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One of the Boys [Part One]

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: Marauders & OFC friendship

Characters: James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon, Mary MacDonald, Original Female Character

Word Count: 4820

Rating: Teen

Summary: From the moment she met them Elle has always been one of the boys, but what happens when she doesnt want that anymore?

Tags/ Warnings: Friendship, Fluff, Angst, Male/Female Friendships, Marauders Era, High school drama, arguing, dating, the boys are stupid and sweet

Notes: Oh to be friends with dumb boys

PART ONE // PART TWO

‘So how was your first game?’ James said as he trudged into boys changing rooms clunking the door shut behind him as he trailed in after his friends.

‘Wet,’ Jace chuckled as he rested his broom against one of the changing benches, tiny droplets of water falling from one wooden surface to another before they became one with the bench. He was sodden, the layers of his quidditch uniform sticking to him as it did the others, their faces ruddy and cold from playing in a torrential downpour.

‘You’re not kidding,’ James chuckled as he came to stand next to him, ‘you did good though.’

‘Thanks,’ Jace said, as he unlaced his boots. James started to do the same, wincing as the winter’s air made contact with his dampened skin. He couldn’t wait to get in the shower, to feel the scalding hot water run across his aching muscles, but thanks to the cramped nature of the changing rooms they only had two cubicles and they’d been commandeered by the two other boys on the team before they could get a look in.

James wasn’t surprised, he was normally the first one in after a match, ready to get back out so he could catch everyone and congratulate or commiserate with them personally. But today was Jace’s first game on the team and as Gryffindor quidditch captain he’d felt obligated to make sure he had a good game. It was why he’d opted to take a seat on this bench instead of his normal one across the way with Sirius, who’d stripped out of his own soaked gear and was standing behind them, wrapped in the dressing gown he’d had the forethought to bring with him.

‘James is right you were great,’ Sirius said, ‘though I thought for sure Johnson had gotten that snitch within the first ten minutes.’

‘He nearly did,’ Jace said as he threw on a dry shirt quickly hoping the cold wouldn’t touch him.

‘Thank god the visibility was low,’ James added. He was out of his gear now, two towels wrapped around his body though it wasn’t enough to fend off the cold. In fact he was half contemplating doing the same as Jace who was dressing to head back to the tower, no doubt happy to shower and get changed properly once in somewhere with a heating system.

‘Thank Merlin Elle hit that bloody bludger away,’ Jace said with a smile, ‘I was nearly dead meat.’

‘She’s like lightning that one,’ Sirius mused.

‘Quicker than a snitch,’ James grinned.

‘And fierce too,’ Jace said as he pulled a pair of jeans on, ‘did you see the way she ripped into that Hufflepuff beater when she got too close to Johnson.’

‘That’s our Elle,’ Sirius smiled.

‘Oh yeah, you’re friends right?’ Jace replied, turning his attention to throwing his damp clothes into his quidditch bag.

‘Since first year,’ James said proudly as he did the same, pulling his dry clothes out onto the bench for when he came out of the shower.

‘So you know her pretty well then?’ Jace asked casually.

‘Better than anyone,’ Sirius said, taking a seat back on his own bench, his own sodden clothes in a pile on the floor.

‘So what’s she like?’ he asked, ‘off the pitch I mean.’

‘Well she’s Elle,’ James said, looking up from where he’d been sorting his clothes, intrigued by the boys line of questioning.

Because it wasn’t as if Jace didn’t know her. He was the year above them and though they didn’t really run in the same circles since he’d tried out for the team this year they’d been training together for a good few weeks. And Elle was Elle no matter if she was on or off the pitch. James’ scrutiny made him falter, the boy clearing his throat as he said, ‘yeah I know but…I dunno I guess I always see her hanging about with you lot but I don’t really know her. She seems…quiet.’

‘Elle?’ Sirius laughed, making James chuckle, ‘pull the other one.’

‘So what is she like then?’ Jace pressed. The boys looked at each other, unsure of how to answer. Because Elle was Elle. A marauder. Part of them as the others were. She was fierce and loyal. She was funny and charismatic but James supposed he was right, compared to him and Sirius she was on the quieter end of the spectrum even if that didn’t mean quiet in the normal sense.

