The office was dead silent. James lifted his head slowly to find that Remus was staring at him, expression unreadable, caught somewhere between horror, confusion, and amusement.
Then, in a voice so calm it was terrifying, Remus asked, “What. The fuck. Happened.”
James exhaled, long and slow. “A disaster happened.”
His friend narrowed his eyes. “I could see that. But how? Why?” He set the newspaper down on the desk with a crisp snap, levelling James with the kind of stare that had made grown men confess things they hadn’t even done. “James, answer me seriously. Were you two drunk?”
“No. Of course not,” James replied, offended that Remus even had to ask.
Remus crossed his arms, scepticism written all over his face. “Are you sure? Because I can’t think of any other explanation as to why both of you – the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition – completely blew this debate. I have no idea why the two of you committed such tomfoolery on live television.”
James dragged a hand down his face. “Please, Moony, just leave it alone.”
“Oh, I can’t,” Remus said, tone dangerously even. “Because this? This will be in the press for months, if not years. Honestly, I’m considering reaching out to his team and asking if we could all pretend it was some kind of joke.” He sighed, rubbing at his temples. “Not that it would make you look much better.”
James groaned and slumped forward onto his desk. “I know.”
Remus threw his hands in the air. “Do you? Because it certainly does not seem like you do! You called the NHS the National Horse Service, James!”
Read My Mistakes Were Made For You on Ao3 :)
