"The great difference between love and friendship is that there can be no friendship without reciprocity"

Michel Tournier

The transfiguration classroom was characterized by an austere, studious atmosphere that had always impressed Sirius. In fact, it reminded him of his own home, with its dark wooden bookcases filled with ancient volumes and carefully stacked parchments, harboring lost knowledge that no one cared about anymore. The same feeling of boredom enveloped it, so dense, so heavy that quite often Sirius was unable to do anything but stare with half-closed eyes at a window or a wall, as if on the verge of falling asleep.

For once, the situation he found himself in kept him wide awake. Anxiety gripped his stomach as he sat on one of the leather armchairs facing their teacher's huge desk. His now clammy hands slid over the armrests, which were far too small for him anyway, and he couldn't stop his leg from twitching, the irregular pounding of his feet echoing in the oppressive silence of the room. On his side, Peter had squeezed himself into his seat, almost seeming to merge with it. He avoided eye contact and just stared at the old globe in front of the blackboard, biting his lower lip. Only James, waiting between his two friends, was surprisingly calm. A behavior that Sirius found increasingly worrying.

The anger Sirius had felt on seeing him enter the infirmary earlier had quickly given way to great confusion. He wasn't sure he understood what he'd witnessed, but one thing was certain: whoever had joined them was not James. The look in his eyes, the features of his face, his gait, even the tone of his voice when he'd addressed Snape, everything about him had seemed different, imbued with an anger Sirius had never known him to have. He had come to feel relieved when McGonagall had intervened to take the three of them to her office. Without her, James would surely have ended up crushing Snape's shoulder into tiny pieces.

Uneasily, Sirius glanced at James again. Head tilted back, the latter was gazing up at the stone arches of the ceiling and seemed lost in thought. The sight drew a low growl from Sirius. There was nothing to be done, he still didn't recognize his best friend, James, the carefree brat, always up for a good time. The boy sitting next to him was a stranger.

Sirius knew it was partly his fault. He shouldn't have been so hard on James last night. He should have listened to Peter when he told him that something serious had happened. He'd obviously let an important piece of information slip through his fingers. James was right, when it came to Remus, Sirius always ended up getting carried away. He had no sense of priorities.

Peter must have heard him grumble, for he in turn glared at James before exchanging a concerned look with Sirius. Sirius had raged at him last night too, but he didn't seem to resent it. This made Sirius feel a little guilty. He and James had strong personalities and, for the good of the group, Peter often found himself acting as a buffer between them, unwillingly becoming a collateral victim of their arguments.

While Sirius sometimes found him exasperating, he had to admit that Peter continually went out of his way to please everyone. In fact, he had always been more attentive to Remus than James. Probably because it was Remus who had insisted that they take him under their wing. Sirius had never really understood why, but if Remus had found Peter special, perhaps it was worth being kinder to him in the future…

"Permit me to say that I am deeply disappointed by your behavior!"

McGonagall hadn't even waited to sit down before starting to berate them, which, knowing her love of protocol, was already a very bad sign. The steps of the dais creaked under her footsteps, and she soon took her place in her large wooden seat. With a surly look on her face, she stared at the three Marauders in turn before leaning towards them, even more furious:

"How could you behave like that and cause not one but two accidents in one evening that could have cost other students their lives? You, Mister Potter!" she shouted again, pointing at James, who in return took his eyes off the ceiling to face her. "I know you don't get on with Mister Snape. But I'd never have thought you foolish enough to fight with him! You sent him over the railings on the stairs, Mister Potter. He fell several storeys! You could have killed him if Madam Pomfrey hadn't been there! Are you even aware of that? And now I find you grabbing him when I've come to fetch you from the infirmary, even though I'd arranged to meet you in my office! You're definitely asking for trouble! I repeat: do you realize how dangerous and inappropriate your behavior is?"

