Part II - I Heard Sweetness

Early Saturday morning (or as early as one could possibly get for a Saturday morning) the four fifth year Gryffindor boys made their way down from Gryffindor Tower and to the Great Hall. After a lazy breakfast they checked their names off a list as the exited through the Entrance Hall and made their way down to Hogsmeade. As they joked innocently amongst themselves, Sirius registered every time James looked over his shoulder at the girls who weren't far behind. He'd reached fourteen by the time their feet had settled on Hogsmeade grounds.

Walking further into town, Remus and Sirius dashed into the Three Broomsticks, leaving Peter and James to wait for a few short minutes not far away from the pub. James grinned as he spotted the two returning, each carrying two bottles of butterbeer.

"Thanks mate," he said with another grin as he took the bottle Remus was holding out to him. He was the first to start the trek up the hill in the direction of the Shrieking Shack.

Sirius leaned his elbows upon the rickety fence, looking up at the barred windows of the supposedly haunted houses. He shook his head and inwardly chuckled to himself at the thought; looking to his right he could see that the other three were all grinning as well. James, who was leaning with his back against the fence, staring down at the town from the hill, nodded his head in the direction of the hill's base.

"Snivelly approaching," James said as he shoved the hand holding his butterbeer at Severus Snape who was walking near to the foot of the hill looking very concentrated on the shuffle of his feet. Sirius grinned devilishly as he bounded down the hill, following James like a dog after a bone. Peter followed as well, stumbling slightly and grinning in praise, while Remus took up the rear, grinning but doing the least he could as Prefect and kept an eye open for any Professors. Well, that might be to keep himself and the others out of trouble, not something most other Prefects would do.

"Hey there Snivellus," James said standing right in front of the outcast Slytherin, blocking him from taking another step further. He took a final deep swig from his bottle and threw into a nearby garbage. Perfect aim. "How are you today? Greasy as ever, I see." James cast his beat black eyes over the stick skinny, greasy haired Slytherin. The other three chuckled.

From the corner of his eye, Sirius could see Snape's hand thrust inside his cloak, obviously in search of his wand. But Sirius was faster and just as Snape was about to withdraw his hand and wand, Sirius had stepped between him and James and had his own wand jabbing forcefully just below the hollow of Snape's neck.

"You weren't really thinking of hexing someone, were you Snivelly?" Sirius asked as he applied more force onto his wand, digging the tip even harder into Snape's chest. He would be leaving a small, circular purple bruise from the amount of pressure.

Sirius watched Snape pull out his hand and drop it to his side, pulling the wand up into the sleeve of his robe. His grey eyes gleamed somewhat as he looked behind the Gryffindors.

"Mister Black, you don't have your wand on another student, do you?"

Sirius dropped the tip of his wand from Snape's chest and turned about to face Professor Rahage, the long time Potionsmaster and Head of Slytherin House.

"That'll be twenty points from Gryffindor," Rahage said with pleasure coming to his grey-blue eyes, "and detention tomorrow night at eight o'clock - no, make that Monday night; I believe Filch will have something for you by then. Do have fun Black."

"You're lucky this time Snape," Sirius turned dark black, angry eyes upon the Slytherin after Rahage had sauntered away. "Next time, don't count on it."

Trudging away, Sirius brushed a few strands of black hair out of his eyes and dropped his empty bottle of butterbeer into the garbage as he passed. James, Remus and Peter followed suite closely behind.

"Impressive wand action Padfoot," James said with a smirk and a glimmer in his eyes.

"Yea, real good," Peter said, wide-eyed, his head nodding rapidly and excitedly up and down.

Sirius merely glared ahead and shrugged off their congratulatory comments. He had a friggin' detention Monday night, with the caretaker no less. Filch'll have him scrubbing toilets for sure. Without magic.

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The first day of the week, Monday, passed by slowly. Sirius hated the whole prospect of the evening he had ahead of him. It would've been a good day if Rahage hadn't already wrecked it for him. Dylan Botswane, a sixth year Ravenclaw, had made a complete fool of himself in Charms class when his Clamouring Spell his was attempting on his toad had somehow backfired on himself. Botswane had begun to loudly croak, much like his toad, in a very off-key rendition of 'Oh Come All Ye Faithful'. He still had yet to come back from the Hospital Wing.

