After writing a James S. Potter one-shot ("Living up to the name"), the voices of the characters just wouldn't stop going off in my head! I knew I had to write a long fic. It starts in James' 5th year, mostly follows him and his friends in their "Semi Charmed Kind of Life" :) Enjoy!
Chapter 1: The New Marauders
James Sirius Potter looked around the headmistress' office with a bored expression. This was not the first time he had been called in here to sit in the oversized leather chair and wait for his punishment, nor would it be the last. In his fifth year at Hogwarts, James had managed to average about four detentions a month for the various pranks and spells he pulled on other students. He leaned back in the chair and glanced to his side. His best friend since first year Ben Amherst grinned at him, no doubt remembering the look on Gregorio Flint's face when his teeth suddenly grew out to the ground in the middle of Potions class. Headmistress McGonagall entered the office, a stern look on her face.
"Mr. Potter and Mr. Amherst, I wonder if it is possible for you to go an entire week without a visit to my office." She peered over her glasses at the two fifteen year olds who were trying, and failing, to hide their smug expressions. "What do your parents thing of the many owls I have sent home explaining your latest antics?" She looked first at Ben.
"You know my parents are Muggles Headmistress, they think that detentions in the Wizarding World are like prizes."
"They think that or you told them that, Mr. Amherst?" She asked pointedly and Ben smiled a sheepish grin. "And you Mr. Potter—out of your entire family, and let me say that is about half of the Gryffindor house, you have been in here more than all of the others combined!" James put on an innocent face and she shook her head. "I'm not going to punish you two because that obviously does not work." The boy's faces lit up and they looked at each other. "BUT I will say this—if there is one more problem before the holiday break, neither of you will be allowed to go to Hogsmeade for an entire month. Is that clear?" They nodded and left the office feeling pretty good about themselves.
"So we've gotta just lay low for a week then?" Ben asked James.
"I s'pose so." He said. "I gotta get the invisibility cloak back from Al." He had lent the cloak to his younger brother after making him promise he would finally get into some mischief with it.
"I'm curious to see what lil Alby did with the Power Of Invisibility" Ben dramatically said.
"Eh, I'm not getting my hopes up. He probably snuck off to the library to read at midnight." James ran his hand through his hair as they entered the common room. "Where d'ya reckon Emma is?" Emma Warrington was the other part of their trio. Her whole family had been sorted into Slytherin until she put the hat on in her first year, which sorted her into Gryffindor and led her to become best friends with James and Ben.
"Probably transfiguring something." Ben gruffed. Emma was extremely gifted in the subject of Transfiguration, something that Ben struggled with.
"Don't be soft Benny-boy." James teased with Ben's hated nickname. "Anyway, I'm up for some Exploding Snap—you in?"
"Definitely."
Emma Warrington handed the letter to the large brown owl and watched it take off into the dusk sky. She had written her parents telling them that she would not be joining them over the holiday break. This wasn't anything new-after "disgracing the family name" when she was only eleven by being sorted into Gryffindor, her relationship with her parents had become more strained than ever. From her third year on, she spent her winter break and most of her summer at the Potter household. Harry and Ginny (as they insisted to be called) always welcomed her and showered her with love and warmth, something growing up in the Warrington house had left her without.
"Emma?" Roxanne Weasley waved her hand in front of her face. "Are you listening at all?!" Emma broke out of her trance
"Sorry Rox, what were you saying again?"
"Do you think Joseph Wood fancies me?" Roxanne said, flipping her long dark hair. She was thankful that she had inherited her mother's hair, though she has been 'cursed' with her father's paler skin and freckles.
"Aren't you young for a boyfriend?" Emma grinned as they made their way out of the Owlery.
"I'm a third year, he's a fourth year, that's only a year difference." She pointed out. "I mean he is super-good-looking and sometimes when I go to watch the Quidditch practices I see him looking at me. When he's not looking for the Snitch, that is. Maybe I'll ask him who he'd going to Hogsmeade with this weekend. See if he asks me. Good idea?" Emma shook her head. She loved Roxanne and was close to her, but she was boy-crazy.
