Thanks so much for the review, MarySilvaLyon I'm glad you liked the chapter and yep, these guys are gonna make getting detention an art form!
As it turned out, very few people actually knew the true cause of the Halloween feast disaster. Most chalked it up to Peeves being Peeves and didn't want to think about it. Unfortunately, there were a select few who had stuck around long enough to find out and unfortunately, Severus Snape was one of them.
"I suppose you think that was really funny." He said, cornering them one day after potions.
"Well," James said, picking up his book bag. "now that I think about it, yeah. It was pretty funny. Don't you think so, Sirius?"
"Absolutely, best laugh I've had in a long time." He paused, glancing at Snape. "'Till I saw your face, that is."
James crossed his arms. "Now there is absolutely nothing funny about his face!" He said, scolding. "Why, I think it's the most unfunny thing I've ever seen. In fact, I would say it's unfortunate."
Sirius rubbed his chin, pretending to think. "I suppose you're right." He said. "It is pretty bad."
"Exactly! You shouldn't laugh at other people's misfortune, it's just bad manners!"
"Oh, and you know so much about manners, don't you, James Potter." A voice said.
"Ah, Mummys' arrived!" Sirius cut in dryly, interrupting Lilly Evans.
She glared at them. "Don't even bother talking to them, Sev. They're idiots."
They turned and stalked away.
"Aaand. . . momma bear strikes again!" Sirius yelled after them. Lily turned and gave him a nasty look.
"You know. . . maybe you shouldn't pick on him as much." Remus said, carefully placing his books into his bag without looking up.
James gave him a raised eyebrow. "What are you. . . friends with him or something?"
Remus met their eyes and sighed. "Oh, never mind." He said.
They headed on to their next class, ignoring the comment.
Professor Hartly gave them all a smile as they entered the room. He'd been looking pail since the feast disaster and most of the school thought it had to do with the lizard he'd accidentally swallowed. He launched into an enthusiastic lesson that was punctuated when he had to run and throw up.
"I have detention tonight." Sirius said dully, watching Hartly run out of the room with his hand over his mouth.
"Me too." James grunted, twisting in his seat to watch Hartly dart around the corner. "McGonagall said I'd be in the hospital wing."
"Ha. I only have to be in the trophy room." Sirius said.
"Do you think Hartly will be alright?" Remus asked, watching two students run after the teacher.
"Who cares. We have detention." James said glumly. "Second one and it's not even Christmas."
A little while later, Hartly returned and class resumed.
After dinner, they were split up. James had to go and help Madam Pomfry clean the hospital wing, under her close supervision and Sirius had to polish in the trophy room. Under Filch's even closer supervision.
He supposed that it could have been worse. He could have been tortured somewhere but anything less than that would be pushing it. Filch was bound and determined to punish him for the Halloween feast.
He spent most of the detention muttering about how nasty the students were and of how they went out of their way to undo his hard work. He gave Sirius a very vivid account of what would happen to troublemakers if he ever got his say.
"I'll have them screaming." He said with glee.
"Right." Sirius said, polishing a large gold cup with as little effort as he could muster.
"That'll teach 'em! They'll think twice about tracking mud in and throwing their trash all over the place."
"Absolutely right. Nasty brats." Sirius said, boardly.
"You know, smart mouths like you are half the problem!"
"Exactly! We should be punished. I'm so ashamed of my behavior, I can't stand it. But you know, I keep getting away with it and I never learn."
Behind him, Sirius could feel Filch's anger radiating towards him. "Apparently you don't think one week of detention is enough!" Filch spat.
"No, it's not! I was wrong. Clap me in irons!"
It had been going like that most of the evening, with Filch being put in an increasingly bad mood. Sirius didn't know where the comments were coming from but he couldn't stop them. Nor did he make much of an effort to.
"You're the problem. Students like you. Running around like you own the place. Like little lords of the castle. Never a mind for those who have to clean it!"
"I'm so contrite."
"Little smart asses like you, like I don't have enough work already!"
Sirius rolled his eyes and yawned. The detention could not end soon enough. Filch embarked on another long crusade of solutions to his student problem.
At close to eleven, he was let go. He met up with James on the way back.
"Ugh. Filch was a nightmare!" He groaned.
"You think you got it bad? Madam Pomfry had me making all of the beds by hand! My own mother doesn't do that by hand! Then she made me clean the chamberpots! By hand!"
