8. TOYOTA'D

Sirius cursed as he burnt himself on his frozen dinner straight out of the microwave. Harry sat at the table eating his own breakfast. Sirius was in a funk, and he had a good reason.

"Be ready to leave in thirty minutes," Moody called into the kitchen. Sirius brought his frozen dinner to the table.

"I'm appalled that the WPP is trusting you of all people with a car," Snape sneered. Harry didn't have the faintest idea why he was sitting at the table with them, but he clearly enjoyed Sirius's misery.

"As am I," Sirius muttered. Of course he didn't want to admit anything in front of Snape, but he was trying for once in his life to be civil, especially since they had to live in the same house for God-knows how long. But Harry could see in his eyes how badly he just wanted to throw a good Muggle punch.

"An escaped prisoner learning to drive a car…" Snape drawled.

"Very dangerous, isn't it? I might just lock you in the trunk and drive off a-"

Harry elbowed Sirius, hard. Sirius cleared his throat and took a bite of his frozen dinner. "Git," he muttered under his breath.

Snape was smirking, but Harry was only counting down the seconds until Sirius would lose it.

"Well, well, well… If you did that then I'd say they would lock you up in Azkaban for another-"

Snape was cut short by Sirius's punch in the face.

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed. "No, no, Professor, you mustn't-" Harry couldn't finish his sentence before Snape punched Sirius square in the nose. Both pairs of eyes glittered dangerously as their disagreement turned into a full-blown fistfight.

"Stop, stop!" Harry shouted. But it did no good. Harry could see that both men had been waiting forever to do what they were doing and weren't going to stop until one of them was unconscious, or worse. Although Harry was quite impressed that Snape could fight like a Muggle. Sirius had the upper hand, of course, but-

"ENOUGH!" roared Mad-Eye Moody from the kitchen doorway. Both Sirius and Snape looked up from their position on the ground, got up, and dusted off their clothes as if it had not happened. Harry left the kitchen as soon as he could, but he could still hear Moody shouting from his bedroom upstairs.

"Bloody hell, mate, what was that about?" Ron gasped. He hadn't seen the fight but he also heard Moody shouting from downstairs.

"Sirius and Snape were fist fighting," Harry said. Ron's expression turned from scared to incredulous.

"Sirius and… Snape?" Ron stifled a laugh.

Harry nodded. "You could see it coming, they've never gotten along," he said. "It was quite impressive, though."

"Snape can fight?" Ron asked, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, pretty well, too," Harry said. Ron's eyes widened even more.

The shouting had stopped from downstairs, and Harry heard Snape slam the door of his bedroom next to theirs. Ron and Harry looked at each other and burst out laughing loudly, barely paying attention as Snape banged against the wall to get them to shut up.

"Let's go," Moody said to Sirius, dragging him by his coat sleeve. Arthur tried to come across as angry, but he was actually quite impressed that Sirius had tried to put Snape back in his place.

The private instructor's car was stopped outside the house. The instructor stood outside the car.

"Arthur Weasley and… Sirius Black?" the instructor asked with a jolt. He was obviously a wizard who had heard of Sirius Black as the murderer that had escaped from Azkaban.

"Don't worry, he's an innocent man," Arthur said. Sirius felt quite distinguished as he shook the instructor's hand. Moody was giving the instructor a glare; a glare that only he could administer correctly as to make the person feel like they were shrinking, usually if they had done something wrong. The things Moody's magical eye could prompt…

"Well, first we'll learn the controls of the car, then get out on the road," the instructor said. Arthur and Sirius got in the car and the instructor drove to an empty lot. The instructor explained what each and every button, lever, and control did. Sirius could tell Arthur was amazed, but he, on the other hand, could barely pay attention. How could they entrust him with a car?

"Pay attention," Moody hissed to Sirius with a near-slap upside the head.

The instructor parked the car and let Arthur take his place behind the wheel. His eyes widened. Already? He looked at Moody, grateful he had a wand.

Sirius' insides churned as Arthur put the belt across his body and got ready to push the so-called "gas pedal."

"Now, now, take it slowly," the instructor said.

Arthur, of course, did not take it slowly, for he floored the gas pedal and sent the car zooming towards a brick building. The instructor smashed his foot to his brake pedal and the car skidded to a stop. Moody's wand was drawn.

"Arthur!" Sirius yelled.

"Sorry, sorry," Arthur defended himself.

"Take it slowly. Please don't floor it this time," the instructor said.

"Can I have my motorcycle back now?" Sirius moaned. Hagrid was in possession of his old flying motorcycle. It could drive on the streets like a Muggle motorcycle, of course, which was how he intended to use it in the first place. But then he had made the mistake of bringing it over to the Weasley's house, where Arthur had enchanted it to fly like his car.

Arthur put his foot to the gas pedal again, this time taking it a great deal slower. By two o'clock, he was making adequate turns and taking it at a reasonable speed.

"I believe it's Sirius' turn now, right?" Arthur said to the instructor, who had told him to "put it in park."

The instructor looked uncomfortable. "Well, I was going to take you all back to the house, really, but…" He was searching for words.

"I'm supposed to learn to drive, too, you know?" Sirius said defensively.

Moody had that look on his face again.

"Yes, yes, I know, but-"

"You think he's a criminal, do you? That he'll crash this car with everyone in it for his own amusement? Sirius Black is an innocent man, so you let him get behind the wheel of this car right now, or I will have to hex you. Do you understand?" Moody roared.

"Yes, sorry, sorry. Go ahead, Mr. Black," the instructor trembled. Sirius grumbled as he traded places with Arthur.

How grateful he would be when this was over with.

Sorry, I know it's been a long time since I've written, but I'll try to update more often; I just didn't have the "feel" for writing. Stay tuned in for the next chapter, when they go to school for the first time, and soon Hermione will bring her Muggle boyfriend home! REVIEW! Let's get this story out there!