A/N — Written for Hogwarts Assignment 7, Mythology, Task 4

"This is neither fun, nor exciting," Regulus hisses from where he is crouched with James, both crammed into the tight space behind a statue in the prefects' bathroom.

James cannot help but roll his eyes. Regulus has been complaining non-stop, ever since he grudgingly agreed to join in on the Marauders inter-group prank war. And yet, he's still here. Crouched in an uncomfortably small space, in a rapidly overheating room, teaming up with none other than James Potter.

"Did we have to wait here?" Regulus grouses. It's just non-stop complaining with this one.

"We do if we want to check it works."

Regulus shifts around awkwardly in the small space, bringing them to face each other. "If it works, wouldn't we be able to tell next time we see Remus?" James purses his lips, thinking. "Y'know, 'cause he'd be bright green."

"That is a very good point, Regulus," James says slowly. "I had not thought about that."

"So we can leave?" Regulus asks.

James is about to reply when the door to the prefects' bathroom swings open, and two sixth year Hufflepuff prefects stumble through the door, joint at the mouth.

"Shhh," James hisses, knowing full well that Regulus had not spoken since their unwelcome guests arrived.

Regulus purses his lips, staring at James in annoyance. "You are going to get me in detention," he hisses between clenched teeth.

Whilst that had not been James' intention, he cannot say that the idea is without merit. Rumour has it, the youngest Black has never received detention in all his five years at the school. But James suspects that's just because he has never had an influence such as James Potter in his life. It makes him shudder to think how Sirius might have turned out, had he not had such a positive role model in his life.

Once again, it falls to James to bring entertainment into the life of a wayward Black. And to think, he'd only recruited Regulus on this mission because he didn't know the names of any other prefects, Remus and Evans notwithstanding.

"Oh, you already ran us a bath," the girl practically croons, and James has to shove a fist into his mouth to stifle his giggle at Regulus' expression. How the boy has managed to look both furious and utterly mortified at the same time is a complete mystery to James.

"This is not funny," Regulus hisses, face flushed a deep red. "If they see us here, it'll be detention for sure!"

"C'mon, Regs —

"Don't call me that."

"— you've got to live a little," James whispers, cramming them both further into their small hiding spot. Mostly, it's to avoid detection, but a part of him is really enjoying seeing Regulus in such obvious distress.

"They shouldn't even be doing —" Regulus waves his hand in their general direction as best he can "— that!" he hisses, his blush deepening impossibly, stretching down his neck and into the collar of his uniform's jumper.

James smirks; even he is willing to admit he may be finding this whole situation a little bit too funny. "And they're about to be severely punished for it."

Regulus groans quietly, gripping clumps of his usually perfectly styled hair and pulling. It must hurt. His hairline turns a bright white, even more obvious because of the contrast with the red of his face. "Why didn't you check Remus was going to be coming in for a bath?"

"Well, yes, in retrospect," James says, "this might have been a terrible idea." The look Regulus gives him could not more plainly have stated the words you think!? than if he had said them aloud. "There wasn't so much of a plan, per se, as a rough idea."

"Well, next time you come to me looking for help, you can shove your rough ideas up your —"

A shriek cuts off Regulus' tirade, and James peeks around the edge of the statue through narrowed eyes. He doesn't want to get an eyeful — he's not a pervert, thank you very much — but …

"It worked!" he whispers excitedly, staring in glee at the mottled emerald green of the Hufflepuff prefects' skin. It hadn't worked perfectly, but that just gave them time to perfect it for Remus.

"It most definitely did not work!" Regulus hisses. "I agreed to help you prank Remus, not —"

"Is someone there?" the boy shouts angrily, pulling himself from the water staining his skin.

James grabs Regulus' wrist. "Run!"

The resulting kerfuffle doesn't really end well for any of them.

.oOo.

They get a week's worth of detention, which James counts as a win on all fronts. They know the dye works — those two Hufflepuffs are still green, albeit more of a very pale teal, and none of the professors had been able to do anything but let the dye fade naturally — and James suspects that it was just because they'd diluted it too much that the colour hadn't been solid.

And, best of all, Regulus has his first detention! James could not have been more proud. Regulus, on the other hand, keeps threatening to hex him into an early grave.

But James doesn't mind. He'll win him 'round.