The Kiss
A/N: Once again, thanks to all our reviewers with a virtual cookie and a hug going to Ike hime who is our first regular. Can I take this opportunity to shamelessly plug my other fic-Summer's The Time To Relax, extreme Sirius angst (come on girls, you know you love it and you can always come back here to cheer up). Anyway, in a burst of madness as my brother gets home this evening I welcome you to scary Dracula voice chapter 4.
Disclaimer: None of this belongs to us, but we do currently have the marauders locked in my room so if you want them returned safely REVIEW! Can I also credit the burnt match joke to Clam Chowder1.
Scene four: Third year. It is the middle of the night and in the Gryffindor boys' dormitory Peter is sitting up in bed scared of the storm outside.
Peter sighed, "I miss my mum," he muttered into the darkness as the storm raged outside the window, "I need a hug!"
Sirius rolled over, hiding a smile, still feigning sleep; Remus was better at hiding his emotions and he stayed still, resisting the urge to snigger. The three lay still for a few moments, listening to the storm which had awoken them and James's deep breathing. Suddenly there was an extra large burst of thunder, with a small yip of fear Peter bounded out of his bed and into Sirius's.
"I know I'm stunningly good looking Peter, but please! Wait until we're alone!" Sirius said laughing as he pushed Peter out of the bed and onto the floor where he landed with a loud thump. Remus could resist the urge no longer and began to giggle. James slept soundly on.
Sirius and Remus sat up in bed. "Well," said Sirius glancing around, his good humour not dampened by the fact that they had probably had about three hours sleep, between them. "Well, seeing as we're all awake what are we going to do?"
"We're not all awake," pointed out Remus, gesturing with his thumb at James, "Check out Sleeping Beauty over there."
"Oh no," said Sirius cheerfully, "If I'm awake he has to be too!" and with that he vaulted out of his bed and into James's where he bounced gently for a few moments saying "James? Jamesie?" in a singsong voice.
"Mum?" James muttered groggily before rolling over and going back to sleep.
"I think he needs a hug too," said Remus smiling and rubbing his eyes.
Peter flicked his horror struck gaze between him and Sirius who was now grinning broadly.
"Do you want your dad too?" Remus teased.
"No," replied Peter in a small voice, "Just my mum."
Sirius had started bouncing harder now, making the bed springs creak.
Remus opened his mouth, looking as though he were preparing to make a joke about the fact that James and Sirius were in the same bed and that said bed was creaking dramatically, but at that moment Sirius tripped over one of James's legs and landed in an ungraceful heap on the floor on the opposite side of the bed. James slept soundly on.
"Alright James," said Remus in a no-nonsense tone that had earned him the nickname Professor Lupin from the marauders, "Wake up, or Prince Charming here will have to kiss you!" (A/N: foreshadowing anyone?)
James's eyes shot open.
"How long have you been awake?" asked Sirius, sounding world weary.
"Since you tripped over me," smirked James sitting up and reaching for his glasses. "So what do ya wanna do?"
"Truth or dare!" said Sirius instantly, sitting back on James's bed and resuming his bouncing.
"No way," yelped Remus shaking his head and turning several shades paler than his usual off-white colour, "The last time we played that I wound up suspended from a chandelier in a bra!"
The others laughed as they remembered the incident.
"Oh come on," said James sill giggling, "We'll play in teams and then you'll have someone to confer on dares with."
"Fine," answered Remus settling himself more comfortably.
"Truth or dare?" James asked.
"Dare," said Remus quickly, as though getting the word out before he lost his nerve.
James and Sirius swapped a quick look and then, "Okay. We dare you to eat those odd coloured Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans that Sirius has been hoarding in that match box under his bed.
Remus grimaced and held out his hand for the box. Grinning wickedly Sirius passed it to him. Taking a deep breath Remus pinched his nose together and poured all of the beans into his mouth simultaneously, chewed for a few seconds, swallowed quickly and then gestured at Peter to pass him some water. "Truth or dare?" he gasped after a few more seconds.
"Tru…" began James but Sirius cut across him, "Dare," he said firmly.
This time it was Remus's turn to grin wickedly. "Fine I dare you to…put some of James's broom polish in your hair."
Sirius looked pleadingly at his friend.
