The Midnight Duel
Sirius Black stood in his grey silk draped childhood bedroom staring at a photograph of four teenage boys. Taken twenty years ago, the subjects in the photo moved, throwing their arms around each other, laughing and trying to bump the smallest boy out of frame.
A small, bittersweet smile formed on Sirius lips as he stared at the two boys in the middle of the small group, one with rumbled hair, pushing up the glasses that slid down his nose. The other, tossing back curly hair that fell casually into his handsome face.
Sirius unconsciously mimicked the photos action; tossing back a lock of hair that had fallen into his older, Azkaban haggard, yet still handsome face, and let his gaze travel to the third boy in the photo. Blonde with a few scars on his face and hands, the largest one across his left cheek, he was smiling at his friends.
The fourth and smallest boy in the photo stood just to the side, his pinched face looking up toward the other three, a mixture of anxiety and envy on his features.
"How did I not see it?" Sirius mumbled to himself for the millionth time. His stomach growled deeply, he hadn't eaten much dinner. September first was fast approaching and Sirius would soon find himself in an empty house with only Kreacher for company.
Might as well eat something he thought. Not going to get much sleep anyway.
Quietly, he left his bedroom, making his way down two sets of stairs and paused to listen at the closed door to the bedroom shard by his godson, Harry Potter, and Harry's best friend Ron Weasley. He heard nothing, apart from what he supposed was light snoring; it was, after all, a bit before midnight.
"Alohomora," Sirius said, lifting his wand from the pocket of his dressing gown and pointing it at the doorknob before letting the wand drop back into the pocket. The lock clicked open, and the door protested softly as it swung open on its hinges. Sirius paused a moment in the open doorway, listening for a change in either boys breathing before he stepped into the room, closing the door quickly behind him.
Harry's school trunk sat open at the foot of his bed, and Sirius closed the lid and sat, watching Harry sleep, more peacefully tonight, now that the hearing was done and over with and Harry knew he'd be going back to Hogwarts. He looked so much like his father, especially in sleep; "I miss you James," Sirius said to Harry's sleeping face.
The sound of creaking floorboards came from downstairs, someone was moving about. Sirius pulled his wand out again before making his way back to the bedroom door and held it ajar as he listened intently.
With a final glace at his godson, Sirius slipped though the door and closed it quietly behind him. Down the next set of stairs, past the closed door of the bedroom the girls were sharing, down the final flight of stairs, past the elf heads on the wall, and his mothers covered portrait. Soft breaths and dreamy muttering came from behind the thick curtains; Sirius passed it without a second thought.
He paused on the ground floor, in the long entryway, listening. The clank of dishes came from the kitchen downstairs, and then the telltale squeak of the pantry door. Sirius lifted his wand as more noises came, cupboards opening and closing, the pantry door again, someone searching. Mundungus maybe, he had been quiet taken with those goblets. Or Kreacher, looking for family mementos to squirrel away.
Perhaps Molly,Sirius thought, knowing she too didn't sleep much lately. He debated continuing his journey, not knowing if Molly would welcome his company, when a small crash and muttered swearing in a voice to deep to be Molly's had him continue onward. Ah, he thought with a grin, Mooney!
His wand was still raised as he peered through the open doorway, finding Remus Lupin at the open pantry door, drinking deeply from a bottle of butterbeer, his back toward the kitchen door. He had not heard Sirius' arrival.
With a mischievous grin and a flick of his wand, Sirius made the bottom of the bottle tip further up, splashing it contents down Lupins front.
"What the hell?" Remus sputtered and turned quickly to face his tormentor. Seeing Sirius in the doorway, he visibly relaxed and wiped his face with his sleeve. "Very funny Sirius."
"Midnight snack?" Sirius asked, still grinning as stowed his wand back in the pocket of his dressing gown. "Molly made enough to feed the entire Order, there's bound to be something left over."
"Yes," Lupin agreed setting the empty bottle on a shelf in the pantry and closing the door. "Join me?" He produced his own wand and gave it a complex wave so jets of hot air shot out of it, allowing him to dry his face and clothes.
"Yes," Sirius said and shook his hair back from his face as he crossed the kitchen and took down plates, bowls and goblets from a cupboard. "I will thanks."
With a wave of his wand, Lupin set a tureen of onion soup, half a roasted chicken wrapped in a dish towel, two vegetable casseroles and a chocolate pie with only one piece missing floating onto the table. Sirius handed him a set of silverware he'd gotten from a drawer. Lupin placed his wand on the table, just to the right of his plate. The two men served themselves and ate in silence for a few moments.
"Tonks is in an especially good mood these days," Sirius said, setting his spoon down in the bowl of onion soup, and grinned at the surprised -and a bit guilty- look on Lupin's face.
"Is she?" Remus asked, recovering his expression quickly. "Is there any wine, Padfoot?"
Sirius took the hint and since Remus had used the beloved nickname, he allowed the subject to drop. Standing, he crossed to the pantry door to retrieve the wine.
As soon as the door squeaked, Remus glanced over his shoulder to make sure Sirius' back was turned, lifted his wand, pointing it at the full salt shaker. A moment later the wand was back on the table just as it had been and Sirius was pouring Lupin a generous portion of wine.
Sirius sat back down, poured himself some wine and debated bringing up the subject of Tonks again. While he thought, he absent mindedly took a spoonful of soup and slurped it up. And immediately spit it out. He glanced at the now empty salt shaker. Incredulous, he looked at Remus, who was doing such a bad job of concealing his laughter, he gave up trying. "That was for drenching me in butterbeer," Remus said.
