Fuel to the Fire
Chapter 8: I don't have ADD
What I thought was only going to be a short 20 minute meeting went on for about 3 hours. I think I was the first one out of my seat when Lily said we were done.
"Thank Merlin for that" I breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought we'd never be finished".
"Well these things have to be done, Pey. Saves us the trouble of doing it when we get to Hogwarts" Lily grinned and tucked her notebook back into her bag.
"But it took forever... You know I'm like a kid with ADD" I whined. She smiled and shook her head.
"That's because you are a kid with ADD" She laughed.
"I don't have ADD!" I argued. "That's absurd!"
"I didn't realise St Mungo's let people out before they were cured, Peyton" Severus drawled, stepping up beside Lily. Ugh I hate this git. Just looking at him made me want to set him on fire. He'd probably go up like a fire stack on the 5th of November.
I raised an eyebrow. "And I wasn't aware showering was out of fashion now. It's called shampoo. You should try some." I said slowly, folding my arms across my chest. "Run along now before I see if you're flammable"
"Peyton, stop being mean" Lily chastised me. I frowned at her.
"ME!" I exclaimed. "He started it!" I pointed a finger at the hooked nose git.
"Is there something wrong here?" James stepped up beside me. "I mean, other than the obvious" He shot a pointed look at Severus. Severus sneered, making him look uglier than before.
"Oh yes, Saint Potter, come to save the day once more" He peered down his hooked nose at the two of us. "Are you going to hex me now or wait until you have you dog with you to help?"
I frowned at his use of the word dog. Why would he refer to Sirius as dog? Normally it was 'git' or 'prick'... unless he knew about their Animagus forms. I gritted my teeth. That could be bad.
"Oh shove off" I snarled before pulling James away. "Do you think he knows?" I hissed.
James glanced at me but shook his head. "Nah. He's just trying to get a rise out of us" He ruffled my hair. "I'll ask Sirius what he thinks" He assured me when I didn't stop giving him 'the look'.
I sighed and turned back to Lily. "Coming Lils?"
"I'm going to sit with Sev for a while... I'll see you later" she waved a hand. I shrugged and pulled James along behind me.
"I don't get what she sees in him!" James exclaimed when we were out of ear shot. "The guy is an asshole... How does she like an asshole over me! Me! Over. ME! What even. I don't... WHATEVER" He vented, waving his hands in the air like a maniac. This is what I call a 'James Moment' – A moment where he lost control of anything he was hiding and it spewed out in nonsensical sentences and wild hand gestures.
"Yeah I know... she doesn't like him, they're just friends" I reminded him, pulling his hands down to his sides. We were getting strange looks from people in their compartments and the last thing he needed was some bitchy Ravenclaw to overhear what he was venting about and tell everyone. It really wouldn't help his 'I'm over Lily Evans' plan.
"Ah I don't care. I'm over Lily Evans" He shrugged his shoulders. "BOO!" He yelled at some first years, causing them to squeal and scatter.
We got back to our carriage to find Sirius with his head on Marlene's lap and both of them reading a Quidditch Daily magazine.
"God! Took your time" Sirius looked up at us. "What were you doing?"
"Prefect stuff. It sucked butt" I grumbled and sat on the seat opposite to them.
"Sounds like it" Marlene wrinkled her nose. "Booger came looking for you by the way. He wanted some money for the trolley"
"Did you tell him he could starve?" I rolled my eyes.
"You owe me three sickles" She shrugged.
"Brat" I mumbled, but I wasn't sure if it was toward Marlene or my brother. Possibly both, I couldn't be sure.
"Oh, Pads, Snivellus said something interesting to us after the meeting by the way" James said as he settled into the seat beside me.
Sirius let out a barking laugh. "Snivellus with something interesting to say... Do tell Prongsie" He closed his eyes as Marlene started to pull her fingers through his hair. I think the brat title is now more aimed at Marlene than Booger.
