Chapter 44
Practice and Late Night Talks
Their first Quidditch practice was easy. Their captain mostly just reminded them of the rules, and their roles in the game. Then they just got used to having each other as teammates.
Sirius really liked the other beater on the team, Andrea Heifer. She had a great sense of humor. They spent most of the time trying to out do each other. They were trying to see who could hit the other with the bludger first. It ended in a tie, neither of them had gotten hit.
James and the two other chasers, Ryan Ault and Dylan Johnson tossed the ball around between them. It became clear that Dylan was the weakest link, but he was still pretty good.
After a while the captain told the chasers to practice with the keeper, Jason Hoffman. He was really good, caught all of them but James' and he even caught two of those.
Sirius teasingly hit a bludger towards the goalposts to see if Hoffman would try to block it. The sixth year just watched it.
"What was that?" He yelled when the bludger nearly went in a goalpost. It missed by about a foot.
"I was curious to see if you would block it." Sirius said with a smirk after flying over to him. "I also wanted to see if I could make it in."
"That isn't what you're supposed to be doing, Black." He said half glaring at the younger boy.
"It was fun." Sirius replied, James laughed watching their conversation. "You didn't even try."
"Why would I try? I'm not blocking bludgers."
"To try testing your skill. Duh."
"That isn't your job, Black."
"You're no fun." Sirius pouted. Hoffman rolled his eyes and Andrea giggled.
"I wanted to see you block it too." She added.
"All right! All right! C'mon let's get back to practice." The captain, Mathew Smith, called to them choosing not to comment on Sirius' behavior. He liked the kid's enthusiasm.
"Fine." Sirius replied chasing down the bludger and hitting it back to Andrea.
The rest of the practice was uneventful. When they were done they got back to the common room and found Remus and Peter playing chess. Remus looked extremely bored, Peter just looked annoyed.
"James, Sirius! You're back!" Remus said excitedly.
"What's going on?" Sirius asked looking amused.
"Peter is determined that he can beat me. We've played four games. I am so tired of this stupid game." He complained.
"Why don't you just stop playing?" James asked confused.
We're betting on it. I've won five bars of chocolate already." Sirius laughed.
"You're hopeless, Moony."
"I know."
Ten minutes later they were still playing the game. James fell asleep and Sirius got so bored watching Peter spend two minuets just to move and went up to the dorm to get a book and came back down.
He looked up from the book when Remus moaned. Sirius saw him mouth to himself 'nothing is worth this' before moving his king on a suicide move. Sirius chuckled quietly and turned back to his book, blocking out Peter's cheer as he finally won.
"Oh no, I lost." Remus said sarcasticly, but Peter didn't notice, he just ran up to the dorm excitedly.
"I saw that." Sirius said quietly knowing Remus would hear him anyway.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, and if you tell anyone I'll deny it." Remus replied throwing James' legs off the couch so he could sit down. Sirius just laughed and went back to reading. "I hate it when you read stuff like that." Remus told him reading the cover of the book.
"Why? We already know." He asked eyes not leaving the werewolf book.
"I don't know. I suppose I'm just worried you'll get some crazy idea of how to make it better." Sirius laughed.
"You know me so well." He looked at Remus with a smirk in his eyes. Remus glared at him and he laughed. "I promise I'm just curious."
"You better be, because I'm the one you'd be experimenting on and I don't take kindly to stuff like that."
"Did you know werewolves aren't dangerous to animals in the slightest?" Sirius asked.
"Ya, some of them even make friends with the animal. Though it's rare, they're very protective and aren't likely to give the animal a chance to get to know them before scaring them off."
"That's interesting. I'll bet the only reason they they harm people is because they taste good. Not because they want to or anything."
"I don't know about taste, exactly, but they spell good. Like in a food kind of way."
"How much comes out while they're human?" Sirius asked putting the book away.
"The senses mostly. They aren't as sharp, but stronger than the average human. Especially smell."
"Do people still smell like food?"
"Their smell stays the same, it's just how the mind interprets the smell. Food smell to me is like... well food. Food smell to a werewolf while transformed is people. It isn't that the smell changes, just the mind.
"Cool." Sirius replied thinking about the answer. "I bet people can be like that too. It's just a matter of what you're used to eating."
"I can promise you Sirius. There are very few people that are used to eating other people."
"But it's possible." Sirius replied ignoring that he was talking about cannibalism. "I wonder if it's possible to change what a werewolf is used to eating."
"Doubt it. You'd have to force them to eat something for a long period of time. I don't even think one time is possible, let alone multiple times."
"You're probably right."
They were quiet for a while before they both agreed that it was time for bed.
"James get up!" Sirius said once before pulling the couch cushions out from under him. "C'mon bed time."
"I was already asleep." James complained.
"Woops, sorry I thought you were impersonating a chain saw with all that snoring of yours." Sirius smirked.
"I don't snore." He said getting up. "Do I?" He looked at Remus desperately. They both laughed and ran up stairs.
"C'mon. Guys, I don't snore!" He said chasing after their laughing figures.