Oct. 19: White Knuckles: Peter/Open

[James Potter]

"No!" The bitter lament at the loss of the muggle game - honestly, was there strategy? because he always seemed to lose - had James storming away, shortly laughing as he circled about to his mate. And he couldn't even beg for the best two out of three, seeing as...Peter had just won four of six. "Fine, you win - I've really got to stop staking my afternoons on whether or not I lose this damn game. So, what d'you want to do?" The fourth year Gryffindors resumed their aimless wandering out on the grounds, taking advantage of the not-too-chilly Saturday. Sirius and Marlene were off together somewhere, Remus was studying with Evans, and for however salty he was about losing the game, James really was excited to raise some hell with Pete.

Or laze about at the lake, seeing who could skip a stone the farthest. Dimly he could hear his mother asking him if everything really had to be a competition, to which, if she really was there, he would vehemently answer: yes.

Continuing to follow anything but a path, the boys chatted, James entirely unhelpful in allowing his mate think-time to ponder their choice of activity to start the afternoon. Their idle meandering was interrupted by a harsh whistle and an abrupt, "Potter!"

James' brow rose at the unfamiliar sound of the address, and it took a moment to locate the caller. A group of mixed-House fifth years, some girls of their own year not too far off, was in part groaning and in part laughing at the boy who was waving him over. Charles Selwyn, pureblood brat. "Not worth our time, c'mon," he said under his breath, continuing their walk.

"Was just having a chat with the lads, you should weigh in," called the older boy, rising to his feet and taking care to brush any minuscule amount of dirt off of his trousers. "There should at the very least - for courtesy's sake - be a separate House for mudbloods, don't you think? People like us come in far advanced, after all." The mean glint in the boy's eye, the laugh he was hardly suppressing, his nonchalant use of the term, it all made James stop walking. He knew he shouldn't engage - he'd had enough letters sent home from McGonagall already this year for "deviance" - but this was the sort of thing he couldn't not rebuke.

Mum and Dad would understand this one.

"What, Selwyn, worried about a muggleborn taking the spot of top Ravenclaw in the class?" James countered sharply, turning back and starting towards the taller bloke. "Don't lump me in with you again," he warned, glaring up at the Ravenclaw. "'People like us'? I'm not like you."

"I told you," Charles continued, laughing back at his group. "They're easy to rile up, Gryffindor mudblood-lovers. You are like me, your friend too - Pettigrew, isn't it?"

"You should stop using that word." James was vaguely aware of the attention they were drawing, but couldn't care less. Hell - it would be good for the student body to see him put the pureblooded prick in his place.

"Oh please, who are you to lecture anyone? Come now, back to my original point, it would be beneficial for the mudbloods to - "

He was using dirty and elitist language, Mum.

James' fist collided with the bigger boy's jaw, and he was shaking out the hand - "I told you to stop." - when, to his surprise, the Ravenclaw began to fight back in kind...

[Peter Pettigrew]

“Oh, yesss!” Peter exclaimed, well shouted really. He was so pumped. After the first win he was happy, after the second, ecstatic. Now, on his fourth defeat over James, he was positively cocky. He found himself doing very Siriusesc things; like flexing his nearly non-existent muscles and puffing out his chest. Peter rarely ever won at anything, not against James. It was fitting that he was winning at a game of chance, but he hardly cared. He had won.

As James came back around, smiling, Pete clamped him on the back. “Better luck next time.” he said, his face giving him away; he just couldn't stop grinning. He fell into step with his best mate, his stride a little more buoyant. He was with James, just the two of them -that hardly ever happened- and they were having such a grand time just wandering around, chatting. And of course he had won, that was always nice. Which meant, he got to choose the afternoon activities. It didn't seem like they would be getting anything done though, fun or not. They soon feel into conversation as they walked and Peter forgot all about picking something exciting to entertain them. He was entertained enough just spending time with his best mate. To Peter, it was the perfect day... until it wasn't.

A voice rang out, and Peter froze. His eyes shot to James, as the voice was addressing him; he looked confused, searching about. He knew when James had found the person accosting him because his face changed. Peter followed his gaze, and felt his own face fall. Slytherins. He was immediately filled with a healthy dose of apprehension and he hurried to keep up with James, throwing glances over his shoulder. It was good the other Gryffindor didn't think it was worth their time, it wasn't. Peter nodded along with unspoken idea to get away,as fast as possible...

