Mischief Managed Year Two Part One: The Poisoned Truth

Chapter Twenty-Nine- Absolutely NOT a Crush on Lily

"No, you aren't," Sirius scoffed, lowering his voice as Peter and Remus glanced over at them.

"Well...then we'll become friends and then it won't be weird," James concluded, sounding relieved. Sirius tried to be patient, tried to remind himself that James grew up without older cousins to explain these things to him. Because as wonderful as James' parents were, he couldn't see them sitting down to explain to James how to know when you have a crush anymore than he could imagine his parents doing so.

"You're an utter moron, James. Friends don't want to snog each other."

James glanced around quickly as if Sirius had just said a very dirty word. "I...I...I don't..," James stammered, sounding more like Peter than himself.

"Just admit it, James, so you can get over her and--" Sirius knew he was goading James quite a bit, but he didn't expect his git of a friend to point his wand at him.

"Immobilus," James stated with confidence. Body going completely rigid as a jolt uncomfortably ran up Sirius' spine, he glared at James and his wand, unable to do anything else.

"Oh, well done, Mr. Potter! Five points to Gryffindor for excellent execution. Most don't get it right until the end of class. Well done, indeed!"

James grinned, puffing up, though his face was still red. Stupid Potter and his stupid annoying knack for charms. Lily shot a similar glare at James, only she was still able to move and speak. Then Lily turned back to Marlene, looking a little red in the face herself as she concentrated, probably too hard, on trying to catch up to James.

"I think I like you better this way, Black," James smirked, no longer blushing. "Maybe I'll keep you like that until the end of class," he teased.

Sirius' expression was stuck in the glare he had on his face before James froze him, because it was so very hard to be patient with the massive berk sometimes. But even if the dark expression had been a matter of choice, Sirius would still be glaring at his stupid best friend. That was what Sirius got for caring about James' feelings too much. Next time he'd just pair up with Remus without consulting James first. It would serve him right to be stuck with Pettigrew for a while.

.................................................

Remus listened to James and Peter chew out Sirius once more on waking them up so darn early when the visitors weren't arriving until dinner time, as they all left class together.

"Dinner time, Sirius! I could have slept in," Peter lamented dramatically.

"Yeah, you need your beauty sleep, Pettigrew," Sirius teased, still jovial. It was cute that he got so excited about holidays, but then again Remus didn't have to worry about Sirius actually waking him up at odd hours because of that excitement because he was typically already awake, usually.

"Har har har," Peter mumbled.

"It's a bloody shame Flitwick unfroze you so quickly after my brilliant charm. You would have deserved to stay like that for eternity, you wanker. They aren't coming until dinner time!" James shouted once more in outrage, only half-joking now. Remus read as he walked and listened with amusement to his crazy friends.

"I thought they were coming at breakfast!" Sirius protested his innocence loudly, earning the looks of a few Hufflepuffs they were passing in the hall. Remus heard one of them whisper 'blood traitor,' and hide a smirk. He glanced at Sirius relieved he hadn't noticed, feeling bad for his friend. Remus wishing he could have been there for him when he had gotten the howler.

Remus had been filled in on what had happened while he was in the hospital wing, his jaw having been so severely broken from the wolf ramming itself into the shack, more desperate than usual to escape, that it took days to heal. Madam Pomfrey said jaws were particularly tricky to heal since something about nerves or tendons, but that didn't help Remus who still looked like a human punching bag. He knew the matron was doing her best, but it was still really frustrating.