotten about it and you will have found someone else to upset." She hoped what she said was true because she didn't believe it herself. Grabbing the book angrily from under his hand she turned on her heel to leave, stalking angrily towards the door.

"Is that why you are in here crying?" She stopped dead in her tracks, a scowl set on her face as she turned back around to face him.

"Are  you spying on me now or something?"

His smirk returned as he leant against the doorframe with his arms folded. "Something like that." There was a moment of silence between them. "At least let me introduce myself properly." He ran a hand through his untidy dark hair, moving it away from his forehead and into a mess on top of his head. He took Madeleine's silence to be an answer. "James, James Potter." He held out a hand, moving away from the doorframe and closer to her.

"Well Potter." Madeleine teased, rejecting his outstretched hand with a distasteful look, "I'm Madeleine, Madeleine Lupin."

James' eyes bulged out of his head and he stared at her in bewilderment. "Lupin?" Madeleine stepped back slightly, confused by his question.

"Yes?"

"As in Remus?" He seemed excited now rather than shocked, brown eyes shining with glee.

"As in Madeleine but I guess that applies to Remus too." James was too excited to notice her tone.

"I didn't know Remus had a relative here? Are you a cousin?"

"A sister." She crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance, foot tapping anxiously on the ground.

"No... way." His eyes shone like a child on Christmas morning. "I've got to introduce you to Sirius, you already know Remus of course but i'm sure-"

"What happened to the heartfelt, genuine apology?" Madeleine asked as she watched James' face contort back into a soft smile.

"Meh!" He waved it away with a flick of his wrist, "Never was one for heartfelt things anyway." Madeleine had no doubt about that. "So why has Remus never introduced us?" He had lost some of his confidence now and instead appeared to be actually confused for once.

"Why don't you ask Remus?" Madeleine turned away from him, pacing down the hall angrily to place the giant volume back onto the shelf.

"No but seriously." He followed her quickly, like a dog at her heels. "He never even said he had a sister."

Madeleine huffed angrily, holding her fist down tightly on the edge of the wooden shelf. Why couldn't he just go away? "What's it to you anyway?"

He shrugged, running a finger down the spine of an old book. "Just wanted to know if he's what has got your wand tied in a knot."

"He hasn't got my wand in a knot!" She hissed angrily, "For your information its the stupid prank that you and your friend pulled that has now got the attention of the whole school!" He chuckled slightly under his breath, not the reaction Madeleine had been expecting.

"I'll offer this only once Mellie." Madeleine grited her teeth at the nickname. "You can walk back into the Great Hall with me, sit with your brother and face the school or remain in here with that huge volume about stupid water plants." There was a stunned silence from Madeleine. "Don't know about you but I don't think i'd prefer the latter." He smirked, starting towards the door of the library. "Coming Mellie?" Her jaw dropped again at his latest nickname.

"Mellie?" She practically spat, listening to the way to strange name slipped off her tongue. He nodded absentmindedly, gesturing to the hallway. Madeleine stood still on the spot, wondering why he would offer to do this, playing peacekeeper with her brother. Why would she even accept his strange offer? But... It can't be worse than being laughed at by Katie could it... and she couldn't wait to finally sit down at that Gryffindor table for once and look Remus in the eye.

"Fine."

James smirked as if he had known the answer all along.