Boredom Date: Tuesday, 28 October, 2001 Time: Evening Characters: James Potter and Amarissa Cross
Back when they were in school, professors always seemed to think that James and Sirius could bring out the worst in each other. Their shared company always led to a prank, a mess, or an explosion. What none of them seemed to account for was the possibility that the circumstances would be far worse if they were simply left to their own devices. Together, they managed to amuse each other. Without that, James found it increasingly difficult to just sit home and do something quietly productive. Of course, there was little to do that actually was productive, and that didn't help matters.
James just craved interaction. Solitude was fine, and necessary, but all the time? It was enough to drive a man mad. A critical voice in his mind told him it was just his vanity, the rising and increasingly loud desire to be known for who he was. After all, he had his family back, in one way or another. Why couldn't he just be content to stay home, to keep out of sight, to lay low- but fuck, for the rest of his life? It was bloody different in the war. There had been a threat. All you had to do was read the paper to see that, danger in black and white for all the wizarding world to see. But this? What they were doing now? It was fear of a threat. The notion chaffed.
So James made a compromise with himself, a small one, even. Amarissa knew who he was, really understood exactly who her neighbors were. Like Ginny, she was a connection to the modern wizarding world, the world he would always count as his own even when he was living in self-imposed exile. It's not like he was springing the news on someone new, and it certainly wasn't his fault that she'd found out about them. It would have been heartless to leave her out in the street they way he and Lily had found her.
And besides, she was so conveniently right next door, James noted with a smirk as he hopped over the wrought iron railing that separated the steps of number 12 and the steps of number 13. He gave a quick knock to her door. Hugging his leather jacket tighter against himself, he wondered if she'd even be home.