Author's Note: This a total A/U, some of the stuff really has some holes, I know.. lolz... but yea.. and I know Slughorn is suppost to be the potions teacher, that'll come into play, no worries! Sorry this took so long to update, I was really having trouble with the plot line... I thought this was nice and long, I hope you like it, please please R&R! (Swears and flames not welcome.)
Disclaimer: I unfortunatley don't own any of the Harry Potter stuff, tho I think if I did, I'd be reallty rich...lolz! Enjoy!
Chapter 4
"NO, LONGBOTTOM!" Sirius screamed as Frank Longbottom, back-up Seeker for the Gryffindor team, followed the Quaffle once again, ignoring the Snitch, the object of a Seeker's attention.
"You're the bloody Seeker! Not a Chaser! If James can't play in the next match, you've got to be on your game. We cannot afford to lose that match."
Sirius ruffled his hair with frustration. He sighed as he pulled his handsome face down.
"Let's call it a day, team. Longbottom, I want you here tomorrow night for practice, 6:30. Be here."
Frank hung his head as he landed and dismounted his Cleansweep. Sirius left the change rooms hung with gold and red banners, and climbed the seven flights of stairs to the Gryffindor tower, all the while quietly fuming. When he entered the room, he found James, Remus and Peter sitting by the fire. The rest of the room was deserted. James looked angry.
"How was practice?" He asked bitterly.
"Bloody terrible. Longbottom's got loads of work to do if we've even got a chance at winning Saturday's match." He slumped down beside Remus in a large, squishy red arm chair.
"Well no one is better than James at Seeker, we know that." Peter chimed in happily.
James' pout turned into a small smile. It was true, of course. James was one of the best Seekers Hogwarts had seen in years. No one could doubt that. Not even the pompous Slytherins.
James stuck his ink stained fingers down into the deep pocket of his robes and pulled out the small golden Snitch he kept. He let it fly a few feet in front of him before snatching it back up.
"Where'd you get that?" Remus asked.
"Nicked it." James replied casually.
Sirius laughed. "No wonder Malfoy couldn't find one while we were playing."
"Brilliant," laughed James. "Let's nick all the Slytherin equipment before their practice next day!"
Remus frowned. "James, you've got enough work to do, especially with that essay – which, by the way, you've barely started. Four scrolls in two days, and that on top of all you other homework? Don't put another detention on top of that." He pushed James' parchment across the table. James started down at it, where there was only a title and one sentence written across the top. He started at it hard, as if willing it to write itself.
"Oh come off it, Remus. I've got loads of time. I didn't go to Quidditch today because I didn't want Lestrange catching me down on the pitch, when I 'Should have been doing my homework.'" James quoted the last.
Sirius and Peter laughed, as James had sounded just like Remus.
Remus sighed. "Well, I'm off to bed, you three. Good night." He closed hi books, rolled up his parchment and tucked it into his bag as he left the common room.
Sirius yawned. "Guess we'd better head off too."
James and Peter followed Sirius out of the warm cozy room, leaving the embers of the fire burning warmly in the fireplace. James paused at the window before the dormitory steps. He looked out over the castle grounds. He sighed as his eyes fell upon the moonlit Quidditch pitch.
As he stared, wishing he could have been at the day's practice, he saw a dark figure moving across the grass. James squinted and pressed his nose against the cool glass. The figure was gone just as soon as it had came. James shrugged. His imagination was running away with him, a sure sign he was over tired. After a good night's sleep, he was sure he would realize that what he had thought he'd just seen was indeed nothing at all. Just his imagination.
Remus' quill scratched quietly on his parchment. He and the others were in Transfiguration, taking notes as Professor McGonnagoll dictated to them. The four friends were in their usual seats at the back.
James and Sirius were goofing off, as they always did every class. James was playing with his Snitch, much to the admiration of the Hufflepuff girls across the aisle.
Sirius was leaning forward chatting quietly with Marietta Jacobs, a tall slim black girl with dancing brown eyes and long, thick, black hair. Sirius fancied her, and was determined she accompany them on their next Hogsmeade weekend.
Peter was silent while furiously taking as many notes as possible. Frank Longbottom sat a few rows in front of Remus. He appeared as though he was asleep, as his head was lying comfortably in his arms, which were crossed on the desk.
Remus' thoughts drifted. He looked at James, Sirius and Peter. 'They deserve to know the truth', he thought. 'They're my friends. They wouldn't turn me away…' He swallowed and glanced at the others.
'Or would they?'