"As long as Fred doesn't get wind of it." Emma reminded her of her older brother.
"Puh-lease, that would mean he would actually have to leave his precious Muggle toys. Dad blames my granddad for his fascination with it. Sometimes I think Dad wants him to be more like James."
"Yes because being in a state of constant detention is definitely something to aspire to," Emma said, shaking her head thinking about her best friend. "Speaking of your gigantic family, how is Dominique doing working for your Aunt Hermione?"
"You know Dom, she loves Magical Law and the fact that her aunt is head of the department makes her enjoy going to work ten times more than usual." They approached the Gryffindor common room to catch the end of an intense game of exploding snap between Ben and James.
"Bloody hell!" James bellowed as the cards exploded and singed his robes. "Where've you two snuck off to?" he directed at Emma and Roxanne.
"Oh, you know we went to Honeydukes for the past hour." Emma joked.
"And you didn't bring us anything?" Ben asked in mock horror. "I'm hurt Em, you're my favorite prefect." She couldn't help but smile at him, Ben always had a way of making her laugh. "And Rox—I expected better from my future wife." Roxanne rolled her eyes while James and Emma chuckled. When Roxanne first met Ben four years ago, she was a nine year old with the biggest crush on him. Eventually she got over it, but not before James and Ben found out and proceeded to tell everyone. They liked to bring it up from time to time to annoy Roxanne and amuse themselves.
"James, James!" The heads turned at the sound of twelve year old Lily Potter running down the dormitory stairs with a letter in her hand. "Teddy asked Victorie to marry him! Dad just wrote us a letter!" She stopped, out of breath and shoved the letter in James' hand so he could read it for himself.
Dear James, Al and Lily,
I know it is late in the day to be receiving post but Teddy just flooed over and told me the news—he asked Vic to marry him last night and she accepted! Their wedding is set for the late summer, we'll most likely find out more details over Christmas dinner. Can't wait to see you all soon, tell the rest of the family the news!
Love,
Dad
"This is brilliant!" James said, pumping the air with his fist. "Now Teddy is gonna be blood related." He turned to his little sister and ruffled her hair. "Thanks for the news Lils, you get a free day of riding on my Nimbus 3000 for this one." Her eyes brightened and she hugged her brother before running off to tell Hugo the news. Emma and Ben exchanged a smile; Lily idolized her oldest brother and James doted on her every chance he got.
"What's the commotion?" Albus asked, coming through the portrait hole.
"Teddy and Vic are getting hitched," Ben informed him. Albus grinned.
"Bout time. James, I have your clo-"
"Not in here!" James hissed, glancing around the common room, full of students. "Geez Al, you think I want the whole bloody house knowing I have the thing?"
"Sorry!" Albus said, once again mentally kicking himself. He felt like he always ended up saying something idiotic when around James and his friends.
"Where's Rose?" Emma asked, directing the subject away from Albus' embarrassment. He sent her a grateful look before answering.
"Probably off with Malfoy again." Albus said in a grunt. James gave his brother a rare empathizing look. Albus and Rose were always best friends but over the past three years, Scorpius and Rose got closer, leading to an uncomfortable trio. "Don't tell Uncle Ron though, you know how he gets." Emma nodded but James and Ben gave each other a wicked smile, Christmas just got more interesting
"So what mischief did you accomplish with the you-know-what?" Ben asked, inviting Albus to sit with the boys and Emma (Roxanne had left to go find her brother and tell him of the engagement).
"Went down to the kitchen and had a midnight snack from the house elves." He answered. "I needed the boost, I was up all night doing my essay for Professor Longbottom."
"Oh Alby," James dramatically sighed. "So much to teach you about mischief…"
"Perhaps over the holiday we will let Al be in on some of our pranks?" Ben questioned his best friend. The pretended to ponder it over while Emma shook her head.
"Ginny is going to throw a fit if you corrupt her baby boy."
Love it? Hate it? Let me know!
Next: Hogsmeade trip, James maps out his family tree