(no subject)
Title: Licorice Sticks and Aniseed Balls
Chapter Title: Addicted to...
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine
Pairings: Harry/James, Lily/James
Chapter Summary: James is addicted to aniseed, and Remus knows why.
Author's Notes: N/A.
Previous Chapter
Chapter 13: Addicted to...
Slowly but surely, the Autumn term stumbled to a halt - Harry said goodbye to Lily and Alice at Hogsmeade station, wrapped in a woolly scarf and a thick winter cloak, glancing smugly at Remus, who could barely move under his five home-knitted jumpers.
Sirius bounded over to the three friends, with the rest of the Marauders following at a much more subdued pace, and James looking positively dubious about even approaching Harry at all. Harry’s smile dimmed slightly, and he carefully avoided the older boy’s stubborn stare as James quickly pecked Lily on the cheek, and wished her a happy Christmas in advance. She smiled, and stood on tiptoes to kiss him back before hugging him around his neck.
The moment dragged on, and when the couple showed no signs of moving, Alice cleared her throat assertively. Lily dropped down to the ground and allowed herself to be led onto the train by Alice, waving back at them sheepishly all the while. Peter trudged along behind them miserably, shooting frequent conspicuous glances over his shoulder at his friends, still reluctant to leave on his own.
Sirius waved pointedly, as Peter finally stepped onto the train, just in time for the whistle. The four who remained - Harry, James, Remus and Sirius - stood side by side, and watched until the train was out of sight before heading back to the castle, feeling suitably subdued after the goodbyes.
Harry spent the couple of days before Christmas alternating between chats with Remus about his friends, and spending time with Eir as she pored over old texts that might possibly have a method of neutralising the poison of aconite in them. He’d mentioned the potion to Remus one time, but the tense, disappointed look on his face made Harry realise that such things must have been tried before, with little in the way of results. Remus appeared to have lost hope that there would ever be a potion that would be able to help him.
Harry patted Remus awkwardly on the shoulder, shifting in his seat, and Remus opened and closed his mouth a few times, probably casting his mind around for a new topic of conversation. ‘You… you,’ he said, appearing to have suddenly noticed something. ‘You keep looking at James. Did something happen?’
Harry blinked, and then blushed furiously, realising that he had been staring at James through the corner of his eye. Remus’ jaw dropped at his reaction, and Harry just stared at him stupidly, floundering around for an excuse - though what exactly he was trying to excuse, he wasn’t sure.
‘I thought you fancied Evans,’ Remus said eventually, snapping Harry out of his stupor.
‘I don’t like girls,’ Harry shot back, suddenly defensive. ‘Not like that, at least. But I don’t… I don’t fancy Potter, either. That would just be… wrong.’
He shuddered, to add effect, but Remus didn’t look convinced. And so Harry gave up, for the time being. It didn’t help that a small part of his mind was whispering to him, Would it really?
‘You should get him a present,’ Remus had said on Christmas morning, while James and Sirius were still conked out from the large dinner the night before. ‘He keeps saying he has a craving for licorice wands recently, but the Muggle alternative might be just as good. You have some in your trunk, don’t you?’
Harry rolled over onto his side, giving Remus a disbelieving look. ‘As if,’ he said. ‘It’s aniseed, not licorice. And I’m not giving Potter my last bag. And besides, he’s got a girlfriend, remember. Lily. So why’re you trying to set us up?’
‘Neither James nor Evans have been at all interested in each other since the match with Ravenclaw, and I know you’ve noticed that,’ Remus stated, sticking his chin out stubbornly in a way that reminded Harry disconcertingly of himself. ‘Consider this a… failsafe. If something happens between James and Evans, and we know that James is interested, then what’s stopping you.’
Harry tensed his jaw, glaring mulishly right back. ‘My sense of moral decency,’ he said after a pause, and Remus was about to answer back when they heard the distinctive grunting noise of Sirius waking up.
‘Mornin’, Moony,’ came a bleary greeting from the bed as Sirius drew his curtains back, stifling a yawn.
Remus chuckled quietly, turning away from Harry, and then said, ‘I’m surprised you weren’t up earlier, attacking the heap of presents in the common room. Your pile is definitely the biggest this year.’
Sirius, looking slightly more awake by this point, shot him a lop-sided grin. ‘Must be the girls,’ he said. ‘Looks like James lost the popularity contest this year.’
By this point he was sporting a large smirk, and James - who had just woken up in time to hear the last comment - shot out of bed and downstairs before even bothering to put some slippers on.
Sirius wasted no time in darting after him, while both Harry and Remus followed at a more sedate pace, Remus rolling his eyes at the telltale cries of glee that his friends were making.
A little later, they all took turns opening presents, showing each one around before moving on to the next person, in the way that Harry had celebrated with Professor Lupin and the Order in his own time - Harry looked back on the single occasion fondly. And later still, when they all returned to the tower for the night, comfortably full after the large amounts of stuffed turkey they’d all consumed, James blinked at seeing the small paper bag lying on his pillow, with a thin red ribbon tied neatly around the neck.
He took one of the small, red sweets from the bag, and eyed it suspiciously, before licking it experimentally. ‘Licorice,’ he said, his eyes lighting up slightly.
And Harry, watching dozily through half-lidded eyes from beneath the covers of his own bed, allowed himself a smile.
