Hi! This is much shorter than normal, but I just had to post something. Hopefully it isn't too bad. Tell me what you think in a review. Please! Even if this isn't my best chapter.
"Sirius have you seen Remus?" James yelled.
"No, why? Haven't seen him the whole of the morning. He wasn't even there to wake us up." Sirius answered, frowning thoughtfully.
"Yeah," Peter agreed. "I'm still surprised we woke up so early. It about half an hour before Remus usually tries to wake us up."
"Where is he! I need to tell him how to react and make sure he does the acting properly!"
"Okay, so once again—"
"Not again Sirius." James groaned.
"Fine. Don't blame me when the prank flops."
"It's not going to fail Sirius. We have been over this." Peter stressed. "Ten times."
"I'm just making sure. Don't blame me." Sirius raised his hands. "I'm a perfectionist."
"Sure Sirius." Peter rolled his eyes. "If you were a perfectionist then, you wouldn't have got detention in the first week of term!"
"That's a trifle fact. It doesn't count." Sirius said, waving his hand about.
Just then, Remus ran in panting, out of breath.
"Where were you Remmy?" James asked concernedly.
"Nowhere. Just something I had to do." Remus panted.
"You sure? Why did you run so much?" Sirius asked, not believing Remus. The younger boy was definitely hiding something, and Sirius wanted to know what.
"Okay, so anyway," James said, apparently not having noticed Sirius' disbelieving expression, "Remus, you need to act surprised and flustered when I confess my ardent devotion to you. Understand?"
"James, I'm surprised. When did you learn to use the word 'ardent'?" Remus raised an eyebrow. "And you used it correctly! Bravo!"
"Ha ha." James said sarcastically. "We can't have you laughing and blowing the prank, okay?"
"Yeah I know that. I'm not that bad of an actor you know." Remus pouted at his friend's lack of faith in him.
"Yeah yeah sure." Peter said.
Remus began rummaging in his luggage. "I kept it somewhere here..." He mumbled.
"Sirius, you need to act... How?" James asked.
"How many times are you going to ask me? Just because I've said it before, does not mean that I'm going to forget it."
"Just answer!"
"I need to act all surprised and jealous and over protective." Sirius recited from memory.
"Peter." James said.
"Yes sir." Peter saluted, jumping to attention.
This cracked all of them up. After calming down, James began again.
"Peter—" But he was cut short.
"What are you searching for Remus?" Peter asked. James glared annoyed.
"Huh? Oh... Nothing. Never mind." Remus said, his voice muffled, his head was buried deep inside his trunk.
"Are you looking for this Remmy?" Sirius asked smirking. In his hand, was Remus' last piece of chocolate.
"Sirius you dog! Where did you get that?!" Lupin yelled.
He threw himself in the boy, and there was a brief scuffle on the floor, which Remus won. He sat triumphantly on Sirius, his chocolate held aloft in one hand, and a huge smile on his face.
Even Sirius, who had just lost, had to smile at the pure joy on Remus' face when he looked at the chocolate.
"I think your obsession with chocolate is unhealthy." Sirius said, from his place underneath Remus.
"Shush you." Remus said through a mouthful of chocolate.
"Ew Remus! Do close your mouth when you eat!" Peter squealed.
"You're talking."
"Anyway, everyone ready?" James asked.
"Yeah."
"As I'll ever be."
"Mrgghh." Remus nodded his agreement.
"We have half an hour before classes start and we above to make sure if goes without a hitch." James said importantly.
"Okay, seriously, Where did you learn to use phrases right?" Sirius asked annoyed.
"Never mind that. Make sure you know what you have to do, and DO IT RIGHT!" Potter yelled.
"Okay, okay calm down." Peter said.
"Okay." James took a deep breath. "Everyone—"
"Ready? Let's go!" Sirius shouted.
XXXXXXX
Sirius and Remus entered the Great Hall together, standing closer than necessarily required. Conversations stopped and hushed whispers were heard all around.
Peter was sitting on the Gryffindor Table and fuelling all the rumours.
The two boys smirked. The plan was going perfectly.
They made their way to the Gryffindor Table, next to Peter and sat next to each other. Just then, James ran into the Great Hall.
"Black!" He shouted. "How could you do this? You knew I liked him!"
The Hall grew silent.
"What are you talking about?" Sirius yelled.
Frank, Fabian and Gideon high-fived each other and Peter. The entire Hall was sitting up and listening in on their conversations; just as they had planned.
"You know what I'm talking about! Don't you dare pretend you don't!"
"Ooh. Was it the fact that I told Remus I liked him? First?"
James hissed.
"It is that isn't it Potter?"
