The silence was uncanny.
The fire was casting eerie glow, silence making it all the more creepy.
Something was off, too off.
It was not supposed to be this quite at this time of this day, was it?
A few first and second year students crept down to the common room cautiously, peering around as if waiting for something to jump at them. But when none of it happened, it made the matters even worse.
A second year bravely broke the silence of the common room in a hoarse whisper, "What is the day today?"
"Friday." A daring first year replied in a whisper.
And that made it even more intriguing.
"Time?" A second year spoke more boldly, seeing as they were alone in the common room.
"Just," The boy gasped, "9!"
They all looked at each other in alarm, "Wasn't there supposed to be a party? Where are the Marauders?"
It was honestly the biggest wonder.
The Marauders asleep at 9 already, especially on their usual rowdy party nights. At this time, the Gryffindors usually expect the loud music and howls of laughter from the sometimes drunk boys.
But the silence aroused a curiosity among the students as they trickled into the common room to see what had happened.
The questions were flying around, some concerned, some relieved.
But what had happened?
7th year, Gryffindor Boys' Dormitories
"No..go away…" A sleepy Remus Lupin mumbled sleepily, flipping on his back.
Loud snores emitted by the stout boy with watery eyes filled the room.
"The snitch….a little more…ah…"
And then absolute silence after a snort from Peter.
Some would blame it on running through one end of the school to other to escape the school care taker, Argus Flich and his evil and mean cat Mrs. Norris, or maybe on their latest prank involving a pie, a tank of lemon juice and 6 dozen éclairs and that chicken…which was alive…and Peeves... but none of that was true.
The truth was they were just lethargic. Even that might be blamed on the little firewhiskey that Sirius added to their pumpkin juice…but you can't be sure.
A thud broke the silence around the silent dorm. Remus stirred a little in the sleep, but quickly passed out again.
A shaggy black hair rose from behind a bed, wide grey eyes looking around the room, startled.
Sirius blinked as he stood up and stumbled into the bed and closed his eyes again. Pulling the covers over his head, something he usually refrained from doing, and tried to sleep.
For a few minutes, absolute silence engulfed the room before it was broken by a particularly harsh wind outside, causing the branches to bang on the dorm's window.
Sirius jumped, eyes wide again. It seemed even a slightest voice could make him jump in the silence of the room.
He was not used to this silence.
There would still be some noise, even if they were sleeping. Peter would be sleep talking steadily and Remus would go on thrashing around restlessly in his sleep. James would keep switching sides, rustling the sheets. And Sirius would even sometime sleep-walk.
After 15 agonizing minutes, Sirius decided he just couldn't sleep for the hell of it. He quietly, or as quietly he could, got out of the bed and crept down for a glass of water.
When he returned, he stared at his bed for a few minutes, just standing there in the dark. His bed sheets were sprawled in a mess, half falling off the edge, his pillow was in the middle, because everyone knows Sirius Black does not use a pillow.
He yawned and stretched above his head. Rubbing both his eyes with his knuckles, he looked at Remus' and Peters' bed in turn.
His gaze switched to his best friend's bed. James was sleeping with his back facing Sirius' bed and he was half dangling off, hands outstretched as if reaching for the snitch. He mouth open a little, his hair even more ruffled than usual, if that is possible. His glasses were placed on the bedside table, which he decided would be painted black or red for the next prank he plays on him. Sirius smirked as he shuffled to his bedside table and picked up his wand. Why not today?
Carefully painting a red and black strip pattern on both the lenses he grinned at his work satisfied.
Gently placing the spectacles back, he stood near the bed..
Instead of making his way to his own bed, Sirius quietly slid inside behind him. While he made himself comfortable in his best friend's bed, Sirius might have delivered one or two soft kicks to James' shins.
After the third kick, James just had to turn around.
"Huh? Sirius?" James mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
"Sorry…." Sirius muttered, watching his expression, his expressions showing not even a slightest hint of apology. James smiled and flipped on his side so they were facing each other.
"What are you doing here?" James asked, still in a sleepy tone.
"I can't sleep."
"Obviously, mate." James chuckled and raised his eyebrow at him. "You planning to sleep here?"
Sirius nodded, snatching the pillow from under James head and making himself comfortable. James made a face and pulled out the pillow from under his head, replacing it back below his own.
"Hey! I need a pillow!" Sirius cried.
"You don't even use a pillow! You only use a pillow if you have to hug it!"
"I need that pillow to hug! Give me that!"
"No! I need it under my head!"
"Give it to me or I'll hug you instead!" Sirius threatened.
"Keep yourself away from me, you dog! I am not giving you my pillow!" James said, scooting away from him, hugging the pillow hard.
"Why are there so damn less pillows in this dorm? We should complain to the headmaster!" Sirius frowned.
"Actually, yes, we should! We have lack of pillows here." James nodded.
"Won't you lend that pillow to me, dear good ol' Prongsie?" Sirius said, giving him his best puppy eyes.
"No! Get your own pillow!" James said, turning away to keep the pillow from his best friend.
"Give me that!" Sirius growled.
"No!" James cried.
Two well aimed pillow, each hitting the two friends on the heads made him jump and wince. Rubbing the spot where the pillows just hit, they both turned to face an angry Remus.
Just as they were about to open their mouth to complain, another pillow, not very well aimed, flew toward them, managing to hit both of them on the face.
"Hey!" They both cried.
"Just," Peter started, giving them his best glare.
"Shut the hell up! Here, take this also! But just, sleep!" Remus chucked another pillow at Sirius' head before he turned around and pulled th covers over his head.
"Honestly, pillows?" Peter gave them a look before he too slipped back in his covers.
"He threw three pillows at us and still have two left." Sirius stated as his eye scanned the werewolf's bed.
"And Peter, too!" James said, huffing as both the friends moved to lay down next to each other.
"Now I know where all the pillows go. I bet Remus makes a fort of them."
James chuckled, "Maybe. But Sirius, honestly, did you just wake me up at night to talk about pillows?"
Sirius smiled and closed his eyes. He turned to his side so that both the friends were back to back.
"G'night, Prongs." Sirius mumbled.
"Goodnight, Padfoot."
O.o
Thud
Remus woke up with a start. He sprang up on his bed, eyes wide and hair falling in his eyes and sticking up on the back of his head.
He shook his head and looked around for the source of three loud thuds, one after another, followed by a lot of screaming which he doubted could not be heard in the headmaster's office as well.
The sight that greeted him sent him the fits of laughter.
Apparently, Sirius had pushed James off the small bed, and then managed to fall off the other side himself as well. It produced a large thud which made Peter jump and tumble down his upper bunk.
James Potter was sitting on the ground, his glasses askew with strips of black and red, screaming at the top of his lungs blindly and Peter was sitting down near Remus' bed, looking around confused.
Sirius Black was lying on the other side of James' bed, mouth ajar, limbs spread around him wide and peacefully sleeping, uncaring of the mess he had made.
Revised version. My first Harry Potter fic. I am quite fine with this one. Reviews will be much appreciated. Do point out any possible mistakes in this one-shot.