"I'm perfectly aware of that, yes," replied James with a coldness that made the headmistress raise an eyebrow. "I didn't set out to upset Snape this morning. I was apologizing when you arrived. As for yesterday, if Snape's fall was an accident, the fact remains that I and I alone caused it. I am therefore responsible."

"It wasn't James who struck the first blow," Peter interjected in a shaky voice, trying to explain himself. "It was Snape who struck him first. Besides, I've got nothing to do with this story either! I'm just a witness to the facts!"

There, that was exactly why Peter sometimes got up his nose. Sirius had nothing against the fact that he was timid and unsure of himself, but he couldn't stand to see him shy away at the slightest opportunity. Peter was always in over his head, always displaying the same slumped posture, the same evasive stare as he sought to extricate himself at all costs from the trouble he'd gotten himself into, abandoning his friends in the process. They'd been clear with him from the start: the Marauders would face the consequences of their actions together. None of them had the right to clear themselves of the group's actions, even if they hadn't actively participated in them. It had to be another Marauder who exculpated him. An important rule that Peter forgot too often for Sirius's liking…

"It was Snape who ran into James!" continued Peter, ignoring Sirius who was rolling his eyes, "Both of them fell off the railing, I just managed to hold James back with a spell. Besides, none of this would have happened if Mulciber hadn't-"

Before he could finish his sentence, James placed his hand firmly on Peter's arm, instructing him to be quiet before resuming:

"Snape hit me because I made him do it. I made fun of him for what happened in Potions class. That's what made Mulciber laugh at me too. I maintain that it was all my fault. It was stupid. I shouldn't have done it."

It was clear to Sirius that James was lying. Not because he was a bad liar – James had always been an expert at that – but behind him, Peter was squirming around in deep frustration. McGonagall noticed this too, and she silently questioned Peter before returning her attention to James, speaking more calmly this time:

"Are you sure that's what happened, Mister Potter?"

"Quite sure."

There was a silence during which the two stared at each other. McGonagall's piercing blue eyes searched James's face for a flaw, but, to her dismay, he remained as expressive as a block of granite. Shaking her head slowly, she resumed her speech:

"I suppose you suspect that, if what you're telling me is indeed the truth, your parents will be informed. In addition, you will have a two-week detention, and you will have to write a report on the dangers of provocation and physical confrontation. Not to mention the fact that if I catch you doing anything of the sort again, you'll be liable to disciplinary action and possible temporary dismissal. Of course, I'm also obliged to withdraw 100 points from Gryffindor…" her tone had turned bitter, and it seemed to Sirius that she was also punishing herself by saying this. "I might even deprive you of playing the first Quidditch match of the season…"

She'd thrown her last sentence out like bait into the sea, probably in the hope that James would become furious at the idea of missing a match and tell her what had really happened. Definitely not a stupid idea, especially as the first game was Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Peter was still waddling in his seat, ready to spill the beans the moment James allowed him to.

To their surprise, however, James had no reaction. Concentrating on a thread of wool sticking out of the sleeve of his uniform, he simply approved the headmistress's choice in an atonal voice:

"I wouldn't object."

This time, McGonagall and Peter shared the same dumbfounded expression before turning to Sirius in search of answers, like journalists seeking expert advice. How could he know? He wasn't James' official! Okay, so normally he should have known what was going on in his little brain. But here, even he was overwhelmed. He felt as if some soulless old ghoul had taken James's skin and put it over its head. James, who accepted without flinching that he wouldn't play a match when he was capable of getting himself into a rage when he missed a training session? It didn't make sense. The whole thing was absurd. What could have happened on those damn stairs to make James so willing to sacrifice himself? Peter had better tell him everything when he got out of the office.

Bewildered, Sirius shrugged and raised his hands. The answer clearly did not satisfy their teacher who, in response, stroked her pointed chin with her thumb before giving up with a sigh:

"Very well. We'll talk about it again. You're allowed to take part in the next match, but the above-mentioned punishments still apply. Now for the second incident, which this time concerns all three of you. Your reckless and dangerous attempt to turn yourselves into animagi."

