Work Text:
James had always liked comfy clothes. Sirius, Remus, and Peter knew that. Peter had watched James pass on brand new clothes to wear clothes slowly falling apart because of how old and worn they were for years. Despite this, James did not own many jumpers. He had three. One which he had stolen from his mum, one he'd stolen from Peter, and one that his parents had gotten him for his birthday.
Those jumpers were admittedly staples for James. That just meant though that his three best friends recognised them. The one he'd stolen from his mum was a deep purple knitted jumper, with a hole forming in the sleeve. The one he'd stolen from Peter was a thick brown jumper with a cookie and cake pattern on it. The one his parent's had gotten him was a deep red with a lion on the back.
The jumper James was currently wearing was not one of those. Instead over James' worn shirt was a green jumper with stars stitched onto it. Sirius stared at him. James was leant against the side of his bed, stretched out on the dorm room floor, his sketch pad resting on his bent up knee.
"Where did you get that jumper?" Peter asked, also staring at him. Remus, who had been in the dorm with James, but had been more interested in writing than whatever James was wearing.
"I feel like I recognise that jumper," Sirius said.
"It's comfortable," was all James said about it.
"Who's jumper is that?" Sirius asked. James just stared at him.
"It's mine now," he said. Sirius shook his head and flopped onto Remus' bed, only to get shoved onto the floor.
"I'm writing," Remus pointed out, glaring at him. Sirius pouted at him, but moved to flop onto James' bed instead.
"But seriously, how have you gotten a new jumper?" Peter asked. James grabbed his rubber and threw it at him. Peter just laughed as he sat at the end of his own bed. Sirius rolled off of James' bed and pulled the record player from under his bed. Sirius was never too good with quiet, and he much preferred there to be some form of background noise. Queen started playing and James shook his head.
"Come on, put literally anything else on," Peter complained. The confusion of James' new jumper slipped away from their focus.
~☆~
James dropped onto the blanket his friends had set up near the lake. He'd slipped off to go somewhere else while they all enjoyed the first good weather of the year. Sirius did a double take, as did Peter.
"Why are you wearing a jumper?" Remus asked.
"Why are you wearing a jumper?" James shot back. Remus shrugged and turned back to his homework.
"That's a new jumper," Peter said. This one was a light grey, and hung off of him. It looked well worn, and well loved, and James looked very happy with it.
"Well, I only recently acquired it," James said, "but it's several years old I think."
"Who did you steal it from?" Sirius asked. James just grinned at him. The jumper, originally hanging off his left arm, slipped to the other side and revealed James' right shoulder, and a small cluster of hickeys at the base of his neck.
"Mate, is that what I think it is?" Peter asked. James tucked his jumper to the other side, and stole Sirius' book to distract himself.
"Oi!" Sirius shouted, trying to take it back. James scrambled up and stretched his arm out. Sirius was slightly taller than him, but James kept his other arm out, pushing him off. "Prongs give me back my book!"
"James," Remus said.
"Come on Moons, let me have some fun," James complained. Peter snorted.
"Clearly you've had enough fun," he said, pointing to his hickeys. James' shock allowed Sirius to slip round and snatched the book from him.
"I hate you all," he said, dropping onto the blanket again.
"We know you do Prongs," Peter said. "Do you want a cupcake?" James lit up.
"Wormtail you are the best, and I mean that," James said, accepting the cupcake he handed him.
"I know," he said, grinning at him.
~☆~
James sighed as he dropped onto the bench in the great hall. He'd been gone all night, not returning to the dorm room once.
"Where were you?" Sirius asked, pointing his spoon at in accusation. James blushed and tugged up the neck of the jumper he was wearing.
"Is that a new jumper?" Marlene asked, looking at the jumper. This one was deep blue with the phases of the moon along the sleeves.
"Don't you start," James said.
"Yeah Prongs, is that a new jumper?" Peter asked. James groaned and dropped his head onto the table.
"Shut up," he said.
"Where'd you get the jumper Prongs?" Sirius asked, leaning onto the table. James glared at him.
"This is the third new jumper you've showed up with," Remus said, handing him some toast.
"And he was gone all night," Sirius reminded. Marlene grinned at him.
"You're forgetting the hickeys the other day," Peter added. James dragged the neck of the jumper up again.
"James!" Marlene said. "Who're you seeing?"
"Shut up," James said. "We are not talking about this."
"We are though," Sirius said. James sighed and reached over for the tea. The neck of his jumper slipped off his shoulder.
"James!" Marlene said, lightly whacking his arm over the table. "You are dating someone!" James glared at her and pulled the jumper back up.
"Shut up," he said again. James grabbed some toast and got up. "I hate you all."
"No you don't!" Sirius and Marlene called out after him.
"You love us!" Peter called.
"You're an idiot!" Remus shouted. James flipped them all off as he shoved toast into his mouth. His jumper slipped down again and he could hear Marlene laughing as he left the great hall.
~☆~
Remus and Peter walked into their dorm room while Sirius and James were at quidditch practice.
"I'm just saying, I don't see why it wouldn't work," Peter complained.
"Pete, I can not see a way you could turn a fucking dip dab into a cupcake," Remus said, dropping his bag onto his bed.
"Do you recognise that jumper?" he asked instead, pointing to a pinkish jumper hanging off of James' bed. Remus shook his head and picked it up. Three skulls were stitched into the front.
"Nope," he said.
"Has Prongs acquired yet another fucking jumper?" Peter asked.
"Seems that way," Remus said.
"How?" he asked. Remus shrugged. "Do you think he has a lot of them stashed away?"