"Well he asked where you were... but he called you a dog and put quite a bit of emphasis on it" James explained. Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"He called me a dog?" He frowned. "That bastard! Should go curse him for that"
I rolled my eyes. "That's what you took from that?" I exclaimed. "Severus Snape, possibly the foulest, loathsome little snot in this school calls you a dog like he knows something he shouldn't, and all you take from it is that he called you a dog?"
Sirius sat up and smiled. "He doesn't know anything Pey. Even though you're cute when you're worried, you don't have to be" I folded my arms but didn't say anything. For a minute anyway.
"I just don't want you guys to get caught. It's like, two years in Azkaban for being an unregistered Animagus" I explained. That was my only problem I had with their little games once a month. They were illegal. I drew the line at illegal things. The last thing I wanted was them in that awful place.
"Love, stop worrying" Sirius waved me off cockily. "He doesn't know a thing"
I leant back in my seat and looked out the window, still not entirely sure.
The longest train ride in the history of long train rides continued like every September 1st for the last 7 years. It was sad to think this was our last one so I just didn't. At first I read, then I tried to nap and when that didn't work I played exploding snap with James and Remus.
We stopped doing that when I almost lost a finger.
"I swear that game gets more violent every time we play" I grumbled, nursing my burnt fingers.
"It's not even that bad" James rolled his eyes.
"It HURT!" I pouted, sticking my bottom lip out as far as it would go. James just laughed and shook his head. Sirius, however, chuckled and reached to inspect my fingers.
"I'm sure there's not permanent damage, love" He smiled, taking out his wand.
"You'd want to hope not... I need my hands for Quidd – Sirius... what are you doing?" I sounded panicked and tried to pull my hand from his grasp. I had every right to be panicked. Bad things happened when Sirius Black (or any of the Marauders minus Remus) came at you with a wand.
"Fixing it. Hold still" He said casually, touching the tip of his wand to my burns. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain as he muttered something.
However it didn't come. Instead I felt a strange sensation, like cool water was being poured over my finger tips.
"You... you did it!" I exclaimed, blinking at now-healed my fingers.
Sirius drew them up to his lips.
"Oh ye of little faith" He murmured against them. I think my heart may have stopped in those three second his lips were against my skin. James nudged my ribs and I jerked my hand away from Sirius.
"Well, uh, thanks" I muttered, inspecting my newly healed fingers. "And you can't blame me for being worried about you coming at me with a wand... James lost all the bones in his arm the last time you tried to heal someone" I rolled my eyes, letting my hand drop to my lap. It was still tingling.
Oh Merlin I'm such a big girl.
"Oh come on, it was a mistake! I pronounced the spell wrong" Sirius rolled his eyes. James let out a snort and held his arm close to him. "Besides, I was just trying to butter you up so you revenge isn't that bad" He grinned. I flipped him off.
"Not a chance. My revenge will be sweet and cold... like ice cream" I smiled cheerily.
"You're serving Sirius icecream?" Peter asked, the tip of his nose twitching.
"Revenge cream" James grinned. "Look Squirt, he's all worried" James pointed to the forlorn look on Sirius' face.
"So he should be" I murmured.
Sirius sighed. "I'm only worried because it's been so long. I'm sick of checking everything three times in case it punches me in the face, or bites me or something" He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
"Maybe that's the plan" Remus winked at me. "to make you overly suspicious and paranoid of everything"
Sirius's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Maybe" I shrugged. "But where's the fun in telling you?" I grinned as Sirius let out an exasperated sigh.
The others laughed. I was just too sneaky... and I liked seeing him squirm. Oh trust me, I had the plan pretty much formulated completely in my head. I just needed the perfect moment to strike.
Plea's Note:
Number 8 already? Wow. Times flies. Review please. I'm having a bad day coz of exam study. Don't go to uni kids. I'll eat your soul.*
Xo Plea
*I'm totally kidding.
