Title: Of Pranks, Drama & Lies.
Author: Tany
Rating: PG-13, as of now.
Disclaimer: I own Laini. The end.
Summary: "Your hair's pink, mate." "Well, your girlie's cheating." "You've kissed her?" "I did nothing of the sort." Oh, of pranking, drama, and lies. Welcome to Hogwarts. R+R.
- - -
Mumbling incoherently under her breath and waving a pair of Muggle scissors about, Laini Vaitra Black scowled in annoyance, "Sirius, you horrid excuse for a Black, get your ruddy arse over here."
The scissors snipped at the air impatiently as a male emerged from the under the table, hands over his head as if protecting something sacred, "Laini, you foul creature, shut it." Came his voice as he sauntered over to where the female stood and sat his bum on the long bench.
Laini and Sirius Black, cousins by marriage and divorce, were more opposite than you could imagine. Laini, though she was growing out of it, had a high dislike towards anyone non-magic or magic with lack of proper bloodline, while Sirius found an equal appreciation for everyone much unlike his family. Laini in particular. Both born into one of the only Pure families still around, they obviously had their views on things and liked it that way. In fact, now as they both stood or, sat, in Sirius' case in the midst of the Great Hall in their seventh year, they were fighting once more. Sirius arguing his case and Laini arguing hers; though Laini's was quite hard to fight with, as she was now holding a pair of scissors and it was quite apparent the female didn't have the right idea how to carry them.
"Siri, Siri, daaaarling," Laini cooed sadistically, waving the sharp object about, "just a quick snip off the top and no one'll know the difference." Her ways of convincing were obviously working for as soon as the brunette finished her taunt, he lowered his hands from his head to reveal the workings of a bright pink mohawk.
Now, how the mohawk came about was beyond both Laini, Sirius, and the small group gathered around, as Sirius had been perfectly normal in his straggly hair one moment and then blinding the lot of first years the next. James insisted it was none other than Snivelly Snape's idea of a practical joke, while Laini insisted they keep their large mouths shut lest they wish her to do it for them.
Laini Black, though usually keeping her liking towards those of Pure background, had oddly enough been keenly attracted to the male figure of Severus Snape in her first year upon spotting him at sorting. They'd clicked, in a matter of speaking, and she'd gone 'round protecting the bloke since. Dreadful news for the Marauders, as they found sick pleasure in tormenting the half-blood Slytherin relentlessly.
"Do it already!" Came the shrill cry of Sirius, waving his hands frantically at his cousin, "I've already scared off half the Gryffindors; load of crock, really. Aren't they supposed to be the brave bunch?" He laughed at that, nearly forgetting the bright pink mass on his head.
"Perhaps, though one could wonder if it was just us who belongs in good ol' Godric's house, eh?" James joked, nudged his elbow into Sirius' ribs with a laugh. Sirius nodded in return, once again waving a frantic hand at the brunette who still stood before him,
"I'm going, I'm going!" Came her squeaky answer, and she shut one eye, aiming the middle of the scissors for the tips of Sirius' head. "Now. Don't. Move." She informed him, flicking her wrist out and chopping a chunk of the pink right into Sirius' lap.
James howled with laughter, clapping his mate on the back, for despite Laini's attempt to do a proper haircut, the blinding pink of Sirius' mohawk was still in place and seemed to be… "Growing." Remus confirmed with a knowing nod, his tawny eyes not leaving the pages of his Transfiguration book.
Laini pursed her pale lips together and nodded silent agreement with Remus, tapping the closed blades of the scissors against her thigh, "This is ridiculous, why not just use magic?" She asked, obviously showing that the scissor idea had not been hers and would not have been even if someone offered her Galleons. Laini and scissors equaled a sure mess and the possible loss of an ear. Namely Sirius'. Except, both James and Sirius had insisted the scissor technique and after Remus declined kindly, Laini scooped up the chance, highly regretting said decision now.
"Maybe Laini just missed?" Said a hopeful Sirius, idly feeling at the hair in which had obviously gotten a few inches added to it.
"Nah, mate, it's all girlie." Came James' sorrowful reply, though there was a hint of mild amusement.
Flopping herself into the empty spot next to her cousin, Laini dug her wand out of her robe pocket and flicked it at the scissors; them disappearing instantly.
"Lailai, what'd you go and do that for?" Sirius whined aloud, his slate gray eyes narrowing upon the green gray ones of his cousin and she answered with a mute shrug before tugging her elbow length hair back into a ponytail, "Magic would work, I promise you." She informed.
"Or, using magic could be the pranksters intention and that'd result in… well, worse conditions." Came Remus' voice for the second time that afternoon.
It was a record, mind you.
Laini and James both nodded their agreements and Sirius groaned outwardly, slouching down in his seat.
"I best be off." The female stood suddenly, scooping her wand into her pocket and offering a sympathetic pat to her cousin's head before flicking James in the nose and turning one of Remus's pages. Sirius replied with a muffled 'fuck you', James snorted with a bit of laughter, and Remus hastily turned back to the page he'd previously been on, though a smile was apparent on his face. "Bye, you lot." And they waved her off.
"Padfoot, you never know, maybe Laini was right and Moony is wrong." James popped in, after the brunette's ponytail could be seen bobbing out the double doors of the Great Hall, "She is a Ravenclaw, after all."
There was silence.
"Ravenclaw or not, Laini's never endured something like this." Came the third sentence from the head in the book.
