Peter quietly opened the door just enough to poke his head through. He looked right. He looked left. Satisfied that no one of authorizes were lingering within the room, Peter crept forwards to the beds of his friends.
"Wormmy!" Sirius, propped up with pillows, waved him over to his bed.
"Shh….she wheel be ack." James muttered quite miserably to Sirius from his own bed next to his friend's bed. James lay on his stomach with his head shoved under a few pillows. His glasses were on the table stand next to his bed, balancing off the edge, tittering back and forth ready to tumble onto the floor.
"I can't help but get excited," Sirius barked. "I've been shut up in this room for nearly twenty-four hours! I am bored and you aren't showing much improvement!"
Having reached their beds, Peter carefully set James' glasses more security on the table. "Alright, Remus?"
"No. I am gravely disappointed." Remus groaned, holding his stomach. "Apparently Sirius was right. Too much chocolate isn't really that good for you. You, Peter are welcome to my chocolate if I die. Only if I die, though."
"Bloody right I am!" Sirius threw a pillow over James' limp body towards Remus. "I told you not to eat them all. What if they were all polluted with that nasty Amortentia? I will tell you what. You would be declaring your love to half of Hogwarts' population- that would be what you would be doing."
"He did." Peter told him. "Right after Charms."
"James told me to help myself to his own." Remus pouted casting a look over at James.
"Nut all in un ay." James groaned.
"Come again?" Remus asked.
"NUT ALL IN UN AY!" James repeated.
"Not all in one day." Peter translated.
"How can you stay alive under those pillows, mate?" Sirius looked over at James. "I know your head needs more oxygen than most."
"Ut up." James croaked.
"Maybe I should get Madame Pomfrey?" Peter sat gently down on James' bed. He put his hand on James' back, softly patting the boy. "Do you want me to do that?"
"Ah want mummsy." James' muttered. "She wheel ake me etter."
"Probably not a good idea, mate." Sirius frowned. "Don't want your parents catching your illness. Maybe next time we say 'Only idiots go out to play in this kind of weather', you won't prove us right."
"Ah ate yew!" James finally emerged from his nest of pillows, blinking back the bright lights. His cheeks were a bit pinkish from a fever but other than that, he seemed fine. He did not sound fine. He squinted over at Remus, who was taken another swig of his stomach tonic, as instructed by the nurse. James wrinkled his nose while Remus gagged over the medicine.
"You wish you could hate me." Sirius told James, which also gave him back the boy's attention. "Cold hard fact is that you love me."
"Nu-uh." James shook his head. "Ah ate yew!"
"When I get out of here, I'm never touching chocolate again." Remus grumbled as he settled back into the folds of the pillows.
"How's the leg?" Peter nodded towards Sirius broken leg. "Marlene feels pretty nasty about it."
"And she should! What did she expect would happen once I stop falling?" Sirius barked and sadly looked at his leg. "Unfortunately it is healing. I was hoping I could use those muggle crutches."
"I don't believe she would have pushed you down those stair cases if you didn't ask Joan on a date right after asking her on one." Peter shrugged. "Not after she already agreed to go on it, I mean."
"I asked Marlene for Saturday. Joan was for Friday." Sirius looked at the others for their understanding but Remus rolled his eyes. James squinted. Peter looked confused.
"Tiz iz why ah dun ache aiding vice foam yew." James pointed out.
Sirius shook his head slowly. "You should take some of your syrup, Prongs. Madame Pomfrey told you to take every four hours. That was yesterday and the dose she gave you went into the flower pot as soon as she turned her back. You sound worse than before you came in here."
"No!" James shook his head. "Ek maids me eel."
"I know you lot are under the weather but I thought we could do the Broadcasting here." Peter showed the group the radio.
"Aye. I'm bored and that might livin' me up." Sirius agreed.
