Disclaimer – Nope, not richer than the Queen, nope don't have two kids, nope, not Rowling, savvy?
A/N – Ok, flame if you want to, but basically, this is just a one off little fic-let that I did completely randomly because I was bored. So, on with the show! Oh, and the reference to 2001 – I don't mean any offence by it, so please don't take any.
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Ain't all that bad……
Sirius felt the red-lighted curse send nauseating waves through his body, as the velvety black curtain he fell into began to wrap around his body with the impact. He saw the look of horror on Harry's face as he fell all the way through and landed on a surprising puffy white cotton wool like surface which sprang him back up onto his feet as soon as he landed. Stumbling forward, he felt a pair of strong hands grab him around the middle to pull him back into balance. Without thinking or looking around, he said somewhat distractedly, "Cheers mate..", and headed off to jump right back through the veil - which no longer existed.
In fact, glancing around him, he realised that he wasn't even in the chamber anymore, but what seemed to be a large fluffy white cloud that stretched on forever, patches missing in places, so that the golden sunlight from above streamed through the gaps in sunbeams... wait. Sunbeams ?
From behind him, he heard the impatient tapping of a foot, (though how it managed to tap on the cloud he didn't know) and someone clearing their throat. Whirling around, his mouth dropped open in surprise.
" Prongs ?
Surprise, man!" grinned James Potter, much the same as Sirius remembered him; bright hazel eyes, ever-scruffy black hair, and a scar on his right arm from the one and only time he had ever fallen off a broomstick. He wore all white clothes, and for some ubsurd reason to Sirius's mind, was barefoot. Sirius stood back frowning, and eyeing his old friend with confusion.
"I thought you were dead?"
"Yeah, I am mate. 'Sgenerally what happens when you get hit by the Avada Kedavra Curse..."
"Unless you're Harry of course -" pointed out Sirius, then suddenly realised; Harry!
"Don't worry about hit," soothed Prongs, "There's nothing you can do now anyway."
"What do you mean, 'there's nothing I can do'?"
Prongs sighed. "Padfoot, are you being stupid on purpose? Let us run through this together slowly I have been dead for fourteen years, but here I am. You are standing on a suspiciously cloud like substance bathed in golden light..."
"Are you - saying - I'm dead?!" exclaimed Sirius in shock.
"Either that, or you have very strange dreams, mate..."
"Oh." Sirius's face was full of confusion, screwed up in contemplation. "So what do you do when you're dead anyway? Where are we? Is this heaven?"
Prongs paused a second before speaking. "No, this isn't heaven - this is more a kind of arrival hall really. Heaven is far more... heavenly. As for what we do, that depends on what job they give you."
"They give you a job?!" said Sirius incredulously - uh-oh...
"Well you've gotta have something to do while you're up here, haven't you?" Said Prongs matter-of-factly, "Besides, we all take shifts, so you get some time doing bog-all too."
"I bet you got watching over Harry." grinned Sirius.
"I wish..." muttered Prongs, "That's Lily's job. She off doing something airy-fairy and angelic at the moment... being an angel and all. No, I get to do the filing in reception."
"You do the what?!" Heaven was turning out to be a lot less like the Bible made out...
"Well be serious, Sirius - someone has to do the paperwork up here you know. Do you have any idea how many people died in 2001? I was running around like a blue-assed fly!"
"Sure you were Prongs..." laughed Sirius, rolling his eyes, "Anyway, how you been? What's it like being - well - dead? You know, when you're not working ?"
"Are you kidding? It rules! Well, considering you're dead and all... but you get to be all knowing! And dude, some of the chicks up here..." He winked at Sirius.
"Prongs, how could you even think such thoughts!" said Sirius in a shrill voice, feigning mock horror, "You are a married man!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
"But, don't you miss us - I mean, them?"
"Of course I do," and for a second, a wistful glance flitting across his face, "But I know we're only separated till you die - and I must admit, I didn't expect to be seeing you so soon, Padfoot. Trust you to get yourself killed..."
"Yeah, pretty stupid that, huh? I had a friend who did that once..."
Prongs swiftly hit him on the head.
"So, you're all knowing up here then?" asked Sirius, rubbing his head where he'd been hit. "Pretty much, yeah." shrugged Prongs. "Then how come you didn't know I was going to die?" Prongs hesitated and furrowed his brow, tilting his head slightly at Sirius. "I'll take that up with the council..."
"Huh?"
"Never mind... But anyway, this is getting boring, you want to go inside? I know I'm married, but you're not, mate.." winked James.
"Erm.. yeah, sure... its just... I'm really going to miss Moony." replied Sirius a little glumly.
"Well, you do have a choice; A) You become a ghost - you can basically haunt either Hogwarts, Grimmauld Place or Bella till she dies. But remember, you can't taste or feel anything, and one day, all who you love will die and leave you - including Harry and Moony. B) You stay up here and make yourself useful, and become all knowing, and get to spend eternity with your mates!"
"You know, I think I can live - wait about 20 years before I speak to Moony..."
"That's what I said. So, you coming or not?" Prongs nodded towards a candy floss like staircase that had just appeared before them.
"I'm game." nodded Sirius and stepped forwards to follow his friend.
"Padfoot, I really don't want you to take this the wrong way, but that whole long-unwashed-hair-and-gritty-stubble-look works for Aragorn, but it really doesn't suit you."
"Prongs, just because you're dead, don't mean I won't kick your ass..."