Even as Sewlyn continued on, taunting James. And then the older boy said that word. That word. Peter could practically feel the change in the boy next to him, and then James stopped walking, turning to face the group of snakes, to face Charles. “James, no!” Peter pleaded in a whisper, but James was already talking, righteousness ringing in his voice. Ice cold fear trickled into the smaller boys veins and he closed his eyes as the other boys spared with their words. This was not happening. He opened his eyes. People had started to gather and then the snake was addressing him. Peter looked around, as if he could be talking about another Pettigrew. Really he just didn't know what to do, or say.

James didn't have this problem. He knew what to say: a warning 'stop using that word'. He knew what to do: punch the jerk in the face. Punch him in the face! Peter stood, shocked into place. He had known it was coming, he knew James, but it was still a surprise. And even more of a surprise when Sewlyn pounced back and a fight , a real fight, ensued. How had this day, this perfect day, gone so awry?

It quickly became clear, much to Peter's horror, that James was outmatched. Charles was older and bigger and stronger. James was all knees and elbows. He was going to lose. His best friend was going to get beaten to a pulp. Something seemed to snap inside him at the revalation. Not James. He thought, desperately. James who was protective and carefree and his best mate. “Not James.” he said. “Not James!” he shouted. Then he was running, throwing himself onto the Slytherins back. He did the first thing he could think of...he caught hold of the boys ear, with his teeth.

[Lydia Avery]

    

Since her classmates obviously weren't going to do it, Lydia was going to have to kill her betrothed herself.

After disposing of Potter.

And Pettigrew.

The brunette sat stiffly, seething, as the bloody affair dragged on, perfect nails digging into the flesh of her arm as she resisted stopping the idiotic fight with her wand. Charlie's anger would be turned on her then - she could almost hear him shouting at her to leave fighting to the men, about how she'd damaged his image - which was something she did not yet know how to control.

What had begun as an amusing conversation with likeminded individuals had escalated into a filthy muggle-inspired brawl before her eyes, and Lydia could not think of a time she had been more embarrassed. Charlie was making a fool of himself, and thereby making a fool of her by association, directly in front of their friends. He was easily riled up, to say the least, and if this was a proper wizarding duel Lydia would naturally take less offense to it. He would be showing his actual skills, which were plentiful, instead of...whatever this was. True, he had had the mudblood-loving Gryffindor pinned for a short time, but then Peter abruptly joined in the fray with a battle-cry of his own...

While Charlie was strong, Lydia knew it was only a matter of time before the two lions overpowered him.

Why did he have to be so rash? Although she had grown to love him, there were still bits of him that she was working to perfect, and his temper was surely one of them. As soon as he'd risen from their group, calling James over, she knew there would be trouble. He had that look in his eyes that only showed when he was rearing for a fight - he had an energy that was inexhaustible some days, and while there were many ways to spend it...he'd chosen this as the appropriate venue.

She'd given him a warning look when he'd glanced back to her and the others, obviously trying to bait the just-as-easily-provoked James, but she'd been ignored, and now the three boys were having this scuffle and he had some major repairs to do with her after getting cleaned up. Loud cracks and angry mutterings could be heard from the three, but even from her close vantage point she could hardly make out whose nose was actually broken. A few in their group were laughing or heckling, even making quick bets - it was not the most kindhearted of gatherings - while Lydia couldn't even bear to look over to her best friends. They could read her too easily, making her white-hot embarrassment and anger more difficult to suppress.

[James Potter]

As James took a moment, ignoring the beating he was getting, to spit blood from his split lip, he rather regretted not listening to Peter's plea to not engage. While he'd tried to teach the prick a lesson, Peter had perhaps been wiser - staying quiet, obviously freaked out as he should have been himself.

Not that he'd say so - in the storytelling of this afternoon, he'd spout words about how he had to stand up to the asshole, nobly declare that he'd rather he get hurt than let the other's derogatory statements go unpunished (which they essentially were, with what little damage James had so far been able to do), yada yada yada. He and the boys were good at spinning situations to their benefit, well practiced at it, this would surely be no different.