Peter let out a loud " Oh! " before turning to the other two Marauders, looking for the "traitor" – which was rather ironic given what he'd done just before – and Sirius recoiled in his chair, suddenly uncomfortable.

"I swear, I had to tell them!" he defended himself as best he could.

He looked to James for support, but James merely stared at him out of the corner of his eye, still silent.

"It's been a fiasco!" insisted Sirius, "I was stuck for ages with just a dog's head! I could have died!"

"Of course, you could have died!" exclaimed McGonagall scathingly, echoing Sirius's declaration. The words sounded strange in her mouth, contrasting with the sustained tone she usually used. "Animagus metamorphosis is a complex and extremely risky process! You could have put your life in danger! The potion, badly made, could have turned into a deadly poison! Your body could have rejected the transformation and suffered irreversible damage! You could have remained trapped in this animal form for the rest of your life! Not to mention the fire that would never have started had it not been for your irresponsible actions! Your foolishness could have cost you not only your life but also that of your classmate! The flames could have spread quickly and reached the castle. You have jeopardized the safety of all the students at this school. This is unacceptable!"

She stared at the three boys with fury, accentuating every word to emphasize the gravity of the situation:

"How could you possibly have imagined that you could pull off this transformation based on fragmentary information, the sources of which haven't even been verified? Worse still, how could you think that with catastrophic potion skills such as yours, and an aptitude for transfiguration that is poor at best for Mister Pettigrew over here, you could have succeeded in becoming animagi? Your overconfidence in your magical abilities is simply inconceivable… What's possessed you, I wonder… Obviously, I'm going to have to take action. This will cost you 50 points each. Not to mention the week's detention you'll have to serve."

Exasperated by the situation, she paused to tuck her already perfectly coiffed bun into place before making a steaming cup of tea appear in front of her with a flick of her wand. Taking out a jar of sugar and a teaspoon from one of her drawers, she poured some delicately into the beverage before stirring patiently, watching the result with a blank expression. Across from her, Sirius and Peter battled over James's head, each trying to convince the other to speak first. Normally, Sirius would never have let go, just for the pleasure of forcing that coward Peter to finally take responsibility. Unfortunately, it was because of his failed transformation that they were in this situation and, when Peter finally accompanied his exasperated eyebrow-raising with an accusing finger, Sirius finally admitted defeat:

"We… We realize what we did was wrong… We apologize… We were just so excited at the idea of being able to become animagi…. You know, we did it for Remus," he declared hesitantly, fearing that this explanation would make matters worse for them, "We didn't want him to be alone on the nights of the full moons anymore, and we'd seen in class that werewolves are only aggressive towards humans… We just wanted to support him in our own way…"

"I'm not criticizing your intentions," McGonagall replied wearily, "I'm criticizing your method. This is Hogwarts, a respected school where student safety is an absolute priority. You must learn to follow the rules that govern the practice of magic. If you don't, you'll always fail, as well as being a danger to others. Promise me you won't do anything rash again. You'll have to listen carefully to my every instruction if you want to succeed in this challenge…"

She had said this between sips of tea, and it took a few seconds for the information to penetrate Sirius's mind.

"Wait… You… You're going to help us? YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO HELP US!" he cried, jerking to his feet.

In his haste, his legs collided violently with the desk, nearly ramming it against his teacher's poor knees. This mattered little to Sirius, who instead tried to lean over the furniture to embrace the woman. And, what a woman! She was his new goddess! Their savior! And to think he'd dared to criticize her all these years when she was the most formidable being in the universe!

"OH, THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH, PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL! YOU REALLY ARE THE BEST! YOU'RE MY FAVORITE TEACHER! WE SHOULD WRITE YOU AN ODE THAT EVERYONE WOULD SING IN THE CASTLE!"

