Fic: The Summer of Sirius - July 22, 23, 24 & 25
Part 15 - The Marauders help Sirius apply for a job. (Harry Potter, Pre-Azkaban, PG)
Written for dogdaysofsummer
Prompts 22, 23, 24, 25
Title: Need to Work
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,337
Disclaimer: JK Rowling's characters, not mine.
Notes: Part of series chronicling the summer Sirius moved into his flat.
Summary: The Marauders help Sirius fill out a job application.
Previous: July 1&2&3, July 4&5, July 6, July 7, July 8&9, July 10, July 11, July 12&13, July 14&15, July 16, July 17, July 18, July 19, July 20&21
July 25, 1978
Remus Lupin awoke when he felt a wet tongue licking his face. He opened his eyes and stared into those of the black dog that hovered over him.
“Padfoot, stop that,” he scolded, gently pushing the dog away.
The dog refused to leave, though, and hid under the blanket that covered Remus.
“Padfoot.”
Remus felt the dog sniffing around his crotch, so he immediately reached down and pulled the dog’s fur.
“Padfoot, out!”
Instead of an animal, a fully grown Sirius Black emerged from under the covers and licked Remus’s lips. Remus hit Sirius’s head.
“Sirius, you twat, don’t do that. You scared me,” admonished Remus.
“Come on, get dressed. Prongs and Pete will be here in an hour. And I’m making breakfast,” said Sirius as he jumped out of the bed and left the room.
Remus rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned before he realized what Sirius had just said. “Breakfast? How are you going to make breakfast? You can’t cook.”
After an hour of cleaning broken egg shells off the floor (Sirius muttering Oops after every “accident”) and convincing him that the stove was not trying to kill him (“But it’s so hot, Remus!”), Remus finally insisted that they use their wands to scramble the eggs, cook the sausage, and warm the toast.
Remus sat at the black table when James Potter and Peter Pettigrew arrived.
“Good morning,” he greeted them.
James looked surprised to see him there already. “Hey, Remus, what time did you get here?”
“Around nine-”
James glanced at his watch.
“-last night,” finished Remus.
“Oh,” said James, who slightly reddened as he looked at Sirius.
Sirius, seating himself opposite Remus, nodded and winked at James. James rolled his eyes.
“You hungry, Prongs? Help yourself,” said Sirius as he pointed to the plates on the table.
James shook his head and leaned against one of the chairs, looking at Remus. “That’s not fair. Your parents let you spend the night here and Mum makes me leave my bedroom door open whenever Lily comes over.”
The three friends laughed.
“Maybe I can bring her here sometime?” asked James hopefully.
“For what?” asked Sirius, eating a spoonful of eggs. “A game of chess?”
Remus snorted.
“This is a cool place to bring girls, Sirius,” said Peter from the couch.
James, taking a sausage from Sirius’s plate, nodded his head. “But instead it’s being wasted on you two. What a shame.”
Sirius stuffed a piece of toast into his mouth and stood up. “Did you bring the form?”
James fished a folded paper from his trouser pocket and handed it to Sirius. “Here you go. Dad says to turn it in as soon as you can. They like to hire during the summer.” A few days prior, Sirius had asked James’s father, a Ministry of Magic employee, if he knew of any entry-level job openings. As was the unofficial custom with most Ministry jobs, a wizard or witch had to know, or be related to, someone within the Ministry to be considered for employment there. Mr. Potter promised Sirius a personal recommendation, and he wanted to take advantage of that opportunity.
James sat in Sirius’s vacated chair and began eating the leftovers.
Sirius unfolded the paper and sat down on the black couch next to Peter, who had his eyes closed. Sirius nudged him. “Didn’t get any sleep?”
Peter opened his eyes and blinked rapidly. “I’ve been helping my mum with things around the house before I leave.”
“Where are you going?”
“James’s summer home.”
