AN: (just a little comic interlude or maybe an ending since this story is
going nowhere? you can decide that)
oh and :DISCLAIMER: I borrowed the chipmunk line from BG2:ToB. Prof. Dextra is mine, only because I don't know who'd be teaching Astronomy at that time. And everything else… you know the deal.
*Comic Interlude/Chapter 6* The beginnings of something weird
~ Let's fast forward to a few years later… ~
Sirius and Remus sat by the fire in the common room waiting for Peter to return with Lily and James. They'd just come back from a Hogsmeade visit overloaded with sweets and Lily had slipped away with James the minute they set foot in the castle. Too lazy to do it himself, Sirius had sent Peter out to look for him.
The portrait hole swung open with a jolt and James toppled through, followed by Lily and Peter who crashed down on top of him.
'Hee hee, hee hee,' James giggled. He squirmed like a squashed bug, then he rolled over and started singing. 'I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts…'
Lily stared at him and shook her head. 'For someone who supposedly has his mind tainted by the evil of Lord Voldie, you remind me considerably of a chipmunk with a sugar high and a death wish.'
'Har har, that's a good one Lily!' He jumped up and danced around the table. 'Again! Again! Let's hear it again!' Honeydukes chocolate wrappers were strewn all over the floor and he dived down into it, giggling like a giggling moron.
Sirius groaned and bashed his head against the chair cushion. 'See, I KNEW we'd regret feeding him those free sweets back in the village—'
'—and Butterbeer!'
'Yes, yes, Peter. Though I don't think we managed quite enough to get him drunk. Damn it, we'll have to put up with it all night!'
**Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room…**
Since Malfoy had rejected Snape's proposals to "snag Lily", Snape had found a new alliance with Crabbe.
'You shoved enough sweets onto that fool to get him on a good high?' hissed Snape.
'Yeah, that sugar-loving freak!' Crabbe grinned evilly. 'All we can do now is just hope that he eats them all up and times his sugar high right… and he'll be right on time to meet that howling friend of his – on a romantic evening!'
Snape giggled shrilly. 'Yessss!! Then we'll be free of that jerk forever, and then… the prize, our pretty Lily!' His eyes glittered. 'High five!'
Crabbe missed, and smacked Snape square in the nose.
'OY! You dunderhead fool, I might as well drop YOU from a great height, you might want to join—'
'Ssh!' he hissed. The "Lily's friend" girl, Rhonda, was standing near by, and they didn't like the look she was giving them.
'Forget it.' snarled Snape. 'She can't do anything. She doesn't know anything. Besides, our plans should all run smoothly from here on out…'
**Back in the Gryffindor common room…**
James twirled around in a circle, before flitting over to the side windows. He slammed straight into the glass door.
'Oh, Jamesie!' Lily sighed and went to open the door for him. 'How many times do I have to tell you, it's a glass door…!'
The door opened out onto the balcony [AN: did they even HAVE balconies at Hogwarts??]. Lily drew back the curtains before James could waltz straight through them, throwing light out into the dark evening. James stood up on the lowest step of the railing and threw his arms out to the bright round moon, across which fat clouds were wafting.
'I'm the king of the world!'
'Honestly James…'
Remus came up behind Lily. 'Forget it Lils, he'll be like this too long for you to bother. Let's go down to dinner.' He practically dragged her off the balcony and threw the curtains over the windows, shuddering. Lily glanced sideways at him but he said nothing.
And so leaving James perched up on his throne, Lily and the others went down to the Great Hall for a feast, even stuffed with sweets as they were.
Twenty minutes and a great deal of food later, they were back in the common room lying back with their hands clasped over their stuffed bellies. The curtains were still drawn but from the sound of an enthusiastic rendition of 'We're going on a bear hunt', James was still out on the balcony.
Lily looked out at the bright fire. 'Ooooh, hey guys, do you think Professor Dextra's gonna get us up to the Astronomy tower tonight to look at the stars?'
'Hmm, ahh…' Sirius lay on his back, patting his stomach. Peter had dozed off. 'I dunno Lily.'
'It's a good night for it, with the full moon and everything, but the clouds are quite thick, eh?'
'Mmm…'
Lily rolled over, drawing her eyebrows in playful frustration. 'Come on, you great big galoot! I just want a decent conversation with you, for once in my lifetime!'
'Ahhh…' Sirius grinned at her as Peter snorted in his sleep. 'Chill, Lilzy, I'm too full of—'
'Crap?'
'No… food. Ach.' He shut his eyes.
