Mischievous-A Marauders Fanfic

7-Dementors and Lethifolds

Life with a Mandrake leaf in your mouth wasn't exactly turning out to be straightforward. Even the simplest daily tasks, for example sleeping and eating, was complicated by the fact that the six friends had to wrestle with the little black pains every single time to avoid swallowing them.

Pronunciation was also awkward. Peter struggled awfully with the letters S and C, while Samantha and Sirius had issues with D, P and T. James showered everyone with spit every time he said J or G, while Sephy would every now and again stop mid-sentence to cough her leaf back up. Halley's main problem, though, was how to get through her one-on-one lesson with Professor Merrythought without being busted.

"Justh bon'th go" Sirius advised her, as they all sat together in the Gryffindor common room, in front of the roaring fire while the first snow of winter pummelled down outside. "We canth geth cauth wiff ffis."

"We're gonna get caught anyway if you don't work on your speaking" Sephy chided. "You sound like you've lost all your teeth, Sirius."

"Geth losth, Sephy."

"I'm going to go" Halley told them all firmly. "I can't not. I want to be able to do the Charm. I just need to get this little sucker under control."

"I've been thinking about that" Remus chipped in from the armchair. "And I think I've got something that might help. Who fancies being a guinea pig?"

"Literally or metaphorically?" James smirked. "Cos I don't fancy beingh an actual ghuinea pigh."

Sephy, who was sitting next to James as he spoke, recoiled as spit flew across her face. James didn't look the slightest bit apologetic.

"Metaphorically" Remus replied pointedly. "It's a little sticking hex I found. I thought we could get the leaf to stick temporarily to the roof of Halley's mouth."

"Cuhan't we all have that?" Peter complained, leaning over the chair arm and glaring at Remus.

"I don't know how it'll affect the Process" Remus admitted. "Neither does Sammie. We've been discussing it all afternoon."

Halley, spinning her Mandrake leaf around her tongue as she listened to the others, decided that it wasn't a half bad idea.

"I'd like you to do it anyway" she cut in. "If I'm the only one who can't transform, it won't make much of a difference."

"It will" Remus cut in. "You'll be up here on your own while the rest of us..."

"I'll cope" Halley assured him. "Now stick me up."

James snorted, his dirty mind making it impossible not to, and Halley, Sephy and Samantha all glowered at him. Remus looked uncomfortable, before pulling out his wand.

"Hold still" he ordered Halley. "And you'll have to open your mouth a bit."

Halley obeyed, and Remus aimed his wand carefully, as Halley stuck the leaf to the roof of her mouth with a bit of spit.

After Remus had said the incantation, Halley ran her tongue around the leaf in her mouth experimentally.

"Seems stuck" she smiled. Remus flushed a little, proudly.

"Hal, ith's nearly eighth o'clock" Sirius pointed out, pointing at the clock. "You'b bether go."

"You'd better learn to speak, Sirius" Halley teased, smirking at him and clambering up, wand in pocket, and making her way to the portrait hole. She was feeling a little nervous. Merrythought's office wasn't too much of a walk away, and Halley had to knock twice before the door was opened to her.

"Good evening" Merrythought smiled, letting Halley in, and shutting the door behind them as Halley spun her wand nervously through her fingers.

"Right" the little Professor sighed. "I've taken the executive decision to argue that there's no point in your being able to produce a corporeal Patronus unless you know what you can use it against-"