Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own any part of Harry Potter. My name is not J.K. Rowling, though I wouldn't mind if it were. She is the only true owner of Harry Potter and it's characters. There are only a select few of my own characters featured in this story. Bon appetite!
Once Upon A Full Moon, Part I
Chapter One
By: Amanda Soldner (Frank09)
"Sirius? I don't think we should be doing this," Peter Pettigrew--sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry--stuttered, hands clutched tightly at his own chubby chest.
"Oh, shut up, Wormtail! If we weren't, this--our sixth year, if you haven't noticed--would be the first year in which we haven't caused any magical mischief on the first day of the new term," James Potter spat--with a great amount of pride--as he ran a strong, Quidditch-calloused hand through his unruly black hair.
"He's right, Wormtail. Have you got the password, Moony?" Sirius Black asked, carefully sticking his head around the corner, away from the rest of them, to see an empty corridor. He was relieved.
"Yes, Padfoot. It's right here on the Map. Remember, I told you about that charm I learned and put on the Map over the holiday?" Remus Lupin said, quite impatiently. Whatever I tell this man that isn't about girls goes in one ear and straight through the bloody other, he thought.
"The one that tells us each House's password--even when it changes? Yep, I remember," Sirius said, calmly--he didn't want to upset his friend any further. Remus noticed this and gently handed him the large, open piece of parchment. Sure enough, right before Sirius was the new and improved version of their beloved Marauder's Map. In the middle of each House's common room was scrawled, in Remus' charmed handwriting, the password to get into the corresponding portrait.
"Wormtail, have you got the potion?" James asked, rather calmly. He always tried to be extra nice to their lesser friend. Peter nodded and stuffed a chubby hand in the pocket inside of his thin robes as he shivered from the cold of the dungeons.
"Here it is, James," He said, holding out a large, corked phial filled with a gooey blue liquid. "Are you sure we won't get caught?" Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Yes, Peter! Everyone's down at the Great Hall eating their faces off at the Opening Feast, and if someone decides to come down early, we'll know!" Sirius shouted, his face turning pink from anger and his voice echoing off of the walls. Peter only flinched and cowered behind James, but poked his head around him to ask one last ignorant question.
"How are we going to know?" He squeaked, causing Sirius to smack his own forehead and shake his head in dismay.
"The map, you bloody idiot!" Sirius shouted. His voice again echoed through the corridors as he fixated his eyes on the large piece of parchment in his hands. "We're good. Norris and Filch are both at the feast. Nobody's in the halls." He announced with a sudden calmness that startled them all.
"Let's go, then." James said. The four of them walked slowly around the corner and stood in front of the large Slytherin portrait--and Asian man with ocean blue hair (safely secured in two high pigtails), white thigh-high boots, and a cute little white Lolita dress.
"Moshi-moshi! Password?" Portrait-man cheerfully asked.
"Hold on a minute…" Sirius said as he scanned the parchment for the correct password. Just then another Asian man stepped into the portrait. This one was dressed all in black with bright, pink hair.
"Moshi-moshi, sexy," Visiting-man huskily said to Portrait-man, who let out a manly giggle. Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"Lemon is sexy," Sirius spat quickly as the two men in the portrait kissed, stealing an unnoticed, longing glance at Remus. Mmm…what if that was Remus and I? He looks like he would be a good kisser. Wait--WHAT? What am I thinking? I don't like guys, and I sure as bloody hell don't like my best friend! EW! Visiting-man grinned as he pulled away, and for a fleeting second, Sirius has a sneaking suspicion that the man knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Oh, don't worry. I had the same problem, once," Visiting-man said, smirking evilly at Sirius. He does know what I'm thinking! Oh, Merlin, I hope he doesn't say anything more! What if Moony found our what I was just thinking? He'd think that I was some gay pervy person or something…Oh, Merlin, Oh, Merlin, Oh Merlin…Suddenly, scaring Sirius out of his thoughts, the portrait swung open to let them through. Sirius sent a slow glance at Remus and was surprised to find that Remus was looking right back at him. Just before they looked away, Sirius thought he saw something unfamiliar in Remus' blue-brown eyes. It couldn't possibly… , Sirius thought. They both cleared their throats and looked away.
"No one's in there, lets go," Sirius said, checking it out on the Map. He slowly walked around the corner. Remus quickly made sure he was directly behind Sirius.
"Hey, Padfoot, did you bring the spell?" Remus asked. Sirius stopped, dead in his tracks, causing the four of them to fall down, domino style: Remus on top of Sirius, Peter on top of Remus, and James on top of Peter.
"Bloody hell, Sirius! You didn't bring it!" James shouted.
"No. I never even knew I had to! I thought Remus had it memorized or something. You know, he's got just about every spell book in the Wizarding world memorized," Sirius said. Nearly all they heard was muffles, though.
"Well, then. Someone's going to have to go get it then, eh?" James said, climbing off of the dog pile. Peter tumbled off of the side with a loud thump. He had landed, hard, on the cold, stone floor.