Lily shook her head, muttering 'Boys…' She looked over at the balcony. 'Hey, Jamesie!' she called. 'Mind if I join ya?'
No response.
'Er… James?'
Sirius opened bleary red eyes and stared at her. 'No need to yell, Lily, I can hears ya clear enough.'
Just then they heard a little 'eek!', then a thud and a crash, and a voice screaming as though falling from a great height. Lily rushed out to the balcony and sure enough, James had fallen. She rushed back in to rouse Sirius.
'Get up! Get up, you lazy thing!'
'What? What? What? What?'
'James – oh, Sirius – James fell off the balcony!'
'Too right he did. I heard him screaming. Like a little girl he is.'
'Sirius!! I'm serious!!'
'You're not Sirius, I am.'
'Grrr!!! I mean it! Please! He could be hurt!'
Sirius looked into her eyes. His insides squirmed uncomfortably but he fought to have confidence in himself. 'Look, James will be okay. His ma practically raised him on sugar. Sure it'll save him… if anything will.' Lily's tense expression had begun to relax but she knitted her eyebrows at his last few words. Sirius chuckled. 'Aw c'mon Lily, lighten up! He's pretty tough. Just send Remus out to get him.'
He looked over to where Peter was still snoring. 'Er, Remus? Remus old boy?' Quick as a bullet he sat up and rushed outside. 'Oh NO! It's the full moon!' He rammed straight through the portrait hole, dragging the slumbering Peter with him.
Lily hurried after them, panting. 'Do – you – mind – explaining – what's – going – on?'
'No time!' Sirius replied. They went down several flights of stairs until they knocked down the Great Hall doors and plunged themselves into the dark night.
Perhaps it was just Lily's imagination but the cool air on her skin felt creepy. Something was near them, in the air itself maybe, that didn't feel right.
'Over there!' Sirius cried, but as they dashed towards the Gryffindor tower they heard an eerie howl. Lily stopped but Sirius took hold of her arm. 'No Lily, don't! It's not safe! Come ON!'
They reached the ground under the common room window, and saw the dark heap that was James' body. Lily took a trembling step forward but jumped backwards when she sensed movement.
Someone had beaten them to it.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^
AN: Ah well… I know that was weird. It was just a chapter break, after all. Flame all you like, I have writers block. Until next time, aye? :P
oh and :DISCLAIMER: I borrowed the chipmunk line from BG2:ToB. Prof. Dextra is mine, only because I don't know who'd be teaching Astronomy at that time. And everything else… you know the deal.
*Comic Interlude/Chapter 6* The beginnings of something weird
~ Let's fast forward to a few years later… ~
Sirius and Remus sat by the fire in the common room waiting for Peter to return with Lily and James. They'd just come back from a Hogsmeade visit overloaded with sweets and Lily had slipped away with James the minute they set foot in the castle. Too lazy to do it himself, Sirius had sent Peter out to look for him.
The portrait hole swung open with a jolt and James toppled through, followed by Lily and Peter who crashed down on top of him.
'Hee hee, hee hee,' James giggled. He squirmed like a squashed bug, then he rolled over and started singing. 'I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts…'
Lily stared at him and shook her head. 'For someone who supposedly has his mind tainted by the evil of Lord Voldie, you remind me considerably of a chipmunk with a sugar high and a death wish.'
'Har har, that's a good one Lily!' He jumped up and danced around the table. 'Again! Again! Let's hear it again!' Honeydukes chocolate wrappers were strewn all over the floor and he dived down into it, giggling like a giggling moron.
Sirius groaned and bashed his head against the chair cushion. 'See, I KNEW we'd regret feeding him those free sweets back in the village—'
'—and Butterbeer!'
'Yes, yes, Peter. Though I don't think we managed quite enough to get him drunk. Damn it, we'll have to put up with it all night!'
**Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room…**
Since Malfoy had rejected Snape's proposals to "snag Lily", Snape had found a new alliance with Crabbe.
'You shoved enough sweets onto that fool to get him on a good high?' hissed Snape.
'Yeah, that sugar-loving freak!' Crabbe grinned evilly. 'All we can do now is just hope that he eats them all up and times his sugar high right… and he'll be right on time to meet that howling friend of his – on a romantic evening!'
Snape giggled shrilly. 'Yessss!! Then we'll be free of that jerk forever, and then… the prize, our pretty Lily!' His eyes glittered. 'High five!'
Crabbe missed, and smacked Snape square in the nose.