Sirius looked over at James. He had accompanied the Potter family to their summer house for the past two years. James’s parents allowed their son to take one friend along, and Sirius had felt chuffed when he was chosen. This year, however, he realized he didn’t care that he wasn’t invited. “He’s going with you?”
James, his mouth full of eggs, shook his head. “Um, well, only if you don’t want to go.”
Peter quickly sat up and loudly exclaimed, “What? But you asked me first. And I’ve already packed.”
A sheepish James swallowed his food. “Pete, you know Sirius is always my first choice.”
Sirius turned to Peter. “Calm down, Wormtail. I don’t want to go. I have too much going on here.”
Peter glanced at Remus and then at James. “Looks like you’re not Sirius’s first choice.”
James briefly met Remus’s eyes before turning to Peter. “Fine, fine, you’re going, Peter.”
“Yes!” Peter happily sat back.
Sirius wrote on the employment application. “Okay, mates, help me fill this out. I have no previous job experience, so I have to make this look good.”
“Ask away,” said Peter.
“I have to list my education information; should I include that I was the top student of our class?”
“Definitely,” said Remus.
“What, what, what? The top? You mean ‘second to the top,’ second to me,” declared James.
“James, I’m nobody’s second,” stated Sirius.
James waved a hand at him. “I’ll let you write it in, even if it’s not technically true.”
Sirius responded sarcastically. “Gee, thanks.” He bit the end of the pen as he read the form. “Okay, how about this? What would you say are my special skills?”
Peter laughed and looked at Remus. “Remus, do you want to answer that one?”
James spat juice out. Remus narrowed his eyes at Peter. “Shut it, Peter.”
“Ignore him, Moony. There’s not enough space to list all my skills, anyway,” Sirius told Remus with a wink.
James finished eating and wiped his mouth. “Just write down that you can perform ‘advanced and complex’ spells. That always sounds smart.”
“Do you think mentioning my Animagi form is too much?” asked Sirius.
Remus laughed. “Sirius, you want to get a job, not get sent to Azkaban.”
Sirius laughed and read the next question. “I have to list up to five professional or personal references. Your father’s one, Prongs, but what should I write under the “relationship to you” column-father of friend?”
James looked pensive. “How about father of top classmate at Hogwarts?”
“Or father of delusional prat?” suggested Sirius.
“Why don’t you list the three of us?” asked James, adjusting his glasses. “You can include Peter and write arse kisser under his relationship to you.”
“Wanker,” spat Peter.
“Include Remus and write bloke whom I shag under the second column,” continued James. "And hope that he gives you a good recommendation."
Remus kicked him hard under the table.
James smirked and resumed talking. “Write my name and put me down as bloke who kicks my arse just so it’s clear as to who really kicks your arse, Black.”
“After I’m done here, we can find out who kicks whose arse if you’re up for it,” said Sirius. “For now, though, I’m going to put Dumbledore and McGonagall as references. Who else?”
“How about Slughorn?” asked Remus. “He’s very fond of you.”
“Oh yeah, he has a thing for you, doesn’t he?” inquired Peter with a grin.
Sirius shook his head. “He does not.”
“He’s obsessed with your family, Sirius,” said Remus.
“Nah, he’s obsessed with Sirius,” proclaimed James with a laugh.
“You’re asking for that arse-kicking, Potter.”
“Whenever you’re ready, Black.”
Two hours later-including a ten-minute wrestling match between Sirius and James that resulted in a draw-the four friends stood in the open doorway, the busy London street in front of them.
“You sure you don’t want to come along on the trip? Get away from the bustling city for a bit?” James asked Sirius. “It could be the best summer ever.”
Sirius shook his head. “I’ve got responsibilities now. Besides, I’m already having the best summer.”
James looked at Remus, who stood beside Sirius, and understood.
“Well, then, we’ll see you when we get back. And take the application.”
Sirius nodded. The four friends exchanged farewells, and then James and Peter were gone.
“Is this really the best summer you’ve had?” asked Remus.