"Great." Peter busied himself with the equipment while the sickly adjusted themselves more comfortable. Sirius put another pillow behind his back and one under his injured knee. Remus slightly elevated himself up with a few pillows as well but kept one tightly pressed against this stomach. James went back to the nest of pillows but after getting the system set up, Peter pulled the pillows away and put his glasses on.
"Give me the first note, would you Pete?" Sirius reached out to take a parchment from Peter. "Our first letter is from, FamousNoOne. We should really start handing out prizes for the first owl post that finds its way to us. She ask 'What's the worst pickup line you've ever used or had used on you? The best?' "
"There is a library pick up line, 'I came here to check you out,' that is over used." Remus mentioned. "Or, 'Do you want to study each other?'"
"Only used by perfects and Ravenclaws." Sirius added. "I have used, 'Do you want to tongue wrestle?' and one of my favourites, 'Let me cover you in Blackness while my eyes be your stars.' Being my name is after a star and black. Um…well this one got me slapped, 'Love how you dress your sweater puppies.'"
"Ah go or the ill. 'Evaths do yew want to go uth?' and 'Whey the body yell nut?'" James shrugged sadly.
Sirius blinked at James for a moment.
Remus shook his head.
"He says that he goes for the kill, 'Evans do you want to go out with me' and 'Why the bloody hell not?'" Peter translated.
"Prongs." Sirius threw a pillow over at the other boy. "Take your blasted tonic. No one can take you seriously if they cannot understand you!"
"Its walful!" James croaked, rubbing his throat.
"Wormtail," Remus looked at his friend seriously. "You know what you have to do."
"Aw man." Peter pouted. "What can't you?"
"I have a belly ache." Remus whimpered.
"I've got a busted leg." Sirius pointed down to his leg. "Go on. Do it."
"Wat?" James asked looking back and forth to his friends. "Dew wat?"
"Sorry, mate." Peter reached for James' tonic, jumped on top of him and while James was protesting, pulling Peter's hair in attempt to keep the boy away from him, Peter poured the liquid down his throat and quickly backed away from him while he sputtered what he could out. It was quickest Peter ever had been in his life. He was breathing quite rapidly from the exercise. At least that Sirius was hoping it was from the exercise, sometimes he wondered.
James sputtered and pulled faces while he reached for his pumpkin juice to wash the bitterness away. "Ah elly ate yew!" He started scrapping his tongue with his sleeve.
"Give him a moment and he probably will start talking more sensible, at least until the medicine wears off." Remus told Peter.
"Back to the pick-up line question. James had a good one on Valentine's Day," Sirius smiled proudly at James, who was now gagging from the medical assault. "He asked Evans that if he were to ask her out to Hogsmeade, would her answer be the same as the answer to the question that he was asking.'"
"She walked away a bit perplexed and amused." Remus grinned. "I think he might be wearing her down."
"Or causing her to go insane." Peter grinned mischievously. He suddenly turned towards a door on the other side of the room. The doorknob slowly twisted. "Madam Pomfrey!" Peter squeaked. He reached for the airing equipment and dived under James' bed.
"What is going on out here?" The nurse put both hands on her hips as she looked at her three patients.
In union, Remus and Sirius pointed to the middle bed – to James.
James, like a deer, froze in the light of the situation while he was in mid action of rubbing his tongue once more with his sleeve.
"You poor dear." Madame Pomfrey tisked as she went to her cupboard. "Scratchy throat, no doubt." She took out a blue bottle and approached James' with a large spoon in another hand. "I know the thing you need." She put the spoon at James' lips. "Open up."
James shook his head feverishly.
"Merlin sake, child." Pomfrey scolded him. "You do want to get better, don't you?"
James nodded his head as he did want to feel better.
"Well do as I say and open up." The nurse persisted.
James shook his head again.
Remus looked away, a grin forming on his face. Better James than himself, after all.
Sirius just grinned on, watching with interest. "Oi. You can't expect to play Quidditch in your state, mate."
"Sirius is quite right, dear." Pomfrey agreed. "You need to get your strength back if you wish to continue to play and you won't be leaving the Hospital Ward until you do."
