Stupid college and work taking up my time. Sorry for the delay folks. I'll get better I promise.
James and Sirius were covered head to toe in mud. Clara was looking displeased as she touched ground along with the rest of the team. The sky around them was darkening as a storm picked up and the wind was picking up sending Sirius' hair flying around his face. James pushed his glasses further up his nose as tiny spatters of rain began to fall around them.
"You're all useless," Clara said defeatedly.
"You're the one who woke us up at 6 o'clock in the morning to practice!" Gideon said. "We've been flying for what seems like hours!"
"10," His twin said checking his watch.
"What?" Gideon asked looking over.
"10 hours," Fabian repeated.
"No wonder," Nellie, their third year chaser piped up. "We haven't eaten since breakfast,"
Sirius let out a moan and bashed his head against James' shoulder. James rolled his eyes and patted his friend on the shoulder. "There, there old boy," He looked up and saw Remus and Peter move down the stalls with a huge picnic hamper in their hands. Remus was still using the walking stick, but he looked a lot happier and a lot healthier.
"Hello," Peter said brightly as the reached the last step greeting the team brightly.
"We thought you might want something to eat," Remus said, putting the basket on one of the benches beside the pitch. "So we went to the kitchens and got Tilly to make us a hamper."
"Moony, you are a life saver," Sirius said as Peter opened the hamper and began to hand out sandwiches to the rest of the team.
"Got discharged did we?" James asked addressing Remus.
"Yes," Remus said. "Finally," He smiled happily his eyes catching to a girl sitting in the stalls. She smiled and waved over at him, parting her dark hair from her eyes. Remus smiled and waved back.
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Who's that?" He asked.
"Dorcas Meadowes," Remus replied. "She's in our year,"
"Never seen her before," James said.
"She's in Hufflepuff," Remus said. "Surely you've seen her in herbology?"
James shook his head.
"Observant you are," Remus muttered. "Well she was in the hospital wing for a while, we got chatting and you know... We're good friends."
"Why was she in the hospital wing?" Peter asked.
"Someone used dark magic against her," Remus said. "Almost killed her."
"Who was it?" James asked.
"She doesn't remember." Remus said.
"I bet it was that Snape," Sirius said, between bites of his ham and pickle sandwich. "I'll kill him. It was him or one of his little toerag friends! I bet you 20 galleons,"
"Okay, Sirius, you keep believing that," James said.
"Besides," Peter said. "I don't have twenty galleons,"
"Well duh," Sirius said. "It's a figure of speech,"
Clara finished off her sandwich before going over to Remus and Peter. "Wouldn't have any pumpkin juice would you?"
Peter looked into the hamper. "Just so happens we do," He said taking out a flask and handing it to her. She poured herself a cup and downed it in one before clearing her throat.
"Okay, a few more hours and we'll call it a day," She said.
Fabian let out a groan. "You never cared last year! We had fun!"
"That's because I was told either to get the team in order and try and win something, or quit the classes altogether and fail my N.E.W.T's," Clara said. "Now, back in the air before I do something I might regret. Besides we need to train up Fergus," All eyes turned towards their new chaser Fergus.
Fergus was a strapping lad though he was only in third year. He had a broad chest and though he had more of a beaters build everyone knew he was suited better with being a chaser. He had short tufty blond hair that sat very firmly on the top of his head. He smiled weakly over at them.
"I wish David was here so that he calm you down," Gideon said, referring to Clara's once boyfriend.
"Where is David anyway?" Peter asked.
"He was a year above Clara," Sirius said wiping his hands down and mounting his broom. "Save some sandwiches for me." He said.
"Anyway," James said pouring himself some pumpkin juice. "He's left to go train to be an auror."
"And there was no point in us still dating when we would only see each other during the holidays," Clara said interrupting them. "On your brooms now!"
"I swear to Merlin she's been taking tips from Torus," Sirius muttered towards James.
He smiled as he remembered the old Quidditch Captain who had recently had twin boys with his wife Jenn. Torus was one of the most fanatical quidditch players that they had ever had the chance of knowing. Jenn had managed to slip him some sort of potion which meant he didn't flip out after they lost the final match of the season to Slytherin in their second year.
James sighed and mounted his broom before taking off into the sky, Sirius close behind him. Peter turned to Remus who had moved the basket to the ground and had taken a seat on the bench, shifting the walking stick. Peter sat down beside him and sighed.
"Do you think I'll ever get a girlfriend?" Peter asked after a moment.
"That question has been sitting on your mind for a while hasn't it?" Remus smiled.
Peter looked at his shoes, his face growing red. "I just... I see you guys with someone you love and it makes me feel... You know?"
Remus looked over. "Yeah, you'll get one," He smiled. "And not just because James and Sirius have decided that it would make a brilliant practical joke, but because she will geniunely want to be with you, someone who loves you for you,"
"You're really good at making people feel better about themselves," Peter grinned.