“It always will be,” replied Sirius, shutting the front door.
*** Final installments to be posted by tomorrow***
Written for dogdaysofsummer
Prompts 22, 23, 24, 25
Title: Need to Work
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,337
Disclaimer: JK Rowling's characters, not mine.
Notes: Part of series chronicling the summer Sirius moved into his flat.
Summary: The Marauders help Sirius fill out a job application.
Previous: July 1&2&3, July 4&5, July 6, July 7, July 8&9, July 10, July 11, July 12&13, July 14&15, July 16, July 17, July 18, July 19, July 20&21
July 25, 1978
Remus Lupin awoke when he felt a wet tongue licking his face. He opened his eyes and stared into those of the black dog that hovered over him.
“Padfoot, stop that,” he scolded, gently pushing the dog away.
The dog refused to leave, though, and hid under the blanket that covered Remus.
“Padfoot.”
Remus felt the dog sniffing around his crotch, so he immediately reached down and pulled the dog’s fur.
“Padfoot, out!”
Instead of an animal, a fully grown Sirius Black emerged from under the covers and licked Remus’s lips. Remus hit Sirius’s head.
“Sirius, you twat, don’t do that. You scared me,” admonished Remus.
“Come on, get dressed. Prongs and Pete will be here in an hour. And I’m making breakfast,” said Sirius as he jumped out of the bed and left the room.
Remus rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned before he realized what Sirius had just said. “Breakfast? How are you going to make breakfast? You can’t cook.”
After an hour of cleaning broken egg shells off the floor (Sirius muttering Oops after every “accident”) and convincing him that the stove was not trying to kill him (“But it’s so hot, Remus!”), Remus finally insisted that they use their wands to scramble the eggs, cook the sausage, and warm the toast.
Remus sat at the black table when James Potter and Peter Pettigrew arrived.
“Good morning,” he greeted them.
James looked surprised to see him there already. “Hey, Remus, what time did you get here?”
“Around nine-”
James glanced at his watch.
“-last night,” finished Remus.
“Oh,” said James, who slightly reddened as he looked at Sirius.
Sirius, seating himself opposite Remus, nodded and winked at James. James rolled his eyes.
“You hungry, Prongs? Help yourself,” said Sirius as he pointed to the plates on the table.
James shook his head and leaned against one of the chairs, looking at Remus. “That’s not fair. Your parents let you spend the night here and Mum makes me leave my bedroom door open whenever Lily comes over.”
The three friends laughed.
“Maybe I can bring her here sometime?” asked James hopefully.
“For what?” asked Sirius, eating a spoonful of eggs. “A game of chess?”
Remus snorted.
“This is a cool place to bring girls, Sirius,” said Peter from the couch.
James, taking a sausage from Sirius’s plate, nodded his head. “But instead it’s being wasted on you two. What a shame.”
Sirius stuffed a piece of toast into his mouth and stood up. “Did you bring the form?”
James fished a folded paper from his trouser pocket and handed it to Sirius. “Here you go. Dad says to turn it in as soon as you can. They like to hire during the summer.” A few days prior, Sirius had asked James’s father, a Ministry of Magic employee, if he knew of any entry-level job openings. As was the unofficial custom with most Ministry jobs, a wizard or witch had to know, or be related to, someone within the Ministry to be considered for employment there. Mr. Potter promised Sirius a personal recommendation, and he wanted to take advantage of that opportunity.
James sat in Sirius’s vacated chair and began eating the leftovers.
Sirius unfolded the paper and sat down on the black couch next to Peter, who had his eyes closed. Sirius nudged him. “Didn’t get any sleep?”
Peter opened his eyes and blinked rapidly. “I’ve been helping my mum with things around the house before I leave.”
“Where are you going?”
“James’s summer home.”
Sirius looked over at James. He had accompanied the Potter family to their summer house for the past two years. James’s parents allowed their son to take one friend along, and Sirius had felt chuffed when he was chosen. This year, however, he realized he didn’t care that he wasn’t invited. “He’s going with you?”
