Fuel to the Fire

Chapter7: Hogwarts Express

"Peyton where's your mother? I'd like to arrange a coffee date with her" Evelyn looked up and down the platform, searching for my mother through the throng of people.

"I'm not sure" I shrugged and looked around as well. I grasped Sirius's shoulder as I stood on my tip toes.

"Do you want to stand on my shoulders, love? You might see more than just shoulders and backs" He smirked. I smacked his arm. It's not my fault I'm so short!

"Cheeky sod. It's not my fault I'm so – OH! There's my brothers!" I yelled when I caught site of the twins on the platform. "DILL! PICKLE!" I yelled loudly "Watch my stuff, I'll be back" I ordered Sirius and James and took off toward my brothers. They were standing with a bunch of their 6th year buddies. They looked mortified to know me. "I missed you!" I went over to them and threw my arms over their shoulders.

"Squirt it's only been two weeks, you're behaving like a child" Pickle side stepped away from my arm.

"Yeah Squirt. Act your age, not your shoe size" Dill snickered and ruffled my hair. They were younger than me by about 18 months but taller than me by at least a foot and a half. It sucked major butt.

I stuck my tongue out at them both. "Where's mum and Booger?"

"Over there. You left a whole heap of stuff so it's in Booger's trunk. You also left Bernard. He went a little crazy" Pickled rolled his eyes.

"Totally crazy; scratched the neighbour, attacked the rat-dog next door... Someone called animal control" Dill nodded, a slow grin spreading across his face

"He attacked them too" Pickled grinned wickedly. I smiled.

"Excellent. My bird is learning well" I cackled. My brothers' friends all looked at me like I was psycho. I don't know why though. The twins had a sense of humour as twisted as mine sometimes. Their friends should be used to it. "I better go... find mum, scare Booger about what they do to 4th years, tell mum I love her. Usual stuff" I waved my hand and left my brothers. I found mum and Booger without much difficulty. She was standing where I'd left James and Sirius, talking to Evelyn.

"Hi mum" I kissed her cheek.

"Your bird has to go, Peyton" was the first thing she said. The second was "Behave yourself this year" I rolled my eyes and kissed her again.

"The same goes for you two" Evelyn pointed a stern finger at James and Sirius. They're eyes widened and they looked at each other in surprise.

"It's not us mum!" James faked innocence.

"Yeah, it's not us! It's all Peyton!" Sirius joined in. I rolled my eyes and picked up Bernard's cage from.

"I wasn't responsible for blowing up Moaning Myrtles toilet" I reminded him. "And I wasn't responsible for sliming the Slytherin's. Nor was I responsible for mmhph mhphh hphh" Sirius clamped a hand over my mouth and laughed.

"Come now love, you did set fire to the table in potions" Sirius smiled down at me. My mother knitted her eyebrows together.

"How on earth did you do that?" She asked.

"Mhmm phmm..." I paused to lick Sirius's hand and he recoiled with a shout. I grinned. "I really don't know, but it was fun" I grinned, waiting for the scolding. Instead she sighed. I win again! "OH! MUM! I'm a Prefect this year!" I smiled happily and pulled my badge from my pocket.

Mum started laughing. "They made you prefect?" She snorted. I frowned. Well that wasn't the reaction I was expecting.

"Yes"

"Dumbledore's lost it, hasn't he?" She giggled. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah well, he did make James Head Boy"

Mum laughed harder.

"Thanks Mrs Fox. Means a lot" James rolled his eyes good naturedly. He'd put up with me for long enough to know I got my warped sense of the world from my mother. The whistle signalled the final call for boarding the express.

"Well congratulations to you both and behave this year" Mum kissed me on the cheek and hugged me. "Look out for your brothers as well... especially Bradley" She bent to kiss the pale little snot.

"Sure thing. Come Booger. I need a path-clearer" I picked one end of my trunk up. I bid Evelyn and Mr Potter goodbye and steered my brother through the crowd by his head. Sirius and James followed me.

"Ger'off me" Booger growled, ducking away from my hands when we were safely on the train in an empty compartment. "You're so annoying... go sit with your boooyyyyfriiiend" He stuck his tongue out at me. My eyes widened.

I thought he would have forgotten about that. I was sure he would have forgotten about that. He's dead if he starts.

"Peyton and –mphh phhfff"

Balls.

I clamped my hand over his mouth. "One more word and I'll get Bloody Baron to haunt you in your sleep" I threatened.

Booger's eyes widened. "Mph phmphh"

"What?" I asked. I felt his tongue lick my palm and I shrieked. "You disgusting little booger!" I could hear James and Sirius behind me snickering as they settled into their seats. "Do you promise?"

"I promise" Booger rolled his eyes. "Can I go find my friends now?" He sighed, flicking his blonde hair from his eyes.

