31 Days of Fic: Twenty-Nine
Only two more left! I'm feeling quite accomplished.
Thanks so much, by the way, for the response to my bitching in yesterday's entry. You guys made me feel a lot better.
And so, without further ado...
May 29, 1976
It's the last Hogsmeade weekend of the year, and the four of them are making their way along the path from Hogwarts with a studied nonchalance. They, after all, have been in and out of Hogsmeade all year long, thanks to a combination of James' Cloak and the tunnel under the one-eyed witch. The secret gives Peter a warm feeling of superiority as he looks at the students hurrying eagerly past them.
"Zonko's first," Sirius is saying. "Then Honeyduke's, and then I'm going to take Remus to Madame Puddifoot's." There is a moment of stunned, horrified silence; then Sirius bursts into laugher. "Oh, Merlin, your faces! Did you think I was serious?"
"Well, yes," James says. Everyone groans.
"That's been on the banned list since first year," Peter says.
"I'm seriously ashamed of you," Remus adds. James looks chagrined.
"Does it sound that stupid when I do it?"
"Yes," Sirius and Peter tell him at once. James pretends to be offended until Sirius ruffles his hair; then there is a moment that nearly ends in a flying tackle, except that by then they're in Hogsmeade, and James has become too conscious of his dignity to start scuffling in public.
"We still need to get those dungbombs for Peeves," James says, as the four of them turn their steps towards Zonko's.
"I was hoping we could wait until the last day of school," Remus says hopefully.
"And miss out on whatever it is Peeves wants thirty dungbombs for? No way," Sirius says, lowering his voice.
"I was afraid you'd see it that way," Remus groans.
"Oh, come on," Peter says. "It'll be fun."
"It will smell awful," Remus warns.
"That's the point, O Moony Mine," Sirius says, flashing him a brilliant smile. "Wormtail's right; it'll be fun."
***
They spend nearly an hour in Zonko's - we have to lay in supplies for our yearly send-off, Sirius insists, and no one feels inclined to argue with him. After that, loaded down with enough Zonko's products to start their own branch, at least according to Remus, they grab a booth in the Three Broomsticks.
Lily Evans is sitting across the room, and Peter can tell the exact moment that James notices her, because he turns pale, then red, then pale again. Peter and Remus exchange sympathetic, if knowing, looks. Sirius is off at the bar, trying to charm four Firewhiskies out of Madame Rosemerta, which Peter can't help thinking is a good thing. From the look on James' face, he's not in the mood to be teased about his unrequited passion for Evans.
"All right there, mate?" Peter asks him, and James nods jerkily without taking his eyes off of Lily.
"Yeah," he says. "Thanks."
Sirius comes back sulking and carrying four butterbeers. "She won't serve us with all the other students about," he says, glaring around the room as if he can make everyone else vanish through sheer willpower.
"So we'll come back tonight," Remus shrugs.
"That's my Moony," Sirius grins, settling into the booth beside Remus.
"Tonight?" Peter protests. "I need to study."
"You need to come back to Hogsmeade with us," Sirius says. "Come on, Wormtail; school's almost out. We have to make the most of our limited opportunities for mischief."
"Somehow, I don't think that will be a problem," Remus says dryly, with a look at the bulging Zonko's bags under their table.
***
Honeydukes is always their last stop in Hogsmeade, because the passage from the shop's basement allows them to sneak all manner of forbidden items past Filch's eagle eyes. Sirius of course spends a ridiculous amount of money; then the four of them, after a careful glance to be sure that no one is looking, slip into the basement and from there into the tunnel, where James' Cloak has been waiting for them since this morning, charmed so that only its owner can find it again.
"Hurry up, mate," Sirius says, as James hunts around the tunnel for his Cloak.
"Keep your pants on," James says.
Sirius shrugs and opens one of the Honeydukes bags. "Moony, where're my blood-flavoured lollipops?"
"You didn't get any," Remus answers.
"Are you sure?" Sirius asks. "I meant to." He looks up, eyes wide in the light from James' wand. "You distracted me. On purpose."
"Me?" Remus asks, far too innocently.
"With that Sugar Quill," Sirius says darkly. "I saw that, Moony."
"I meant for you to," Remus smirks. Even in the dim light, Peter can see the blush that creeps over Sirius' face.
"Oh," he starts to say; then James cuts him off with a crow of triumph.
"Found it!" He holds the Cloak aloft.
"Took you long enough," Sirius says.
"Shut it, Padfoot," James says amiably, and the two of them begin the post-Hogsmeade ritual of wrapping all of their forbidden Zonko's products up in the Cloak.
It takes longer than usual, because Sirius keeps looking over at Remus with startled, hungry eyes.
Normally, the job of carrying the joke-filled Cloak back to the dormitory falls to James and Sirius. This time, however, Peter volunteers to help James carry it, and the two of them head down the tunnel. After a few minutes, Peter can hear Remus and Sirius coming up behind them. When he turns to look back he can see that the two of them are holding hands, and neither of them lets go until they reach the statue of the one-eyed witch.
***
( day twenty-eight)*( day thirty)
***
Author's Notes: This one is for
dr_schreaber, who mentioned Hogsmeade and fed the plot-bunny. As always, thanks so much to everyone who's taken the time to read/review so far.
