The Scheme
James walks into his dorm, his wet red Converse leaking all over the floor with every step. From his hair to his squishy shoes, he’s soaked with freezing lake water. Whether he deserved it this time is under debate. Remus and Peter look up from their chess match, then promptly resume, the sight of James in this state nothing unusual. He opens his mouth to explain himself, but no words form in his mind. All he can think is cold, cold, cold.
“What’s the verdict, James?” Remus asks, moving his king out of Peter’s check.
“He said no.”
James shuts himself in the bathroom and warms himself with a steaming hot shower. Not twenty minutes ago, he was casually taking a stroll by the lake, somewhere Regulus may or may not have happened to mention he enjoyed reading by. As if it were planned (imagine that?), James stumbled upon the boy with his nose stuck into a tattered book.
“Fancy seeing you here,” James energetically says, sitting by him under the tree. His jeans become wet due to the snow, but he has a mission, and any minor inconveniences shall be deemed insignificant at the moment. He studies Regulus Black, waiting for an answer of some sort, or an endearing ‘Fuck off, James’ would be enough. He is dressed in a thick black coat with the collar folded down neatly and a green and white scarf around his neck. The wind floats softly through his curls, elegantly tousling them. His cheeks are pink, and James has the sudden urge to fetch him a hot tea to keep the cold away from the boy. Then, he remembers the mission. “Nice tree.”
Regulus doesn’t look up. His eyes remain fixed on the page, unbothered by James’ presence. Occasionally his lips quirk up as he reads something amusing, James observes. He stays quiet, not wanting to disturb his peace. He waits patiently for Regulus to finish his chapter, his attention turning to their surroundings. It’s a picturesque day, with snowflakes falling softly, and a white blanket of snow covering the grass. James smiles to himself, sighing contently. He had a good feeling about today.
A few minutes later, Regulus dog-ears his page– a shock to James, who thought he of all people would be against doing that– and shuts his book, Little Women. “Morning, Potter. What brings you here today?” His voice is very smooth when he speaks, and James forgets what his plan is.
“Aside from a longing to hear your voice, I came to… ask you something,” he replies.
Regulus is onto him, a look of suspicion taking over his features as soon as the words leave his lips. “Oh, please enlighten me.” He stands up, the book in hand.
James quickly follows suit, following the boy’s path along the lake. “Will you go out with me?” Regulus starts to compel a reply, but he continues, “I think you’re brilliant and pretty, and I like your smile when you read your books. If you’d do me the honor of going out with me, just once if that’s all you want, I’d be the happiest man on campus.” James flashes a smile of sunshine to help his case and for a second, Regulus’ lips quirk up again, just like when he’s reading.
“You flatter me, but no.”
James’ smile drops, and he stops in his tracks. No? But he had been so sure! He runs to catch up to Regulus who has covered a lot of distance since James stopped. “Regulus, please! Just one time. One time?”
“No.”
And with that, James Potter is pushed into the lake, left freezing and shivering by a very cruel, yet pretty boy.
James joins his friends back in the dorm after his shower, rubbing his hands together in his typical scheming way. “He’ll say yes the next time.”
Remus shakes his head in exasperation. “Remember when you said that an hour ago?” he says, turning to look at James.
“I know, I know, but I have an idea– a shower thought. Once Sirius gets back, we’ll start planning–”
“Where is Sirius anyway? Haven’t seen him all day.”
James stutters out an unconvincing, “Oh, you know how he is. Always somewhere.”
Peter, who is just as good a liar as James is, adds, “He’s very mysterious. How can we possibly keep up with him?”
Sirius went out this morning to get Remus’ Christmas present, which he informed them was very far away, whatever that meant. He asked Peter and James to cover for him until he got back, but they were doing a poor job.
Remus thankfully drops the subject, and James proceeds with his plan-making. “We’ll throw the best Christmas party, and I’ll invite him. If it comes out as great as I’m imagining, he couldn’t possibly say no to a date.”
“We’re having a Christmas party?” Peter asks, moving his queen into a fetal position for Remus’ king.
“Not just any Christmas party,” James says. He moves about the room, pacing from one end to the other and throwing his arms up in emphasis. Walking around helps him think, but too many thoughts flood his mind fast enough that he can’t remember any. James is going to throw the best Christmas party Hogwarts has ever seen, and you can bet your ass he’s going to rope his friends into his scheme. After all, that’s what they do. “the very best Christmas party,” he concludes.
Remus casually flips the chessboard and turns to him. “Okay, James, where do we start?”