Part Eighteen: Finding the Pear
"How did you get so lucky as to be able to remain behind." Andromeda asked as the Black cousins stood together at the Hogsmeade station. The day was chilly, but nothing could make Sirius's heart heavy since all his cousins were leaving him alone for a whole week.
"Apparently my attendance is not required." Sirius told her.
"And rightly so," Narcissa sneered. "You're too young to attend."
"He will be at your wedding." Bellatrix reminded her sister. "You will not get away from him that easily."
"Everyone will be at the wedding." Narcissa dismissed what her sister was saying.
"Isn't that the truth." Andromeda murmured to Sirius.
Bellatrix whirled around. "Sirius."
The youngest Black looked up at his cousin. "Yes?"
"Behave while we are gone," Bellatrix cautioned. "We will find out if you don't."
"Can we go now?" Andromeda said looking pointedly at the train where the conductor was waiting impatiently. "Remember 'Trix, the sooner we leave the sooner you can make a fool of yourself in front of Riddle again."
"His name is Voldemort," Bellatrix drew herself up and glared at her sister. "You'd do well to remember that name as he will soon be our Lord."
"Whatever his bloodline once was, he is still a half breed." Narcissa sniffed. "What Lucius sees in him and his 'ideas' I will never understand."
"He is very handsome." Bellatrix said slyly.
"Bellatrix Black," Narcissa's eyes narrowed and her magic gathered around her like a cloak. "If you wish for our mother to remain in the dark about your fascination with a certain Mr. Riddle, you will take care never to insult my intended again."
"Tell mother about Tom and I'll tell her exactly where you went during the Crabbe's party and with who." Bellatrix gave her a sweet smile.
"Are you all coming or not?" The conductor called gruffly.
"We do intended to depart." Narcissa transferred her glare to the man. "Shall we board sisters?"
"Why of course my dear." Bellatrix slipped her arm into Narcissa's offered elbow just as if they hadn't been at odds moments before.
"Take care." Andromeda said giving Sirius a hug. "And keep your nose clean." She called back to him as she boarded the train.
Sirius stood on the platform until the train was out of sight. In one way he was glad not to be around the girls. Narcissa and Bellatrix often found him a convenient guinea pig for whatever charm or hex they were working on. However it was the first time in his life that he was all alone with out a single other member of his family.
The school seemed deserted when Sirius returned. All of the older pureblooded had departed to attended his mother's ball. As for the Muggleborn students many of them had gone home for the holidays to see parents who were a little wary of their magic.
"My parents are a little anxious to see me again." Lily had told him the other day. "I really shouldn't have told them about my cauldron exploding because now there is nothing for it but I return home for Easter."
"You weren't hurt." Sirius had been puzzled. "No one was hurt."
"But they don't believe me about being turned blue." Lily had laughed.
The only Gryffindor boys staying behind were James, Remus and himself. The Head Girl was staying as well, but Sirius didn't think that they were going to see much of her.
"What should we do?" James asked as Sirius entered their dorm room.
"Homework," Remus replied from his bed.
"You," James pointed an accusing finger at the lighter boy. "Are no fun."
Remus raised an elegant eyebrow at the messy haired boy. "I am no fun just because I think that getting all our schoolwork out of the way is a good idea?"
"If we do it now then we are done." Sirius said as moved to his trunk and pulled out their assigned work.
"Sirius?" James's voice took on a pleading tone.
"Yes James?" Sirius tossed his textbooks on his bed.
"Will you have fun with me?" James said making a face as Sirius started to read.
"When your homework is done." Sirius promised.
James sighed and lay back onto his own bed. "How is it that you both got sorted into Gryffindor? With the amount of time you spend studying one would think you would deal better in Ravenclaw."
"No need to ask how you got sorted into Gryffindor." Sirius told him. "To blunt to be a Slytherin, not stodgy enough for Hufflepuff...."
"And not intelligent enough for Ravenclaw." Remus cut in without looking up.
