Chapter Text
“Bollocks!” James’ shout comes echoing from the open door of the bathroom. His stomps come shortly after, echoing gradually louder until he comes storming into the dormitory, glass of water in his hand. “Once!” he cries, sounding rather unhinged. “Just for one single day I want to open a tap without a bloody fish falling out. What does a man have to do for a single bloody glass of water?” He looks around the dormitory, eyes crazed. Remus, Sirius and Peter exchange uneasy glances.
He holds up his glass, revealing the small goldfish swimming circles around the rim. Remus notes that even the fish appears alarmed. “I am sick and tired of fish! ”
Sirius nods slowly. “Right you are, mate. We feel the same.”
James’ gaze snaps to him and Sirius flinches, raising his hands above his head cautiously. Remus levitates the glass out of James’ hand milliseconds before it flings out to point at Sirius. “Don’t you for one second act innocent. This is your fault.”
“Technically,” Sirius corrects, “it’s Pete’s fault.”
Peter looks panicked to be brought into the conversation. “It was James’ idea!”
Remus conjures a fish bowl onto his bedside table and tips the glass to let the fish fall in. It swims in gleeful circles, grateful at the space. “To be fair,” he remarks calmly, “it was mostly my doing.”
The four Marauders exchange glances, unsure now who exactly to lay the blame on.
“Fine, then,” Remus says, “let’s settle this. Pete, why do you think it’s James' fault?”
Pete straightens, clearing his throat nervously. “Well, it all started with Professor Flitwick, yeah?” The goldfish circles its bowl, blissfully unaware of the chaos it was born from. “So let’s start there.”