[dohtml]<center> <div style= "width: 400px; background-color: dddddd; border-top: dotted 2px; border-bottom: dotted 2px; border-color: 550000; padding-top: 7px; ">
<div style= "width: 375px; background-color: 181818; padding-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 3px; text-align; center; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 3px; color: 777777;"> AND I WONDER IF I EVER CROSS YOUR MIND </div>

<div style= "width: 375px; background-color: 181818; padding-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 3px; text-align; center; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 4px; color: 777777"> FOR ME IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME </div>
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<div style= "width: 375px; text-align: justify; color: 181818;"> James packed his quill and parchment into his bag and stood, stretching. Charms today had been nothing short of a joke. Cheering Charms were a cinch and James was certain he could complete one in his sleep. He really hated spending class time on spells he already knew. Yes, he understood everyone else needed to learn them, too. But, wasn’t there something else he could be doing? As far as James was aware, Sirius and Remus were in the same boat. The three of them had spent the class goofing off. When James finally left the room, he was in a fantastic mood (whether this had anything to do with the Cheering Charms remained to be seen). Really, how could he not be after a class like that? It had even beaten out yesterday’s History of Magic lesson in which James had charmed another boy’s chair to slap him repeatedly, then escaped with Sirius and skived off Potions. Days like these were a dime a dozen and James didn’t intend to waste them. That was why, instead of going directly to Herbology, he was taking the long way, enjoying a leisurely stroll through the corridors. Who needed a class about magical plants, anyway?<br><br>

He loved Hogwarts. James loved the way the corridors twisted and turned. He loved the paintings on the walls that watched him constantly (especially the girl on the fifth floor who liked to wave to him). He especially loved the many secret passageways he had found over the years (he intended to find them all and complete the Marauders’ Map). However, as much as he loved the school, it was rare to see him inside. James was, by nature, an outdoor sort of person. He was loud and rough and born to fly a broom. None of these things were particularly nice indoors, so he tended to spend most of his time on the grounds. Sometimes, though, he would find himself wandering the castle. He searched for new passages, watched the paintings, and conversed with the statues. Hogwarts was an incredibly animated place. James never found himself without someone or something to talk to.<br><br>

He had asked Sirius to meet him in the kitchens. James was getting a bit hungry and the house elves loved them. Why not grace the kitchen staff with their presence for a short while? The Marauders were regulars in the kitchens and were known by name and favorite dessert. When he reached the moving staircases, James stopped to wait. Somehow, whenever he reached the landing, the staircases were moving. They were never still when he arrived. James hated waiting. So, when one staircase passed him, he hopped on the railing and slid all the way down to the next floor. After three more staircases, he had finally reached the dungeons. James hated that the kitchens were located in the darkest part of the school. There were Slytherins in the dungeons (and Hufflepuffs, but who really worried about them?) and they weren’t often nice. It wasn’t that James was afraid of the Slytherins (he was certain he could beat each of them in a duel). He was more afraid of the groups of Slytherins he was bound to come across. As a single Marauder, making the trek to the kitchens was quite an adventure.<br><br>