"My scores were higher than yours." James said huffily.
"Ah," Sirius smiled. "That isn't intelligence, that is just parroting the facts the teachers feed you. You are nothing compared to my intelligence."
Remus lifted his head briefly to grin at Sirius. "Thank you for putting it so nicely."
"What assignment are you currently working on?" Sirius asked curiously as he tuned out James's ranting.
"An extra credit paper for potions," Remus explained. "I missed the last test while visiting my Grandmother."
"How is your Grandmother doing." Sirius asked sympathetically. James stopped his sulking to listen.
"She is still alive but barely so." Remus shrugged. "It pains me to see her like that."
"I can imagine." James murmured. "But that means that you need fun to brighten up your day. Month. Year?"
Remus sighed and looked at the other boy. "Just let me finish up this paragraph and then you can tell me of your plans."
James smiled and looked over to Sirius's bed. "Is this okay with you Sirius?"
"If I want to keep you out of trouble, thus saving the Gryffindor name, then I believe I must accompany you." Sirius sighed putting aside his history book. "After all, there is only so much of Goblins Revolting that one can take."
"You two are my best friends." James declared.
Sirius rolled his eyes and glanced over at Remus. He noticed the book lying across the other boy's legs wasn't one of the normal potion's texts. "What in the world is your extra credit report on?"
"Albus Dumbledore and the twelve uses of Dragon's blood." Remus replied absently.
"Boring." James sighed. "You need a life."
"Its called Schoolwork Potter." Sirius sighed again. "It gets assigned and you do it. Though you tend to leave it until the last moment possible."
"I work best under pressure." James said grinning. "What other reason would I have for leaving everything to the last minute?"
"The fact that you are extremely lazy?" Remus said while writing furiously.
"You are calling me lazy?" James protested.
"Well he couldn't have been talking about me." Sirius grinned. "I always do my assignments ahead of schedule."
"Done." Remus said putting a flourish to the paper. "Now, what was that about fun?"
"So if we get caught your plan is to lie?" Remus said glancing down at his watch.
"Well how I was supposed to know that this Castle was so large?" James complained.
"Just looking at how large it was on the outside might have been a good first clue." Sirius muttered.
"But it is a magical Castle." James protested.
"Ergo it is larger on the inside than it appears on the outside." Remus said logically.
"We missed Dinner." Sirius said with a glare in James's direction.
"And we are about to miss curfew." Remus sighed. " Next time you want to have fun, can we start a little earlier in the day?"
"We would have started earlier but you two wanted to do Homework." James shuddered.
"I'm hungry." Sirius sighed. "Who cares about getting caught in the Dungeons. Maybe who ever catches us will have food."
"We should be getting back to the tower." Remus reminded them. "Sirius, James has food in his trunk and I am sure that he can be convinced to share with us. After all he is the reason we missed dinner."
James gaped at Remus, "how did you know about that food?"
"I saw it when you were dressing this morning." Remus explained tiredly. "It was lying on top of your clothes."
"Oh," James blinked. "Right."
"Gods," Sirius shook his head and slumped back against a wall. "Why do you torment me so?"
The other two boys stopped and followed his gaze to a painting of a bowl of fruit.
"A painting of food." Remus chuckled at Sirius's expression.
Sirius crossed the hall to the painting. "If only it were real." He touched the pear slightly and the painting swung inward.
"Is this the Slytherin dorms?" James asked as they looked down the stairs.
"No..." Sirius replied. "The Slytherin dorms are one floor down and guarded by a painting of a Snake Charmer."
"Appropriate." James said.
"So where does this painting lead?" Remus asked.
"Hopefully somewhere were there is food." Sirius stepped through the portal.
"There is food down there all right." Remus murmured.
"Then lets go." James followed Sirius as he marched down the stairs.
"Food." Sirius stated as they entered what appeared to be a Kitchen.