"Filch wouldn't shut up! He kept going on and on about how bad we all are."
They wandered back to bed, each complaining bitterly about their detention. The next day's went much the same and so did the next. Filch seemed to be running out of things for them to do.
After one detention, where James had been with Filch and Sirius was helping Professor Sprout in the greenhouses, James came running up to him, excited and out of breath.
"Follow me!" James panted, an excited gleam in his eye. He grabbed Sirius by his arm and dragged him off.
"What-?" Sirius cried, tripping as he was dragged along. "What's wrong?"
"You'll never believe what I've found!" James said, whipping him around a corner. "You'll never believe it! Filch just let me in!"
"What is it?"
They stopped right by a large portrait of a bowl of fruit. "Watch this!" James said, reaching up and tickling a pear.
Sirius watched in amazement as the pear turned into a doorknob. "Where are you taking me?" He laughed.
James stood back proudly and waved a hand to motion him inward. Sirius ducked through the door and looked around. James had found the kitchens.
"How did you find these?" He asked, impressed.
"Filch had to come down here and chase Peeves off." James said, ducking inside. "You'll never guess what works in here."
Sirius raised an eyebrow just in time to see a dozen House Elves come scuttling up. He paused, looking down at them. They peered up with big smiles.
"Excuse us!" One of them squeaked, bowing. "Can we get you something?"
James looked as though he had just made the discovery of a lifetime. Sirius was less impressed. His own family's House Elf was less than friendly.
The Elf that had first spoken stood waiting. "We have lots of sandwiches!" He said, eagerly. Two seconds later an Elf came running up with a huge platter. James picked one up. "Thanks." He said.
Sirius took one himself and sat back on a counter. Instantly another two elves came over with a stool for him. "Oh, thanks."
"We don't have many students come visiting." An elf squeaked cheerfully.
James laughed. "Oh? Well, you've got a nice place here. I'm impressed." They all beamed and Sirius, despite his own personal experience with House Elves, found himself liking them.
"Yeah, real nice." He said. "Thanks for the sandwich."
They continued to smile as though they had just been given the greatest compliment in the world.
"Hey, do you think we could have some cakes to bring to our friends?" James asked. At his words, a plate was brought forward piled with small cakes. "Thanks!" He said, scooping it up.
The Elves bowed them out and waved until the door was closed.
James grinned as they made their way back to Gryffindor tower. "Haha, I think this is my best find yet!" He said, balancing the place in the air.
Sirius put his hands in his pockets and grinned. "You're gonna get fat."
"And I'm going to enjoy doing so." They laughed and climbed through the portrait hole, finding Peter and Remus waiting.
"Where did you get those?" Peter asked.
"Found the kitchens!" James said proudly. "You wouldn't believe it! All those Elves, and they were just dying to give away food." He helped himself to a cake.
Remus took one. "Really. You know, I wondered where the food came from."
"My family doesn't have a House Elf." James said. "Mum says that hard work is best. Any of you have one?"
Peter and Remus shook their heads but Sirius nodded.
"Really? What's he like?"
"Nasty. I can't stand him. He's always creeping around and giving me dirty looks. He loves the rest of my family, though." Sirius shrugged.
James made a face. "Sounds like a creep."
"Yeah. You should see him, he just loves my brother."
"I didn't know you had a brother." Remus said mildly.
Sirius paused, not sure what to tell them. He didn't want them knowing a whole lot about his family but at the same time, he was beginning to think that James wouldn't hold it against him. "Oh, yeah I have a younger brother, you'll probably meet him next year. He'll be coming to Hogwarts."
"Think he'll be in Gryffindor?" Peter asked.
Sirius gave a dark laugh. "No."
"I sort of wish I had a brother or something." James said, staring off into space. "Might be kind of nice."
"Not as nice as you'd think." Sirius muttered. He felt bad for saying it. He didn't really hate his brother. He just didn't like him.
James gave a shrug and sat back in his arm chair, slouching quite regally. "If you say so."
Remus laughed a bit and took another cake. "You'll have to show me the kitchens sometime." He said.
"Me too!" Peter piped up.
Sirius groaned. "Peter, you just want to eat more."
Peter flushed and stayed quiet but James let out a loud laugh.
Thanks for reading.
Next chapter is the first Quidditch match, maybe James will get a chance to play!