Chapter Title: Addicted to...
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine
Pairings: Harry/James, Lily/James
Chapter Summary: James is addicted to aniseed, and Remus knows why.
Author's Notes: N/A.
Previous Chapter
Chapter 13: Addicted to...
Slowly but surely, the Autumn term stumbled to a halt - Harry said goodbye to Lily and Alice at Hogsmeade station, wrapped in a woolly scarf and a thick winter cloak, glancing smugly at Remus, who could barely move under his five home-knitted jumpers.
Sirius bounded over to the three friends, with the rest of the Marauders following at a much more subdued pace, and James looking positively dubious about even approaching Harry at all. Harry’s smile dimmed slightly, and he carefully avoided the older boy’s stubborn stare as James quickly pecked Lily on the cheek, and wished her a happy Christmas in advance. She smiled, and stood on tiptoes to kiss him back before hugging him around his neck.
The moment dragged on, and when the couple showed no signs of moving, Alice cleared her throat assertively. Lily dropped down to the ground and allowed herself to be led onto the train by Alice, waving back at them sheepishly all the while. Peter trudged along behind them miserably, shooting frequent conspicuous glances over his shoulder at his friends, still reluctant to leave on his own.
Sirius waved pointedly, as Peter finally stepped onto the train, just in time for the whistle. The four who remained - Harry, James, Remus and Sirius - stood side by side, and watched until the train was out of sight before heading back to the castle, feeling suitably subdued after the goodbyes.
Harry spent the couple of days before Christmas alternating between chats with Remus about his friends, and spending time with Eir as she pored over old texts that might possibly have a method of neutralising the poison of aconite in them. He’d mentioned the potion to Remus one time, but the tense, disappointed look on his face made Harry realise that such things must have been tried before, with little in the way of results. Remus appeared to have lost hope that there would ever be a potion that would be able to help him.
Harry patted Remus awkwardly on the shoulder, shifting in his seat, and Remus opened and closed his mouth a few times, probably casting his mind around for a new topic of conversation. ‘You… you,’ he said, appearing to have suddenly noticed something. ‘You keep looking at James. Did something happen?’
Harry blinked, and then blushed furiously, realising that he had been staring at James through the corner of his eye. Remus’ jaw dropped at his reaction, and Harry just stared at him stupidly, floundering around for an excuse - though what exactly he was trying to excuse, he wasn’t sure.
‘I thought you fancied Evans,’ Remus said eventually, snapping Harry out of his stupor.
‘I don’t like girls,’ Harry shot back, suddenly defensive. ‘Not like that, at least. But I don’t… I don’t fancy Potter, either. That would just be… wrong.’
He shuddered, to add effect, but Remus didn’t look convinced. And so Harry gave up, for the time being. It didn’t help that a small part of his mind was whispering to him, Would it really?
‘You should get him a present,’ Remus had said on Christmas morning, while James and Sirius were still conked out from the large dinner the night before. ‘He keeps saying he has a craving for licorice wands recently, but the Muggle alternative might be just as good. You have some in your trunk, don’t you?’
Harry rolled over onto his side, giving Remus a disbelieving look. ‘As if,’ he said. ‘It’s aniseed, not licorice. And I’m not giving Potter my last bag. And besides, he’s got a girlfriend, remember. Lily. So why’re you trying to set us up?’
‘Neither James nor Evans have been at all interested in each other since the match with Ravenclaw, and I know you’ve noticed that,’ Remus stated, sticking his chin out stubbornly in a way that reminded Harry disconcertingly of himself. ‘Consider this a… failsafe. If something happens between James and Evans, and we know that James is interested, then what’s stopping you.’
Harry tensed his jaw, glaring mulishly right back. ‘My sense of moral decency,’ he said after a pause, and Remus was about to answer back when they heard the distinctive grunting noise of Sirius waking up.
‘Mornin’, Moony,’ came a bleary greeting from the bed as Sirius drew his curtains back, stifling a yawn.
Remus chuckled quietly, turning away from Harry, and then said, ‘I’m surprised you weren’t up earlier, attacking the heap of presents in the common room. Your pile is definitely the biggest this year.’
Sirius, looking slightly more awake by this point, shot him a lop-sided grin. ‘Must be the girls,’ he said. ‘Looks like James lost the popularity contest this year.’
By this point he was sporting a large smirk, and James - who had just woken up in time to hear the last comment - shot out of bed and downstairs before even bothering to put some slippers on.
Sirius wasted no time in darting after him, while both Harry and Remus followed at a more sedate pace, Remus rolling his eyes at the telltale cries of glee that his friends were making.
A little later, they all took turns opening presents, showing each one around before moving on to the next person, in the way that Harry had celebrated with Professor Lupin and the Order in his own time - Harry looked back on the single occasion fondly. And later still, when they all returned to the tower for the night, comfortably full after the large amounts of stuffed turkey they’d all consumed, James blinked at seeing the small paper bag lying on his pillow, with a thin red ribbon tied neatly around the neck.
He took one of the small, red sweets from the bag, and eyed it suspiciously, before licking it experimentally. ‘Licorice,’ he said, his eyes lighting up slightly.
And Harry, watching dozily through half-lidded eyes from beneath the covers of his own bed, allowed himself a smile.