Mischief Managed Year Two Part One: The Poisoned Truth

Chapter Fifty-Eight- Man or Monster?

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Sirius was very disappointed when Remus was gone when he woke up, even though he had woken up early after a night of stressful dreams. He stood up, groaning and stretching his back, quite sore. It was Peter's fault for being such an excellent pillow fighter, or maybe James' fault. Both Peter and Sirius had given up on fighting over being the best man and had collapsed onto the floor, laughing themselves hoarse about how dumbstruck James would be if Lily ever agreed to date him, let alone marry the poor bloke. The two of them had proceeded to fall asleep on the floor, the imagined scenarios of James humiliating himself becoming more amusing and ludicrous. Neither of them expected to sleep the whole night on the ground, but it seemed both Remus and James hadn't even attempted to wake them up.

Smiling to himself about Peter's accurate description of James being a bumbling tomato around Lily he walked downstairs. The amusement from last night was turning into concern. Remus wasn't even in the common room like he usually was. But Sirius was too tired and a bit too stubborn to search the whole castle for him. However, as an hour ticked by he realized maybe he should do that after all. Only luckily, James woke up at the nick of time and explained to him he didn't think Remus was all that mad anymore. Although he was still out for revenge as any proper Marauder would be.

"He got me back really good for the Whomping Willow thing though, Sirius. I mean it. You better watch your back," James explained, relating with begrudging pride how Remus had made him look like a fool in front of about seven Gryffindors. "I wouldn't have cared but Lily was there, Sirius. Lily!"

Sirius listened to a still half-asleep James complain about Remus while also singing the lad's praises, something about a poem and a wingman. But despite James' reassurances about Remus, Sirius was a bit worried he had messed things up badly with his friend. When Remus wasn't at breakfast both Peter and James slowly began to come around to the idea that maybe Sirius really had botched things up good this time. Or as Peter so kindly put it: 'screwed the pooch.'

Sirius had even tried to ask Lily for help by the end of the meal. If he was being completely honest, he was panicking. But Lily was treating him quite coldly, which didn't help his worry over the matter. And when James had tried to get her to help, she had just replied with a rather devious grin that she'd only tell him if he got on his knees and said she was smarter than him.

"Come on guys, let's go," James fumed, face dark red.

"But I'm not finished," Peter grumbled.

"Come on!"

They all left the meal early, which meant they got to their class ridiculously prematurely.

"James, we have a reputation to maintain," Sirius pointed out looking around at the still-empty classroom disapprovingly. Marauders did not arrive at class early! Well, Remus probably did, but he was the only exception.

"I had to get out of there," James moaned between his fingers.

"What do you care, James? She's laughed at you loads of times...she's said a lot worse about you too," Peter attempted to console the red face boy.

"You don't understand. It's not about what she said. I...I was going to bloody do it," he groaned. "There's something really wrong with me."

"I'd say! You should have done it. Take one for the team." Sirius laughed at James' lacklustre glare which didn't look terribly threatening since his friend wouldn't pry his fingers off his face, still red as the Hogwarts Express.

"Git!" James moaned.

"But quit freaking out about a girl and help me figure out how to make things right with Remus!"