October

3. B-side: "Wait you love me?" - "I always have"

It was official, James had the worst luck ever. Like really, he just had intended to leave the common room for a late-night quidditch practice and afterward visit the kitchens for a quick snack. Instead, as he arrived at the dorms to pick up his broom and a practice quaffle, he ended up trapped in the bathroom without a way out because Moony and Padfoot had decided that discussing their private things in the bedroom they shared with Peter, Frank and him was a wonderful idea.

The volume kept voices rising in frustration and anger until James was able to identify it was Padfoot and Moony the ones exchanging heated words. It seemed that the previous playful debate about who cheated at Exploding Snap had evolved into a volatile argument and knowing his friends James knew neither of them would be willing to back down.

And James, sitting at the center of his bed, was stuck. 

Wonderful.

"I can't believe you're being so obtuse, Moony," Padfoot exclaimed, his frustration evident in his voice. 

Moony’s voice was equally sharp when he retorted, "Obtuse? You're the one who can't see reason, Sirius. You're making a big deal out of nothing!"

The intensity of their argument was now impossible to ignore. James had been about to slip out unnoticed and continue with his plans, but the raised voices were getting closer and he hesitated pausing just inside the dormitory’s exit. 

James realized that leaving now would only result in an angry confrontation, and he really didn't fancy being caught in the crossfire.

Hesitating for a moment, after all, he was thinking of missing quidditch it wasn’t an easy choice, James made a quick decision. Instead of heading out, as he should have, he retreated to the nearest bathroom, slipped inside, and quietly shut the door behind him. There, he leaned against the closed door, relieved to have escaped the impending argument. 

As James waited in the bathroom, he could hear muffled voices from the common room. It was clear that the argument was still ongoing, and the volume of their voices indicated that neither Moony nor Padfoot was willing to back down. 

James sighed and mourned the loss of his quidditch practice. 

Back in the common room Sirius and Remus's argument raged on. Accusations and grievances were flung back and forth, and the intensity of their voices only seemed to escalate. The other Gryffindor students in their dorm had wisely stayed away from the room, like James should have done, not wanting to become collateral damage in the Marauders' dispute. 

Amid the shouting and fierce exchange of words, Remus let something slip "Bloody hell Sirius, I love you but I hate your fucking trust issues. I said I didn’t cheat you prat "

James was left in shock from where he was eavesdropping— Sorry, coincidentally overhearing— with his ear stuck at the closed door. 

Padfoot, however, appeared to remain oblivious to Moony’s confession and continued to argue, his voice still laced with anger. "It’s not even about cheating, it’s admitting that you did it. I literally saw you flipping the card" Still locked in the heat of the argument, hadn't yet registered the confession that had slipped from Remus. He was caught up in the anger and frustration, but then, in a moment of realization, he finally connected the dots and froze "Wait, you love me?"

Moony remained silent for a few seconds, enough that James thought he had missed his response, until he finally confirmed with a faint voice "I always have"

Padfoot, who had initially been caught up in the argument, was now stunned into silence. The implications of what Moony had revealed began to sink in "You... love me?"

“I said I did, didn’t I?” In the bathroom, James was trying to process everything he had heard. His friends had gone from yelling at each other to making profound confessions, all within a matter of minutes, really and they called him the dramatic one. A few beats later muffled sounds began to be heard and James knew he definitely couldn’t go out of hiding now— no matter how much he wished to not hear his friends making out. 

So with a sigh, he tried to block the suspicious sounds and opted to search through the back he had intended to take with him until he found what he was looking for. 

The Marauder’s Map. While the notebook did have a map it was more of a shared diary in reality. James picked up a pen and began to write.

Mr. Prongs would like it to be known that he thinks both Mr. Moony and Mr. Padfoot are idiots and have to buy Mr.Prongs at least ten boxes of chocolates from Honeydukes for making him stay in the bathroom to not interfere while having to bear his ridiculous argument and confession and having to bear with their stupidity in general. Mr. Prongs would also like to register his astonishment that Mr. Wormtail left him alone and escaped the situation, so he should also buy him sweets…