"Masters?" A House Elf appeared by the table in the center of the room. "Is there anything Neeky can be getting youse?"
"Food." Sirius smiled.
"Whatever they had for dinner please." Remus requested.
"Remus," James said seriously. "We could be having a veritable feast of our favorite foods and you want what they had for dinner?"
"As much as I hate to do this," Sirius rolled his eyes. "I have to agree with James."
Remus shrugged. "It just doesn't feel right to make them do extra work."
"Lupin my friend." James said grandly. "House Elfs live to serve."
"That doesn't make it right." Remus sighed as plates containing steak and potatoes were brought to them. "It smells like slavery to me."
"Why my good Sir," James said to Sirius in his most grown up voice. "I do believe we have a revolutionary in our midst."
"I do believe you are right old man." Sirius replied in kind. "Though one with unpopular views."
"Stuff it." Remus rolled his eyes at them before returning to his plate.
The other two boys exchanged grins before turning to their own plates.
"I still say lying is a bad idea." Remus grumbled shortly after they left the Kitchen behind.
"Do you want to tell the truth?" James asked.
"Yes," Remus rolled his eyes. "We went exploring, we got lost."
"It happens to first years all the time." Sirius put in. "Lily was telling me that just the other day she and a Ravenclaw got stuck in a corridor on the third floor for two hours before the stairs changed back."
"I still like the lying part better." James muttered. "It adds excitement."
"You will be the death of us someday." Sirius told him.
Remus paled, "don't say that."
Both of the other boys looked at him puzzled. "Why not?" Sirius asked. "It is just an expression."
"Just don't talk about James and death," Remus pleaded. "Okay?"
"All right." Sirius assured him. "I won't say it again."
"Excuse me." A painting on the wall cleared its throat.
The boys all looked up at it. "Yes?" James replied.
"Are you three lost?" The painting asked politely.
"Yes we are." Remus said smiling. His hand was across James's mouth.
"Can you direct us back to Gryffindor Tower?" Sirius asked.
"Oh," The painting said dismissively. "You are Gryffindors."
"What is wrong with Gryffindors!" James demanded, after shaking Remus off.
The painting smiled patronizingly. "I find you all rather vulgar."
"Vulgar?" James yelled.
"James Potter!" Remus hissed. "You are not helping anything."
"Potter?" The painting peered down at the messy haired boy. "I especially do not approve of you."
"Why not?" James demanded again.
"I hear that you and the heir to the House of Black engaged in fisticuffs." The painting shuddered. "Only the must vulgar of creatures would have been able to accomplish that."
"Phineas Nigellus," Sirius said suddenly. "I thought you looked familiar"
The painting blinked at Sirius, "and who might you be?"
"Sirius Black," Sirius bowed.
"What are you doing with such common creatures as these?" Phineas inquired. "Gryffindors and Slytherins don't mix well."
"I was placed in Gryffindor." Sirius admitted.
The painting blinked again. "Oh yes, I had heard something to that effect. Disappointing news."
"Phineas," Sirius said in a placating voice. "May I introduce the final member of our group?"
"If you must," The painting sighed. "But he is probably just like all the other vulgar Gryffindors."
"Phineas Nigellus," Sirius bowed again. "May I present Remus Lupin."
"Lupin?" Phineas perked up at that. "You have your father's hair. Or maybe it was your grandfather...." The painting trailed off. "What relation are you to Romulus Lupin?"
"His great grandson Sir." Remus bowed to Phineas as well.
"A good family," The painting mused. "I suppose that makes up for the fact you were sorted into the wrong house. You are all off to Gryffindor Tower?"
"Yes Sir." Sirius replied.
"Then follow me."
End Notes:- About Remus and the moon, this is how I see it: A few days before the full moon he would be listless, weak and generally irritable. After the full moon he would have increased energy because he would be coming off the buzz of the change. Over his life the change will get harder and result in less of a buzz. The wolfsbane potion will make it easier, but cloud his mind.
- Please Review.
