Babysitting a Colour Changing Monster

A/N: This story takes place during The Marauders era. They (the Marauders) are all seventeen at this point, and it's told from the third person. Enjoy!

Sirius brushed his long hair out of his face impatiently, staring at his Transfiguration textbook. But after looking at it for hours, the words were starting to blur. Leaning forward, he tried to focus more on the textbook and less on the want to sleep (even though it was only three in the afternoon.) Easter holiday. It was Easter holiday; the sun was shining and the birds were chirping, but he couldn't even enjoy the weather. Why? Because he was stuck inside studying for his NEWTs. Fun.

A tap at his window distracted him, but it wasn't a branch like last time. Instead, a handsome tawny owl was perched on his windowsill. He recogonized the owl almost instantly. Andromeda. Sirius already knew what the parchment read, and he already knew his answer. Getting up from his desk, the young wizard walked over and opened the window. The bird swooped in and landed on the desk, holding out its leg. Sirius took the scroll from him and opened it up. As he expected..."Sirius," it read...

Ted and I wanted to go out tomorrow night at around 5 o'clock. We were wondering if you'd watch Nymphadora for us. It would be wonderful. If you say yes, I'm allowing you to invite friends. The limit is four. That's a lot, so no more! I apologize for telling you this now, but I was trying to get a muggle babysitter. Ted reminded me about what happened the last time and I changed my mind. That poor muggle girl needed a very strong memory charm... Well, anyway, it would be wonderful for you to come. Nymphadora would love to have you. Please think about it!

Love,

Andromeda

Sirius frowned. It wasn't that he didn't want to babysit. Of course not! He loved his cousin and her daughter. It was just that he had to study for his NEWTs. He didn't want to, no, but he did want to leave Hogwarts with the rest of the Marauders. Then again, he had been studying constantly since he left the castle. He needed a break.

"Prongs!" Sirius called.

When Sirius ran away from home at the end of his fifth year, he'd went straight to James's house. The Potters had taken him in right away. For two years now, he had been staying in one their spare bedrooms. Sirius liked the Potters. Mr. Potter was a funny wizard who loved Quidditch. Mrs. Potter was a kind witch who's cooking was exquisite. Sirius felt more at home at the Potter house than he had all of his life.

James popped his head in the door, "Oi, what is it, Padfoot?"

"My darling cousin Andromeda wants me to babysit her colour changing monster[1]," Sirius answered with a grin, "Would you care to join me, Messer Prongs?"

James chuckled, "I would be honoured, Messer Padfoot. When are we watching this mutant spawn[2]?"

Sirius held back his snickers, "Oh, tomorrow night at five o' clock at night. Mind you, we should also ask Messer Moony, Messer Wormtail, and Miss Bambi[3] to come along." James nodded.

"Alright then. You reply to Andromeda, and I'll Floo Miss Evans."

"Send an owl to Wormtail, too, will you Prongs? I'm sending mine out to fetch Moony."

"Very well, Padfoot. I may as well tell Mother and Father of this. They would not appreciate our absence unless thoroughly informed."

"Will do."

Both boys snickered at their horrible attempt to sound like "fancy people". They then turned to their assignments. Sirius sent a positive reply to Andromeda, and then sent an owl to Moony. In his message to his friend, Sirius wrote all the details on what would happen while they watched Tonks[4], as to not receive any questions. He watched the owl fly out the window, and proceeded to head down the staircase. It was too quiet downstairs to be three in the afternoon at the Potter household. He had to investigate.

When Sirius got downstairs, he found James with his head stuck in the fireplace. "How's it going?" he asked. There was a pause, and then James pulled his head out of the fire. "I sent Wormtail an owl. Lily said she was too busy to play games. I didn't even get an explanation out." He ran a hand through his hair.

Sighing, Sirius took some Floo powder and threw it in the fire, announcing "Gryffindor tower, Hogwarts castle!" The flames turned emerald, and he stuck his own head in the small brick chamber.

The common room was almost empty (everyone was probably outside or at the library), except for a couple of students. The one Sirius was looking for happened to be sitting right in front of the fireplace. "Oi, Evans!" Sirius called.

Lily groaned and shut her textbook, glaring. "I'm trying to study! Get out!"

"Want to help me babysit my cousin Tonks again[5]?" Sirius ignored her command.

Lily looked up, "Tonks? Oh, of course Sirius! Give me the details, and I'll ask Professor Dumbledore."

After Sirius finished talking to Lily, he pulled his head back out of the fire and grinned at James. "All you had to do was talk over her."

James rolled his eyes and grumbled a bit.

That's it for this chapter! If you liked/loved it, please review! I don't want to continue unless a couple people like it. I hope you liked it1 R&R!

[1]- Sirius likes to call Tonks a "colour-changing monster" because she's hyper, and she's a Metamorphagus.

[2]- And, of course, James also likes to call her funny names, "mutant spawn" being one of them.

[3]- After figuring out that Lily's patronus was a doe (and watching the muggle movie "Bambi" with Tonks), Sirius nicknamed Lily "Bambi".

[4]- I figured Tonks would want to be called Tonks instead of Nymphadora, even at a young age.

[5]- Sirius has invited his friends and Lily to babysit before. These previous events will be mentioned in further chapters.

And just so everyone knows, Lily and Prongs are dating at this point.