Okay, so I'm on a roll here. Seriously, these updates are totally random. You never know when I'm going to get a new one up.
Reviews:
darkworkangel: Thanks a bunch.
Sianna Scale: Thanks so much!
TimeyWimeyBadWolf: Thanks. No more animagus in this chapter, but very soon. I promise. Sirius will definitely figure it out over the summer. I can promise that.
the funky she-wolf 33415: Took me a second to realize what you meant, but then I couldn't stop laughing.
Shadowstouch: Thank you so much. That is so sweet. Sirius is my all time favorite character, and I feel like JK Rowling doesn't go in depth enough about how crappy his life really was. Sirius will be going to the Underworld, with some visits back and forth between England and Camp Half-Blood.
"Hey, Marls," Sirius laughed as his girlfriend flung her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss against his cheek. "I missed you too!"
"Two weeks was way too long without seeing you, Sirius," Marlene said. She was grinning up at Sirius in the memorizing way of hers.
Sirius instantly felt his stomach drop. Two weeks was a long time? How would she feel about not being able to see him all summer? Did he trust her enough to be able to tell her about his real father? No. Not yet at least.
"I know, Marls," Sirius said. "Way too long." A grin lit up his face. "You missed it! We decorated the common room, and McGonagall's face when she saw it was the most hilarious thing I have ever seen!"
"What did you lot do?" Marlene asked, grinning.
Sirius and Remus peeked around the wall together. They were in charge of making sure the Slytherins were in position while James and Peter set off the prank. Sirius nudged Remus, and the werewolf held up his hand in a fist to let James and Peter know it was time.
James flicked his wand, and the chickens were released. Sirius snorted at the look on his half-brother's face when a chicken ran in front of him. Remus grabbed Sirius' arm before he could start laughing, and they both began running. James and Peter joined them, and they ran up to the third floor, not stopping until they reached an abandoned classroom. The four boys doubled over in laughter.
"Where'd you get this idea, Padfoot?" James asked.
"One of my American friends," Sirius gasped out between fits of laughter. "In muggle American schools, the graduating class always do pranks, and this was an idea, but they didn't put into action."
"How long do you think it'll take before the teachers realize there's only nine chickens, not ten?" Peter asked.
"No clue," Remus said. "Filch is going to be so bloody pissed."
"Worth it," Sirius grinned. He sat down in one of the chairs still in the room and lounged back. "The real question, though, is how much detention is McGonagall going to give us?"
James and Sirius burst into laughter as a chicken walked through the open door into Slughorn's classroom. It had been a week, and chicken seven was the last one to be caught. Definitely worth all the detentions.
"Is this the last one, then?" Slughorn asked as he picked up the chicken and conjured a cage to put it in.
"Yes," James said, laughing.
Slughorn chuckled good naturedly. "Get back to work, you two. McGonagall will have my head if she finds out I didn't take this detention seriously. James and Sirius shared one last grin before going back to work.
Sirius cheered as he watched James score another goal. James had to be the best quidditch player out on the field. No one in Hogwarts could fly quite as well as he could.
"And Potter scores another ten points!" Remus commented from the commentator's podium. "Kick some Slytherin arse for us, Prongsie!"
"Remus Lupin!" McGonagall screeched, her voice magnified by the megaphone. Sirius laughed as Remus evaded the professor's grasp.
"Come on, James!" he shouted into the megaphone. "Win or we'll hide all the Honey Dukes that's in the dorm!"
Sirius and Peter snorted. They both knew Remus would actually do it.
"Crap," Sirius groaned when he saw the bludger heading towards Regulus. "Come on, Reggie."
From next to him, Marlene gripped Sirius' hand. She gave him a comforting smile, and Sirius smiled back before turning back to the match. Regulus saw the bludger just in time and managed to dive just in time. Sirius felt the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding rush out of himself. He jumped up in his seat as Michael McGonagall, the Gryffindor seeker, rushed past Regulus in the younger boy's distraction and grabbed the snitch.
"Gryffindor wins!" Remus shouted excitedly into the megaphone. "Gryffindor wins, 240-100! We'll let you eat the chocolate, James!"
Sirius snorted as McGonagall smacked Remus over the head. James was flying celebratory loops around the field with the rest of the quidditch team, but Sirius was pretty sure that he was more excited about Remus giving up his precious chocolate than actually winning the match.
James and Sirius high-fived in their dorm. Peter was still downstairs, and Remus was in the library studying for his last exam, Divination. James had opted not to take what he thought was an unnecessary subject. That had been Sirius' reasoning at first, but upon visiting the Oracle, he decided he wanted nothing to do with knowing the future.
"Here's to no more exams," James cheered, bringing his bottle of butterbeer up to clink against Sirius'. "Hey, Padfoot, if you're not too busy over the summer, you should stop by the manor."
"I don't know, James," Sirius sighed. "You never know. I mean, last year Zeus' bloody Master Bolt got stolen. Who the Hades knows what'll happen this year."
"I know," James said, he looked slightly dejected. "But if you have any time, you could Shadow Travel over, right?"
"Yeah," Sirius grinned. James was the best person in the world. "I'm sure I'll find some days. Your parents won't think it's weird, right?"
"Nah," James said, shrugging. "I'll just tell them you took the Knight Bus. Contact me before you come, though, so I can let them know."
"Will do," Sirius grinned.
"Bye, Marls," Sirius said, kissing his girlfriend on the lips. "I love you."
"Love you too, Siri," Marlene mumbled against Sirius' shoulder. "Promise you'll write and come visit?"
Sirius mentally froze. How was he supposed to write? Maybe his dad knew a way.
"I'll try my best, Marls, but I spend my summers in America with some distant family. I don't know if owls can make it, but I'll definitely come visit."
Marlene looked slightly put out by this before brightening up. "Okay, Sirius. As long as you visit. I have to go, my mum's waving me over."
"Bye, Marls."
Sirius watched his girlfriend walk away. Sometimes, sometimes he wanted to tell her, but most of the time he felt like he shouldn't. It was a gut feeling, and the number two rule of being a demigod was follow your gut. Number one was always have duct tape on you. James had laughed himself silly when he saw the black roll of tape in Sirius' trunk. He thought it was funny, at least, until it came in handy for a prank.
Sirius sighed as he let the shadows surround him and bring him to the top of Half-Blood Hill. Who knew what this summer would bring.