But right now - the older boy was heavier, stronger, than he looked, had bowled him over at the first attack, and James was not feeling his usual invincibility. Sure, he'd gotten a few knocks in, but Selwyn was most assuredly going to take the win here. While he was wishing things, darting away as best as he could from a flying fist, James wished Sirius had been out with them today; his brother may've even beaten him to the first punch, but even if he hadn't, he knew the other would be in this mess with him. And it likely wouldn't be as much of a mess as it was.

As James tried fruitlessly to turn the bigger bloke over, his pride was taking just as much of a beating as his body, and the former was more difficult for him to envision repairing. While it looked like Selwyn was going to beat him, he couldn't just lay back and let it happen. He wiggled an arm free and gave the guy a few sharp knocks to the kidney, and with his pulse beating deafeningly in his ears he couldn't make out much of what was happening around them, but he swore he heard Peter shouting as Selwyn raised a furious fist and -

The wind was knocked out of him as 1) more weight was added on top of him and 2) Selwyn's fist connected with his nose. James felt more than heard a nauseating crunch, the hot outpouring of blood, an aggravated cry from Selwyn as he rose to take on the new aggressor. Blinking back stars, James deftly - right, not so deftly, but that's how it'll be told - rolled away and righted himself, coughed out a mouthful of blood, and soon grinned a horrible red smear of a smile. Because Peter was taking on the maniac - well - like a maniac. That the other marauder would've sought to help him out shouldn't have been as much of a surprise as it was, but Pete wasn't as rash as he tended to be, or as prone to these types of outbursts.

With a slight laugh - this wasn't the afternoon he envisioned, but things were looking up - James gave the gathered group a sarcastic salute before strategically re-entering the fight. He was definitely needing a trip to the Hospital Wing, his body sorely against putting itself close enough for the odd-man-out to get another go, but he had to help. Peter had his legs pinned, and James moved to take care of the other's arms. "Fist to the temple, mate, real quick," he advised, coughing to the side and struggling to keep Selwyn's arms immobile enough. This fight was likely going to do more for his brother's image than his own, and James was happy for the guy for that. He could already hear the rumors going 'round about how Peter Pettigrew took on Charles Selwyn...

And won.

[Peter Pettigrew]

Wildly, Peter thought that he had surly gone insane. He must have been for even attempting to take on the bulky Ravenclaw. But is was James. What else was he suppose to do? It was easy to cheer from the side line when his mates were winning, but went they were pinned to the ground, beaten, and bloody... It wasn't so easy to do.


So here he was, hanging onto the blokes thick neck for dear life, biting on the soft cartilage of the older boys ear until he tasted metal in his mouth. He thought he heard something snap and their opponent reared up, trying to shake Pete from his back. The young Gryffindor held on tenaciously, both arms wrapped around his throat, one leg around is waist, and the other leg repeatedly kneeing the boy in the back. Though he released the ear, taking a moment to think how gross it was that he was spitting out someone else's blood. So gross. In his moment of distraction Sewlyn managed to pry his fingers lose. Pete slid to the ground with a dull thump, panic rising in up in him again.


He leap for a second time. This time he brought the entire weight of his body – which admittedly wasn't very much – down on the boys foot. He heard him swear, yanking his foot back. A large hand reached for him and Pete ducked out of the way. He launched forward, wrapping his arms around Charles' legs and squeezing as tightly as he could. Miraculously, it worked. Sewlyn lost balance and toppled to the ground, Peter still snared around his long legs.


Pete realized he was speaking then, saying things like: “Stop, stop! Leave him alone!” and “Just go away, just go away.” and of course, “Not James, not James, not James.” Everything was happening so fast Peter didn't even have time to look for his best mate. Was he okay? Had he gotten away? It felt like forever but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes from when he was standing over there, panicked, to when he was tackling the Ravenclaw over here, panicked.


He couldn't hold on much longer, the boy was trying to kick out at him, and he thought he saw some of the snakes moving their way. Before he could lose his mind completely, James - James! - was there. His face was a smear of red and Pete thought he might be sick at the sight of his best mate. But he was conscious, holding Sewlyn's arms down, so Peter pushed his nausea away. James was saying something and Peter was looking at him in confusion, a rush in his head drowning everything out. It took the slighter lion a few moments to register his words, but when he did, he didn't question them.


Quickly he scrambled to his knees, bracing himself before releasing Sewlyn's legs, throwing himself on top of his bulk. Faster than Peter could blink it was over. He brought his fist down, aimed at the temple as James had instructed, and then Charles was still. He stared at his slack face, and then at James bloody one. “Don't ever do that again.” Peter said, surprised at the equal amounts of anger and relief in his voice. He reached out and clasps James on the shoulder, sighing deeply.