Beside them, Peter also let his joy explode, thanking McGonagall warmly and promising to do whatever she told him. Even James had reacted. McGonagall's statement had made him sit up straighter, and it was by finally breaking into a smile that he had expressed his gratitude:

"Thank you so much, Professor. We will prove worthy of your trust."

"Well, well! You're welcome!" exclaimed McGonagall while dodging Sirius's attempted embraces as best she could, like a stressed out cat fending off a toddler's arms.

Finally, she was forced to flee her own office, extricating herself with difficulty from her seat. With a wave of her hand, she bade Sirius calm down.

"Mister Black, please pull yourself together! We still have a great deal to discuss. It's imperative that we stay focused."

She took a few steps back, readjusting her dress with dignity before clearing her throat, ready to regain control of the situation.

"Now, everyone, sit back down and listen to me carefully."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

It was with a light step that Sirius left McGonagall's office. True, they'd been in detention for a week – a month for James, who'd racked up two punishments for his altercation with Severus – and they had cost the Gryffindors no less than 250 points, only two months after the start of the new school year, which would earn them the hatred of their peers. But that didn't matter. What really mattered was that McGo' was going to help them! She had explained to them in detail how everything was going to work, and she thought she could have all the ingredients together within two weeks! No more messy experiments, they were finally going to move forward! Although she had stressed that the process of becoming an animagus would take them years, Sirius was convinced that his natural talent for accomplishing forbidden things would easily see him through the difficulties. After all, animagi had to declare themselves to the Ministry of Magic, didn't they? They were technically outlaws. With the complicity of a Hogwarts professor, no less. By Merlin's beard, it was so exciting!

He felt like approaching Peter to tell him once again how happy he was with the way things were going. However, seeing James walking ahead of them, head bowed, he decided to change the subject:

"Peter, what happened yesterday?"

Peter glanced nervously in James's direction and slowed his pace, seeking to increase the distance between them to prevent their friend from overhearing them.

"Did you know he was ill?" he finally breathed to Sirius, "Like, that he had growing pains?"

Sirius frowned at his question. James, sick? He'd never mentioned it to him. Neither had his parents. They'd explained that he'd been born premature and that they'd had trouble conceiving him, but no comment had been made on their son's current state of health. It was true that James was really small, especially when Sirius compared his build to his own, but to consider his size "abnormal"…

"He never mentioned it, no. What exactly did he tell you?"

"He didn't tell me, strictly speaking. He made a remark to Snape, and he was the one who guessed it. Apparently, he'd been taking drugs to boost his growth. That's why James went ballistic. Mulciber started making fun of him, and he couldn't take it. Do you think we should talk to him about it? The way he reacted yesterday, I don't know if it would be a good idea, but we can't leave him like this…"

"I'll take care of it," Sirius replied simply.

He gave Peter a pat on the shoulder that was meant to be friendly, but only had the effect of making the last of the Marauders flinch. Oops. Sirius really had to learn to control his colossal strength, or he'd end up hurting someone unintentionally. He didn't want to risk breaking Remus in two by trying to hug him. But to do that, Remus would have to accept his advances, and that was no easy task…

Apologizing flatly with a wave of his hand, Sirius moved away from Peter to catch up with James in a few strides.

"Hey mate," he called out to him.

James accelerated in response. No kidding? Did he think he could walk faster than him? Sirius was only taking one step when James was taking two.

"Are you ever going to tell me why you're so pissed off?" insisted Sirius. "What's going on? I don't like seeing you like this."

"It's none of your business."

Sirius wasn't fazed, and he gripped his best friend's shoulder firmly, forcing him to slow down. Of course, it was his business. Everything that concerned James also concerned him and vice versa. It had been that way since their first year. The only subject Sirius had kept secret was his love for Remus, lest James explain that he had to let go. He wasn't ready to face reality yet. He preferred to be stubborn in secret.

