Sirius insisted that Liesel sit with him at the Gryffindor table as he inhaled two plates of scrambled eggs and bacon, eight pieces of toast and three tall glasses of pumpkin juice while she poured over the morning edition of The Daily Prophet with her coffee and four heavily buttered pieces of toast with strawberry preserves. James soon followed and ate just about as much as Sirius did and protested when Lily munched on his bacon. Remus arrived alone and propped up his transfiguration text book and stole two pieces of James' toast unnoticed. Peter was the last to arrive with Kaitlyn and they parted at the tables...he barely had time to enjoy his cheesy scrambled eggs and juice, but he did manage to pepper James' eggs when he wasn't looking.
"I can't wait until Tuesday's paper," Liesel said to no one in particular.
"Why's that," Remus asked, his eyes looked at her from over his book as James frowned at his eggs and sighed.
"That's the fashion edition of the paper," she replied.
"Alright," Remus said, his brow raised. "And?"
"They had a contest for Best Dressed Witch and I entered it. They announce the winner tomorrow!"
Remus nodded."Ah. Good luck!"
"Thanks," she said smiling.
Sirius turned his head and looked at her as he pushed his plate away and belched as he spoke quite loudly, "Oh! Really?"
Liesel looked at him from the corners of her eyes. "EWW! That was absolutely disgusting," she said as Sirius chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "But yeah, really." She shook her head.
"Sorry," he said and pretended to look at the paper that was neatly folded before her.
"Better out than in," James said, also belching.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Come on Liesel, I'll show you the quickest way to Transfig, while those two battle it out for the title of 1976's Bumbling Belching Baboon of the Year."
Liesel chuckled. "I think I like Gastrointestinal Git of the year, myself."
"Oooooo, I rather like that one," Remus said.
"You're not helping, Remus," James chided.
"I'll give it a seven," Peter said. "James, you get a two."
"Hey! That was easily a 9.5," Sirius protested. " I think James should easily get a 4.5 for his. It was crunchy!"
Remus grinned as he closed his book with a loud thud and then stuffed it in his satchel. "Hold on ladies and I'll accompany you!"
"Ah yes, a true gentleman! Finally one steps up," Lily teased as she fluffed James' hair. He grinned as he threw back his head and pursed his lips, but Lily had already started walking toward the door. James' brow furrowed but his lips were still pursed and he glanced toward her. Liesel giggled as Sirius looked toward his best friend.
"I don't swing that way Prongsie old man, but I'll bite," he said as he took James' face in his hands and pulled him in for a kiss, but just as their lips were to collide, Sirius placed his hand between their mouths. He pulled away to see James' face register nothing but shock. "Best kiss I've had all day," he cooed.
"You suck, Sirius! Terribly!"
"Aww James I'm hurt! That's not what you said last night!"
Remus groaned as he shook his head and motioned that Liesel should follow. "It's our annual Prank James Day," he said. "First day of classes every year, we all prank James some kind of way. We all get one. Sirius' is at Halloween. Mine is at Christmas and Pete's is at Easter."
She nodded her head. "Ah."
"So you have to think of something good."
"But I hardly know him,' Liesel protested.
Remus nodded as his grin widened. "True, but you're one of the squad now. It's tradition!"
Liesel rolled her eyes. "I guess I can get Sirius to help me think of something good?"
Remus scrunched up his face as shook his head. "Oh, I don't know about that!?
"Why not?"
"Sirius can think up some pretty brutal pranks!"
She breathed in a deep sigh. "Okay," she said. "I'll come up with something."
He threw his arm around her shoulders. "That's my girl!"
Sirius came trotting up silently behind them and moved to the other side of Liesel. "Excuse me Professor Moony. My girl!"
"Saw her first."
"Kissed her first."
"Shite."
Sirius laughed in triumph as he walked with them toward their Transfiguration class.
