The fabulous reviewers that I would like to thank this time are: I r8ped Riddle, LadyWillow, ScullyCat Marie (never been called 'God' in a review before…Actually that could well be the most flattering review I've ever had! Congrats! ), Uozumi, The Demonic Duo, fuzzyfishbowl, Gypsy Lupin-Black, ddz008, Cecil the Chicky, freakyfairy, Chloe-Wagner, Liz, GrandWilde (no I haven't seen Velvet Goldmine but I may well try to as it sounds quite good), Ambika-san, my beloved Demus, Rachel Molko, CelestialDrgn, Destiny Bunny, Juniper Winner, madkornfan, Aidenfire, xelmus, BigBlackDog (please do draw a picture- I try to often enough…) I love you all rather a lot! Special mention this chapter goes to Vela-chan who shares Remus' birthday.
~Remus Lupin's Journal, 8th Thursday October~
God, I have more homework than I ever believed possible (a role of parchment each for Charms, Herbology and Muggle Studies, a lunar chart for astronomy, two roles of parchment for Potions…) and instead of doing it, I am writing in my journal. I don't suppose doing my homework really matters when I'm leaving so soon.
No! I mustn't take that attitude! I must get the best report possible for starting Beauxbatons- My God, nearly a month has past since I found out that I have to go there and I still can't believe that in a few months I'm going to be attending a different school, making different friends and speaking a different language. Mon dieu indeed! I don't know how I'm going to manage.
I am happy though. I've never been happier in my whole life! I love Sirius so much that I practically get down on my knees and worship him whenever I see him. Actually that's a lie: whenever I see Sirius I drag him into the nearest broom cupboard or empty classroom and-
I think you can guess what happens.
~Remus' POV, Friday 9th October~
The look on James' face is priceless as he enters the dormitory.
"I just came to get my Potions homework," he mumbles before averting his eyes from us and grabbing two roles of parchment from his trunk.
As soon as James leaves the room Sirius and I burst out laughing. We're laughing partly because of James' expression and partly because we've just resumed the tickling fight we were in the middle of before James interrupted.
"Admit it! You were wrong!" laughs Sirius trying to wrestle me down onto his bed.
"Never!" I cry back through tears of laughter. This is what we're having a fight over: I said that Sirius wasn't a good tickler. In fact, I know him to be a very good ticker indeed and only wanted to be cheered up in the face of the near full moon. I just knew that Sirius would have to prove me wrong in my accusation.
"WHO IS THE BEST TICKLER?" roars Sirius, finally proving himself to be the stronger one of us and pinning me down onto his bed. He climbs on top of me and starts tickling me helpless.
"Stop it… NO… please! YOU'RE THE BEST TICKLER, SIRIUS!" I cry desperately. He stops tickling me and I realise that we've been making enough noise for the entire common room below to hear us. "Ooops," I say, still laughing. Sirius tries to climb off me but I grab his arm and force him to stay. By now I've just about managed to stop laughing.
"Thank you, Padfoot," I say sincerely. I don't need to tall him what I'm thanking him for- just being himself.
"Your welcome, Mr. Moony," replies Sirius with a wry smile, leaning down towards me. My heart seems to skip a beat the way it always does before our lips meet, when the door to a dormitory opens.
James enters the room again. He is resolutely looking in the opposite direction to us. "I'm just getting my Charm's book then I'll be gone," he mutters awkwardly, making Sirius and I start laughing all over again.
~Saturday 10th October, Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match~
I am so happy that, although I don't believe in God, I feel like singing gospel music at the top of my voice. It's the weekend, I've just woken up in my usual position curled up by Sirius' side with his arms around me as he snores gently, today is the first quidditch match of the season, and Gryffindor are going to kick Slytherin's ass with James as seeker. Moreover, Sirius resigned from the quidditch team (much to James' distress) at the beginning of this year because it didn't 'fit with his image'. This means I don't have to close my eyes through terror every time a bludger comes too near to Sirius.
"Wake up, guys!" cries James from somewhere outside the bed hangings and across the room. Since Sirius and I have been a couple we've no longer kept the bed hangings open- the dark hides no terrors for either of us when we're together. "IT'S THE QUIDDITCH MATCH TODAY!"
Sirius appears to have woken up. " Shut up, James, you bastard!!"
"It's not like we could have forgotten the quidditch match with you going on about all the time," moans Peter, his voice coming from somewhere nearby.
"He's just jealous because he didn't get on the quidditch team…" Sirius whispers in my ear and I giggle.
