A Good Laugh Never Hurt So Much

James sat up in his bed and looked around to see that everyone else had fallen asleep. There was a new moon tonight, so the night sky was dark and the grounds black. The wind howled against the windows, causing everything to feel as though it were swaying and creaking. He pulled a book from his chest and threw it on the ground. A moan came from the far bed. He paused and continued to throw things out of his chest. He just couldn't seem to find the cloak. Where had it gone? The sound of creaking bed supports came from somewhere behind him.

Lupin! James looked at the mess he had made and back at Lupin's bed. He didn't want anyone to come with him or know what he was up to. He had to get out of the castle and down to the locker room to the pitch, and he wasn't about ready to let anyone ruin it for him. He could just imagine what Sirius would say if he knew that James was actually going out to the Quidditch pitch in the dead of night to practice his moves for tomorrow's game. But he couldn't stand lying there and stewing in the nervous thoughts that wouldn't stop running through his brain. He knew he was being slightly irrational, but he just had to get up and do something. After practicing tonight, he'd be so impressive at the game that Lily wouldn't be able to resist him any longer. I'll be so good that when I ask her out, she'll just have to say yes, he thought impatiently.

He started throwing things back into his chest. Each book clunked as it landed inside the trunk, while everything else lay limply over the chest's sides. Lupin moaned again.

James stared in his direction. It was rather dark tonight without the moon, but he managed to see a dark lump in the distance roll in place. He kicked his stuff out of the way as he rushed over to Lupin's bedside and leaned over his body to see if he was awake or not.

"That's good. I wouldn't want a damn werewolf chewing on my backside tonight," James muttered under his breath. He turned and headed back towards his chest to continue the search.

Lupin shot up like a loose board plank that had been rudely stepped upon. His eyes darted across the room looking for the person who had spoken.

James stopped dead in his tracks. He heard Lupin growl and throw his sheets aside to rush to his insulter's back. Just keep your cool, James, just keep your cool and he won't have a clue.

"Wouldn't want a werewolf chewing on your backside, aye, Prongs? I heard you were going someplace tonight, too? Did you want to share why a werewolf would be bad company?" asked Lupin, breathing down James's collar.

"Moony, you must have heard wrong. I didn't say that, I mean look, there's no moon tonight. You're just good old Moony. No werewolf," laughed James.

"Then who did?" asked Lupin as he pointed to all the beds in the dorm.

"I don't know. Why don't you wake everyone and ask them? Maybe it was a ghost," suggested James as he turned around. He didn't have the time to try to convince Lupin that he wasn't doing anything and or going anywhere, for that matter.

"Now come, Prongs. You're the only one tearing up your stuff looking for your invisibility cloak. You seem to have plans tonight. Where were you going to go, anyway?" asked Lupin, his anger growing as James denied what he had said. Something told him to be wary of whatever was going on. As if he could sense an odor that didn't quite agree with him.

"Are you actually using your prefect abilities to try and keep me in bed, Moony?" James asked in a surprised tone. "I mean really, you've never cared before."

"Prongs, can't a friend ask a friend what the hell he's doing rummaging through his shit and making a racket in the middle of night? And you told Padfoot a few hours earlier that there were no plans for tonight, but now you're getting ready to go gallivanting off somewhere without any of us--"

"You'd better not be trying to stop me, Moony," James growled, suddenly infuriated. "Because I don't like being told what to do." James shoved Lupin against his four-poster. He had just realized what an idiot he would look if anyone found out about his admittedly insane late night plans.

"What, you don't think I don't know you, Prongs?" said Lupin as he flung his legs up so he could get up, but kicked James in the chest. "Do you really think that I wouldn't know? I bet I can guess what your plans are, too!" said Lupin getting up. "You were probably going to have a little fun, weren't you?" said Lupin, as he pushed James back. He pushed him harder than he thought- so hard that James was knocked off his feet.

James got up with amazing speed and punched Lupin off his feet. He had had enough of this little go around and wanted nothing more than to knock Lupin out. Lupin must have known what he was planning when James took a step forward, because he swung his leg at James's knees. James fell over with shock as Lupin fought back. Lupin got half way up, but James pulled him back down on the ground. James sprung to his knees and punched Lupin in the face. He just had to get to the pitch tonight. He had to.

Lupin spit the blood out of his mouth as his hands clenched to James's shoulders and said, "You were probably," he spit more blood out as he rammed his knee up into James, "going to go screw Lily or one of her mates." Lupin coughed and pushed James off. He had a feeling that James wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

James got to his feet and pulled Lupin up with him. Lupin had attacked the one thing he never should have. He had insulted Lily. Now this was more than just personal. Lupin, in James's mind, had suddenly become scum. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" James shouted as he punched him so hard that Lupin's nose broke.

Lupin touched his nose and swung himself to his feet. He now had a broken nose thanks to his best mate. What on earth could possible be so damn important that you would break your mate's nose? Lupin just stared at James. He really didn't understand anymore. But James was not about to quit. As James came in for the next punch, Lupin instinctively raised an arm to defend himself and punched James right between the eyes, breaking his glasses. He knew James was probably up to no good, so Lupin decided just then that he wouldn't be going anywhere tonight. He grabbed James's shirt and pulled him back to hit him again. When James hit the ground, Lupin thought that he would take the hint and just give up.

James fell on his hands and knees. Lupin bent down to pull James back up again to drag him to his bed. But James realized what Lupin was up to and swung his fist up into Lupin's face. Lupin fell backwards onto the floor. Neither of them bothered to get up after that. Lupin rolled over on his side and James stayed on his hands and knees with his glasses lying broken in a small puddle of blood on the ground. He spit more blood out of his mouth. It hit the broken glasses and splattered back in his face.

James turned his head in Lupin's direction and said, "Fuck you!"

Lupin gave a laughing cough and said, "It'd probably improve your mood!"

James raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you volunteering?"

Lupin got on his hands and knees and slowly crawled over to James, "...okay, getting weird!" Lupin put a hand over James's face and the other on the back of his head. Lupin pulled James's head close to his face and licked it from under his chin to the top of his ear, which he then nipped in a loving, affectionate kind of way.

James pushed himself away. He pulled his shirt up to his face and rubbed the two together as hard as he could. "God, Moony, if you really did bite me, I swear I'll eat you!"

Lupin rolled on the floor with laughter. He knew perfectly well that he hadn't bitten James nearly hard enough. But the expression on James's face was priceless. James glanced at the other beds and saw that Sirius and Peter were both awake and sitting in their beds watching. Peter was hiding behind his sheet with his eyes barely peeking out. He shook every time the wind pounded against the window panes.

Sirius, on the other hand, sat clapping and laughing at the two of them. "Do you suppose we'll get another fight tomorrow night, or do I have put in for a request?" asked Sirius, smirking in his usual manner.

Lupin couldn't stop laughing, but James started. Peter gave an airy laugh from behind his sheet. Sirius laughed at his own remark and fell back onto his pillow. James crawled over to Lupin, who was still laughing.

"If you say a damn thing to anyone I'll have to kill you," laughed James. He helped Lupin to his feet and back into bed. He glared at Peter, who at that moment flung himself under his sheets and began to shake. James, his plans of practice forgotten, flopped onto his bed and was sound asleep before Lupin and Sirius ever stopped laughing.