AN: Yet another of my tSatD ficlets. This one was kinda weird and a bit different than the other ones, but I like it. Lemme know whatcha think?
Bushes
If one had heard the rustling coming from the bushes in the Hogwarts grounds, one would have thought, most likely, of an insect or small bird. Perhaps, as the rustling grew louder and it was apparent that no bird or insect could make such a noise, one's mind might jump next to animals. Small animals perhaps, bunnies, badgers or racoons.
As the rustling grew louder still, one who happned to be walking by might assume a larger animal next, maybe a house elf doing the pruning. Pruning, however, was usually done during the day when it was quite a bit lighter, and not in the dark, and n this particular instance, the bush would be quite too small for a deer or animal so large as that, so the conclusion must be drawn that the bushes are, in fact, concealing a person, or maybe, people (as in the plural).
So if one had heard such rustlings, concluded that it must be a person or even the plural, they might be a bit curious as to what that person (people) were doing in the bush. With such rustlings one would likely assume that the person is not alone, because, after all, who wanders outside by themselves, at night, and sits in a bush forcing it to move?
Perhaps the same type of person that would go wandering at night and wonder about people in bushes, but that is for another time.
If such a person were out wandering, whether by themselves or with, perhaps, a companion, it would likely be a clear night, which in that instant it was. Perfect, still air that seemed to cling to every star, making them shine ever brighter. The moon seemed the biggest star of all, casting more light, almost, than the apparent lit wand-tip that trembled in the branches of the small bush, a rather branchy and leafy growth. Not, one would say, the most comfortable bush to be sitting very close to, maybe slightly in.
And so one would assume that if there were people and they were in or close to a bush with a wand lit on a perfect night, that those people might be doing something rather more than simply talking. Which, had one been walking by, would have been clear as there were no words coming from the trembling bush.
There were, however, a few male groans every once and awhile, which might lead one to believe that the male in question was being injured or tortured, otherwise snogged breathless by the other person which, it has been clarified, was obviously there.
This of course leads to the question of why there are no female moans of what is seeming much like pleasure. One would think, maybe hope, that there is a girl in the bushes with the groaning man, but there is always the possiblity of, not a girl, but another man.
No. A female groan cuts into the male one, but this one is softer, gentler. The bush trembled more violently, causing a few leaves to fall and a few more to desperately hold on for dear life.
The next conclusion that one walking along on such a night might want to come to would be who specifically is in the bush, considering it is already confirmed that there is a male, a female, a wand light and a perfect night involved.
Remus Lupin was to be automatically ruled out, having had as much action in the two years preceding as one Sirius Black had had in the preceding two weeks, a statistic the latter was quite proud of. Peter Pettigrew wasn't even a candidate, and yet saying so would bring one no closer to guessing who the bush held. Then, of course, there was James Potter. James Potter wasn't to be yet ruled out, however it seemed unlikely that he would be in a bush snogging a girl, when most of the school was aware that James would snog no girl but the apple of his eye, one, Lily Evans, soon to be, as James often would say, Lily Potter. Sirius Black would say it was impossible. Speaking of, Sirius Black would likely be the first name to pop into ones head at one such a moment, but that was quite impossble also, considering Sirius Black was the one now approaching the bush on the perfect night, aware of his invasion of privacy, curious as to what was causing the poor bush to lose so many leaves.
One such person, as we now know to have a name, could finally hold in no longer the desire to discover the secret of the bush. So one such person, Sirius Black, pulled back the top branches of the bush to peer over, unable to hold in his cry of shock and astonishment.
Lily Evans sat up on a James Potter who was in much need of a comb to stare at the person having uttered the cry, and shot him a furious, embarassed sort of look.
"I was curious as to who was killing the bush on such a perfect night," Sirius said simply, then left the scene, satisfied in knowing that the bush didn't, as he had long since concluded, shelter a bunny or a badger.