Children's Games
Who: James & Severus Where: Statue of the One-Eyed Witch When: Thursday night
It seemed an especially long walk back from Hogsmeade without Sirius to fool around, making them both laugh and generally having fun. James wasn't even sure why he had gone, it was just something to do, something to occupy him while Sirius and Remus were off doing things he didn't want to know about. He had tried to get Peter to come, but he had an essay he needed to finish. Honestly, this obsession with schoolwork was just making everyone miserable.
In the end, he hadn't gone far at all. He had looked around the Honeydukes cellar for a while, putting some of the more tantalising things into his pockets and leaving payment in a prominent place (because there was honour among thieves, of course), ducked out for a moment for some fresh air, though it was mostly foggy, and then came back down again.
He stuffed the invisibility cloak into his bag at the foot of the slide, then clambered on it, again unable to stop himself thinking that it was a lot less fun without Sirius to give him a leg up and make ridiculous comments about slides, and rubbing up the wrong way, and so on. James made a mental note to make up with Sirius soon, even if it meant swallowing his own pride. It was just that whenever he resolved to do so, and then walked into the Gryffindor Common Room only to see Sirius and Remus with their heads together over some book, or worse, into the dormitory to find one of their beds with the curtains charmed shut, he felt a hot rush of jealousy and anger at being left out, yet again, and his resolve magically vanished.
Still thinking about this, he climbed out of the statue, paying perhaps less attention than he normally might have, until a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.