peace offering!
Chapter 14 of Amalgam is almost finished! YAY!
To make up for all the angst in the last chapter, here is the James/Sirius fic I wrote for the Christmas exchange. Fluff, fun and a pillow fight! WAHOOOOOO!
It's called "Us"
Click here!Us
"What?" Sirius was slowly turning red as he scanned the note over quickly. "Detention! Hell!"
"Me too." James was holding the twin of the letter Sirius was waving in the air. "And delivered in a nice little Hogwarts envelope, right on my bed!"
"Oh, this is not fair!" Sirius pointed to a spot on the now-mangled parchment. "Anyone could have rigged Snape's stool to collapse in the Greenhouse. It's a public place..."
"Yeah," James added. "or broken all his quills. He could have done that one himself, greasy bookworm always keeps them at the bottom of his bag where they get tossed around..so I hear." He smiled slyly.
"Right you are!" Sirius clapped James solidly on the shoulder. "Next, we have the exploding pudding.. What in the world would lead McGonnagal to think it was us? We weren't even on the same side of the room when Snape found himself covered in custard!"
James raised his hand in the air, as Sirius finished his point. "Precisely! Just as anyone could have been responsible for opening his dormitory window, sprinkling his bed with owl treats and laying a trail back to the owlery."
"Who would have known what a mess that would make?" Sirius asked, hands pressed on both sides of his face, in fake shock.
They looked at each other and took a quick breath.
"US!" They declared proudly in unison, breaking out into wide smiles, and tearing the letters into confetti.
"You know, this is the third week in a row we've had detention together. I believe Wormtail and Moony may be getting jealous." James sat down on the side of his bed.
"Oh, they're fine with leaving the punishment side to us. Besides, when it comes to detention partners, I always play favourites." Sirius dramatically fell to his knees, tenderly scooping up James' hand with his own.
James looked down, shaking his head as if he were staring at a small child, or a stray dog who was too cute to discipline. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, James Potter!" Sirius broke out into an over-the-top melodramatic voice. "I never want to serve detention alone again! From now on..." His other hand passionately landed over his heart. "...I want only you beside me as we pay for our weekly transgressions!" Sirius bowed his head, planted a sloppy kiss on the back of James hand, and looked up for a reaction. James was trying not to laugh but lost all control as Sirius went back to blow a raspberry on the same hand.
"I accept!" He managed, through his laughter. He ruffled Sirius' hair, and pulled him to his feet. "You know I'll never resist a good prank."
He winked at Sirius, raised his arm in the air, and decided to try his hand at the melodrama. "Henceforth, I will follow you, Sirius Black, into the deepest darkest regions of Filch's office, hand in hand, if it will help to further freak him out."
Laughter filled the room. Sirius, rolling his eyes, pushed James hard on the shoulders, sending him flying backwards onto the bed. "There's a good lad." He dove after James, belly flopping beside him, the bed groaning in protest.
"I think the Sorting Hat seriously messed up, not putting us in Slytherin." James rolled onto his stomach, mirroring Sirius.
"Well, it did with you." He said straight-faced. "I'm pure of heart." Sirius flashed an angelic grin, batting his eyelashes.
"Pure in heart? James snorted. "My arse!"
Sirius wasn't quick enough to avoid the pillow pounding he was now receiving from James. He buried his head into his arms, pressing his face into the bed, shaking with laughter.
"Come on, brave Gryffindor, fight back!" James punctuated each word with a pillow hit to the back of Sirius' head.
Sirius blindly shot his hand along the bed, searching the overstuffed pillow he hoped wouldn't be far. Finding what he was looking for, he flipped over, impressively, and began the counterattack on James. As the battle wore on, James, who was by far the better pillow fighter, gave Sirius quite a beating.
Sirius quickly searched his mind for a creative way to stop the pummelling, and reacted with the first thing that came to mind.
"Prongs, wait!" He was trying to catch his breath. "I take it all back." James reluctantly lowered the pillow that was now ripped in several places.
"Do you, now?" James sank back on his knees, breathing harder than Sirius..
"Yeah, I'll agree that the hat may have missorted us." Sirius brushed the longish fringe out of his eyes.
James adjusted his glasses, eyeing Sirius suspiciously. "Well, good. Glad you've learned your lesson." He displayed an arrogant smile.