After that he had written easily the worst Transfiguration test in the history of Transfiguration tests. Generally he did fairly well at the class, it was definitely one of his better classes, but heaven forbid him to study over the weekend. The five minutes of studying he had done that morning at breakfast proved to be futile as he'd failed the test anyway.

"Just bring the mirror Padfoot," James whispered as the Gryffindors sat alongside the Hufflepuffs in the castle yard; Professor Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher didn't have a practical lesson for the day so he was explaining to them their upcoming lesson plan.

"Not with Filch mate," Sirius said in a grim undertone. "He'll be swooping right over me the whole time, and when he isn't he'll probably have that hellion of a cat watching me."

"No harm in trying," James shrugged as the pair received a glare sent their way by the Professor. James took notice of Kettleburn's annoyance of their chatter, but chose to ignore it. "Anyway, what's the bother - it's only another detention?"

"Mister Potter," Kettleburn said in an attempt to be stern tone, his voice was rather husky and coughed-up, "if there is one more word out of your mouth directed to Mister Black I can assure you there will be detention for a week. In the meantime, ten points from Gryffindor."

James rolled his eyes skyward, but chose, this time, to heed Kettleburn's warning as he couldn't risk detention this week, not with there being a full moon on Thursday. There was to be no way he was going to miss that because of a detention.

After easily the most boring Care of Magical Creature lesson they had ever sat through, the four fifth year boys trekked up to the castle, all in a slightly better mood (well, asides from Sirius) because of the days end to classes. To put all into short terms because of the cloud of depression that had set itself upon Sirius since after the return from Hogsmeade on Saturday, he did not have a good day and his evening was looking only worse.



"Moony's that Potions essay due this week?" James looked across the Gryffindor table at Remus who was reading from a textbook that was in one hand, his fork in the other.

"Do you need to ask?" Remus returned the question not looking up from his reading.

"I'm taking that as a yes?"

Remus nodded only just and shoved his fork into the lasagna that was sitting on his plate. James looked to his side at Sirius and was about to comment when a particular redhead was making her way down the aisle to behind him. With a grin, James kept his eyes on Lily Evans as Sirius looked over his shoulder to see what he was smiling at. Go figure.

"Evening Evans - "

"Don't start with me Potter," she lashed bitterly, not casting him a second - or a first - look. "I don't feel like putting up with your bullshit tonight." She walked on passed and sat with her friends a half dozen or so seats away. James's eyes had followed her and stayed on the place where she now sat.

"If you ask me, she's just getting warmer and warmer with you James."

James flashed his eyes from the redhead of his eye to his best friend; there was an interesting spark in the way they were narrowed angrily. "Didn't ask you though, did I?" he barked.

"Tsk, tsk Prongs," Remus spoke up, still not looking from the pages he was reading, "no need to get so out of temper because of the lady."

Peter sniggered behind his hand as James turned his focus of attention from Sirius to Remus. "I don't think I asked for your input either."

"And does that really bother me?" Remus asked, finally lifting his eyes from the words, looking with a grin hidden behind the book. "I think if I really didn't want my input heard I wouldn't've said it."

"Yea?" James asked, raising an eyebrow and coursing a hand through his dishevelled hair.

"Yes."

James shook his head and looked down to his plate, or at least that's what he seemed to be doing. Sirius watched him take out his wand and lift his head back to Remus. He muttered something and flicked his wand at Remus who shortly after received a faceful of ice-cold water. Peter's sniggers grew into a high-pitched chuckle as Remus wiped his face clear with a napkin.

"Thanks for that James."

"Anytime my friend," he said with a grin and a quirky look about his face; he ran his hand through his hair one more time, messing it up even more. Remus rolled his eyes and put the book away.

"Good God," Sirius mumbled after looking at his wristwatch.

"What?"

"It's seven-twenty."

