Chapter 4: Halloween at Hogwarts Part 2

Classes were canceled due to the dungbombs thrown into each classroom overnight. "Why didn't we think of that?" James frowned as they walked past the charms room to see the green gas floating around carelessly. The professors had told them they would get it sorted out before the dance that night. So once again, the common room was packed with students too excited to do anything but scoot around and think of how to do their hair.

The room thinned, girls mostly left to get ready. "How long do they need?" asked Sirius who had just returned to the group after taking a shower and getting the goop out of his hair. Remus headed up and the boys followed.

"I set up a nifty contraption so we can all get into out costumes in privacy," they gawked at Remus as he pointed to the curtains.

"You just said 'nifty contraption'" spoke James.

"Nothing gets past you," said Remus. "Anyway," he went on, "yeah, that's about it." They all collected their outfits and went into separate sections.

"Done?" Sirius asked them.

"I am! WOOTISHNESSER!" James told him.

"I am," Remus announced.

"I'm not," Peter squeaked. "...Okay, now I am."

"Count of 3," Remus told them.

"You're so gay," Sirius sang loudly .

"1…2…3" they jumped out together and showed off their outfits. Sirius was in a pair of jeans and a shirt that said 'This is my costume.' James was a girl. He was, of course,wearing Lily's skirt and the shirt he found in Sirius's corner. Remus was wearing afrightful mask with fake blood dripping from it, but Peter's costume was the best, and the worst.

"I'm superman guys!" he informed them.

"Right..." Sirius and Remus spoke staring at his cape that blew absentmindedly on its own.

James Potter was curled up into a ball rocking. "Take it off, please take it off," he was saying. Sirius clicked in.

"Oh me, okay. I'm too sexy for my shirt, to sexy for my shirt, so sexy, it hurts," he sang, and started undressing. Potter hadn't noticed, his eyes were darting tothe red pupils of Lupins, who was still bleeding on the rug. "Oh it's Moony ain't it?" Prongs shielded his eyes with his fingers and continued to rock. Remus took off his mask and came and sat next to James.

"James," he whispered. He didn't flinch. "James, are you okay?" Prongs's eyes were wide with fear as though he had just seen someone being murdered over and over again.

"Is he …dead?" questioned Peter.

"No, he's not dead you git," cried Sirius who threw a pillow at his head.

Remus shook him. "James," he repeated. They all looked at him as if waiting for him to jump up and say 'boo!' but he didn't. James turned a shade of green. Sirius, being the concerned friend, spoke up.

"Leave him alone. Let me talk to him."

Remus grabbed his mask off the floor and he and Peter walked out.

"Hey, hey. Come on, you're freaking me out," Sirius told him. Black was squatting on the floor, leaning in. "You know, you really look like a girl."

A tear ran down James's face. He was staring aimlessly at the wall. It gave Sirius shivers. All of the sudden, James grabbed Sirius by the collar and pulled him forward.

"Remember," he spoke low and hoarsely. "Remember when you came to my house for the holidays? Two years ago. You and I walked… it was late…remember?" he glared at him, eyes blazing with fear. Sirius nodded. "My dad… he would always tell me of…scary… too scary. We walked and I felt… watched." Every word he said seemed like a struggle to release. "I wasn't…I hate Halloween," he finished. Padfoot had no idea what this had to do with a nighttime stroll with James two summers ago, but all the same.

"It's okay, everything's going to be fine," he assured him. "How about a song? I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world. I'm made of plastic, its fantastic…Aww c'mon sing!"

James reluctantly, with a grin on his face, "you can brush my hair, undress me anywhere. Dude, I wish my mum bought me one of those." Sirius was being solicitous, and made James feel better. James took the hand lent to him, and Black pulled him up.

"Ready to go then?" he asked.

"But of course!" James spoke. He was now feeling back to his cocky self.

As they exited the room, they saw a scary sight. Remus, poor soul, was sitting in the corner, shaking his head. Peter was, on the other hand, zooming zigzag like around the corridor. His arms stretched out making swooshing noises, like a superhero.

James, instead of commenting, decided to join it. He jumped into Peter's open hands like a damsel in distress. Using a corny country accent, he said "Oh, dear. Mr. Pettigrew, whatever could I do to repay you for saving my life?" However, it looked realistic because of James's long hair and clothes.

"If the shoe fits, wear it," whispered Remus, shaking his head.

