White Flag

White Flag

James Potter stood atop the Astronomy Tower on one of the first clear nights in over a month. His breath came in short gasps, the bitter cold tearing at his lungs. But he was out- a full month of being holed up in the castle with Peter Pettigrew was enough to drive one mad. Quidditch had been postponed due to the twelve feet of snow that covered parts of the Pitch. He needed to get out. Dumbledore had been with Remus the last time he had transformed, and James and Sirius were on a sabbatical of silence from one another.

Geezalu, thought James, I can't believe it's been a almost two months since me and my best- He stopped himself. Well, my friend, talked...

The normally bright dormitory that the four- Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and himself shared- was a chamber of silence, the once gaudy decorations had been removed, and the luster in the room seemed to have faded. James ran a hand through his untidy jet-black hair, and adjusted his glasses. Hell, he was sixteen. He didn't need any of this crap anymore. Not from anyone, especially from his... friend of nine years. The amount of time froze him, and he shivered involuntarily.

Geezalu, it's freezing... he thought, remembering that he had left his wand in the dormitory. He pulled his cloak tighter around him, and pulled the hood over his Invisibility Cloak over his head.

That stupid prank, if that's what it could have been called, had abruptly ended the friendship of Hogwarts' very own resident troublemakers, namely the Marauders. He glared at the snow-covered grounds. If only he could have stopped Sirius before he told Snape... If only he hadn't tried to ask Lily out again. He had gone into it knowng that answer, yet he persisted and now lost his friend...

The good-looking tall boy with an olive complexion and dark eyes flashing with excitement bounded up the stairs. He knew who to find, he knew where he was. The large square bit of parchment was clutched in his hand, and he almost bowled over a first year girl in his haste.

"Sorry!" he called back over his shoulder, and maintained his sprint. He spotted who he was looking for, a pallid, greasy-haired boy of sixteen. The sprinting boy screeched to a halt beside the pale boy.

"Snivellus," he said, grinning in his win-all manner. "I know where you can go tonight... To get Remus a solid detention..." He watched the pale boy's face contort in a mask of contemplation. Snivel- Severus Snape, actually- knew that the boy, Remus, hadn't ever gotten in hot water in his time at Hogwarts. Naturally, he was excited at the opportunity to land an enemy in detention. He opened his mouth to speak, but promptly closed it. The taller boy, Sirius Black, was the best friend of his worst enemy. No advice was credible from this boy... But then, the prospect of getting Remus Lupin, everyone's favorite, into potential suspension, somehow made up his mind for him.

"Show me," Snape said.

James shivered again. He, meanwhile, had been pursuing a lost hope. Lily Evans, the redheaded emerald-eyed girl who had captured his attention since before he was twelve, had never failed to reject him. Normally, most boys would have given up after one, but James wasn't really all that normal. His family was descended from Godric Gryffindor's own blood line, a trait that separated from the rest in his school. He rubbed his hands together, trying to fend off the cold.