Strange Benefits (James Potter)

three

It was not entirely surprising that the marauders' day opened with James shoving Sirius' face into a bowl of cereal.

The idiot had stared at him a great while, watching the way he glanced to his right and, blushing furiously, fumble with his fork for a good two minutes. It happened more than three times. Finally, the Casanova has had enough. "Prongs, have you been drinking firewhiskey alone again, mate?"

Sirius Black kissed his cereal that morning.

It happened almost always throughout the day, and Sirius was getting more curious every time. It seems that the glasses-wearing boy would always steal glances at something or someone and once done so, all the red in the world would go in his face. He tried to follow his friend's gaze on more than one occasion, but struggled to find anything that would be of mere significance to the boy.

It was four o'clock and their last class for the day had just finished. The boys were on their way to the black lake for some air when the Head Boy stopped in his tracks right in front of the library. "Maybe we should do our homework in advance. That three feet transfiguration essay won't write itself." He proceeded to enter the library.

With wide eyes, Sirius stopped Remus from following after James and gripped his shoulder, crying out, "Help him, Moony, he's gone insane!"

Over the last six years that Sirius Black had been best mates with James Potter, never, and he meant never, did the boy willingly went to the library, much less done his homework. He could only tolerate being surrounded by such number of books if he had a hidden agenda, prank, or if it involved wooing a certain redhead.

The quartet found themselves sitting in a table near the restricted area, with Peter discretely eating biscuits from his pockets and hiding his chewing with a massive book, Remus actually doing homework, and Sirius pouting with his arms crossed. The thing that annoyed him the most was that James didn't even bring a roll of parchment or a quill with him! How will he start this said transfiguration essay? Bloody hell.

He nudged the munching boy beside him. "Do you have eyes on Evans anywhere?" But Peter only shook his head no.

Sighing exasperatedly, Sirius slammed his palms on the table, earning himself quite the attention and the librarian to hush him. "James, mate, siriusly, what's going on?" He took notice of the boy's clammy and red appearance. "You look like an overly sexually frustrated 12 year old."

James shut his eyes before leaning toward the three. "I saw Milla Rosamund naked last night," he blurted out.

Peter choked on his biscuits.

Remus slammed his book close.

Sirius fell off his chair.

"Mate, that's wicked!" the long-haired idiot scrambled to sit back up. "I need a rate!"

"You're a fucking pervert, Pads." Remus gagged.

"Shut it, Rem. Prongs?"

The boy in question rolled his eyes before a smirk found its way on his lips. "A bloody hundred over ten, mate."

Sirius whooped loudly, causing the librarian to glare at him from across the room. He slid down his seat but continued wiggling his eyebrows.

Remus, although admittedly amused, shook his head at the pair. "You are both idiots. You don't just rate girls as if they're objects."

"I'm pretty sure they rate us too, Moony, sorry for ruining your image on girls."

"Arse."

"But that's not the point," James cut them off. "Ever since last night, I couldn't help but feel terribly guilty. The poor girl did not even know someone was there, Merlin, I didn't know she would be there! I basically violated her privacy! I may be an idiot but I'm not a bloody creep."

Sirius stood up then, going over to his side and patting his back. "You said it yourself, Prongs, you didn't mean it. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just forget it ever happened."

"That's also the problem: I can't! Merlin, I've been hard since last night!"

The three marauders gagged at their friends word. Remus looked away. "Too much information, Prongs."

Suddenly, Peter—with crumbs in his shirt and all— sat up straight. "Incoming."

It seemed as though the four had perfected turning around at the same time to face just the topic of their conversation making her way towards them.

James immediately felt his face fire up. "Shit, shit, shit! She knows! I'm dead." he ducked his head and buried it in Remus' chest. "Moony, hide me."

Remus rolled his eyes. How come his friends are all overly dramatic?

Milla, who saw the boy panic, approached with confused eyes. "Are you lads alright?"

"Fine."

"Perfect."

"Just peachy."

"James saw you last nigh—"

"Padfoot!" James slapped a hand over his smirking friend's face. "I fucking hate you."

The Head Girl, aware of the boys' reputation, ignored their weirdness and proceeded to sit down next to Peter and across from James. "Since you're already here, I'd like to share my proposal. I know that, in spite of the rules, we allowed male and female prefects to take rounds together as long as they're on different houses. But, I was informed that last night, two seventh year prefects were caught making out in Slughorn's classroom. So I was thinking..."

"Wait a second," James frowned. "I remember that the male prefects would report to me and the female ones to you. Remus," he turned to his friend who was hiding his face with a book about the history of Hogwarts. "Why did you report with Rowan to me last night?"

Milla stifled a laugh. "Oh, did I forget to mention that Mr. Lupin and Ms. Stacy were the ones caught?"

"MOONY!" Sirius exclaimed to the already shy boy. "You've gotten some action and I was last to know?"

James shoved him playfully. "We all found out at the same time you idiot."

The four marauders then proceeded to have a very moronic, very loud argument over the recent information. The librarian, Madam Pince, seething with anger, stomped her way over to the group. "You four, out, now!"

The Head Boy stuttered, "But what about Rosamu—"

"Out now!" The pixie-resembling lady repeated. "Before I decide to deduct house points."

The boys reluctantly gathered their things from the table, Sirius stomping his feet while doing so.

"Thanks a lot, Rosamund." Remus muttered, still red from embarrassment, while they passed the giggling girl.

Before they could go out of earshot, the girl heard Black talking.

"She's definitely a bloody hundred, Prongs."

-

woooh. a lot of dialogue in this one.