James reluctantly opened his mouth to take the spoonful of potion while shooting death darts at Sirius.
"Here comes the snitch…" Sirius said as James took the tonic. "Good boy, James. Yes you are!"
"Here we go, Mr Black." Pomfrey took out another spoon and the medicine sitting beside Sirius bed. "Time for your medicine as well."
James smirked, watching now as Sirius took his tonic and gagged.
"Remus?" Pomfrey looked over at Remus.
"I took mine, Madam Pomfrey." Remus held up his own tonic. "Every four hours as you prescribed."
"You are a good boy, Remus." Pomfrey patted his arm gently as she passed by him.
James and Sirius rolled their eyes.
On hearing the nurse exist, Peter came out of hiding. He pulled himself back up on James' bed, looking at the two boys gravely. "Sorry about that."
"Best if we continue before she comes back." Remus urged Peter.
"Right. Pick- up lines, well I suppose you can decide which is worst. Quidditch team over use 'Let me sweep you off your feet.' Oh, Moaning Myrtle tells James' to 'just flush' if he ever needs her help.'" Peter pulled out the next parchment. "From Luna who does not wish James to give her a horrible name…it's the reason we get to call her Luna."
James snorted in protest.
"She asks Remus, saying as he is the most sensible of the lot," Peter read.
"But not saying the most sensible out of all of Hogwarts." Sirius reminded him.
Remus stuck his tongue out for Sirius to see.
"Clearly not the most matured among us either." Sirius added.
"Right." Peter agreed. "So Luna would like to know what your favourite muggle science study might be, Remus."
"Ah, well that's a bit hard. Wizards and Witches do not have the same study lessons. Which makes sense considering most of the muggle population does not believe in magic. I am fascinated with their biology, however. Their views on plants and animal life are amusing at best."
"Sirius…um." Peter scratched his head. "It will be good to remember that I am only the massager. Luna would like to know what it feels like to be named after a ball of gas."
"Considering that everyone must look up to see that ball of gas and admire its beauty, I have to say that I find it to be quite satisfying." Sirius grinned arrogantly.
"James." Peter looked over at the owner of the bed which he sat upon.
"Wat?" James asked looking quite as ill as he was feeling.
"If slugs were to come to power and rule the world, would you tell everyone 'I told you so?'?" Peter asked.
"Wike a recore stuck on a weedle." James answered honestly.
"Maybe if you blew that snot out of your nose, we could understand you?" Sirius threw some tissues at Prongs.
"Bithe me!" James reached over to the table that stood beside his bed and that of Remus. He picked up a book to toss it over at his friend.
"Oi!" Remus called out, taking the book from James and putting it under his pillow. "Leave my books out of it!"
"James said, he would like a record stuck on a needle," Peter translated. "Then he told Sirius to bite him. Padfoot does bite so…I don't get it. My own question from Luna is what my favourite animal might be. I enjoy elephants. Grand creatures they are. Huge on size but seeming to be caring lot. They like to stick together and all. Our last question is what is our favourite book. Remus gave me this wonderful book called 'The Hobbit' that I have been involved with lately."
Remus beamed over at Peter with pride.
"Yew wook wike a wobbit." James said with a sniffle.
"I'm not sure if I am offended," Peter thought it over for a moment as the others waited. "They are quite remarkable characters and go on all kinds of adventures. I don't think a hobbit would be a bad thing at all."
"You're not that far off. You got the height and hairy feet down on your own. We go on adventures most nights." Sirius shrugged. "I suppose you are right. Best admit the obvious. You're a hobbit. Or a wobbit."
"Ut up!" James tossed a pillow over at Sirius.
"I don't want your bloody germ infested pillow." Sirius tossed it back to him.
"I am currently reading an interesting novel called, 'House Rules' which is penned by Jodi Picoult," Remus answered. "It is a current favourite but my interest change with every book I read so I cannot pin point the all-time favourite of mine."