"Don't be silly, James, I can see you feel bad about what happened. All right, you screwed up, and it could have gone very wrong, but Snape pulled through. He's gonna be fine. I swear he's fine. I spent most of the night running around the corridors with him. Well, he wasn't really running because he was in a wheelchair but-"

"I beg your pardon?"

James stopped abruptly, freeing himself from Sirius's grip to face him. His forehead didn't even reach his pecs, but the agitation running through him suddenly gave him such an imposing aura that Sirius instinctively stepped back.

"Wow, calm down," he said in a soothing voice, "That was to help Remus. He panicked last night and forcibly took Snape into the corridors in search of Dumbledore."

Sirius wasn't sure that "panicked" was the right word. In fact, given Snape's description of the situation, he was sure the appropriate expression would be "freaked the fuck out", but something prevented him from speaking in those terms. The idea that Remus might have cracked largely through his own fault was probably a big part of it, Sirius not wanting to flaunt it in front of their friends when he was the real culprit.

Anyway, it wasn't as if Remus was going to throw that kind of fit again, was he?

Hell, he really hoped not…

"I arrived when Filch fell on them," he resumed, "I…"

He checked that no other students were loitering in the corridor before resuming in a low voice:

"I'm the one who knocked out the caretaker…"

"No shit, it was you?" asked Peter abruptly, who had caught up with them. "Everyone says it was Peeves!"

"Peeves?" exclaimed Sirius. "What the hell's he got to do with it?"

"He paraded around the Great Hall this morning bragging about knocking out the Filch and his cat."

Okay. That explained why McGonagall hadn't asked them about it, but it was still weird. Granted, Peeves was a loudmouth, and he hated the caretaker, so it wouldn't be surprising if he wanted to appropriate any conflict for his own personal glory. Still, Sirius would have to sort it all out later…

"No. It was me. Snape got me out of this mess by erasing Filch's memory… However, he did realize that Remus was… That he was…"

He struggled to finish his sentence before finally giving up. Remus had always had this habit of never using the exact words to describe what he was suffering from, preferring to beat around the bush with disconcerting patience. This tendency had ended up affecting Sirius himself, who now felt uncomfortable whenever the subject came up in person. As if he dreaded inadvertently uttering an obscenity.

"I mean, you get what," he resumed after a short silence.

"Wait a minute, this totally sucks," Peter snarled. "It sucks like hell! If he ever decides to go public, it'll be a scandal! Remus might even have to leave school!"

"Don't worry about it, I've got it all handled!" reassured Sirius, careful not to tell him that it was in truth Snape who had settled the situation. "We've made a non-aggression pact: as long as we don't get near him again, he'll keep his mouth shut. I really think we can trust him. Besides, with everything that's happened, the best way to get forgotten is to keep your nose clean. James, what do you think? James? Shit, are you okay?"

Eyes moist and mouth set in an expression of restrained pain, James leaned against the stone wall. He nodded vigorously, unable to find the words, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him if he opened his mouth. Sirius and Peter stared at each other in confused silence. James never cried. He had always been surprisingly modest with his emotions. They moved closer without even consulting each other, Peter placing himself on his right while on his left Sirius stretched out a flap of his long coat, creating a small space around James, protected from prying eyes.

"James," Sirius spoke again. "We need to figure out what's going on. Snape's fine, I promise. Is it… is it Lily's reaction that's got you so upset? Okay, she seemed really pissed off with you… But you apologized, so that's something! I'm sure that if you make an effort, you'll be able to improve the situation! I don't know if you've seen, but she's setting up a sort of club to help first-years who are having difficulties. Once you're no longer in detention, you could join as a tutor. It would be a good way to get closer to her!"

Again, James shook his head in disordered movements, and Sirius was unable to tell whether he was denying or affirming his words. Sniffing violently to stifle a sob, James readjusted his glasses before declaring in a hoarse voice:

"I love her, you know… I… Lily. I love her very much. But I don't think that's enough. It can't change that, it can't change anything. Because there's him. And he's… He's… I… By Merlin… It freaks me out… It…"

He didn't finish his sentence, bursting into tears instead, and Sirius hurried to hold him close, careful not to smother him in the process. He guessed that the "him" James was referring to was probably Snape. What could this possibly mean? Was James afraid the two would end up together?

