ordinary
James woke up to the soft sound of the clock ticking in the quiet dorm, the early morning light just beginning to break through the edges of the curtains. It was 5:00 a.m., and his mind was already buzzing, the usual fog settling in. He didn’t want to lie there any longer, trying to drown out the weight of everything. The run would help, as it always did.
He slipped out of bed quietly, careful not to disturb his roommates. Peter was still snoring softly, curled up in his bed, while Remus sat upright at his desk, flicking through pages of a book. It was the usual sight, and James didn’t think twice as he grabbed his running clothes and dressed quickly. This was his routine: a quiet run in the early morning to clear his head, no questions asked.
The chill of early morning air hit him as he stepped outside, but the cold was nothing compared to the fog in his mind. He let his feet carry him down the path, slow and steady, giving his thoughts space to float by without too much engagement. The movement was easier than sitting still, easier than thinking too hard.
By the time he finished, the sun was still barely rising. He jogged back to the castle, his mind slightly clearer but the weight still there. He didn’t stop, though; he never did. The run had given him a bit of reprieve, but it never fully solved anything.
As James entered the dorm, the sounds of Sirius singing loudly in the shower could be heard, accompanied by the splashing of water. The others were still slowly waking up, the room smelling faintly of the cold morning air.
James walked toward his bed, slipping off his shoes and starting to peel off his damp clothes. But before he could get far, Sirius’s voice rang out from the bathroom.
“Merlin, Prongs, you stink! You really went all out on that run, didn’t you?”
James winced, but the teasing was familiar. “I’m aware,” he said, tossing a glance toward Sirius, who was laughing at his own comment. “I’ll be in after you.”
Peter groggily lifted his head from his pillow. “He’s right, you know. You really stink.” He blinked, his messy hair sticking up as he tried to make sense of his notes on the desk in front of him.
James just shrugged, tossing his sweaty clothes into the laundry bin. “I’ll fix it.”
Sirius grinned as he stepped out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist. “Good. You’re practically a walking gym right now.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” James rolled his eyes. “I’m heading in now.”
As Sirius went back to his bed, James stripped off the rest of his clothes and stepped into the bathroom for a quick shower. The hot water felt good against his skin, and for a moment, he allowed himself to relax, but the weight was still there—the same heavy, empty feeling that followed him around no matter what he did. The run hadn’t solved it. The shower wouldn’t, either.
Still, he finished quickly, knowing his friends would be getting up soon. He stepped out of the bathroom, feeling slightly more refreshed, and quickly got dressed in his school uniform. His eyes lingered in the mirror for a moment longer than usual. He didn’t look like anything was wrong, but the exhaustion in his eyes was harder to ignore today.
He grabbed his bag and glanced over at Remus, who had moved from his book to taking notes on a piece of parchment. James gave him a brief smile. “Morning.”
Remus looked up from his notes and gave a small, quiet smile in return. “Morning, James. Big plans for the week?”
James shrugged, trying to shake off the heaviness as he went to grab his books from the shelf. “Same old stuff. You know me, I’ve got a prank planned for Snape.”
Sirius was still in the process of getting dressed, and he glanced over at James with a mischievous grin. “Snape’s definitely due for something this week. What have you got in mind?”
James chuckled, his usual energy slowly returning. “Oh, I’ve got a few ideas. Don’t worry, I won’t leave him alone.”
Peter, still sitting in his bed and trying to make sense of his scattered notes, groaned a bit. “I don’t know how you do it, Prongs. I can barely keep my eyes open to read this stuff.”
James laughed softly, then grabbed his bag and moved toward the door. “C’mon, let’s get to breakfast before the food’s gone.”