"I got nothing." Sirius moved his leg slightly, wincing with a slight pain.
"Wuiddish Famous Atheelse." James answered.
"I don't know. Something to do with Quidditch." Peter shrugged.
"I got the next question." Remus reached over as Peter leaned over James to hand him the letter. "This one is from, Syd."
"Syd's is amusing." Sirius grinned. "I do love to be amused."
"Well Syd tells us that the snails are enchanted to do as James says and answer him with 'Yes Master." Remus told the group.
"Ah afe Houzezz Eafs." James muttered. "Ah don't wike slugs wiz or wizout houzezz on their acks."
"Something about House Elves and slugs." Peter waved his hand at James, dismissing his words.
"Merlins!" Remus looked at Peter. "Syd sent a package along with the note. Where is it?"
"Oh, it was addressed to James so I gave to him when the letter arrived." Peter told him. "Why?"
"Syd thought it would be funny to give James responsibility. She gave him a bottle with one wish in it! He can't handle something like that!" Remus cried.
"Ah can doo!" James pouted.
"He'd wish a date with Lily." Peter shrugged.
"Or have a giant decide that Snape would make a good life companion with in its cave." Sirius stated.
"That is what worries me." Remus admitted.
"Did you use that wish?" Sirius asked.
"Yez." James nodded his head. "Wiz for Wuiddish nez Wuidditch gearz."
"We have nothing to fear." Sirius grinned. "He's like a child blowing out a birthday candle."
"Am snot!" James argued.
"Syd also send us these." Remus nodded to some rocks Peter was handing out. "They are some kind of pets, she said. I'm not sure. I think these are Lapides Creatura. Muggles believe they are fake pets made out of stone. Again, it is amusing how little they know."
"Don't these things turn into boulders?" Sirius asked. "What do I do with a boulder? I've got no room in my trunk."
"Hose thez at the Zlyterinzz rum the highest tower of Hogzwurtz." James gave his friends a devilish grin.
"He really needs to be medicated with a higher dosage." Peter shook his head at James with pity.
"Wat?" James asked.
"Next time he decides to go out in a winter down pour, maybe we should just hex him." Remus planned.
"Oh can I do it!" Sirius bounce in his bed once before pain reminded him that he was healing. "Ow….I do believe that I may need James' mummy now." Sirius rubbed his injured leg.
"Ah ate yew. Av ov yew!" James pulled the covers over his head.
"You keep hollering about, Pomfrey will come back." Peter whispered to him as he was speaking to a four year old. "You'll get another dose."
"Ah ate yew ew." James whispered.
"Aw, you don't mean that Prongs." Peter patted his head whilst still under the blankets.
"We will probably need to hand our new pets over to Hagrid. We simple do not have the amount of time it takes for them nor the space. Still it will be nice to see them turn into boulders one day." Remus grinned looking very interested in his pet rock. "Cheerful fellow, isn't he? Or her? I'm not sure how to tell."
"I haven't got a clue either." Sirius petted the smooth top of his own rock.
"Syd next question is what our favourite oxymoron is as she favours organised chaos." Remus read.
"That feels like my life with the Marauders." Peter whispered. "Um…I see this on a lot of labelled foods and I find it to be a bit amusing. 'All natural artificial flavour'.''
"Awful pretty." Sirius gave his friends a toothy smile. "Still haven't figured that one out."
"Open relationship." Remus added. "Don't see how you can be in a relationship while seeing other people."
"Dez Fezlingzz." James muttered from his hiding place.
"Dead feelings, he says." Peter told them.
"How is it that you can understand him?" Remus stared in wonder at Peter.
"Oh I've got a seven year old cousin who is missing his front teeth from falling out of a tree while trying to catch a tail end of broom zooming pass." Peter informed him. "They sound pretty much the same."