"What are you trying to say? That Lily's in love with Snape? You know that's impossible. I mean… Snape's… It's Snape, you know!" he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, "If that's the case, you'd better move on because that girl's got the worst taste in the galaxy! Right, Peter?"

"Yeah, you'd have to be blind to find something to love about him," Peter hastened to add.

The joke didn't have the desired effect, and James's crying resumed with a stomach-twisting desolation. Peter looked up at Sirius with a dejected expression, silently articulating the question, " What the fuck is wrong with him? ".

Sirius didn't know what to say. He simply tightened his embrace around James, resting his chin on his head as he pondered the situation. At least, that's what he was about to do before a loud metallic clang sounded and a wave of cold ran down his back. The armor behind him had suddenly sprung to life and was embracing him and James in a tight, warm embrace.

Panic gripped the trio. Peter jumped back so abruptly that he fell to the ground, retreating on his buttocks until he reached the opposite wall, crying out in fright. Sirius would have liked to imitate him for once, but he couldn't free himself from the arms of the armor. With a cry of horror, he pressed James's body against his own, instinctively seeking to protect him, before straightening up and inflating his shoulders to force their assailant to let go. The technique seemed to work, for the armor collapsed to the ground with a deafening crash, releasing a spectral form in a bell-cap and bright orange jacket.

Sirius stood dumbfounded, releasing James as he watched the figure emerge from its metallic entrails. The bells jingled merrily as Peeves, the scourge of Hogwarts as some teachers rightly called him, revealed himself in all his ghostly splendor.

"Well, well, you may have pulled one prank after another, but I'm still the king of trickery! I, Peeves, have fooled you for a change!" he exclaimed in a nasal voice, a wide, mischievous grin on his face.

He floated slightly in the air, his feet crossing the wall before pretending to lean on it, making him stand vertically.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Peeves, now's not the time!" yelled Sirius, glaring at him.

Too bad he couldn't punch spirits. He already had one unconscious caretaker to his credit, and the itch to add to the list.

His fury aroused the ghost's interest. With a sneer, he approached the group and whirled around them, cackling ominously:

"Oh, look at that! Our high and mighty James Potter in tears over a love affair! How pathetic! At the same time, it's hard for him to measure up to a girl, unless he falls back on a first year! Maybe a female goblin would like him, though. Apart from the ears, the difference is minimal ."

His eyes darted to James in the hope of seeing him burst into tears again, but he proved surprisingly dignified. Taking his time to respond, he first put his straight glasses back on, then wiped his cheeks with a flick of his sleeve before readjusting his uniform.

"Spit it out, Peeves, what do you want from us?" he finally said in a cold voice.

Too bad Peeves was already dead. James could have killed him with his eyes. He'd managed not to flinch, and Sirius was impressed. If Peeves had addressed him like that, he'd probably have howled like a jackal across the castle, unable to control his rage, but James wasn't like that. He had the temperament of a leader and knew how to control himself when necessary. This did not fail to annoy Peeves, who glared at him with a frozen smile before finally turning his attention back to Sirius.

"Actually, I was coming to talk to the big hound you're using as a watchdog. To be more exact, I came to congratulate him on his little fight last night! KO in one! Very impressive! You've got a future in boxing!"

Sirius felt all his blood leave his body at his statement. Fuck, Peeves knew. He'd spied on them last night, and he knew. He was fucked! There, exactly what he'd just said. Sirius wasn't James, he didn't know how to hide his emotions, and the look on his face at this revelation seemed to delight the spirit to no end. Peeves began a new ballet around them, roaring with laughter, unable to stand in place.