Then he was being lifted, up, up, until he was standing. Whoever it was released him and Pete stumbled. He looked around, his eyes wide in the sunlight, and moved closer to James. Sewlyn's friends had come at last. They could not take on all of Slytherin house! Oh, where was Sirius when you needed him! He eyed the snakes who had arrived as he whispered to his best mate.“Please, please tell me you have a plan that does not involve hitting another bigger, older boy. For getting us out of this, you know. Because we really need to get out of here.”

[Meredith Mulciber]

Meredith glaring was not a rare occurrence at all, in fact she did it very often indeed. Meredith glaring at Lydia? That was rarer than the blonde hugging a Gryffindor or smiling at a mudblood. But she was. She was glaring at her favorite roommate. We really, she was alternating between shooting daggers at her friend and her friends betrothed. Willing Sewlyn to simply stop, and Avery to do something. Lydia, however, was too busy flaying Charles alive with her eyes to notice Meredith. And Charles was paying neither girls any attention at all, he was too busy making a fool of himself.  
 

As their older classmate intended - she was sure - a physical altercation commenced. Meredith hissed, anger rising up in her chest and immediately she felt a hand in the small of her back. She tensed, a shiver - barely suppressed - passed over her. Even in the mist of all this, she responded to Marc like a flower to the sun. She turned to him and he was looking at her, not the fight, his angular face drawn into a frown. Before either could say anything, there was a noise, louder than the normal scuffling of feet and flying fist.  

Charles was on his feet now, Pettigrew stuck to his back like a baby monkey, Potter prostrate on the ground. Marc twined his fingers with hers and began pulling them away from their group of friends, toward the group of three boys fighting. She stopped to give Lydia an angry look. “If he is going to do something so brash at least do it somewhere more private, and for Merlin's sake, next time, use a wand. It's embarrassing. ” It was a disgustingly muggle way of handling disputes and Meredith could not believe Charles had stooped to such lows.  

Then she and Marc were approaching the boys. He released her to pull Pettigrew to his feet. Marc was not as large as Charles but he was plenty strong enough. Next her love bent to inspect his roommate, his wand hovering over the prone boy. Meredith fixed the Gryffindors with a fierce glare, her mouth turned up in a sneer. It was hardly fair, two against one. The blonde did not mention this, however. She was sure the two boys in her year would not care, they were infamous for stacking the odds in their favor. Take poor Severus for example. She raised a single, perfectly sculpted brow. “And you two are still here because?”

[Bronwyn Nott]

What had been a nice time spent with her roommates was quickly becoming into an annoyance. Why the idiot Ravenclaw decided he needed to bother the Gryffindors anyway was beyond her. It was clear that James Potter - while a pureblood (although not one of the Sacred) - had unintelligent ways of viewing blood status. He should have been honored that a pureblood from the Sacred 28 even spoke to him! Not that Bronwyn could fathom why a slug like Charles was part of it, he knew these kinds of things would distress Lydia! And Lydia was clearly distressed, especially after the boy's had started fighting.

And Meredith was seething too, that was easily to tell. Bronwyn rolled her eyes as she saw the other blonde exchange a look with Marc. Watching the way Meredith acted around the older boy was disgusting, and as such she returned her attention to Lydia, reaching to take the girls hands and give them a reassuring squeeze. Something that didn't happen as Charles let himself get apprehended by the Pettigrew idiot and Meredith snapped at Lydia in anger. "She's hardly response for that idiots behavior Mucliber, there's no need to be rude!" she snapped to the other girls retreating back.

The fighting had started to draw enough of a crowd, which was only going to increase if the Gryffindors were dumb enough to try and take on the two Slytherins that were headed their way. "Don't fret Lydia, everyone knows that Potter and his idiots are always up to trouble, no ones going to blame Charles for this." Even if it was clearly his fault. She took a glance back towards Meredith and Marc, when she spotted an opportunity she couldn't just pass up. Patting Lydia's hand gently, she stood and was next to the younger girl before the little Gryffindors redhead could react, dragging her over towards the others.

"And look who else is here, pretty little thing isn't she? Maybe there's hope for Black yet, heard he tossed this little mudblood off on Pettigrew here."

