Rc; James - Blog Posts
“Enchantments is a mature and understanding partner,” Remus said solemnly, though his lips twitched. “It knows I have other interests. Broader horizons. It supports me in my pursuit of diverse intellectual stimulation.” He leaned back slightly, cradling the muggle book protectively against his chest as James’ curiosity flared. “It's called The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and it's about one of the best detectives in the world,” Remus said as he adjusted his grip on the leather-bound book. “And for your information, Holmes doesn’t judge me for my divided attention. He’s far too busy solving mysteries and being clever.” He paused, narrowing his eyes at James. “Unlike some people who barge in uninvited and disrupt perfectly peaceful afternoons.”
“Invited,” Remus scoffed lightly, shaking his head. “You call being dragged by the ankle out of the library ‘invited’? That’s a very loose interpretation of the word, Prongs.”
Still, the elbow to his side drew a reluctant smile, even if Remus tried his best to roll his eyes in response. “Fine. Moony and Prongs Take on the Outdoors—though I’m reserving the right to rewrite the title when this inevitably ends in chaos. I’ll have something like, ‘Two Idiots and the Consequences of Their Actions’ in mind.”
He allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, though his body language was more resigned than enthusiastic. “You do realize that ‘expanding my mind’ doesn’t have to involve reckless spontaneity, right? It could involve, I don’t know, sitting quietly by the lake. Or bird-watching. Or—Merlin forbid—letting me finish my book in peace.”
Remus gave James a pointed look as he watched him dig through his sheets for his wand. “Honestly, how you ever manage to keep track of anything is a mystery.” His voice was dry, but there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
And then James burst through the door like a whirlwind of enthusiasm, dragging him along in his wake. Remus barely managed to snatch his cardigan from the back of a chair as they went, muttering under his breath.
“Fine,” he called after James with mock exasperation. “But I’m counting these five minutes, and if I end up covered in mud—or worse—I’m hexing you.”
Despite the grumbling, Remus couldn’t quite suppress the faint smile creeping across his face. James was impossible, but he was also James. And that, frustrating as it was, made all the difference.
James had to fight back the laughter that pulled his lips into a smile, knowing if it made its way passed his lips, he'd lose his bargaining power with Moony. "Of course," he began when he'd effectively banished the urge, "your romantic coffee date with Enchantments for the Moderately Ambitious yesterday slipped my mind." He pulled his head back to get a better view of the muggle novel Remus was so enamoured by. "Does Enchantments know you're being unfaithful?" His lip curved into a smirk. "What's so alluring about this muggle book, anyway?" A brow raised, genuinely curious, since he wasn't able to glance the title of the thing. He was no purveyor of muggle fiction, although he had learned of its existence in muggle studies at some point. And he was certain he'd seen Lily carrying very non-wizard tomes throughout the years.
"That is an unfair comparison!" James protested. "Padfoot's bad ideas are always a good use of my time. And, if I recall correctly, you were invited. And thus, it was not neglect." He crossed his arms and a small nod punctuated the comment.
"I'll have you know I put a great amount of effort into entertaining myself. I just happen to enjoy company. Some people enjoy doing things with their bestest of best friends." He elbowed Remus in the side. "Besides, who would read a book about poor, old James Potter stuck inside on a bloody gorgeous day... when they could read: Moony and Prongs taking on the outdoors!" James exclaimed, though relented: "Okay, the title needs work - but that's why you're part of the story."
Upon Moony's agreement, James practically jumped off the bed, falling backwards to the floor and scrambling to get up before his friend even considered changing his mind. "Absolutely no quidditch... or wrestling. Yes, sir!" The dark-haired wizard saluted, smile plastered onto his face. Now the only conundrum was what they could do.
Seeing hesitation begin to cloud Remus' judgement, James grabbed him by the arm to tug him onto his feet. "Nope. You said yes - you have to expand your mind now." Admittedly, he didn't have a plan on what yet but he was sure it would come to him within the next 5 minutes. There were countless things they could do both on and off campus. "Besides, using the levitation charm on Sirius gave us some great new intel! It was absolutely benficial." He grinned. "Regardless of the... hitches."
James fished for his wand, which had gotten lost somewhere in his own bedsheets. He definitely needed to start leaving it in easily accessible places. But that was future James' problem. "Moony and Prongs take on the outdoors!" The wizard exclaimed, door bursting open as he did so. James, who hadn't bothered to remove his shoes when he entered the dorm the last time, hadn't even considered that Remus might need time to prepare. He looked back.