James, his mouth full of eggs, shook his head. “Um, well, only if you don’t want to go.”
Peter quickly sat up and loudly exclaimed, “What? But you asked me first. And I’ve already packed.”
A sheepish James swallowed his food. “Pete, you know Sirius is always my first choice.”
Sirius turned to Peter. “Calm down, Wormtail. I don’t want to go. I have too much going on here.”
Peter glanced at Remus and then at James. “Looks like you’re not Sirius’s first choice.”
James briefly met Remus’s eyes before turning to Peter. “Fine, fine, you’re going, Peter.”
“Yes!” Peter happily sat back.
Sirius wrote on the employment application. “Okay, mates, help me fill this out. I have no previous job experience, so I have to make this look good.”
“Ask away,” said Peter.
“I have to list my education information; should I include that I was the top student of our class?”
“Definitely,” said Remus.
“What, what, what? The top? You mean ‘second to the top,’ second to me,” declared James.
“James, I’m nobody’s second,” stated Sirius.
James waved a hand at him. “I’ll let you write it in, even if it’s not technically true.”
Sirius responded sarcastically. “Gee, thanks.” He bit the end of the pen as he read the form. “Okay, how about this? What would you say are my special skills?”
Peter laughed and looked at Remus. “Remus, do you want to answer that one?”
James spat juice out. Remus narrowed his eyes at Peter. “Shut it, Peter.”
“Ignore him, Moony. There’s not enough space to list all my skills, anyway,” Sirius told Remus with a wink.
James finished eating and wiped his mouth. “Just write down that you can perform ‘advanced and complex’ spells. That always sounds smart.”
“Do you think mentioning my Animagi form is too much?” asked Sirius.
Remus laughed. “Sirius, you want to get a job, not get sent to Azkaban.”
Sirius laughed and read the next question. “I have to list up to five professional or personal references. Your father’s one, Prongs, but what should I write under the “relationship to you” column-father of friend?”
James looked pensive. “How about father of top classmate at Hogwarts?”
“Or father of delusional prat?” suggested Sirius.
“Why don’t you list the three of us?” asked James, adjusting his glasses. “You can include Peter and write arse kisser under his relationship to you.”
“Wanker,” spat Peter.
“Include Remus and write bloke whom I shag under the second column,” continued James. "And hope that he gives you a good recommendation."
Remus kicked him hard under the table.
James smirked and resumed talking. “Write my name and put me down as bloke who kicks my arse just so it’s clear as to who really kicks your arse, Black.”
“After I’m done here, we can find out who kicks whose arse if you’re up for it,” said Sirius. “For now, though, I’m going to put Dumbledore and McGonagall as references. Who else?”
“How about Slughorn?” asked Remus. “He’s very fond of you.”
“Oh yeah, he has a thing for you, doesn’t he?” inquired Peter with a grin.
Sirius shook his head. “He does not.”
“He’s obsessed with your family, Sirius,” said Remus.
“Nah, he’s obsessed with Sirius,” proclaimed James with a laugh.
“You’re asking for that arse-kicking, Potter.”
“Whenever you’re ready, Black.”
Two hours later-including a ten-minute wrestling match between Sirius and James that resulted in a draw-the four friends stood in the open doorway, the busy London street in front of them.
“You sure you don’t want to come along on the trip? Get away from the bustling city for a bit?” James asked Sirius. “It could be the best summer ever.”
Sirius shook his head. “I’ve got responsibilities now. Besides, I’m already having the best summer.”
James looked at Remus, who stood beside Sirius, and understood.
“Well, then, we’ll see you when we get back. And take the application.”
Sirius nodded. The four friends exchanged farewells, and then James and Peter were gone.
“Is this really the best summer you’ve had?” asked Remus.
“It always will be,” replied Sirius, shutting the front door.
*** Final installments to be posted by tomorrow***