"Where are we going, Padfoot?" James looked questioningly to his friend. Sirius had that smug smile on. As usual.
"Well, you'll see won't you?" Sirius replied over his shoulder, not answering James question.
The mass of marauders was walking through downtown London. While the rest of the Hogwarts inhabitants seemed content to visit the magical village of Hogsmeade, the marauders, Sirius to be precise, felt the need to visit a muggle village. Of course the muggles were enthralled with Hogsmeade when they visited, but the boys had been around magic their entire lives and they needed to see a new kind of magic, that of muggles.
"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Peter whimpered to no one in particular. Sirius turned around.
"One of my best, boyo," Sirius said with his hand on Peter's shoulder, with that sparkle in his eyes, the one that meant trouble. Sirius had many sparkles, such as play, and flirting, but the commonest being the "this-will-be-fun"/"Trouble" look.
They continued to walk for sometime, only Sirius seemed to know where they were going. But the rest followed willingly, enjoying the scenery outside of Hogwarts grounds. No one at school would miss them or notice they were gone, tricksey marauders they were.
Remus had been quiet all morning and afternoon. He had a sketchy idea what Sirius was up to, but stayed relatively quiet. Sirius tended to bounce ideas off of Remus before springing them on James for a surprise. They all did that occasionally, to get another opinion of how one might react to pranks and such. However, it always looked as if James and Sirius were trying to top each other. And Sirius was well on his way; in Remus' humble opinion anyways.
James was walking quietly as well. He was trying to prepare himself for Sirius latest exploit and trying to think up one better, even thought he didn't know what he was getting into to yet. His eyes drifted all over the street, checking out the signs, and also getting distracted in his mind, churning over what antic next. It had to be something good…
Sirius watched James out of the corner of his eye. The corners of his lips curled upwards. Smug as always.
The four continues to walk down the street until Sirius suddenly turned left into a storefront without any signs on it. Sirius entered with Remus following. James gave a peek in through the window before following as well. Peter, however, stopped in front of the window and dropped his jaw as he peered in.
"Sirius! This is a tattoo parlor!" He whispered in objection as he came through the door after them.
"Is it?" Sirius gave him an I-know smile and a twinkle in his eyes.
"You want us to get tattoos?" James asked skeptically. "That is so Deatheater."
"No, you twp," Sirius rolled his eyes, and looked around, "it's for inspiration."
"And what's that, pray tell?" Remus said eyeballing his sly friend.
"Must I go first?"
James stood to the side and held his hand out in front of him to let Sirius pass. He walked up to the counter and talked to the man up front. The rest of the marauders came up behind him to listen, but he was already done. The man behind the counter walked to the back room and gave Sirius a wave to follow. Sirius looked at his mates, giving them his I'll-be-right-back-stay-here look, eyebrows raised. The boys sighed and wandered about the room. Tattoo pictures wallpapered the room. James looked at one with his head cocked to the side.
"So, you want to get a tattoo huh?" Peter said walking up behind him.
"Sure, a big ol' snitch right here," James gestured to his chest. Peter laughed, of course.
"How 'bout Severus Snape over your bicep in a heart?" Peter giggled.
"Right, 'cuz he melts my butter," James said sarcastically, rolling his eyes in a board way.
After a few more minutes Sirius came strolling out with his usually self-possession. He looked the same. Like a rag of colts, the rest of the marauders milled around him. They stared at him questioningly. Sirius just smiled, one eyebrow raised.
"So?" James, unimpressed, said finally, his arms crossed.
Sirius flicked his teeth with his tongue. "Well, I don't know what to tell you if you don't notice, you daft bunnies."
"Hmm. Nice." Remus said.
James looked at him and looked back at Sirius. Sirius grinned at him. In frustration, James stuck his tongue out in a juvenile way, telling Sirius to sit on it. Sirius stuck his tongue back out at him. The silver glinted off his tongue and James eye bugged out. James cracked up while Peter frowned.
"What did you do that for?" Peter whined. "That isn't useful."
Sirius shrugged suggestively and ran the ball along his teeth. James snickered. "Who's next?"
Wicked little smiles appeared on Remus and James' faces. Sirius clapped James on the back and pushed him to the guy at the counter, "Go get a nipple ring for Lily."
Laughing James went to tell the artist what he wanted. The other troublemakers walked off. The marauders walked around, Sirius stopping and flipping through the piercing book, grinning. After flipping through the entire binder, Sirius shut it with a frustrated sigh. "Isn't he done yet?"
As if on cue James walked out. Smiling he walked over to Sirius, and leaned against the counter. He scratched his head nonchalantly.
