"Remus did WHAT?" Sirius gasped.
"Shhhht!" James glared at him, gripping the handle of his broom so hard that his knuckles turned white. "You'll wake up your family."
"He kissed a werewolf girl?" Sirius hissed.
"Yes. Met her last full moon, they got along well, so when they changed back she kissed him."
Sirius stared at the figure hovering in front of his bedroom window. It was James' third nightly visit since the holidays had started. The August moon was bright on the nightly sky and there was a first tiny hint at autumnly chill in the air. "A werewolf girl!"
"I think it's cool," James said defensively. "I mean, it's not his fault he's a werewolf. He didn't stand there saying 'please bite me'."
"No, he wouldn't – he's not you." Sirius grinned. "A werewolf. Just how nifty is that? Would you kiss a werewolf girl?"
Although it was night he could see James blush. "Of course not."
"Why not? Not while she's wolfish, of course, but I mean generally…"
"No."
"Why not? What if you kiss a girl and later find out she's a werewolf?"
"You're a git."
"And you haven't answered."
James glared at him helplessly. "I don't know. Alright? If I kiss a girl I hope she isn't a werewolf."
"You've never –"
"I'm twelve years old, Sirius, and no, I've never kissed a girl! Don't tell me you have!"
Now it was Sirius' turn to turn crimson. "Well…"
James' lips widened into a nasty grin. "Who?"
"Nssssa."
"Pardon?"
Sirius sighed. "Narcissa."
James gave a funny noise as he burst into a fit of laughter and put a hand over his face to stifle it. "The Ice Queen?" he hissed when he had calmed down. "Priceless!"
"Nobody must know!"
"Talk about 'kissing cousins'," James sniggered.
Sirius just slapped his hand with which he was steadying himself on the window sill.
"Ouch."
"Wasn't even a real kiss. Was just a ... thingie. And I was only ten."
James just grinned. It was unnerving.
"Won't you come in?" Sirius muttered at last.
"Rather not, I don't want your family to catch me here. Muggle-loving Potter, you know. Wouldn't be healthy. Also I need to practice my broom."
"Yes, hovering is so difficult compared to dives and somersaults", Sirius said scathingly and grinned.
"Watch it, Black." James chuckled. "At least I don't run from bludgers."
"I never run from anything."
James looked at him. "You know, I actually believe that," he muttered. "At least not from werewolves."
Sirius smiled darkly. "Jamie, after growing up in this place I find werewolves quite entertaining and less scary than other things I've seen."
James' eyes narrowed. "What things?"
"You wouldn't want to know. Dark things. Malfoy-Black-things. Don't ask."
James opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Alright, I won't. Seems to be even scarier than kissing Narcissa."
"Thanks, mate." Sirius smiled. It was one of the rare open smiles that sometimes hit his face to lighten it up, and as usual it vanished after only a second.
"Just two more weeks," James said dreamily.
"I can't wait."
"Me neither. Hogwarts. More secret passages to find. A Malfoy to pester…"
Sirius laughed. "And the Marauders."
"And the Marauders," James agreed, beaming brightly. "Can a name be any more nifty?"
"You know," Sirius dived into his room and came back to the window with some Every Flavour Beans, "before we left I had a chat with Peeves and he mentioned something about a secret passage into Hogsmeade."
James whistled through his teeth. "Awesome!"
"Indeed."
"Where?"
"He wouldn't tell. That's the fun of it, isn't it, Jamie? The finding out, the secret quests at night, the running from the teachers and all?" Sirius' eyes were lit brightly with inner fire. "You don't live unless you're in danger."
James solemnly took one of the Every Flavour Beans and blew on it. "Amen to that." He put the little sweet into his mouth. "Mmh, lucky me."
"What, peppermint?"
"Iguana." James grinned and spit it to the ground. It had quite a way to fall down and vanished in the grass.
"How do you know what iguanas taste like?"
"Don't ask." James chuckled. "Nasty Potter-Weasley-things." He winked and took another Bean.
Sirius smiled happily. "Can't wait to be back at school."
