Chapter 14: Framed

There was a loud scream and several students looked up from their books as the sound of running and clanking came closer to their Transfiguration classroom. Professor McGonagal looked up from where she was marking papers and went to the door. She had barely touched the door handle when the door opened and a small blonde first year darted inside her robes ripped and her face tear stained.

"Ms Dulaney. What ever is the matter, I am teaching a class." Professor McGonagal said not sure whether to be worried or angry at the small girl.

Ms Dulaney looked panic-stricken as she looked around the class and saw fifteen sixth years look at her, some with interest, some with sympathy and some just looked bored, She jumped as the sound of clanging came closer. "There's a suit or armour following me." She whispered. "I was going to the bathroom and it just started following me. I dropped my books and ran, I came to your classroom first." She whispered frightened that the suit of armour might hear her,

Professor McGonagal glanced around the room her eyes hovering a bit longer on four boys at the back of the class. "I will be back, I just going to sort this little problem out. Ms Dulaney, if you could come with me."

The first year nodded her head fearfully and followed Professor McGonagal out of the classroom her grey watery eyes darted around the room as if she was afraid to leave the safety of the classroom.

As soon as they left the students started whispering among themselves thankful for the little rest their professors departure had given them.

James looked up from his book and glanced at Sirius next to him. "Poor kid." He whispered.

Sirius nodded and turned round to catch Remus and Peter's eyes.

"You mean it wasn't you?" Remus asked.

James scoffed. "Even though she's a Slytherin, we would never pull a prank on a first year." He glanced over at Lily and Marlene who were working hard not using the unofficial break to talk. "Unless of course it's McKinnon."

"I think McGonagal thinks it was us." Murmured Peter as he took the Professors absence as an opportunity to copy Remus answers onto his own parchment.

"I think a certain prefect thinks it was us as well." Sirius muttered as Lily looked up from her work and locked her piercing green eyes onto the four of them. A looked of disbelief, disapproval and disgust was splayed across her face.

Professor McGonagal came back just then, putting a stop to the hushed conversations around the room. Her usual tidy bun had a stray hair and her glasses looked a bit skew-whiff. "Messrs Black, Potter, Pettigrew and Lupin all stay seated the rest of you I want those past-papers in by tomorrow."

The bell rang and there was a scramble of students as they grabbed their books and bags and headed out chatting and ready for their next lessons.

Lily glared at the boys as she walked passed putting her already completed past-paper on McGonagal's desk. Marlene rose carefully from her desk checking her answers once again before adding it to Lily's. Professor McGonagal gave the two girls a small smile.

Marlene glanced over at the boys a sad smile on her face. She linked arms with Lily and they left

"They've finished it and they've got a free period next." Sirius muttered as Professor McGonagal beckoned the four boys closer.

"What can we do you for Professor?" James asked sweetly. "Sirius and I have Muggle Studies next."

Remus grabbed his bag and placed his test paper on the pile with Marlene's and Lily's.

Sirius glared at him; "Traitor" he muttered as McGonagal gave him the smile reserved for students she was impressed with.

"Ms Dulaney is currently in the hospital wing with her friends sipping on a Calming Draught and eating chocolate to calm her down. She is now too scared to walk passed any Suits of Armour in case they start following her again."

"Will she be all right?" Asked Remus sounding concerned.

"She will be fine however I'm sure her older brother may have a few choice words for whoever is responsible." She narrowed her eyes and the four boys looked confused. She actually thought it was them! She sighed, "Unfortunately I have no proof as to who it was, however Professor Flitwick reminded me during morning break that I have yet to punish the masterminds behind the Mistletoe incident at Christmas. Therefore the four of you will be serving detention with Mr Filch on Saturday."

James gasped. "But there's a Quidditch match on!"

"Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff if I am not mistaken and you are in Gryffindor... unless you are moonlighting as a Keeper for Slytherin?"

James looked insulted but kept quiet.

"How did you know that was us?" Sirius asked. "We weren't even at school when whoever it was charmed the mistletoe to kiss anyone who walked underneath it."

James groaned and Professor McGonagal smiled. "Thank you Mr Black. There is now no doubt in my mind who it was."

Sirius knew he had been duped and sat down on the nearest desk disgruntled.

"James!" Marlene squealed as the boys arrived at lunch still upset about their detention. "Rickett's just said they're dropping out of Saturday's match. Slytherin win by default and we're playing Slytherin in the finals which they have brought forward to this Saturday!"

Marlene was practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. James groaned even harder and tugged his Captain's badge off his robes. "Here; you are the unofficial reserve captain. All you need to do is find a Chaser and a Beater and you are all set." He chucked the badge at Marlene not even wincing as it landed in her bowl of soup.

Marlene looked at Sirius a confused look on her face. All traces of her excitement had sunk like the badge.

Sirius patted his girlfriend on the shoulder and summoned the badge. Catching it in a tissue and wiping it clean he spoke quietly so as the passing Slytherin's couldn't hear their predicament.

"McGonagal gave us detention for the Kistletoe incident and most likely for the Suit of Armour even though it wasn't us. Our detention is on Saturday during the match."

Marlene looked outraged. "She cannie do that! And what's Kistletoe?"

"You sounded so much like your Mother then." Sirius smirked and ducked as Marlene tried to hit him. "Before we left for Christmas, we went round charming all the mistletoe in the halls to fall and stick on peoples face as they walked underneath it, giving the impression that the mistletoe was kissing people. Hence the name."

"But that was months ago! It's now the end of March." Marlene stood up. "I'll go speak to Professor McGonagal I only found out about Hufflepuff during free period, it might be that she doesn't know. Maybe she can postpone your punishment. Come on Lily we can catch her before Runes."

