Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters. I do wish I owned the Marauders Well at least James, Sirius and Remus, but that would be called slavery.
Author's Note: I wanted t introduce a new character. From now on she will be in the story a whole lot more. I wanted to use canon character but she didn't fit in with the story line I created. Hope you like her.
Ch. 12 Hocus Pocus
James and Sirius slept with one eye open for the rest of the week. They were waiting for the moment when Remus would retaliate. They wished he would do it all ready. There room was now in disarray. The boys didn't look much better. James whined the other day about running out of clean closes. Sirius hated to admit it but he hated the state of his hair. He had a nightmare the other night that he looked in the mirror and he looked like Snape. Needless to say Sirius woke up screaming.
"It was awful Prongs. I was all greasy. I want to take a shower" Sirius whined. James was torn between laughing at him and being sympathetic. So he just settled for a neutral expression. This didn't help Sirius, he was still shaken up.
"Comes on, Pads! Were doing great! Besides Peter and Remus are about to crack, I know it" James said positive. Sirius grunted. What he wouldn't give for a shower right now. At least then he wouldn't smell. He was wearing the same school robes he been wearing all week. He was beginning to run of clean robes.
"I don't know how long how long I can hold on Prongs. I'm cracking up. The other night, I dreamt I was talking a nice warm shower and sweeping the floor" Sirius said dramatically.
"We'll get through it Pads. Bare with me" James said trying to coax him. Sirius wanted to tell James to shove it and go into the bathroom and take a shower. Sirius sighed and reluctantly agreed. James looked at him approvingly. Sirius knew that James was too stubborn to quit. James going was not going to stop until he either won or lost the bet.
"That's a good Marauder. Listen, Remus and Peter are more resistant then we thought. We need to figure out a way to gross them out so badly, that they would quit the bet." James said thoughtfully.
"What would gross them out just enough to make them quit" Sirius asked. He wanted this bet to end already. He missed showering.
Remus seemed to be doing really well in the bet. For the first time since the bet started he didn't look like he wanted to throw up at the sight of their room. He didn't even flinch when he saw James's dirty robes on the floor. He simple just stepped over them, like they were nothing. The teachers started to notices how the boys looked.
"Mr. Black, Potter, Pettigrew, Lupin, can please see you after class" Professor McGonagall asked on day towards the end of their Transfiguration class. The boys remained seated as their other class mates moved on to the next class. None of the other students would sit by the boys. Most plugs their noses when they passed them.
"Boys I have several reports from concerned professors" Professor McGonagall began. The boys looked at one another. They couldn't tell her there was a bet going on. She probably thought they were just acting out.
"Boys, you are now all becoming teenagers. Teens sweat a little more often. Hygiene is very important at this age. All four of you need to shower often. I also hear your room filthy. I want your room cleaned and for you all shower" She said with authority. Sirius knew what to do, he pretended to cry.
"Minnie thinks we're gross" He said tearfully. He put his hands over his face. The sounds were between a laugh and a cry. The boys followed his lead. Professor McGonagall looked horrified that she made four second years cry. She tried to calm them down.
"Boys it's not a big deal. Just shower more often. If you guys worked together you can finish your room pretty quickly" She said kindly. They wiped their fake tears
"Yes mam!" They chorused. She excused them and walked to their next class. She looked utterly confused.
"Maybe we should quit" James said after Professor McGonagall was out of ear shot.
"Good then you can get started on mine and Peter's laundry. Were not quitting" Remus said determinedly. Sirius was afraid of this.
"Neither are we!" Sirius said. He tried to size Remus up but Remus was so much taller than him. Sirius missed last year when Remus was the shortest in the group. They walked up to their room.
"Eww, who put their muddy sneakers on my bed?" James asked.
"Oh those are mine. It was raining and we had Herbology. I hope you don't mind Sirius but I used yours" Remus said innocently.
"You're a sick man, Remus Lupin" Sirius declared.
"I'm not. I just needed some sneakers" Remus said trying to look innocent. No one was buying it.
"Why?" James asked exasperatedly.
"Well wasn't going to get my own sneakers dirty" Remus said as if this was the most obvious reason in the world
"EWWWW" Sirius said jumping back.
"What is it?" James asked.
"What is all over my sheets?" Sirius said horrified.
"Oh, Peter and I decided to leave you some chocolate, since apparently I never share mine. Oh dear it must have melted." Remus said amused. He was evil, really evil. What was worse was that they could clean up the mess. They had to sleep on the sheets.
"You're an evil werewolf" Sirius muttered.
"You think this is evil, touch my chocolate again, and you'll see how evil I can be" He said warningly. Peter was laughing. Sirius started laughing too. Sirius had to admit, this was the most fun he had in a while.
The boys found some unwanted attention from a second year Ravenclaw. Her name was Amber Rose, and she was perhaps the weirdest girl Sirius had ever met. She seemed to be in her own little world. She didn't really speak to anyone either. They had their run in with her coming back from potions.
"Hey, leave that girl alone" Remus said yelling at the two Slytherin girls. The girls glared at him.
"Didn't see you as the type to stick up for creepy little Ravenclaws, Lupin" The Slytherin girl sneered.
"I believe he told you to leave" Sirius snapped. The girls left. Sirius helped the girl pick of the books. Sirius noticed the strange book titles Telling the future, Another life, and the other Written in the Stars.
"What are these?" Sirius asked her.
"Oh I'm interested in Divination" Amber explained.
"Aren't you a second year?" James asked.
"Yeah, it's just a hobby of mine?" She shrugged.
"I can show you what I've learned. If you don't mind?" She said hopefully. The boys decided to humor her.
"Alright pick one" She said getting cards out of her bag. Peter went first.
"Hmmm, the man with two faces. You have two personalities. One you show people one you don't. The second one is going to be too hard for you to ignore. If you don't accept this then it will end in tragedy" Amber said confidently. Peter looked at the other Marauders nervously. Remus shrugged at picked his card.
"This is fascinating. The symbol of a broken heart with a crown surrounding it. You are going to break the heart of someone you care about because of your own insecurities. The crown means it's for a noble reason. Allow yourself to love and to be loved." She said with her eyebrows raised. Sirius could tell she was impressed with herself. It was now Sirius's turn.
"Oh wow. A prince in shackles. Am I right to say you're a pureblood" She asked him. Sirius nodded. It wasn't that creepy. Blacks were known for being the oldest pureblood family.
"The shackles symbolize confinement. It means you're going to jail. There is also a twelve at the corner. That means that the crime you're imprisoned for is going to be murder" She said finally finishing. Sirius was taken aback. Azkaban! He can't go to Azkaban. Sirius had heard horror stories about the wizard prison. If he went there, he wouldn't survive it, he was sure of it. He calmed himself by telling himself that it she was inexperience. She wasn't a true seer. It was now James turn. When Amber looked at the card her eyes got wide.
"This is the worst card yet. Oh no" She muttered.
"What is it?" James asked. He looked a little frighten at her reaction.
"A black moon. It the worst cards of the deck. Oh, you poor boy." She said almost in tears.
"What's so bad about it?" James asked.
"It means, James Potter, that you are going to die"
Next Chapter: James..going …to die..? Does this have anything to do with his sleep walking? Will the boys let Amber's comments go? Who will win the bet?