"I've given it a lot of thought." Sirius rolled lazily onto his back. "You should have been in Hufflepuff!"
With a mock war cry from James, Sirius suddenly found himself without a pillow and wrestling James for his.
"Oh no. It's..Ow!...not my ..HEY!..fault if you can't ..WATCH IT!...keep your own pill-Ow!" James tried to get a better grip, but the pillow was not holding up very well in the tug-of-war situation.
"Fine!" Sirius pounced. "See how well you can...OH!...fight without..OW!... your glasses!" He wrapped his smallest finger around the arm of James' glasses and pulled them off. They flew behind him, landing safely near the top of the bed.
"Nice clean fighting!" James panted. "Are you going to bite me next?" James was laughing so hard his chest was beginning to hurt. Sirius was infected immediately and he joined the room-shaking laughter.
James saw an opportunity and struck. He climbed on top of Sirius, frayed pillow in hand.
Sirius, realizing he was being straddled, couldn't think of anything to say. His rapid heart beat was the only thing he could hear.
"Do you surrender?" He held the pillow in warning above Sirius' head.
Sirius found his breath again, and smiled. "Is your middle name Barbara?"
James made a sour face, then grinned. "Sorry. Wrong answer!"
Sirius burst into a whole new fit of laughter, as James covered his face with the pillow, his body pinning Sirius to the bed. After a violent squirm from below, He lifted the pillow slightly, bending low to peer under it. "Give up?"
"Yes! Now let me breathe, you Huffummrummmfff..." James lowered the pillow for a few more seconds.
"That's no way to talk about your best mate!" James faked a shocked expression, although there was no one to see it at the moment. After a few kicks from Sirius, James decided it was time to let him breath again. He tossed the pillow away, quickly gabbing Sirius' wrists to avoid retaliation.
When they made eye contact, James could only stare.
Sirius' hair was a mess, his face considerably flushed, and he was unsuccessfully trying to look angry . They were both breathing heavily, but neither made a move to untangle themselves.
"It's a shame you're not a girl, Padfoot." James grinned, "Since I have you in a very interesting position."
Sirius choked on his next breath, as he stared up at James. He was amazed to find himself trapped, but completely willing to stay that way. Slowly, a mischievous grin stretched across his face. "I'm better than any girl. Why don't you give us a snog and find out."
James was completely still, except for the erratic breathing he couldn't quite control. He blushed slightly. "And why would I want to do that?" He whispered, challenging the dare without a trace of sarcasm or retaliation in his tone.
Sirius shifted his hips into a more comfortable position, feeling the intense heat generated from the recent horseplay session. "Well," he smiled as he tried to figure out James' curious expression. "No girl would ever want to bring home James Potter, a known troublemaker, so I figure I'm the best shot at a snog as you're ever going to get."
As James pondered the proposition, he settled back slightly, transferring more of his weight onto the body below him.
Sirius swallowed hard. The recent movement from James had sent a small shock wave scurrying up his body, starting just below his hips. He found himself trying to ignore and enjoy the strange sensation at the same time.
James, realizing he still held Sirius' wrists, lowered himself as if doing a painfully slow but satisfying push-up. They were close enough now, that his breath moved some of Sirius' hair away from his eyes.
"You may be right, but I don't think I've exhausted my resources just yet." Sirius' hopeful expression dimmed slightly. "But if I decide I need a boyfriend, you're top of the heap." James returned the earlier raspberry on Sirius' forehead, released him, and rolled off to his left side.
Sirius immediately noticed the warmth draining away from his body, but decided to make light of the situation to keep his mind off 'other things'. "Top of the heap? I'm your favourite pair of socks, now?"
James laughed at the image of Sirius-shaped socks, sat up, and pulled them both off the very rumpled bed. "Lets get to detention before Filch invents something else to blame us for."
"Sure. Had your way with me," He wiped the wet spot from his forehead. "And now you expect me to WORK?"
James scooped up his glasses and ran a hand through his messy hair. "Whatever you say, Lucius."
Before his sentence was completed, James had started running, knowing full well how Sirius would react. His laughter could be heard in almost every hallway.
~*~
"That's not a bad idea, really." Sirius pulled his cloak tighter to keep out the bitter November wind. "I mean, there's no one that I trust more than you."
"I think it would be ok." James stepped gingerly over a steaming spot on the grass. "People our age are expected to 'experiment', right?"