As they ascended the stairs, Sirius began humming a KISS song, and a plan began to form in Liesel's head and she grinned as she climbed the stairs behind Remus. When they arrived at the classroom, she walked in behind Remus and Sirius waited at the door momentarily and watched her move to a desk and place her books on the seat. She turned around saw his staring at her appreciatively and she raised her brow. She moved toward him. "Are you staring at me, Mister Black?"
He grinned and nodded. "Uh huh."
"Why?"
"Better me than someone else," he replied with his lop-sided grin.
She nodded her head. "True. Carry on."
"Oh, thank you," he said as he stole a kiss and then entered the classroom. "Hiya Minnie! I'm here!"
"Oh joy, Mister Black," Professor McGonagall said flatly as she turned to face the class. "Now my day is truly complete!"
He beamed and took the desk behind Liesel. He then turned to see where she was; her feet were just inside the door, but the top half of her body was leaning just outside of it. He saw that her wand out and that she had cast a silent spell and his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He continued to stare as she returned to her seat and he whispered to get her attention. "Psst! Bobbie!"
She turned around in her seat. "Yes?"
"What did you just do?"
She sat up in her chair and smiled sweetly. "You'll see." She then faced forward.
Moments later, James walked into the room just as the bell rang, proud as a peacock to giggles and subdued laughter.
Professor McGonagall stood and approached him, with a perfectly straight face. "Good morning Mister Potter, happy to see you made it on time."
"Good morning, Professor! Yes, I just made it didn't I!"
She nodded. "Truly. Tell me, how's your annual prank day going?"
"Well, Lily has yet to get me, I don't think stealing bacon counts, does it?"
"Definitely not," she said. "Anyone else?"
"Well, Sirius got me already. So I guess that leaves Remus and Pete. No wait. Pete peppered my eggs. So I suppose it's just Remus and Lily?" He nodded.
"Ah."
Liesel cleared her throat and James turned in his seat to look back at her. "Oh you're in as well are you?"
She nodded as she smiled and tried not to laugh.
"Alright then," he said and turned around in his seat.
Sirius groaned and then belted out loudly, "I....wanna rock and roll all night...."
"And party ev-ery-day," Liesel sang and then giggled thrilled that Sirius knew who he was supposed to look like.
James turned around in his seat again and the class laughed quite loudly. He frowned. "Oh god! What did you do!"
"It's a good look for you, Mister Potter," McGonagall said smiling, as she transfigured a mirror for him to look at his face. James looked at his reflection in horror.
"OH MY GOD! WHAT IS THAT!"
"Not what, but who," Sirius said laughing.
James whipped around in his chair and glared first at Sirius, then at Liesel. "Which one of you did it!"
Liesel smiled and winked her eye.
James shook his head. "Oh, it's on, Rhodes! It's sooo ON!"
Liesel nodded and flashed a toothy grin. "Aww! Come on! At least it was only the transfig class that saw it," she said.
"Ten points to Hufflepuff if you fix him up in the next five seconds, Miss Rhodes. Don't forget the hair." She moved toward her desk at the head of the class.
"Aww. But it's a good look for him!"
Lily craned her neck to look at him. "It is, James, it really is," she said, trying not to laugh. She looked toward Remus, who was covering his face, laughing silently, which only served to make her giggle. Peter made absolutely no effort to hide his amusement.
"Ticktock, Miss Rhodes."
"Fine." She pulled out her wand and gave it a wave and the make up was instantly removed and his hair returned to his normal look of wind-blown hair.
McGonagall turned around and looked at James and then at her. "Twenty points to Hufflepuff. For non-verbal magic. Very good Miss Rhodes! Tell me, do you still plan on tutoring?"
Liesel nodded her head. "Absolutely!"
"Very good. Class, kindly pull out your books. Today, we're going to learn Crinus Muto."
"Cool! I get to have a beard," Sirius exclaimed with glee.
It was the only time that anyone ever witnessed Professor McGonagall going along with a joke by smiling with approval.