School certainly started speeding right along once they settled back into
their routines. Annie spent as much time with her older friends as
possible, now that they would be leaving in a year. Lily and James were
always busy, off doing some Head Boy or Girl thing or other. Peter seemed
to be studying a lot. He had mentioned something about the Department of
Mysteries after graduation, or possibly the Department of Historic Records,
and needed to do well this last year to make it. Therefore, Sirius, Remus,
Annie, and Rhia were left rather bored a lot.
"What do you guys want to do?" Sirius asked for the fifth time, one Saturday a few weeks after start of term. Remus shrugged, leaning his head on Rhia's knee.
Rhia, sitting curled up on one couch in front of the fire, tossed a book at Sirius. "Start studying. We have N.E.W.T.s this year, remember!" Annie laughed.
"But Sirius will still be bored if he's studying, Rhia!" Annie mocked. Sirius pretended to hit her with a pillow. Rhia closed the book she had been reading.
"Hey Annie, want to come to the library with me to get a new book? I think I've read this one already." Annie nodded, and they stood up. Remus promptly fell to the floor, his pillow having moved.
"Never stopped you before..." he smirked, rubbing his head. Rhia laughed and she dragged Annie out of the common room.
"So Moony, it looks like its just you and me today. What are you feeling up to? A little wandering?"
"Nah...I think we know this school by heart now."
"Maybe we could go spy on Peter."
"Why? All he does is study now. He reminds me of the girls!"
"Well, we could go spy on the girls..."
"Nah."
Remus and Sirius sat in silence until Sirius lifted his head slowly, a huge grin spread across his face. "Hey, Moony..." Sirius called in a sing-song voice.
"Yeah?"
"Dare to take a walk down to the dungeons?"
Remus yawned. "But it's cold down there, and no one goes down there unless they have to."
"Well, who has to?"
"Professor Handoll, the Slytherins...the Slytherins!"
* * *
"Thanks for helping me find this book, Annie." Rhia and Annie walked out of the library a few hours later. "Listen, you know you'll have to come see us every chance you get next year, right? You're only a year difference, next year you'll graduate, and then you can move in with me. I'd say with me and Lily, but I think they might be married by then!" Rhia and Annie giggled like little schoolgirls, enjoying themselves immensely.
"Are you hungry?" Annie asked. "I think lunch has started already." A crowd had indeed gathered up by the Great Hall. When they got closer, Rhia could see everyone was gathered around the bulletin board next to the door. Annie and Rhia fought to get through.
"Hey, Janice!" Rhia called to a Ravenclaw 7th year. "What's going on?"
"Some pranksters invaded the Slytherin dorms." And she pointed to the bulletin board, moving aside so Rhia and Annie could have a better look. At once, Rhia knew who's handiwork it was.
"Sirius Black!" Annie and Rhia shouted in unison.
"What's going on?" James called as he and Lily made their way closer.
"Look!" Rhia pointed to the board. Lily's eyes widened and James fell into a fit of convulsive laughter. Nailed to the wall were two sets of tighty- whities and a pair of panties, the boys' undergarments labeled "Severus" and "Lucius" and the girl's "Narcissa".
"Awesome, who did this?!" James cried.
"Your best friend!" Annie crossed her arms, miffed that Sirius had done such a thing. Going through another girl's underwear drawer! How dare he!
"Nice going, Padfoot." James laughed.
"Thank you, thank you." Sirius popped out from behind a nearby pillar. "But I didn't do this alone."
"And who was your accomplice?" Lily asked.
"My good friend, Moony." Sirius tugged Remus out from behind the column.
"Remus!" Rhia cried, torn between shock and laughter.
"Surprise?" Remus grinned sheepishly. Annie narrowed her eyes at the two.
"When will you two grow up?" Lily said, trying to hide the smile that tugged at her face.
"We are grown up!" Sirius chuckled.
"Good Merlin!" Annie cried. "Might I remind both of you that you have girlfriends? You have no business going into strange girls' drawers!"