"Obviously," Remus and Sirius said in unison.
"I'll go," James offered. Peter immediately perked up.
"Me too!" He squeaked.
"Let's go, then," James said. In less than a minute, Sirius and Remus heard the portrait slam behind their friends. There was an uncomfortable silence left in their wake.
"Um… Remus? Can you get off?" Sirius asked.
"Oh. Sorry, Paddy," Remus said, slowly sliding off of him. Remus felt what seemed like all of his body heat rush up to his own cheeks and silently wondered why.
"No big deal," Sirius replied, pushing himself up from the cold stone. They both sat cross-legged, each avoiding the other's eyes. "They should have taken the map," Sirius said, quite blandly, trying to start a sad excuse for a conversation.
"They've got the cloak," Remus told him.
"Right," Sirius replied, finally making eye contact with Remus, who was intently staring back at him.
"Sirius, I know this may sound a bit odd, but— ," Remus began, but was cut off by a young woman's shrill giggle and a young man's deep moan.
"Oh, Lucius… ," The young woman moaned. Sirius quickly grabbed the Marauder's Map and saw two dots, one labeled 'Narcissa Black' and the other 'Lucius Malfoy', headed straight for them through the corridor leading to the common room.
"Go!" Sirius whispered fiercely. Remus scrambled behind a couch in the corner. Sirius began to follow, but just as the couple came around the corner, her turned around. He'd forgotten the Map. Just as Narcissa and Lucius pulled away for breath, Sirius shot behind the couch, map in hand. He shot Narcissa an unnoticed look of disgust. The traitor.
"Did you hear something?" Narcissa asked.
"No, baby. Just the wind," Lucius said huskily, turning her attention back to himself. They returned back to their prior activities and scrambled up to the girl's dormitories.
"First day and they're going to bloodyshag already," Sirius snapped, repulsion clear in his voice.
"She's your blood, so of course they will!" Remus joked. Sirius failed to hear the joke in his voice, though.
"Do you see my shagging someone, Moony?" Sirius roared, turning around to face Remus. When he turned, he found their faces much closer than he would have liked, but, for some reason, he didn't move.
"I'm sorry, Sir— ," Remus began. He ceased when Sirius' soft finger pressed up against his lips. Sirius very slowly moved his face closer to Remus'.
"Narcissa! What did I do wrong?" They heard Lucius shout as Narcissa stormed down the steps towards the portrait. She stopped.
"I told you, stop trying to get me to bloody sleep with you!" Narcissa screamed. Remus and Sirius heard the portrait slam and then once again as Lucius went to chase after her.
"Boo!" Screamed James, popping out from his invisibility cloak just in front of Remus and Sirius, who screamed like their inner girls. James fell over from laughing so hard.
"James! Give me the spell. We have to do this now, the school is on dessert already," Remus shouted over James' laughter, his own face still white with shock. Peter slowly uncloaked himself and set the cloak in a heap on the floor.
"Here, cranky-pants," James said, handing Remus a small, rolled up piece of parchment. "What's your problem?" Remus took the parchment and shrugged. James looked at Sirius for an answer, but he shrugged also.
"Let's go," Remus said, standing up and walking towards the boy's forms.
"Remus, wait," Sirius said, climbing over the couch and over to Remus. "Guys, can we have a sec.? Go find out which bed is his or something."
"Yes, sir," James and Peter sarcastically replied. They rolled their eyes and quickly climbed the stairs to the boy's dorm.
"What's wrong?" Sirius asked his best friend. Remus shrugged and thought, I can't exactly just say, 'Well, you see, I thought you were going to kiss me just now but then you didn't and I'm really disappointed', now, can I? Then he'll think I'm fruity and that I like him. Not that I could have a problem with liking him, but if I ever met a straight man, it's Sirius. I wish I could tell him, though. He'll think I'm gay, though, which I most definitely am not. I don't think. Wait. What am I talking about? I don't like Sirius! He's my best friend! No, no, no, no, NO!
"Nothing. I just, um, miss Manny, that's all," Remus lied, bringing his only ex-girlfriend up as if to convince himself that he didn't like Sirius. Sirius frowned and sighed. "What's wrong with you?" Sirius looked over at Remus, as if weighing the consequences of telling him or not telling him. I wonder what he would say if I just busted out and said, 'Oh, well, I was going to kiss you before but Narcissa, damn her, and Lucius, double damn him, came, and I'm really disappointed. Oh, and I thought you were just about to tell me that you like me, but I don't know how I would have reacted because a) I'm not gay. b) I have a girlfriend. And c) I am certainly never going to be gay or bi or anything that has to do with liking my own gender, Sirius thought to himself.
"Nothing's wrong. Let's go up and get this over with," He said to his friend, who nodded. They quickly climbed up the stairs together. At the top, they searched for the room marked 'Year 6' and went in.