"James! Why, fancy seeing you here!" A sarcastically sweet tone, though rough in nature, rang through the library. Sirius Black had entered through the doorway, Remus and Peter a few steps behind him. The three boys had headed straight for the group of tables that were clustered all the way in the back of the humongous Hogwarts library, Sirius knowing that he would fine James there. As they had thought, there was their friend; huddled behind a few rather large stacks of books to that only a tuft of messy jet-black hair could be seen over them. Sirius pushed aside two large towers to reveal James, who had a broad book held purposely up in front of his face. With a swift movement Sirius snatched it out of his hands, looking over the title and reading it aloud as if interested.
"Hm, The Complete and Unedited Version of the Discovery and Uses of the Mushroom. Sounds fascinating. And you were reading it upside-down, too? Must be even more interesting that way." The boy announced with a smirk, tossing the book aside and accidentally hitting Peter with it. Sirius didn't even seem to notice Peter get clobbered with the book and fall over, or observe Remus rushing over to attend his hurt friend. Black was fixed on Potter, frowning as he leaned towards his friend.
"Just leave the girl alone. She hates your bloody guts!"
"No she doesn't. She's been nicer lately." James stubbornly crossed his arms and replied in a light tone, trying to defend himself. At this statement Sirius couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Oh, so I suppose jinxing your ears onto the Giant Squid was being nicer." He said sarcastically, this statement only making James even more stubborn.
"She did not jinx my ears onto the Giant Squid. She jinxed your ears onto it."
"So jinxing your best friend's ears onto the Giant Squid is nicer?!"
"Well,
no, but-"
"HA! You proved my point!" Black yelled, standing
up from his squatting position so quickly that he bumped the table
and made a few books topple to the floor, which promptly fell on the
unlucky Peter again, who had been sitting beneath them. Once again,
Sirius seem didn't notice. He was too busy leering at Potter and
looking very triumphant. James, for a moment, seemed to not have
anything to say in return. He opened and closed his mouth a few
times, like a gaping fish, his face growing red in frustration.
Sirius grinned broader. Finally, James just exploded into a yell that
made several books rattle angrily in their cases, one even vibrating
so hard it fell of the shelf and lay open on the ground, screaming.
James' voice reached over it, though.
"I DON'T CARE! So she hates me- so what?! I'll get her to like me! Just- just, arg! Just leave me and my problems alone! I'll choose who I like- NOT YOU!" And with that he stormed out of the library, sweeping angrily past the librarian, who had heard the noise coming from the back and had come to investigate. She swooped in like a vulture, glaring at the three boys that now remained huddled around the back table. Peter's eyes were wide with fright, Remus was glaring disapprovingly over at Sirius, and Sirius was leaning up against the table, trying to look detached and distracted- but anger was still evident on his rugged features. The librarian, Madame Archive, glowered at each of the boys, Pettigrew quailing beneath her fierce glare. She was a stooped woman with high, hunched shoulders and fierce, dark eyes, with a long, beak-like nose. Her hair was always in a tight bun, with robes that billowed out like wings. Sirius and James fondly referred to her as 'The Vulture', a nickname Remus strongly disapproved of. Madam Archive grabbed the still screaming book and snapped it shut, glaring at Sirius over its edges. She spoke in a creaking, though crisp voice, though it sounded much like a squawk. She tended to draw out her vowels, adding to the bird-like sound.
"Boys, hrmmm? What are you doooooing being so loooud in my librareeeee, erraaa?" Sirius quickly put on the most innocent and sweet tone he could muster.
"Why, Madame Archive! Whatever are you doing all the way back here?" But the Hogwarts librarian wasn't about to give in to his little act. Her eyes narrowed at him, staring over her beak-like nose.
"You are being looooud, Black! Pettigrew, get up from the floooor! Lupin, I would have expected mooooore from yooooou! What, praaaay teeeeell, is your reason for SCREEEEAMING?!" Of course, Madame Archive didn't know that it was James that had been the one yelling, but since Prongs was long gone, Sirius couldn't blame in on him. So who was the next best person to blame something on? He looked sneakily down at Peter, who had quickly scrambled up from the floor stand at an attention-like stance in front of the librarian.
"Well, Peter here was-"
"SIRIUS!" Remus hissed, glaring at his friend, who had been trying to pin the blame on poor Peter. Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes, muttering an 'all right...' to Lupin, who afterwards looked satisfied and gave him a little encouraging nod. Sirius stared defiantly at him for a moment, and finally spoke in a monotone and expressionless voice to Madam Archive, sounding as if he had learned whatever he was saying by heart.
"I knocked a stack of books on Peter. Accidentally." He quickly added the last part after seeing the librarian's eyebrows shoot so far up her forehead that they almost disappeared into her hair. The librarian still seemed extremely aggravated with Sirius's actions, but accepted that as the cause of all the yelling. She turned to Peter and frowned, narrowing her eyes at the boy.
"Then yoooou must scream quieeeeteeeeer mmmkaaay?" The Vulture questioned, her head cocking at a somewhat awkward angle that reminded Peter strongly of a bird. She hunched her shoulders to readjust her robe collar, turned on her heel and trotted back towards the front, her elbows flapping at her sides like some sort of chicken. Once she was safely out of sight, Sirius erupted into his loud, bark-like laughter. He turned towards Peter and mimicked the woman's drawn-out voice, flapping his arms like wings and squawking at sporadic times.
"WOOOOORMTAIL, my little friiiiiend, caaaw! Dooooon't screeeeam too loud when master BACKAW! Black drops BOOOOOKS on yooooou!" Afterwards he collapsed onto the library floor in a heap of giggles, with Peter laughing slightly behind him, and Remus, though looking very disapprovingly at his imitation of the professor, was trying to mask a smile of amusement. Once his laughter died down, Padfoot picked himself back up from the ground and dusted himself off, glancing over his shoulder at the two remaining Marauders. He smirked and turned towards the entrance, talking to them even though he wasn't looking at them.
"I think we've got to go on a little stag hunt…"