"Well?" Sirius impatiently waved his hands around.
Peter walked over and stood beside the two of them scrutinizing James. Remus walked up behind James and smiled. "Different. Simple. Very marauderish."
Peter gave Remus an exasperated look. "That's two now you've seen first."
Remus shrugged. Sirius walked around James looking him up and down until he stood behind him. A shine of light brought his eyes to the base of James neck. At the nape, it was pierced with a barbell.
"Going for the subtle route?" Sirius asked skeptically. "Never your style."
"I think a black robe will bring out the silver very well." James said casually. "A simple charm and it will be there when I want, and clear when it need be."
"Whatever." Sirius said laughing and rolling his eyes.
"Next!" Called the man at the counter.
"Methinks that it's my turn," Remus smiled, "unless you would like to go Wormtail."
"Go ahead, Moony." Peter said with hand gesturing towards the man.
Remus walked off and briefly spoke with the artist and then they went to the back room. Before the boys had a chance to read the magazines on the table Remus was strolling back out. Walking over to the chairs, he sat down with them.
"Now, you won't get the full effect until the next moon." He said with a wolf-like scratch to the corner of his jaw, bringing attention to the piercing at the top of his ear.
"A wolf with pierced ears?" Peter asked, lost.
"Brilliant!" Sirius complimented him. "Both?"
Remus turned his head to show both. Two small gold hoops near the top of his ears. In his wolf form they would hang a little below the tip on the outside of each ear. He grinned.
"Gold hoops?" Peter asked again. "I thought you needed studs, that's what all the girls have to start out with. Or, er, so I've been told. And gold is too flashy for you. You're not the gold type."
Remus grin fell and he just stared at Peter. The other boys were giving Peter a "der" face as well. Sirius threw the chair's pillow at Peter, "well he's not the silver type either is he?"
"C'mon, WT, your turn." James pulled Peter out of his seat and pushed him to the counter.
Just as the three before him, Peter talked with the guy for some length and followed him to his workstation. Looking at his watch, James rolled his eyes. "Almost time to get going. Back to No-muggles-land."
"You just want to make sure we get back in time for dinner." Sirius scoffed.
"Yeah, so you can get your customary seat near Lily." Remus laughed.
"So he can show her his new art!" Sirius joked with Remus. James rolled his eyes and pretended to be interested in the magazine in front of him.
The boys continued to banter back and forth for some time. Peter came wandering out eventually. Walking over to his friends, he stood next to the chair where he had been sitting.
"So waddya do?" Sirius "the New Yorker" asked.
Peter smiled.
The boys got up and walked around him, trying to decide what was different. Finally James pointed out the obvious, "Well, we know it isn't visible from here. Do we need to make you strip?"
"Oh! You got one of those?" Sirius said laughing with big eyes.
"No!" Peter said mortified. "Fine I'll show you. You won't see it any other way."
The boys snickered as Peter turned around and started to unbutton his pants. Sirius hummed stripper music. Peter pulled his pants down just a bit to reveal a small dark red griffin.
"He did it! He got a tat!" Sirius taking up the role of Captain Obvious. The boys' eyes were huge. "Gryffindor spirit permanently displayed on your arse!"
Pulling his pants back up and buttoning them he turned around. Sheepishly, he smiled. "Well, actually, I didn't want to inflict unnecessary pain on my self, so it's just a painted on doodle. It'll come off in the shower."
"It is permanent!" Sirius deadpanned.
"It would be interesting though, I wonder if it would show through on your fur, or tail," Remus said, half talking to himself.
"On the keister," James said sniggering to himself. Remembering the time he looked at his watch, "time to go boys."
The marauders left with instructions on how to take care of their various art, and head up the street from whence they came. Peter was laughing to himself. The rest gave him a curious look.
"That guy probably thought we were so strange, talking about muggles and animals and such." Peter commented. "I don't think he heard though."
"I'm sure he sees worse," James said making a smoking gesture.
"And asks if they share!" Sirius laughed at his own joke.
Remus had been quiet. Sirius looked over at him and saw him contemplating. He gave him a nudge to pull him out of his haze. Remus looked up. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking that we should do that charm; we are going to have to pass profs on the way in."
"Break out the charms, boys." James declared.
…And so ends another marauder adventure. Hope you had fun, I'm sure they did. I know what you are thinking, and no they did not keep their piercings. Does J.K. mention them? No. So obviously they eventually took them out. Or mebbe their charms are still on, and not obvious to the eye…No matter though. I'm sure our boys will be up to more trouble soon. Hope you enjoyed their jaunt.