Nine candles

[James Potter II]

"You don't think she hates me?" James asked, looking quite nervous as to the answer to this question. He had behaved like a complete buffoon, how could she not hate him?

[Matty Barsky]

Matt cocked a brow at his friend and shook his head, trying not to draw attention to them by laughing out loud. "Hate you?" he asked. "Hate you? Nah man, she doesn't hate you. Relax." He gently punched James in the shoulder and stuffed another pumpkin pastie into his mouth. The idea was completely ludicrous. Nobody hated James Potter, save for a few stuck up Slytherins that didn't like their Quidditch team being shown up by a first year.

[James Potter II]

"Right...okay..." James said, looking somewhat more relieved. He was still a little tense, but he at least was composed enough to start eating. "Thanks dude." James said at last, looking up gratefully at his friend.

[Matty Barsky]

Matt smiled and nodded, stuffing his face with more snack food and candy. He was always glad to make someone feel better. It usually wasn't so hard with James, but things seemed to be changing as the semester drew to a close. Perhaps this was what his sisters had meant when they'd warned him that nothing at Hogwarts stays stagnant. Everything is constantly moving and changing and evolving. Was it going to be like this all seven years? He shook his head, smiling gratefully that his friend was finally eating.

[James Potter II]

James stayed silent while he ate, still very deep in thought about all of this. He was not sure what exactly was going on in his own head, and until he had a firmer grasp of things he was just going to keep quiet and eat. "So, pretty cool party besides, eh?" he asked Matty.

[Matty Barsky]

Matt smiled and shrugged disinterestedly. He felt just a shadow of uncomfortable being surrounded by people in Christmas hats and the little festive shrubs covered in faerie lights and ornaments on all the tables. He wasn't really sure how he felt about the curious behavior of his friend, having a crush on a girl. Still though, the food was good and the company wasn't bad. It was better than spinning the dreidel all alone in his room all night.

[James Potter II]

James frowned at Matty's noncommittal response and looked around the room before nodding slowly and admitting "I guess it's not quite as cool as the Halloweeen one, is it?" That party had been much more fun, but what were you gonna do?

[Matty Barsky]

Matt grinned deviously at the mention of the Halloween party. That one had been quite a riot. He swallowed the food in his mouth and smiled hugely at his friend. "Yeah, that party was mad!" he said, smiling. He was glad to have James talking again, like a coherent little first year cool kid.

[James Potter II]

James nodded and replied "Don't worry, we'll throw another one like that - I think everyone's a little weird about this one cause of the...whatever it's called." James was referring to the fact that a large number of all their friends were not around, but could not quite get around to his point in few enough words.

[Matty Barsky]

Matt nodded. "Alright, sounds good," he said, ignoring the last bit about people being weird. He wasn't really sure what his friend was referring to, but the only weird part for him was that everyone else was celebrating Christmas and he... wasn't.

[James Potter II]

James nodded and agreed "Yup, once everyone gets back, then we'll have a real party." assuming as he did that Matty had fully understood his meaning. James hummed happily to himself as he chucked his plate like a frisbee, which impressively - and unintentionally enough - spiraled right into a waste-basket. "Whoa...I mean, I totally meant to do that!" James insisted immediately.

[Matty Barsky]

Matt laughed and nodded in approval at his friend. He raised his hand to high five, smiling enthusiastically. He was just glad that the goal posts were quite a bit bigger than a waste basket out on the Quidditch pitch. His aim wasn't exactly perfect, and he wasn't sure he could replicate James' shot.

[James Potter II]

James high-fived his friend and grudgingly admitted "It's a pity no one was looking cause I could never do that again if I tried." James hadn't even beeen aiming for the waste basket. He had been intending to hit someone in the back of the head, but no matter - it had still been cool!

[Matty Barsky]

Matt laughed and shook his head, doubting James' statement. He was always accidentally doing cool things. Matty was sure his friend would repeat the shot within the week. "Real shame," he said cheekily, giving the boy's arm a gentle whack.

[James Potter II]

"Oh stuff it." James retorted with a chuckle at Matty's words, not really caring so much as he simply found it amusing. He wasn't sure how exactly to respond and so he simply looked around to try and decide what they should do.

[Matty Barsky]

Matty grinned, his eyes too wandering around the spacious room. It really wasn't so much a party as a small social gathering. Not that Matt cared to note the difference. He was just lacking any more interesting thoughts at the moment. He glanced over at James, playfully punching him in the shoulder. "So what's next on tonight's agenda?" he asked, almost jeeringly. So far it hadn't been quite as action-packed as James had initially indicated.

[James Potter II]

"Not a clue." James reported, shrugging his shoulders and admitting "I kinda just figured that we'd find something interesting to do at the party. Perhaps we could Require up something interesting. This is the Room of Requirement after all."

[Matty Barsky]

Matt laughed at his friend's confession, wondering why he was surprised at all. James generally didn't do much planning. He was quite a good plotter and schemer, but planning activities that did not involve mischievory was definitely not his strong suit. "Why not," he agreed. James was right. This was the Room of Requirement. "What would be good, do you think?"

[James Potter II]

James paused to think about it for a moment, wanting to ensure that whatever they thought of was the absolute single best idea that they could possibly come up with. "I dunno, what are you thinking?" James asked, quietly admitting "Most of my plans involve pranking everyone here - which might not be best."

[Matty Barsky]

Matt laughed, sighing as he knew it was quite true. "Well," he said, thinking out loud. "S'pose we could get some brooms and have us a little race up around the rafters." He gazed up at the high ceiling, seemingly going up on forever. "We could play musical brooms!" It was a bit of a play on the children's game, musical chairs. Only they used brooms, and started from a bit higher off the ground so that anyone who got out would take a good tumble to the floor. There were, of course, softening charms put on the floors first, and they could always require some pillows and cushions to lay out if the need arise.

[James Potter II]

"Ooh, I like that idea!" James declared with a furious nod when Matty suggested that they go fly around in the rafters, immediately calling up a strange-looking broomstick that looked to be several decades old. In fact, that broom had been left in a different incarnation of the Room of Requirement long ago, but James did not know this. "Wicked." he breathed.

[Matty Barsky]

Matt grinned devilishly as another broom quickly appeared beside the first, looking just as old and gnarly. He bolted over to it and mounted, hovering a foot in the air and feeling out the weight and balance of it like he'd been taught so well by his uncle. "Not bad," he said, smiling enthusiastically at his friend.

[James Potter II]

"Not bad at all." James said, hardly noticing that a wide berth had cleared around the boys as other students backed up. "Shall we then?" James asked with a grin, already preparing to take off whether Matty was on board with the idea or not. Obviously it would be much better if Matty came along, but James was flying whether he came or not.

[Matty Barsky]

Matty grinned devilishly and immediately took off into the rafters at James' words. The rush of air that blew past his face was a welcome change from the stagnant atmosphere of the grounded party. He absolutely loved flying. Everything about it was completely natural to him, though every time he was on a broom he got an incredible rush that never quit. Smiling hugely, he glanced over his shoulder to see if James was on his tail. He always loved a good race, and knew his friend was the one for the job whenever the need arise. James was, after all, the second first year to make seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team in Merlin knew how long!

[James Potter II]

James in fact had no idea that the other boy was planning on racing him, and so he shot off in the opposite direction into a series of spirals and spins that were probably a very stupid idea. As it would happen, James was not showing off - which was how it might have seemed at first - but rather was simply flying around in tight circles and patterns to entertain himself.