"Right. I think we should feel free to expand our 'horizons'." Sirius looked across to James, and grinned. "So when and where?"
James paused at the door to the Quidditch change rooms, checking for onlookers. "Well, it's still early." He winked. "If we hurry up with cleaning here, then we'll have enough time to do it tonight."
Sirius looked slightly nervous. "Er...You know I've never done this before, so...how much time will we need?"
James laid a hand on his shoulder and whispered. "We'll get my cloak, and hide under there until we get into the library."
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Why the library?"
"Oh, there's a few things I wanted to look up before we 'did' anything." James broke eye contact.
"Hell!" Sirius threw his hands up in the air and spun away from James. "I thought you said you've done this before!"
"Shhhh!" James hushed Sirius, stepping up close behind him. He lowered his voice. "Only once, so I just wanted to make sure...don't worry, ok? Trust me."
"You know I do, prat." Sirius smiled into the darkness. James grabbed the other shoulder and spun him around.
"So what colour do you want?" James asked, a huge grin plastered across his face.
"You should probably be asking me 'what colour would you like me to AIM for, Padfoot?'." Sirius laughed. "Since I'm only your second try, I might end up with pink or bright yellow."
"Possible. However, it worked the first time, and I know the counter chant to the hair colouring charm, 'if' something does go wrong."
Sirius thought for a moment, then locked eyes with James. "Then I want red hair like Arthur's. Just to see the look on everyone's face will be worth it if I get punished."
"Weasley hair?" James scrunched up his face.
Sirius nodded, absolute in his decision.
"Ok, I'll try my best. I guess I can colour mine as well. Can't let you have all the attention." James opened the door, pushing Sirius in ahead of him. Both chuckling to themselves.
~*~
"Ugh! What a pigsty." Sirius groaned, as the combined smell of grass, wind, dampness and sweat hit them, full force.
The last two teams to play had been Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. James and Sirius were standing in what was obviously the Gryffindor area. A few telltale robes were abandoned on the floor, most of the gear was falling out of the lockers, and soiled towels covered every other surface.
"I don't remember leaving it in this state, but I was also distracted with celebration at the time." James placed his hands on his hips as he summed-up the damage.
"I don't know why you insisted on a celebration." Sirius playfully bumped James in the ribs. "It was only Hufflepuff. Not like you were likely to lose."
"A win is a win." James pretended to take offence while Sirius grinned. "Ok!" James clapped his hands together, surveying the filth. "Let's get this done!"
Sirius nodded, and they both reached for their wands.
"Tergeo tergo tersi tersum!" They uttered the cleaning charm and simultaneously flew back against the wall, with a sickening crack echoing through the room.
They sank to the floor.
"Looks like someone figured out how we cleaned this place so quickly last week." Sirius let out a low moan as his fingers moved gingerly over a lump that was forming on the back of his head.
James was crawling toward where he thought his glasses might have landed. "Yeah. That was some ward. I bet Filch told McGonnagal to do it." James spotted what he was looking for on a large pile of towels. "Got you." He whispered to himself, adjusting his glasses slightly as he put them back on. "All right there, Padfoot?"
"Yeah, I think the wall got the worst of it." He glanced up.
James chuckled softly as he watched Sirius' hand glide over the broken tiles. "I'll bet we get blamed with 'damage to school property' for cracking walls with our heads."
Sirius tried to let a short laugh escape, but the pain from his head was getting the better of him. He swayed slightly, throwing his other hand out to steady himself against the wall. James was there in an instant, ushering Sirius back through the door, and out into the icy air.
"I'm fine, you git." Sirius paused, suddenly aware of the new surroundings. "Wait. Why are we outside?"
"Well, we can rule out Ravenclaw for you." James chuckled. He turned Sirius to face him, holding securely to both shoulders. "I don't want to risk a repeat wall-cracking performance, so I brought you out here to try a healing spell."
"Right. Good thinking."
James released one of Sirius' shoulders, and moved his hand tenderly through Sirius' hair until it brushed against the goose egg that was developing nicely. Sirius, still in a bit of a fog, was enjoying their proximity until James' fingers came into contact with his injury, causing him to pale considerably.
James' reaction was swift. "I should take you up to the castle." He threw Sirius' arm over his shoulder, preparing to move them both. "What if I can't..."