"We aren't going to let James' read any notes, are we?" Sirius asked his friends. They all turned to look at the head under the blankets. James saluted them with two fingers. "Yeah that was what I was thinking too. So this next owl is from Neko who goes to send thanks to Remus because he ruined a wonderful prank as she found a bottle of Essene of Rattus among her property. I guess owls won't attack her any longer. She also thanks you for apologising in James' behalf though she did find him to be amusing. That's our Prongs. Amusing. She asks if we will attend the Valentines Party that Huffles invited us to, which we did. I'm sorry we did not send a RSVP. We attend to believe people will assume that we will be there. Naturally the party was great though not many students were able to stand before it ended and not many attended lessons on time the next day.
Ah, we have ourselves a very good question," Sirius continued. "Neko ask of us, 'Do you think the sorting hat can make a mistake while sorting? And how was your experience with the hat? I remember I had a little chat with the hat, it asked me if I was Ok with any house and I agreed, after that it stayed in an awkward silence and finally it sorted me into the house I belong."
"No." James said from under his blanket. "Ah aid no conzeration wiz die at. It put me iz Gizzfindorez beezcore iz touffed aye heed."
"He said no, that he hadn't a conversation with the hat and it put him in Gryffindor as soon as it touched his head." Peter told them. "I had a bit of problems with it, I wasn't sure if it would put me anywhere at all. For a brief moment I was almost a Hufflepuff but it said that sometimes courage is within fear so I landed in with this lot. Best thing happen to me so I don't think the sorting hat messes up."
"It said I could do great things in the Slytherins House but said that I had more of Gryffindor spunk so I got placed among a new family." Sirius grinned happily. "I haven't a regret. I feel I would be a different person if it said Slytherins. As if it makes mistakes, I don't think that either. I think that there are people whom fall on the line and they have a say between the narrowed choices. I also believe that people change and we are never that eleven year old again so if they were to do a sorting every year to every student, they may find different houses."
"Said well, mate." Remus agreed. "A bit of debate of Ravenclaws and Gryffindor for myself it was but in the end, I think the hat knew that I wanted friends and they would come from the Gryffindor House. I'm glad of it."
"Meez ewww." James said.
"Neko did warn us about the Amortentia Ambush and we were able to avoid most of that horrible chaos." Sirius looked over at Remus who's face suddenly turned red. "Though SOMEONE ended up in Pomfrey's care before the end of the day because the temptation was too much."
"I thought one bite wouldn't hurt." Remus whispered feeling a bit ashamed.
"You ate the entire box full of chocolates! Without pausing for air." Sirius laughed.
"I couldn't help it. You lot knew that and no one tried to stop me." Remus hugged the pillow closer to him. "I thought that just one bite…"
Suddenly James' whipped the covers from his head and turned his fury eyes on Remus. "Ah diz eze! Ah saz topid Remase endz ah reazed foz yewrd chocolazes endzates and yewre grozlez endz sap mez. Ah fearez ay mez fingrrz! Iz ame doze yoewl aven' igits yoewl paz Wuiddish or yew, ate! Ah ate chozin."
Remus did try to keep a straight face but Sirius started to grin first and in union they both burst out laughing. "I know he's all mad but I cannot take his ranting! It's hurting my stomach!"
James growled and went back under the blankets.
"Stop laughing at him and your stomach will settle." Peter scolded Remus. "He said that he did try. He said 'stop it Remus' and he tried to reach for your chocolates and you growled and snapped at him. He feared for his fingers. He couldn't play Quidditch without digits so he had to pick between you or his sport. He hates do choose…and you lost, in case you didn't know it."
Remus wiped the tears from his eyes. "Um…well our next note is from Josh who apologies for the large letters in the previous bit. It's quite hot where he is at and exams are coming up."
"We feel the pain, mate." Sirius nodded his head solemnly.
"First question, you can answer it Sirius. How would he tell a classmate that he shouldn't be flirting with fourth year girls when they are eighth years? Fourth years are nine and they are fourteen are before the end of the year."