"Me neither. Wait, am I having a déjà vu?"
"No, we already discussed it."
"Good. I really don't want to pick Divination next year." James laughed. "Not exactly my kind of subject."
"Why not? It only involves sitting still in a stuffy hot room staring at tea leaves." Sirius tossed another Bean out of the window. James expertly dived for it and caught it with his mouth. "And you like doing calm things so much as we all know."
"Exactly." James spit the Bean out. "Unwashed feet. It really is my lucky night."
"You should have kept those two for later use on Lucius."
"Ah, yes. How inconsiderate of me."
"I'll forgive you."
"Thank you, Sirius, you're a real friend."
"I know, too good to be true."
"Only if you never kiss Narcissa again."
They looked at each other chuckling when a sudden noise came from somewhere within the old dark house. Both boys jumped. James gripped the window to steady himself. None of them dared to breathe.
"No burglars would dare…" Sirius' mother could be heard from downstairs.
"No, no, not burglars," a screechy high-pitched voice answered devotedly, "but pests, yes, pesty nasty things maybe that fly through the air to haunt little boys' dreams…"
"Kreacher!" Sirius hissed.
"What's a Kreacher?" James whispered.
"It's the house elf whose skin will hang on my wall one day!" Sirius growled murderously.
For a moment James was actually scared, realizing that Sirius really meant what he'd just said. "Watch your temper," he muttered.
"Off with you, they're coming!" Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs.
"Aww, shucks!"
"Go, Jamie!" Sirius' fingernails suddenly dug into James' wrist so that he let go of the window with a small sound of pain.
"Alright, alright, I'm leaving, no need to get all physical!"
The door banged open. James kicked against the wall, giving himself enough acceleration to speed his broom away rather quickly. "See you at Hogwarts!" he yelled, a black shade against the bright almost full moon.
"You bet!" Sirius shouted after him.
"SIRIUS!" Mrs Black's voice rang so loud and vicious that even though James was already down the street it sent a shiver down his spine. He was too far away to hear the answer, though:
"Why, have you been sleepwalking, mother?"
"Shhhht!" James glared at him, gripping the handle of his broom so hard that his knuckles turned white. "You'll wake up your family."
"He kissed a werewolf girl?" Sirius hissed.
"Yes. Met her last full moon, they got along well, so when they changed back she kissed him."
Sirius stared at the figure hovering in front of his bedroom window. It was James' third nightly visit since the holidays had started. The August moon was bright on the nightly sky and there was a first tiny hint at autumnly chill in the air. "A werewolf girl!"
"I think it's cool," James said defensively. "I mean, it's not his fault he's a werewolf. He didn't stand there saying 'please bite me'."
"No, he wouldn't – he's not you." Sirius grinned. "A werewolf. Just how nifty is that? Would you kiss a werewolf girl?"
Although it was night he could see James blush. "Of course not."
"Why not? Not while she's wolfish, of course, but I mean generally…"
"No."
"Why not? What if you kiss a girl and later find out she's a werewolf?"
"You're a git."
"And you haven't answered."
James glared at him helplessly. "I don't know. Alright? If I kiss a girl I hope she isn't a werewolf."
"You've never –"
"I'm twelve years old, Sirius, and no, I've never kissed a girl! Don't tell me you have!"
Now it was Sirius' turn to turn crimson. "Well…"
James' lips widened into a nasty grin. "Who?"
"Nssssa."
"Pardon?"
Sirius sighed. "Narcissa."
James gave a funny noise as he burst into a fit of laughter and put a hand over his face to stifle it. "The Ice Queen?" he hissed when he had calmed down. "Priceless!"
"Nobody must know!"
"Talk about 'kissing cousins'," James sniggered.
Sirius just slapped his hand with which he was steadying himself on the window sill.
"Ouch."
"Wasn't even a real kiss. Was just a ... thingie. And I was only ten."
James just grinned. It was unnerving.
"Won't you come in?" Sirius muttered at last.
"Rather not, I don't want your family to catch me here. Muggle-loving Potter, you know. Wouldn't be healthy. Also I need to practice my broom."