"No, wait." Two words from Sirius, and James froze where he stood. He tried for a reassuring smile, but noticed the worried expression coming from James. "Just go ahead already. Remember, I trust you." He took James' left hand in his own.
James stayed still for a moment, then reluctantly nodded and reached with his right hand for his wand. A soft glow surrounded the upper half of Sirius' body as James cast the healing spell he hoped would be the right one.
Sirius closed his eyes as the light faded and squeezed the hand he was still holding. James finally started breathing again when he noticed a smile begin to surface on Sirius' lips.
James broke the silence first. "It worked, then?" Relief was evident in his eyes.
"I think I still have all my parts," He let go of James' hand to check if the lump was still there. He then patted himself down along the outside of his cloak. He looked up at James, and raised an eyebrow. "And I haven't found any new parts, either." He wrapped James in a boisterous hug. "Good job, Prongs."
James laughed, returning the hug and adding a few pats on the back for good measure.
"No new parts? I must be getting rusty in my old age." He laughed as Sirius snorted. "I could have another go..." He jokingly reached for his wand before Sirius cut him off.
"Oh no. Put that thing away!" Sirius took control of the wand, tucking it safely back in James' pocket. "We have work to do before you can use it to sprout me some Weasley hair. Come on." He grinned mischievously, and tilted his head toward the door..
James smacked him on the back. "Right you are, and it's bloody cold out here!"
~*~
Not wanting to risk further injury, they tidied the school brooms, straightened the benches, polished a squirming snitch, and silenced a dripping shower head, all without the aid of their wands.
The next hour was spent transporting the dirty towels and clothing, by hand, from the change rooms, to outside on the frosty grass. They performed washing, drying, and folding spells on the lot, and stood back to survey their handiwork.
Sirius sat down on the grass, exhaling loudly. "My hat's off to muggles. How they do all this without magic, is beyond me. Took us long enough as it was, and it still smells ripe in there."
"Does it?" James grinned childishly. "I thought that was just your funk, sweat boy." James ducked as a fresh towel flew over his right shoulder.
Sirius got to his feat, warm breath visible in the night air, and positioned himself in front of James. "Well, judging by the state of your hair, and my 'smell', seems like we're still not any closer to impressing the women of Hogwarts by our looks alone." He reached out and formed two horns out of the mess that was James' hair and took a step back to observe the result. "Nice look for you." He grinned.
"Pity, no mirrors out here on the lawn." James exhaled and quickly stepped towards Sirius. Before Sirius knew what was happening, James was making his own hair sculpture, using the shocked model in front of him. Sirius squirmed, and James couldn't get a good grip on the longish dark hair. The result was something that looked like a cross between ponytails and dreadlocks. James roared with laughter, and Sirius couldn't help but follow along.
"We make quite the pair." Sirius grandly presented his arm to James, and adopted the melodramatic voice he had used earlier in the dormitory. " Harold James Potter the Second, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"
James impressively held in the laughter that was fighting to make an appearance.
"Not if you're going to use my ruddy first name." He took a step back.
"Need some convincing?" Sirius challenged, with a goofy grin. "Here's a taste." He wound his left arm around James' back and pulled him close.
"That's definitely warmer." James whispered.
"Just getting started." Sirius winked, grabbed James' hand, and began to stumble-dance around the grassy area, before tripping and falling into the mountain of clean laundry.
Tears were rolling down both faces as they struggled with the challenge of laughing and breathing at the same time.
In this round of horseplay, it was James who was pinned down, Sirius shaking with laughter above him. His nose and cheeks were red from being outside, and James imagined he looked quite similar right down to the messy hair and bright eyes. A sudden thought raced across his mind, and he acted before his logic could stop him.
"I hope you snog better than you dance."
"Oh I do, so Moony tells me." He broke out into a new fit of laughter, burrowing his face in the front of James' cloak to muffle the noise.
James pretended to sound hurt. "What are you doing snogging Moony? I thought I was your best friend!"
"I thought you had 'other resources'." Sirius shot back, playfully, looking up at James..
"We could call it practice, if you like. I know I could use some." He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Tempting." Sirius settled in closer, hiding his chilled fingers in James' warm hair. "What changed your mind?" His voice remained calm, despite his racing heart.
"Well..." James smiled, one hand on the back of Sirius' neck, pulling him closer still. "...now I know how good it feels to have you on top of my heap."