‘I don’t know,’ James said, ‘funny?’

‘Loud?’ Sirius added.

‘Funny and loud?’ Jace said, a frown dancing across his face.

‘She’s like us,’ James rebutted.

‘She’s one of the boys,’ Sirius added.

‘Oh,’ Jace frowned, ‘so she doesn’t mind when you like talk about girls and stuff?’

‘James never stops,’ Sirius ribbed earning a shove from James. Sirius shoved him back, but Jace pressed on, unbothered by their wrestling, his face curious as he said, ‘no but like most girls wouldn’t like it guess. I mean they like talking about makeup and boys and stuff right?’

‘Not our Elle,’ Sirius said. James nodded.

‘So what do you talk about?’ Jace asked.

‘I don’t know,’ James shrugged, trying to pin down the last conversation they’d had but his mind was flooded by memories of today when every conversation had been about strategy or celebration, ‘quidditch?’

‘She doesn’t talk about boys and that?’ Jace asked.

‘Elle?’ Sirius asked, trying to think back about whether they’d ever talked about a boy and coming up empty. He’d mentioned girls around her and James never stopped prattling on about Lily and she was always happy to help when it came to that but the more he thought of it the more he realised they never really spoke about her love life, if he was being honest he didn’t really know if she had one and he found the words coming out before he planned them, ‘no I guess she doesn’t.’

‘Is she not interested in them or something?’ Jace chuckled softly.

‘I don’t know,’ James shrugged, ‘I think being friends with us lot has probably been enough to put her off for life don’t you think?’

‘Probably,’ Sirius joked though his smiled dimmed as he saw Jace frown, grabbing his bag from the bench and swinging it over his shoulder.

‘Yeah I bet you’re right,’ he said smiled weakly, ‘see you at the party yeah?’

‘Yeah, see you,’ James said, allowing him to pass between them and head to the door so he could leave. The pair waited until the door clicked closed before they spoke, curiosity flaming between them both.

‘That was weird right?’ Sirius said.

‘Yeah,’ James agreed, ‘what do you think? Tell Elle or not?’

‘I’m gonna go with not,’ Sirius said.

‘Agreed,’ James nodded.

‘C’mon,’ Sirius said as Gideon Johnson and Felix Fischer appeared from the showers, ‘let’s get up to the party.’

✵✵✵

Though the wind and the rain that continued to pour outside was dower and depressing it didn’t dampen the spirits of Gryffindor house who remained on a jubilant high following their win well into the evening. And though the boys had enjoyed themselves, as they did following every win, they’d grown tired of the common room festivities and so had headed to an alcove just down the corridor, mostly so Sirius could smoke. It was where Elle had found them.

She slipped in quickly behind the ornate tapestry that hid the tiny turret from view, immediately wedging herself on the small stone bench between Sirius and Remus. This wasn’t unusual and she often slotted into the group without issue so much so James didn’t even break from his conversation about a trip to Zonkos next Saturday, but noting her subdued nature Sirius took a glimpse at her. She looked sullen, her arms folded across herself and her eyes glossed over as if she was thinking about something. It was only when he nudged her thigh with his, offering her a drag of the cigarette he’d been about to hand to Remus did she look up, giving him a weak smile before she took a drag.

Curious and bored by James’ story he didn’t even let the boy finish and when she finally came up for air he smirked and said, ‘what’s up with you face ache?’

‘Nothing,’ she grumbled, leaning back against the stone seating and wincing as the coolness of it touched her back through her thin t-shirt. The change in conversation diverted all eyes on the girl which made her squirm, their worry at her absent exuberant nature a tad embarrassing.

‘C’mon it must be something,’ James said, unbothered by the conversation being steered away from his chosen topic when he saw how put out she looked.

‘Yeah since when are you this quiet?’ Peter added.

‘Can’t I be quiet if I want to be?’ Elle grumbled.

‘No,’ Sirius said, taking the cigarette back as he added, ‘spill.’

Elle shrugged and then folded her arms across her chest as if gesturing for them to move on with the conversation. When all she got in return was four expectant faces looking back at her she sighed and shuffled up in her seat, picking at her finger nails as she said, ‘it’s nothing.’

