Hey guys here's the new chapter, hope you enjoy it. Thanks so much for all the reviews, they keep me motivated :)- Sirius' POV.
If there was a hell, I'm fairly sure I was in it. In sacred texts, I now know what they're describing when they talk of ultimate punishment. It's sitting in a circle with your three best mates, one of whom has gone absolutely, positively bonkers.
Taken all of his marbles and thrown them off the Astronomy Tower. Counted up his sickles and found he hasn't quite made a galleon. Is being hunted down by Medi-Wizards as we speak.
Sharing a look with Remus and Peter, I could tell they thought James had gone the way of a Mad Hatter as well. You know things are bad, when Wormtail isn't on board.
"Ah, mate," I began, attempting to reason with this new beast "What are we doing again?"
"We're going to hold a séance." He said matter-of-factly, continuing to light the multitude of candles he had gotten from Merlin knows where.
Wait- had he gone to Hogsmeade without me? I don't even know who he is anymore.
"Lumos. And why are we having a séance?" Remus asked slowly, as one does when dealing with someone who doesn't have all his cornflakes in the one box.
"It's the day before Halloween. And plus I've invited our lovely Gryffindor ladies to join us. So, if any of them are scared, we'll be able to comfort and protect them."
Ah. Suddenly, the earth has gone back to its axis.
"This is about Lily Evans isn't it? Another one of your mad plans eh?"
"Mad? Mad!" James cried, before becoming so outraged he knocked over a candle and set his pant leg on fire.
"Aguamenti," Moony said, saving James from himself for the second time "And this is ridiculous."
"It is not. Once Evans becomes scared, I'll show her how helpful I can be. And then, she'll have no choice but to fall madly in love and elope with me, and start a new life in Calgary, Canada."
"That would be a normal reaction." I replied, looking desperately at Moony as we tried to stifle our laughter.
"What's a séance?" Peter asked, eyeing the fake cobwebs James had draped around the room dubiously.
"It's where you summon spirits," I told Peter who gulped, despite my eyeroll and tried to determine the reason for his newfound madness.
"Have you been imperioused? Worn any cursed jewellery? You didn't eat that old bag of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans from your trunk did you? Because I'm pretty sure a family of imp's had colonised in there, mate."
James sighed before explaining himself "No. Belle told me that Lily might be more interested in me if I could show my intuitive and useful side."
"Do you have one?" I quipped before being interrupted by Remus.
"James. I'm not entirely sure, so don't quote me on this, but I think Belle meant that you should, I don't know, do something helpful in your Head Duties rather than form a supernatural cult. Actually, when this whole thing goes belly up, you can quote me on it and add 'I told you so'."
"H-how do you know it's going to work, Prongs?" Peter said, standing still, as though he was trying not to move and disturb any spirits.
Make that two insane friends.
"Well, that's the thing," James said looking proud, widely recognised as the worst omen in the world "I'm getting Peeves up here to give her a scare."
The next moment went down as the second time in history when the Marauders were ever shocked into silence.
"No."
"Definitely not."
"Won't she recognise him though?"
These were our reactions when we had finally remembered how to get our voice box's into gear.
"Hello!" A voice called as the door slammed open, causing all of us to jump.
I blame James for our decidedly unmanly reaction. It's clear to me now, that his lunacy is contagious.
"Um…Have I interrupted a group date?" Belle laughed from the doorway, eyeing all the candles.
She looked so pretty stand- damn it. Why does James' psychosis have to addle my brain?
"Belle!" James cried, leaping to his feet and moving over to her "You're with me right? A séance is the perfect way to prove my worth to Evans?"
After looking at our grim expressions for confirmation, she finally turned to James "Have you drunken a potion that's made you as mad as a monkey on a trike, or is that all you?"
"Hah!" Remus called "Three to one. Now, Peter and I will hunt down Peeves to tell him his services are no longer necessary."
"What?" James protested, looking around the room for support.
"Peeves?" Belle asked, giving me an alarmed look.
"You don't even want to know." I answered solemnly, before dodging James' playful kick.
"And James, you head down to the kitchen so we can have food and stuff for when the girls get here," Remus continued ordering "And Sirius, you and Belle stay here and clean up all of our new- decorations."
"Aye, aye captain!" Belle laughed, taking out her wand as she contemplated the messy room.
We watched James follow Remus and Peter out with a moody expression, before he shut the door and left us to his torture chamber.
Silence. Love it.
"So you do the cobwebs and I'll do the candles?" Belle asked, before beginning to blow each one out individually.
"Sure."
And it's about now that I could use my cousin Andromeda's communication skills.
"So how're things? Have a Hogsmeade date for tomorrow?" Belle asked, moving onto her next candle.
"Nope. I'm living the single life now." I attempted a laugh, which awkwardly faded into a sigh. I'll have to learn to cherish these moments.
"Me too. James made me swear before I came here that I would let him show me round my first time there. So I guess I'll be hanging with you guys."
Oh. My. God. Wishful thinking actually works. I'll have to fill Prongs in on this later.
"Excellent. We'll take you to Zonko's, that's a joke shop, Honeydukes which sells the best candy and the Three Broomsticks for butterbeers."
"Oh, and don't forget the Shrieking Shack- is it? Which James says is most definitely haunted, especially on Halloween." She laughed, vanishing the wax that had pooled on the floor.
"Wow. It really is his favourite holiday isn't it?" I marvelled, finished with the cobwebs and collapsing on my bed.
"Yep." She answered joining me, creating a flutter of butterflies in my stomach. Well, either that or I was really hungry. It's hard to tell.
"I think it stems from when it was Halloween and he had a conversation with a wizard, who was really a muggle kid just dressed like one, about the value of the chaser vs. the seeker." She giggled, lost in the memory.
"Which would have gone down real well, I'm sure." I laughed, thinking of Caroline and Harold's reactions.
"Once they'd convinced everyone who'd overheard that James was just imaginative, all they had to do was restrain him from asking anyone whether they had heard about the new Cleansweep yet."
"Well. I was never one for Halloween, Christmas was always my favourite."
"Same!" she cried "Presents are the best."
"Really? I was always for the Christmas feast myself."
"Well you would be with eating habits like yours." She joked, nudging me in the ribs.
Our laughter stopped as our intense staring competition began. The butterflies were swirling up a storm, both of us leaning unconsciously in until we jerked at a loud tapping coming from the window.
One day, when I'm Minister for Magic, and all wizards bow down to me, I'm going to abolish owl post. Let them use messenger fish or something else just as silent.
"That's my brother's owl," She said, a disappointed look appearing on her face. Did that mean- "What's it doing here?"
I sighed before crossing to the window "Let's find out. What's its name again?"
"Satan?" She huffed, glaring at the bird who seemed to be glaring back.
Chuckling, I let in the life ruining owl, before removing the letter that was fixed to its leg.
Belle came over and opened it, before staring worriedly at the parchment.
"What?" I asked, as she handed it to me wordlessly.
Something's going to happen on Halloween.
Judging by the hasty scrawl, I'm guessing it isn't going to be trick-or-treating.
"Your brother sent you this?"
She was only able to nod, before the door was slammed open.
"So. Who's ready for a Halloween party?" James called, throwing an unhealthy amount of food onto his bed before looking at us.