Disclaimer: One again, I do not own Harry Potter.
Chapter Five - In which Sirius is distracted by an inkwell
Sirius rested his chin on his desk, tapping the tip of his quill and staring at Professor McGonagall's desk.
"Trying to figure out how to disrupt class, mate?" Remus asked irritably.
"No," Sirius said vaguely. "Trying to decide if McGonagall's inkwell is staring at me or not..."
Remus stared at him. "Padfoot, it's an inkwell. It's not staring at anyone."
"Yes it is!" Sirius answered indignantly. "And yeah, it's distracting me." He lifted his head and shot his hand into the air.
Professor McGonagall looked rather startled. "Yes, Black?" she asked warily. Sirius raising his hand in class never led to anything good.
"Professor, can you please move your inkwell? It's looking at me and I can't learn with an inkwell looking at me." Sirius rested his chin in his hand and blinked at her.
"It's an inkwell!" Remus said. "It's not alive!"
"Black, I'll thank you not to interrupt my class with pointless remarks," Professor McGonagall said crisply, and turned away.
Sirius slumped down in his chair and drummed his fingers on the desk. He sighed.
"Is there a problem, Mr. Black?" Professor McGonagall asked with an edge to her voice.
"I'm really sorry, Professor, the inkwell - it just looks like it's looking at me, and it's very distracting."
Several people giggled. Across the room, James grinned. "Sirius, mate, have you finally lost it?"
"No...look, Professor, I'll be quiet for the rest of class and I'll actually listen to you if you just move the inkwell." Sirius gazed up at her innocently.
Professor McGonagall looked at him sternly, then sighed and moved the inkwell across her desk. "Better?"
"Much. Thank you." Sirius grinned.
Remus rolled his eyes.
"Professor," James said loudly, thrusting his own hand into the air with a grin.
"What is it, Potter?"
"Now it's looking at me."
Professor McGonagall looked furious. "That's quite enough!" she snapped. "Black, Potter - enough of this nonsense. You will see me after class."
Sirius smirked, put his head back on his arms, and continued tapping his quill on his desk, much to Remus's annoyance.
The bell rang some twenty minutes later and James sauntered over to Sirius and Remus, Peter close behind. Sirius was throwing his books into his bag one by one. Remus rolled his eyes. "Hurry up, please."
"You've forgotten, mate, McGonagall asked to see Prongs and me." Sirius grinned, looking altogether amused by this development.
"Quite right, Black." McGonagall strode down the aisle toward them. "Lupin - Pettigrew - move along, please. Your friends will join you after I speak with them." Her eyes glinted sternly over the tops of her glasses.
Sirius continued grinning. "See you in Charms, mate," he said to Remus before following Professor McGonagall and James into her office.
McGonagall shut the door behind them and collapsed behind her desk. She pointed to the chairs across from it. "Sit."
James and Sirius sat, exchanging looks with each other.
McGonagall rubbed her temples. "Remind me of your ages, please."
"Sixteen," Sirius said, tilting his chair back on two legs.
"I'm fifteen. Almost sixteen," James said.
McGonagall sat up and folded her hands on the desk in front of her. "Of course. And this is your fifth year at this school - a very important year, need I remind you - "
"Yes, yes, O.W.L.s and all," Sirius interjected carelessly, tilting his chair precariously farther back.
"Mr. Black, if you tilt your chair much farther you will fall and crack your head, and I assure you I will not be cleaning up your blood!" McGonagall shot at him, eyes flashing. "Yes - this is your O.W.L year - and I think it's time I had a chat with the both of you."
She glared at them impressively until James finally asked, "About what, Professor?"
"About the amount of effort you put into your work." She sat back in her chair. "Both of you pass at the top of every class - "
"Us?" protested James.
"Yes, Mr. Potter, you, as you know perfectly well." McGonagall fixed him with a hard stare. "Yet both of you put very little effort into your work."
"So? We don't need to," scoffed Sirius. "What's your point?"
"My point, Mr. Black, is that you and Mr. Potter could be two of the most extraordinary wizards in the school if you worked half as hard as some students. You're that intelligent."
"We know that." Sirius was still smirking.
McGonagall rolled her eyes. "Obviously." She leaned over her desk. "Listen to me. You are in your fifth year. What was cute and funny in first year is not anymore. It's time you started acting your age!"
"What's the point?" James asked, grinning impudently.
"We've got Remus to act his age - what do we need to for?" Sirius chimed in.
"This is not about Mr. Lupin," McGonagall said firmly. "This is about the two of you. Younger students look up to their seniors - you want to set a better example."
"What've we done wrong?" Sirius asked, looking hurt.
"I cannot begin to tell you how frustrating it is for a teacher to see such exceptional talent in two boys who refuse to apply themselves," McGonagall said. "And choose to waste their talents on terrorizing other students."
"That's not all we do," James said indignantly. Unfortunately, the other things they used their talents for - like the Marauder's Map they were in the process of making, and their Animagus forms - were meant to be secrets.
McGonagall's mouth was a thin line. "Mr. Potter, all I would ask of you is that you apply yourself to your schoolwork a little more."
"And abandon everything good and fun in the world?" Sirius let his chair land on all four legs with a thud.
McGonagall sighed. "I expected you might have this attitude. The other teachers and I think my having a talk with the two of you is long overdue - I thought perhaps you would mature on your own, but this is showing no signs of happening." She fixed them with a beady stare. "Let me put things in perspective for you. Outside Hogwarts, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is gathering followers. Professor Dumbledore - and I do not tell you this lightly! - is putting together a very strong organization of talented witches and wizards committed to fighting against him - the Order of the Phoenix. You both are very good in Defense Against the Dark Arts - " James and Sirius were know listening intently to her, " - and the headmaster has asked me to inform you that after you have finished your schooling he would more than welcome you into the Order. However," she continued over James and Sirius's gasps of excitement, "should your behavior not improve, and quickly, I shall think twice before passing on my good recommendations to the headmaster!"
"We want to fight You-Know-Who!" James said indignantly.
"We hate the Dark Arts!" added Sirius.
"I am aware of that, Black," said Professor McGonagall. "So I should think that from now on you'll put a little more thought into your behavior - and how you present yourselves as young men, and as role models to the younger students."
James and Sirius looked at each other. McGonagall was good. She was offering them a high honor - and invitation to join the Order of the Phoenix - and at the same time threatening to take it away if they didn't mature. "All right, Professor," James said finally.
McGonagall turned to Sirius. "Black?"
"Yes, Professor," Sirius mumbled.
"Good," she said briskly. "Now, off to your next class, gentlemen, or you'll be late."
A/N Thanks for reading!