Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. Pretty please?
Chapter 2
Of the Tickle Torture & Sad Puppy Faces
"C'mon Sirius, we're gonna miss the train," James's voice said loudly, waking Sirius up. "Five more minutes," Sirius mumbled, still half-asleep. "No-can-do Padfoot," James replied cheerfully. (James was a morning person.) Sirius reluctantly left the warm nest he had made in the middle of his bed, and got dressed. He gaped in astonishment as he saw James attempting to flatten his hair. "Egad! James Potter actually trying to make his hair look neat! It's the apocalypse! Run, run for your lives!" Sirius then began running around the room in circles still screaming, "Run, run for your lives!" "Sirius, calm down!" James shouted, "I just wanted to look nice for…for the train ride. That's all." "You mean you wanted to look nice for a certain someone…not to mention any names, but their name starts with a 'Lily' and ends with an 'Evans'," Sirius said slyly. After a few more minutes of flattening efforts, with his hair standing as rebellious as ever, James gave up. "Well, what's the use? She'll never like me anyway," James moaned. "You never know, mate, maybe this year she'll change her mind," Sirius replied, trying to cheer his friend up. "Boys! Time to go! You're going to be late!" Mr. Potter yelled up the stairs at the boys' bedroom. "Coming!" they shouted in unison.
Later, on the Train
James and Sirius made their way through the train trying to find an empty compartment and 'accidentally' walking into a compartment of second-year girls just to hear them squeal and whisper to each other once they left. "Still as gorgeous as ever," Sirius said smugly. They had been doing this since second year, so they could tell if the girls were as in love with them this year as they had been last year. Toward the end of the train they found an empty compartment and sat down to wait for the other half of the Marauders, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Bored, James let his thoughts wander…back to first year… back to the night he met Sirius.
James had somehow managed to find the only compartment with no one in it, and sat alone for the whole journey to Hogwarts, nervous and lonely. He had been lined up with the other first-years and sorted into Gryffindor right away. He had been so hungry that he had eaten without speaking to any of his new house-mates. Only when he was in his dormitory, did he realize that he had not made a single friend. This depressed him a bit until he realized that everyone in his dormitory was asleep. He decided to sneak out and explore the castle a little bit. It occurred to him that there might be people patrolling the corridors, but if he was caught, he reasoned, he could always pretend to be sleep-walking. It had worked in the past. At his own house he was infamous for his 'sleep walking'. So he got out of bed with the intention of sneaking out of his dormitory, crept quickly and silently towards to doorway. About halfway there, he started going faster and faster, until he was running. "Almost there …" He thought, "Nearly there…" WHAM! He ran smack into something or… someone. "Ahhhhhh!" The other person screamed like a girl. James yelled too, but not like a girl. Or so he told himself. "Shhh, shhh," he whispered frantically, "Don't wake up the whole house." "Who are you?" The other person whispered back. James was surprised to hear that the voice was a boy. After that scream he had expected a girl. "Shhh…Let's go into the common room, so we don't wake everyone up," James suggested. They had quickly and quietly snuck into the common room and sat down in two of the most comfortable armchairs James had ever sat in. "So, what's your name?" the other boy asked. He had long black hair and was, James supposed, rather good-looking. "Potter, James Potter." "Umm… ok then, I'm Sirius Black," the black-haired boy replied. James guessed that Sirius had never seen the muggle movie 'James Bond'. That would explain the 'umm…ok' before Sirius had introduced himself. "Wait. Did you just say 'Black'? As in 'The Noble and Most Ancient Housed of Black'?" James asked. He had heard the most awful stories about this family and been warned to avoid them, "Why aren't you in Slytherin? Hasn't your family been in that house since, like, from the beginning of time?" James asked curiously. Yes," Sirius replied reluctantly, "I'm in Gryffindor because the sorting hat put me there." "But won't your family be furious?" James questioned, leaning forward interestedly. "Yeah. I'll probably get a Howler or something tomorrow." Sirius said indifferently, "But I don't really care. I hate my family. They're cruel and, if you ask me, more than a little evil." The rest of the night had been spent talking about Sirius's family problems, quidditch, and they found that they had many things in common. Before the night was through, they had become best friends. James knew his life would never be the same again.
"Oi! Hello! James? Prongsie-boy? Oh no! Lily's hair is on fire! Somebody save her!" Sirius shouted loudly bringing James's mind back to the present. "Huh?" James said stupidly. "Oh nothing, I just thought I would tell you that Moony and Wormtail are here, and that the train's been traveling for almost thirty minutes." Sirius said grinning. "No, what did you call me?" James inquired dangerously. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all," Sirius replied innocently. "Did a certain canine just call me 'Prongsie-boy'? Isn't calling me that name against the Marauder Code of Conduct?" James continued. "Umm…maybe?" Sirius guessed. "Yes it is! Isn't it, Remus?" James called to the official record keeper of the Marauders, who then pulled out a small and battered book, from his pocket and read, "'Chapter Three, Section Six: Rule Number Twenty-nine : Never call James H. Potter "Prongsie-boy, or Jamesie-boy, or any variant of the above. This includes Prongsie-lad and Jamesie-man"'. Right after Rule Number Twenty-eight : 'Never refer to the time of the full moon as "that time of the month," or any variant of the above.'" "I told you so!" James shouted triumphantly, "And Moony, what happens to people who break the Marauder Code of Conduct?" Remus once again pulled out the book and read, "'Chapter Nine, Section eighteen: Punishment of those who break any of the above rules: The offended one may pick from the choices below: 1. Locked out of dormitory for three days. 2. The tickle torture. 3. Unknown prank pulled upon the offender. 4. Offender must pay for all food for the offended. 5. Offender must become slave for the offended for two days.'" "Personally, Prongs, I'd go for the slave punishment. We all know how good Padfoot looks serving you drinks in a tutu and high heels." Remus snickered. "No, Moony, remember how he kept tripping and spilled those drinks all over Lily and her friends?" Peter said, "And then how she yelled at us and jinxed us? Getting those tentacles off of my face was not fun." "Oh yeah, I'd forgotten all about that time," Remus said, "Definitely chose something else." "Hmmm…How can I choose? Well, hmm…I'm not particularly hungry, so not the food one…not the prank one either, I can't think of any that I would waste on Sirius…" James philosophized. "Please don't hurt me James, "Sirius whimpered," Just think of all the good times we've had together, all the pranks, all the times you've done something to me and I let you off easy. Please?" Sirius was now making his infamous sad puppy face. "Awwwww…"Peter said, giving in immediately, "Look how sad he looks. Awww." Remus, far wiser in the ways of Sirius's puppy faces, had immediately flung his hands over his eyes. Now though, he snuck a peek at Sirius's face from in between his fingers. At once, he was awwwing over Sirius too, "Awww look at the cutsey, little puppy, isn't he the cutest?" Remus gushed. James had covered his eyes too, and he was not about to look. He was also somewhat frightened by Remus's gushing over Sirius. "Umm…I think the Tickle Punishment is perfect for this crime." James said after a few moments of deliberation. Sirius's puppy dog face disappeared instantly, before he began screaming. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOT THE TICKLE TREATMENT! ANYTHING BUT THAT! SOEMBODY SAVE ME! HELP, HELP! I WANT MY MOMMY! Wait, no I don't! KEEP MOMMY AWAY FROM ME! HELP ME, HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Sirius screamed as his friend dragged him off of his seat onto the floor, where they preceded to tickle him until he passed out due to lack of oxygen from laughing and/or screaming.