Remus merely smirked, "Don't make puppy dog eyes at me Sirius Black. Do the words bra and chandelier mean anything to you?"
"Come on Sirius," said James, also grinning, "We can't lose this early on!"
"Some friend you are," muttered Sirius, but he reached for the broom polish none the less.
"Make sure you rub it through," added Remus.
Sirius gave him a disgusted look, "I'm going to wind up looking like Snivillus," he whined, doing as his friend had asked.
"Truth or dare?" said James eventually looking at Peter.
"Dare," Peter mumbled, knowing that the truth part was really a formality.
"I dare you to fly James's broom naked," said Sirius, still peeved about his hair, which now hung in lank strands around his face.
"No that really hurts," interjected James, "he can wear underwear."
The words 'How do YOU know that it hurts?' floated across Remus's mind, but on reflection he decided that he didn't want to know.
Peter sighed and picked up the broom, placing it on his bed before removing his pyjamas. He stood at the window for a moment peering into the storm which had admittedly lessened and mounted the broom.
"Quick James my camera," hissed Sirius the moment Peter's flight had begun.
James passed it over and Sirius clicked the button.
"I hate you," groaned Peter, landing back in the dormitory a minute later, "That was…that was just…mean!" he finished lamely.
James and Sirius merely laughed.
"Truth or dare?" asked Remus before it could become an out of control argument.
"Dare!" said James, anxious for his turn.
"I dare you to put that extra sticky frogspawn that you got from Zonko's last weekend in your broom."
"Not my broom!" whispered James pulling it closer to him, "Peter, mate, come on."
"Looks like a surrender from the Potter Black duet," murmured Remus to Peter.
"I didn't say that," disagreed James as Sirius made noises of disgust, "It's just…my broom."
There was another minute of silence.
"Looks like we've won," whispered Peter.
"James, I put polish in my hair, you can put frogspawn on your broom!" growled Sirius.
With shaking hands, James carried out his dare.
As the first rays of pink sunlight came over the horizon James glanced up from his task. There was a fire in his eyes that made Remus shiver slightly, the game was now getting serious and could very well end with, oh say, someone being suspended from a chandelier in a bra. Great, like he wanted to do that again.
"Truth or dare?" said Sirius.
"Dare," answered Remus, hoping that this would be the last one before classes began.
Sirius and James whispered for a moment then looked up. They both had an evil gleam in their eyes. To them that gleam meant, 'We've just come up with a fabulous new idea' to Remus it meant 'Run as fast as possible that way.' But he was after all a Gryffindor and he held his ground.
"We dare you to write I heart Professor Binns over that History of Magic Essay he wants in today."
Remus scowled. It was always the same with these two, Oh we're losing, attack the homework. He was a marauder though, and the word meant daredevil. Unhesitatingly he did as asked.
At that moment the bell went. "Does the bell always go this early?" said James in surprise looking out into the pre dawn air.
"Just because you're capable of sleeping until Sirius actually rolls you out of bed, the rest of us have to get up."
The gang stood and began to dress.
"Truth or dare?" said Remus as he did so.
"D…d…dare," said James between yawns.
Remus looked at him in a considering mannor, then at his ruined History of Magic Essay. "I dare you to slide down the banister into the Great Hall in just your underwear."
Even Sirius burst out laughing; James scowled and began to pull his robes off again. "Well I'm going now," he said, "Before the breakfast crush gets there." And with that he stalked out of the dormitory.
"Are you coming?" asked Sirius, whipping up the invisibility cloak from its customary position on the floor, "This should be priceless."
Holding in their laughter the other three ducked under the cloak and followed James.
The few early risers already in the entrance hall were treated to the amusing sight of James Potter in only his boxers sliding down the banisters and then stomping red faced back up the stairs. The remaining marauders managed not to laugh until they were round the corner then they whipped off the invisibility cloak, startling James so much that he almost fell through the trick step.
"Truth or dare?" James asked sourly, not joining in with his friends' mirth.
"Dare!" this time it was Peter that answered.
"I dare you to stand at the top of the stairs and shout down that you love Filch!" said Sirius quickly, he had clearly been thinking of this dare for some time.
Peter looked terrified, "He'll kill me!"
