Sirius had come to the distinct assumption that first impressions were almost always incorrect. Sirius' first impression of the Muggle Studies class was that it was completely dull and would lead him down paths of boredom and all things associated with it. -How wrong he was though. Sure, there was no way he ever would have even taken the class if Remus and James hadn't signed up. They both did it for their own reasons though, Remus was genuinely curious, and James had to prove to Lily he wasn't ignorant somehow. Peter had basically joined because he, like Sirius didn't want to be in a class by himself. And Muggle Studies at least was always a place where they could plan pranks together when they got bored enough.
-Ok, and maybe the fact that Remus was in the class had a bigger role to play in why he had joined more than anything else. He loved James like a brother, and he could deal with being in a class with out him, and same went with Peter. -But Sirius didn't lie to himself, he definitely knew he felt something for the golden werewolf. It had never really been a secret from James. Sirius had never fully told him, but James guessed, and then Sirius just admitted to it. James had accepted it instantly, it wasn't very unheard of in the wizard world. It was tolerated more in the wizard world then muggle, but it still wasn't accepted everywhere that magic was involved.
Sirius had felt something for the lithe, golden haired boy for quite some while. Of course, he had never said anything about it. Why ruin a perfect friendship? James just called him daft when he used that excuse. But Sirius, the sex-god of Hogwarts, was far to scared of rejection to tell Moony, so he filled his time up with meaningless girls. All ditzy, all curvy, all giggly, -in short: Nothing Like Remus. It was part of Sirius' person code of conduct: do not fool around with any one who has any similar qualities to Remus. He felt it was safer this way, and generally he abided by it. Sirius thoughts were soon interrupted by the professors voice.
"Every one will have a partner for the week. You will not have a wand, as you could very easily be discovered that way. But you will have a "panic button", which is just this pretend muggle phone. We covered those at the beginning of term. Just dial any number and you will immediately be connected to the school." The old professor continued. "You must complete 6 days of work in a muggle profession. Most people will think your co op students, co op is a muggle program run in their schools, it is explained on page 238 -read it before you leave for the trip as background information. You will be gone seven days, the first day you are there you are not expected to work. We will all be staying at a hotel in London. When you are not working you must see at least 2 museums, visit 4 shops, and interact with muggles as much as you can."
"A whole week with Plotts as our only supervision! Were going to be let loose in Muggle London! Think of the Pubs, boys!" James whispered, interrupting the professor.
"Is that all you ever think about James? Pubs and planning pranks? You think you'd at least branch out to something that didn't start with a P. " Lily sneered.
"Perhaps the letter L would be better then P Lily?" Remus teased her. She flashed Remus joking a smile. They had been friends since second year. Sirius couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous when she grinned at Remus. That was HIS Moony she was smiling at.. Errr, no wait, that wasn't completely true. Or even at all true.
"Ahem, please save talking until after class Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans. I will now divide you into partners. -And since we are in a muggle studies class about to go on a muggle studies adventure, I will pick your names in a muggle fashion, -from this hat. Just like in a muggle class room!" Professor Plotts looked delighted with his idea.
Sirius was not as delighted. The Gryfindors were in this class with Slytherins, and a few Ravenclaws. -Why any Slytherin was part of muggle studies was beyond Sirius, but the look on their face about the trip they were about to embark on was priceless. But still, Sirius couldn't and wouldn't be partnered with some bloody git. That stupid muggle hat. It looked so shoddy with its little beak and faded colours. Sirius swore he would tear it to shreds if he was partnered with Snape or Malfoy.
"Ah, ok, Severus Snape" The professor unfolded a piece of paper "..and Peter Pettigrew!"
"Tough luck Pete, ol' boy." Sirius mumbled. Peter threw a terrified glance at the brooding Slytherin.
"Hannah Riley and Arthur Weasley. Then Rabastian Loferty and Fabian Prewett." The names droned on and on until Plotts pulled out James' name. "James Potter and Lily Evans."
Lily was in a dead faint. Her friends sniggered at her. Secretly Sirius thought she actually did enjoy the attention brought on by James and his antics and that most of her hate was now a show. She sent James a dirty look and made a "tut" noise with her mouth. James had a very different reaction then Lily. He smiled and kept giving Lily the thumbs up. Remus, seeing his friends pathetic attempt at impressing her, grabbed James thumb. He told him in the politest way that he looked like a bloody git who swallowed a toad whole when he did that and that sending Lily the thumbs up would really not impress her, -it only made him look rather constipated.
James stopped the thumbs up, but didn't lose the toad grin.
"Next we have Remus Lupin... and Sirius Black." Sirius felt relieve wash over him. He shot Remus a smile, which he returned. He wasn't partnered with a slimy Slytherin after all, but with Remus. Remus imitated James by giving Sirius the thumbs up and putting on a toad smile as well. Sirius laughed while James mocked hurt.
"Remus, I didn't look that stupid, did I? Oh shut it you two great whelps, I'll have more fun on this trip then all of you lot."
"Oh contraire mon aime, Sirius and I are quite capable of having more fun than you. In fact its quite probable, seeing as how Sirius and I are friends, whilst you and Lily are sworn enemies." Remus answered. Sirius loved when Remus spoke french. He forgot that Remus was from the south of France until he just started speaking words that no one could understand.
"Well Im not going to have any fun. Im partnered with that creepy Snape!" Peter whined.
