Curtains
By Yukirei (a.k.a. Cosmiko Ling)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. The Harry Potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The following is a non-profit fanfiction written by a fan, for the enjoyment of other fans.
Warning: Spoilers for PoA
Character(s): MWPP
Summary: Sirius is unapologetic of his role in the Prank.
A/N: As this was originally written in 2003, kindly disregard any canon discrepancies in the books released after.
The wolf's sharp senses had picked up something unfamiliar. A scent that played around at the back of its throat. A tantalising scent.
Human.
The wolf passed its tongue around its mouth.
The noises were getting clearer. Louder.
A shout.
The voice was certainly human.
Something light and small had jumped onto the floor, scrambling frantically around the legs of the wolf.
The rat. How annoying.
The wolf ignored the anxious high-pitched squeaks as it moved stealthily towards the mouth of the tunnel.
More shouting now.
"...you idiot, get away from there!"
"Afraid I would unearth you and your friends' little secret, Potter?"
The wolf growled as it approached the mouth.
Then.
There was complete silence.
In the tunnel, the wolf could see a figure illuminated by the glow at the end of some stick. A boy with limp black hair. Very near. Very still.
The scent of fear was thick in the air.
"GO!!"
The wolf refocused its eyes, looking towards the source of the human yell. A second shadow, moving forward. Then both figures moving away fast, the second half-dragging the first.
The wolf leapt forward. Trying to squeeze its large form through the small hole.
It almost succeeded. Almost.
Then the human scent was gone. Cut off. No longer in the dark tunnel ahead. The rat was back around its legs.
Frustration consuming it, the wolf threw back its head and let out a long drawn-out howl.
-----------------------------------------------------
The air had frozen solid.
Four boys sat on two beds in the sixth year Gryffindor boys dormitory.
To be exact, three boys sat on one bed -one against the headboard with a pillow behind his back, one with his legs bent and drawn to his body as he hugged his knees, one on the edge of the bed, his legs over the side- and the fourth cross-legged on the other.
"G-guys..." the one who hugged his knees spoke tentatively, his voice trembling.
The one who sat on the edge of the bed continued to glare at the one on the other bed. His voice seethed with anger as he hissed a single word.
"Apologise."
"I'm going to sleep." The only one on the other bed declared, uncrossing his legs and stretching to draw the curtains close.
Lightning-quick, the one who sat on the edge of the bed had jumped off, leapt forward and gripped the wrist of the other in a bone-crushing hold.
"Apologise."
A bit of pressure, twisting the wrist into a painful position.
If the other boy had felt pain, he hid it well. Pushing his attacker aside roughly and, thus, freeing himself from the vice-like grip, the boy growled out, "Snape deserved whatever he got."
"Does Moony?" was the immediate response from the boy who had fallen onto the other bed.
The boy who was about to pull the curtains around his bed paused. His eyes flickered to the one who leaned against the pillow, eyes closed, deathly pale.
"No."
A single word.
Then, in a quieter tone.
"Moony never deserved anything bad."
"Then why wouldn't you-"
"I do not want to say things I do not mean."
"Didn't you just say-"
"I do not regret what I did. Even if the hands of the clock were turned back, I would do the same thing." The voice was firm. "If anything had happened to Snape, he would have deserved it for prying and poking around as he did."
"You could have got Moony expelled. Or even Kissed."
Silence.
"The wolf could not have gotten through the hole if an enlarging spell was not cast on it. So nothing would have happened as long as Snape did not go through the hole." A patronising tone. The words spoken slowly as if explaining to a child. "And if Snape were as stupid as to do so even after hearing the noises made by a wild animal inside, it is his own problem."
"What if he did?" The boy was persistent. "You could have got Moony expelled. Or even Kissed," he repeated.
Again, silence.
"It was never my intent to hurt Moony in any way." The other boy said quietly.
The curtains fell close.
Date written: some time in 2003