He passed the Slytherin common room and shuddered. James could only imagine the horrible things that were going on just inside the door. He had heard they practiced curses on each other. Honestly, he didn’t doubt it. The majority of Slytherins were pureblood elitists and masochistic by nature. Basically, they were not the sort of people one should like to run into in a dark alley. This is why, when he happened to hear footsteps approaching, James jumped and whirled around to face whoever it was. His hand was on his wand, his entire body tense and prepared for a duel.
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when the blood dries in my veins<br>
and my heart feels no more pain
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Cheering Charms were boring. They only had one use, and that one use was only really useful if you had a particularly depressed friend. Sirius, as far as he was aware, had relatively well-adjusted friends who were not currently in need of cheering up. That being said, he already knew perfectly well how to cast a Cheering Charm. Therefore, spending an entire class learning what he already knew with students not blessed with his knack for wandwork proved to be a gigantic waste of time. He had spent more time talking to his friends than participating in class, which is probably what he would have done anyway... but it was the principle of the thing - if you weren't going to learn anything new in class, then why bother going at all? On the bright side, Sirius now had a valid excuse as to why he was grinning like a madman, as professors usually tended to question that sort of thing where he was concerned.
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After class was over, James had asked Sirius to meet him in the kitchens, which Sirius had been more than happy to do. Remus was too conscientious, and had decided that actually going to class would be a better use of his time, which was obviously wrong, but still completely expected of him. By the time Sirius had convinced Remus to lend him the notes for the class he was going to miss, Sirius has lost track of James, which meant that he had to venture to the dungeons on his own. Luckily for James, the kitchens were the only thing Sirius had decided was worth venturing to the dungeons for. He barely even made it to Potions class half the time, and he had zero desire to lurk around the same place large groups of Slytherins were also known to lurk. He almost felt sorry for the Hufflepuffs, who had to share the same area with the Slytherins. Sirius wondered who had thought it was a good idea to place them near the Slytherins, where they were likely to get eaten alive. It was a wonder they had any left, really.
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Sirius made his way downward without much thought at all - he'd traveled these hallways so many times over the past several years, he knew practically every passageway by heart - especially the ones Filch had no idea about. Before he knew it, he was in the dungeons. As he walked down the corridor, he could soon see the back of James' head - it was a rather unmistakable head of hair. It defied gravity in a way that had to have been magically altered, yet somehow wasn't. When James Potter died, his hair was probably going to be donated to the Ministry for research purposes, as it potentially contained the secret to life, the universe, and everything. Sirius could spot that head of hair from a mile off if he had to, and had more than once suggested that they change Gryffindor's mascot from a lion to James Potter's hair. When he spotted his fellow Marauder (and his hair), he thought to call out James' name, but then immediately thought better of it. Yelling "James Potter!" outside the Slytherin common room was practically asking to be attacked. Sirius wasn't scared of fighting a few Slytherins, but that wasn't what he'd come down he for (he assumed).
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Even though Sirius hadn't called out his friend's name, he hadn't exactly been hiding his presence. In fact, his footsteps had seemed to echo rather loudly against the cold stone of the dungeons. It was slightly creepy in the dungeons, to be honest, which Sirius thought was fitting, considering the types of people who called the dungeons their home. Again, Sirius wasn't <I>scared</i>, but it was enough to make anyone feel uneasy. That was why he was surprised, even though he shouldn't have been, when James abruptly turned around to face him, wand at the ready.
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<B>"Easy there, mate,"</b> Sirius said, putting his hands slightly above his head in a gesture of harmlessness. If anyone would walk in on the current scene, they would think James Potter was already an auror, and Sirius his first criminal. Sirius put his hands down and eyed James' wand, his mouth turning upwards into a small smirk. <B>"So, is that a wand in your hand, or are you just happy to see me?"</b>

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i hope somebody cares
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<div style= "width: 375px; background-color: ffffff; padding-bottom: 3px; "> </div><div style= "width: 375px; background-color: 272727; padding-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 3px; text-align; center; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px; color: dddddd">can you help me unravel my latest mistake?</div><div style= "width: 375px; background-color: ffffff; padding-bottom: 3px; "> </div>
<div style= "width: 390px; background-color: ffffff; padding-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; text-align; center; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 8px;letter-spacing: 2px; color: 272727"> The Words: 495. The Outfit: <a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=35495957">Click</a> Notes: Sorry I made you guys wait so long, but I literally didn't know what to write so this is all you get..</div>
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Severus Snape had never been too great with Charms so he had overdone the Cheering one that he was supposed to be practicing on his partner, which made him feel a little guilty as well as inadequate. Then, to top it all off, it turned out that his partner (who for once was not Lily Evans because they usually avoided each other these days and had been doing so ever since the 'Mudblood Incident' back in fifth year...) wasn't the best at Charms either. So he was feeling pretty good after class that day. He had a spring in his step that wasn't normally there and a slight smile on his face. He was sure that he had frightened half the students he had walked by on his way to the dungeons because let's face it... he wasn't one to openly show any kind of emotion so most people just thought he was plotting some sort of devious event or had finally lost his marbles. He was heading toward his dormitory though to switch out a few of his textbooks. His satchel - a threadbare affair that had definitely seen better days - couldn't handle the strain if he put ALL of his tomes in there as well as his other school supplies...
<p>He traipsed down the stairs and then turned the corner to descend even more. The usual hustle and bustle of Hogwarts became muted, which made Severus's smile widen. His eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light. He felt himself relax further. This was home to him. The virtually empty corridors; the greenish hue of the stones; the serene silence that always seemed to greet him... He made a mental note to practice Cheering Charms on himself. He pretty much felt like he did after smoking a couple of fags.
<p>But despite the fact that Snape was acting a little different, he was still on his guard. He was always wary and prepared for an attack because he had promised himself that he would NEVER be caught in the same situation of being displayed in front of the whole school again. He therefore stopped dead when he saw the two boys (and yes they were still boys in his mind) in front of him for they were none other than James Potter and Sirius Black. The first thought that ran through his mind was: <i>'SHIT'</i> The next thought that ran through his mind was: <i>'Maybe if I turn around they won't see me. I can still get out of this...'</i> And he pondered that one for about half a minute until he scowled and just pushed ahead. No more running. No more hiding. He was sick and tired of this game that they were playing. He took a deep breath and just plowed on, hoping to Hell that they weren't going to target him... This was probably a feeble wish at best though so he tightened his hold around his wand just in case.
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<div style= "width: 375px; background-color: 181818; padding-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 3px; text-align; center; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 3px; color: 777777;"> AND I WONDER IF I EVER CROSS YOUR MIND </div>

