On the outside the shack was about as exciting as a stale communion wafer. Just another rickety building underneath a sky slipping into black shades, covered in enough spells and charms to keep the gang's handiwork a secret.
And James couldn't wait to fucking get there. He'd spent the better part of his day trying to be just available enough to make sure none of the new kids in his house got lost or injured. Of course he'd played the monotonous 'First Day' game enough times to know it was never that simple, and First Day's certainly hadn't changed much since he'd showed up with years worth of legends built on top of his scraggly shoulders. Both completely excited and overwhelmed.
He remembered that day the way kids remember touching hot stoves; a little painful, funny to look back on, but definitely not something he'd want to do again.
Now that excitement was reserved for something else entirely. His mind torn between giving Lily as much hell as he possibly could for still needing her hand held to the platform; wanting to get so high he felt absolutely nothing below the neck ('cept for Teddy and Kins, of course, Lys if he's lucky); and the flock of baby Griffindors hounding him about the how's and why's and where's of Hogwartz. The questions never really bothered him. All par for the course given the company he kept, especially when it wasn't much of a secret as to who his mother and father were and what they'd done.
The day's never passed as quickly as the nights did, so he took the opportunity to impress some wide eyed first years with his knowledge and spread a few rumors about the shack before they could know any better. Something to do with Scorpius and hiding bodies. By the time Rose's invitations went out they'd found themselves far too cool to entertain his bullshit.
No fun.
But there was always something better around the corner if you could find it.
Said so in gold script and hurried footsteps that weren't lost on those who'd been there and done that. Sneaking out was second nature to him now. A right he obtained long before he had the permission, never lacking in excitement even after the trepidation had long since worn off. They'd covered every angle. Planned for far too many contingencies.
Not that you'd ever get the impression they'd gotten serious for once, based on the looks of things inside.
Is he late or is he early?
There’s no tellin', time immediately lost in the static of red’s and blue’s dancing behind his eyelids after he downs the first mead he can find. Bass roaring like thunder in the background. Enough smoke to drown in. It's not hard to find the younger griffindors he saw earlier; all red-rimmed eyes, dancing chest to chest, skin painted a myriad of colors in the fast-moving party lights. They call him over in a chorus of half-strung voices that sound miles away amidst the background noise.
Blunt finger nails find his skin. A hand in his hair. Teeth closing in on his ear when he can finally hear one over the music; "why aren't you highhh?"
"Cause Neo's way over thereee," he chimed back, his world reduced to a spectrum of bright colors as the drinks warmed his body up. He'd have to make the rounds and find him, kins, rose and jun later, immediately distracted by Lys' giraffe body over by Teddy and a quidditch bag full of drugs.
James floats through the crowd, all hard grips and loaded veins when he finally makes it over to his friends. Presses his face into Teddy's neck in a hug, ignores the nagging thought that tells him to split his skin with his teeth. "Hey, Lys," he grins after pulling away.
"Been waiting all day to see yall."