~At the quidditch pitch ~
Sirius, Peter and I are sat in the stands looking over the pitch. It's a grey, murky day and rain falls from the clouds in a steady drizzle. "The match should have started by now. I wonder what's causing the delay?" muses Sirius.
"Snape's probably got a splinter off his broom," Peter says bitterly. To my surprise Sirius laughs and pats Peter's shoulder.
"Surely you're not jealous of Snape…" he teases. I'm pleased- this is the nearest to a friendly conversation Sirius and Peter have managed in the last fortnight.
A murmur of excitement runs through the crowd of spectators as a single figure soars out of the Gryffindor changing rooms. "SIRIUS!!!!!! SIRIUS!" yells James bringing his broom to hover a few metres above out stand. He looks anxious and flushed. "Sirius!"
"What is it?" calls Sirius up to James.
"I need you to play beater. That bitch- Professor Death- decided to put my best beater in detention ten minutes before the match," James calls back. "Come on, Sirius, you've got to help me!"
Sirius looks at me desperately but I nod. We've all got to make sacrifices (mine will be watching Sirius beat off violent bludgers for the duration of the match) if it means Slytherin will be beaten. "I haven't got any quidditch robes," shouts Sirius.
James shrugs this away. "Play as you are. You're not going to be mistaken for a Slytherin!" This is true; Sirius is wearing his usual tight black jeans and T-shirt with a short red military-style coat with gold piping. Added to this is a gold earring with a tiny moon dangling form it and lashings of smoke-coloured eye make-up. "Please Sirius…" pleads James, ignoring Peter who has already volunteered his services as beater several times.
"Okay," says Sirius. James whoops, then lowering the broom a couple of feet, he helps Sirius on and the two of them fly to the changing rooms.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE QUIDDITCH SEASON- GRYFFINDOR VERSUS SLYTHERIN!!!" Hearty cheers sound throughout the stands as the players fly onto the pitch. I can easily identify Sirius because of his different clothes and the natural easy grace with which he flies.
The whistle blows and the commentary begins, "TODAY LOOKS TO BE A VERY EXCITING MATCH WITH PERHAPS THE TWO BEST SEEKERS HOGWARTS HAS EVER SEEN: LUCIUS MALFOY AND JAMES POTTER-" I cheer madly, "-GRYFFINDORS WILL ALSO BE PLEASED TO NOTE THAT ACTING AS SECOND BEATER TODAY IS THE EXCELLENT SIRIUS BLACK, WHO IS MAKING QUITE A FASHION STATEMENT-" I laugh and can just see Sirius doing a somersault in the air before I have to look away as a bludger nearly hits him. Ten minutes go by and I keep my eyes firmly fixed on the ground and listen nervously to the commentary- "Ooooh! A NEAR MISS FOR BLACK THERE! BUT WHAT A COME BACK- FABULOUS HIT FROM SIRIUS BLACK- SIRIUS BLACK IS REALLY COURTING TROUBLE NOW-"
I only look back at the match when I hear the crowd give a collective gasp. Two boys, one with silver-blonde and one with black hair, are hurtling towards the ground. I lean forward in my seat and cross my fingers behind my back. Even the commentator is silent as everybody watches to see what will happen. Lucius Malfoy reaches towards the snitch and I realise that I'm not breathing. Just as I take a haggard breath, James knocks Malfoy out of the way and narrowly pulls out of the dive with the snitch firmly in his grasp. The stand I'm in is the first to erupt into a fit of screaming. I cheer and hug Peter next to me. "We won!"
Far above the stands I can see James fly towards Sirius and clasp his hand. Sirius is thumping James on the back and they're both laughing.
It must be a sort of sixth sense that makes me turn to face Severus Snape at that moment. He's got hold of one of the bludgers, it struggles against his grasp for a few moments before he releases it and swings his beater's bat at it. I realise almost immediately that he's aiming the bludger at James but somehow before it happens I know that it's going to hit Sirius.
Everything appears to happen in slow motion. I can see James and Sirius talking and laughing perhaps a hundred feet above the ground. Sirius turns to wave at me. Then the bludger hits him squarely in the chest and he's thrown off his broom. James reaches out to save him but his hand grasps on air and Sirius falls, a streak of glittering red against the grey haze of the sky.
The crowd falls silent. "Sirius!!!" I scream.
James dives after the falling Sirius but I know he's too late and I close my eyes as Sirius hits the ground with a dull thud. When I open them again I can see Sirius lying crumpled on the floor, still and pale as death, with a dozen people crowding round him and muttering anxiously.