A challenge from the Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges Forum (Check it out!) by Megsy42.
The Big Debate
Luna sighed as she sipped her Butterbeer. She was sat in the Three Broomsticks on a particularly cold Hogsmede visit; the last one before Christmas to be precise. And she was bored, very, very bored.
The Golden Trio had dragged her from the Mistletoe she was trying to de-nargle and had all but forced her into Hogsmede. She wasn't happy with them to say the least; it was giving the nargles chance to re-populate for godsake.
She sighed again, albeit a little dreamily, as she looked disinterestedly around the room. Her eyes trawled over the bar and she smiled at the barmaid, waving slowly.
Rosmerta waved back.
Luna drifted over, rolling her eyes as Ron and Harry scowled at her for disrupting their little sulks. "Hello," Luna said, "You have a very nice pub."
"Why thank-you Luna, it's just been redone," Rosmerta announced proudly, her curls bouncing with excitement.
"Really?" Luna gazed around again, blinking as she realised that the once stone floor had been covered in mahogany and the walls changed from red to purple. "Oh yes."
"So, Hogwarts are you?" Rosmerta asked as her eyes flashed to the rather obvious Ravenclaw badge.
Luna nodded, briefly wondering if that was a wrack spurt that had just zoomed past her ear. "I am. Were you Hogwarts yourself?"
Rosmerta giggled like the school girl she once was, bobbing her head energetically. "Once upon time. You won't believe how long I've worked in this pub for though. I mean, I'm old enough to remember a teenage Sirius Black coming in here and flirting with everybody." She blushed when she said his name.
Luna raised her eyebrows and snorted softly, "Did you know Sirius Black is actually Stubby Boardman?"
Rosmerta looked away awkwardly. "Er- Right. Okay." She served a customer, smiling as the coins made a lovely jangling noise when she dropped them in the old fashioned till. "Your third year Professor was Remus Lupin wasn't it?"
"Yeah… He was a werewolf you know," Luna admitted, her eyes glazing over as she remembered him very clearly. "I wasn't all surprised."
Rosmerta laughed again. "Dear old Remus? A werewolf? Well I never." She laughed again, clearly thinking Luna was mental. "Remus was a Marauder, I've never talked to him much though; he's ever so quiet."
"Mmm. Isn't he?" Luna stared off into space again, wondering if she was drooling or if that was just her imagination.
Rosemerta rose an eyebrow, smirking. "Does somebody have a little crush?"
Luna tutted defiantly, sitting up a little straighter on her bar stool. "If you can have a crush on Sirius, why can't I have a crush on Remus?" She sighed a little when she said his name.
"Because Remus was your teacher."
"Oh I know. But he was still better looking than Sirius."
Rosmerta gasped, staring at Luna as though she'd committed blasphemy. "How dare you! How very very dare you! Everybody know's Sirius was the hot one!"
"Remus' bookish looks would beat Sirius' er- look, any day of the week!" Luna insisted, "And Remus' eyes were just so… so wonderful and deep."
"B-but all the girls fancied Sirius!" Rosmerta spluttered indignantly, "It was a given!"
"Well I don't fancy Stubby Boardman," Luna said as though it settled the matter. "Remus was much nicer anyway, he didn't pull mean pranks on undeserving students."
"Severus Snape took every opportunity to get back at James and Sirius, he used to use some dark curses too! At least they did only harmless spells and the such like."
"Only because Remus made them! If they'd had their way, then Snape would've probably been permanently disfigured," Luna said stubbornly, her big eyes hardening.
"Sirius knew how to live that's why! The amounts of times he and James would try to charm Firewhiskey out of me… Oh what I wouldn't give-"
"Remus was sensible and didn't drink," Luna interrupted, "He didn't want to make a fool of himself."
"Sirius used to be such a performer! He all but lived for a crowd for his dramatics," Rosemerta said, her eyes lighting up at some memory, "One time, he insisted on putting on a strip show here. I mean, how was I meant to refuse an offer like that?! I've never seen the pub more packed!"
"Remus was a decent human being who was very shy and insecure-"
"Who're you arguing with now?" Hermione demanded tiredly, tugging Luna's arm as she sighed in exasperation. Luna was forever 'debating' the existence of some made-up creature or other and would never listen to reason. It bugged Hermione, to say the least.
"Your friend seems to think that Remus is better looking than Sirius!" Rosmerta uttered hastily, before Luna had chance to reply. Luna scowled.
Hermione's mouth dropped open. "You mean to tell me, Madame Rosmerta, that you think Sirius was better looking!? Fair enough he had that… bad boy charm but Remus- Well, Remus was just a whole different kettle of fish!"
"You're- you're one of them!?" Rosmerta cried, pointing a shaking finger at Luna.
Hermione nodded seriously, pointing at a badge pined to her chest. "Read it!"
"W-O-L-F?"