To make up for all the angst in the last chapter, here is the James/Sirius fic I wrote for the Christmas exchange. Fluff, fun and a pillow fight! WAHOOOOOO!
It's called "Us"
Click here!Us
"What?" Sirius was slowly turning red as he scanned the note over quickly. "Detention! Hell!"
"Me too." James was holding the twin of the letter Sirius was waving in the air. "And delivered in a nice little Hogwarts envelope, right on my bed!"
"Oh, this is not fair!" Sirius pointed to a spot on the now-mangled parchment. "Anyone could have rigged Snape's stool to collapse in the Greenhouse. It's a public place..."
"Yeah," James added. "or broken all his quills. He could have done that one himself, greasy bookworm always keeps them at the bottom of his bag where they get tossed around..so I hear." He smiled slyly.
"Right you are!" Sirius clapped James solidly on the shoulder. "Next, we have the exploding pudding.. What in the world would lead McGonnagal to think it was us? We weren't even on the same side of the room when Snape found himself covered in custard!"
James raised his hand in the air, as Sirius finished his point. "Precisely! Just as anyone could have been responsible for opening his dormitory window, sprinkling his bed with owl treats and laying a trail back to the owlery."
"Who would have known what a mess that would make?" Sirius asked, hands pressed on both sides of his face, in fake shock.
They looked at each other and took a quick breath.
"US!" They declared proudly in unison, breaking out into wide smiles, and tearing the letters into confetti.
"You know, this is the third week in a row we've had detention together. I believe Wormtail and Moony may be getting jealous." James sat down on the side of his bed.
"Oh, they're fine with leaving the punishment side to us. Besides, when it comes to detention partners, I always play favourites." Sirius dramatically fell to his knees, tenderly scooping up James' hand with his own.
James looked down, shaking his head as if he were staring at a small child, or a stray dog who was too cute to discipline. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, James Potter!" Sirius broke out into an over-the-top melodramatic voice. "I never want to serve detention alone again! From now on..." His other hand passionately landed over his heart. "...I want only you beside me as we pay for our weekly transgressions!" Sirius bowed his head, planted a sloppy kiss on the back of James hand, and looked up for a reaction. James was trying not to laugh but lost all control as Sirius went back to blow a raspberry on the same hand.
"I accept!" He managed, through his laughter. He ruffled Sirius' hair, and pulled him to his feet. "You know I'll never resist a good prank."
He winked at Sirius, raised his arm in the air, and decided to try his hand at the melodrama. "Henceforth, I will follow you, Sirius Black, into the deepest darkest regions of Filch's office, hand in hand, if it will help to further freak him out."
Laughter filled the room. Sirius, rolling his eyes, pushed James hard on the shoulders, sending him flying backwards onto the bed. "There's a good lad." He dove after James, belly flopping beside him, the bed groaning in protest.
"I think the Sorting Hat seriously messed up, not putting us in Slytherin." James rolled onto his stomach, mirroring Sirius.
"Well, it did with you." He said straight-faced. "I'm pure of heart." Sirius flashed an angelic grin, batting his eyelashes.
"Pure in heart? James snorted. "My arse!"
Sirius wasn't quick enough to avoid the pillow pounding he was now receiving from James. He buried his head into his arms, pressing his face into the bed, shaking with laughter.
"Come on, brave Gryffindor, fight back!" James punctuated each word with a pillow hit to the back of Sirius' head.
Sirius blindly shot his hand along the bed, searching the overstuffed pillow he hoped wouldn't be far. Finding what he was looking for, he flipped over, impressively, and began the counterattack on James. As the battle wore on, James, who was by far the better pillow fighter, gave Sirius quite a beating.
Sirius quickly searched his mind for a creative way to stop the pummelling, and reacted with the first thing that came to mind.
"Prongs, wait!" He was trying to catch his breath. "I take it all back." James reluctantly lowered the pillow that was now ripped in several places.
"Do you, now?" James sank back on his knees, breathing harder than Sirius..
"Yeah, I'll agree that the hat may have missorted us." Sirius brushed the longish fringe out of his eyes.
James adjusted his glasses, eyeing Sirius suspiciously. "Well, good. Glad you've learned your lesson." He displayed an arrogant smile.
"I've given it a lot of thought." Sirius rolled lazily onto his back. "You should have been in Hufflepuff!"