‘But?’ Sirius pressed.

‘But,’ she said, chewing on the inside of her cheek before she asked, ‘is Jace annoyed at me or something?’

‘Jace? Don’t think so,’ James said, his brow furrowing in a way that made his glasses slide down his nose, ‘why?’

‘I don’t know he seemed fine before the match but I’ve just been speaking to him and he’s acting all weird,’ she sighed, taking the cigarette back and taking a quick drag before offering it to Remus as they pondered her words, ‘…do you think it was the bludger thing?’

‘What that you saved his head from getting smashed in?’ Peter asked. James and Sirius nodded in agreement but their support only made Elle sit upright, more confused than she had been as she said, ‘I know! But…what if he, I don’t know, felt I was showing him up or something?’

‘Nah he was alright with it,’ Sirius reasoned, immediately diverting her attention, her brow furrowed as she recalled the painful ten minutes she’d spent with the boy trying to make awkward conversation before he’d pretended to see a friend across the room and made an excuse to get out of her way, prompting her to come and find the boys.

‘Wait you talked to him about it?’ she asked.

‘Yeah in the changing rooms,’ James said casually, worrying her further as she shuffled in her seat leaning forward as she pressed, ‘so what did he say?’

‘I don’t know,’ James shrugged, looking to Sirius for help. Since they’d gotten back to the party he’d put their conversation with Jace out of his mind. And considering they’d opted not to tell Elle about it in the first place he felt on the spot.

‘He was just asking about you,’ Sirius added.

‘About me?’ she asked, her mind spinning about what could have garnered such a change in temperament.

‘Yeah,’ James said.

‘What for?’ she asked quickly, worry spreading through her stomach. She loved the boys but they could be oblivious to some things, like whatever might make a boy go from talking you to awkwardly trying to get away from her.

‘Just wanted to know what you were like,’ James said.

‘Right,’ she said, her nerves mounting further, ‘but like what did he want to know?’

‘Well just what you’re like I guess,’ Sirius said, smirking as he added, ‘he said you seemed quiet.’

‘Elle?’ Remus chuckled.

‘That’s what we said,’ James grinned, but Elle didn’t laugh, she didn’t even smile as her brow was furrowed as if she was working out a particularly difficult arithmancy equation. As if she was using their words to predict the future and not liking what she was met with. When she didn’t smile Sirius shifted, glancing at James who faltered too, hastening to add, ‘we just said you were a laugh.’

‘Yeah and smart,’ Sirius added, ‘like us.’

‘Like you?’ she frowned.

‘Well yeah,’ James said, unsure why the comparison seemed to weigh heavily on her. After all they were always lumped together. She was as much a part of the marauders as they were so for her to seem offended by that hurt him more than he’d expected. But Elle paid no notice to his upset, still thinking as she said, ‘and when you said that what did he say?’

‘Nothing really,’ Sirius said, but James sat up, sharing a look with his friend before he said, ‘well…he asked about what we talked about.’

‘And you said?’ Elle pressed.

‘Does it matter?’ James snipped.

‘Yes!’ Elle sighed, standing up and running her hand through her long golden locks as she thought about Jace. How unimpressed he’d looked. How it was no surprise. They’d been getting on well, a bit of flirty banter tossed here and there since he’d joined the team and she’d been waiting on a win to celebrate with him and talk properly. No wonder he didn’t want to speak to her, not when he thought she was a loud and boisterous. Just like them. Like a boy. Worse still they didn’t seem to get it, shrugging as if it was of insignificance as James replied, ‘we just said like quidditch and stuff!’

‘The canons,’ Sirius offered.

‘Pranks!’ Peter asked, though he shrunk back against his seat when Elle glared at him for daring to add fuel to this mounting fire but her attention was redirected as James spoke, his words encouraging as he said, ‘we just told him you were one of the boys.’

At that her gaze snapped towards him, her bright blue eyes flaming as her mouth drew to a tight pout that rivalled that of McGonagall’s when she was trying to temper her anger. The boys shared a hesitant look as she rubbed her brow and grit out, ‘what?’

‘We just-’ Sirius started.

‘You told him I was one of the boys!’ she snapped.

