Golden Retriever Black Cat

Part 5

"Well, this is a nice change of scenery!" Sirius exclaimed slumping on the bottom bunk bed.

"This is a prison cell!" James shouted, slamming his hand into the bars.

"I was being sarcastic!" Sirius yelled back.

"Shut up!" The guard called, lazily flicking down the top of his paper.

"Can I take my call?" James replied.

"NO!" Sirius cried. "I- I mean, no, he wants to wait a moment. We need to discuss."

"Pads, who are we calling?" James muttered.

"Well... if we call Moony, we're dead. If we call Lily, we're dead. Can't call either of our parents. That leaves us with Reg."

"Hm."

"What?"

"He's your brother. You call him." James crossed his arms.

"No! You got us into this mess!" Sirius whisper yelled.

"Me? I was drunk and publicly nude?" James turned, his face close to Sirius's.

"Fine. But you're calling next time." Sirius groaned, following the guard out of the cell.

"First time in?" A gruff voice posed.

"Yeah. I was an accomplice to a crime. You?" James replied, leaning against the wall.

"I stabbed someone." The large, muscular man chuckled.

"Why, may I ask?"

"She stabbed me first!"

"That's fair."

"Good friend of yours, that chap?"

"He's my brother."

The man slapped his knees. "Didn't see that one coming."

"Oh, yeah. No, he's adopted." James laughed fakely.

"So you have a second brother?" He asked.

"Hm? Oh! No, his brother is my boyfriend."

"That'll be fun to explain to your brother there."

"He knows nothing. Will know nothing."

"Got it."

"Say, what's your name, sir?" James inquired, sitting on the opposite bench.

"Quinnivent Smith the third. You?"

He did not look like a Quinnevent Smith the third. More of a... Raccoon, or a Boulder.

"I'm James."

"A one-name man, I like it."

The clicking of the guard's shoes washed down the hallway. A set of light footprints followed slowly reaching their ears.

"You can come out when he arrives." The guard pushed Sirius into the cell.

"Thank you, sir!" Sirius grinned.

"You called him?" James asked.

"He'll be here in a half hour. And he found my stash of bond money under my bed." Sirius replied.

-

"Get in, losers. In the morning, you're going to therapy." Regulus said, unlocking the car doors.

"Both of us?" James questioned, sitting in the passenger seat.

"No." Regulus paused long enough to give them both hope. "All three of us. We're going in for family counselling. I've already booked it."