"Please, don't quit your day jobs guys," Sirius spoke hitting Peter's back, making him tumble over James on top of him. "I'll leave you two alone."

"Let's go. We're already late," Remus, suggested. The boys headed to the great hall together. As they met people in the corridors, Potter had managed to jump behind Sirius many times to hide from gruesome masks.

"Lils, we're late, really late," Eden informed her. Eden's hair was cascading over her shoulders with long moussed curls; she had sprayed her entire body with glitter so she shimmered head to toe. Her dress was gold and sleeveless. On top of her head was a silver tiara.

Lily, on the other hand, was wearing a furry jump suit and a vicious mask with fangs and messed up eyes. "You know, if your mom saw you right now, she'd kill you for wearing something so kinky," Lily joked. Eden cocked her head and agreed.

"True true. Come on, we've got to go."

The first people they ran into were the Marauders. Eden jumped back at first sight of James. "Hey! That's my shirt! I was looking for that," she yelled at him.

"I found it with Sirius's stuff," he told her. Sirius and Eden's eyes met, they both turned away and blushed. "If you want, I'll take it off now," he said about to undress.

"Do us all a favor and don't," Lily said.

The decorations were phenomenal. Laces and lights swung themselves around the interior, and a mystic dance-floor was made of glass. "Drinks?" James questioned. The boys parted ways with the girls to get some punch. "Any good meat...girls?"

"No," Peter replied not full of justice. "So, you and Eden? Bow chicha' bow wow." Sirius slapped him.

"She happens to actuacally be my type, and she looks beautiful tonight," he dazed.

"Why don't you go tell her that then?" Potter suggested. Once again, Sirius blushed.

"I think I will," and at that, he set off to find her again. Chairs had been set up for people who didn't dance or weren't asked to. Peter had one reserved. An unexpected occupant had required one also. It was Eden. "Well hello wonderful," spoke Sirius who had spotted her and sat down. "Odd not to see you out there," he gestured to the dance floor, where couples were waltzing around. "Walk with me?" he asked her.

Getting up, he lead her out of the hall and into the corridor. "What Sirius? What now?" she asked.

"Just trust me, okay?" he replied.

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't trust you. You used me, just like all the other girls, for a little pleasure. Well, news flash, I am not a toy…... where the hell are you taking me?" he was now steering her to a hall that she had never been to before.

"Wait," he told her. Sirius stood facing a picture, eyes closed, and grunting quietly to himself. All of the sudden, a door materialized out of nowhere and he grabbed the brass handle and pulled it open.

As Eden looked inside, she gasped. An ocean had appeared in the room. The moon was up and the stars twinkled above. The waves splashed against each other. Eden shut the door and headed over to Sirius who was setting up a picnic on the sand. Lighting two candles, and setting down two plates of food he remarked, "What do you think?"

"What are you playing at?" she asked him still with a very angred look upon her face. Black took it as an insult. He had takenmost ofhis free periodtime doing this for her.

"I'm not playing at anything! I just wanted to bring you here to tell you something," he winced.

"Um hmm...Go on," she cued him.

"I've been thinking a lot lately, and Ede, I really, really, really, really, really, really, really ,really, really like you."

"Keep it up." she said intriged.

You're beautiful, smart, generous, and perfect. Eden Ryanson, will you go steady with me?" Sirius pulled a ring box out of his jeans and opened it to reveal a tiny silver ring wit the word 'love' engraved into it. Eden burst into tears.

"Oh my gosh! This is the nicest thing ever. Yes, yes...of course I will," she sobbed. Black took the ring and placed it on her pointer finger. Taking his sleeve, he wiped a tear off her cheek.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" he cried suddenly, than striped down to his boxers and ran into the sea.

"Way to ruin a moment idiot," Eden mumbled and she too, undressed to her under clothes. She felt too self conscious so she took Sirius's baggy t-shirt and put it on. Eden ran to the edge of the water and abruptly stopped.

"What hun?" Sirius called to her.

"Nothing, just a bit scared of the ocean at night," she yelled back.

Sirius swam back to her, and lifted her upon her shoulders and carried her out to the heck high level.

"Um Ede, can I ask you a strange question?" Sirius requested.

"Always," she replied.

He asked, "Could you kiss me underwater? I've always wanted to do that with someone special." What was she to say to that? But instead of an answer, she ducked her head under the waves and he did too.