‘Well yeah!’ James replied.

‘You are,’ Sirius added irate at the way she was snapping at them considering he didn’t see what was wrong with the comparison. She’d never minded being part of their gang before, what was different today?

‘And what else?’ she asked, folding her arms across her chest angrily.

‘Elle,’ Remus tried but she cut him off.

‘What else!’ she demanded.

‘Well I can’t really remember,’ James lied, ‘it was just a casual conversation.’

‘Yeah, I mean I guess he asked about…’ Sirius started, falling quiet as James widened his eyes at him. They hadn’t even been able to ascertain what was weird about Jace’s questioning let alone what would trigger more anger if translated haphazardly to Elle who was growing more irate by the second.

‘Asked about what?’ Elle said, her voice deathly low. Remus and Peter sank back, thankful their lack of athleticism had ruled them out of being subjected to the storm that was brewing. James looked to Sirius for help, the two of them having a silent conversation that only seemed to enrage Elle further and she leant forward and took the cigarette that Sirius had managed to pilfer back at some point out of his fingers holding it out of his reach as he lurched to snatch it back. That made James shuffle awkwardly in his seat as though he was prey trying to display just how non-threatening he was though it was nothing compared to Peter who seemed frozen still just in case movement caused her to divert her attention onto him. However it had the desired effect on Sirius though who finally snapped, ‘oi don’t get your knickers in a twist!’

‘Then tell me what he said!’ Elle demand, moving back as he rose from his seat to get it. Sirius scowled and glanced at James who shrugged as if signalling he might as well divulge whatever they were keeping back. It wasn’t as though she could get any angrier after all.

‘Fine,’ Sirius sighed, stepping so that they were face to face and looking down on her as she baited him, ‘he asked if you minded us talking about girls around you.’

‘And you said?’ Elle asked, that nervous feeling returning.

‘Well you don’t,’ James said from behind him, unable to see how she hadn’t worked that out for herself.

‘Did he ask anything else?’ she pressed, ignoring him.

‘If you talked about boys which as Prongs said-’

‘Oh my god!’ Elle shrieked, dropping the cigarette to the floor as her hands flew to her face, brushing her hair out of it. Sirius spied his opportunity and grabbed the fag from the floor before sitting back down but uncertain of what exactly had tipped her over the edge James just asked, ‘what?!’

‘You told him I was one of the boys!’ she shrieked.

‘You are!’ James shouted.

‘That I don’t like boys!’ she snapped, shaking her head as if she could get the words out of them, ‘oh my god.’

‘Elle please calm down,’ Remus said.

‘I can’t believe them!’ she rambled.

‘It’s not that bad-’

‘Stop defending them!’ Elle snapped.

‘What have they actually done though?’ Peter asked, lost at how the conversation had spiralled so out of control.

‘Are you thick?!’ she snapped, her anger hitting everyone regardless of fault.

‘Oi it’s not my fault,’ Peter retorted, feeling foolish for sticking his head above the parapet.

‘Pete’s right it’s us you’re upset at,’ James said, feeling guilty as Peter shrunk back in his seat, nursing his bruised ego.

‘Not that I can see why,’ Sirius grumbled, causing her gaze to fall on him as though she were a bull noticing a red flag for the first time. Remus immediately jumped up to separate them, holding his hands up in surrender as he said, ‘look lets calm down. Don’t get upset.’

‘Oh and what kind of person would get upset eh?’ she challenged, ‘oh I bet I should just be like you when they do stupid shit. Water off a ducks back eh?’

‘I didn’t say that,’ Remus grunted, irritated by her refusal to even conceded to trying to smooth this out. He didn’t doubt the boys had done wrong but shouting was getting them nowhere.

‘You didn’t have to!’ she scoffed, ‘ugh, you know you lot are so stupid sometimes-’

‘And how are we supposed to apologise for being stupid when we don’t even know what we’ve done!?’ Sirius challenged, getting to his feet so that they could see one another around their werewolf buffer.

