The Rise And Fall Of The Stag And The Doe

You Can't Hurry Love

"Mate," James groaned lowering his body to the floor in defeat. "I'm exhausted."

"Tough break Prongs to get detention the day before your birthday." Sirius nodded in the mirror in front of James, before taking a very large bite out an apple, getting debris on the mirror's surface. "Oh shite! Bloody sensitive surface." Sirius lifted his shirt and rubbed the watermarks off. "Okay, where were we?"

"You were making me feel better." James whined, stretching out his sore muscles.

"I'm not that magical." Sirius joked before biting another mouthful of apple.

James cringed, "Do you ever shut your mouth when you eat?"

"What's the point?" Sirius asked once again spraying the mirror.

"That's the point, right there."

"Oh whatever," Sirius rolled his eyes unconcernedly. "Back to the matter at hand. First of all, how much more do you have to scrub?"

James pushed up to glance around the room, he adjusted his glasses and grimaced. "Like half the room still….Merlin….How did I get into this?"

"You pissed McGonagall off." Sirius snorted.

"It was a rhetorical question, you wanker."

Sirius waved his half eaten apple and said, "Regardless I need you to list some things you want to do for your birthday so I can coordinate. I obviously have a few ideas, but I do take victim participation."

"Well, for starters, we aren't going to a male strip club again." James said with a laugh.

"Even you have to admit Remus's expression was hysterical."

James shrugged, with a grin. "I'll admit that when you got on stage in drag it was quite amusing."

"Peter dared me, and it's a gentlemen's honor to uphold a dare." Sirius said, sitting up a little straighter.

"Since when have you ever been a gentlemen?" James scoffed.

"You don't know everything." Sirius shot back with a grin.

"Yeah yeah yeah." James sighed. "Mostly let's not make it too outrageous. I feel like if we toe the line any harder we might get thrown out."

Sirius threw his hands up. "Are you getting soft on me James Potter?! Because I WILL-NOT stand for that! Prison has corrupted you and made you become responsible…I won't do this Prongs. We already have Remus, I can't allow another sensible person in this group. I will riot-"

"You are ridiculous." James said, as he went back to scrubbing the floor manually.

"Francesco Francesko disagrees."

"I'm sure the figment of your personality does."

Sirius scowled, and blew a raspberry. "Well mate, you have a good time. I'll see you after dinner. Don't work too hard."

James gave Sirius a very choice hand gesture and within seconds his best friend disappeared from the other side of the mirror, leaving it reflective.

He had been here for at least two hours already and his whole body was furious at him. This was his fault, he should have been paying attention to what she was saying and he really shouldn't have gotten cheeky with her. James would have loved to say he learned his lesson, but he knew that eventually he would be in the exact same situation again. Trouble didn't follow him; it stalked him like a bird of prey. Sure sometimes James provoked the bird, but either way at the end of the day the bird found him.

Wiping his forehead off on the top of his shirt he grimaced when he felt how damp his shirt was already. He had managed to soak through it. Sighing, he pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the table where his wand sat. For another twenty minutes he worked diligently. Despite the fact that he'd been given everything and wanted for nothing growing up he had an excellent work ethic. The reason why wasn't clear, but it was probably a result of going to work with both of his parents. Both of them were well off and didn't need to work, but did anyway. There was an honor in that James always respected and admired.