Jily Microfic: Payback
@jilymicrofics - april 13th, prompt: payback - words: 639
Summary: James gets his payback. A follow-up to my Mystery Microfic May entry, Risky Behaviour. Written for @nena-96 ;p
James Potter lives for the thrill. Adrenaline flooding his veins, heartbeat pounding in his ears, lungs gasping for breath – this is his favorite state of being. He’s the bloke who laughs at jump scares, who eagerly leaps into the unknown, almost hoping he’ll find something a little terrifying, a little dangerous. He’s not afraid of what might lie behind an unopened door.
At least, he didn’t used to be.
Accidentally discovering Professor McGonagall with breasts cupped in her hands may have altered him forever, though.
“I can’t believe you’re doing all this just so Evans can have her favorite breakfast,” Sirius moans as they walk. He tilts his head when James gives no response. “At what point d’you think you’ve taken the whole ‘we’re in love’ thing too far?”
“It’s for her birthday, you knob, and I dunno what you’re on about – you’re doing just as much as I am to make this happen.”
“Not of my own free will,” Sirius replies, chuckling when James smacks his lips and rolls his eyes. “Only saying – thought I was the dog, but here you are…a sodding lovesick puppy.” His mouth twists into a mischievous grin when James turns on him.
“Oh, shove off, will you?” James says as he pushes the other boy towards the wall.
Sirius laughs victoriously as he points a finger at James’ face. “You’re so bloody red – Merlin, look at your cheeks!”
James smacks Sirius’ finger and Sirius swats the back of his head and suddenly they’re both so distracted by the scuffle they forget everything else entirely.
That is, until the sound of glass shattering draws their attention back to the empty corridor.
“What was that?” Sirius asks.
James shushes him, moving in the direction of the sound. “Think it came from one of these classrooms,” he whispers, beckoning Sirius forward. “Reckon it’s Peeves?”
Sirius whispers his reply as he creeps alongside James, “Or the Bloody Baron having another one of his fits.”
They both know it doesn’t matter: they’re going to open the door and find out.
“D’you wanna check the Map?” Sirius asks, almost soundlessly, when they reach the nearest door.
James shakes his head in reply. They already know Filch is three floors below them, and it’s been entirely too long since he’s been chased by the Baron or dueled with Peeves. Being Head Boy has left him aching for a bit of mischief.
Resting the tip of his wand against the doorknob, he mouths to Sirius: ‘One, two, three…’ before tapping his wand and twisting the handle.
As the door squeaks open, they’re met not by the bellows of the Baron or the shrieks of Peeves, but the strangled cries of two high-pitched voices. When the light from the corridor illuminates the room, the boys find themselves standing before an aghast Professor McGonagall and a half-clothed Madam Pince, her full breasts, freed from her nightdress, tenderly held in the grasp of the other woman’s hands.
“Potter!” the Professor yells in bewilderment, dropping her hands to gesture wildly at them. Madam Pince screams and covers her now-exposed chest, and while James tries (fails) not to look, McGonagall turns back to the other woman, exclaiming, “Sorry! Sorry!”
Suddenly Sirius’ hands are on James’ back, grasping at his shirt. “Prongs–”
“Sorry, Professor!” James cries without thinking. “So sorry, we didn’t– We’ll just– Sorry–”
Before he can say or see anything else, Sirius mercifully drags him back down the corridor.
They sprint the rest of the way to Gryffindor Tower.
Later, once he’s had time to recover, James tells Lily what happened.
After falling into a fit of laughter and collecting herself again, Lily wipes her eyes and fixes James with a grin so wicked, he can’t think straight for how much he wants to kiss her. “Well,” she says, “you certainly got your payback, didn’t you?”
