19 October 1976, Hogwarts Library

[lilium_evansiae]

There's another faint burst of giggling from the stacks to her left, and Lily looks up from her essay (two rolls of parchment on the effect of the stage of the moon on medicinal potions), again, annoyed.

People are trying to work here.

And yes, there's a time-honored Hogwarts tradition of flirting and even stealing a kiss or two in the library, but Black and Perdita are taking it to ridiculous extremes.

But then, that's been the theme of their whole relationship, hasn't it? Ridiculous extremes.

Lily takes a breath, counts to ten and turns her attention back to her essay.

The new moon frequently has a beneficial effect on ...

More giggling, the thud of a book hitting the floor, and a 'whoops.'

Lily takes another breath, and tries to resist the temptation to go hex them both into some time next month.

Comments

[lilium_evansiae]

"Amity," Lily says, and there's just the slightest edge of her Prefect Voice slipping into her tone, "I really do hate to be the one to have to break this to you, but ... you don't own the library."

Amity gapes at her for just a second, and Lily turns back to her (conducted at a perfectly reasonable volume for a library) conversation with James.

"Where were we?"

[alotofgood]

James blinks; then his expression becomes one of awe and amusement.

He laughs again into his sleeve, and then covers it with a rather obvious cough.

"Blimey, Lily — that was brilliant," he says, his voice its usual library-volume low.

"For that, I'll give you the truth of that story," he says. "It's true that was the moment I decided I loved flying more than just about anything in the world, but I mostly kept the scar because it looked really cool and I knew it'd make Peter a bit sick the next time he came over."

[lilium_evansiae]

He gets a very bright smile for a second, in response to his first statement.

"Now, see, that sounds rather more like a six-year-old boy to me," Lily says.

"You've know Pettigrew that long?"

[alotofgood]

James laughs.

"But not as nice a story, is it?" he says. "Yeah, I've known Pete for practically my whole life. Our parents knew each other pretty well; they were working together on some society event and Peter and I were the only ones the same age. He had this fantastic red train."

[lilium_evansiae]

"It's still not a bad story. I bet you gave the healers fits, regardless.

As for the information about Pettigrew, well ... that explains a lot, doesn't it? About why he is included in their little group.

"A red train?"

[alotofgood]

"Yeah," James says. "It looked like the Hogwarts Express. I'll bet he's still got it somewhere, if you asked him about it."

[lilium_evansiae]

"I guess we probably all still have some stuff somewhere, from when we were little."

She looks around the library for a second.

"That was before I knew about any of this."

[alotofgood]

"Yeah? What sorts of things did you have when you were little?" James asks, curiously.

[lilium_evansiae]

"The usual stuff," she says. "A doll named Elinor. E-L-I-N-O-R, not E-L-E-A-N-O-R, I was very particular about that. A stuffed bear, named Freddy. A lot of books. And a teaset, that got broken piece by piece. I might still have one of the cups."

[alotofgood]

James tries to picture these items, only he hasn't really got any idea what Lily's room might look like anyway.

(But he can imagine that up too.)

Still, he smiles.

"Sounds brilliant," he says.

[lilium_evansiae]

"It was.

"What about you?

"What are the things you still have hanging around?"

[alotofgood]

"My old brooms," James says, thoughtful. "Even the Comet that shattered into pieces. I just put that one into a box under my bed.

"And — a couple of cars. I had a stuffed bear, too. And a stuffed lion, though I think I lost that one."

[lilium_evansiae]

"Stuffed bears do seem to be popular.

"Do wizards have Winnie-the-Pooh? Or Paddington Bear?"

[alotofgood]

James shakes his head.

"No. I think I'd remember hearing about poo," he remarks, laughing a little. "And the only Paddington I know of is the station."

[lilium_evansiae]

"It's like you're ten or something," Lily says. "P-O-O-H. Winnie-the-Pooh.

"He's a bear in a book. Or books, really. Based on the author's son's stuffed bear. He lives in the Hundred Acres Wood with his friends and has little adventures. Dad read those books to me till I practically had them memorized. the poetry, too.

"And Paddington Bear is a bear who turned up from Peru, I think, in Paddington station. Thus the name. There are books about him, too."

[alotofgood]

"Books about bears? Blimey."

James laughs.

"Why would anyone call their stuffed bear Winnie the Pooh? Even if it is with an 'H'. Paddington, on the other hand, is a much cooler name."

This coming from the boy who will one day approve of the name 'Elvendork'.

[lilium_evansiae]

"What's wrong with Winnie-the-Pooh?" Lily asks, just slightly indignantly.

You're on holy ground here, James.

It's Milne.

Don't make her point out that people named 'Ignotus' shouldn't throw stones.

[alotofgood]

Oh, James is well aware of the uncoolness of his middle-name. They've even had a conversation about how uncool it is.

So, really. James knows a thing or two about names.

"Well, it sounds a bit off, doesn't it? Winnie's and Poo's."

[lilium_evansiae]

"Only when you say it like that," Lily says.

"It sounds perfectly normal to me.

"I love those books."

[alotofgood]

"Oh, I'm not arguing against the brilliance of the books," James assures her, laughing a little. "It's just the name, you see. I just feel a bit sorry for the poor bear."

[lilium_evansiae]

"Because you're ten," Lily says, again.

But she's smiling.

[alotofgood]

James' laugh is a little louder.

(Much to Amity Root's chagrin, he's sure.)

"Right," he agrees. "Because I'm ten."