A/N: Sorry for the late update! I have been absolutely lazy…. Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 12
Sirius struggled to crack one eye open.
Seven a.m. on a Sunday. Why was he up at seven a.m. on a Sunday?
He groaned and began to roll over to get back to sleep when it hit him with tremendous force.
SUNDAY!
"Blimey!" he yelled, leaping out of bed. "Mmmf!"
A pillow caught him full in the face. James, bleary-eyed and very annoyed, was sitting up on his bed, another pillow in hand.
"Do that again, Padfoot, and this turns into a Dungbomb."
"It's Sunday!" Sirius screeched.
"Yes—it's supposedly a day of rest—which you have effectively ruined for me now."
Sirius had scrambled to the closet and pulled out a white sheet, which he struggled to pull on.
"What is it—with this—ruddyrobe?"
With a deep sigh, James picked up his wand from the bedside table and gave it a wave. A set of black robes soared out of the open closet and started hitting Sirius about the head and shoulders.
"Thanks, mate," gasped Sirius as he threw aside the sheet and shrugged on the robes.
"What in Merlin's name are you on?" James demanded, now completely appalled as Sirius began slathering toothpaste into his hair.
"Nicole's father is coming today! Did you forget? Galloping gargoyles—I haven't got his puffskein!"
"That's what you get for making random promises. Padfoot, calm down," James instructed.
"What the bloody hell is the matter with you lot?" came a venomous hiss. Sirius and James jumped.
Remus stalked into the room, his brown hair askew and his yellow pajamas rumpled. "D'you want to wake the whole village?"
"Our dear Padfoot apparently forgot that his lovely girlfriend's father is coming to visit us today. Now he has to rustle up a puffskein before Mr. Greenleaf gets here," James supplied cheerfully. "So all in all, nothing to worry about, Moony."
"Are they girls awake?" Sirius suddenly looked panicked. "Oh gods…Nicole will kill me if she realizes I didn't remember…"
"Well, when I put my ear to the door, they weren't stirring," Remus offered reassuringly.
"Eavesdropping on the girls, Moony? I expected better of you!" James quipped.
Remus shot him a dirty look. "Now's not the time, Prongs."
He thought for a moment. "Well, we're not going to be able to get one here in Hogsmeade—I know for a fact that Perkins's Home for Adorable Magical Pets isn't open at this hour. Too bad though, their puffskeins are world-class."
"As dinner?" James inquired, his hazel eyes twinkling wickedly.
"Silencio!" two voices muttered at the same time.
"As I was saying," Remus continued, "we may have to go to the Magical Menagerie in Diagon—although I'm not sure if they're open, so we might have to wake the witch up. What say you, Padfoot?"
Sirius shuddered. "I'll take my chances with the witch. Perkins might set that monstrous Crup of his on me."
Remus started to head back to his room to get dressed, then he stopped, staring at Sirius's head. "Um, Padfoot?"
"What?"
"You might want to do something about all that toothpaste in your hair..."
He suppressed a mirthful laugh as Siriusscreeched in horror and ran for the bathroom.
xxxxx
"Out, you bothersome twits!"
Remus went flying out the door, landing on his rump. Sirius came tumbling out a second later, sliding across the pavement on his stomach.
"That landing's about a five on my scale—your aim was a bit off, Paddy," quipped James.
Remus got to his feet, his eyebrows raised. "What the—"
Sirius leapt up, a grin spreading across his dirt-smeared face. "Is that—"
James gave the cage in his hand a little wiggle. "I could've told you that old Perkins liked me if you hadn't silenced me."
"Prongs, this is excellent! I owe you one!" Sirius grabbed the cage and poked its round, furry, custard-colored occupant.
"You may kiss my hand," smirked James. "As for what you owe me…"
xxxxx
"Scourgify!" Nicole pointed her wand at a dirty spot on the wall. "Well, that takes care of it. Lily, how's the cooking coming along?"
The two girls had been sprucing up the house for the past half-hour. It looked stunning, if Nicole would say so herself, and was filled with some very appetizing smells.
"Where are those boys?" Lily grumbled as she exited the kitchen to give the living room a once-over. "They ought to be in here helping."
Nicole smirked. "Knowing Sirius, he's probablybeen banging down pet store doors since six to find out if they can get hima puffskein."
A loud scream stopped the conversation.
Nicole rushed to the door and threw it open. On the doorstep stood her horrified father. "What on earth is this squalor?"
"Dad, you may calm down. This is just a charm—see?" She flicked her wand, waiting for the illusion to melt away. It didn't.
"Uh-oh."
"Ahem…"
"Um, Lily? The illusion's not wearing off."
Lily came to the door and flicked her wand. "What did those boys do?"