With a mock war cry from James, Sirius suddenly found himself without a pillow and wrestling James for his.
"Oh no. It's..Ow!...not my ..HEY!..fault if you can't ..WATCH IT!...keep your own pill-Ow!" James tried to get a better grip, but the pillow was not holding up very well in the tug-of-war situation.
"Fine!" Sirius pounced. "See how well you can...OH!...fight without..OW!... your glasses!" He wrapped his smallest finger around the arm of James' glasses and pulled them off. They flew behind him, landing safely near the top of the bed.
"Nice clean fighting!" James panted. "Are you going to bite me next?" James was laughing so hard his chest was beginning to hurt. Sirius was infected immediately and he joined the room-shaking laughter.
James saw an opportunity and struck. He climbed on top of Sirius, frayed pillow in hand.
Sirius, realizing he was being straddled, couldn't think of anything to say. His rapid heart beat was the only thing he could hear.
"Do you surrender?" He held the pillow in warning above Sirius' head.
Sirius found his breath again, and smiled. "Is your middle name Barbara?"
James made a sour face, then grinned. "Sorry. Wrong answer!"
Sirius burst into a whole new fit of laughter, as James covered his face with the pillow, his body pinning Sirius to the bed. After a violent squirm from below, He lifted the pillow slightly, bending low to peer under it. "Give up?"
"Yes! Now let me breathe, you Huffummrummmfff..." James lowered the pillow for a few more seconds.
"That's no way to talk about your best mate!" James faked a shocked expression, although there was no one to see it at the moment. After a few kicks from Sirius, James decided it was time to let him breath again. He tossed the pillow away, quickly gabbing Sirius' wrists to avoid retaliation.
When they made eye contact, James could only stare.
Sirius' hair was a mess, his face considerably flushed, and he was unsuccessfully trying to look angry . They were both breathing heavily, but neither made a move to untangle themselves.
"It's a shame you're not a girl, Padfoot." James grinned, "Since I have you in a very interesting position."
Sirius choked on his next breath, as he stared up at James. He was amazed to find himself trapped, but completely willing to stay that way. Slowly, a mischievous grin stretched across his face. "I'm better than any girl. Why don't you give us a snog and find out."
James was completely still, except for the erratic breathing he couldn't quite control. He blushed slightly. "And why would I want to do that?" He whispered, challenging the dare without a trace of sarcasm or retaliation in his tone.
Sirius shifted his hips into a more comfortable position, feeling the intense heat generated from the recent horseplay session. "Well," he smiled as he tried to figure out James' curious expression. "No girl would ever want to bring home James Potter, a known troublemaker, so I figure I'm the best shot at a snog as you're ever going to get."
As James pondered the proposition, he settled back slightly, transferring more of his weight onto the body below him.
Sirius swallowed hard. The recent movement from James had sent a small shock wave scurrying up his body, starting just below his hips. He found himself trying to ignore and enjoy the strange sensation at the same time.
James, realizing he still held Sirius' wrists, lowered himself as if doing a painfully slow but satisfying push-up. They were close enough now, that his breath moved some of Sirius' hair away from his eyes.
"You may be right, but I don't think I've exhausted my resources just yet." Sirius' hopeful expression dimmed slightly. "But if I decide I need a boyfriend, you're top of the heap." James returned the earlier raspberry on Sirius' forehead, released him, and rolled off to his left side.
Sirius immediately noticed the warmth draining away from his body, but decided to make light of the situation to keep his mind off 'other things'. "Top of the heap? I'm your favourite pair of socks, now?"
James laughed at the image of Sirius-shaped socks, sat up, and pulled them both off the very rumpled bed. "Lets get to detention before Filch invents something else to blame us for."
"Sure. Had your way with me," He wiped the wet spot from his forehead. "And now you expect me to WORK?"
James scooped up his glasses and ran a hand through his messy hair. "Whatever you say, Lucius."
Before his sentence was completed, James had started running, knowing full well how Sirius would react. His laughter could be heard in almost every hallway.
~*~
"That's not a bad idea, really." Sirius pulled his cloak tighter to keep out the bitter November wind. "I mean, there's no one that I trust more than you."
"I think it would be ok." James stepped gingerly over a steaming spot on the grass. "People our age are expected to 'experiment', right?"