The Hall was shocked. Everyone was leaning forward so as to not miss anything - even Dumbledore and McGonagall.
Sirius continued baiting James, "Just couldn't admit it could you? Didn't have the courage. I wonder why the hat put you in Gryffindor."
"I told you I liked him. I trusted you with that knowledge. What did YOU do? Went and professed your love. What DOES a Black know about love?"
"Don't go there Potter."
"Oh I will. Just as you went some where, you weren't supposed to."
"Shut up Potter."
"What are YOU going to do about it Black?" James sneered.
"Let's just ask Remus shall we?"
"Fine. Let's see what he says."
They both turned to Remus, along with the rest of the school. Remus was standing next to Sirius a shocked, stunned expression on his face.
"Remmy?" James asked softly. "What do you have to say?"
Remus' eyes widened, he scowled, turned on his heel and walked away.
There was a stunned silence.
"Look what you did now Potter, scared Remus away."
"Shut up Black. He ran away from you and your lies and deceits."
"Lupin does not deserve either one of you!" A second year Ravenclaw yelled.
Everyone started yelling. "I know right. Potter and Black just CANNOT like that Lupin boy. He's so frail and studious."
"Wouldn't Black and Potter make a better pair. They're both so similar."
"Don't you know? Opposites attract."
"What's so special about that Lupin kid anyway?"
"I bet they're trying to make one of us jealous."
"What is up with this drama? They're first years for Merlin's sake!"
"Black has this overinflated ego. He needs to be taken down."
"So you think Potter should be with Lupin?"
"I'm sure we didn't have this much romance in first year."
"Yeah. Poor kids. Tough luck they'll have. Getting into dating and stuff so young."
"Aren't Potter and Black the cutest!"
"This is like Romeo and Juliet!"
"Except without Romeo or Juliet. Valerie talk sense for once!"
"So much trouble. I wonder how this'll end."
"Maybe they'll all die."
"Pessimistic much?"
"This whole thing is adorable! I hope it has a happy ending!"
"EVERYONE QUIET!" Professor McGonagall shouted.
The Hall fell silent.
"Thank you. Potter, Black! My office. Now."
XXXXXXX
"What is wrong with the two of you?" McGongall shouted.
"Nothing as far as I know Minnie." Sirius answered cheekily.
Minerva McGonagall ranted on. "Disrupting the Great Hall, Ruining Breakfast, bringing drama, acting lovey in front of everyone!"
"Adding spice into your normally boring lives. You forgot that one." James said.
"And we weren't acting." Sirius added unconvincingly.
"Shut up!" She screeched. "Two weeks of detention each!"
"With pleasure Minnie."
"Black." The professor said dangerously, her eyes narrowed and fists clenched.
"Sorry Professor."
"Your detention for arriving late yesterday will happen on Saturday. Please inform your other conspirers."
"Conspirers? Professor, you wound me." James said dramatically.
"Get out!"
XXXXXXX
"So what happened? What did she say?" Remus asked, bouncing along.
"Told us that the four of us had detention on Saturday and me and Sirius had another two weeks each."
"Blimey."
"Poor, poor you." Remus said shaking his head slowly.
"Oh can it, Remmy. We know that you're secretly exceptionally proud of us." James said.
"So how did it go? Did it work? Is everyone thinking of this love triangle now?" Sirius asked beaming, waiting for answers.
"The whole school's talking about this. I even heard Prof Sinistral and Flitwick placing bets on who wins my affections." Remus shook his head sadly.
"Ah, how disappointed they'll be, when they realise the entire thing is just a well-thought out prank." Said a voice behind them.
"Oh hey you three! Where did you spring from?" Peter asked, after having got over his fright.
"From here and there." Gideon said vaguely.
"Which is?" James asked suspiciously.
"Never you mind." Gideon said, rescuing his brother.
"Great play acting by the way. I was almost hooked in." Frank winked.
"Thank you." Sirius took a bow.
"So, we made the potion for the beards, and the house leaves are ready to help us." Gideon said.
"How'd you manage to convince them? House elves are notorious for their loyalty to their master."
"We just said Dumbledore wanted us to do it, and that he was too busy to tell them personally." Fabian said.
"Should work." Remus shrugged.
"Damn well should! It took a long time to convince them!" Frank said.
"Well, you better check again with them again today night just in case." James said.
"Yeah okay. We'll do that."
XXXXXXX
"I can't wait for the prank! Do you think anyone's on to us?" Peter squealed with excitement.
"It's going to be the best prank ever." Remus said.
"Hogwarts won't know what hit it." James and Sirius said at the same time. In unison.
The marauders were all for one and one for all.