"I think starting out with 'Don't be messing with the kids, weirdo' would be a great way," Sirius informed. "One day he will be twenty four and this girl will be nineteen and it won't seem to be a different. At the current age there is a huge maturity difference and he should really look to girls closer to his own age."
"Next question from Josh is, do wizards have a primary school system. What do they do before Hogwarts, just hang out at home, or go to a Muggle school?" Remus read. "It depends on their way of life. If the child is born into a pure blood family than it is most likely they have a private professor, which cost a great deal, like James' and Sirius had or be taught by their parents as Peter and I were taught. If the child is born with one muggle parent and another one of magic, the parent could go either way. Sending the child off to school as any muggle family would or have the child schooled at home. Naturally if the child is from a pure muggle family, he or she would be sent to school as all muggle children."
"Last question from Josh is for Sirius. Josh would like to know if raising a pineapple army ever crossed your mind and that he…" Remus was cut off as James poked his head out again.
"Brealant! Wheeze can harm pineipiples to halk tum todents!" James cried.
"He says it's brilliant. Charming pineapples to stalk students." Peter said at once when Remus and Sirius looked at him for translation.
"Oi. Didn't I say not to give prank ideas?" Remus puffed.
"James is right…well he might be." Sirius blinked over at James.
"You can't be serious?" Remus pointed in James' direction. "He's got enough medication poured in him that would make a hippogriff drunk."
"Aay." James frowned at Remus. "Ah nut dunk. Ames ick."
"He sai-" Peter stared.
"I know what he said." Remus told him. "We are not charming pineapples."
"Yeah. Pumpkins would be better. We can put faces on them." Sirius thought out loud and James nodded his head in agreement.
"Josh has given us our own toothbrushes." Remus told them, deciding the change of topic was best. "They sing and it is advice not to use them as it will cause insanity."
"What's a little insanity among men?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah he hinted that there are insane people among our group already." Remus put his tooth brush aside but James had his singing already and battling Peter's own tooth brush, mimicking a swordfight.
"Our next question is from a Katherine." Peter told his friends.
"Welzum, Karthenrine. Ah wike her aim. It'z a petty aim, nut az petty az Wiwy." James coughed on his sentence.
"James thinks your name is pretty, Katherine and he welcome you as well. Lily's name is more pretty to him but not to everyone else." Peter said as he patted James on the back to help the coughing fit pass. "Kat has a serious question. Since she was seven she has been best friends with this girl. Her friend now has a boyfriend and it seems that the friend is putting the boyfriend first instead of her friendship with Katherine. Not that Kat is saying she should be put first but to balance the relationships evenly. The guy is great and Kat is happy for them both but there seems to be a drift."
"Wow. We could use a girl about now." Sirius looked over at Remus. "Want to give it a go?"
"What are you applying?" Remus asked hotly.
"Tat yew endz the lozes tang weeze haze eew az oose." James said.
Remus raised his eyebrows at Peter.
Peter shrugged, "He pretty much called you a boob."
Remus looked back at James.
James shrugged.
Remus attacked.
"Hey!" Peter got between him. "He can't think right, you said that yourself. His mind is full of tonic!"
"He won't feel a thing than, will he?" Remus stopped strangling James once James started to cough again. "You're getting spit in my face."
"Ah ate elp it." James told him, flopping his hands to his side. "Ah wez eel."
"Back to the letter?" Peter pointed to the note in his hand.
"Unfortunately there isn't anything you can really do at this time, Kat. Only tell her that it does feel as you are drifting apart and that maybe the case. Think of your life as a book," Remus opened the very book James tried to toss at Sirius. He flipped through the pages slowly. "Not ever chapter has the same characters within the story. Sometimes the characters you start with on the first chapter won't make it to the last chapter but new faces will appear. You won't forget those other characters but the book continues. Sometimes that character just won't reappear until half way through the book. It hurts and it feels sad but maybe you are just coming to a new chapter of your life. Childhood friends are rare. Not many people have them. More don't than do. I do wish I could help you, I really do. Maybe if you two set up movie night? Just were you two can do something together? Once a month maybe?"