[Daisy Hookum]

For a group of guys that were supposedly close, finding a single one of them today had proven to be a challenge. Usually Sirius was the easiest to find thanks to the gaggle of girls that followed him about, but they seemed to all be anything but stalking a pretty raven haired boy about the school. She had even gone into the Library to see if she could find any of them, but so far she hadn't had any luck. When she has finally resigned herself to just sitting in the common room (maybe Charlotte would be about...) she had the good luck of running into the oddest one of the group.

She was shy herself, but it still was odd how Remus would shuffle about when they talked and try and avoid eye contact. It was a shame he wasn't more confident considering his looks, but at least he was offering to help. She nodded along as he told her where he had seen Peter last, because obviously that's who she was looking for. Her boy. Friend. Boyfriend? How official were things?

She was too scared to ask, but they'd been spending time together and he has taken her to Hogsmeade last month. But it wasn't like they had really talked about labels. Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she tuned in to hear her companion sigh. She looked to Remus - he'd offered to walk her to them - and was intrigued to see him shaking his head. Before she could ask he had turned on his heel and left.

"Ah..." Well great, why would he just abandon her like that? The sound behind her drew her attention, and it was then the answer was clear. Judging by the fact an older boy had Peter practically crawling on him like a deranged monkey, which was followed shortly after by a very bloody James. Panic gripped her, and she started to run towards them, only slowing down once she realized exactly what group of people were watching the fight.

There was no one she wanted to avoid more than Slytherins, especially the b*tchy older blonde one that was walking towards her boyfriend friends with another snake. Maybe she should go and find a perfect or one of the head students...a thought she could barely finish before the other obnoxious blonde girl had her by the arm and was dragging her towards James and Peter.

She tried to yank her arm away once they stopped at the group, which only caused the stupid girl to dig her nails in. And the things she was saying! Like she had ever been interested in Sirius - even if he was stupidly hot sometimes. She'd wanted to get to know Peter! "That's not a nice thing to say, you snog your stupid Daddy with that mouth?" The slap the Nott girl gave her was harsh, and Daisy could only react with the same shock she felt from the fact she had even said those words out loud! To a 4th year Slytherins!

[Lydia Avery]

Lydia felt as stuck to the earth as if someone had charmed her to it, watching helplessly as Potter landed a number of blows, as Pettigrew launched himself at her Charlie, seemingly intent on separating ear from head for some entirely unknown rationale. She was not unaccustomed to hearing violent accounts, but seeing something like this with her very eyes was...jarring. The boys were holding nothing back; even as Potter tottered on his feet, and she hoped for a moment that it had become too much to him, there he was, stubbornly returning to the fray.

She leaned forward with apprehension, trepidation, fury, as the Gryffindors successfully held Charlie down; her heart pounded wildly in her chest as Pettigrew struck him with such force that his flailing limbs dropped heavily to the ground. Furious tears were threatening to escape her usually carefully guarded eyes, for as much as her betrothed drove her to the limits of her considerable patience, she didn't want him hurt.

Although...perhaps this will help him learn.

Regardless, Lydia needed to go to him, but her given role of being the first there was snatched out from under her.

Marc and Meredith conspicuously rose from their group, hand-in-hand approaching the more active scene. The look of superiority, disgust, anger, she received from her friend was just horrible, as horrible as her words, and the blonde had to know Lydia already knew all of this! She was hurt, and extremely thankful for the friend who was showing support; Bronwyn took her nerves-clammy hand in hers, standing up for her while she was...not too lost for words to speak for herself - there were many choice things she would have preferred throwing Meredith's way than silence - but was simply unable to speak in present company. She turned a tense smile to Winnie at the girl's reassurance, nodding her agreement. "You're right, of course. They're insufferable." The words were spat with only a tenth of the venom she felt coursing through her, but it would have to do for now; her roommate was distracted, within a moment up and capturing a girl Lydia didn't recognize...

But a girl who was apparently of importance to Pettigrew and Potter.

An idea quickly brewing as Winnie and the girl started a something of their own, Lydia removed her wand from her clutch. In the immediate aftermath of the incredibly deserved slap Winnie delivered, she sent a muttered Freezing Charm to the pair of Gryffindors rushing for their wands. They wanted to debilitate her Charlie? There were consequences for such things. Potter was already physically paying for that, she could easily see, but Pettigrew...if he thought he was getting away with this, he was about to be proven mistaken. Let them stand there unable to do anything but watch as Bronwyn had her way with the little redhead. Let them feel how she had ever since Potter struck her betrothed.

