Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

“It has to be perfect, Pads,” James Potter tells Sirius for the umpteenth time that day. 

Sirius Black is not a patient wizard; people know this about him.  James knows this about him but apparently James has forgotten everything about Sirius in his mad love for Lily Evans.

Sirius sighs.

He knows James hasn’t forgotten about him.  James is his soul brother; his brother in magic.  They’re bound together with vows and blood.  James loves him and he loves James.  Just…James is also madly in love with Evans.

And Evans looks like she might actually love James back these days.  The couple have been closer than ever since the previous Halloween when they’d started officially dating. 

Not that the new closeness seems to have alleviated James’ worrying about what gifts to buy Lily. 

On one hand, Sirius empathises.  It had taken James ages to work past the Marauders’ chequered history with Snape and Lily during their early schooling at Hogwarts in order for James to even have a chance with the Head Girl. 

On the other hand, Sirius has had enough of being dragged round every single magical shop trying to find the absolutely perfect gift for Christmas.

The token James had wanted to buy to mark their first month anniversary had been bad enough; James had worried about his present to Lily for days in the run-up.  Apparently, the personal magical journal had gone down well.

It had been Sirius’s idea.

He feels a bit smug about that because Remus had suggested a boring old book on magical theory.  Sirius had insisted on something more personal than just a book.  Lily might be the brightest witch of their age, but she was more than her intellect.  Besides, books were an easy choice.

Christmas though is proving to be a Quidditch hoop that Sirius feels they might both crash and burn on.

James hovers outside Magical Notes looking at the musical instruments in the window with a contemplative frown.

“She doesn’t play anything,” Sirius points out, brushing snow off his Gryffindor scarf.

“Maybe she’d want to learn?” suggests James.

Sirius gently drags him away from the music shop.  He inwardly curses Remus and Peter again for leaving him alone with James.  Maybe the whole hunting for a gift would go better if they were altogether.  It would be more fun certainly than just tromping through the freezing streets of Hogsmeade in what is feeling like a never-ending quest.

James sighs deeply and heads towards the alley where there are small quaint gift shops.  They bypass an old-fashioned sweet shop; James sniffs imperiously at the lace shop but hovers again outside a wood-working ornament shop with a very life-like rendition of a cat in the window.

The wooden ornament moves every so often; getting up, stretching its back in a feline arch before returning to its previous position lying in a circle.

Sirius admits it has a certain attraction, but Evans talks about cats as in wanting a living one, not an ornament.

They pause outside of an artisan jewellery store and Sirius sees the moment James spots the gift he wants to buy.  James’ whole face lights up; his hazel eyes twinkling suddenly behind his glasses.  He grins at Sirius and points at the delicate necklace. 

Sirius admits it’s a pretty gift; strands of thin gold are covered with small tiny glass and jewel baubles; they tangle together artistically leading to a central showpiece; a crystal-clear heart framed in more gold.

It will look beautiful on Lily.

“Pads,” James crows delighted, “this is it!”  He’s in the shop and dragging Sirius with him before Sirius can find a reply.

James talks excitedly to the shopkeeper and Sirius takes a moment to look around.  There are some lovely pieces in the cases.  Sirius looks briefly at a male arm cuff; silver, thick enough to be solid but not so much as to be cumbersome. 

“Oh, damn!”

James’ distress breaks through Sirius’ perusal and he heads over quickly to see what the problem is.

“What’s up?” asks Sirius.

“I don’t have enough,” James says morosely.  “I forgot about making that bet on Puddlemere with Frank and I paid him back on the train.  I don’t have enough.”

Sirius sighs and reaches into his own pocket.  “I’ll loan you the difference.”

“Pads,” James protests, “don’t think I don’t know that you’re saving up for after school.  I can’t ask you to…”

“You can pay me back when we’re at your folks’ during the holidays though, right, Prongs?” suggests Sirius.  “In the meantime, you get to give Lily the absolutely best gift you can find her.”

James smiles at him crookedly.  “Thanks, Padfoot.”  He turns back to the shop-keeper.  “I guess I’m taking it after all.”

One gift safely wrapped up and bought, they head back into the centre of Hogsmeade at a casual amble.  The snow falls around them gently and the lamplights ignite in the twilight casting everything in a golden glow.

“You’re a good friend, Sirius,” James says, nudging his shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah,” Sirius says, flushing. 

James grabs his arm and pulls him to a stop.  “You are a good friend, Sirius.” He holds Sirius’ gaze firmly with his own.  “I don’t say it enough but…you’re a good friend and I know I’m a bit…” he waggled his hand up by his head, “with this thing with Lily but I haven’t…you’re always going to be my best mate, my brother.”

Sirius feels a swamp of emotions hit him as he takes in James’s sincerity.  He smiles easily for the first time that day; a worry he hadn’t even realised he had easing away.  “I love you too, Prongs.”

James grins at him and they fall back into step as they start walking again. 

“Do you think we have time for a butterbeer?” asks James as they round the corner and pause at the door of The Three Broomsticks.

Sirius gives a bark of laughter.  “Well, I guess I know which one of us is paying!”

James grins and pulls him into the warm.

fin.