'OY! You dunderhead fool, I might as well drop YOU from a great height, you might want to join—'
'Ssh!' he hissed. The "Lily's friend" girl, Rhonda, was standing near by, and they didn't like the look she was giving them.
'Forget it.' snarled Snape. 'She can't do anything. She doesn't know anything. Besides, our plans should all run smoothly from here on out…'
**Back in the Gryffindor common room…**
James twirled around in a circle, before flitting over to the side windows. He slammed straight into the glass door.
'Oh, Jamesie!' Lily sighed and went to open the door for him. 'How many times do I have to tell you, it's a glass door…!'
The door opened out onto the balcony [AN: did they even HAVE balconies at Hogwarts??]. Lily drew back the curtains before James could waltz straight through them, throwing light out into the dark evening. James stood up on the lowest step of the railing and threw his arms out to the bright round moon, across which fat clouds were wafting.
'I'm the king of the world!'
'Honestly James…'
Remus came up behind Lily. 'Forget it Lils, he'll be like this too long for you to bother. Let's go down to dinner.' He practically dragged her off the balcony and threw the curtains over the windows, shuddering. Lily glanced sideways at him but he said nothing.
And so leaving James perched up on his throne, Lily and the others went down to the Great Hall for a feast, even stuffed with sweets as they were.
Twenty minutes and a great deal of food later, they were back in the common room lying back with their hands clasped over their stuffed bellies. The curtains were still drawn but from the sound of an enthusiastic rendition of 'We're going on a bear hunt', James was still out on the balcony.
Lily looked out at the bright fire. 'Ooooh, hey guys, do you think Professor Dextra's gonna get us up to the Astronomy tower tonight to look at the stars?'
'Hmm, ahh…' Sirius lay on his back, patting his stomach. Peter had dozed off. 'I dunno Lily.'
'It's a good night for it, with the full moon and everything, but the clouds are quite thick, eh?'
'Mmm…'
Lily rolled over, drawing her eyebrows in playful frustration. 'Come on, you great big galoot! I just want a decent conversation with you, for once in my lifetime!'
'Ahhh…' Sirius grinned at her as Peter snorted in his sleep. 'Chill, Lilzy, I'm too full of—'
'Crap?'
'No… food. Ach.' He shut his eyes.
Lily shook her head, muttering 'Boys…' She looked over at the balcony. 'Hey, Jamesie!' she called. 'Mind if I join ya?'
No response.
'Er… James?'
Sirius opened bleary red eyes and stared at her. 'No need to yell, Lily, I can hears ya clear enough.'
Just then they heard a little 'eek!', then a thud and a crash, and a voice screaming as though falling from a great height. Lily rushed out to the balcony and sure enough, James had fallen. She rushed back in to rouse Sirius.
'Get up! Get up, you lazy thing!'
'What? What? What? What?'
'James – oh, Sirius – James fell off the balcony!'
'Too right he did. I heard him screaming. Like a little girl he is.'
'Sirius!! I'm serious!!'
'You're not Sirius, I am.'
'Grrr!!! I mean it! Please! He could be hurt!'
Sirius looked into her eyes. His insides squirmed uncomfortably but he fought to have confidence in himself. 'Look, James will be okay. His ma practically raised him on sugar. Sure it'll save him… if anything will.' Lily's tense expression had begun to relax but she knitted her eyebrows at his last few words. Sirius chuckled. 'Aw c'mon Lily, lighten up! He's pretty tough. Just send Remus out to get him.'
He looked over to where Peter was still snoring. 'Er, Remus? Remus old boy?' Quick as a bullet he sat up and rushed outside. 'Oh NO! It's the full moon!' He rammed straight through the portrait hole, dragging the slumbering Peter with him.
Lily hurried after them, panting. 'Do – you – mind – explaining – what's – going – on?'
'No time!' Sirius replied. They went down several flights of stairs until they knocked down the Great Hall doors and plunged themselves into the dark night.
Perhaps it was just Lily's imagination but the cool air on her skin felt creepy. Something was near them, in the air itself maybe, that didn't feel right.
'Over there!' Sirius cried, but as they dashed towards the Gryffindor tower they heard an eerie howl. Lily stopped but Sirius took hold of her arm. 'No Lily, don't! It's not safe! Come ON!'
They reached the ground under the common room window, and saw the dark heap that was James' body. Lily took a trembling step forward but jumped backwards when she sensed movement.
Someone had beaten them to it.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^
AN: Ah well… I know that was weird. It was just a chapter break, after all. Flame all you like, I have writers block. Until next time, aye? :P