Hermione nodded again. "Werewolf; Our Love Forever."
"…Isn't that a little biased calling him just werewolf?" Rosmerta wondered out loud, "I mean, it's not very creative is it."
Hermione flushed. "I'd like to see you do better!" she challenged.
Rosmerta folded her arms, "Fine. Give me a second." She hummed to herself, running through a list of words. "S-I-N," she finally came up with.
"-Sin?"
"No! S-I-N. Sirius is naughty!" she declared proudly.
"Now that's not even -" Luna cut herself off when Rosmerta glared at her. "You know what, I have an idea…"
.x0x.
Frantic buyers of Quibbler rushed to get their new copy. On the front page was a picture of two different girls wearing two different badges; one said S.I.N whilst the other said W.O.L.F.
Readers hastily flicked to page three.
The Marauder's. Four legendary students that declared themselves Kings of Mischief. And kings indeed they were. The four students were all attractive in their own way, James; tall and wiry, Peter; chubby and cute, Remus; shy and mysterious, Sirius; nothing but a bad boy.
At this is moment in time, however, a debate has been started; Remus vs. Sirius. Who's hotter?
And it is to you, dear readers, we give the task of deciding. The spell on the right will join you to S.I.N (Sirius is Naughty) whilst the spell on the left, will join you to W.O.L.F (Werewolf; Our Love Forever). Hurry to support your favourite!
For the ball, is firmly in your court.
.x0x.
"How are we doing?" Hermione asked, watching with interest as name after name appeared on their members list, all avid supporters of Remus.
"Good," said Luna, her radish like ear-rings bumping against her head when she turned to look at Hermione, "But Stubby is too unfortunately."
Rosmerta grinned impishly at them, watching as her own list seemed to multiply over and over again.
"How long till this ends?" Ron whispered to Harry. The two boys were sat looking on from a safe distance, both slightly dazed at the level of completion for two of the people they considered as guardians.
Harry groaned mournfully, "Till every single witch and wizard in the world have placed a vote."
Ron gulped. "Kill me Harry."
.x0x.
The voting was continued for another moth, till at last the 'lines' were closed and a spell placed upon the members list to count the names.
Ginny had joined SIN's cause not days ago and was nibbling her nails as the four girls waited anxiously for the result.
Hermione and Luna were sat in tense silence, giving dark glances to Ginny and Rosmerta who had a poster of Sirius Back. A topless Sirius Black at that.
After hours, hours of agonizing, stomach-turning, heart -clenching waiting… The votes, were finally in.
"Now," Harry said nervously as he picked up the magically sealed envelope, "I want you all to promise that if you loose, you will not hex me."
Four nervous, impatient faces nodded back.
"Good. Drum roll please!" Ron waved his wand and the sound rolled around the group. "And the winner is-!" Harry slit the envelope open and stared in shock at the result. He gulped loudly. "There isn't one!"
A few moments shock then- "WHAT!?""But Remus must've won-"
"How can anybody resist Sirius' body-"
"It was a tie!" Harry said hurriedly, keen to keep the obsessed girls calm before the jinxed him.
The four of them groaned in unison. "Who can we ask?"
"McGonagall?" suggested Ron.
"Done."
"Sprout."
"Done."
"Er- Trelawney?"
"DONE! We've done all the teachers!"
"House-elves?"
"… Ew! No! Just no Ronald!" Hermione's face scrunched up at the thought. "That's just wrong."
Harry licked his lips, contemplated his chances of survival and muttered, "Dumbledore."
"- you did not just say what I think you just said?!"
"Well, he is gay after all," Harry pointed out, "And he knew them."
Ron gave him a disgusted loo but the girls ignored him, converging into a big huddle in the middle of the Room of Requirement they'd used as headquarters. "How about-"
"No. Asked her."
"Maybe-"
"No. Asked her too."
Lots of sighs.
"Well we can't give up!" Rosmerta shouted, watching the others as though simply daring them to argue.
"Well who can help us?!" Hermione demanded, her brow puckering into a confused frown.
"Maybe I can?" a familiar hoarse voice suggested politely.
"REMUS!" Hermione and Luna all but squealed at him, "What- what are you doing here?"
"I've come to give the final vote," he repeated, "If you need it that is." Actually, he'd turned up to sure what all the fuss was about. But he was allowed a little fun… He was a Marauder after all…
"But you'll vote for yourself," Rosmerta objected with Ginny nodding in agreement at her shoulder. "And that's not fair because Sirius isn't here to vote for himself either. So you can't do it, unless you've somehow brought Sirius back from the dead."
Remus smiled mysteriously. "And what, exactly, makes you think I was going to vote for myself in the first place?"
So what are you? S.I.N or W.O.L.F?
Still a little rough around the edges but fun to write. I think this could be a very good multi-chap fic and if anybody takes it up, please let me know! I don't have the time myself unfortunately...
Review xD