Chapter 15 - The Astronomy Tower

Lily wandered up to her common room, in a pensive mood. She opened the portrait on a chuckling Tamara who was sitting in an armchair in front of the fire. Lily frowned slightly at her friend, who looked up and grinned, unabashed.

"Lily!" she greeted joyfully, "You heard?"

Lily froze, her mind flicking back to the closet, the recent memory of James' breath tickling her face. A guilty expression must have forced its way onto her features because Tamara cackled. "You have! Oh that was funny. Did you actually see him?"

Lily frowned again, this time in puzzlement, "What?"

Tamara grinned happily, "Sirius, of course! He was running around, with bats chasing him. I wouldn't be surprised if he turned bald! But I'm sure a curse of Remus Lupin's wouldn't do that to a friend." Tamara paused and looked slyly at Lily, "I was just wondering what had caused such a reaction."

Lily placed a carefully blank expression over her features, and Tamara laughed again, "Oh, so it was something to do with you!" she exclaimed delightedly.

At this, Lily pounced forwards and smothered her very loud friend's mouth with her hand, "Not here," she whispered harshly.

Tamara, eyes sparkling with mischief and mirth, followed Lily up the stairs to their dormitory.

"You didn't!" Tamara's voice was heard down in the roaring flames of the fireplace.

A quiet murmur from Lily followed. Tamara leant in to hear it.

"No, I didn't but…" Lily trailed off.

Tamara raised an eyebrow, her voice returning to a natural level, "May I ask why you didn't?"

Lily smiled archly, "You can ask, I just may not answer."

Tamara huffed, and went to stand up. Lily relented slightly, "Ok, ok. It was because Remus opened the door."

"And you didn't just shut it in his face?" Tamara wanted to know, "Hell knows, I would've!"

"I know you would've." Lily muttered sourly, "But it would have been rude."

"Not to mention it would have ruined your moment, hey, Lily?" Tamara winked.

"I did not have a moment with James Potter!" Lily flared, her fists bunching at her sides.

"Yeah, sure. If that's what you think, Lily." Tamara winked again, "But by what you've told me…?" Tamara grinned at her friend, turned and walked down the steps to the Common room again, the pillow that was thrown after her missing by a mere fraction of an inch.

Remus grinned as Sirius made another round of the Hall, still yelling, and then his gaze turned pensive. Remus' thoughts all came together at once.

While it might take some persuading, this just might work Remus thought, smiling to himself as Sirius stopped in front of him, finally managing to rid himself of the hair eating bats.Remus looked at Sirius as he ran his hands through his hair, cleared his throat and grinned at the passing 3rd years who were smiling and whispering among each other.

Remus shook his head and turned his thoughts back to the plan that was more and more clearly forming in his head. He glanced back at Sirius again and sighed. Even thought it was hard to admit it, he needed Sirius's help.

Remus frowned at Sirius's roguish grin, which only broadened, "What are you so happy about?" he demanded.

Sirius chuckled, "Oh, it's not for me, my wolfish friend. You have a look in you eyes. That means someone is in for a well-planned prank."

"You know me too well." Remus grumbled.

Sirius only grinned again, "So… who's the lucky guy?" he asked and winked, then ducked hurriedly to avoid being cuffed over the head by an irate werewolf. "Or girl." He added quickly, "Snape?" he asked hopefully.

Remus glared, "No." he said shortly, "It is not going to be a particular prank on any enemy of yours."

Sirius frowned, puzzled, "You have an enemy?"

This time Remus actually did cuff him over the head, "No, you dolt. James."

"What!" Sirius yelped, "What has James done?" he paused, and then added, "Apart from being a bloody lovesick puppy for the past few years."

Remus sighed long sufferingly, "Well, that's technically the point."

Sirius took a step back, "Moony, I do not get you."

"You seldom do."

Sirius tilted his head; "Could you say that in Spanish?" he wanted to know.