"Narcissa isn't strange, Annie." Sirius replied. "We know her quite well now, eh, Remus?"
Remus smiled a little, trying to fight off the pointed looked Rhia was shooting him.
"'Know her quite well'?" Annie repeated and Sirius swallowed, assuming that hadn't been the right thing to say.
"It was just a joke, Annie!" he insisted. She threw up her hands and walked off.
"Oh my...what is the meaning of this?"
Everyone turned around to see Professor McGonagall staring at the wall display with disgust on her wrinkled face.
"Oh, no..." Rhia groaned inwardly. McGonagall whipped out her wand and with a wave, the undergarments were gone.
"Who did this?" The professor turned around slowly, staring at all of the students. Slowly some of them started to filter out, now that the show was gone. "No one leaves this hall until I find out who the culprits are!" Professor McGonagall started to search the faces of each student. Sirius and Remus shrunk back into the shadows.
"Mr. Black! Mr. Lupin!" McGonagall called out. Sirius closed his eyes. Great. "If you two would please follow me, I would be most obliged." Rhia shook her head sadly as the boys followed McGonagall up the stairs.
"Boys, I am most disappointed in you. What gave you the urge to do this?" Remus snickered, but caught himself before McGonagall gave them any more trouble. She led them into her office, and closed the door.
"Boys, I regret having to do this, but I'll have to take off points. 30 points each, I'd say."
"Thirty points?!"
"Professor, you can't!"
"Yes, boys, I can. Now, off to the common room with you, and I don't want either of you in any more trouble again, do you hear me?"
"But Professor, really,"
"Be reasonable!"
"Thirty points and detention for both of you. Now upstairs. For the rest of the day."
Both boys, stoop-shouldered and grim-faced, made their way up to the common room.
"Can't believe it." Sirius muttered. "Sixty whole points."
"And detention." Remus reminded him.
"Just for a prank!" cried Sirius.
"You have to admit it was a very good one." Remus smiled.
"It was."
They turned around. James and Lily were coming through the portal, their arms laden down with dinner trays.
"I would've expected it of you, Siri, but Remus?" Lily raised her brow.
"He started it!" Remus pointed to his friend.
"What did you bring us?" asked Sirius.
"Roast beef, green beans, and custard." James pulled the lids off the trays. "What did McGonagall give you?"
"Detention and thirty points away." Remus replied.
"Thirty isn't too bad." James smiled. "Last time, we got forty four, evenly divided between the four of us."
"Thirty each." Sirius muttered, picking at his green beans.
"Thirty each?!" Lily cried. "Sirius Malachi and Remus Javier!"
Both buried their faces in their hands at their horrible-sounding middle names.
"Don't fuss, I think both Annie and Rhia are angry with us already." Remus mumbled.
"Rhia's not angry." Lily assured him. "Just Annie. She gets jealous very easily. Thinks you're interested in Narcissa."
"Ha!" Sirius laughed. "She looks like a skeleton."
"Who does?" Rhia said, walking into the room, bearing two goblets full of pumpkin juice.
"Narcissa." Remus replied.
"Yes, she is." She agreed. "But you still shouldn't have stolen her underwear! That's mortifying."
"And that's exactly why we did it." Sirius grinned.
"Then explain that to Annie." Rhia nodded outside the door. "She's hiding in the library."
Sirius hung his head and walked back out of the common room.
"Is Annie terribly mad?" Lily asked Rhia.
"Oh, no, of course not. She just wants to see how bad Sirius wants her to forgive him."
* * *
Sirius opened the door to the library slowly, looking around. He spotted Annie sitting in a corner by herself, reading a book. As he crept closer, he saw her put the book down and stare straight at him.
"Hi," he greeted her sheepishly. She nodded to him. "Aww, Annie, I told ya I'm sorry! You know how much I hate when you're angry with me."
"Yes, I know," she replied, moving over. Sirius sat down next to her at the table.
"It was just a prank; just a joke. I swear it was nothing, Remus and I were just bored."