Before Sirius could answer with a derogatory comment James interrupted, "You'll have to stay and see if he does it, I'm going to get dressed," and with that he left. Sirius sighed, "You upset him with that dare Remmey, he'll sulk all day now."
When James returned it seemed that Peter had performed his dare to Sirius's satisfaction, he had a weeks worth of detention to prove it.
"Truth or dare?" said Peter as they sat down for breakfast.
James was silent, still brooding over the banister incident.
"Dare!" said Sirius; his devil-may-care smile a little more tense than usual.
Remus smiled, and as the post arrived he leaned forward and said, "I dare you to write a love poem to Professor Dumbledore and send it…as a howler."
Sirius pouted, but pulled parchment and quill towards him and wrote, 'I write to tell you of my affection true,
How I could not be if it wasn't for you,
How I love you more than words can say,
And how I love you more with each passing day.'
"Sign it," prompted Remus.
Grimacing Sirius added the words 'With all my heart. Sirius Black.'
"I'll take it up to the owlery this afternoon and it'll arrive with tomorrows post, okay?"
"Okay," said Remus leaning back in his chair and smiling as he read over Sirius's poem.
"Truth or dare?" asked James, feeling somewhat better at the idea of Sirius making a pratt of himself as well.
"Dare!" said Peter as though determined to prove himself to James and Sirius.
At that moment Remus glanced at his watch, "Time for class," he said standing and hurrying off.
"Later," mouthed James and waving, he disappeared through the crowd.
It was at lunchtime that the boys next met up, because they had all picked separate options.
"Did you say dare?" Sirius asked Peter half way through the meal.
Peter nodded silently.
James and Sirius discussed possibilities for the rest of lunch, but it wasn't until transfiguration that afternoon that Sirius said, "Psst? Peter? Still need that hug?"
"What hug?" whispered James, half an eye on Professor McGonagall as he spoke.
"Don't tell him!" implored Peter.
Sirius half turned, "Tell you later," he muttered, and then turning back to Peter he said, "At the end of this lesson I dare you to go up to Professor McGonagall and tell her that you're missing your mum and want a hug."
James snorted.
"Mr. Potter!" said Professor McGonagall, effectively putting an end to the conversation, so it wasn't until the end of class that they knew whether Peter had accepted the dare.
Indeed he had, from the doorway the trio watched him go up to McGonagall, repeat what Sirius had said and promptly burst into tears, although whether that was from sheer mortification or because he really did miss his mum was anyone's guess.
The gang whipped around the corner so that she didn't see their laughing faces as she bent down and gave him an uncertain and somewhat awkward hug.
As Peter emerged (dripping) Remus shook his head, "We should finish this before it gets out of hand."
Sirius was still laughing, "What do you mean gets out of hand?"
Remus held up one finger, "Bra," he held up another, "Chandelier."
Sirius carried on laughing.
James gave Sirius a look which told him he thought he was behaving with the maturity of a burnt match.
"Okay," he said to Remus, "You give us one more dare, if we do it we win if we don't you do."
Remus didn't even pause to consider it, "Okay!"
He and Peter sloped into a corner and began pondering. Sirius had even stopped giggling.
"You idiot!" he hissed at James, "Who knows what Remus'll come out with."
At that moment Remus turned around, "We dare you to kiss each other!"
James's mouth was already forming the words "You win!" when Sirius turned to him.
"Come on James, I'm not that bad a kisser."
James simply gaped at him, "Sirius I love you but not like that, plus your hair is still greasy from the polish thing."
Sirius's eyes became hard and he began fingering his long, luxurious (but extremely greasy) hair.
Peter began an impromptu victory dance, "We win! We win! We wi…"
Sirius scowled, he hated losing, "Not yet you haven't," he said and grabbing James he kissed him firmly on the mouth…just as a gang of Slytherin's headed by Snape rounded the corner.
Sirius might still have been able to explain it away, ("Yeah, he got stung on the lip by something, I was sucking the poison out.") if the next morning his howler to Dumbledore hadn't arrived over breakfast…
A/N: So tell us what you think. And while you're telling us we're appealing for snide ness and have started a helpful suggestion box in which you can put any comments you really want. Scene 5: Resuscitation, get your ideas in now.