One
The train station was busy, as it is every year. Fleamonts hand came down on James' shoulder, giving him a reassuring pat.
“Have a good year, my love” his Mum wraps James in a big hug. As he hugs her back he tries to focuses on how tall he's gotten, still not as tall as Moony, James realises as he looks up.
“Prongs” A smile lights up the other boys face, his eyes crinkling slightly. He returned the smile just not as big, the day before still plaguing his mind. The scent of smoke invades his senses.
“Moony, hey” James let go of his mother to clap him on the back, “you haven’t been smoking that shit again have you?” Remus chuckles, reaching into his trousers and shoving a small box further down.
“That shit will kill ya’ you know?” Sirius comes up behind Remus with a ciggy between his fingers.
“The idiots, the lot of you” James shakes his head, giving his best friend a hug as well.
“We best be getting on the train mum” he turns to look at his parents, Effie still looking tired from crying all night. He doesn't quite meet their eyes as he grabs his stuff and heads to the platform. Remus and Sirius give each other a look before following.
On the train they find Peter, them all getting a booth together.
“Is everything ok, Moony?” Sirius pipes up, the rest of us quiet. At least the two promised not to smoke in here, but with all that is happening James feels like he could go for a smoke.
“No. Summers changed me. I'm no longer the Moony you all know and love” He shakes his head looking down. Peter and Sirius scoot forward towards him, leaning in. James turns to him, he looks the same, short hair, scars, brown eyes.
“I'm a prefect” he says, looking up at them all. The group erupts in chaos, clapping and yelling.
“Remus” James’ head turns to see Lily at the door. “Remus, come on. We are having a prefect meeting a few carts up” She nods her head to the left.
“Right, right sorry Lilly” He gets up, awkwardly making his way out. James props his feet up where Mooney was just sitting, stretching out.
“Where's your badge?” The red headed girl asks, pointing to his shirt.
“Oh, it's in my luggage sorry” He looks panicked for some reason. James leans over to Sirius,
“Mate, the prefect badges” Still not meeting him in the eyes he settles for an eyebrow.
“What about them?” Sirius looks over to him then back that the doorway Lilly and Remus existed.
“They're made of Iron,” James says.
“We could make him a new one, out of bronze or something. Charm it to look real” Peter pipes up. The two discuss it between themselves as James leans back and stares into the wall. One year. He has one year until he will have to marry him. What is he even getting punished for? He wonders.
“Prongs? Hello... JAMES” His head whips over to see Sirius talking to him with his head tilted.
“You alright mate?” Peter eyes me curiously.
“Fine Pete” James nods, giving them a half hearted smile as they go on the Hogwarts express to their last year all together.
As the first years gather in the middle of the hall, ready to be sorted James points to one scrawny kid with blond hair.
“I reckon Hufflepuff,” he says.
“No way look at em’ he could have brains. Ravenclaw I say” Sirius crosses his arms leaning back.
“Christen Lows” Professor McGonagall calls out. The blond boy they were just talking about steps up. James leans forward, drawing his hands up to his face as he calls out “Hufflepuff!” Sirius bumps him, annoyed James didn't go with Ravenclaw.
“That's enough Mr. Potter” she calls back not blinking an eye. The hall returns with scattered laughter. The small boy sits on the chair and the hat starts thinking.
“Ravenclaw!!” the hat calls. The table starts to clap as the kid gets up and makes his way over.
“BOO!!” James and Peter call out to the hat, While Sirus applauds. The crowd laughs louder this time.
As Moony and the other prefects lead the first years to the dorms, Sirius, Peter and James hang back talking amongst themselves.
“Oi Potter” He hears behind him before he feels the back of his robe get tugged, pushing him into a smaller darker corridor away from everyone else. Before him stands the youngest Black brother.
James pushes him back, “what do you want Regulus?” He doesn't look at him. Just being near him makes bile rise up.
“Talk to your goody, goody parents and call it off” he spits, his wand pressing slightly on his throat.
“I can't, it's your fault this happened to begin with” This time James stares right into his eyes, raising up to his normal height, he is a year older than him, how dare he order him.
“Oh fuck off Potter” The wood presses harder on his throat forcing a cough out of him.
“Why can't you call it off, huh?” James presses back at him. Even being a year older than him, Regulus is as tall as James.
“If you can't recall I already called one off, I can’t call off another”. At that moment he looked sad, defeated even.
“Well it's your messed up family I don't want to be a part of, you figure it out, Black” James turns his head to the left, spitting on the ground, pushing him away. Regulus’ back makes a soft thud on the opposite wall, James walks over to him staring him down.
“This is your fault, don't go around forgetting it” James shakes his head, walking out of the corridor and back to his friends.