“First of all, it was Enchantments for the Moderately Ambitious, thank you very much, and I finished reading that yesterday— this, I'll have you know, is a muggle novel.” Remus retorted, shooting James a mock glare as he tucked the book tighter against his chest. “And second—if you’re feeling neglected, you’ve got no one to blame but yourself. You’re the one who decided Sirius’ bad ideas were a better use of your time than keeping me company earlier.”
He tilted his head slightly, eyebrows arching as James’ pout morphed into full-blown theatrics. “Oh, the tragedy of poor, forsaken James Potter,” he said dryly, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward. “Trapped indoors while the world turns! Forced to entertain himself without resorting to actual effort. What a fate.”
Remus finally sighed, closing the book with exaggerated care and letting it rest on his lap. “Fine. Five minutes. But don’t think I’m going to chase you around the Quidditch pitch or wrestle with you like Padfoot. My day’s been peaceful, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
He glanced out the window, squinting at the perfectly blue sky, and then back at James, whose grin was somehow as bright as the sunlight outside. “Expand my mind in other ways,” Remus echoed, feigning thoughtfulness. “You mean like how you expanded it the last time you convinced me to come outside? I’m still recovering from the fallout of your ‘charming’ use of that levitation charm on Sirius.”
But he couldn’t quite keep the amusement out of his voice as he stood, leaving the book carefully on the chair. “Come on then, Potter. You’ve got five minutes to prove this isn’t a terrible idea.”
“Chill out, Moony," James smiled, still reaching for the book his friend clutched like he couldn't bear to be torn from it. "I’m not trying to ruin the riveting love affair you've got going on with Advanced Spells for Overachievers-" he grunted. "-or whatever that is.”
"Guilty." He said with the blinding flash of a smile. "And some of us are feeling neglected." An overexaggerated pout forged its way onto James' faced, only slightly marred by the fact he had just been smiling. "I'm just saying, you've been glued to that for hours. It can't be that interesting." One final attempt at reaching for Remus' new love interest, and James finally gave up, hands in the air in defeat. "Come on. Sirius is off doing Merlin-knows-what, Peter’s probably off whispering sweet nothings to the kitchen's elves, and here I am: dangerously close to falling asleep from boredom... in the middle of the day!”
He flopped down beside Remus. “What do I want, you ask? Only your undivided attention for five minutes. Maybe seven." Looking doe-eyed at his best mate, James relented. "Okay, maybe a lot longer than that. But look, it's nice out!" He pointed out the window, through which he could miraculously see the blue sky. "And you're making me stay indoors. It's not right."
James nudged the corner of the book with a finger, grinning as he added: “Come on, Moony. Expand your mind in other ways.”
“James, I swear to Merlin—” The words were more a resigned groan than a true threat, though Remus did manage to hold his book out of reach with one hand while the other tried halfheartedly to fend off his assailant. He twisted just enough to keep the precious novel safe from James’ grabby hands.
“You’re an absolute menace, you know that?” he said, glaring in a way that was entirely too soft to be convincing. His fingers still clung to the spine of the book, knuckles white with effort. “Some of us actually enjoy expanding our minds beyond hexing techniques and Quidditch strategies, you heathen.”
But James’ grin—wide, toothy, and maddeningly infectious—was doing its usual work of disarming him. He sighed, letting the book settle protectively against his chest, though his arms stayed firmly locked around it.
“Fine,” he said, relenting just enough to satisfy James’ need for attention. "What is it that you want?"
@maraudersmumu [ James x Remus ]
Bedsheets clung to the edge of the bed, fighting for dear life to remain on the bumpy mattress. Limbs sprawled over the width of it, dangling over the edge, while James watched his friend from a distance. Long fingers twirled his mahogany wand over and over, trying desperately to occupy himself in some way - not wanting to interrupt the clearly mesmerising words that clearly graced the crinkled paper of Remus' book. He'd long forgotten the tome he'd been skimming through. It lay facedown on the floor, open on some page with some dull, old scholar's tedious writings on this-and-that. Why bother reading any more? He'd already concluded that it was dreadfully boring. Remus, on the other hand, seemed rather enraptured by whatever it was he'd been reading. Been being the appropriate word, because at that very moment, James Potter finally spoke up.
"Okay, reading time is over." He announced, as if there'd been a literal timer, rather than the metaphorical one that was his own patience. And, without so much as a warning, he dove towards his friend in an effort to draw the riveting book-date to a conclusion.