James sniffled. "Ah eel."
"He's blaming his sniffles on illness," Peter told them.
"Ut up," James frowned. "Ah wot kneed ah trainzator."
"He's telling me to shut up because he doesn't think he needs a translator but he does," Peter pointed his finger at James. "Because I'm the only one who bloody understands him!"
James pouted and went back under the covers.
"Aw, I'm sorry Prongs," Peter again patted his head. "But really, no one understands."
"To our next question…I wish I could help you as well Kat," Sirius added quickly. "Um…this is from our Elizabeth."
"Aye Wizbet," James said.
Peter opened his mouth but Sirius shook his head, silently ordering him not to translate. "Lizzy ask when did we stop sleeping with stuff animals."
James held up a stuff quaffle ball in the air.
"Since this is on air and no one can see, James is holding up a stuff quaffle ball," Remus grinned. "Proudly, in fact."
"Wiwy will weace wit," James said.
"Lily will replace it," Peter whispered to the others.
"Ah herd wat," James said.
"I never slept with anything that was stuffed," Sirius looked at the others.
"I fall to sleep with books," Remus held his beloved book in the air.
"I had a stuff dragon that I slept with until I was nine. It would chase my nightmares away," Peter told them. "Lizzy ask if we could apparate on school grounds, where would we go? I'm not sure. We kind of go everywhere on school grounds now."
"Wiwy worm!" James spoke out.
"Let me guess." Remus looked over at Peter, "Lily's room?"
"Dorm but it is close enough," Peter said.
"The witches' dorms does sound like a lot of naughty goodness," Sirius rubbed his chin. "There is an oxymoron for you."
"Dumbledore's office," Remus thought loudly, petting his rock as he looked forward with a gaze expression glittering in his eyes. "I'd love to find out what he did with all that chocolate he confiscated."
"What was our first word?" Peter gave Remus a quick odd look before finishing. "Also a Kat's question. Mine was da."
"voom," James said.
"Broom," Peter repeated.
"Mum." Remus answered.
"Aye, so was mine," Sirius smiled sadly.
"Our next owl message is from Barb." Remus winked over at Sirius. "Barb says that we shouldn't worry about Quidditch, she will be more than happy to take over James' position why he recovers."
The covers came back off James' head. "Ah'm sill art of duh tame. A'm just eel. No un iz aching my yut."
"Don't start hyperventilating, mate," Sirius laughed. "He's taking the mickey."
"Nut funny," James sniffled a bit more.
"Barb's true question is, 'What is the funniest prank we ever pulled on a teacher.'" Remus read.
"I still liked the scarecrow as a student prank," Peter thought. "I started like him, near the end."
"He was a crappy potion partner," Sirius sighed. "I have to say it was the 'Quack' prank. A bit of potions giving during a meal in which the drinker, being the Professors, would only hear people quack like a duck when anyone spoke to them or if they overheard another conversation. To everyone else, things seem normal. To the Professors, we quacked. Other professors quacked. Oddly enough, the ghost and pictures did not quack. The teachers could understand them fine. In a way it was amusing because the ghost and pictures told the professors that no, no one was quacking. It was they that were hearing things."
"Somehow they were able to figure out what we had done and figure out it was we that had done it," Remus grinned. "But it did cause some chaos. Oh by the way, Barb exscaped the Essene of Rattus prank."
"Oi. That's too bad for her," Sirius grinned. "As we now have someone to prank."
"Better watch out, Barb." Peter whispered.
"Lizz sent us another owl," Remus told them.
"Over achiever," Sirius snorted.
Remus glared at him. "I think it is grand. She ask a good question. 'What do you say to the possible paradox that despite the fact that OWL scores are rising at a steady rate, studies show that each generation of wizarding children is lazier and/or comparatively less motivated than the previous generation?'"