She got to her feet without another word, brushing the grass and leaf remnants from her pale skirt; the fourth year kept her dark eyes on the lions, watching for signs of her spell wearing off, as she made her way towards them. Unfortunately Meredith and her perfect catch were still present. A pained part of the brunette wished for the older Slytherin to make a mistake as public as this so that Meredith would regret her lack of sympathy today; Lydia didn't desire subservience, and she didn't see that current status continuing into their marriage, but presently...

She was playing, but not winning, the game. Couldn't Meredith understand that? It was a long game, and she had to be careful with an opponent - or partner, depending on the mood - like Charles Selwyn.

Ignoring whatever was going on behind her with Winnie and the girl, ignoring Meredith, Lydia cleared her throat pointedly at Marc, sending him a look once he turned that unmistakably declared what she wanted from him. Once given the space to do so, Lydia knelt on the soiled grass, the rush of bile she expected needing to suppress from seeing the damage up close...not coming. She tucked that useful nugget of memory away to dissect at a later time, and lightly brushed his torn-up ear, the deepening bruising on his face. Healing spells were entirely foreign to her, but thankfully Charlie was beginning to stir, jerking awake with her hand still on his cheek. The tall boy scrambled to his feet, obviously unsteady but just as obviously not about to take any assistance from her.

He began staggering towards the castle in a daze, and she fell into step with him after sending a second Freezing Charm to the fools as reinforcement; wiping the blood from her fingers off on her skirt, eyes trained forwards as if she was wearing blinders to the world around her, Lydia soldiered on.

(ooc: was meaning to start with other threads today but this day was sh*t and angry!lydia helps lol)

[James Potter]

While Peter really was doing remarkably well on his own, James knew that if they were going to pull this off, it would take the two of them working together. Pete's adrenaline-fueled assault couldn't last indefinitely, Selwyn was bound to get over the shock of the turn of affairs and take his anger out on the smaller boy. So it was with no thinking at all that James returned to end the fight; he clamped his hands down on Selwyn's arms while Pete looked at him as if unable to hear his words, his eyes pained - did he really look that distractingly bad? - until they turned steely with recognition. A few moments of adjustment later, Selwyn struggling harder at hearing James' instruction, and it was over. Peter's fist slammed into the bloke's temple, and, breathing heavily, James released the other's limp arms. He sat back on his heels, bringing his forearm under his stinging-with-each-heavy-pulse nose to staunch the bleeding, and met his mate's unusually hard gaze. In his surprise - Peter never sounded so commanding, so sure of himself - James nodded his understanding, getting up on weak legs after the other's reassurance.

It was with just as much surprise that the lion saw another's hands on his mate; another shot of adrenaline raced through him as he readied himself to spring into a new fight, but thankfully the newcomer - Zabini - let Peter go without a word. The boy came over to him, looking as worn out as James felt, and at his low words James...really wished he was thinking more clearly. The knocks he'd gotten had left a dull ringing in his ears, his thoughts more muddied than the Black Lake in early spring. "Yeah - yeah, o'course," he said thickly, matching Pete's tone. Before he had time to elaborate on not so much of a "plan" but a string of thoughts he'd try to put together as he spoke, Meredith Mulciber was addressing them. Prim, proper, and pompous as ever, the blonde had apparently accompanied her boyfriend - fiancé? who cared to keep up with all of that - and thought she needed to taunt them. It was as clear to her as it was to them that the fighting was done, and James found it difficult to fix her with a glare of the same intensity, given his state. "The grounds are fair game, Mulciber - would it kill you to relax?"