"Girls…"
"Lily!" James came sprinting up the steps. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Remus and Sirius, his face smeared with dirt,stealthily sneaking around to the back of the house, a cage with a custard-colored, round object inside.
"Sorry, sir,"James panted. "The house has an anti-Muggle charm on it—allow me." He muttered something under his breath and jabbed his wand at the door. Immediately, the illusion fell away.
"By George, this looks wonderful!" Mr. Greenleaf gazed in awe at the house's transformation. "Your magic never fails to amaze me…"
He gave his daughter a hug and entered the house just as Remus and Sirius came strolling casually downstairs, trying to pretend they'd been in the house all along.
"Preparing your puffskein for its new master, sir!" Sirius said jovially as he presented the cage to Mr. Greenleaf.
Lily let out a loud and very fake cough.
"Excellent!" Mr. Greenleaf stuck a finger through the bars and patted his new pet.
Remus, meanwhile, was sniffing the air. "Is something burning?"
All eyes went to Lily.
"Lunch!" she cried, running for it.
xxxxx
"Well, this isn't the way I was expecting lunch to go," Lily said meekly as she put down her fork.
"Don't worry, love—the smoke will clear up soon," James replied happily as he dug into his chocolate ice cream.
"No worries, Lily—I don't mind!" said Mr. Greenleaf enthusiastically. "This place is marvelous! What do you call this wonderful drink?"
"Butterbeer, Dad," Nicole answered, smiling.
"Would you like to try some firewhisky next, sir?" Sirius offered, holding up his glass. "I can get it for you."
"Sirius, don't teach my dad to drink!"
"Now, dear…" Mr. Greenleaf nodded vigorously. "Let's go, Sirius—who is that?" He pointed in the direction of the bar.
"That's…Madam Rosmerta. She owns this place."
"She has…very nice hair." Mr. Greenleaf coughed.
"Father." Nicole said evenly.
"I'll get the drink." Sirius swept away from the table quickly.
"I'll go with you!" Mr. Greenleaf jumped up, interrupting Nicole mid-lecture, and hurried off after him.
xxxxx
"And furthermore, it is sick and wrong and…Father, are you listening to me?" Nicole demanded.
Sirius laughed. "Honey, let him off. He clearly isn't."
Her father was, in fact, listening with rapt attention to Hagrid, whose hut they had visited next after tearing Mr. Greenleaf away from the bar.
"Oh, I've heard a lot about those hiwopiffs! Can I see them? How high do they fly? How fast?" he asked.
Hagrid looked extremely flattered that someone was so interested in his magical creatures. "Righ' this way…"
xxxxx
"Did you enjoy yourself, sir?" Remus asked as they stepped out of The Leaky Cauldron and headed for a bus stop.
It was really an unnecessary question. Mr. Greenleaf's arms were loaded with souvenirs from Hagrid, The Three Broomsticks, Zonko's Joke Shop, Honeydukes, a piece of wood torn from the Shrieking Shack, and he was wearing an expression akin to that of a child's on a sugar high.
"Most definitely!" he chirped. "Astounding, really…the way wizards cope with not having electricity!"
Nicole, who still looked disgruntled, stepped forward and gave her dad a hug. "I'm glad you had fun."
"Of course, I had fun! Any time with my daughter and this wonderful company she keeps is fun. Now, dear, you take good care of yourself." He patted his daughter on the head.
"You can rest assured, Dad." She beamed.
"You had best watch over my little girl, Sirius," Mr. Greenleaf warned him. "Take care, James, Remus, and Lily!"
"Take care, sir," they replied in unison.
"Oh, hear comes my bus! Goodbye!"
They waved until the bus turned a corner and went out of sight.
Nicole leaned her head against Sirius's shoulder. "I'm going to miss him."
"Any time you do, just tell me and I'll Apparate him over," Sirius promised.
The five teenagers smiled and, with five successive pops, vanished from the pavement.
XXX
A/N: I've just recently noticed that I've spent 12 chapters on events that occurred in just one week! So that this story will not turn into a hundred-chapter one, starting from the next chapter, the pacing is going to pick up. But don't worry, I will continue to deliver romance, comedy, and maybe a little bit more for you all :)
To my reviewers:
Prongs76- Thanks! And God Bless on that essay :)
flower123- Haha, thanks! My best friend almost died when she found out I used them here although she did okay it.
Arista Ramabra- Thanks:) I'll be happy to take you up on that offer—I had a couple of friends who used to act as my editors, but aside from going to a different college from mine, one got a boyfriend while the other I told to focus on her studies…
LupinLover99- I included something in this chapter just for you—I hope you spot it :) Don't worry, we'll see Remus getting a date or two ;)
JosephineTay- Thanks:) Yes, the mystery of our greenhouse owner intensifies…
God bless, y'all! My prayers are with you :)