"I understood O.W.L.S but before that and after that," Peter shook his head. "She lost me."
"Is he sleeping?" Sirius nodded his head in James' direction.
"Probably," Peter looked down the still body. "Or passed out from lack of oxygen. Or died from over dosage. But you know him, it never last. He pounces back."
"Give him a poke," Remus told Peter. "Just to make sure he's alive."
"He's breathing, isn't he?" Peter pointed out. "Just not very good."
"Poke him." Sirius told him.
"He bites when people poke him, you know that." Peter turned his attention to Remus. "So the question, have you an answer because I don't."
"I have an answer," Sirius stated. "The O.W.L scores are on the raise because children are more intelligent than their parents were at that age. A parent teaches a child to a certain age, whether they do so consciously or not. Knowledge is passing down from generation to generation. That knowledge becomes bigger and bigger as each parent adds to it. The more knowledge that surrounds a child, it allows that child to be more advance than those of the past. So we are an intelligent lot, we are also lazy. Some – but not all- will not experience the hardship of their parents or grandparents and so forth had once experienced. For most, things have become more soft and cosy. We are smart enough to like it that way."
"We have a last message from, RandomFandom. We offended her by the way," Remus told them.
"We must look like a sorry bunch in her eye. We messed up with her once before," Sirius told them.
"I remember. I was afraid she would stalk me or something." Peter shivered.
Sirius grinned, "You wish you could get that lucky."
"Um…so, Random apologies for the weirdness of the question but I like it. Random ask, 'If you had to organize a party/dance-type-thing, what would the theme be?'" Remus finished reading.
"Why would anyone allow us to organise a theme party?" Sirius gave an impish grin. "It would be a great party, no doubt about it."
"I don't believe the Proffessor would agree to anything you would want to do," Remus told him.
"Wuiddish teme!" James held up his quaffle ball.
"He would want a Quidditch theme," Peter rolled his eyes. "You can't pick Quidditch, Prongs. It has got to be a different theme."
"Jugle!" James sneezed.
Sirius nodded in agreement. "Jungle would be pretty wild!"
"I think it might be nice to have fun mixed with learning," Remus glared at Sirius as he rolled his eyes. "Some people can multitask."
"Yes. Read. Be really boring. Read more. Tell us to go away," Sirius mocked. "Just go on with it."
"I was thinking that a good theme would be dressing up like a famous witch or wizard," Remus admitted.
Peter squimered on the bed a little. "Zombie theme would be nice. Some could be zombies while others be…not zombies."
"Or robe only theme. You can wear only your robe and nothing else." Sirius beamed at his own imagation.
"Ah wike thad." James pushed the covers away from his face. "Tiz shud be ah poll wetsion."
"Yeah, this should be a poll question," Remus agreed. "Our poll this week will be for you to select a party theme out of the choices."
"Ah dye ying." James sniffled… pathetically.
"I should leave you lot to rest up." Peter gathered his stuff. "Oh, Lily did ask about you James."
"Shid did!" James' smiled.
"Yeah. I told her you would be fine in a few days. Just a cold and nothing to worry about." Peter grinned.
"Twad!" James frowned.
"B-but you are fine." Peter told him. "You said yourself that you'll be out by tomorrow."
"He said that three days ago, Peter." Sirius told him. "You should have led her to believe he was dying or something."
"I'll be out before either of you." Remus told them. "I'll tell her that Padfoot is depressing you and you'll need some cheering up."
"Tank yew." James mumbled.
"Well…best get going." Peter headed for the door but before he could escape, he started sneezing loudly.
"Yew eel!" James pointed at him.
"No, it's just a-a-," Peter sneezed again and like a magnet to steel, Pomfrey was at his side shuffling him to one of the open beds. How she appeared so suddenly was lost on the boys.
A/N: Thanks for the great questions. Sorry if James' got a bit annoying. I wanted to try out a cold. :) I might do a hat sorting for them...on a different story. It's a great question.