"Nice way of keeping yourselves entertained, I'd say," she snapped, but Sirius could see she was holding back a smile.
"I love you, Annie."
Annie leaned her head on Sirius' shoulder. "I love you too."
"What do you guys want to do?" Sirius asked for the fifth time, one Saturday a few weeks after start of term. Remus shrugged, leaning his head on Rhia's knee.
Rhia, sitting curled up on one couch in front of the fire, tossed a book at Sirius. "Start studying. We have N.E.W.T.s this year, remember!" Annie laughed.
"But Sirius will still be bored if he's studying, Rhia!" Annie mocked. Sirius pretended to hit her with a pillow. Rhia closed the book she had been reading.
"Hey Annie, want to come to the library with me to get a new book? I think I've read this one already." Annie nodded, and they stood up. Remus promptly fell to the floor, his pillow having moved.
"Never stopped you before..." he smirked, rubbing his head. Rhia laughed and she dragged Annie out of the common room.
"So Moony, it looks like its just you and me today. What are you feeling up to? A little wandering?"
"Nah...I think we know this school by heart now."
"Maybe we could go spy on Peter."
"Why? All he does is study now. He reminds me of the girls!"
"Well, we could go spy on the girls..."
"Nah."
Remus and Sirius sat in silence until Sirius lifted his head slowly, a huge grin spread across his face. "Hey, Moony..." Sirius called in a sing-song voice.
"Yeah?"
"Dare to take a walk down to the dungeons?"
Remus yawned. "But it's cold down there, and no one goes down there unless they have to."
"Well, who has to?"
"Professor Handoll, the Slytherins...the Slytherins!"
* * *
"Thanks for helping me find this book, Annie." Rhia and Annie walked out of the library a few hours later. "Listen, you know you'll have to come see us every chance you get next year, right? You're only a year difference, next year you'll graduate, and then you can move in with me. I'd say with me and Lily, but I think they might be married by then!" Rhia and Annie giggled like little schoolgirls, enjoying themselves immensely.
"Are you hungry?" Annie asked. "I think lunch has started already." A crowd had indeed gathered up by the Great Hall. When they got closer, Rhia could see everyone was gathered around the bulletin board next to the door. Annie and Rhia fought to get through.
"Hey, Janice!" Rhia called to a Ravenclaw 7th year. "What's going on?"
"Some pranksters invaded the Slytherin dorms." And she pointed to the bulletin board, moving aside so Rhia and Annie could have a better look. At once, Rhia knew who's handiwork it was.
"Sirius Black!" Annie and Rhia shouted in unison.
"What's going on?" James called as he and Lily made their way closer.
"Look!" Rhia pointed to the board. Lily's eyes widened and James fell into a fit of convulsive laughter. Nailed to the wall were two sets of tighty- whities and a pair of panties, the boys' undergarments labeled "Severus" and "Lucius" and the girl's "Narcissa".
"Awesome, who did this?!" James cried.
"Your best friend!" Annie crossed her arms, miffed that Sirius had done such a thing. Going through another girl's underwear drawer! How dare he!
"Nice going, Padfoot." James laughed.
"Thank you, thank you." Sirius popped out from behind a nearby pillar. "But I didn't do this alone."
"And who was your accomplice?" Lily asked.
"My good friend, Moony." Sirius tugged Remus out from behind the column.
"Remus!" Rhia cried, torn between shock and laughter.
"Surprise?" Remus grinned sheepishly. Annie narrowed her eyes at the two.
"When will you two grow up?" Lily said, trying to hide the smile that tugged at her face.
"We are grown up!" Sirius chuckled.
"Good Merlin!" Annie cried. "Might I remind both of you that you have girlfriends? You have no business going into strange girls' drawers!"
"Narcissa isn't strange, Annie." Sirius replied. "We know her quite well now, eh, Remus?"
Remus smiled a little, trying to fight off the pointed looked Rhia was shooting him.