"What?" Remus shrieked, "You wouldn't know what it means in Spanish! You don't understand Spanish!"

Sirius looked exasperated, "Yeah, but I don't understand it now either. At least if it's in Spanish, I know I shouldn't understand it!"

Remus stared at Sirius stonily, "You don't understand anything I say."

Sirius's face was crestfallen, "I do too." He pined.

Remus rolled his eyes, "Oh, Merlin save me from your 'puppy' eyes and lack of education." He paused, "Emphasis on the lack."

Sirius tilted his head the other way, "Em-fah-ses?"

Remus gritted his teeth, "See? That, right there!"

"What? Where? I can't see it!" Sirius twisted around, looking for what had caught his friend's attention.

Remus sighed impatiently at Sirius, who was still turning around, doing a wonderful impression of a puppy chasing his tail.

Sirius looked back at his friend, trying to understand, then enlightenment struck, "Oh," he said quietly, "I think I'm gonna go now."

"Oh no you don't." Remus's hand grabbed the end of Sirius's sleave as he started to stride away, "Stupid as you may be, I still need your help. Tell James to meet us at the Astronomy at midnight tonight."

Sirius's forehead creased, "Moony, I really do not get this prank. Why are we pulling it on our best friend?"

Remus whacked a hand to his forehead making a nice smacking sound "You never get me."

"Well, you're not making much sense." Sirius pointed out reasonably.

"Look, all you need to do is be a messenger. I'll sort out the rest."

"Is it going to hurt him?"

"Not unless Lily bites his head off."

Understanding bloomed in Sirius eyes. He grinned at Remus and trotted off to find James, whistling. Remus watched him go, and then turned in the other direction to find Lily.

"Lily." Remus's voice drifted smoothly up the stairwell, carried on a speaking spell, "Can you come down to the Common Room please?"

Lily raised an eyebrow, but got up from her bed, where she had been staring at the ceiling. She walked slowly down the stairs to where Remus was standing, next to the fireplace in the common room.

"There's a prefect meeting on, tonight in the Astronomy tower."

"What time?"

"Midnight." Remus said, his face carefully blank.

Lily frowned, "What? McGonagall never sets it that late."

"Perhaps she was feeling frisky?"

She snorted, "Frisky? McGonagall? Are we talking about the same teacher?" Lily paused, then, as if explaining it to a first year, "McGonagall is the one who frowns when she says 'let her hair down'. This is McGonagall and midnight in the same sentence? I don't think so!"

Remus shrugged, "I don't make the times."

Lily looked at him sceptically, "And why the Astronomy Tower? Why not the Transfiguration classroom like last time?"

Remus, to Lily's astonishment, blushed slightly, "I don't know. Perhaps she wants us to check a new constellation?"

Lily looked at him, "A new constellation?"

"Yeah!"

"A new constellation?"

For the first time Lily had met him, Remus looked flustered, "Perhaps there's a prophecy? These things are seen in the stars. Perhaps it's a change in the future? I don't know!"

Lily held up her hands in defeat, "Okay, okay." She said, turned and stalked back up the stairs, muttering.

Listening with the ears only a werewolf has, Remus heard the words, "Merlin, midnight! What is she thinking?"

"Oy!" Sirius called as he climbed through the portrait hole, startling James out of his reminiscences.

James blinked at Sirius's laughing eyes, "What?" he took stock of Sirius's mischievous grin, "Whose in for it tonight?"

Sirius blinked, "No one, of course."

James raised an eyebrow, "Why do I not believe you?"

"Because you have enough sense not to." Sirius grinned, "Okay, Prongs, you sprung me. Meeting: you, me, Remus and Peter. Midnight tonight. Astronomy tower." He grinned again to himself as he bounced away.

"Deal!" James yelled after Sirius's retreating back. He grinned, a new prank!

Sirius turned towards the kitchens after he clambered out of the portrait hole again; he needed to have a chat with the house elves. And if he just happened to get food while he was down there, so much the better!