<div style= "width: 375px; background-color: 181818; padding-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 3px; text-align; center; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 4px; color: 777777"> FOR ME IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME </div>
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<div style= "width: 375px; text-align: justify; color: 181818;"> James was easily one of the most intelligent students at Hogwarts. He knew it, his friends knew it, the professors knew it. Even his enemies knew it, for Merlin’s sake! It was a simple fact, one that everyone had grown used to. Everyone had also grown used to James’ aversion to classes and/or homework. As he moved through the corridors, no one gave him a hard time. The professors would harp on about it later, but even they knew not to mess with James when he had his mind set on something. It was better to wait until afterward to give him the (completely unnecessary) detention he had been expecting. James had sat through more detentions than he cared to count. The causes for the detentions were as different as the detentions themselves. James recalled shining trophies after an incident in which he had snuck into the Forbidden Forest. He remembered scrubbing bedpans after turning the Great Hall into a massive swamp for Halloween. He had sorted Potions ingredients after he’d charmed the suits of armor to insult Slytherins who happened to walk past. And, for all the detentions he had served, it seemed James Potter had not learned a thing. He had not changed his ways and he probably never would. It was for this reason, he suspected, that the teachers didn’t bother to “catch” him anymore.<br><br>

He did have another theory, though. James thought some of the teachers didn’t come after him because they actually found the Marauders and their pranks funny. Dumbledore seemed to be one of these professors. Whenever James happened to look his way after a particularly clever (and usually hilarious) prank, the headmaster seemed to be holding back laughter. He tended to favor Gryffindors over students from other Houses and James thought this had factored into his judgment of their merry band of pranksters. On the other hand, there was McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House. McGoogles was the opposite of Dumbledore in every way. She seemed to take every prank as a personal offense because it tended to “embarrass her House”. Still, James had caught her smiling at least once in his six years. <br><br>

Still lost in his thoughts, James found himself ducking into a passageway that would take him closer to the kitchens. Hogwarts, it seemed, had a plethora of secret passages. James and the other Marauders had made it their mission to find as many of these as possible. Already, they had mapped out seven that led into Hogsmeade. They were especially useful after Quidditch victories when Gryffindors were clamoring for a Butterbeer to celebrate. The Marauders were more than happy to oblige, sneaking out late at night and returning with cases full of the sweet beverage. It had become almost natural for James to duck into a passageway that would shorten his trip. At this point, he knew enough about Hogwarts’ secrets to make his way around the castle after hours without getting caught by Prefects or professors. He also knew enough about the secret passages to evade the hordes of angry Slytherins that tended to find him wherever he went. The Marauders had a knack for pranking the Slytherins, especially Severus Snape (Lily’s former best friend). James could not recall exactly how many Dungbombs had exploded beneath Snape’s chair or how many colors the slimy Slytherin’s hair had turned in the last month. He could, however, remember the look on Lily’s face when Snape had called her that hateful word (one that James would not repeat or even think). <br><br>

In any other location, the footsteps that echoed behind him would not worry him. But, this close to the Slytherin’s dormitory, James’ hand was on his wand faster than he could say “Swivenhodge”. The aforementioned angry Slytherins were always around. Their Slytherin heritage allowed some of them to be sneaky, perhaps even sneaky enough to sneak up on James Potter. Little did the Slytherin know, James Potter was always prepared. So, when he rounded on his opponent fully intending to cause them bodily harm, James was surprised to find Sirius Black, arms raised in surrender. "Easy there, mate," Sirius was saying. James breathed out a sigh of relief and lowered his wand (but did not put it away), grinning at his best friend. "So, is that a wand in your hand, or are you just happy to see me?" James only laughed, used to Sirius’ crude humor after six years of sleeping in the same dormitory. ”A bit of both, I think. Better you than a slimy Slytherin, after all.” He smirked. <br><br>

It was then that James noticed another set of footsteps fast approaching. He was sure he couldn’t get lucky twice in one day. There was no way Remus was on his way down to the kitchens when they were supposed to be in Herbology and James was sure Peter wouldn’t have risked a trip to the dungeons all by himself. He nodded to Sirius and turned toward the sound. When the Slytherin rounded the corner, James’ serious face turned into a smug smile. He turned back to Sirius. ”Speaking of slimy Slytherins, look who decided to show up?” James said loudly. Severus Snape was coming their way, obviously hoping they wouldn’t notice his presence. ”Expelliarmus!” James called, easily disarming the other boy before turning to speak to Sirius again. No need to risk a hex from Snivellus Snape (James would never admit it, but they could be very creative). ”I’d say this is an excellent time for our apology. Shall we hang him upside down? Or, maybe we’ll turn his hair red and gold again…”
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