"Rho, don't make that face!" he exclaimed teasingly, "When your parents come to disinherit you after you've been expelled, I'm sure you'll be able to offer yourself a flourishing future in underground fighting! Apparently, there are quite a few organized ones on the Diagon Alley! I'm sure a lot of them will be betting on you!"

Hilarious, he began to imitate a fight, blowing his nose between each blow as he hopped like a boxer in the air. Sirius didn't know what to say or do. He expected James to defend him. Curiously, it was Peter's voice that echoed down the corridor:

"Oh, please, Peeves, stop making us wait! What do you want?"

Poor Peter was sounding exhausted. Between what he'd been through in McGo''s office, James' crying and Peeves' intervention, his stress must have reached its peak, and he didn't seem able to hold back any longer.

Peeves stopped his antics and gave him a sidelong glance.

"I need you for a mission," he finally whispered through gritted teeth, "I did your dearest Black a favor by pretending to be responsible for last night's mess. You'll have to return that favor now. I want you to stop a party from taking place."

"What party?" asked Peter, raising an eyebrow.

"The Bloody Baron's. He's planning to celebrate his birthday after the Slytherin-Gryffindor match. Given the composition of your team this year, this arrogant idiot is sure his house will win. He's planning to celebrate the victory as well as his birthday in the Slytherin common room. Obviously, I'm not welcome. In fact, since the beginning of the year, he's made sure I'm no longer at home in this castle. He is multiplying his attacks on me. Last time, he pursued me and besieged me for days in the astronomy tower, forcing me to stay in a tiny closet!" added Peeves, clenching his fists, his face scrunching up in anger. "He's determined to brand me as an undesirable! In fact, he organized a meeting with the other Hogwarts ghosts to publicly declare that I wasn't a real ghost! He made sure I was excluded from their group! Besides, no ghost speaks to me anymore! I've even heard that he's planning to make a piñata in my effigy for his little party. This pretentious oaf who can't stop boasting about being the ghost of the best house in the school… If he thinks he's going to get away with it! There's no way I'm going to let him screw me over anymore! Ah, he won't invite me to his rotten party? Well, there won't be a party! No, better than that, there won't even be a common room! I'm going to make them stop laughing once and for all!"

His demented tirade ended in perfect silence, and Sirius thought he was going to faint.

"But… But, you're a BIG PSYCHOPATH!" he finally shouted, "I… You… Shit, we can't do this! We can't destroy the Slytherin common room!"

"Oh," Peeves replied indulgently, "You don't have to blast it off the map. I'll settle for great chaos requiring all those little twerps to go to sleep in their beloved dungeons for, say, a good week. Don't tell me you've never thought of that, I know you!"

Of course, they'd thought of it! Making a huge mess of the Slytherins was a fantasy they'd had since their first year. On the other hand, there was a difference between thinking up such a Machiavellian plan and actually carrying it out!

"We can't do something that dangerous!" snapped Peter, "If we get caught, we could be expelled from school permanently!"

"If you feel so strongly about it," James remarked, "why don't you take care of it yourself? You're too scared of the Bloody Barron, so you cowardly force us to do all this for you? Why should we put ourselves in danger because of your weaknesses?"

His reflection cut him to the quick, and Peeves let out a growl.

"Because, unlike some people, I can't take refuge behind my little draconite sulfur potions to compensate for my flaws."

Bastard Peeves. James's face tensed at his statement, and Sirius guessed that what Peter had told him earlier was indeed true. James was taking a treatment in secret. He wished he'd known otherwise, though… Especially as it gave the ghost a new advantage.

Noticing that James had suddenly fallen silent, Peeves grew bolder.

"What? You're surprised I know so many details? It's getting out, you know. I'm very much involved in spreading this information. But, I'm a good player, I'll stop shouting it all over Hogwarts if you'll help me."

James didn't reply, merely standing there staring at his shoes. Sirius struggled to know whether this was out of anger or shame, and laid a friendly hand on his shoulder, pressing it between his fingers to remind him of his presence.

