There aren't many persons who would possibly stand up on a table in front of hundreds of students. There are only a few persons who would dance on this table, walking into plates of stews and other dishes. And there is definitely just one person on Earth who would possibly do it while wearing a pink tutu and fake wings.
And this person is Sirius Black.
I won't tell you who he is, he's fair enough known in the magical world. In the Black's family for being a traitor. And here, at Hogwarts, for being the most talented and beautiful student of the school (at least it's what he's always saying).
But he's mostly known for being the fabulous prankster he is.
Sirius is still dancing when a sad and deep music suddenly invades the Great Hall. All the pupils turn on themselves on the bench to see where it is coming from. Only Dumbledore notices with a little smile that the sound is arising from a teapot at the end of the professors' table. The upper piece of the teapot is clapping in rhythm with the song.
But let's come back to Sirius Black who is currently dancing, a tragic air painted on his face, and some fake tears rolling down his angelic and slightly flushed cheeks. He brushes them away with a theatrical gesture of the hand.
By that time, all the students are laughing. Peter is trying not to suffocate himself with a big mouthful of French fries and some girls at the hufflepuff table seem to be redder than the tie of the Gryffindors.
McGonagal stands up and rush to Sirius.
"Mr. Black!" she shouts. "This behavior is unacceptable!"
Despite the apparent anger in her voice, the glimpse of a smile is burning in her eyes.
"Come immediately in my office!"
With a smirk Sirius bow to the entire hall.
"Thank you to all of you for coming to TheBrilliantAndFabulousSiriusShow."
A wave of laughs invades the Hall.
"SIRUS ORION BLACK, GO DOWN FROM THIS TABLE RIGHT NOW!"
After putting both of his feet into the plate of a first year, Sirius finally decides to obey the order and jumps to the ground.
Remus rolls his eyes to the rest of his friends. "Merlin, his boy is unbearable."
.*. *.*.*.* .*.
It's eight in the afternoon. Remus is curled up into the armchair which is the nearest of the fire, a book in his hands. Peter and James are playing to Wizard Chess just next to him. The cries of frustration Peter keeps emitting from time to time show that once again, James is winning.
Remus takes a piece of chocolate and shoves it into his mouth.
It's been already forty minutes since Sirius went to McGonagal's office. Remus is beginning to ask himself what takes him so long.
At the same time that James is shouting a "I win" that even the slytherins in their dungeons could hear, the portrait opens up to a smiling Sirius Black.
He crosses the common room with this so particular gait of him. That same nonchalant gait that makes Remus's heart beat faster and wants him to slap Sirius in the face for being so freaking beautiful.
James finally stops shouting and put his arm around the shoulders of his best friend.
"How did it go? Did Mcgonagall yell at you?"
Sirius smiles while slumping in the armchair next to Remus's.
"No she didn't. I think she's so used to my pranks that she knows that shouting at me won't do anything. Or maybe she's just in love with me."
James grimaces.
"I don't even want to know what you did with her in her office. Other than talking, obviously."
Sirius waves his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.
"We did more things that you will ever do with Evans, Potter."
"But she's your professor, Sirius!" Peter tells with bulging eyes. "It's pedophilia!"
Padfoot shrugs tragically. "Yes. But you know, I'm used to it. It runs in my family almost as much as incest. That's say a lot…"
Peter is standing next to Sirius's armchair. The fire projects shadows in the face of the now greenish boy, who is surely seeing some disgusting images of what happen in Sirius' family.
Remus puts his book down, understanding that he will never read more than two pages this evening with these three idiots next to him.
"Don't listen to him, Peter. He's just trying to fool you."
"Maybe. But incest really runs in my family. I will probably marry one of my mad cousins." Sirius says.
The sadness suddenly inundates his face, like it happen more and more those times. The sparks in his eyes progressively extinguish and a wrinkle appears on his forehead. Remus just wants to rub this mark until it goes away. He doesn't like to know that Sirius worry about the future. Sometimes he wishes they could still be these first year boys, dazzled with the beauty of Hogwarts, who had nothing to do other than enjoy the moment. Most of the time, they are still these insouciant pranksters who behave as if they doesn't care about the rest of the world. But when he looks carefully into the mirror or in the reflection of a window, Remus can distinguish the dark circles under his own's eyes.
Since the beginning of the term you can count on one full hand Voldemort's attacks. And all these attacks, all these deaths changed Hogwarts and its students.
Sirius is the most impacted by this strange atmosphere that flow down the Wizard World. His family is almost surely walking by the side of a rising dark wizard. And they are hoping Sirius will follow the movement, even if he is this traitor of Gryffindor. And of course, they want him to marry to a perfect pureblood cousin with whom he will have some perfect pureblood children.
As strangely as it seems, it's this last thought that annoys the most Remus: the fact that his friend will marry someone for whom he doesn't have any feelings.
Remus sweeps away his thoughts as he focuses on the sad face of his friend. He stands up take the black-haired boy into a big hug.
"It's okay moony. Since my young age, I have been used to the idea of marrying one of my arrogant cousins. It's okay. I'm okay with that."
"No you're not."
One of Sirius's lock is itching Remus's face, but the boy doesn't possess the will to push it away as it means he would have to move away from Sirius to do it.
"Moony… Let me go, you're crushing me..."
"You're not going to marry one of these stupid girls, Sirius, I won't allow that."
Two feet from here, the rest of the Marauders are starring at the scene. Peter elbows James, a hint of incomprehension floating in his eyes. He knows that something is happening, something important, but he doesn't know what.
James just shrugs. It's been a long time since he has decided to not try to understand one of the Marauders' behaviors anymore. When you're living on impulses, you can't really expect to act as the social norms want you to.