Lily looked up shocked she had been following the conversation with mild interest, scowling at James because she thought they had done it and that it was mean to pick on a first year, but had never imagined that she would be involved. "Why me? I don't even understand Quidditch."

"You're a prefect." Marlene said grabbing her friends hand and pinning James badge onto her robes.

Lily sighed and allowed her friend to drag her out of the hall, glaring at James as she passed.

All six of them had a free period last thing. The boys practically ran from Care of Magical Creatures to the Common Room to wait for the girls to come back from Ancient Runes however they were in for a long wait. Lily and Marlene finally arrived just after the final bell signalling the end of lessons for the day.

Marlene bounded up to them, "Sorry Futhorc gave us homework and we had to nip to the library for something. Anyway we spoke to McGonagal and she hadn't realised about the change of plan for Quidditch she only found out at lunch because Sprout was grumbling about her team giving up. You can't blame them though, Keeper has the mumps, Seeker and a Chaser had a black ministry letter this morning and a Beater is in hospital due to being attacked by a charmed suit of armour. There was no way they could find four replacements in three nights and train them up."

James and Sirius winced, "That's pretty bad." James stated feeling sorry for the Hufflepuff team.

Marlene nodded, "Anyway McGonagal said that she'll change your detention date and allow you to play as long as you apologise to Erica Dulaney and Gregory Cast and come clean about the suits of armour,"

James sank onto the sofa and placed his head in his hands. "Better get scouting for that Chaser and Beater."

Lily sat next to him. "Is it so hard to admit you pulled a prank or are so conceited and arrogant that you..." James placed a finger on her lips and spoke in a whisper. "We can't admit to something we did not do."

Lily's eyes widened and she slowly grasped the hand that was on her lips. "Oh. Then why does McGonagal seem so sure that its you?" She asked still holding on to his hand.

"Because there were witness'" Frank Longbottom said from the bulletin board, where he was pining up the Quidditch announcement and had been listening into the sixth years conversation with some interest. He - like most people believed it was the boys who charmed the armour.

"Who?" Sirius asked stepping forward and attempting to corner the Head Boy.

"Avery and Mulciber." Frank said sidestepping Sirius and heading for the Portrait, "Now if you excuse me I have to go and meet Alice."

"Sweet Merlin." Sirius breathed sinking into an armchair and pulling Marlene down so that she sat on his knee. "We're being framed." He looked over at James and smirked. "Are your hands cold Evans?"

Lily glanced down and gasped. She was still holding onto James' hand. She dropped his hand quickly and stood up. Remus quickly sat in the other armchair and Peter sat at the other end of the sofa so the only place she could sit was next to James. Scowling she sat back down and clasped her hands in her lap.

Marlene looked at Sirius then over to James who was still staring stunned at Lily. "Framed? Why?"

"Someone doesn't want Gryffindor to win the Quidditch Cup for the fifth year running," Remus pointed out.

"Slytherin." Sirius growled. "Regulus,"

"Regulus wouldn't stoop that low. Anyway I heard Professor Flitwick say the armour had been charmed to stalk the first Slytherin that passes it. It just so happened to be first year Erica, who has an older brother who is a Beater."

"Eric Dulaney's sister? That was her?" James asked tearing his gaze away from Lily and looking at Marlene.

Marlene nodded but Peter interjected: "Maybe it was a complete accident that Erica walked passed first after all she said she needed the bathroom, the Slytherin's could have charmed the armour to attack their own house to pin the blame on us. And then charmed another one to attack a member of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team so that Hufflepuff would back down. With Hufflepuff out of the game and two members of the Gryffindor team in detention they would be a shoe in for the cup."

His friends looked at him as if he had grown to heads. Peter giggled nervously at the attention but Sirius shot up out his chair which cause Marlene to fall on the floor, a scowl on her face as Sirius ignored and stepped over her to hug Peter. "Wormtail I never knew you had it in you!" He exclaimed attempting to lift him up and swirl him but instead just patted him on the back. "All we have to do is clear our names!" He punched the air and looked around the room aware that he was making a scene he glanced down finally realising Marlene was on the floor. "Oops sorry Marl." He went over to help her get up and she rubbed her bottom where she had landed. "Do you want me to kiss it better?"

Marlene rolled her eyes and sat on his armchair. "I think a soft seat instead of knobbly knees will do me thanks." She smiled sweetly then glanced at James. "You guys figure out away to clear your name. If you want I can talk to Black."

Sirius scowled at the thought of Marlene talking to his brother. "You can start by finding a spare Chaser and Beater just in case we fail at clearing our names."

Marlene shrugged and looked to the other side of the common room. "Hey Grint, Watson you guys still up for playing on Saturday?" Two fourth years looked over at Marlene and nodded eagerly. "Great we'll hold a training session tomorrow night then if all else fails and the idiots here have detention, you guys are in."

James stared at Marlene and Remus laughed, "She makes a better Captain than you James."

Marlene smiled sweetly at Sirius. "Now that's done I'll go speak to Black see if he can help us. I'm sure he wouldn't want to win the cup by cheating." She looked at the scowl on Sirius face, getting up she lightly kissed it and the scowl was replaced by a soft smile. "I'm doing this as it's my duty as the unofficial reserve captain to speak to other captains and sort out this small mess we are in. Don't worry I have no intention of following your mothers wishes."

Sirius visibly relaxed and returned the kiss. They were broken up by a small cough from the sofa.

"Why don't you just tell Professor McGonagal? She is an avid Quidditch fan after all." Lily said her hands still clasped in front of her.

Peter shook his head and made his second shock comment of the evening. "They can't go to her without proof to back up their claim."

James slapped Peter on the back. "We'll make a man out of yet Wormtail."

Peter just giggled turning red as the six of them got to work on proving the boys innocent.

A/N: I apologise for messing up Quidditch but I'm hoping nobody notices :D