"And if you don't," Peeves resumed with a wry smile, pointing at Sirius, "I'll unpack everything that happened last night to the headmaster and your favorite loudmouth will get an expulsion. The choice is yours, Mister Black's expulsion or the joke of the century!"

"Wouldn't it be easier if I got expelled…" muttered Sirius.

Fuck, Sirius was at it again. He was getting everyone into trouble with his bullshit. First Remus, then Snape, and now James and Peter… Surely he really deserved to be expelled. He could put an end to this whole mess by denouncing himself and making himself useful, for once. In a final act of bravery, he would leave Hogwarts and flee his home for fear of his parents' reprisals. He would then live with his Uncle Alphard, and if Alphard didn't want him, he could do what Peeves had told him. Become a tavern boxer, trading fights for pints at the counter. He would become known as "Sirius the Fallen" and-

"I'm not against it," stammered Peter, "I mean, it's Sirius's choice, he's in charge…"

Wait! What Had That Big Traitor Peter Just Said? What? Did He Really Want Sirius To Sacrifice Himself To Save His Little Ass? What The Hell Was That? TREASON! DISGRACE! BRUTUS! JUDAS! TO THE STAKE!

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, PETER! ARE YOU REALLY WILLING TO PAY ME BACK LIKE THIS? YOU'RE FINALLY REVEALING YOUR TRUE FACE!"

"But…" replied Peter, shriveling in on himself and serving him his porcine little eyes, "you're the one who just said that…"

"BUT I SAID THAT THINKING YOU'D NEVER WANT TO!"

"It's absolutely out of the question that we'd sacrifice one of us," James cut them off as Sirius went to pounce on Peter, "When one of the Marauders is in trouble, the others cover for him, that's the rule. We'd do the same for you, Peter."

Of course! As if Sirius would go out of his way to help Peter while he tried to throw him overboard at the slightest danger! He wouldn't even lift a finger for him! The bugger could scratch himself! Damn it, he really couldn't understand why Remus liked him so much… What a rat… And to think he'd felt guilty for mistreating him!

"I really don't see how we're going to be able to do something like this! We don't even know how to get into the Slytherin common room!" Peter vainly defended himself.

"Ah, you're on your own there," commented Peeves, "I'm not going to make it easy for you either. That said, I would point out that a Slytherin is also involved in the story…"

"There's no way we're dragging Severus into this, "James abruptly stated, "Not after what we've already put him through. We'll manage without him."

"So I take it you're in on it," Peeves remarked.

James held his gaze before turning to Sirius and Peter. Silently, he held out his hand in front of him, palm down, and Sirius felt a great sense of relief wash over him. James was definitely determined to help him, no matter what had happened between them. He was even ready to recall the pact they'd made. Damn, he could be a headache sometimes, but he was still the best mate Sirius had ever had.

Sirius leaned over a little and stretched out his arm, his hand coming to rest on the other Gryffindor's, and the two turned to face Peter.

"I swear…" began James as if to call him to order.

"I swear," Sirius repeated in chorus while staring menacingly at Peter.

With an expression Sirius judged to be close to constipation, the latter hesitated before finally dragging his feet to join them, his hand covering theirs.

"I swear," he whispered plaintively.

"To walk in the footsteps of my comrades true," James continued, "And stand united, whatever may ensue."

"In good and bad deeds, our bond shall endure," Sirius echoed.

"At my own peril, I'll keep them secure," Peter finished spitefully.

Peeves' devilish laughter at the end of the oath echoed down the hall, and Sirius felt a chill run down his spine.

This time, if they messed up, they were finished.

I encourage you to comment from time to time. I love writing this story and, whatever happens, I'll keep writing it. But it's always nice to be able to read the opinions of those who read it. As I spend a lot of time on the text, I find it hard to see it as a whole. If you ever feel like encouraging me or have any criticisms, I'd be delighted to read them!