Sirius leaned forward to get himself a look at Remus, only to be greeted with the cover of the book, "Remus, put that ruddy book down and talk to us."
"I am."
"Remus." He warned without excess words and the book slowly lowered to reveal the pale, gaunt face of their tawny-eyed friend.
A smile crossed his wasted face and he lifted both of his eyebrows into his messy fringe, "Well, I was talking to you both before, but if I must." He shut his book and sat it aside.
"Now, James has a point- Laini's in that snooty-tooty, smarty house, why shan't we listen to her?"
"Yeah, I do have a point."
Remus smiled at the two before shaking his head, "Because she probably only wants to see you-" He nodded to Sirius, "-facing more embarrassment." Sirius nodded, knowing full well that his cousin found the same sick torment in bothering him as he did in bothering Snape. It was a sick circle, their world.
"But that's it? That's your advice, Remus?" James said, mouth slightly open in annoyance, "That makes a bit of sense, but not enough to satisfy me." And with that, James stood and removed his wand from the hidden pocket on the inside of his robes and thwacked it atop Sirius' head for good measure, before reciting the spell for cutting and such. Sirius shut his eyes once at the thwack and then shut them again as he felt chucks of his hair floating onto his lap and shoulders.
Opening his eyes after a moment, he turned his gray eyes upon his two friends only to see a cocky grin on Remus' face and a wide-eyed surprised look on James, "You guys… what?" He lifted a hand to his head and paused, mid-touch. "Bloody he—
"I'm BALD?!"
"So it would seem…" Remus replied slowly, tapping his chin with his index and middle finger, "I won't say I told you-"
"Then don't." James cut off, giving a warning look to their friend and Remus automatically buttoned his lip as he had so many times in the passed.
"Don't what, Potter?" Came a drawling voice as another male appeared out of nearly nowhere, apparently. The two dark-haired youths turned and Sirius immediately tugged the hood of his robes over his head, scowling.
"Snivelly." The unison word escaped both James and Sirius' mouths as Remus inclined his head with a, "Severus."
The dark haired youth curled his lips into a small, foul smirk-like smile and returned the slight inclination of his head towards Remus, "Lupin, Potter, Black." He answered, obviously nonplussed by the two blockheads rendition of 'Snivelly'.
"What business do you have strutting about the Gryffindor table?" Spat Sirius, clearly forgetting his lack of hair and moving for his wand.
Severus lifted a hand to halt the moment, giving a shrug that caused his whole outfit to lift and with a sweep of his hand, turned, "No reason, Black; I was just attempting a closer look at your new style. Trend-setting is your strong suit, after all." And the dark-haired male began walking away, only to be cut off by a brunette who seemed to be questioning him.
The brunette female lifted a hand as if to touch his cheek, gave a sorrowful look, nodded, and waved as she turned to return to the threesome, "What you blokes do now?" Hissed Laini, returning to her previous seat with a book in hand.
"Nothing." They all chirped, Remus continuing, "He'd simple come to see Sirius' new trend."
"Trend?" Questioned the girl soon after the word had left Remus' mouth and Remus nodded, "What trend?"
She immediately moved to tug his hood off, only to have her cousin slide down the bench out of her reach and swat her hand away, "Off, you scurry dog." He joked, his gray eyes playing over her face, "You shan't be seeing THIS trend!" Though Laini could see the disappointment in his eyes and was quite aware that he was playing off any upset emotions with his playful nature.
The idiot.
"Fine, be that way." She opened the book she'd brought with her, having clearly just returned from the Library, and began reading it. Remus took the empty seat on her side and reached around for his book, which lay upon the table, joining her in silent company.
Sirius and James exchanged glances, both crossing their arms, "Well, whilst you two love birdies spend your time reading, Jamie and I are going to go wreak some havoc." A coy smile trickled over Sirius' features, though the pure masculine look of him was wasted with the hood on. James playfully snatched at said hood, only to be scolded by Sirius and shoved off down the aisle towards the open Great Hall doors, "Come along, Prongs, we best play somewhere else." Sirius cooed, his voice obviously hinting that they were to leave before Laini became any more suspicious of this 'trend' he was sitting.
After the two blockheads had successfully left the ear-range of the two bookworms, Laini turned to Remus with a set expression, tempted to beat any information out of him that she wanted. "What happened while I was gone?"
"Nothing."
"You lie."
Remus lifted his gaze from his book at that and turned to the girl next to him, "Yes, but only a little—" Laini raised her hand at that, "—Lai, if it were you you'd not want me spilling any information to your cousin!" He said quickly and she slowly lowered her hand, slightly okay with the information she'd been given, "I suppose so. Though, I will find out one way or the next." Came her taunt and Remus leaned over to kiss her cheek, laughing against the warmth of it, "You always do."
A few minutes away both James and Sirius were laughing together as they exited the castle, shoving each other into groups of firsties and snorting as some toppled over, "You dog." James breathed, laughing lightly, "I could've smashed that girl, you know." He punched at Sirius' shoulder and Sirius shook his head, annoyed that his shaggy hair was missing and the only tickle to his cheeks came from the cloth of his hood.
"So, what'll we do to amuse ourselves today?" Sirius asked curiously, glancing at his bespeckled friend.
"Snivelly seems to be enjoying the afternoon sun." Came his reply.
Sirius wrinkled his eyebrows together, pausing at the odd answer and then nodded with an 'oh' as he spotted the dark-haired fiend sitting along the stone path that led to Hagrid's hut. "Good idea."