Feedback? Is love.
Thanks so much, by the way, for the response to my bitching in yesterday's entry. You guys made me feel a lot better.
And so, without further ado...
May 29, 1976
It's the last Hogsmeade weekend of the year, and the four of them are making their way along the path from Hogwarts with a studied nonchalance. They, after all, have been in and out of Hogsmeade all year long, thanks to a combination of James' Cloak and the tunnel under the one-eyed witch. The secret gives Peter a warm feeling of superiority as he looks at the students hurrying eagerly past them.
"Zonko's first," Sirius is saying. "Then Honeyduke's, and then I'm going to take Remus to Madame Puddifoot's." There is a moment of stunned, horrified silence; then Sirius bursts into laugher. "Oh, Merlin, your faces! Did you think I was serious?"
"Well, yes," James says. Everyone groans.
"That's been on the banned list since first year," Peter says.
"I'm seriously ashamed of you," Remus adds. James looks chagrined.
"Does it sound that stupid when I do it?"
"Yes," Sirius and Peter tell him at once. James pretends to be offended until Sirius ruffles his hair; then there is a moment that nearly ends in a flying tackle, except that by then they're in Hogsmeade, and James has become too conscious of his dignity to start scuffling in public.
"We still need to get those dungbombs for Peeves," James says, as the four of them turn their steps towards Zonko's.
"I was hoping we could wait until the last day of school," Remus says hopefully.
"And miss out on whatever it is Peeves wants thirty dungbombs for? No way," Sirius says, lowering his voice.
"I was afraid you'd see it that way," Remus groans.
"Oh, come on," Peter says. "It'll be fun."
"It will smell awful," Remus warns.
"That's the point, O Moony Mine," Sirius says, flashing him a brilliant smile. "Wormtail's right; it'll be fun."
***
They spend nearly an hour in Zonko's - we have to lay in supplies for our yearly send-off, Sirius insists, and no one feels inclined to argue with him. After that, loaded down with enough Zonko's products to start their own branch, at least according to Remus, they grab a booth in the Three Broomsticks.
Lily Evans is sitting across the room, and Peter can tell the exact moment that James notices her, because he turns pale, then red, then pale again. Peter and Remus exchange sympathetic, if knowing, looks. Sirius is off at the bar, trying to charm four Firewhiskies out of Madame Rosemerta, which Peter can't help thinking is a good thing. From the look on James' face, he's not in the mood to be teased about his unrequited passion for Evans.
"All right there, mate?" Peter asks him, and James nods jerkily without taking his eyes off of Lily.
"Yeah," he says. "Thanks."
Sirius comes back sulking and carrying four butterbeers. "She won't serve us with all the other students about," he says, glaring around the room as if he can make everyone else vanish through sheer willpower.
"So we'll come back tonight," Remus shrugs.
"That's my Moony," Sirius grins, settling into the booth beside Remus.
"Tonight?" Peter protests. "I need to study."
"You need to come back to Hogsmeade with us," Sirius says. "Come on, Wormtail; school's almost out. We have to make the most of our limited opportunities for mischief."
"Somehow, I don't think that will be a problem," Remus says dryly, with a look at the bulging Zonko's bags under their table.
***
Honeydukes is always their last stop in Hogsmeade, because the passage from the shop's basement allows them to sneak all manner of forbidden items past Filch's eagle eyes. Sirius of course spends a ridiculous amount of money; then the four of them, after a careful glance to be sure that no one is looking, slip into the basement and from there into the tunnel, where James' Cloak has been waiting for them since this morning, charmed so that only its owner can find it again.
"Hurry up, mate," Sirius says, as James hunts around the tunnel for his Cloak.
"Keep your pants on," James says.
Sirius shrugs and opens one of the Honeydukes bags. "Moony, where're my blood-flavoured lollipops?"
"You didn't get any," Remus answers.
"Are you sure?" Sirius asks. "I meant to." He looks up, eyes wide in the light from James' wand. "You distracted me. On purpose."
"Me?" Remus asks, far too innocently.
"With that Sugar Quill," Sirius says darkly. "I saw that, Moony."
"I meant for you to," Remus smirks. Even in the dim light, Peter can see the blush that creeps over Sirius' face.
"Oh," he starts to say; then James cuts him off with a crow of triumph.
"Found it!" He holds the Cloak aloft.
"Took you long enough," Sirius says.
"Shut it, Padfoot," James says amiably, and the two of them begin the post-Hogsmeade ritual of wrapping all of their forbidden Zonko's products up in the Cloak.
It takes longer than usual, because Sirius keeps looking over at Remus with startled, hungry eyes.
Normally, the job of carrying the joke-filled Cloak back to the dormitory falls to James and Sirius. This time, however, Peter volunteers to help James carry it, and the two of them head down the tunnel. After a few minutes, Peter can hear Remus and Sirius coming up behind them. When he turns to look back he can see that the two of them are holding hands, and neither of them lets go until they reach the statue of the one-eyed witch.
***
( day twenty-eight)*( day thirty)
***
Author's Notes: This one is for
dr_schreaber, who mentioned Hogsmeade and fed the plot-bunny. As always, thanks so much to everyone who's taken the time to read/review so far.
Feedback? Is love.