"Right. I think we should feel free to expand our 'horizons'." Sirius looked across to James, and grinned. "So when and where?"
James paused at the door to the Quidditch change rooms, checking for onlookers. "Well, it's still early." He winked. "If we hurry up with cleaning here, then we'll have enough time to do it tonight."
Sirius looked slightly nervous. "Er...You know I've never done this before, so...how much time will we need?"
James laid a hand on his shoulder and whispered. "We'll get my cloak, and hide under there until we get into the library."
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Why the library?"
"Oh, there's a few things I wanted to look up before we 'did' anything." James broke eye contact.
"Hell!" Sirius threw his hands up in the air and spun away from James. "I thought you said you've done this before!"
"Shhhh!" James hushed Sirius, stepping up close behind him. He lowered his voice. "Only once, so I just wanted to make sure...don't worry, ok? Trust me."
"You know I do, prat." Sirius smiled into the darkness. James grabbed the other shoulder and spun him around.
"So what colour do you want?" James asked, a huge grin plastered across his face.
"You should probably be asking me 'what colour would you like me to AIM for, Padfoot?'." Sirius laughed. "Since I'm only your second try, I might end up with pink or bright yellow."
"Possible. However, it worked the first time, and I know the counter chant to the hair colouring charm, 'if' something does go wrong."
Sirius thought for a moment, then locked eyes with James. "Then I want red hair like Arthur's. Just to see the look on everyone's face will be worth it if I get punished."
"Weasley hair?" James scrunched up his face.
Sirius nodded, absolute in his decision.
"Ok, I'll try my best. I guess I can colour mine as well. Can't let you have all the attention." James opened the door, pushing Sirius in ahead of him. Both chuckling to themselves.
~*~
"Ugh! What a pigsty." Sirius groaned, as the combined smell of grass, wind, dampness and sweat hit them, full force.
The last two teams to play had been Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. James and Sirius were standing in what was obviously the Gryffindor area. A few telltale robes were abandoned on the floor, most of the gear was falling out of the lockers, and soiled towels covered every other surface.
"I don't remember leaving it in this state, but I was also distracted with celebration at the time." James placed his hands on his hips as he summed-up the damage.
"I don't know why you insisted on a celebration." Sirius playfully bumped James in the ribs. "It was only Hufflepuff. Not like you were likely to lose."
"A win is a win." James pretended to take offence while Sirius grinned. "Ok!" James clapped his hands together, surveying the filth. "Let's get this done!"
Sirius nodded, and they both reached for their wands.
"Tergeo tergo tersi tersum!" They uttered the cleaning charm and simultaneously flew back against the wall, with a sickening crack echoing through the room.
They sank to the floor.
"Looks like someone figured out how we cleaned this place so quickly last week." Sirius let out a low moan as his fingers moved gingerly over a lump that was forming on the back of his head.
James was crawling toward where he thought his glasses might have landed. "Yeah. That was some ward. I bet Filch told McGonnagal to do it." James spotted what he was looking for on a large pile of towels. "Got you." He whispered to himself, adjusting his glasses slightly as he put them back on. "All right there, Padfoot?"
"Yeah, I think the wall got the worst of it." He glanced up.
James chuckled softly as he watched Sirius' hand glide over the broken tiles. "I'll bet we get blamed with 'damage to school property' for cracking walls with our heads."
Sirius tried to let a short laugh escape, but the pain from his head was getting the better of him. He swayed slightly, throwing his other hand out to steady himself against the wall. James was there in an instant, ushering Sirius back through the door, and out into the icy air.
"I'm fine, you git." Sirius paused, suddenly aware of the new surroundings. "Wait. Why are we outside?"
"Well, we can rule out Ravenclaw for you." James chuckled. He turned Sirius to face him, holding securely to both shoulders. "I don't want to risk a repeat wall-cracking performance, so I brought you out here to try a healing spell."
"Right. Good thinking."
James released one of Sirius' shoulders, and moved his hand tenderly through Sirius' hair until it brushed against the goose egg that was developing nicely. Sirius, still in a bit of a fog, was enjoying their proximity until James' fingers came into contact with his injury, causing him to pale considerably.
James' reaction was swift. "I should take you up to the castle." He threw Sirius' arm over his shoulder, preparing to move them both. "What if I can't..."