"Yes. Go, whatever. Stay out of trouble" I waved my hands in his general direction.

"That's your job" He grinned and left the carriage. I sighed and picked up my trunk.

"I don't ever want kids" I grunted as I attempted to lift the trunk up, over my head to put it on the racks. When I say attempted I mean I struggled and almost dropped it on my head.

"Why not?" Sirius asked, coming to my rescue. He lifted the trunk with ease and I couldn't help but look at his muscley arms. "I think you'd be a great mum" He smiled down at me.

I raised my eyebrow as James smothered a laugh with a cough. "They're too difficult... besides, I know I'd get a brat like me and I wouldn't know what the hell I'd do with it!" I shrugged and flopped down on the seat.

"All the more fun" Sirius replied.

The compartment door slid open before I could respond – and kick James in the shin – Remus, Peter, Lily and Marlene came into the carriage.

"I just don't understand how you didn't get the badge!" Lily was saying to Remus. "Who's the Head Boy then?"

I glanced at James who'd gone suddenly quiet. Too quiet. He looked at Lily and cleared his throat. "It's... ah... me"

Lily looked down at him and raised her eyebrow. "You?" she blinked. She glanced at me and I nodded. "Really? You?"

"Yeah. I got the letter. I'm as surprised as you are" James ran his hand awkwardly through his hair. "Dumbledore's really lost his marbles, hasn't he?" He attempted a joke. Lily barely cracked a smile.

Tough crowd...

I could see Lily eyeing him off critically. "I guess he has" She said slowly.

"Well he really has" I spoke up. "He made me your replacement prefect" I held up my badge. Lily looked at it and squealed.

"Oh YAY! That means we'll get to patrol together and you have to behave!" She did a little dance in front of me. I groaned and hung my head.

"That's what I was afraid of... behaving!" I wailed. My friends laughed.

"Come on then Miss Prefect and Head Boy" Remus clapped his hands. "We have a meeting in the front carriage"

"What for?" I groaned and stood. James stood without fuss. The four of us walked into the corridor.

"To brief the new prefects and talk about patrols and stuff" Lily sounded excited. She glanced unsurely at James. "Are you going to make this job difficult?" she asked warily.

James just glanced at her. "I'll try not to I guess. Dumbledore chose me for a reason. I'm just not sure what yet" He shrugged and turned to say something to Remus.

"What's he plotting?" Lily hissed at me.

"Nothing Lil, trust me. He's given up on you" I explained in a soft voice. "Speaking of which, you'll never guess wh –"

"Given up? What do you mean by that?" She interrupted me, a frown on her face.

"I mean, he's given up trying to win your affections. I mean, I can't blame the boy. 7 years and you still hate him" I shrugged. "He told me something interest –"

"I don't hate him... he just annoys me" She interrupted me again to grumble to herself. "Well at least it won't be total hell" She sighed.

"Yeah" I agreed. I was going to tell her about what James told me but I could because we had made it to the Prefect's carriage and the meeting was starting.

I knew most of the people in the room – Remus of course, Dill the Ravenclaw prefect and Pickle the Gryffindor prefect were sitting next to each other; Perdita Greengrass from Slytherin was sitting next to them, looking like someone squeezed a lemon down her throat. Beside her was Severus Snape. My lip curled instantly when I saw him.

"Hi Sev" Lily smiled bright as she sat down next to her old friend. I gritted my teeth.

I could never understand why Lily was friends with a git like Snape. He was slimy and greasy and needed to wash his hair desperately. He was also clingy and always had some sort of problem that Lily needed to fix.

"How was the remainder of your summer?" He responded to Lily, ignoring me completely. I was fine with that.

"Ugh he's a prefect?" James said loudly when he noticed him.

"What is he doing here?" Severus sneered, his black eyes flashing. Lily rolled her eyes and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Unfortunately he's head boy" She sighed. "I know, I couldn't believe it either" She agreed with Severus's sneer.

That was the other reason I hated Severus Snape. When Lily was around him she turned into this haughty, bitchy, Slytherin Princess who seemed hell bent on pleasing the git. I always wondered why they were still friends but apparently they've known each other since they were kids and, well, loyalties run deep for Lily Evans.

James clenched his fists but Remus squeezed his shoulder and forced him into the seat next to me. "Don't do anything that might cause you to lose your badge" Remus mumbled to him. I nudged Lily's arm.

"Stop being a bitch" I hissed. She just gave me her 'I don't know what you're talking about' look and started the meeting.

Oh boy was this going to be a long trip.

Plea's Note:

I'm sorry my dear readers for not posting sooner. Uni work has got the best of me, but never fear. I'm finding time between notes for PSYC1040 and ENGL1800 to write and post Peyton's story so review for me and keep me sane through my tough exam times.

Xo Plea