"'Know her quite well'?" Annie repeated and Sirius swallowed, assuming that hadn't been the right thing to say.
"It was just a joke, Annie!" he insisted. She threw up her hands and walked off.
"Oh my...what is the meaning of this?"
Everyone turned around to see Professor McGonagall staring at the wall display with disgust on her wrinkled face.
"Oh, no..." Rhia groaned inwardly. McGonagall whipped out her wand and with a wave, the undergarments were gone.
"Who did this?" The professor turned around slowly, staring at all of the students. Slowly some of them started to filter out, now that the show was gone. "No one leaves this hall until I find out who the culprits are!" Professor McGonagall started to search the faces of each student. Sirius and Remus shrunk back into the shadows.
"Mr. Black! Mr. Lupin!" McGonagall called out. Sirius closed his eyes. Great. "If you two would please follow me, I would be most obliged." Rhia shook her head sadly as the boys followed McGonagall up the stairs.
"Boys, I am most disappointed in you. What gave you the urge to do this?" Remus snickered, but caught himself before McGonagall gave them any more trouble. She led them into her office, and closed the door.
"Boys, I regret having to do this, but I'll have to take off points. 30 points each, I'd say."
"Thirty points?!"
"Professor, you can't!"
"Yes, boys, I can. Now, off to the common room with you, and I don't want either of you in any more trouble again, do you hear me?"
"But Professor, really,"
"Be reasonable!"
"Thirty points and detention for both of you. Now upstairs. For the rest of the day."
Both boys, stoop-shouldered and grim-faced, made their way up to the common room.
"Can't believe it." Sirius muttered. "Sixty whole points."
"And detention." Remus reminded him.
"Just for a prank!" cried Sirius.
"You have to admit it was a very good one." Remus smiled.
"It was."
They turned around. James and Lily were coming through the portal, their arms laden down with dinner trays.
"I would've expected it of you, Siri, but Remus?" Lily raised her brow.
"He started it!" Remus pointed to his friend.
"What did you bring us?" asked Sirius.
"Roast beef, green beans, and custard." James pulled the lids off the trays. "What did McGonagall give you?"
"Detention and thirty points away." Remus replied.
"Thirty isn't too bad." James smiled. "Last time, we got forty four, evenly divided between the four of us."
"Thirty each." Sirius muttered, picking at his green beans.
"Thirty each?!" Lily cried. "Sirius Malachi and Remus Javier!"
Both buried their faces in their hands at their horrible-sounding middle names.
"Don't fuss, I think both Annie and Rhia are angry with us already." Remus mumbled.
"Rhia's not angry." Lily assured him. "Just Annie. She gets jealous very easily. Thinks you're interested in Narcissa."
"Ha!" Sirius laughed. "She looks like a skeleton."
"Who does?" Rhia said, walking into the room, bearing two goblets full of pumpkin juice.
"Narcissa." Remus replied.
"Yes, she is." She agreed. "But you still shouldn't have stolen her underwear! That's mortifying."
"And that's exactly why we did it." Sirius grinned.
"Then explain that to Annie." Rhia nodded outside the door. "She's hiding in the library."
Sirius hung his head and walked back out of the common room.
"Is Annie terribly mad?" Lily asked Rhia.
"Oh, no, of course not. She just wants to see how bad Sirius wants her to forgive him."
* * *
Sirius opened the door to the library slowly, looking around. He spotted Annie sitting in a corner by herself, reading a book. As he crept closer, he saw her put the book down and stare straight at him.
"Hi," he greeted her sheepishly. She nodded to him. "Aww, Annie, I told ya I'm sorry! You know how much I hate when you're angry with me."
"Yes, I know," she replied, moving over. Sirius sat down next to her at the table.
"It was just a prank; just a joke. I swear it was nothing, Remus and I were just bored."
"Nice way of keeping yourselves entertained, I'd say," she snapped, but Sirius could see she was holding back a smile.
"I love you, Annie."
Annie leaned her head on Sirius' shoulder. "I love you too."