He nodded to Peter, though, and was taking his first steps away from the scene when a shrill voice called out names of the marauders. Aren't we done? James turned to see what the hell was going on now, and in equal parts shock and horror saw Bronwyn Nott sauntering their way with Daisy in tow. Peter had just begun seeing the girl, and this was no way for her to get a good impression of him and his friends, not at all. He shot his mate an apologetic look and went for his wand, grinning a tad as Daisy spoke back to the snake - but the slap delivered hurried his movement -

Panic, sheer panic, flooded him as, for all intents and purposes, he was turned to stone. Well - more-so a fountain, although James could hardly envision anyone wanting him like this in their garden. He willed his fingers to reach his pocket and his wand, his feet to continue onward, but whatever willpower he had wasn't nearly enough to overcome the spell someone had sent. In the short quiet that followed, he saw Lydia Avery headed their way; the Mulciber and Nott follower hardly seemed pleased, what with the death glare sent his and Pete's ways. She got to her boyfriend - fiancé? - as James recalled that Selwyn was such to her, and he kept trying to move, fruitlessly, as she tended to the bloke on the ground. He was just starting to regain his ability to move, fingers twitching closer to his wand, when Selwyn got up. And he was frozen in place yet again.

F*ck.

Whatever trouble he was already in with Peter was going to be nothing compared to the shitstorm of fury he'd receive if Daisy got hurt.

[Peter Pettigrew]

Peter only had a moment of relief at James' words -damn right he would never do this again, at least, not when Pete was his only backup- before the other students descended on them. After that, things happened very quickly. Mulciber, snappy bird that she was, really did have the right idea. He and James needed to scram. But, naturally, James just couldn't keep quiet. Pete shot him a quick glare that clearly said 'Shut up and let's go!', but he needn't, James was already moving away.

Peter made to follow him but then someone was calling their names and then Daisy was there. Daisy! He saw James go for his wand out of the corner of his eye, saw his friends look, but his eyes were wide as he watched the scene before them. His heart stopped as Dais mouthed off and then again at the slap to the face that followed. Nott had attacking the cute redhead who had stolen his heart... There was a sharp flare of outright rage inside him and Peter meant to rush forward, knock Nott arse over elbows...but he couldn't move.

There was a split second of pure confusion before the realization that they had been put under a spell kicked in -indeed, he could see James still, completely motionless, beside him. Helpless panic set in. This time, not for himself and his best mate, but for Daisy. She had no idea what a huge pile of dung she had just stepped in. He caught movement from the other corner of his eye, another snake had joined them. They were now supremely outnumbered, but thank Merlin for small favors, the new girl simply took Sewlyn away. Just about that time Pete thought he may be regaining movement, only to be frozen once again.

He was trapped, stuck watching Daisy in the clutches of really one of the worst Slytherins. Peter was still shocked and outraged that she had said those things about Sirius and Daisy, though he shouldn't really have been surprised. Then someone was making the most awful sound, it was like a cats screech almost, but more high-pitched. Abruptly he was released from the awful spell that had kept him from Daisy, he hit his knees, having been frozen in the process of trying to run for his girlfriend. He quickly scrambled up. His face set as he drew his wand. “Let her go. She has nothing to do  with this.”

[Meredith Mulciber]

The ire of her roommates was hardly anything to Meredith in the moment. Lydia should never have let the situation get so out of hand! Though, admittedly, the words she had spoken to the other girl were words better dealt out to  Charles. The oaf. He was a brash fellow, no matter how hard anyone tried -included herself and her betrothed- he heeded nothing. He had almost none of the subtly that Marcellus possessed. And that was hardly Lydia's fault. She would think about patching that up later, though. Right now the situation was getting more out of control by the minute.

Bronwyn appeared, pale little lion waif in tow, and she heard Marc swear beside her. She looked at him immediately. Marc almost never swore. In fact, he swore even less than she did, and that was saying something. “Merlin helps us for our roomma-” she cut herself off as a smack reached her ears. The scene had changed drastically in the few seconds she had turned to her love: Lydia was taking Charles away, the two Gryffindor boys had been hit with a 'Petrificus Totalus', and Bronwyn -whom she had heard taunting the little lions – had officially involved herself in this embarrassing mess of a physical altercation. 

Meredith could see the red welt forming already on the younger girls face. She screamed then, a terrible, awful scream. “You idiot!” she raged. Beside her Marc had drawn his wand and removed the spell from the two boys who had really done a number on his friend. The smallest boy of the group also pulled his wand. Meredith glanced between the two of them, wondering what Marc had in mind, but he didn't seem to be about to do anything. In fact, he was looking at her, expectantly. She pursed her mouth a him, and gave him a hard glare, he stared impassively back. “Fine!” she shouted after too long a moment, even more annoyed at the triumphant smirk that jumped to his lips. She marched over to the group of squabblers, pushing past Pettigrew and Potter, and approaching her roommate with as much fury as she could manage.