The two men stared at each other for a long moment, a smile slowly coming to each face. Simultaneously, each stood quickly, still grinning, chair legs scraping the stonework floor. Lupin's fingers closed over his wand, brining it up with him, Sirius dug into his pocket for his own.
Broad smiles now, as each pointed his wand at the other. Both were reminded of nights in the Gryffindor dormitory and the jinxing duels they'd had with James. Together, they each took steps to the left, so that they were circling the table, wands still raised and ready, gins still broad.
Sirius struck first. Levicorpus he thought loudly and Remus gave a shout as his ankles flew up toward the ceiling, and he hung upside down, his head inches from the floor. Sirius waved his wand about the kitchen "Muffliato," he said aloud and Remus took advantage of his momentary distraction to point his wand at his own feet.
Liberacorpus Remus thought and sent himself crashing to the ground. Pulling his feet under him, he stayed crouched close to the floor, rising just enough so his eye line lifted just over the table top. Sirius' wand was pointing directly at him.
"Furnunculus" Sirius said, and boils erupted all over Lupins body.
"Episkey," Remus muttered and felt the boils disappear. "Aguamenti," Remus countered, a jet of water shot from the tip of his wand and across the table, drenching Sirius, and sending the remains of their dinner crashing to the floor. Remus climbed to his feet. "On second thought Padfoot, this is for the butterbeer."
"Protego," Sirius spluttered through the water rushing at him, and he raised his wand arm, brining it full circle in front of him. The jet of water bounced off the invisible shield now in front of Sirius and doubled back, splattering Remus until he ended the charm with a tiny flick of his wand.
The shield charm Sirius cast popped back into thin air as the water extinguished. "Expelliarmus," Sirius said quickly and pointed his wand at Lupin, who ducked just in time, and the spell hit the cabinet where Remus' hand had been a moment before. Plates, bowls, goblets and mugs exploded from the cupboard, sending shards of pottery and glass raining down. "Protego!" Sirius yelled quickly, throwing a shield charm over Lupin. The shards bounced off the shield and fell harmlessly to the ground.
"Thanks for that Padfoot," Remus was lying flat on the floor again, looking though the legs of the tables and chairs at Sirius' feet.
"No prob-"
"Tarantallegra," Remus cut him off and pointed his wand in Sirius' direction.
At once, Sirius began to tap dance. As his dancing feet moved him down the table, toward Lupin, Sirius pointed his wand again and nearly out of breath, shouted "Rictusempra!"
Lupin began to giggle. Sirius aimed his wand at his own feet, thinking the counter spell and breathed a sigh of relief when he stopped dancing.
He let Lupin giggle for several minutes, watching him lying helplessly on the floor before realizing that Remus was unable to think clearly enough to cast the counter spell. "Finite," Sirius said and pointed his wand again at his friend.
With a few last chuckles, Lupin stopped giggling. Breathing hard, Remus sat up and propped himself against a cabinet. He stared up at Sirius, who had moved closer and was standing over him, as he breathed deeply, regaining his composure. "Truce?" Lupin offered.
Sirius nodded tiredly in agreement, "Truce," he said and flopped onto the floor next to Lupin.
Remus turned his head to look at his friend, who now had his head back and eyes closed. "I don't know about you, mate, but I am much older than I used to be."
Sirius chuckled and opened his eyes to look at his friend. "My legs are sore just from that bit of dancing."
"Yeah, by the way, where did you learn to tap dance?"
"My mother insis-"
"Merlin's beard!" A cry of shock came from the kitchen doorway. Remus and Sirius' eyes widened and simultaneously they both turned their heads toward the voice.
Arthur Weasley stood in the doorway a look of shock frozen on his face as he surveyed the room. Remus and Sirius looked around, seeing it through Arthur's eyes. Bits of broken pottery and glass floated in puddles of water and onion soup. Vegetables and chunks of roasted chicken lay on the floor; the chocolate pie had been flung in the stream of water against the wall, and now lay upside down and melting on the floor. The cupboard door Sirius had accidently blow up hung limply on one hinge, creaking ominously. They looked at each other; both of them were soaked to the skin, their sodden hair sloppily hanging in their faces. Each tried not to laugh.
"What has been going on here?" Demanded Arthur in the tone he usually kept reserved for his twin sons, Fred and George.
"Just reliving old times, Arthur." Sirius said, getting to his feet and extending his hand to Remus.
Lupin grabbed the offered hand and pulled himself up. "Yes Arthur, we'll clear up."
Together they raised their wands, wafting them through the air. The plates, goblets and mugs mended and stacked themselves, flying neatly back into the cupboard. The cupboard door fixed its own wobbly hinge and closed itself quietly. The soup poured itself back into the tureen. The silverware took itself to the sink and a scrub brush began to wash them. The water evaporated, leaving the walls and floor completely dry. "Wingardium Leviosa," Sirius said with a swish and flick of his wand, the pie, chicken pieces and vegetables rose in mid air, taking themselves to the garbage bin.
Remus turned his wand on the mound of chocolate the overturned pie had left on the floor, "Scourgify," and the chocolate cleaned itself up.
Both turned their wands toward their friend and performing the same complicated wave Remus had done half an hour before; they blew hot air at each other until they too were dry.
"So," Sirius said calmly, "What are you doing up so early Arthur?" And he retook his seat at the table, as if nothing at all had happened.
A/N: Thank you for reading. Please check back for the next story in my project, Hallowe'en