The six of them were sitting, sodden, in McGonagall's office. Professor Minerva McGonagall herself was pacing the room tirelessly as they sat, guilt ridden expressions on each of their faces, and waited for her to speak. For a long time the only sound was that of the rain splattering against the window. Peter sneezed, making them all jump.
McGonagall stopped her pacing and looked at them. The expression of displeasure that she had worn when they met her in the entrance hall had not softened a bit. James would've guessed that it had worsened. He looked around the room. Remus Lupin, on his left, was sitting shirtless and staring at the floor.
Next to him sat Peter Pettigrew, shivering and clutching a blanket around him. Underneath that, however, he was also only in pants. On James' right was Lily Evans, her deep red hair was plastered to the side of her face with rain and she was pulling nervously on her robe sleeves. Lily hated to break rules, and this nervous habit of hers was stretching her robe sleeves into odd proportions. James took her hand to stop her fidgeting and squeezed it. Poor Lily, it wasn't her fault she had been sucked into this.
In front of him was Sirius Black, who was sodden as well, but had his arm around Raven Blackwing. Raven was clad in only an undershirt and boxers. Sirius had taken his sopping wet cloak and draped it around her. They were both shivering, but James saw them grinning conspiratorially at each other when Professor McGonagall had her back turned.
Peter wiped his nose noisily on his arm.
"Strip Quidditch?" McGonagall said softly. She was annunciating very carefully, putting emphasis on each syllable.
"We got caught in the rain."
"Strip Quidditch?" She repeated a little louder.
"But Professor…"
"Strip Quidditch?!" Professor McGonagall practically screeched. She was absolutely livid.
"It was only a friendly game…"
"Who," hissed Professor McGonagall, dangerously quiet once more, "Whose idea was it to play strip Quidditch?!?!"
She stared around at them white faced in anger. "Which one of you came up with this ridiculous idea?" To no one's surprise she looked directly from James, to Sirius, to Remus, who continued to stare at the floor. "Mr. Potter? Who thought of it?" James looked at the ground.
"It was my idea," said Sirius. Professor McGonagall turned to him her mouth very thin.
"Well, Mr. Black? Would you care to explain yourself?" Sirius took a deep breath, but Raven cut him off.
"It wasn't his fault, Professor. There was a dare, Sirius dared James and then Remus stepped in and Lily and Peter and I, we… well one thing led to another and…and…" She faltered under Professor McGonagall's unblinking stare and looked at the ground.
"I never would have believed it. Never would have believed that even you six would be stupid enough to try something this…this…abysmally idiotic! Gryffindors all! Head Boy and Head Girl…"
She trailed off, too furious to speak, her hands were white knuckled fists. James was absolutely positive that she wouldn't think twice of expelling them right then and there, and he could tell by the looks on the others faces that his friends were just as certain of their impending doom.
Lily made an odd sort of whimpering noise and James squeezed her hand harder. Professor McGonagall was staring furiously at him now. She seemed to want to tell him off but was at a loss for words. Just the other day she had been telling him what high expectations she had for him next year after he graduated. James felt himself go red under her penetrating stare, he wished she would look at someone else.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor. Each." She said finally taking her eyes from James' "Go to your dormitories now. We will discuss your detentions tomorrow." None of them needed telling twice, and one by one the six of them filed wordlessly out of the crowded office. No one said anything the whole way up to Gryffindor tower. Sirius gave the password,
"Dragon Booger" and they all climbed through.
"It'll be okay, Lily." James said as they parted for the boys and girls dormitories. She gave him a weak smile and followed Raven, still wearing Sirius's soaking cloak, up to the girls dormitory. Dejectedly he joined his friends as they trudged up the stairs to the boy's dormitory.
"Blast it James! Just one more goal, and Raven would've been in her skivvies," moaned Sirius.
Despite his guilt, James found himself smiling. Leave it to Sirius to take all the seriousness out of a situation. Peter sneezed forcefully, nearly falling back down the stairs, but James caught his arm just in time.
"Yes but that would've left poor Wormtail and I in our briefs," said Remus helping him to stabilize Peter. "I, for one, am grateful for the merciful call - oh one of superior Quidditch skills!" he said stooping in a would be grandiose half bow to James. All four of them laughed, most likely disturbing the slumber of their fellow students.
"You three lucked out, Moony. I had to call it off with the storm picking up like that." James said seriously. "If not for the weather, we would've played as originally decided…to the buff!" He grinned and thought, briefly, that it was a shame Lily had been on his team. He could see now, why she had insisted upon it.
"But Prongs!" said Sirius as they changed into their dry pajamas and climbed into their soft, warm, four poster beds. "Raven in her skivvies! It was only a little rain."
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Padfoot." Said Remus sleepily.
"Oh come on Moony, I know you would've appreciated it." Said Sirius winking. Remus pretended not to have heard and continued getting ready for bed. Poor Peter had obviously fallen asleep and had begun to snore loudly the moment he collapsed into his bed. James pulled up the covers, his eyelids heavy with exhaustion, when he heard Sirius' voice drift dreamily across the room.
"Just one more goal."
"Shut up Sirius!" There was the sound of a wet robe being thrown, but James never found out who threw it, or if it had found its mark. He was fast asleep.