Chapter 12 Deceptive Mirrors

Remus climbed the never ending staircase up to Gryffindor tower. He was weighed down by a rucksack full of books and parchment. It didn't help that the full moon was near. His fight to hold off the wolf wore him down. He was sick. His head throbbed, his heartbeat was quicker than usual, his breathing was constricted, the slightest activity would break him out into a cold sweat, everything that brushed against his skin hurt like razors. He only hoped he could hide it, just for one week more. He reached the portrait and forced a smile on his face. He climbed the steps up to their dormitory focusing on taking deeper, slower breaths. As he reached out to turn the doorknob he forced himself not to wince as the fabric of his robes rubbed against his skin. He stopped short, hearing shouting from within.

"We need some sort of signal!" James's voice could be heard through the thick wooden door. Remus strained to hear the rest of it.

"No shit, James. But if we send off sparks that will alert the entire staff not just us," Sirius said, his voice sounding calm and assuring taking on his role as the advisor.

"We should ask Remus. Maybe he'll know something we don't," Peter suggested. Remus took this as his cue and opened the door.

"Should I pretend not to be insulted by the lack of invitation?" Remus smirked dropping his heavy books by his bed. All three of him looked startled by his sudden presence.

"Remus! How was the library? I hope Longbottom didn't turn you into too much of a geek," Sirius joked placing a hand on Peter's shoulder forcing him into silence.

"I haven't reached your level yet, but I think by next week I should be close," Remus returned, earning a high-five from both Peter and James. Sirius faked a laugh and gave him an empty threat. "How was detention?"

"Awful. Maggie left us with Slughorn. He basically set it up to be a Slug Club meeting," Sirius ranted.

"How terrible! You were forced to socialise. I suppose now you've learnt your lesson and won't wreak any more havoc in Herbology?" Remus smirked.

"Ha. Ha. You're hilarious," James answered.

"But why don't you want to join? It doesn't seem too bad, honestly," Peter asked.

"I'm nothing but a name to him," Sirius explained bitterly. His family was famous, so his trouble with Slughorn was only the beginning. The entire school had expectations for him. Peter nodded, understanding his issue. James ruffly patted Sirius on the back, then turned and jumped onto his bed.

"Not to mention Snivellus," James added, flipping through a quidditch supplies catalogue.

"And Malfoy, and Mulciber, Rosier," Sirius started. He grit his teeth and shook his head knowing the topic would only upset him. Remus's stomach twisted in knots at the reminder of Death Eaters attending his school. That was probably the reason why they hadn't invited him. The full moon was too close and he needed to be at full strength if they were 'pranking' the Death Eaters. He should be able to help, especially on the full moon. The wolf was stronger than any of them. He swallowed, forcing those thoughts into the darkest corners of his mind. Anything he did as the wolf would be worse than anything they would ever do. No one deserved that.

"Maybe the mirrors will help with your signal problem?" Remus suggested lightly, referring to the mirrors he had given to James and Sirius for Christmas.

"We could use them to reflect light into each other's eyes when someone's coming," James said, with a snap of his fingers. Remus smiled remembering all the nights the three of them spent trying and failing to figure out what the mirrors did. "Brilliant idea, Lupin. Guess we're all set for tomorrow then,"

"It's unbelievable that after all this time you still have no idea what they do," Remus clicked his tongue and shook his head taunting his friends.
"Does this mean you're finally going to tell us what they do, moonchild?" Sirius drawled. Remus rolled his eyes at his attempted nickname. They had been throwing around ridiculous names all as obvious as this ever since James suggested it in January. Peter snorted and James smirked.

"You are not calling me moonchild," Remus argued, trying not to laugh.

"I don't think people are allowed to pick their nicknames?" Sirius returned crossing his arms.

"Fine, Pickles," Remus laughed. Sirius winced at the name but quickly regained composure.

"You should tell us what the mirrors do, oh wise and powerful moonchild," James laughed crawling to the edge of the beds. Remus thought about it for a moment, not yet wanting to give up on watching his friends struggle with something so simple.

"If I do, Moonchild is off the table," Remus demanded.

"Deal," James said, gruffly taking his hand. Sirius joined bringing Peter with him.

"Get the mirrors," Remus ordered. James and Sirius skipped off to their trucks. Peter sat cross-legged at the foot of his bed, giving him a front-row seat for what was about to happen. James and Sirius stood in front of him with their shoulders touching and identical expressions of excitement on their faces.

"Stand on opposite sides of the room then look into the mirrors," Remus told them. They exchanged looks of confusion before James backed up against the door and Sirius against the back wall. The boys peered into their mirrors but instead of seeing their own reflection they saw their counterpart staring back at them.

"Hey! I can see you!" Sirius exclaimed, bouncing up and down. His voice echoed in James's mirror delayed by only a fraction of a second.

"I can hear you!" James shrieked with excitement. "Oh, this is brilliant, Lupin. BRILLIANT!" Forgetting that they were supposed to be keeping Remus unaware, James, Sirius, and Peter immediately jumped into solidifying their plans.

"Why are you going to the greenhouse?" Remus interrupted with irritation lacing his stern voice. The three of them stared at him seeming startled by his presence. They glanced at each other slightly panic stricken.

"What do you mean?" James asked nonchalantly.

"We're already in enough trouble with Sprat, after what happened this morning. Maybe we should just leave Herbology alone for a bit?" Remus suggested cautiously, not wanting to argue with his friends but also not wanting to see them in more trouble. "You could go after Slughorn, maybe he'd get the hint that Sirius doesn't want to be in his club."

"We're not pranking Sprat, Remus." Sirius rolled his eyes. "We just need something, from the greenhouse."

"For a prank against the Slytherins," Peter added, quickly.

"Alihotsy. Should be hilarious. Goshawk said it causes hysteria," James laughed. Remus rolled his eyes, clenched his jaw, and tried desperately hard to hold in his argument but when Sirius and Peter added their affirmations of the hilarity of it all he couldn't help it.

"Sending armed, hormonal teenagers into a fit of hysteria would be hilarious. There's no possible way anyone else would get hurt. Nor any way for you to get expelled for drugging other students," Remus said dryly.

"Lupin," James's eyes narrowed in concern, "you usually like our pranks."

"This one's too dangerous, James," Remus said. "They're Death Eaters. The last thing we need is to give them an excuse to hurt someone." James opened his mouth to protest further but Sirius cut him off.

"Remus is right. We'll just have Peter give 'em one of his special explosions at their quidditch practice," Sirius said winking at Peter. James looked at Sirius confused but all he got was a half smile. Remus was just as confused as James but decided it was best to let it go. "I'm gonna get some sleep. Good night guys." Sirius turned away from his astounded looking friends, stripped into his pants, and jumped into bed pulling his curtains closed behind him.

"I… guess we should all get to bed." James's statement sounded more like a question but nonetheless they all followed.