"Potter! Black! What on earth do you think you are doing?"
Sirius Black raised an eyebrow in the direction of the fuming professor. While James' wand jump slightly causing the large, and ornate vase he had been levitating to wobble and almost fall.
"We're not doing anything too special professor." Sirius' polite tones echoed slightly in the expanse of the entrance hall
"Not yet anyway" James muttered quietly to himself, but not quietly enough. Professor McGonagall strode across the space between her and her sixth year students. "What exactly is it that you intend to be doing then Mr. Potter?"
James was still concentrating on not dropping the vase, which was at least three times bigger than him, Sirius choose to answer in his stead. "We are just testing the strength of this levitating charm professor, like professor Flitwick told us to."
"I was not under the impression that clowning around with priceless pieces of school property." She sounded rather irritated, but Sirius decided that irritation, was in fact an endearment from his head of house.
"Professor! I am not interiorly sure that "clowning about", as you so eloquently put it, is not an accurate description of Mr. Potter's and mine actions I – "
"Mr. Black, do be quiet." Sirius' mouth shut with a snap. An with a wave of his wand James returned the vase to its original position. The two boys exchanged the merest of looks, and James turned to the professor. "Professor McGonagall, we are very sorry and certainly we will – "
"Not only, Mr. Potter, have you and Mr. Black been irresponsible in your actions, you are both out of your beds after curfew. Do you honestly believe that these rules are set down just to inconvenience you?"
"No professor." Sirius was apparently bored, so it was left to James to deal with the situation.
"Well, perhaps then detention tomorrow night, or tonight as it is now, will help you to respect the rules of this establishment."
Remus was angry. Peter had sat and watched the argument all morning. James and Sirius had left the dormitory last night after he and Remus had fallen asleep, and as a result of being caught at whatever they had been doing they now had detention to night. The night of the full moon.
"Fine, you know what I don't care, and I'm going to Arithmancy." Neither James or Sirius moved to stop Remus, they just let him go.
"That went well." Sirius rolled his eyes at James,
"He's over reacting, its not like we were taking risks."
"Sirius…" The Black boy just shrugged, he didn't seem to care that they now had not only upset Remus, but they would not be able to accompany him during the full moon for the first time in a year of being animagi. "…lets just go to Transfiguration yeah?"
Peter picked up his bag to follow the bigger boys. He was also disappointed by the others detention. He on his own could not go to see Remus, and that meant he would be left sitting in the common room by himself. James and Sirius, stopped on the other side of the portrait hole, waiting for Peter. James smirked down at him, "Peter, can you do us a favour?"
Peter looked up, he couldn't help feeling pleased when they asked him to do things for them. So often was it that the two leaders of the group would wander off, leaving him behind. Peter nodded at James, who exchanged a look with Sirius. "If you happen to be going near the library tonight, while we're in detention, could you look something up for us?"
Sirius looked down at his smaller friend, "It'd really help us out you see? Would you mind terribly?"
"No, of course not. So what is it that you need?" Another look passed between the older boys, unbeknownst to Peter. Sirius produced a slip of parchment from his pocket. In his slopping handwriting was a single word that Peter did not even try to pronounce. "We need you to research this charm. Peter this is really important OK?" Peter looked thoughtful for a moment, then he grinned "Sure, why ever wouldn't I?"
Sirius and James left Peter in the Great Hall and wandered off to the Quidditch pitch to get in some practise. They had been walking silently for a while before James tried to start up a conversation.
"When d'you reckon Remus will calm down?" Sirius shrugged at his friend.
"Does it really matter James?" He put his head down against the cold autumn wind and walked away. Something was up, James was certain of that, and he sped up to stay with the Black boy striding ahead.