"Its ok Wormtail, you'll only be with him during the time when your working the rest of the trip you can spend with us! Severus, Im sure will not want to go with the lot of us the rest of the trip." Remus smiled sympathetically.
"And if old Snivelly lays one greasy finger on you, you just give him the old one two!" James demonstrated, he punched the air and looked like he was doing some weird dance move. In the middle of this "dance" Lily and her friend Grace turned around to hand a sheet to the four boys. She shot James a look.
"Here Remus, were suppose to fill them out." Grace handed the papers over to Remus. "Too bad we weren't partners, I know so little about the muggle world, and neither does my partner Lucius Im sure. Want to go check out a museum with me while were there? So you can help me, I mean?" She placed her hand over his as he grabbed the papers.
"Uhm, sure Grace. I don't see why not. But Im not really all that skilled at muggle things though, especially muggle London, Im sure Lily would be more help." He smiled and gracefully removed his hands from hers.
"No, Id much prefer if you were to tour a museum with me." She smiled at him and turned her head around.
Sirius didn't like that little conversation at all. Remus was HIS partner. They would be going to a museum, and he would be damned if some little Grace with a pretty smile was coming along!Not that Remus was never an object of flirtation for girls, he was, but he hardly ever picked up on it. He was so naive, Sirius assumed it was part of his charm. Usually however, it was always Sirius who girls so obviously fawned over (they had long stopped flirting with James as he was a completely lost case to Lily). Sirius did not like this reverse role however.
"Moony mate! I told you Grace has the hots for you! You never listen." James chuckled.
"She's pretty mate, what's stopping you? You said you were bi, as in you like boys and girls, but in reality your just anti-sexual everything."
"Don't be a git James, she just wanted someone to help her around London. And Im not anti-sexual, Im just not interested and neither is she. She just wanted a tour-guide type person, she probably would have asked any one." Remus said.
"Not just any one Remus, you. You don't even know London very well and she still wanted you to take her around. -Not her best friend Lily who isfrom London and is muggle born." Peter said.
"Oh Remus, so naive. But now, dear partner of mine, we have to fill in this sheet about possible jobs and all that. Now, rate how interested you are in food. No brainer, that is a ten. Chemistry? 2. Law Enforcement, us following rules, sounds very unlikely, 3." Sirius said.
"Thank you for allowing me to voice any input on our placement Padfoot. Its nice to know that your taking this seriously." Remus joked.
"I'll just put four and fives for the rest Moony. Its not like they even look at these. They just shove us in places I bet. Now, on to more important things, like lunch." Sirius handed the paper to the front of the room and got up from the desk. Remus followed suit, and then they turned to find Peter and Prongs.
"Lily, I don't think it's a very wise choice to put a 10 beside Medical, I don't handle blood well. You know that? And your still doing it? But I get really sick, sick to the point of vomiting. Suppose its true that I cant ask you out on a date if I keep spewing. It is hard to talk and vomit at the same time. Point taken." Remus and Sirius laughed as James sat and talked to Lily, they glanced over at Peter and saw no talking. Peter was filling out the sheet, and Severus was glaring at him.
"Those two are going to have one hell of a week."Remus said as he shoved Sirius out the door.
"Yes and ours will by far be the best. Just imagine all the things to do. Clubs, pubs, general havoc. Oh yes, this is the best experience of our short lives."
"Not to mention the museums. They've got all these great museums, science and art ones! Oh and-"
"Oh no those are so not going to be the highlight of this trip. In fact, I think we should put a time limit on the time you can spend in each one." Sirius said.
"Oh Monsieur Black, I will abide by no such time limit. I will expand your culture-less, brainless, tactless, artless, and all together pathetic existence while we are in London or my name isn't Remus Lupin."
"Oh Moony, its so funny when you say those things. Me? Moi? Artless? Please, I know great art when I see it. I stare into a masterpiece every time I look in a mirror."
"Your modesty astounds me."
"My ability to astonish is why you keep me around."
"Your quite wrong, we only keep you around because you refuse to take a hint and go. Your quite stubborn, we tried, but -alas- the effort was no longer worth it."
"No one is immune to my charm Moony. You could never send me packing. Who would comfort you when you are sad? Read you your bedtime stories, I know how you like the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolfie the best! Who I ask you, who! Moony, you underestimate my greatness. And no body, NO BODY, truly understands the greatness of Sirius Black. I go unrecognized, a tragic hero, -a star among dull rocks."
"Now Sirius, once again your modesty is your best feature."
"That's not what you were telling me last night. Last night my best feature was-"
"Do not finish that sentence my dear boys while I am in the vicinity. It shall ruin my perfect mood. I do not want to think about why Moony was moaning so very much in his sleep last night, I just want to think about how much fun we are about to have when we embark on in our Muggle Studies trip." James interrupted my playful and joking banter with Remus -just as it was getting fun. Damn James and his timing.
"WAIT UP!"Peter cried from the background. He caught up to the boys while he was still huffing and puffing.
"I told you three cup cakes for breakfast everyday would only lead to trouble Pete," Sirius said as he studied the boys red blotched face. The boys continued to discuss Wormtail's plight of a partner like Snape, James' delight with Lily, and secretly Sirius was very excited to have Remus to himself for a week, little did he know that Remus was just as excited as he was -for the very same reason.