"Yes, hovering is so difficult compared to dives and somersaults", Sirius said scathingly and grinned.
"Watch it, Black." James chuckled. "At least I don't run from bludgers."
"I never run from anything."
James looked at him. "You know, I actually believe that," he muttered. "At least not from werewolves."
Sirius smiled darkly. "Jamie, after growing up in this place I find werewolves quite entertaining and less scary than other things I've seen."
James' eyes narrowed. "What things?"
"You wouldn't want to know. Dark things. Malfoy-Black-things. Don't ask."
James opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Alright, I won't. Seems to be even scarier than kissing Narcissa."
"Thanks, mate." Sirius smiled. It was one of the rare open smiles that sometimes hit his face to lighten it up, and as usual it vanished after only a second.
"Just two more weeks," James said dreamily.
"I can't wait."
"Me neither. Hogwarts. More secret passages to find. A Malfoy to pester…"
Sirius laughed. "And the Marauders."
"And the Marauders," James agreed, beaming brightly. "Can a name be any more nifty?"
"You know," Sirius dived into his room and came back to the window with some Every Flavour Beans, "before we left I had a chat with Peeves and he mentioned something about a secret passage into Hogsmeade."
James whistled through his teeth. "Awesome!"
"Indeed."
"Where?"
"He wouldn't tell. That's the fun of it, isn't it, Jamie? The finding out, the secret quests at night, the running from the teachers and all?" Sirius' eyes were lit brightly with inner fire. "You don't live unless you're in danger."
James solemnly took one of the Every Flavour Beans and blew on it. "Amen to that." He put the little sweet into his mouth. "Mmh, lucky me."
"What, peppermint?"
"Iguana." James grinned and spit it to the ground. It had quite a way to fall down and vanished in the grass.
"How do you know what iguanas taste like?"
"Don't ask." James chuckled. "Nasty Potter-Weasley-things." He winked and took another Bean.
Sirius smiled happily. "Can't wait to be back at school."
"Me neither. Wait, am I having a déjà vu?"
"No, we already discussed it."
"Good. I really don't want to pick Divination next year." James laughed. "Not exactly my kind of subject."
"Why not? It only involves sitting still in a stuffy hot room staring at tea leaves." Sirius tossed another Bean out of the window. James expertly dived for it and caught it with his mouth. "And you like doing calm things so much as we all know."
"Exactly." James spit the Bean out. "Unwashed feet. It really is my lucky night."
"You should have kept those two for later use on Lucius."
"Ah, yes. How inconsiderate of me."
"I'll forgive you."
"Thank you, Sirius, you're a real friend."
"I know, too good to be true."
"Only if you never kiss Narcissa again."
They looked at each other chuckling when a sudden noise came from somewhere within the old dark house. Both boys jumped. James gripped the window to steady himself. None of them dared to breathe.
"No burglars would dare…" Sirius' mother could be heard from downstairs.
"No, no, not burglars," a screechy high-pitched voice answered devotedly, "but pests, yes, pesty nasty things maybe that fly through the air to haunt little boys' dreams…"
"Kreacher!" Sirius hissed.
"What's a Kreacher?" James whispered.
"It's the house elf whose skin will hang on my wall one day!" Sirius growled murderously.
For a moment James was actually scared, realizing that Sirius really meant what he'd just said. "Watch your temper," he muttered.
"Off with you, they're coming!" Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs.
"Aww, shucks!"
"Go, Jamie!" Sirius' fingernails suddenly dug into James' wrist so that he let go of the window with a small sound of pain.
"Alright, alright, I'm leaving, no need to get all physical!"
The door banged open. James kicked against the wall, giving himself enough acceleration to speed his broom away rather quickly. "See you at Hogwarts!" he yelled, a black shade against the bright almost full moon.
"You bet!" Sirius shouted after him.
"SIRIUS!" Mrs Black's voice rang so loud and vicious that even though James was already down the street it sent a shiver down his spine. He was too far away to hear the answer, though:
"Why, have you been sleepwalking, mother?"