"Already?" Peter coughed as though he'd just choked on the food he was attempting to chew and swallow.

Sirius nodded hopelessly. "I got to drop some stuff off in Gryffindor Tower." Sirius rose and started to make his way out of the Great Hall, but the three boys were right on his tail.

"What? You think we'd let you leave without us?" James asked putting his hand to Sirius's shoulder. "Honestly mate, don't be so daft."

Forcing himself as he might have been, Sirius enjoyed the remaining cheerful thirty minutes of his Monday before heading to the caretaker's office to receive the duties he'd be doing for the evenings detention. He felt rather pissed off about the whole thing but had a great smirk on his face as he knocked at Filch's door. He'd show the caretaker he was enjoying the detention and not give him the satisfaction of giving a good detention. Didn't matter if it was a fake or not, it made the detention only that much better.

Sirius spent a very grim three hours cleaning up Dungbombs and Stink Pellets that had been let off in the dungeons over the weekend. All without magic. Although he groaned all the while doing it, anytime Filch came by Sirius whistled joyously to himself as he cleaned the pranks. Amateurs. That's what they were. Witches and wizards who couldn't concoct their own pranks using their wands had to go out and by Joke Shop gags. Sirius shook his head. All it took were a couple of good charms and a few miscalculated hexes to leave a mess that would have Filch cleaning for hours and it was far worse than letting off Dungbombs.

When he'd done a perfect job cleaning the mess left behind by the younger years, Sirius dragged to Filch's office where he dropped the bucket of dirt water on the floor. He had to wait there for a few minutes as Filch went to do his inspection of Sirius's job.

Grumbling Filch returned and dismissed Sirius back to Gryffindor Tower. It was eleven-forty by the time he had gotten back to the portrait, well after curfew so when he saw a shadow looming in the hallway nearby he was rather shocked.

"Black," a soft voice spoke and Sirius turned about to look into the darkness, wanting to know who was addressing him. A petite figure stepped forward from the dimly lit hallway, red hair tied into a knot on the back of her head. "I have a proposition for you," Lily bargained, her emerald green eyes played wildly amongst the shadows of the tower.

Sirius lowered his brow at her, wondering what the hell she was up to. She held his dark eyes with her own had took a step in. "And what is that Evans?" Sirius tapped his foot impatiently on the stone floor.

"Tomorrow night. Classroom," she paused thinking for a brief moment of time, "thirteen. Ten-thirty."

His foot ceased to tap upon the floor but his black eyes grew confused as he pushed dark strands of hair across his forehead. "And why would I be going there?" he asked, questioning the girl's 'proposition'.

"Why wouldn't you Black?" Lily tucked a wisp of red hair behind her ear as her eyes surveyed him.

"How is this a proposition?"

"Won't you just have to find that out for yourself?" A smile flickered across her face.

"And what if I don't go?"

Lily shrugged and took yet another step in toward Sirius. He swallowed hard. "As they say, curiosity kills the cat; what about you Black?"

"Excuse me?" he choked, stopping her just as she was about to step into the common room through the portrait hole. She turned and looked over her shoulder at him.

"What is this twenty questions Black? I told you where to be tomorrow night; be there or don't. It's as simply as that." Lily disappeared into the portrait hole, but Sirius stood there a little longer.

Was that a coincidence or did she know something she shouldn't? Sirius let his thoughts waver for a moment before returning to reality. She couldn't possibly know that he, James and Peter were Animagi, could she? They always took precautions. She couldn't know. It was all a coincidence; at least Sirius convinced himself that's what it was. Taking a deep breath he gave the portrait the password and entered the Gryffindor common room, plodding tiredly up to the fifth year boys' dormitory.



A/n: :grins for no reason: I love Sirius, is he not the greatest character ever? Alright, asides from Blaise, but that's not the point. They're pretty much neck and neck for the top spot. I've got another plot bunny in my head :claps: Writer's block is gone! (For now, at least).

Anyway, got to thank my lone reviewer - funki-mage - thanks a bundle and I too love Sirius :chuckles: he's just the best.