‘Don’t know how you couldn’t figure it out! I mean I’m just one of the boys right, one of the lads surely you’ll just know what could be wrong,’ she shouted, her voice echoing off the small chamber and out into the drizzly night air. And before they could retort she stormed out, pushing the tapestry roughly out of her way so much that it swayed vigorously on its hanging. Remus stuck his head out and shouted for her but she was disappearing down the end of the corridor within seconds of leaving and the way she ignored him didn’t lend itself to the idea she’d slow down if he tried to chase after her.

So deeming it fruitless he stepped back inside and dropped back into his seat. Sirius had already lit another cigarette and offered it to him immediately after the first drag. Everyone looked just as confused as each other.

‘Any idea what that was about?’ James asked after a minute of pondering.

‘No idea,’ Sirius said with a roll of his eyes.

‘Well until we do,’ Remus said, taking a quick drag, relief flooding through his bones as the nicotine hit and removed his edginess, ‘maybe don’t speak to anyone else about her yeah?’

✵✵✵

What had started to be a dreadfully wet weekend soon turned into an ice age as the boys awoke on Sunday morning to find Elle’s mood had not lifted. Evidenced that by the fact she took one step into the great hall at breakfast, saw them and then promptly stormed out without having a bite to eat. They didn’t see her at all after that, not even at the mini practice James arranged the evening after every game, win or lose, to go over what they’d done well or needed to work on for the next one. And given that she was the only one of the team that attended come rain or shine reality started to set in that their little disagreement may have been more than just some tiff that would blow over.

The only issue was they didn’t really understand what they’d done wrong. After a night of dissecting they’d established likening her to a boy was not something she took lightly but they didn’t know why. Because Elle was one of them. A marauder. Fearless, bright and funny. She fit right in so her utter abhorrence at being known as such had stung. So much so that by the time they walked into the great hall on Monday morning they were just as hurt as she was.

‘She won’t even look this way,’ James said glumly, watching up the table as Elle chatted jovially with Lily and Marlene.

‘Well let her,’ Sirius said though his eyes had been darting up her end of the table every couple of minutes despite himself.

‘You don’t mean that,’ Remus countered as he took a sip of tea.

‘Don’t I?’ Sirius said with a scowl.

‘No otherwise you wouldn’t have had a face like a wet weekend all last night when she didn’t show up would you,’ Remus countered, deepening his scowl further because he knew he was right.

‘Okay so what do you suppose we do then?’ Peter asked.

‘Try and speak to her?’ James suggested though as he spoke he realised she was rising from her seat, waiting for the girls to gather their belongings so they could head to class, ‘c’mon she’s leaving.’

The boys quickly grabbed their things, albeit with a bit of grumbling from Peter about missing the end of breakfast, and by the time she’d gotten to the door they were in the doorway, blocking her, Lily and Marlene from getting past. The moment she realised what the bottleneck was her face became as thunderous as the landscape outside but she didn’t shout like she had before, instead she held her head high and offered a tight, ‘excuse me.’

‘Elle can we have a word,’ James said.

‘Let me past,’ she replied coolly.

‘Elle please,’ Peter said.

‘She doesn’t want to speak to you,’ Marlene snapped, locking arms with Elle as they both scowled at the pair.

‘Oh come on!’ Sirius huffed.

‘Come on what!’ Elle snapped, her blue eyes landing on him.

‘This is childish!’ Sirius retorted, glaring at Lily who snorted before adding, ‘well it is! It’s...’

‘What Sirius?’ Elle challenged, the boys were looking at him now and all of them could see he was on the verge of saying something stupid and yet none of them could stop him because before they could diffuse any tension he said, ‘it’s girl stuff!’

And if Elle’s face hadn’t been like thunder before the looks on Lily and Marlene’s faces was enough to let them know they’d pushed it too far. But their squawking protests were only met by Sirius doubling down, especially now people were looking at him as he said, ‘well it is! Ignoring us, not telling us what we did wrong-’

‘Yeah?’ Elle challenged, ‘and boy stuff is not having enough emotional intelligence to work out what you bloody did wrong in the first place!’

And before any of them could offer anymore protests she barged through the group and fled up the stairs towards her lesson Marlene in tow and Lily trudging behind. Though as the two blondes disappeared up the stone steps Lily hung back, looking disapprovingly at the four of them. It was a feat that seemed to wound James, which was probably why he said, ‘spare me the lecture Evans I’m not in the mood.’