“Enough Bronwyn. I see, as usual, you have succeeded in making the situation considerable worse. Unhand her so that we may leave this instant.”

[Bronwyn Nott]

While she had ignored much of the conversation happening with the others – really, did Charles have to upset Lydia so often? – she had every right to be upset about what the little half wit had said to her. She had a big mouth for whoever she was, and the red head was certainly not any pureblood she knew of. Within seconds, however, Meredith was letting out a god-awful screech and she spun around, rolling her eyes. “Could you be more dramatic Mulciber?” She should have known her roommate would only get upset, she hardly did anything else. Especially when her precious Marc was around.

She looked to the smaller boy as he got up from the ground where he had fallen, laughing at him. The red head was still in his grasp, although she was being an annoying little thing, but did Pettigrew really just think she was going to let go? Not that she hardly had time to decided, before Meredith was storming over, dramatic as ever. “Fine,” she retorted as she let the girl go, drawing her own wand from her pocket. “But you won’t get anywhere worth getting with that kind of attitude. No wonder you got paired off with the first suitor so show any interest.”

She flipped her hair over her shoulder, looking past Meredith to March with a sneer on her face. “Now if you done being a barn owl, I’m going to find Lydia. Someone has to apologize to her for your outburst, and I doubt she wants to see you.” She pushed past her roommate, shooting a glare back to the Gryffindor before following after Lydia.

[Daisy Hookum]

She’d never been slapped like that before, and she had to admit it stung more than she had been expecting. How could she have mouthed off to the older girl? She wasn’t the kind of person to act so irrational and she was shocked that the words had even escaped her. She hadn’t a clue where Remus had run off to so suddenly, surely he had seen the mess that his friends looked. How could he have just left them?

The shriek that the other blonde girl was making brought her back to reality, and she looked as Peter was on his feet with his wand out, and she had to admit it was nice to know he’d take on the Slytherin girls for her. Thankfully, the girl was letting her go - after another hurtful comment directed at her - and taking off after their other friend. Daisy didn’t wait for any of the rest of them to say anything before she took off to Peter and James, digging in her bag for her wand. “Peter are you okay? James you look terrible, we have to get you to the hospital wing. Remus took off when we got out here, I haven’t a clue where he went. What happened?!”

[James Potter]

As abruptly as their joints had been locked, the pair of marauders were freed. He brought his non-dominant arm to his nose, the throbbing doing nothing but increase now that he had his mobility back. But the hospital would have to wait; James nodded in terse agreement to his mate's words, wand at the ready, although he truly hoped he wouldn't need to use it to try and get Daisy out of the girl's clutches. He was feeling woozy, unsteady, and his markmanship...likely wasn't to be trusted. Mulciber chose the moment of indecision to scream her way through the no man's land and demand her roommate let their housemate go. James' attention flickered over to Peter, unsure of her game. Was Mulciber seriously pulling for them? The crowd was dispersing now that those involved were leaving in varying states of upset; James was thankful for it. He didn't need another owl sent home from McGonagall about his disruptive behavior, although it wasn't likely his classmates would keep quiet about this, blabbermouths that they were. He was especially glad to see the back of Bronwyn Nott, one less adversary to deal with. The girls' bickering had gone over his pounding head, but he still held his wand in hand as Daisy approached them, just in case any of them changed their minds.

"Daisy, are you all right?" James asked through the arm held under his bleeding broken nose, guilt heavy in his stomach as he saw the discolored partial handprint on her cheek. She wouldn't've gotten involved if he hadn't gotten Peter involved...now that the Slytherins of his year had had such an encounter with her, they were as likely to forget her face as she was to forget theirs. "They - er - said some nasty things, got under my skin, and Pete got it done. Looks worse than it is.

Look, I'm - I'm really sorry I couldn't stop her from saying that. Hitting you. It won't happen again." While this was by no means the first time he'd made that declaration, James felt like he meant it this time. Maybe Mum and Dad were right. He needed to find ways to deal with purebloods like that being little sh*ts that were...nonviolent. But they've already convinced themselves of their rightness - talking isn't going to solve anything. The fourth year swayed on his feet, stumbling as he regained his balance. "Hospital isn't the worst idea, though. Poppy's gonna kill me for getting this broken again."