"No, wait." Two words from Sirius, and James froze where he stood. He tried for a reassuring smile, but noticed the worried expression coming from James. "Just go ahead already. Remember, I trust you." He took James' left hand in his own.
James stayed still for a moment, then reluctantly nodded and reached with his right hand for his wand. A soft glow surrounded the upper half of Sirius' body as James cast the healing spell he hoped would be the right one.
Sirius closed his eyes as the light faded and squeezed the hand he was still holding. James finally started breathing again when he noticed a smile begin to surface on Sirius' lips.
James broke the silence first. "It worked, then?" Relief was evident in his eyes.
"I think I still have all my parts," He let go of James' hand to check if the lump was still there. He then patted himself down along the outside of his cloak. He looked up at James, and raised an eyebrow. "And I haven't found any new parts, either." He wrapped James in a boisterous hug. "Good job, Prongs."
James laughed, returning the hug and adding a few pats on the back for good measure.
"No new parts? I must be getting rusty in my old age." He laughed as Sirius snorted. "I could have another go..." He jokingly reached for his wand before Sirius cut him off.
"Oh no. Put that thing away!" Sirius took control of the wand, tucking it safely back in James' pocket. "We have work to do before you can use it to sprout me some Weasley hair. Come on." He grinned mischievously, and tilted his head toward the door..
James smacked him on the back. "Right you are, and it's bloody cold out here!"
~*~
Not wanting to risk further injury, they tidied the school brooms, straightened the benches, polished a squirming snitch, and silenced a dripping shower head, all without the aid of their wands.
The next hour was spent transporting the dirty towels and clothing, by hand, from the change rooms, to outside on the frosty grass. They performed washing, drying, and folding spells on the lot, and stood back to survey their handiwork.
Sirius sat down on the grass, exhaling loudly. "My hat's off to muggles. How they do all this without magic, is beyond me. Took us long enough as it was, and it still smells ripe in there."
"Does it?" James grinned childishly. "I thought that was just your funk, sweat boy." James ducked as a fresh towel flew over his right shoulder.
Sirius got to his feat, warm breath visible in the night air, and positioned himself in front of James. "Well, judging by the state of your hair, and my 'smell', seems like we're still not any closer to impressing the women of Hogwarts by our looks alone." He reached out and formed two horns out of the mess that was James' hair and took a step back to observe the result. "Nice look for you." He grinned.
"Pity, no mirrors out here on the lawn." James exhaled and quickly stepped towards Sirius. Before Sirius knew what was happening, James was making his own hair sculpture, using the shocked model in front of him. Sirius squirmed, and James couldn't get a good grip on the longish dark hair. The result was something that looked like a cross between ponytails and dreadlocks. James roared with laughter, and Sirius couldn't help but follow along.
"We make quite the pair." Sirius grandly presented his arm to James, and adopted the melodramatic voice he had used earlier in the dormitory. " Harold James Potter the Second, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"
James impressively held in the laughter that was fighting to make an appearance.
"Not if you're going to use my ruddy first name." He took a step back.
"Need some convincing?" Sirius challenged, with a goofy grin. "Here's a taste." He wound his left arm around James' back and pulled him close.
"That's definitely warmer." James whispered.
"Just getting started." Sirius winked, grabbed James' hand, and began to stumble-dance around the grassy area, before tripping and falling into the mountain of clean laundry.
Tears were rolling down both faces as they struggled with the challenge of laughing and breathing at the same time.
In this round of horseplay, it was James who was pinned down, Sirius shaking with laughter above him. His nose and cheeks were red from being outside, and James imagined he looked quite similar right down to the messy hair and bright eyes. A sudden thought raced across his mind, and he acted before his logic could stop him.
"I hope you snog better than you dance."
"Oh I do, so Moony tells me." He broke out into a new fit of laughter, burrowing his face in the front of James' cloak to muffle the noise.
James pretended to sound hurt. "What are you doing snogging Moony? I thought I was your best friend!"
"I thought you had 'other resources'." Sirius shot back, playfully, looking up at James..
"We could call it practice, if you like. I know I could use some." He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Tempting." Sirius settled in closer, hiding his chilled fingers in James' warm hair. "What changed your mind?" His voice remained calm, despite his racing heart.
"Well..." James smiled, one hand on the back of Sirius' neck, pulling him closer still. "...now I know how good it feels to have you on top of my heap."