Remus was scouring the Quidditch stalls. "You need to put yourself out there, Pete, you have to take a leap of faith. If a girl likes you and likes spending time with you then ask, there is no harm."
"Unless you get the awkwardness that doesn't seem to leave when you're talking to her," Peter smiled.
"There is that," Remus agreed.
They watched as James and Sirius swooped around the pitch, their cloaks flapping around them. Remus sighed and shifted his walking stick.
"How long do you think you'll be on that thing?" Peter asked.
"Not long now, another day or so I should think." Remus said. "I've been worse."
"I doubt that very much." Peter said.
Remus was shaking his head. "You have no idea," He reached into the basket and pulled out a chocolate bar and handed it to Peter before getting one for himself. He unwrapped it carefully as Peter began to speak again.
"Think it's going to rain?" He asked, staring at the darkened sky. Clouds were moving over, the rain had been on and off all morning, there was no doubt that it was going to rain again. Remus looked up dismally and put the hood of his cloak up and tightened his grey scarf.
"Probably," He grinned.
Peter sighed and kicked his feet. He sighed after a moment.
Remus looked around. "Want to go back up to the castle?" He asked.
"God yes," Peter said standing up.
Remus grinned and struggled to his feet, Peter helped him up and after waving a brief goodbye to James and Sirius they began to make their way from the pitch to the castle. Dorcas Meadowes was running down the stalls to meet Remus and Peter her hair flying after her. She stopped in front of them and smiled brightly.
"Hey Remus," She said.
"Hey," Remus grinned. "Oh, Dorcas, this is Peter, remember I was telling him about you in the hospital wing?"
"Oh!" Dorcas grinned and shook Peter's hand. Peter stared at her feeling his cheeks go red. "Pleased to meet you, Remus has told me all about you,"
"There isn't that much to tell," Peter shrugged.
"Nonsense," Dorcas said. "Are you going back up to the castle?"
"Yes," Remus said. "However much we love Quidditch, ten hours of watching them practice is better spent doing something more productive,"
"Like what?" Dorcas asked.
"Studying," Remus said.
"I'd rathe watch Quidditch," Peter mumbled looking over at Remus who winked. Peter had no idea what the wink meant but he was sure that it meant that they were not going to do homework.
"Oh," Dorcas smiled. "Well, I'll see you later then," She turned to Peter. "It was nice meeting you,"
Peter grew even more beetroot as he and Remus made their way to the castle.
"We're really not going to do homework are we?" He asked.
"I thought the wink might have given it away," Remus said.
"How long have you known me?"
"4 years," Remus replied confused.
"Yes, well you should know by now that I don't get a lot of the things you guys say or do," Peter said.
Remus laughed.
...
Sirius wore the same painful expression as he always did when he wanted to transform. James was sitting on one of the sinks talking to Moaning Myrtle. Her ghostly hand on his lap and her other hand twirling on of her pigtails.
"You know," James said as she floated away. "I'm starting to grow on her. And vice versa, only, she's like a bad fungus,"
"Charming," Remus said turning a page of his book, his legs crossed and a goblet of butterbeer beside his foot and his walking stick beside his other foot. Peter grinned from the window ledge, his legs dangling slightly. He had a piece of parchment on his knees as the soft starlight hit the back of his neck.
There was a loud bark from Sirius. The three of them turned to see the big black dog sitting wagging its tail happily. James got off from the sink and grabbed Remus' butterbeer without much thought and drained the goblet.
"Hey!" Remus said.
James wasn't paying attention. He pulled out his wand and pointed at the goblet. It gave an odd whirring sound and transfigured into a leather ball. Sirius stared at it for a moment.
"What's this boy?" James cooed annoyingly. "Is it a ball? Do you want the ball?"
Sirius went for James' crotch. James fought him off. "Woah! Not those balls!"
He held up the leather ball and threw it across the length of the bathroom. Sirius got off James and ran after it. He caught it in his mouth and sat down playing with it between his paws.
James moved towards him to get the ball back. Sirius growled. James held up his hands in surrender.
"Alright, keep the ball," James said.
Remus rolled his eyes just as James whipped his wand from his robes once more and shouted "Accio ball!"
The ball flew from Sirius to James' hand. "Ew!" He shouted realising that Sirius had slobbered all over it. Sirius had gotten up and was barking madly.
"Shut him up!" Remus hissed. "We'll get discovered."
"Padfoot," James ordered. "Shut it."
Sirius sat down and stared at the ball. James threw it towards Peter who fell off the window ledge with a noisy clatter.
"I'm fine!" Peter declared jumping to his feet and holding the ball in his hand. Sirius was running towards him and jumped up sending Peter knocking back. The ball flew out of Peter's hand and landed on Remus' lap. Remus barely looked up as he threw the ball back to James. Sirius was caught between them trying to get the ball.