"Maybe, who knows anymore," he said, shrugging. Peter took the jumper from Remus and looked at it some more. On one of the sleeve cuffs was three small embroidered symbols. Peter decided it was quite possibly an invasion of privacy to try and figure out what they meant, so he dropped it back onto James' bed. Still, he caught sight of the antlers, the rose, and the star. Remus did too.
~☆~
James leant into his bed and tossed his golden snitch up in the air. The warm weather wasn't lasting, and it had instead decided to start chucking down almost freezing rain. It had thrown off the groups plans for the day though.
"Prongs can I take my baking jumper back?" Peter asked. James groaned.
"But it's mine now," he complained, pouting slightly. "Sure, go for it Worms. It's shoved into my wardrobe," he said.
"Cool, thank you," he said, moving to open Jame's wardrobe. A pile of jumpers tumbled out of the bottom and James sighed.
"That always happens," James said sadly, getting up to fix it. Remus and Sirius came over to watch as James sorted through the large pile of jumpers. They'd imagined he had a couple more, but they hadn't thought he'd have more than ten. There had to be at least fifteen, and that was just of the ones on the floor.
"Here," James said, pulling Peter's old jumper from the wardrobe in the end. The other three friends shared a look.
"How many jumpers do you own now?" Sirius asked. James shrugged.
"I'm only borrowing some of them," he said. "I've lost track."
"Where are you getting them?" Peter asked. James just grinned at them.
~☆~
Sirius groaned as he pushed open the dorm door. Remus rolled his eyes and slipped past him.
"Stop complaining Pads," Peter said.
"I got hit by the tree!" he complained.
"Three of us did," he pointed out. Remus snorted at them.
"That's because you're idiots," he informed them.
"And you aren't?" Sirius asked. Remus gave him a look and a laugh came from James' bed. It couldn't be James because James was in the infirmary getting treated for the massive bruise forming on his ribs.
"Why are you in here?" Sirius asked, glaring at Barty.
"How are you in here?" Peter asked.
"Are you leaving?" Remus asked.
"I'm here waiting for James, I'm here because James told me how to get in when I want a break from the dungeon, and I'm not leaving until James tell me where he put my favourite jumper," Barty said. Some things started to make sense then.
"You're dating James," Peter stated. Barty grinned at him.
"You lot aren't as stupid as I thought," he said, still grinning.
"How does James put up with you?" Sirius asked.
"He's the one always stealing our jumpers," he said.
"You said our," Remus pointed out.
"Polyamory, ever heard of it?" Barty said, rolling his eyes. Sirius flipped him off.
"James is in the infirmary," Peter said.
"What did he do now?" he asked, flopping back onto James' bed.
"Got hit by the whomping willow," Remus said.
"He's an idiot," Sirius said.
"You also got hit by the tree," Remus said. Sirius stuck his tongue out at him.
"Go fuck yourself," he muttered.
"Have any of you seen my jumper?" Barty asked. Sirius glared at him, and Barty glared back.
"How would we know?" Sirius pointed out. Barty shrugged, but also gestured to himself.
"Pink, skulls, obviously my jumper," he said. They'd all have to disagree. Barty was lounging on James' bed in black velvet trousers and white button up shirt, his waistcoat, because he was apparently a pretentious fucker, was hanging off of James' bedside table. Then again, they had also seen Barty in those ripped jeans with the skull patches and the baggy skeleton print t-shirt.
"I saw it a couple weeks back, just dropped on James' bed. Haven't seen it since though," Peter said. Barty nodded.
"Why are you being so nice to him?" Sirius asked.
"We used to be neighbours before dear old dad decided he couldn't take living near the Potters and two poor families any longer," Barty explained. The dorm door opened and James walked in.
"Heard you got hit by a tree," Barty said in greeting.
"Thank you for the sympathy," James said, not relaly registering that one of his boyfriends was currently relaxed out on his bed in front of his friends.
"Give me back my jumper and I'll give you sympathy," he said. James pouted at him.
"It's comfy though," he complained.
"And it's my favourite jumper," he pointed out.
"You're mean," James informed him, collapsing onto the bed partially next to him partially on top of him. "Wait."
"Caught up to you yet?" Barty asked.
"Prongs, James, my dearest friend, are you dating a fucking Slytherin?" Sirius asked.
"He's dating three," Barty informed them with a grin.
"Have I told you I hate you yet?" James asked. Barty laughed.
"No, I believe what you said this morning when I dragged into that empty cla-" Barty started. James' hand slapped over his mouth. After a moment Sirius turned and left, and James removed his hand from Barty's mouth, instead throwing his arm over him.
"Did the others agree to you doing that?" he asked.
"Yup," Barty said. "In fact we're formining a union. We want our jumpers back."
"Not happening," James said.
"Good luck with that," Peter said. "I can only borrow mine now."
"He's a hoarder these days, and it's apparently all your fault," Remus said.
"They're comfy, and they're mine now," James said.
"How do I get them back?" Barty asked.
"Over my dead body," he said, sticking his tongue out at him.
"Reg wouldn't agree to that," he complained. James snorted.
"Evan would be your bigger problem," he said. Barty groaned.
"Fine fine, keep most of them, but I want my pink skull one back," he said.
"You can my red skull one," James offered.
"This is not a negotiation," Barty said.
"Then no jumpers for you," he told him.
"You're insufferable," he said. James laughed at him. Remus and Peter decided to leave. As they walked out of the common room they saw Evan and Regulus walking towards it. Maybe the three of them would have a better time getting their jumpers back from James, but Peter wouldn't count on it.