It was the second night James had stayed up late. Tonight, however, as Remus had predicted, he was completing his potions essay that he had previously neglected. He leafed through his worn textbook for the proper ingredients and procedure of the shrinking potion. He now had one paragraph written down. James sighed and looked at the clock on the wall above the fireplace. It read 12:30 am
James stood and walked to his favorite window in all of Hogwarts. The very same window he was sure he had seen the cloaked figure on the Quidditch pitch two days earlier.
As he wiped the foggy condensation away with his warm hand, he quickly glanced around the grounds. James did a double-take at the Quidditch pitch. He was not imagining it this time. There were two people on the pitch. They were facing each other, both wearing the same heavy black cloak. It was hard to tell in the dark night, but it seemed the two people were getting ready to duel, as they raised their wands.
James suddenly gasped after a small inhale. He didn't realize he'd been holding his breathe. His heart rate picked up and he didn't want to look away. Who were the two figures? James was afraid to even blink.
'What is going on?' he whispered.
Less than a second later, the figures were gone, as if they had heard James' whisper and were frightened away.
He stared for another moment, hoping to catch another glimpse of the figures. When none came after several seconds, he walked back slowly to his armchair. He was quite sure the two people were indeed, gone. James slumped down in the cozy comfort of the chair. He had soon drifted off to sleep, quill in hand, essay incomplete, dreams vaguely buzzing with shadowy cloaked figures.
"One more kiss, Marietta, please. No one will catch us." Sirius whispered playfully into the soft chocolate skinned ear beside him.
A girlish giggle escaped plump, glossy lips. "Sirius you dog," Marietta chuckled. "You know you can't have another. You're just selfish."
Sirius' eyes danced. 'I must be dreaming,' he thought. 'I hope no one pinches me.'
Too late.
Sirius awoke in the boys' dormitory, snoring bodies lying in beds around him. 'Bloody brilliant,' he thought angrily. 'Why d'you always have to know it's too good to be true?' He reprimanded himself again and frustratingly flipped over his thoughts, turning from his sweet dream to Quidditch. There was another Quidditch practice tonight. Hopefully with Longbottom's extra time on the pitch, he would play half-decently later. Though, it didn't matter. James would be playing in the match. That was that.
Sirius sighed and rolled back over to look at his clock. He gave it a nudge. The clock yawned, blinked, then said,
"Good morning Master Black. The time is 7:00 am. Have a good day."
"Thanks." He mumbled.
Sirius sat up and swung his legs over the edge of his bed. He yawned widely, stood and stretched. The others would be waking soon. He walked to his trunk and pulled out some clean clothes. He tugged off his warm pajamas and put on the fresh robes.
As he trudged down the seven long flights of stairs to breakfast, Sirius shook off the rejection of Marietta's refusal. No one refused Sirius Black a kiss! No one! He loved the way the light caught her dark eyes, the way her hair swung behind her as she walked. He loved how her lips, always so plump and beautiful, always shined with some new gloss flavor. Marietta Jacobs would be his.
As usual, Sirius was one of the first in the dining hall. He heaped his plate with scrambled eggs, toast, sausages and bacon, hash-browns and ham. He also poured a tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. He took a long swig. It slid coolly down his throat in a delicious fashion. Lots of pulp. Just the way he loved it.
After two large helpings of everything, and a very full stomach later, Sirius walked out of a now much more full Great Hall, and back to the Gryffindor tower.
"Island Pineapple." Sirius grinned at the Fat Lady.
"Indeed." She yawned and swung open.
He walked towards the roaring fireplace, and saw something he had not noticed when he'd come down for breakfast. A tall, robed figure was curled into an armchair nearest the fire, an unmistakably messy nest of hair visible just above the back of the chair.
Sirius chuckled and sauntered over. On the table beside the chair was an essay, titled '"Shrinking Potions and the Proper Procedure for Creating Them" By James Potter.'
Sirius crept closer to the slumbering student, then pulled back as laughter threatened to destroy the joke. He swallowed his laughter and yelled, as loud as he could right in James' ear, "JAMES POTTER WAKE UP!"
James leapt out of the chair at top speed as though he'd been scalded. His face was ghostly white, his blood-shot eyes darted around the Common Room, flashing from laughing face to laughing face. His hazel eyes set first upon the brilliant green of Lily Evans'. She was laughing heartily, and James felt his pale cheeks flush. In an instant, his eyes next lit upon the dancing and sparkling brown eyes of Sirius Black. There was nothing else to do, except laugh.
James clapped Sirius on the back and grinned, as Sirius wiped tears from his, and choked out, "You should have seen your face, mate." The room roared with collective laughter, and James couldn't help but join in. Sirius whispered, "Priceless."