"Honestly," Remus said after a moment getting to his feet, walking stick in hand. "How old are you?"
"Have you not noticed that I have the mental ability of a four year old?" James asked. "I like playing ball with a dog."
Remus rolled his eyes. "This is not how we should play ball." He said.
"Oh?" James asked, putting his hands on his hips. "How should we play it then?"
Remus grinned and stepped out of the bathroom. James and Peter looked at each other before following. Remus was standing at one end of the corridor grinning madly.
"This is how we play ball," He declared grabbing the ball from James' hand and hurling it the entire stretch of the long corridor. Sirius ran after it madly, his four long legs flailing excitedly. He caught it clenching it between his jaws before trotting back proudly to James, Remus and Peter.
"Never thought you would be the one to suggest this." James laughed as he took the ball and threw it down the corridor. Sirius ran after it again and grabbed it.
"Why? Think I'm too much of a goody-two-shoes?" Remus asked.
"I'm not even going to deny it," James replied. "Yes, I do think you are exactly that."
There was a loud meow from the end of the corridor. James Peter and Remus stared at each other for a brief second. Sirius was literally galloping towards them. As he reached the last bound he was suddenly Sirius again, fully clothed and reaching into James robe pockets pulling out the invisibility cloak. He threw it over them and they huddled together into the wall. Shadows creeped along the walls and out emerged several people. Not Filch. Instead it was Barty Crouch Jnr, Severus Snape, MacNair, Regulus Black and a few others that they didn't recognise.
MacNair raised his wand and pointed it at Mrs Norris to stop her persistant meowing. Regulus grabbed it and whispered something into MacNair's ear. MacNair stared at Regulus for a second before nodding. He flicked his wand and Mrs Norris went flying through the air. If it had not been so serious a moment, Sirius and James would have burst out laughing.
Mrs Norris landed with a thump next to where they were hiding and the gang of Slytherins made towards the bathroom.
Peter took a sharp intake of breath. James stamped on his foot. "SHUT UP!" He hissed.
Just as they opened the door to the bathroom there was the undeniable shriek of Moaning Myrtle.
"GET OUT!" She screamed a gust of wind sending them back against the window the things in their satchel breaking and letting out a terrible bellow that echoed down the corridor.
"What's going on here?" Came Filch's voice. He stopped and stared at the Slytherins for a moment, seeing Mrs Norris lying on the ground stupified.
"DETENTION!" He roared. "ALL OF YOU!" He grabbed them by the scruffs of the neck and sent them down the corridor. He was muttering under his breath as he scooped Mrs Norris up into his arms.
As he turned the corner James let out a sigh of relief. Moaning Myrtle was floating in front of them. Sirius pulled off the invisibility cloak.
"Thanks Myrtle," He said.
Her dour face broke into a smile.
"We need to get that map going," James said.
"You're telling me," Sirius said. "That was the most fun I've ever had,"
"You transformed with clothes," Observed Remus.
Sirius looked down at his robes. "So I did," He said. "Maybe I'm ready to help you out during the full moon."
Remus didn't say anything. He looked away feeling sick to the stomach. James was moving towards the broken vials lying on the floor. They had slid from the Slytherin's bags and had smashed entirely. A few of them let out a foul smell. He stooped over and picked one up and yelped as his hand burned.
"Mermaid's blood!" He cried hearing the sizzle of his skin. Remus was quick to pull out his wand, he grabbed James' wrist and literally dragged him back into the bathroom, Peter and Sirius following. Sirius turned on a tap and Remus stuck James' hand under whilst conjuring some bandages out of mid-air. He motioned towards Sirius who took James' hand as the water burned him.
"Bloody hell," He muttered. "Bloody hell, bloody hell."
Remus pointed the wand at the hand before muttering an incantation. James' hand stopped sizziling.
"Think of another spell here Remus!" James cried.
"I can't!" Remus replied, frowning.
"Hold on," Sirius pulled out his own wand and pointed at the wound. He barely said a word before James' hand stopped burning and returned to normal. He moved it stiffly.
Peter wrapped the bandages carefully.
"What on earth were they using that stuff for?" James asked.
Remus looked out towards the corridor. "I don't know," He said. "But Filch is going to be pissed when he sees what they've done."
"Surely you can fix that," Peter said motioning for the safety pin that Sirius held in his hand.
"I don't know, but Filch is a Squib," Sirius said handing the pin over. "He'll have to get one of the teachers to do it and he hates the teachers almost as much as he hates the students."
James was staring at his now bandaged hand. "Why is it," He said. "That whenever the Slytherins are planning something, I am the one to be broken in some respect?"
Remus raised an eyebrow.
"The bloody nose?" James reminded him.
"Ah, right," Remus said.
"Don't know mate," Sirius said slapping James' back. "Maybe you're just a jinx."
"Thanks for that mate," James said. "I appreciate it."