‘You don’t get it do you?’ she asked.

‘Get what?’ Sirius grunted.

‘This argument isn’t some big mystery you know,’ she said.

‘Yeah because she’ll have told you lot all about it,’ Peter challenged.

‘Yeah and even from the outside I could see what the real issue was,’ Lily said.

‘Because you’re so emotionally intelligent,’ Sirius said sarcastically.

‘Because I’m not so dense that I don’t realise why she might not like being called a boy when she’s not one,’ Lily said.

‘But we didn’t mean it like that,’ James protested.

‘Yeah more like she’s part of us,’ Peter said.

‘And what did Jace say when you mentioned that?’ Lily challenged. James and Sirius shared a look, as if they’d forgotten that Jace had been the catalyst for this whole issue starting. As realisation started creeping in Lily doubled down, ‘funnily enough boys don’t seem very interested in girls who are loud like James or arrogant like Sirius.’

‘So Elle’s pissed off we didn’t brag about her to Jace?!’ Sirius baulked. But Lily only rolled her eyes and scoffed, whatever wisdom she was trying to impart missing the mark.

‘You know what forget I said anything,’ Lily grumbled, ‘I’m sure you boys are clever enough to work it out on your own.’

And then she turned on her heel and flitted up the stairs where the girls had disappeared. The boys watched her go before they realised they were creating a jam at the door way as curious students had feigned heading to class in order to eavesdrop. They shuffled out of the way, convening in a corner of the entrance hall as the need for a debrief was felt by all of them before they attempted to head to class.

‘So it is to do with Jace?’ Peter asked with a confused frown.

‘It’s about comparing her to a boy I think,’ Remus said.

‘But she knows we know she’s girl!’ James said exasperatedly.

‘Whatever it is she’s acting like child,’ Sirius grumbled.

‘Yeah I don’t think bringing that up helped Pads,’ Remus said earning himself a scowl. He sighed and readjusted his bag strap so it stopped slipping down his shoulder, ‘oh I don’t know let’s just get to class.’

‘Yeah come on,’ Peter said, checking his watch before the pair of them started heading towards the stairs to their first lesson of the day. Sirius looked as though he was angling for more of an argument, whatever frustrations he’d not managed to get out with the girls festering beneath his handsome scowl. James offered him a smile of encouragement and gestured for them to follow on.

As they started to climb the steps he thought of their first lesson of the day. Transfiguration. It was them and the Slytherins and in true McGonagall fashion the class was segregated in alphabetical order which meant they’d probably spend the lesson being scowled at by whichever girls had taken her side and the back of Elle’s head as she steadfastly ignored them.

He wished he’d not bothered suggesting they try and talk to her. He’d underestimated this being a little disagreement, something that would blow over after a day or two. Now it looked as though they’d only made things worse though he didn’t know why. What had Lily meant by they’d figure it out? She was upset they’d compared her to a boy? Because they hadn’t meant it in a mean way, in fact it was one of the things they loved about her. She was one of them part of the team. So then it had to be about Jace right?

As if he could hear the thoughts slotting into place Sirius looked to him, an expectant expression on his face as he waited for him to explain. Fearing Remus would chastise them for bringing it up again when they were almost near their classroom he hung back just a touch so that it wasn’t evident they were out of ear shot from their friends.

‘You might be right you know,’ James said.

‘That she’s over reacting?’ Sirius asked.

‘That it was about Jace,’ James said.

‘You think he likes her?’ Sirius asked, his brows knitting together as if he was trying to remember the conversation they’d had with the boy, analysing his body language and questions in retrospect.

‘I think he did and well us telling him she was one of the boys put him off,’ James said.

‘Well we didn’t lie about anything,’ Sirius said indignantly, ‘and if he doesn’t like Elle for Elle then she’s better off without him.’

‘True but maybe that’s up to her,’ James said, ‘besides she has a point.’

‘How?’ Sirius asked.

‘Because I wouldn’t have missed it if it was a girl fancying you. For Elle I didn’t even think about it,’ James said. And as they joined the back of the queue waiting to enter their classroom Sirius was finally rendered silent because James was absolutely right.

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