White Flag

James shivered, and then gave up; returning to the trapdoor and flinging it open, only to reveal darkness and more cold inside. Smiling to himself at the prospect of sleep and warmth, he slipped down the small spiral staircase and closed the door behind him. He stretched and went to take the Marauder's Map out of an inside pocket in the Invisibility Cloak. His hand touched something metal, smooth, and almost as cold as he was. The mirror. He smiled and pulled it out, and stood in the empty classroom just staring at it, his lips working in silent curses for several moments.

Sirius led Snape through a set of doors and into a room smaller than the standard classroom size. He muttered a few words to his compatriot, who smiled and nodded.

"When?" he asked of Sirius.

Sirius grinned wolfishly. "In five minutes..." he said, glancing out of a nearby window to the disc of a moon contrasted against an onyx sky.

James smiled to himself and opened his mouth, looking his reflection squarely in the eye, and said clearly, "Sirius Black".

Nothing.

James' face fell. He waited several moments before coming to the conclusion that Sirius was not there. He stuffed it back into his pocket, rather dejectedly, and opened the panel hidden behind a filing cabinet that would lead him to Gryffindor Tower. (Another secret in the castle, of course...)

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James pushed the bulletin board aside, slid out of the tunnel, and then moved it back in place. He looked around at his familiar home, and then removed his Invisibility Cloak. He walked towards the opposite wall, weaving past a large, overstuffed armchair. He stretched out his arms and hands towards the dying fire, happy for any source of warmth. The red embers reminded him of something... And it didn't take him long to realize what it was in his nostalgia.

Blood. Hot sticky wetness coursed down his arm from the gash bestowed upon him unceremoniously by the psychotic tree. He had moved so fast, dodging the most lethal of the swipes made by the Whomping Willow's branches. He had to get to the base... Another branch smacked him in the face, knocking his glasses off and nearly breaking his nose. He ducked down and leapt over a small lump of material that he recognized as one of Sirius' cloaks. He gritted his teeth and sprinted towards the base of the tree, hoping that the worst had not happened- yet.

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"Potter? What in the world are you doing down here at this hour, covered in snow?"

A voice he knew all too well interrupted his thoughts.

"Hello, Ev- I mean, Lily..." began James, but the redhead's eyes were flashing dangerously, a sign in her labyrinthine emeralds told him to shut the hell up. "I was just... opening the window for a bit of fresh air, y'know," he said, looking around uncomfortably at the girl. He uncomfortably brushed the snow off of the tops of his shoes. He smiled at her uncertainly.

"Well, I think that you ought to be a role model for the younger students and STOP SNEAKING OUT," Lily Evans began in a dangerous tone. James interrupted her.

"So, why are you down here at this hour?" he said, mimicking her. Lily's mouth opened and closed, making James think of a rather flustered fish. A very good-looking fish, nonetheless.

"Don't change the subject, Potter," she said coldly. "And where is your group of model citizens?" she asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm. James froze, then seemed to recover, yet his eyes remained distant as he turned back to face the dying fire.

"We've..." he said, then stopped.

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"I dunno what the hell he's bloody doing," said Remus in a muffled tone. "Why don't you apologize? After all, it IS your fault, Sirius,"

The two boys, a direct contrast to each other, sat in the empty classroom, sipping butterbeers. One, a boy with hair the color of russet, and golden eyes to match, held a serious expression. The other, a tall boy with dark eyes and black hair that hung to his shoulders in a sort of casual elegance, sat with his chin propped in his hands, looking almost angry.

"It is NOT my fault!" yelled Sirius. "I tried to do him a favor!"

"Yeah, and almost killed James in the process," said Remus evenly, glaring at his butterbeer.

"It's been two months, Moony," said Sirius in a more resigned tone. "He quit going to the Shrieking Shack, and he is withholding the Marauder's Map from us. I think he's trying to say something-"

"What was that?" asked Remus suddenly, his eyes growing wide and darting to the dorr which hung ajar. "James?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

The door creaked all of the way open.